IMPROVE- MENTS IN UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lionel Varicas, of 2 Montague Place Russel Square,
"
London in the County of Middlesex, England, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS A communication from.
abroad by George Richardson of the City & in the County of Philadelphia,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Lionel Varicas at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th June 1882.
LIONEL VARICAS, of 2 Montague Place, Russell Square, London in the
County of Middlesex, England. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL
CONDUCTORS." A communication from abroad by George Richardson of the City
of and in the County of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania one of the
United State of America Inventor
This Invention relates to underground electrical conductors conduits therefor and
ways and means of laying and insulating bare conductors as well as laying
previously insulated conductors.
One part of my Invention consists in encasing bare electrical conductors with
pure hydraulic cement for the purpose of insulating them and protecting them from
moisture and corrosion. I am aware that heretofore previously insulated conductors
have been imbedded in cement. My Invention differs therefrom in that, I encase
the bare wire or electric conductor directly in the hydraulic cement without any
interposed insulating material. I have ascertained by actual test that the
hydraulic cement alone is an insulator of great non-conductivity sufficient for all
practical purposes to thoroughly and effectively insulate electrical conductors.
Pure hydraulic cement is also impervious to moisture and practically fire proof.
This feature of my Invention is exemplified in one form, in the under-ground
conduit of electrical conductors illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 which also
embodies certain novelties relating to minor details of construction and arrangement
of such underground conduit to provide for ready access to the wires or conductors
at certain points along such conduit, to dispense surplus electricity, to guard against
•

page_text: the settling of the foundation, and to provide for superposing one or more rows of
wires or conductors on the lowest row whenever it may become desirable or
necessary to do so.
Fig 1 is a longitudinal section of this improved underground conduit
Fig 2 is a transverse section thereof taken in the planes indicated by the
irregular line X X of Fig 1.
Fig 3 is a perspective view of a porous block for permitting surplus electricity
to pass from the wires to earth.
Fig 4 is a plan view of a portion of the foundation board.
The electrical conductors or wires A A are encased in pure hydraulic cement B.
The time and mode of encasing such. wires will depend upon the particular
construction of the underground conduit, and the mode of encasing them may vary
very greatly, but in all cases the hydraulic cement is applied to and around the
bare wire or wires without any interposing insulator. Pure cement must be so
used and carefully applied so as to hermetically encase the wire or wires. The
preferable method of encasing wires in such hydraulic cement is to stretch the
wires over a solid surface at some little distance therefrom, say an inch or
more and then applying the plastic cement so as to cover the wires and
separate them by interposing portions of the cement, so that each wire will be
thoroughly encased.
In laying a row of wires I proceed as follows:-A trench of suitable depth and
width is dug in the earth, the bottom thereof being properly leveled. A foundation
.board C of wood having the wave-like contour shown in Fig. 4 is then embedded
in the bottom of the trench so as to be flush therewith, the width of the board at
any one point being less than the width of the proposed foundation which is to be
built upon it but wide enough to reach with its curved edges to the edge of such
foundation. The foundation D which may consist of brick or broken stone
ground with cement or other suitable material is made of substantially even width
throughout so as to alternately overlap the inwardly curved portions of the
foundation board C and extend over upon the adjacent earth. If the foundation
board should rot the foundation D will still have supports at intervals upon the
earth underneath it, so that the settling of the foundation will be prevented
notwithstanding the rotting of the foundation board. Were the board made of the
Eame width as the foundation, and should it then rot, the foundation would
inevitably settle, which it is very desirable to prevent. The foundation D having
been properly laid and leveled, the wires A A, are stretched over it lengthwise so
as to be about an inch or more above the top of the foundation, and are held
firmly in that position by any suitable means They hydraulic cement is then
poured around and over the wires to the proper thickness and if necessary
thoroughly trowelled so as to make it solid and compact at all points, After the
cement has set the trench may be filled up with earth.
