Improvements in Submarine Cables.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Submarine Cables.
I, GEORGE GATTON MELHUISH HARDINGHAM, of Clun House, Surrey Street. in
the County of London, Civil Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from the firm of
Felten & Guilleaume, of Mülheim-on-the-Rhine, in the German Empire, Cable
Manufacturers,) to be as follows: —
This invention relates to an improved method of constructing long cables
intended for submarine use and of the kind in which the conductor is composed
of a number of small wires laid up about a central wire or core with a view to
imparting flexibility to the conductor; the object of the present invention being
to reduce the capacity" in cables of this type and to enable the speed of
working them to be increased.
"
In long submarine cables, the speed of working is seriously restricted by the
great electrostatic capacity of india-rubber and gutta-percha, no other insulating
medium being, however, in other respects, so suitable for use in long submarine
cables.
With a view to reducing the capacity when the conductor is of the "built
up" type, it has been proposed to employ outer wires which are either flat or
are shaped as segments of an annulus, so as to render the external surface of
the conductor smooth.
In order to still further reduce the capacity, the self-induction of the con-
ductor is, according to the present invention, increased. This is accomplished
by laying up, around the central wire or core, a number of wires composed of
iron or other magnetic metal, or a number of such wires arranged alternately,
or otherwise grouped, with copper wires. In either case, the outer wires,
whether of copper, iron or other magnetic metal, may be flat in form or may be
shaped as segments of an annulus, so as to impart a smooth outer surface to the
compound conductor. Or some of the outer wires may be cylindrical and others
segmental in cross section; whilst the core, instead of consisting of a single
wire, may be composed of a number of small copper wires laid up about a
central wire of copper or other metal of high conductivity.
Dated this 2fth day of June 1899

page_text: declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from the firm of
Felten & Guilleaume, of Mülheim-on-the-Rhine, in the German Empire, Cable
Manufacturers,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to an improved method of constructing long cables
intended for submarine use and of the kind in which the conductor is composed
of a number of small wires laid up about a central wire or core with a view to
imparting flexibility to the conductor; the object of the present invention being
to reduce the " capacity" in cables of this type and to enable the speed of
working them to be increased.
In long submarine cables, the speed of working is seriously restricted by the
great electrostatic capacity of india-rubber and gutta-percha; no other insulating
medium being, however, in other respects, so suitable for use in long submarine
cables.
With a view to reducing the capacity when the conductor is of the
"built
up" type, it has been proposed to employ outer wires which are either flat or
are shaped as segments of an annulus, so as to render the external surface of
the conductor smooth.
In order to still further reduce the capacity, the self-induction of the con-
ductor is, according to the present invention, increased. This is accomplished
by laying up around the central wire or core (which may be of iron or other
magnetic metal or of copper or other highly conductive metal) a number of
wires composed of iron or other magnetic metal, or a number of such wires
arranged alternately or otherwise grouped, with copper or like wires. In either
case, the outer wires, whether of copper, iron or other magnetic metal, may be
flat in form or may be shaped as segments of an annulus, so as to impart a smooth
outer surface to the compound conductor. Or some of the outer wires may be
cylindrical and others segmental in cross section; whilst the core, instead of
consisting of a single wire, may be composed of a number of small wires laid
up about a central wire.
**
Examples of different modes of constructing cables according to the present
invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereof Fig. 1 is a
side elevation and Fig. 2 a transverse section of a cable in which a number of
shaped" and cylindrical wires of copper and iron respectively are laid up
alternately around a cylindrical core-wire. Fig. 3 is an elevation and Fig. 4 a
transverse section of a cable in which a number of cylindrical wires of iron dis-
posed between shaped wires of copper are laid up around a cylindrical core-wire.
Fig. 5 is an elevation and Fig. 6a transverse section of a cable wherein both
the copper and the iron conducting wires constituting the outer group are of the
"shaped" type before referred to.
"
In the constructions shown in Figs. 1 to 4, aa are the shaped" wires of
copper and bb the cylindrical wires of iron. In Figs. 1 and 2, these wires are
laid up alternately around the core-wire c and the whole is enclosed within the
insulating covering d; while, in Figs. 3 and 4, several cylindrical iron wires b
are disposed between the shaped copper wires a a, laid up around the core-wire c,
and then enclosed in a covering of insulating material. According to the
construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, shaped wires aa of copper and shaped
wires bb of iron arranged alternately are laid up around a core-wire c, a smooth
outer surface being hereby imparted to the conductor.
The wires laid up around the core-wire may be wholly of iron; or there may
be laid up around the core-wire first a number of wires of copper or other high
conducting metal or alloy and around these a number of wires of iron or other
magnetic metal.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. A flexible conductor for sukmanian
1.1
11

page_text: of the conductor is reduced by augmenting the self-induction of the conducting
strand, substantially as herein described.
2. A flexible conductor for submarine cables wherein a number of iron and
copper wires are arranged alternately, either singly or in groups, and laid up
around a core-wire of high conductivity, substantially as herein described.
3. An electric conductor for submarine cables having a central conducting
wire, and, laid up around the same, a number of wires of iron or other magnetic
metal, arranged, either alternately or in groups, with a number of wires of
copper or other metal of high conductivity, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
813
1
1 1000