Apparatus for use in Insulating Joints in Insulated Electric Conducting Wires.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for use in Insulating Joints in Insulated Electric
Conducting Wires.
1, REGINALD HADDAN of the firm of Herbert & Co. 18 Buckingham Street
Strand W.C. London Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
a communi cation to me from abroad by Alexandre Grammont of Pont de Chéruy,
Isère, France, Manufacturer, and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the connecting or joining of the ends of two electric
conducting wires or cables and its object is to provide means for giving a good
insulation to the joint after the ends of the wires have been soldered together in
the usual manner.
This has heretofore usually been performed by hand with strips or pieces of
gutta percha, softened and wrapped round or moulded to the joint, an operation of
difficulty and requiring considerable practice and skill to render the insulation
perfect.
.
This invention consists in a machine by means of which a perfect insulation may
be given to such a joint without necessitating any considerable skill on the part of
the operator..
This machine which may be made in various sizes and of any suitable materials
is illustrated in the annexed drawing
Fig. 1 being a longitudinal section thereof showing a jointed cable therein ready
to be insulated at the joint.
Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof and
Fig. 3 illustrates on a smaller scale the method of arranging the machine marked 1
to operate on the joints in the cable wound upon reels 2 and 3.
The machine comprises principally a case made in two halves A A¹ hinged one
to the other at B and when closed connected by bolts at C or by equivalent means
of fastening. In the centre axis of the case the latter forms a cylindrical chamber K
the half of which is in the one half A and the other half in the other half A'.
Within this cylindrical chamber are the two semi cylindrical annular linings S S'.
When placed together the cylindrical space within these linings is exactly equal to
the dimensions of the insulated cable the joints of which are to be insulated. By
using linings of different thickness the same machine may be used on any cable of
a diameter not exceeding that of the chamber K.
Outside the chamber K the space within the halves of the casing A A' is
divided into compartments H H H2 H3 of which the two outer ones H H³ are
ntended to receive cold water which may be made to circulate through these
compartments. The two inner compartments H1 H2 are intended to be heated by a
supply of steam.
Two cylinders D D¹ are arranged one on each side of the chamber K and these
cylinders communicate with the interior space inside the linings in the chamber K
by means of passages F F In the cylinders D D' may be inserted the
pistons D2 D3 each moved by a screw spindle and hand wheel or equivalent
operating device.
At a distance from the cylinders D D' are tubes E E E E preferably four in
number leading from the interior of the lining pieces in the chamber K at points
slightly beyond where the denuded joint of the cable will lie to the open air.
The machine is used as follows:-'
-The cable the ends of which previously
denuded of insulating covering, have been soldered or joined in the usual way, is
inserted in the chamber K with the joint (indicated by L) in the middle, the cable
is kept taut and the machine is closed. The gutta percha or like insulating material

page_text: to be used is placed in the cylinders D D and. the pistons D2 D3 are inserted.
Steam is then passed into the chambers H2 H3 to soften the gutta percha and also
the insulating covering at the ends I J thereof (Fig. 1) while the cold water
circulating in the end compartments H1 H2 keeps the remainder of the insulating
covering solid. When the gutta percha is sufficiently softened the pistons D² D³
are screwed in and the gutta percha is pressed into the cavity in the chamber K
around the joint. This is continued until the surplus is seen to be forced out at the
pipes E. The machine is then allowed to cool to solidify the insulation until it is
sufficiently solid to enable the machine to be opened and the cable removed without
injury to the insulation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The machine adapted to receive a cable, to soften the insulating material and
compress the same upon and over a joint or denuded place in said cable and
insulate the same substantially as set forth.
Dated this 26th day of May 1892.
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.