Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted. 10th Aug., 1888
WE, PERCIVAL EVERITT and PERCY RUSKIN ALLEN, both of 47, Cannon Street, in
the City of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Our invention relates to means for preventing the atmospheric air from acting
injuriously upon electrical conductors; switches, cut-outs, and other electrical
apparatus.
According to our said invention between the grooved strips-containing the leads or
conductors, or the edges of the cases containing the instruments; and their covers are
placed strips or gaskets of india rubber or other suitable packing material; so that
when the said covers are screwed or tightened down the said strips or 'gaskets will be
compressed.
We find it advantageous to groove the adjacent faces between which the packing
is placed so that it will be held in position.
By means of our invention the contact surfaces of switches and the like are kept
bright, and the insulating material of the leads or conductors can be thinner than
heretofore.
Where it is necessary to have moving parts passing through the covers or 'casing a
stuffing box packed with any suitable material may be employed:
Or the fixed and moving parts can be connected by means of a diaphragm which
will allow of the proper movement of the parts and at the same time exclude the
atmospheric air.
Dated the 6th day of October 1887
G! F: REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applićantë: '

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Casings for Electrical Conductors
and Apparatus.
We, PERCIVAL EVERITT and PERCY RUSKIN ALLEN, both of 47, Cannon Street in
the city of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to means for preventing the atmospheric air from acting
injuriously upon electrical conductors, switches, cut-outs, and other electrical apparatus,
and is more particularly applicable for use on board ship, in coal mines, and other
places where corrosive vapours exist.
According to our said invention between the grooved strips containing the leads
or conductors, or the edges of the cases containing the instruments, and their
covers are placed strips or gaskets of india rubber or other suitable packing material,
so that when the said covers are screwed or tightened down the said strips or
gaskets will be compressed and the covers can be easily and quickly removed when
necessary.
We find it advantageous to groove the adjacent faces between which the packing
is placed so that it will be held in position.
By means of our invention the contact surfaces of switches and the like are kept
bright, and the insulating material of the leads or conductors can be thinner than
heretofore.
Where it is necessary to have moving parts passing through the covers or casing,
the fixed and moving parts can be connected by means of a diaphragm which will
allow of the proper movement of the parts and at the same time exclude the
atmospheric air.
Or we can make use of a stuffing box packed with any suitable material in com-
bination with our air-tight joint.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood, we will describe how it
can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and
Figure 2 a transverse section of a casing for electrical conductors provided with our
improvements.
a is the grooved strip or case containing the conductors b, b: c is the cover of
the strip or case and d, d are the strips of india-rubber or other suitable clastic
packing which we place in grooves between the cover c and the edge of the strip or
case a e, e are screws for securing the cover c to the case a. When the said screws

page_text: are tightened, the strips d, d will be compressed and make a tight joint between the
case a and the cover c.
The arrangement joint shown in the longitudinal sectional elevation and cross
section at figures 3 and 4 respectively is the same as that hereinbefore described with
reference to figures 1 and 2 except that the cover c is grooved to contain the
conductor b and fits over a flat strip a, a flat pieced of rubber or the like being
employed to make a tight joint. This form of casing is very convenient for fixing to
iron bulk heads and the like.
Figures 5 and 6 are cross sections of a form of casing made in two equal or like
parts a and c with grooves therein to receive the conductors b, b and joint-strips d, d
as shown. This arrangement of casing possesses the advantage that the screws e for
fixing it to its support can be driven in from any side of the casing. Figure 5 shows
the screws driven in one direction and figure 6 shows them placed in a direction at a
right angle thereto..
Figure 7 is a vertical section, and
d is
Figure 8 a plan, with the top removed, of a switch provided with our diaphragm
which will allow of the handle of the switch being operated and render the casing
air-tight so that moisture or vapour cannot get to the contacts or working parts.
the diaphragm, the outer edge of which is secured between the case a and the cover c
of the switch and the inner edge between a boss fon the handle g of the switch and
a ring screwed onto the said boss.
When the handle g is in the normal position the diaphragm d is sufficiently loose to
allow the handle to be turned to the required extent. The conductors b, b enter the
switch through holes i, i, which are then stopped with marine glue, cement, or similar
material to make them air-tight.
As shown in figure 7 of the drawing, the diaphragm d besides closing the aperture
in which the handle g turns also makes a tight joint between the cover c and the case a.
It is obvious however that a separate or independent ring of packing material can be
employed for this purpose.
Figure 9 is a vertical section illustrating our diaphragm applied to a switch, the
handle of which besides being rotated, is moved in and out of the case and also
showing a mode of applying our air-tight joint between the switch case or box and
the casing of the conductor. In this view the diaphragm is shown in section and the
handle is in its normal position.
Figure 10 is a transverse vertical section of figure 9, the diaphragm being shown in
elevation.
Figure 11.is a sectional view of part of figure 9, showing the handle rotated and
moved outwards and the diaphragm consequently extended..
dis the diaphragm which is secured to the casing a between a screw-threaded
boss j thereon and a ferrule k and to the handle g by a wire, or the like. The action
will be understood without further description.
The joint between the switch case or box and the casing of the conductor can be
formed by fitting a block a¹ to the switch box. The block is formed with an inclined
face n against which abuts the correspondingly-shaped end o of the conductor casing.
An air-tight joint is formed between the block a¹ and the switch box by flanged rings
or tubes d¹ of elastic material, as shown in figures 9 and 10, and the joint between the
said block and the conductor casing is formed by a piece of elastic packing material
being interposed between the two inclined surfaces.
Figures 12 and 13 are a vertical and horizontal section respectively of another form
of switch in which a stuffing box m is used to keep the revolving spindle of the
handle g air-tight, the cover joint being formed by a separate elastic ring d. In this
arrangement the switch box is shown made with the block a integral therewith, the
flanged rings or tubes d' in this case not being required.
It will be obvious that our improvements are also applicable for rendering air-tight
fuse boxes, measuring instruments, and lamp holders and for forming air-tight
connections between them and the casings containing the wires, so that the entire
circuit or any part thereof can be hermetically sealed.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained tlie 'nature of our said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, .we déclare that what
we claiin is-
1. The use of casings for electrical conductors and apparatus, provided with-strips
or gaskets of india-rubber or other suitable. packing material-in the manner and for
the purposes herein before described..
2. The use of electrical switch boxes made air-tight by means of a "removeable
elastic packing “in the manner herein described, 'in combination with casings for
conductors made similarly air-tight so as to form an air-tight system' extending
throughout the whole or part of the length of an electric circuit.
3. The use in combination with an electric switch of a flexible diaphragm adapted
to render the switch-box air-tight and allow the necessary movement of the parts of
the switch.
4. The improved casings for electrical conductors and apparatus hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the various figures of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the on day or July 1000.
G F. REDFERN & Co.;..
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants: