IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS AND IN THE METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME
Year: 1884

page_text: WAH
I, ALFRED ÅBERNETHY COWLES of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS AND IN THE METHOD OF MAKING
THE SAME, to be as follows:-
In connection with incandescent electric lights it is usual to employ a positive
and a negative wire leading to each lamp. These wires are often passed through
the tubes of chandeliers and are sometimes exposed to the action of coal gas in such
pipes.
The object of my invention is to combine. the two or more wires into one envelope
in such a manner that there will not be any risk of injury from sparks passing from
one conductor to the other and so that the conductor will be fire and water proof,.
and can be easily connected up in chandeliers or run along walls or ceilings.
My compound electric conductor is composed of two metallic wires. These are to
be of any desired size.
The covering of these wires is a water proof insulation which is preferably a tape
of woven material saturated with bituminous material and which remains in an
adhesive condition so as to adhere to the wire and adhere at the lapping edges;
sometimes I place upon this covering a second tape laid so as to break joints and
cover the joint between the edges of the lower layer. This wrapping may be
directly upon the mettallic wire or there may be a preliminary winding or braiding
upon the wire.
I
A braiding or winding of threads is applied to the covering upon the conductor
and a similar braiding upon the covering of the other conductor These braided or
wound threads are diverse in color so that one conductor will be distinguished from
the other and these braidings or windings will usually be rendered fire and water
proof by paint or fire proof material applied to the covering and upon which the
braiding takes place while the paint is in a wet condition so as to penetrate the
threads.
•
It is to be understood that the conductors are to be made separately and that the
paint employed on one is different in color from the other.
The two conductors prepared as aforesaid are now laid side by side and strings or
cords introduced so as to occupy the spaces at the opposite sides of the line of contact
of the two covered conductors.

page_text: "
A wrapping of adhesive tape is now applied to bind the covered conductors and
strings together, This adhesive tape may be a single layer with the edges lapped
or a double layer with the edges of the outer tape central over the inner tape, The
object of the strings or cords is to round up the cable sufficiently to prevent the
existence of air spaces inside the wrapping; The cords are preferably of a com-.
paratively loose material so as to be compressed into the segmental spaces by the
winding or wrapping and the cords are sometimes rendered fireproof by being
soaked in paint or fire proof material before being used.
Around the outside of the wrapping I apply a winding preferably of strong
threads so as to compress the parts of the cable and hold them all firmly together
and I prefer and use an adhesive material such as paraffin to saturate the threads
and render them, waterproof and adhesive to the wrapping. By passing the cable
through hot paraffin the adhesive tape is warmed and caused to adhere firmly to
all places where the same laps or comes into contact with the covered conductors or
cords.
I prefer to use the wrapping of bituminous water proof material in the form of
a woven tape saturated and wound while it is still adhesive but the same thing
may be accomplished by braiding or winding and then saturating the same with
hot bituminous material to fill the pores and form an adhesive surface for the
external braiding or winding, and this may be done upon the single wires, or in
connecting the two wires into one cable. It will be apparent that more than two
covered conductors made as aforesaid may be included in one wrapping.
In applying this adhesive tape to the wire direct or to the surface of a wound or
braided covering to the wire, I have found difficulties that sometimes produce
imperfections in the covered conductor. The tape is adhesive hence with the roll
the woven material is sometimes torn in loosening the end to unwind it, and as the
tape is drawn off from the roll the adhesion is more at one part than, at another
part, hence the tension applied to the tape as it is wound around the conductor
varies, and the conductor is caused to adhere less firmly at some places; again the
adhesive tape is liable to have moisture upon its surface and this interferes with
the adhesion of the tape, and being tightly encased becomes a source of danger to
the conductor when in use; atmosphere is also enclosed by the adhesive tape
because of the stiffness of such tape preventing the same from conforming to the
surface of the conductor. To avoid this, I take a strip or tape of woven fabric and
saturate the same with bituminous or other water, proof adhesive insulating
material, the said tape or strip, being drawn through such material while the
latter is in a melted condition. The surplus material is removed and the strip is
wound up into a roll. .
"
In this condition the waterproof adhesive material is in a condition adapted to
transportation.
Before the roll of prepared waterproof adhesive, insulating tape is made use of
I beat the same with uniformity to a temperature of about 180° Fahrenheit upon
a table heated by steam or in an oven or chamber; the heat serves to dispel any
moisture that may be upon the roll, to soften the adhesive waterproof material
upon the tape sufficiently to allow the tape to unwind easily from the roll without
being irregularly stuck together, to render the tape flexible so that it will conform
to the surface upon which it is applied, and also to cause the tape to adhere more
firmly to its place without either moisture or atmosphere intervening between the
tape and the surface to which it is applied, thus greatly improving the product and
facilitating the winding operation so that it may be done much more rapidly than
heretofore.
1 1
1004