In order that access may be had to the wires at certain points along the conduits
I provide traps or man-holes E which may consist of vertical circular tubes
reaching from the top of the cement casing to the surface of the ground, and may
be made of cement or any other suitable material, and should be provided with
isuitable covers or caps, At the points where these traps are located the wires as
are exposed, and are preferably bent upwards so as to reach to near the cover or
cap of the trap so that they may be readily reached for the application of testing
⚫instruments These exposed portions of the wires should be galvanized though
the encased portions need not necessarily be galvanized and may be imperfectly
.insulated The bottom of the trap should be made light and in order to further
protect the exposed portions of the wires some non-conducting fluid or other
suitable non-conducting material may be put in the trap to cover the wires
For the purpose of discharging surplus electricity due to atmospheric or earth
currents or other causes I provide each trap with a porous block F which I have
shown in this instance as resting upon the earth at the bottom of the trench
passing through the foundation board, foundation and cement casing and reaching

page_text: up some distance into the trap. This block is made of hydraulic cement mixed
with more or less of sand and broken stone or gravel, so that it will act in a degree.
like a sponge retaining more or less moisture according to its greater or less
porosity The exposed portions of the wires are bent over the top of this porous.
block so as to be in contact, or very nearly in contact with the material of said
block which may be grooved as shown in Fig. 2 a wire being laid in each groove.
These porous blocks constitute leaks for carrying off surplus electricity and
discharging it into the earth. Instead of extending the blocks through the cement
casing and foundation of the conduit the foundation and cement casing may be
continuous and the porous blocks set on the top of the cement casing in which
case one or both sides of the block should be constructed with projecting portions
extending laterally through the man hole or trap into the earth.
more additional rows.
In order to provide for the
of wires on top of the encased first row I form a shelf B₁ around each man-hole
or trap the upper surface of each shelf should be on about a level with the top of.
the cement casing B as clearly shown in Fig 2. This shelf rests upon an extension
of the foundation of the conduit. The second row of wires may thus be laid
around instead of through the man-holes of the first laid row, separate man holes.
being provided for the second row of wires Thus access may be had to the
individual wires of each row by means of the separate man holes
Another part of my Invention relates to the construction of underground conduits
of terra cotta or cement pipes for the accommodation of previously insulated
telegraph wires or other electrical conductors. One feature of this part of my.
Invention consists in making the flue or flues of such pipes somewhat tapering, and
connecting the pipes in such a manner that the larger end of the flue or flues of
each pipe shall abut against and encircle the smaller end of the flue of the next.
adjacent pipe, the line of pipes being so laid that the flue of each section of pipe:
will taper in the direction in which the cable or insulated conductor is to be
drawn through it, so as to prevent slight imperfections in the bore or flue of the
pipes at the joints and in the alignment of the pipes from forming projections at..
such joints, which projections would tend to obstruct the threading of the conductor
through the conduit and might injure the insulating material around the conductor.
in being drawn through it. Another feature thereof consists of a coupling for
multitubular or multi flue pipes which are adapted to carry a circular or clustered.
group of electrical conductors, the coupling. being so constructed as to receive the .
clustered group of conductors at one end and deliver them at the other end in a
single row, in order to pass permanent obstructions such as gas or water pipes that.
may happen to be crossing the general line of the conduit
Another feature thereof consists in so constructing the ends of multiflue pipes
and multiflue couplings that they may be cemented together or interlocked across
the area over which the flues are distributed, in order to give reciprocal support
against lateral displacement and preserve the integrity of the rim joint.
Another feature thereof consists of an underground conduit composed of several.
lines of single flue pipes constructed with flat sides one line of pipe being placed
upon the flat side of the line of pipes beneath it.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a conduit composed of multiflue.
pipes and couplings.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a multiflue coupling for connecting multiflue
pipes without changing the arrangement of the electrical conductors as determined
by the pipe.
Fig 7 is a perspective view of a portion of a multiflue pipe.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate a multiflue coupling for changing the arrangement
of the electrical conductors from the arrangement determined by the multiflue
pipes.
Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of a multiflue conduit two pipe sections of which
Muling and internosed nine sections hv
i

page_text: which the electrical conductors are carried for some distance in a row instead of in
a bunch-like group as in the pipe sections
Fig 12. is a perspective view of a portion of two lines of pipe one superposed
upon the other.
Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section of such two lines of pipe.
Figs. 14, 15, and 16 illustrate what I consider the best form of joint for multiflue
pipes and couplings.
