Improvements in Conduits for Conductors of Electricity.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1896
Improvements in Conduits for Conductors of Electricity.
1, WILLIAM HENRY LANE, Engineer, of 52 Halliford Street Islington, in the
County of London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to conduits for the reception of conductors of electricity,
and has for its object to provide such improvements as will permit the construction
of more efficient and economical conduits than heretofore.
For this purpose I construct my conduits of pipes or tubes prepared from
bamboo rattans or canes. It is well known that bamboo canes are hollow, but
have knots at irregular intervals, which form partitions across the bore of the cane
and divide it into two or more hollow sections.
In carrying out my invention I bore out the knots or partitions or otherwise
remove them, so as to obtain a continuous smooth surface throughout the interior of
the cane. The ends of the bamboo tubes are tapered alternatingly with outside and
inside tapers which fit into each other, or they may be joined by cther suitable
means, such as unions or junction boxes of metal, earthenware, or other suitable
material, so as to obtain a continuous run of any desired length. When passing
round corners or in any way changing the direction of the run, the bamboo tubes
may be bent to any desired angle by the application of heat, as is well known; or
suitable junction boxes may be employed at any points where two or more tubes
meet at an angle.
Before joining the bamboo tubes together they may be treated with melted
paraffin wax or other suitable insulating material in order to render them damp
proof and increase their electrical resistance, but this is not essential as the hard
close fibres of which the walls of the tubes are composed and the skin of silica on
the outside, already afford a natural protection against moisture.
I also, when necessary, increase the strength of the bamboo tubes and, reduce
their liability to mechanical injury, by encasing them in metal tubes, or wrapping
metal tape or wire round them, having first cut down the projecting portions of the
kuots so as to obtain an approximately smooth outer surface.
It is sometimes necessary or convenient to have a number of pipes or "ways"
close together to receive a number of conductors, and, in such cases, instead of
separately protecting each tube, I may place any suitable number of them, side by
side, inside a larger pipe or series of pipes of iron, earthenware, or other suitable.
material, or inside a larger bamboo pipe, suitably armoured with metal tape or
wire as just described.
I construct my improved conduits as hereinbefore described principally for use
in buildings and other interiors, but my improvements also apply to underground
conduits for conductors of electricity.
It is, however, generally necessary to provide more substantial and better
insulated conduits for underground use than for interior use, and for this
purpose, I coustruct my bamboo pipes or "ways" as hereinbefore described, in
troughs or channels of wood, iron, earthenware, or other suitable material, and
surround them with cement, bitumen, or bitumenous compound, or other suitable

page_text: material in a liquid condition, so as to obtain pipes or "ways" firmly imbedded
in a solid mass of some bad conductor of electricity. Either one pipe or "way,"
or several such, suitably spaced apart, may be contained in each trough or channel
according as may be required. The above mentioned trough or channel may form
an integral part of my improved conduit, or it may serve merely as a mould, and be so
constructed that it is easily removed after the material contained therein has duly
solidified.
Another mode of carrying out my invention is to embed the bamboo tubes in
blocks of cement, bitumen or bituminous compound, or other suitable material
before joining them end to end to form continuous pipes or "ways." For this
purpose the embedding material is cast round each tube, or several tubes of about
the same length, suitably spaced apart, in sections nearly the length of the bamboo
tubes, but leaving sufficient of the tubes projecting at each end to make a proper
joint with the next section when laid down.
Dated this 28th day of Jenue 10
1908
Improvements in Conduits for Conductors of Electricity.
I, WILLIAM HENRY LANE, of 52 Halliford Street, Essex Road, Islington, in
the County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to conduits for the reception of conductors of electricity,
and has for its object to provide such improvements as will permit the construction
of more efficient and economical conduits than heretofore.
For this purpose I construct my conduits of pipes or tubes prepared from
bamboo rattans or canes. It is well known that bamboo canes are hollow but have
knots at irregular intervals which form partitions across the bore of the canes, and
divide them into two or more hollow sections.
In carrying out my invention I bore out the knots or partitions or otherwise
remove them so as to obtain a continuous smooth surface throughout the interior
of the canes.
The ends of the bamboo tubes are tapered alternately with outside and inside
tapers which fit into each other, or they may be joined by other suitable means
such as unions or junction boxes of metal, earthenware or other suitable material, so as
to obtain a continuous run of any desired length. When passing round corners or
in any way changing the direction of the run the bamboo tubes may be bent
to any desired curvature or angle by the application of heat as is well known, or
suitable junction boxes may be employed at any points where two or more tubes
meet at an angle.
Before joining the bamboo tubes together they may be treated with melted
paraffin wax or other suitable insulating material in order to render them damp-
proof and increase their electrical resistance, but this is not essential as the hard
close fibres of which the walls of the tubes are composed, and the skin of silica
already on the outside, afford a natural protection against moisture.
I also when necessary increase the strength of the bamboo tubes and reduce their
liability to mechanical injury by encasing them in metal tubes or wrapping metal
tape or wire round them, having first cut down the projecting portions at the
knots so as to obtain an approximately smooth outer surface. It is sometimes
necessary or convenient to have a number of pipes or ways close together to receive
a number of conductors, and in such cases instead of separately protecting each

