IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE INJURIOUS EFFECT OF INDUCED OR ESCAPING ELECTRICAL CURRENTS IN TELEPHONIC OR TELEGRAPHIC LINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
"
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE INJURIOUS EFFECT OF INDUCED
OR ESCAPING ELECTRICAL CURRENTS IN TELEPHONIC OR TELEGRAPHIC LINES."
A communication from abroad by Charles Edward Chinnock, of Brooklyn,
New York, and John De Hart Harrison, of Newark, New Jersey, both in the
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th February 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE
JNJURIOUS EFFECT OF INDUCED OR ESCAPING ELECTRICAL CURRENTS IN TELEPHONIC
OR TELEGRAPHIC LINES." [A communication from abroad by Charles Edward
Chinnock, of Brooklyn, New York, and John De Hart Harrison, of Newark, New
Jersey, both in the United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to prevent induced and escaping currents from
reaching line wires or conductors employed for telegraphic or telephonic purposes,
The
and interfering with messages sought to be transmitted along the sainc.
Invention is especially advantageous for telephonic, though also advantageous for
telegraphic purposes.
The said Invention comprises the combination of insulators, sustaining line wires
or conductors, and supports therefor in electrical communication with each other
through a guard or other wire or wires cominon to said supports and in communi-
cation with the ground, whereby in a simple manner provision is afforded for
carrying off escaping or induced currents at various points. It also comprises the
combination with insulators, sustaining line wires, and shanks or fingers of wood or
other suitable material, forming supports therefor, of conductors applied to said
shanks or fingers; a wire connecting the conductors of the shanks or fingers, and
a wire connecting the last named wire with a guard or other wire in communication
with the ground, whereby a simple and convenient means of accomplishing the
desired end is attained.

page_text: In carrying the said Invention into practise the poles may be erected in the
ground, on the tops or roofs of buildings, or in or upon any other suitable support
and severally provided with one or more cross-bars. The insulators may be of
glass or other suitable material, and of the ordinary or any other appropriate form.
They are fitted upon the ends of supports, consisting of shanks or fingers of wood,
or other suitable material inserted in the cross-bars. Electric conductors or an
electric conductor applied to the pole or cross-bar or to the shanks or fingers serve
or serves to intercept any electric currents induced or escaping from an outside
point or source of electricity, and prevent the same from reaching the insulators,
and passing thence to the line wires or conductors which they support, so as to
interfere with the electric currents transmitted through the same and impair the
clearness of the message conveyed by such currents. These line wires or conductors
are connected to the insulators by being wrapped around grooves in them, or
otherwise.
Although the insulators should intercept induced or escaping currents from an
outside source, yet in practice they frequently become so moist or so carbonized by
smoke from passing trains or adjacent fires as to become partially conductive, so
that there is need of more effective means for intercepting the induced or escaping
currents. According to this Invention I provide electrical conductors consisting of
coils or cylinders, of sheet metal or metallic foil, arranged between the shanks or
fingers and the cross-bars, but these conductors do not extend to the insulators.
The two conductors of each cross bar are connected by a wire, forming an electrical
communication between the shanks or fingers, and this wire is connected by a wire
to a wire extending along the tops of the poles, and supported on insulators sur-
mounting said poles. When thus arranged the last named wire also constitutes a
guard wire, preventing falling wires or other articles from coming in contact with
the line wires or conductors. This guard wire is to be connected with the ground
at proper points, as, for instance, by wires, and thus it will serve to carry off to the
ground the induced or escaping currents intercepted by the aforesaid conductors.
A wire arranged so as not to form a guard wire might be used. It is intended
to use such ground or earth wires in practice only at points which may, for
instance, be half miles apart, where it may be necessary or desirable to carry off
the induced or escaping currents. Indeed where it is practicable these currents
will be carried off to the ground by means other than the wires, and less liable to
be cut or tampered with by boys and unprincipled persons; such, for instance, as
water pipes and like conductive articles where the line wires or conductors are
arranged over the roofs of the buildings.
In lieu of the construction above described cach conductor may be connected
directly with the wire above the poles, and in lieu of the separate conductors one
conductor common to both or all the line wires or conductors, arranged to intercept
induced or escaping currents passing towards either of said line wires or conductors,
and connected to the wire above the poles, or a ground wire may be utilzied.
It will be seen that by this Invention is provided a simple and effective means
for intercepting induced or escaping currents precluding them from interfering
with the proper transmission of messages or impairing the enunciation of the
messages.