In the practical application of this part of my Invention I prefer to use pipes
and couplings made of bydraulic cement although terra cotta pipes and couplings
of similar construction may be employed Whatever style of pipe or coupling may
be used or required the flue or flues thereof are made somewhat tapering as clearly
shown in Figures 5, 11, 13 and 14 and the pipes and couplings must be so laid that.
the flues will taper in the direction in which the insulated electrical conductor is to
be drawn through the conduit, such direction being indicated by the arrows of said
Figures.
In case the underground conduit is constructed of single flue pipes I use pipes G
having at least two flat sides one opposite to the other preferably square pipes in
order that several lines may be readily built up as shown in Figures 12 and 13.
It is preferable to so lay the pipes that those of one line will break joints with.
those of the adjacent lines Each pipe is constructed with a socket A at the larger
end of its bore or flue and with a tenon b at the smaller end thereof. This being
adhered to, no mistakes can be made in laying the pipes regarding the directions of
the taper C of their flues after the line has been once properly started.
For constructing conduits composed of multiflue pipes I use multiflue pipes H.
preferably of cylindrical form, containing any desired number of flues arranged in a
circular or clustered group. These multiflue pipes are connected together by short
couplings H¹ made somewhat larger in diameter. An annular recess c is formed in
each end of this coupling The portion or web c¹ of the coupling within the inner
circle of this annular recess is made either flat at the end, as shewn in Figs 5
and 6, or concave as shewn in Figs 14 and 16. The rim c² of this coupling
projects some distance beyond the central web c¹ thereof. Thus each end of the
coupling is constructed with what may be termed an annularly recessed socket.
The pipe H is constructed at each end to fit the coupling H', having a rim b³ to
enter the annular recess c of the coupling and a central web b¹ made either flat or
fit the web c¹ of the coupling.
con
If webs b¹ and c¹ are made flat a film of cement should be spread on them to
cement them together for mutual support against lateral displacement; but if made
respectively concave and convex such cementing may be omitted since they will then
interlock in such a manner as to mutually support each other laterally in every
direction and at every point. The inner side of rim c² of the coupling H¹. may be
chamfered to make a flaring cavity around the pipe for the reception of the cement
or caulking for the rim joint. Although I prefer to form the convexities on the
ends of the central web of the coupling, yet it is obvious that the construction may
be reversed. In some cases separate couplings may be dispensed with and one end
of each multiflue pipe enlarged and adapted to receive the smaller end of another
pipe. In such cases I use the same kind of a joint, the small end or the pipe being
constructed to fit into and against the larger end of another pipe.
Since the pipe H is of less diameter than the coupling Hand both are preferably
laid on level ground or a level foundation the pipe is constructed with a sole h
at the bottom side to make the side flush with the bottom side of the coupling
which may also be flatened somewhat so as to lie steady. Both the multiflue
couplings H and multiflue pipes H must be so jointed that their flues will register
as perfectly as practicabbe. To this end they should be carefully constructed, and
provided with suitable registering marks, and the mark at one end should differ
from the mark at the other end, so that they may be readily laid in the proper
direction as regard the taper of their flues.
In order that a circular or clustered group of conductors may be carried for a

page_text: distance in a single row for the purpose of passing permanent obstructions, such as
gas and water pipes, crossing the general line of the conduit, I provide couplings
I, I, which are constructed at one end d to fit the pipes H and are flattened
towards the other end d¹ to the required width for ranging the clustered group of
flues at end d in a row at the end d¹. In the coupling I the flues taper from
the end d to the end d³, while in the coupling I¹ the flues taper from the end d to
the end d. The flat ends d' of these couplings may be connected either by flat
multi-flue pipes, one on a series, according to the distance through which the con-
ductors are to be carried in a row, or by the single flue pipes I2 shown in the
Drawing Fig. 11. I have shown these couplings II' as made straight, but they
may be made curved or angling to provide for deflections in the conduit.
In constructing a conduit according to this part of my Invention suitable man-
holes will be provided at intervals along the line thereof, so that access may be
had to the conduit for laying and stretching the electrical conductors, or for looping
or testing any of them.