page_text: tube I may place any suitable number of them side by side inside a larger pipe,
or series of pipes of iron, earthenware or other suitable material, or inside a
larger bamboo pipe suitably armoured with metal tape or wire as previously
described.
I construct my improved conduits as herein before described principally for use
in buildings or other interiors, but my improvements are also applicable to
underground conduits for conductors of electricity.
It is however generally necessary to provide more substantial and better
insulated conduits for underground use than for interior use, and for this purpose
I arrange my bamboo pipes or ways as hereinbefore described in troughs or
channels of wood, iron, earthenware or other suitable material, and surround them
with cement, bitumen or bituminous compound, or other suitable material in a
liquid condition, so as to obtain pipes or ways firmly embedded in a solid mass of
some bad conductor of electricity.
Either one pipe or "way" or several of same suitably spaced apart may be
contained in each trough or channel which may form an integral part of my
improved conduit, or it may serve merely as a mould and be so constructed
that it is easily removed after the material contained therein has duly
solidified.
Another mode of carrying out my invention is to embed the bamboo tubes in
blocks of cement, bitumen or bituminous compound, or other suitable material,
before joining them end to end to form continuous pipes or ways. For this purpose
the embedding material is cast round each tube or several tubes of about the
same length suitably spaced apart, in sections nearly the length of the bamboo
tubes, but leaving a sufficient length of the tubes projecting at each end to make
a proper joint with the next section when laid down.
But in order that my said invention may be clearly understood I will now
proceed to describe same by the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings in
which :-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a pipe or way of my improved conduit.
A, A, are the tubes jointed with outside and inside tapers at B, B'. C, C', are
the outward projecting portions of the bored out knots or partitions.
The same letters are employed to indicate similar parts in the other drawings
now to be described.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a form of my improved conduit consisting
of several bamboo pipes or ways A, A contained in a larger bamboo protecting
tube, D, D', showing two portions of such tube jointed with inside and outside
tapers at E, E'.
It is preferable that, as shown in the drawing, the joints in each of the ways
should break joint with each other within the outer tube D, D¹.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a modified form of my improved conduit
consisting of an outer trough or channel F, F, containing several bamboo pipes
or ways A, A', suitably spaced apart and surrounded with bitumen or other
suitable compound G, G. The outer trough or chaunel F, F, may remain an
integral part of the conduit as shown or after having served its purpose as a mould
it may be removed.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section through Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through another modified form of my improved
conduit consisting of blocks of bitumen or other suitable material G, G, in which
several bamboo pipes or ways A, A¹, are firmly embedded at a suitable distance
apart.
The ends of the bamboo tubes A, A, projecting from the blocks G, G, are
shown jointed together at B, B', and ready for being surrounded with bitumen or
other suitable material to connect the adjacent blocks and form a continuous
protective sheath of insulating material round the pipes or ways.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section of Fig. 6.

page_text: I am aware that conduits for conductors of electricity consisting of tubes
arranged in the various ways hereinbefore described and also the details of
constructing same are well known and I therefore lay no claim to any novelty in
respect of them per se, but only to the combination of same with my improved
pipes or ways.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In and for conduits for conductors of electricity the use of pipes or tubes
made from bamboo canes or rattans such as are hereinbefore described.
2. In and for conduits for conductors of electricity the use of pipes or tubes
made from bamboo canes or rattans such as are herein before described, and enclosed
in tubes of iron, brass, or other suitable metal or otherwise encased with metal
in any suitable manner, substantially as specified.
3. In and for conduits for conductors of electricity the use of pipes or tubes
made from bamboo canes or rattans such as are herein before described, and
embedded in blocks of some bituminous substance, cement or other suitable
material, substantially as specified.
4. In and for conduits for conductors of electricity the use of pipes or tubes
made from bamboo canes or rattans such as are hereinbefore described, and
contained in boxes, troughs or pipes of wood, earthenware, metal or other suitable
material, and surrounded with cement, bitumen, pitch or other suitable material so
as to form a solid block containing the required number of "ways" or passages,
substantially as specified.
5. In and for conduits for conductors of electricity the use of pipes or tubes
made from bamboo canes or rattans such as are hereinbefore described, and
surrounded with bitumen, pitch or other suitable material after the conductors
have been drawn into the pipes, so as to form a solid conduit with the conductors
firmly embedded therein, substantially as specified.
6. The treatment of bamboo canes or rattans which are to be used for conduits
for conductors of electricity with paraffin wax or other suitable insulating material,
substantially as specified.
7. In conduits for conductors of electricity the combination of one or more or
all of the features specified in the preceding claims, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
Date
ليفة
י
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.