It is obvious that an iron or other metallic cross-bar with wooden or metallic
shanks or fingers for the insulators connected to a wire, or to metallic supporting
poles, may be used as modifications of the said Invention, but the previously
described construction is regarded as preferable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
August 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE
INJURIOUS EFFECT OF INDUCED OR ESCAPING ELECTRICAL CURRENTS IN TELEPHONIC
OR TELEGRAPHIC LINES." A communication from abroad by Charles Edward
Chinnock, of Brooklyn, New York, and John De Hart Harrison, of Newark, New
Jersey, both in the United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to prevent induced and escaping currents from
reaching line wires or conductors employed for telegraphic or telephonic purposes,
and interfering with messages sought to be transmitted along the same. The said
Invention is especially advantageous for telephonic purposes, though also
advantageous for telegraphic purposes.
The said Invention consists in the combination of insulators, sustaining line
wires, or conductors, and supports therefor in electrical communication with each
other through a guard or other wire or wires common to the said supports and in
communication with the ground, whereby in a simple manner provision is afforded
for carrying off escaping or induced currents at various points. It also consists in
the combination with insulators, sustaining line wires, and shanks or fingers of
wood or other suitable material, forming supports therefor of conductors applied to
the said shanks or fingers; a wire connecting the conductors of the shanks or
fingers, and a wire connecting the last named wire with a guard or other wire in
communication with the ground, whereby a simple and convenient means of
accomplishing the desired end is attained.
The accompanying Drawing represents two poles and two line wires or
conductors, and a guard wire and appurtenances supported thereby embodying this
Invention.
A, A, represent the poles which may be erected in the ground, on the tops or
roofs of buildings, or in or upon any other suitable support, and severally provided
with one or more cross-bars B; C, C, represent insulators, which may be of glass
or other suitable material, and of the ordinary or any other appropriate form.
They are fitted upon the ends of supports consisting (in the example shewn
in the Drawing) of shanks or fingers D, of wood or other suitable material inserted
in the cross-bars B. Electric conductors, or an electric conductor, applied to the
pole or cross-bar, or to the shanks or fingors D, servo to intercept any electric
currents induced or escaping from an outside point or source of electricity, and
prevent the same from reaching the insulators C, and passing thence to the line
wires or conductors E which they support, so as to interfere with the electric
currents transmitted through the same, and impair the clearness of the message
conveyed by such currents. These line wires or conductors E are connected to the
insulators by being wrapped around grooves a, in them, or otherwise.
Although the insulators should intercept induced or escaping currents from an
outside source, yet in practice they frequently become so moist or so carbonized by
smoke from passing trains or adjacent fires as to become partially conductive, so
that there is need of more effective means for intercepting the induced or escaping
currents. In the example of the Invention shewn I employ electrical conductors G,
consisting of coils or cylinders, of sheet metal or metallic foil, arranged between
the shanks or fingers D and the cross-bars B, but these conductors do not extend
to the insulators C. The two conductors G of each cross bar B, as shewn, aro
connected by a wire H, forming an electrical communication between the shanks
or fingers D, and this wire H is connected by a wire I to a wire K, extending
along the tops of the poles A, and supported on insulators C' surmounting the said
poles. When thus arranged the wire K also constitutes a guard wire, preventing

page_text: falling wires or other articles from coming in contact with the line wires or
conductors E. This wire K is to be connected with the ground at proper points,
as, for instance, by wires J, and thus it will serve to carry off to the ground the
induced or escaping currents intercepted by the conductors G. A wire arranged so
as not to form a guard wiro might be used. Although I have shewn a wire J in
proximity to each pole A, it is intended to use such wires J in practice only at
points which may, for instance, be half a mile apart, that is to say, where it may
be necessary or desirable to carry off the induced or escaping currents. Indeed
where it is practicable those currents will be carried off to the ground by means
other than the wires J, and less liable than such wires to be cut or tampered with
by boys and unprincipled persons; I may, for instance, make use of water pipes
and like conductive articles, where the line wires or conductors E are arranged
over the roofs of the buildings.
In lieu of the construction above described each conductor G may be connected
directly with the wire K, and in liou of the separate conductors G one conductor
cominon to both or all the line wires or conductors E, arranged to intercept induced
or escaping currents passing towards cither of the said line wires or conductors E,
and connected to the wire K, or a ground wire may be utilized.
It will be seen that by this Invention is provided a simple and effective nenns
for intercepting induced or escaping currents, precluding them from interfering
with the proper transmission of messages or impairing the enunciation of the
messages.
It is obvious that an iron or other metallic cross-bar, with wooden or metallic
shanks or fingers for the insulators C, connected to a wire K or to metallic
supporting poles may be used as modifications of the said Invention, but the
previously described construction is regarded as preferable.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. The combination of insulators which sustain line wires or conductors and
supports therefor in electrical communication with each other through a guard' or
other wire or wires common to the said supports, and in communication at suitable
points with the ground.
Second. The combination with insulators which sustain line wires and are
supported on wood or other shanks or fingers, of conductors applied to the shanks
or fingers, a wire connecting the conductors of these shanks or fingers, and a wire
connecting the last named wire with a guard or other wire in communication with
the ground, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.