The principal object of the next part of my Invention is to provide ways and
means for laying and insulating underground electrical conductors to the end that
a conduit having been once constructed, additional wires or groups of wires may
thereafter be laid and insulated in such conduit without necessitating the tearing
up of the streets or the digging a trench To this end this part of my Invention
consists mainly of an improvement of the art of laying and insulating underground
electrical conductors by first threading them through a suitable conduit and then
encasing them with hydraulic cement or other non-conductor that can be applied
in a plastic or fluid state and will afterwards solidify also various details relating
to the construction of the conduit and the arrangement of the wires as well as to
the means employed in the process of insulating the wires.
Fig 17 is a plan view of a section of a conduit containing one row or group of
electrical conductors or wires
Fig. 18 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.
Fig. 19 is a transverse section of a vault and man-holes of such conduit
Fig. 20 illustrates a mode of carrying electric light wires into a building from
the main conduit.
Figs 21 to 25 illustrates the mode of, and appliances for insulating a group of
wires in a conduit.
The conduit K in which the wires care to be laid may be constructed in any
preferred manner and of any suitable material. I prefer to construct it of car-
bonized stone cement pipe. It should be built to have sufficient capacity not only
for present needs but for prospective needs that is to say that at the time of
building the conduit, ten wires are to be laid in it, its actual capacity should be
much greater so that more wires may be laid in it at any time in the future At
suitable intervals along the conduit vaults K' are constructed. These vaults
should be of considerable size, in order that the workmen may have the necessary
room to manipulate the appliances for threading and stretching wires through the
conduit and introducing and applying the insulating material. After a group of
wires has been laid and insulated these vaults may be filled in, and so remain until
it becomes necessary to lay an additional group of wires. In order that access
may be had at any time to the wires for testing or other purposes I expose a
section of each group of wires at a point in close proximity to each vault in a
man-hole K accessible from the surface of the ground and communicating with
said vault If at the time of building the conduit but one group of wires be laid,
hen I may construct only a single man-hole for this purpose, other man-holes
being added as more groups of wires are laid, although at the time of building the
conduit as many man-holes may be constructed as groups of wires can be laid in
he conduit The insulation of each group of wires is continued in the vault so
hat the full area of its bottom may be unobstructed by the wires, which are
arried through a lateral arch k into the lateral man-hole where they are
referably passed upwards over a transverse bar or block K³, thence down again

page_text: back through the arch k into the insulating material at the bottom of the result to
the next section of the conduit. The block ³ may consist of porous material
capable of conduiting surplus electricity and should be connected with earth either
directly or by means of a wire or wires or straps of copper or other good conductor,
as shown in the Drawing. After the group of wires have been laid and insulated
the manholes where the wires are exposed may be filled up with suitable easily
removable insulating material, the upper portion of which will have to be removed
whenever it is necessary to expose the wires for testing or other purposes. The
use of such lateral man-holes enables me to lay each additional group of wires
without in the least interfering with the group or groups before laid, and to expose
a section of each group separated from every other group so that ready access may
be had to any wire of any of the groups.
The conduit shall be laid on a level as nearly as practicable from one vault to
another. In laying and insulating a group of wire I proceed as follows. The
wires are drawn or threaded through the conduit, either from one end thereof to
the other, or else in sections from one vault to another, as may be most expedient.
The extreme outer ends of the wires being suitably fastened, a stretching device is
applied to them at the first vault so as to hold them about an inch or two from
the bottom of the conduit. Enough hydraulic cement if that be used for
insulating them is then introduced in the conduit in a semi-fluid or plastic
condition to cover the wires to the extent of two inches more or less. The cement
should be introduced at the same time from both ends of the section of conduit
where the wires are being insulated. If the cement be sufficiently fluid to run it
may be poured in simply from both ends and allowed to stand for a little time so
as to thicken before the subsequent operations of trowelling and compacting it and
commenced; but I prefer to introduce the cement in the plastic state, and in order
that it may be suitably distributed through the whole length of section of conduit,
sectional troughs L such as shown in Fig. 25 may be run into the conduit from
each end by section after section until the troughs meet at the center of the section
of conduit. An endless belt 1 is arranged in each sectional trough constructed
with transverse paddles 11. The plastic cement is placed in the trough and carried
into the conduit by the paddles of the endless belt, which is to that end caused to
travel by any suitable means, and as cement is being fed into the conduit the
trough is gradually withdrawn section after section being removed from it, or by
running it gradually into the next adjacent section of the conduit. In this way
the plastic cement may be pretty uniformly spread over the wires through a section
of conduit one hundred feet or more in length. As soon as the cement has been
introduced a chain or rope is threaded through the section of a conduit from its
extreme end to the first vault. To the end of the rope is attached a series of
swivelingly connected blocks L' L L³ in the order stated, so that on drawing in
the rope, or chain at the vault the block L' will first enter the conduit followed by
the block L² which is in turn followed by the block L³. The office of the block Ľ¹
is to smooth the top of the plastic cement and to spread it of even thickness and
to scrape the sides of the conduit-to which end it is made comparatively light
and provided with scrapers 12 at its forward and rear ends as clearly shown.
