IMPROVEMENT IN MAKING BRANCHES OR LOOPS AND IN REPAIRING DEFECTS IN LEAD ARMORED ELECTRIC CABLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, RICHARD SOLOMON WARING of Pittsburg, County of Allegheny, State of
Pennsylvania United States of America, Electrical Engineer. do hereby declare the
nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENT IN MAKING BRANCHES OR LOOPS AND
IN REPAIRING DEFECTS IN LEAD ARMORED ELECTRIC CABLES," and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The first part of my Invention relates to making branches or loops in lead
armored electric cables and is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
Drawing in which.
Figure 1 is a perspective of a portion of the cable showing two loop joints
partially formed, the same being illustrative of part of my Invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the joint completed.
This part of my Invention relates to certain improvements in making joints for
branches or loops leading from a lead covered, electric cable, and in general terms
it consists in removing the lead-covering from a wire of the cable, severing it,
removing the insulating covering and making electrical connection between such
ends and the exposed ends of the wires of the branch cable or loop, then recovering
the exposed-metallic surfaces of the conductors with electric insulating material
and enclosing the whole.in a wiped joint of solder, making a solid connection
thereby between the metal covering of the cable proper and of the loop, as
hereinafter more fully described and claimed.
In the Drawing A represents a short section of compound electric cable, having
a body a. of lead, enclosing insulated conducting wires a¹ each in its appropriate
passage through the lead body. The cable shown has a longitudinally ribbed or
corrugated form of exterior, a wire al being enclosed with each such rib. This
form and construction of cable affords many advantages in use and therefore I have
shown it as the preferred form, but I do not wish to limit my Invention by this or
any particular form of lead-covered cable, or cable covered with an equivalent, soft,
ductile metal or alloy, as it may be applied to advantage in making branch or loop
connections, with the various kinds and forms of cables of this class known in
the art.
°
In making such connection I expose or uncover a short length, say about three
inches more or less, of the cable wire a¹ with which connection is to be made. This
may be done in various ways; for example, by cutting away the body of metal
covering, as at A¹, Figure 1, when the wires may be severed, or the metal covering
may be slitted longitudinally and opened or spread as at A2, thus exposing the
desired length of wire. Or again; when ribbed cables, such as shown, are used, a

page_text: rib with its enclosed wire may be divided from the main body, any desired length,
by cutting through the metal body along the bases of the grooves, as at A³, the
wire may then be severed and if desired, its ends be.bent outward and exposed or
denuded a suitable length for making electrical connection therewith. Electrical'
connection between wires may be made by removing the insulating covering a, from
the wire ends, and then uniting them with the naked wire-ends c, of the branch
cable C. This may be done by twisting the wire ends together as at c¹, or by
lapping and soldering them or in any other suitable way known in the art. The
branch cable C, is of the same class or kind as the main cable, consisting of a soft
metal body enclosing the desired number of insulated conductors c.
The wire ends being connected as described, their exposed metallic surfaces are
covered or wrapped with any suitable electrical insulating material i, for example;
such as is commonly employed for kindred purposes in the art, and if desired the
exposed insulating covering of the wires may be wrapped or enclosed with a light
sleeve or covering of metal c² to prevent direct contact of the solder covering
therewith; in many cases, however, this will not be necessary, and therefore I do
not wish to limit my Invention to such use.
The whole joint connection is then enclosed within or covered by a plumber's
wipe joint E, of solder, the same being applied and manipulated in the usual way
practiced by plumbers, working well into the surface of both the main cable as
at e, and also of the branch cable, as at e', making a solid, solder union between
the two, connecting them firmly, and completely encasing the united conductors.
The united wire ends will thus be covered and protected substantially like the
remaining parts of their length, so that they will work throughout under
substantially similar conditions.
The joint or union thus made is inexpensive, can be made quickly and at any
desired points in the cable, either before or after laying the same, and the joint,
when made, will be durable and effective in excluding moisture and protecting the
wires from electrical induction and from external injury.
I have shown and described a loop or branches formed with one wire of the
cable, but the same features of construction may be applied in similar manner to
making joint connection with two or more wires of the cable, either at the same or
different points, and with the branching wires included in one or more branch
cables, and all such modifications I consider as coming within my Invention.
The second part of my Invention relates to repairing defects in lead armored
electric cables and is illustrated in Figures 3 to 9 of the accompanying Drawing
in which;
Figure 3, is a side elevation of a ribbed cable showing at the left one of the ribs.
cut away to expose one of the insulated conductors, and at the right the exposed
conductor is severed and the severed ends bent up and partially denuded of their
insulated covering.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of spiral coupling.
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, shewing at the left one of the denuded
and turned up ends provided with the spiral coupling, and at the right, both of the
denuded ends of the conductor as bent down and slipped into the spiral coupling.
Figure 6 shows the joint formed at the right of Figure 5 thoroughly coated with
solder..
Figure 7 shows at the left the joint as formed in Figures 5 and 6 covered with
insulating material, and the lead covering flap secured at one end, over the cut
away portion of the cable, and at the right, the flap is shown as soldered down in
place, covering the joint between the ends of the conductor.
Figure 8 shows the edges of the flap as thoroughly covered and secured by a
wipe-joint.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the flap.
This part of my Invention is designed to provide for access to the various wires
composing a cable formed by passing the electrical conductors through separate
passages formed in a lead bar or rod in the process of manufacturing it, and for

