IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Curtis Spalding, of the Township of Bloomfield,
in the County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, but temporarily residing
in London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS
Sealed the 24th September 1878, and dated the 26th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Henry Curtis Spalding at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th March 1878.
HENRY CURTIS SPALDING, of the Township of Bloomfield, in the County of Essex,
and State of New Jersey, but temporarily residing in London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS."
"
This Invention consists in employing an insulated tube or tubes, or properly
insulated sheets of metal or metallic foil for the purpose of conducting electrical
currents.
As the conductivity of the conductors now in use depends in a great measure on
their external area, along which the electrical currents pass, it is obvious that there
must be a large amount of unnecessary material used in the manufacture of the
wire now so generally employed as conductors, that is, a great proportion of the
metal is not utilized to the full extent of its capabilities. This defect I propose to
remedy by constructing metallic electric conductors of tubular form by lining a
pipe of glass or other insulating material; this may be accomplished by depositing
a thin coat of metal inside the pipe by the process known as electro-plating, or by
lining such pipe with a thin layer of metal by other methods.
When great conductivity is required I propose to use a series of connected con-
centric metallic tubes or pipes.
Under certain conditions I propose to use sheets or strips of thin metal, or of
metallic foil coiled spirally, or made otherwise into transverse rolls, and joined in
such a manner as to give such rolls length and continuity as conductors. Such rolls
Drine 621

page_text: or tubes to be inserted into a pipe made of glass or other insulating material, or
coated with a non-conducting substance so as to prevent radiation of the electrical
currents.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Curtis Spalding in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
September 1878.
HENRY CURTIS SPALDING, of the Township of Bloomfield, in the County of Essex,
and State of New Jersey, but temporarily residing in London.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS."
This Invention consists in employing an insulated tube or tubes, or properly.
insulated sheets of metal or metallic foil for the purpose of conducting electrical
currents.
As the conductivity of a conductor depends in a great measure on its external
area, along which the electrical currents pass, it is obvious that there must be a large
amount of unnecessary material used in the manufacture of the wire now so generally
employed, that is, a great proportion of the metal is not utilized to the full extent
of its capabilities; this defect may be remedied by the use of my Invention, to more
clearly explain which reference is made to the annexed Drawings.
Fig. 1 is an end view; Fig. 2, a side elevation of a rectangular form of conductor;
these I prefer to make of a series of laminated connected sheets of conducting
material, the whole to be coated with glass or enamel.
Fig. 3 shows one of the cylindrical forms of conductor; this is also composed of
laminated connected sheets, but cut in varying widths in such a manner that when
"piled" they as a whole assume a cylindrical form, and may be readily placed.
within a tube of glass or enamel, or, if preferred, they may be coated with either of
those materials.
Fig. 4 represents one of the tubular forms of conductors, which may be made by
lining a tube of glass or enamel with a thin coat of conducting material; this may
be accomplished by depositing a thin coat of metal inside the pipe or tube by the
process known as electro-plating, or by lining the said pipe by other methods.
Fig. 5 represents a tubular conductor of glass or enamel, lined with two or more
of the laminated sheets, as herein-before described.
A
Fig. 6 shows a single sheet conductor, coated with glass or enamel.
Figs. 7 and 8 represent the method I prefer to use for joining the laminated sheets
so as to give them length and continuity as conductors.
Having thus described niy Invention, and the manner in which the same may be
carried into effect, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. Electric conductors formed of sheets or strips, and coated with enamel or
glass, as shown in Fig. 6.
Second. Electric conductors formed of a series of sheets or strips, and the whole
coated with enamel or glass, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Tbird. Electric tubular conductors formed wholly or in part of glass or other
vitrified substances, lined, coated, or plated with conducting material, substantially
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Curtis Spalding, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
HENRY CURTIS SPALDING. (L.S.)