I term the block L' the smoothing block. The block L2 which I term the
trowelling block is made much heavier and is provided with a series of trowels 13
at the bottom, a space being left between the bottom of the block L² and its
trowels 1 about equal to the thickness of the coat of cement which is to be above
the wires. A lateral notch 14 is cut in each trowel 13 near the point where it is
fastened to the block L² and in its upwardly curved portion. There must be as
many trowels as there are wires in the group to be insulated. In applying the
troweling block one wire is passed into the notch 1 of each trowel 1³ so that
there will be a trowel under each wire. The troweling block may then be drawn
into the conduit. The trowels will operate to lift the wires slightly as the
block is drawn along and to trowel and compact the cement under the wires in
the manner illustrated in Fig. 21. The compacting block L³ is made quite

page_text: heavy in order that it may thoroughly compact the cement on the top of the
wires as it is drawn along through the conduit. The forward end of each block
should be suitably beveled to order that it may readily slide over the cement.
After the wires have been thus encased and insulated in the conduit they are
carried through the arch K of the vault into the man-hole over the block or
bar K³ therein and returned into the vault and passed into the next section of the
conduit. The wires then may be insulated in the succeeding section of the conduit
in like manner after which they may also be insulated in the bottom of the first
vault, and the said vault closed or filled up. After the cement has solidified
around the wires it forms a solid insulation bed in which the wires are incased and
by which they are held in position and protected from moisture.
I prefer to insulate the wires in hydraulic cement and in substantially the
manner hereinbefore described. But the wires may be insulated in other suitable
material that can be applied in a fluid or plastic state and will subsequently
solidify. The whole conduit together with the vaults and manholes should be made
practically water tight.
In supplying buildings with electric currents for electric lamps or for driving
machinery there is considerable danger of fire. To lessen this danger as much as
possible I propose to conduct the loops of the main wire from the main conduit
through a branch conduit K*, composed of sections of cement pipe erected either
inside or outside of the building to reach to the highest point where the current is
to be utilized, and provide with suitable branches K¹ to loop the wire off at any
desired point or points. The whole of the loop of wire in the pipe or branch K⭑
will be thoroughly insulated preferably in hydraulic cement, so that only the short
loops in the building will be exposed.
The object of the next part of my Invention is to provide a machine for stretching
telegraph or other wires adapted to stretch a group of wires collectively as well as
individually at any point of the length of such wire or wires.
Fig. 26 is a plan view shewing two of my improved stretching machines operating
upon a group of wires.
Fig. 27 is an end view of the machine shewing that end where the power is
applied.
Fig. 28 is an end view shewing the opposite end of the machine.
Figs. 29 and 30 illustrate details of the machine.
Fig. 31 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine.
Figs. 32 and 33 illustrate the mode of using my machine for stretching a group
of underground wires from the surface of the ground.
Fig 34 illustrates the use of my machine for stretching a group of telegraph wires
strung on poles from the ground.