page_text: repairing or correcting any breaks or faults which may occur in any of the said
conductors, and in general terms my Invention consists in the method and
construction all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.
Usually heretofore in laying underground conductors, it has been customary to
arrange the conductors in passages formed in a box or frame which at every three
or four hundred feet is interrupted or opens into what is termed a testing box.
And it has been necessary, in order to repair any breaks or faults occurring between
any two testing boxes to draw out the conductor between said boxes until the
fault or break is found, and after repairing said fault or break to replace the
conductor. This method of repairing conductors not only consumes a great deal of
time, but requires the frequent interposition of testing boxes which is very
expensive.
In repairing cables such as are used for ocean and other cables, it is usually
necessary to entirely sever or cut out a piece of the cable and then either join the
several ends or splice in a piece of cable, and during this operation all the
conductors in said cable are rendered useless although the break or fault may occur
in only one of them.
The above and other objections however are obviated in the use of my cable and
any faults or breaks can be repaired without either with drawing any part of the
injured conductor from its shield or covering, or interrupting the use of the other
conductors while the injured conductor is being repaired.
I will now describe the manner in which I propose to repair any one or more
conductors of my improved cable in which a fault or break has occurred.
The position of the fault or break in any one of the conductors having been
located by any of the well known means, the lead wall or covering of that
conductor is cut. away at the point of break, as shown at a. Figure 3 thus
exposing the conductor at that point. The conductors is then severed and if
necessary the injured part of the conductor is then cut out, and the insulation of
the protruding ends of the conductor is then removed for some distance back along
the conductor as shown at b. Figure 3. After the exposed ends of the conductor
have been cleaned to obtain a bright surface, they are slipped into the couplings c,
Figure 4, which is formed of a piece of coiled wire, but any other suitable coupling
may be used. The coupling and the ends of the conductor therein are then firmly
united together by solder as shown at the right of Figure 5, and the whole joint
thoroughly coated with solder as shown at Figure 6.
After the joint has been thoroughly coated with solder as above stated, it is
wrapped with some insulating material as shown at d, Figure 7, the insulating
material covering not only the joint but the ends of the conductor which were
previously exposed. The joint having been carefully formed, and all the exposed
parts completely covered all as above stated, a flap or cover e is secured at one end
of the recess a. by a piece of metal f as shown at the left of Figure 7. The flap e
is then bent down to its place and is soldered to the edges of the recess a. as shown
at the right of Figure 7. After being so secured, the joints between the flap and
the edges of the recess are "wiped" over with solder as at g in Figure 8.
It will be seen that the whole of the above operation of opening the cable and
repairing one of the wires can be effected without disturbing or interrupting the
use of the other wires comprising the cable.
It frequently happens that the location of the fault or break cannot be exactly
found and that the conductor will have to be uncovered and severed in order to
make another test to more nearly locate the break or fault, and I consider it within
the spirit of my Invention to perform the steps hereinbefore described for the
purpose of making additional tests to locate breaks or faults.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
First. The method herein described of making branch or loop connections in
lead covered electric cables, consisting in removing the metal covering of and

page_text: exposing the wire at the side of the cable body; severing such wire and connecting
its ends by metallic contact with the exposed ends of the wires of a branching
cable; recovering the exposed wire surfaces with insulating material, and finally
enclosing the wire connection thus made in a plumber's wiped-joint of solder,
making. solid union thereby between the side of the main cable and the branching
cable, substantially as set forth.
Second. A cable A. having a soft metal body enclosing insulated conducting
wires therein, having one or more such wires severed and exposed at the side of the
cable, in combination with branching cable C, the same being metal covered and
having its wires connected electrically with the exposed ends of the severed wire or
wires of the main cable; insulating covering i. and a plumber's wipe E of solder
enclosing the connected wire ends and making solid connection between the metal
covering of the branching cable and the side of the main cable, substantially as set
forth.
Third. A cable A having a soft metal body enclosing insulated conducting wires
therein, with one or more such wires exposed and severed at the side of the cable,
combination with metal-covered, cable C, having its wire.ends connected with the
exposed wire ends of cable Ạ, an insulating cable i and a metal covering c, for each
wire connection, and a plumbers, wipe E, of solder enclosing such wire connections
and making a solid union between the metal covering of the branching cable and
the side of the main cable; substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The method herein. described which consists in uncovering one of the
conductors of a lead covered electric cable having two or more conductors enclosed
in separate passages in the lead covering the conductor, electrically uniting the
severed ends, covering said union with insulating material, and recovering the union
with lead, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The method herein described of repairing the conductors of a lead covered
electric cable having two or more conductors enclosed in separate passages in the
lead covering which consists in uncovering one of said conductors, removing the
defective part of said conductor, electrically uniting the severed ends of said
conductor, covering said union with insulating material, and recovering the union
and exposed parts of the conductor with lead, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The method herein described of repairing the conductors of a lead covered
electric cable having two or more conductors enclosed in separate passages in the
lead covering, which consists in removing the lead covering from around one of said
conductors, removing the defective part of the conductor, electrically uniting the
"severed ends by any suitable coupling covering said coupling and exposed parts of
the conductor with insulating material, recovering the insulated coupling and
conductor with a piece of lead, and soldering said piece of lead to the body of the
cable, substantially as set forth.
.
Seventh. In a lead covered electric cable having two or more conductors enclosed
in separate passages in the lead covering, one of whose conductors is so severed
that the several ends will not meet, the combination of the spiral coupling c, in
which the severed ends of the conductor are soldered, the insulating covering & and
the flap e. securely soldered over the coupling, substantially at set forth.
4th