Improvements in Sheathing and Protecting Steel, Iron, and Insulated Copper Wire.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th June, 1893—Accepted, 29th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sheathing and Protecting Steel, Iron, and Insulated
Copper Wire.
We, GEORGE FRANCE of 15 New Hall Street, Whit Lane, Pendleton Wire
Drawer and RICHARD DYSON of 41 Strawberry Hill Pendleton Overlooker, do
hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows
--
Our invention consists in sheathing or coating iron or steel wire such as is used
for fencing or other like purposes with a sheath or coat of lead in lieu of tin as
heretofore a much thicker coating being thereby obtainable which more effectually
protects the wire from the corrosive action of moisture and our invention also
consists in covering insulated wire such as is used for electrical purposes with
sheathings of steel and lead the former to render the insulation impenetrable and
the latter to prevent corrosion of the steel.
In carrying out our invention as applied to steel and iron wire we pass the wire
through a trough containing a mixture of molten lead and tin and from thence we
pass the said wire through a trough containing lead only. The first trough
prepares the wire to receive the lead in the second trough and it is found that by
this method a coating of lead of almost any thickness can be deposited on the wire.
After passing through the second trough the wire passes through a suitable die
which draws down the coating to the gauge required and then passes through a
vessel containing water which cools and fixes the lead.
As applied to insulated wire we enclose the copper wire and its rubber or other
insulator in a sheathing of steel and around this steel sheath we deposit a coating
of lead as in the case of iron and steel wire to protect the sheath from corrosion.
By so sheathing the insulated wire the insulation is rendered practically
impenetrable, a very much desired effect where rats and other vermin exist to eat
away the lead.
Dated this 17th day of September 1892.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sheathing and Protecting Steel, Iron, and Insulated
Copper Wire.
We, GEORGE FRANCE of 15 New Hall Street, Whit Lane, Pendleton, Wire
Drawer, and RICHARD DYSON of 41 Strawberry Hill, Pendleton, Overlooker, do
hereby declare the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our invention consists in sheathing or coating iron, or steel wire, such as is used
for fencing or other like purposes, with a sheath or coat of lead in lieu of tin as
heretofore, a much thicker coating being thereby obtainable which more effectually
protects the wire from corrosion, and our invention also consists in covering
insulated wire such as is used for electrical purposes with sheathings of steel and
lead, the former to protect the insulation and the latter to prevent corrosion of the
steel.
On the accompanying drawing
Fio is a side elevation of the annaratus we max employ for the purposes of

page_text: Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sections of wire with coatings of lead of varying
gauge.
In accordance with our invention A is the wire to be coated, which passes in the
direction of the arrow, from the creel or drum B. C is a trough or vessel con-
taining a mixture or compound of lead and tin or spelter which is constantly kept
heated to melting point by a gas jet D placed underneath the trough. E is a
second trough containing lead only, also kept constantly heated by a gas jet F' and
adjoining said trough is a tank G containing cold water or other cooling medium
constantly flowing through.
The operation of coating the wire is as follows:-The wire passing from the
creel B enters the trough C through a die or opening H and passing through the
molten metal issues through the die I bearing a thin coating of tin and lead,
the thickness of which is determined by the die I. Passing forward the wire enters
the trough E through die or opening J and continuing its course passes
through the molten lead which it will be found adheres to the wire by reason of the
previous coating of tin and lead which it received in trough C. The wire then
issues through die K which reduces the coating of lead to the required thickness
and enters the tank G where the coating just received is cooled and becomes fixed
on the wire. The wire then issues through a further die or opening L and is
finally received on the creel M.
The speed at which the wire passes through the troughs may be determined by
the time it takes for the lead to adhere to the wire and the required thickness of
coating.
The dies in each of the troughs are interchangeable so as to allow for differences
in gauge of the wire. A series of troughs may be employed for more perfectly
preparing or coating the wire. As applied for coating insulated wire such as is
used for electrical purposes we enclose the wire N with its rubber insulation in a
sheathing of metal O, preferably steel, (see Fig. 4), which has the form of a tube
& which is by preference first formed in the flat and then by dies closed round the
insulated wire. Around this steel sheath we deposit a coating of lead by the
process described with reference to Fig. 1 which thereby protects the sheathing
from corrosion. By so sheathing the insulated wire the rubber insulation is
effectually protected, whilst the coating of lead protects the sheathing from
corrosion.
It will be observed that any length and any kind of wire or the like may be
treated by our improved process.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. A trough or vessel containing a mixture of molten lead and tin or spelter in
combination with a trough or vessel containing molten lead only for imparting a
coating of lead to wire or the like passed therethrough substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
2nd. The combination and arrangement of troughs, water tank, gas jets and dies
all substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated on
the accompanying drawing.
3rd. Insulated wire covered with a sheathing of metal (preferably steel) and an
outer covering of lead deposited thereon by first passing such sheathed wire
through a mixture of molten tin and lead or spelter and afterwards passing it
through molten lead substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
1
1000
JOHN G. WILSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.