I
The operative parts of the machine are mounted on a substantial frame work H
which may be of the rectangular form shown. A sliding sash N is worked on
longitudinal rails or ways of the main frame. One end of this sash is provided
with a series of fixed champs O so constructed that they can grasp a wire at any
point of its length. To this end the clamps consist essentially of a pair of jaws,
one of which is preferably made stationary while the other one is moveable.
have shown several forms of such clamps, one form consisting of a bracket con-
structed with two laterally projecting flanges oc (see Fig 28) the upper flange of
which carries a clamp screw o¹ terminating at its lower end in a foot o² adapted to
press a wire forcibly against the lower flange o¹. The lower flange o forms the
stationary jaw and the screw o¹ forms the inoveable jaw of the clamp. In the
other forms the lower flange o forms the stationary jaw as before while the moveable
jaw consists of a hand lever o³ constructed with an eccentric head or short foot o¹
for pressing out the wire as the lever is turned. The hand lever o³ may be ful-
crumed on an adjustable pin in order that the clamp can be adjusted to operate on
different sizes of wire. All these clamps O may be so mounted on the end beam of
the sash N that they can be adjusted towards and from each other as occasion may
require. A nut N¹ is affixed to each side of the sash at about its mid-length for

page_text: receiving the screw P which is swivelingly connected to the main frame so that it
may turn in its bearing on the main frame but cannot move end wise therein-The
sash is moved by the operation of the screws P P which may to that end be turned
by separate winches applied to them. I prefer however to operate the screws
simultaneously through a train of gearing one form of which is shewn in the
Drawings the power being applied to the wheel Q at the center of the machine and
transmitted through intermediate wheels to the screw at the respective sides of the
Bash N..
The machine so far described is capable of being applied to a group of wires at
any point along their length and to stretch the wires collectively. In a group of
wires some will bear and require more stretching than others, and in order to
provide for the stretching of individual wires of a group after all the wires of a
group have been stretched collectively, I arrange another series of clamps R on the
sash N in line with the fixed clamps O and preferably on the other end of the
sash. Those clamps R are independently moveable on the sash and may be con-
structed as shewn in Fig. 29 each clamp R being provided with a preferably square
shank R adapted to slide endwise through a bearing in the sash, and terminating
in a screw threaded rod or stem which receives a nut R¹ applied up on the
outer side of the end bar of the sash as shown. The nut is constructed with ratchet
teeth in order that it may be turned by a hand lever and pawl as shown in Fig. 27,
for the purpose of moving the clamp R outwardly to stretch the wire grasped by it.
In the Drawing I have shown as many moveable clamps R as there are fixed
clamps O. but that is not essential. One clamp R could be used for stretching the
individual wires successively, either by so mounting such clamp that it could be
moved on the sash successively from one wire to the next, or by successively
applying the clamps at different points to the sash. It is also obvious that when
a series of clamps R are used the clamps O might be wholly dispensed with,
although I prefer to use a series of fixed clamps O and one on more moveable
clamps R because in some cases it will probably be necessary to stretch an individual
wire through a greater distance than the length of motion of a moveable clamp, in
which case such clamp will have to be hitched on to such wire several times, and
unless there was a second or fixed clamp the wire could not be held conveniently
at times of shifting the moveable clamp preparatory to the further stretching of
the wire.
Below the sash N the frame M must be unobstructed transversely so that the
machine can be placed over a row of wires, permitting such wires to be introduced
into their respective clamps. In case the clamps R are constructed as shown so
as to bring the jaws on a line above the lower edge of the adjacent cross bar of the
sash slots or notches should be cut in such cross bar as indicated in Fig. 27 to
admit of the passage of the wires to be stretched. In applying this machine it is
placed directly over a line of wires which are then clamped respectively to the
fixed clamps O after which the sash may be drawn in the direction of the arrow
to stretch the wires to the required extent as a group. The wires in which there
is still some slack are
the moveable clamps R by which such slack is
then taken up. In case the machine has to be operated on a level different from
that in which the wires are located, or where the machine has to be operated at an
angle to the direction of the wires, such wires will either be lead to the machine by
suitable guide pulleys as shown in the Drawings Figs. 32, 33 and 35 or else the
wires may be taken hold of by clamps on ropes or chains lead to the machine such
guide pulleys.
The apparatus is to be suitably fastened down by stakes, or wedges, as occasion
may require. I used in a manhole, or vault of an underground conduit it needs
simply to be braced in such manhole Before clamping the wires preparatory to
stretching them by the apparatus, they are to be drawn as tight as possible by hand.
Having thus fully described my Invention, what I claim, is
An insulated electrical conductor consisting of the conductor proper and an
insulating casing of pure bydraulic cement substantially as before set forth.

page_text: Also, the combination, substantially as before set forth of an under-ground
conduit, and a wood foundation board or plank of curved or wave like contour.
Also the combination substantially as before set forth, of the foundation D,
the wire or wires A, and the hydraulic cement.in which said wire is embedded.
Also, the combination, substantially as before set forth, of the underground
electrical wire or wires, the man hole or trap and the porous block constructed as
described and in contact with the earth.
Also, the combination, substantially as before set forth; of a conduit for electrical
conductors, a foundation for the same and a manhole or trap, said foundation being
constructed with a projection or shelf around the manhole.
Also, a conduit for electrical conductors composed of pipe sections having
tapering flues for the conductors and laid with the ends of lesser bore of one section
connected to, the end of greater bore of the next adjacent section, substantially as
before set forth.
Also, a multiflue coupling the flues of which are arranged as described so as to
be in a clustered group at one end and in a row at the other end, substantially as
before set forth.
Also in a conduit for electrical conductors the combination, substantially as
before set forth, of a multiflue pipe the flues of which are arranged in a clustered
group, a multiflue coupling the flues of which change from a clustered group at
the end connect bed to the pipe to a single row at the other end, a second
similarly constructed pipe and connected coupling and a multiflue pipe (or a series
of single flue pipes) the flues of which are arranged in a row for connecting the
ends of the couplings at which their flues are arranged in a row.
Also, an underground conduit for electrical conductors composed of separate
lines of pipes having a flat bottom and a flat top and each pipe provided with
tapering flues, the pipes being laid with the ends of lesser bore of one connected
to the end of greater bore of the next adjacent one, and the lines of the pipe being
laid one on top of the other, substantially as before set forth.
Also, the combination, substantially as before set forth, of a multiflue coupling
constructed with an annularly recessed socket encircled by a projecting rim, and a
multiflue pipe constructed to fit into the socket of the coupling.
Also, a multiflue pipe each end of which is constructed with a convex area and
an encircling rim, substantially as before set forth.
Also, a multiflue coupling each end of which is constructed with a concave area
surrounded by an annular recess which is in turn encircled by a rim, substantially
as before set forth.
Also, the combination, substantially as before set forth of a multiflue pipe, and
a multiflue coupling, having interlocking convex and concave portions at their
ends, the pipe being also constructed with a surrounding rim and the coupling with
a corresponding annular recess encircled by a rim.
Also, the improvement of the art of laying and insulating underground electrical
conductors or wires, which consists in first threading or drawing the wire or wires
through a previously constructed covered conduit or section thereof, and then
insulating such wires from the ends of the conduit or section by covering them
with a fluid or plastic insulating substance which will solidify around them, all
substantially as before set forth.
Also, a conduit for electric wires composed of a line of pipes intersecting vaults,
and one or more lateral manholes at each vault, substantially as before set forth.
Also, the combination substantially as before set forth of the main conduit of
wires, and a lateral branch for conducting a loop into a building said lateral branch
being constructed of pipes in which the loop is insulated in hydraulic cement or
similar solid insulating material.
Also the sectional trough containing an endless bolt provided with paddles
substantially as before set forth.
Also, the combination, substantially as set forth of the smoothing block, the
troweling block, and the compacting block, all swivelingly connected.

page_text: Also the smoothing block, constructed with scrapers substantially as before set
forth.
Also the troweling block, constructed with a series of trowels each provided with
a lateral notch substantially as before set forth.
Also, the combination substantially as before set forth of a frame, the sliding
sash, and a series of clamps each composed of a pair of jaws adapted to grasp a rim
sidewise at any point of its length.
Also, the combination, substantially as before set forth of a frame, the sliding
sash, and an independently moveable clamp composed of a pair of jaws adapted to
grasp a wire sidewise at any point of its length.
Also, the combination, substantially as before set forth, of a frame, the sliding
sash, a fixed clamp, and an independently moveable clamp, both clamps being
adapted to grasp a wire sidewise at any point of its length.
Also, the combination, substantially as before set forth of a frame, the sliding
'sash, an independently moveable clamp constructed with a screw threaded rod or
stem, and a nut on said screw threaded rod.
Also the combination, substantially as before set forth, of a frame, the sliding
sash, a series of fixed clamps, and a series of independently moveable clamps, all the
clamps being adapted to grasp wires sidewise at any point of their length.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lionel Varicas have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.