page_text: I, ALFRED ABERNETHY COWLES, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS, AND IN THE METHOD OF MAKING
THE SAME," and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In connection with incandescent electric lights it is usual to employ a positive
and negative wire leading to each lamp. These wires are often passed through
the tubes of chandeliers and are sometimes exposed to the action of coal gas in
such pipes.
The object of my invention is to combine the two or more wires into one
envelope in such a manner that there will not be any risk of injury from sparks
passing from one conductor to the other and so that the conductor will be fire and
water-proof and can easily be connected up in chandeliers or run along walls
or ceilings.
In the drawing
Fig. 1. is an elevation of the conductor representing the successive coverings.
Fig. 2. is a cross section of the same in larger size.
Fig. 3. represents a steam table with a roll of prepared water proof insulating
tape thereon, and
Fig. 4. represents a conductor upon which the adhesive insulating tape is being
wound.
My compound electric conductor is composed of two metallic wires a. and b:
these are to be of any desired size.
The covering of these wires is a water-proof insulation c. which is preferably
a tape of woven material saturated with bituminous material and which remains
in an adhesive condition so as to adhere to the wire and adhere at the lapping
edges. Sometimes I place upon this covering a second tape o¹, laid so as to break
joints and cover the joint between the edges of the lower layer.
This wrapping may be directly upon the metallic wire as at the wire b. or
there may be a preliminary winding or braiding upon the wire as at a². upon
the wire a.
A braiding or winding of threads d. is applied to the covering c. upon the
conductor a. and a similar braiding e. upon the covering of the other conductor b.
These braided or wound threads are diverse in color so that one conductor will be
distinguished from the other, and these braidings or windings will usually be
rendered fire and water-proof by paint or fireproof material applied to the
covering c. c. and upon which the braiding takes place while the paint is in a
wet condition so as to penetrate the threads.
It is to be understood that the conductors a. and b. are to be made separately
and that the paint employed on one is different in color from the other.
The two conductors prepared as aforesaid are now laid side by side and strings
or cords f. introduced so as to occupy the spaces at the opposite sides of the line of
contact of the two covered conductors.
A wrapping of adhesive tape g. is now applied to bind the covered conductors
and strings together. This adhesive tape may be a single layer with the edges
lapped or a double layer with the edges of the outer tape central over the
inner tape.
The object of the strings or cords is to round up the cable sufficiently to
prevent the existence of air spaces inside the wrapping g. The cords f. are

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preferably of a comparatively loose material so as to be compressed into the
segmental spaces by the winding or wrapping g, and the cords f. are sometimes
rendered fire-proof by being soaked in paint or fire-proof material before being
used.
Around the outside of the wrapping g. I apply a winding k. preferably of strong
threads so as to compress the parts of the cable and hold them all firmly together,
and I prefer and use an adhesive material such as paraffin to saturate the threads
and render them water-proof and adhesive to the wrapping.
By passing the cable through hot paraffin the adhesive tape is warmed and
caused to adhere firmly at all places where the same laps or comes into contact.
with the covered conductors or cords.
I prefer to use the wrapping of bituminous water-proof material in the form of
a woven tape saturated and wound while it is still adhesive but the same thing
may be accomplished by braiding or winding and then saturating the same with:
hot bituminous material to fill the pores and form an adhesive surface of the
external braiding or winding, and this may be done upon the single wires or in
connecting the two wires into.one cable.
It will be apparent that more than two covered conductors made as aforesaid.
may be included in one wrapping.
In applying this adhesive tape to the wire direct; or to the surface of a wound:
or braided covering to the wire, I have found difficulties that sometimes.produce.
imperfections in the covered conductor.
The tape is adhesive, hence with the roll the woven material is sometimes torn
in loosening the end to unwind it, and as the tape is drawn off from the roll the
adhesion is more at one part than at another part, hence the tension applied to
the tape as it is wound around the conductor varies, and the tape is caused to
adhere less firmly at some places-Again the adhesive tape is liable to have
moisture upon its surface and this interferes with the adhesion of the tape and
being tightly encased becomes a source of danger to the conductor when in use.
Atmosphere is also enclosed by the adhesive tape because of the stiffness of such
tape preventing the same conforming to the surface of the conductor.
To avoid this, I take a strip or tape of woven fabric and saturate the same with.
bituminous or other water proof adhesive insulating material, the said tape or.
strip being drawn through such material while the latter is in a melted condition.
The surplus material is removed and the strip is wound up into a roll. In
this condition the water-proof adhesive material is in a condition adapted to
transportation.
Before the roll t. of prepared water-proof adhesive insulating tape is made use of,
I heat the same with uniformity to a temperature of about. 180° Fah. upon a
table v. heated by steam or in an oven or chamber; the heat serves to dispel any
moisture that may be upon the roll, to soften the adhesive water-proof material
upon the tape sufficiently to allow the tape to unwind easily from. the roll without
being irregularly stuck together, to render the tape flexible so that it will conform
to the surface upon which it is applied, and also to cause the tape to adhere more
firmly to its place without either moisture or atmosphere intervening between the
tape and the surface to which it is applied thus greatly improving the product
and facilitating the winding operation so that it may be done much more rapidly
than heretofore.
The wires a. and b. may be coated with a water-proof non conducting material,
and the tapes or strips c, wound upon such coating instead of upon the naked
wires.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that.
what I claim is:-
First. The combination in a cable of two or more electric conductors, each
having a wrapping of adhesive water proof tape, and a braiding or winding

page_text: outside the same, and a wrapping of adhesive water-proof tape around the covered
conductors to bind them together, substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination with two or more electric conductors each having a
wrapping of adhesive water proof tape, of cords or strings laid at each side of the
line of contact between the coverings of the conductors and a wrapping or winding
outside of and around the covered conductors and strings, substantially as set
forth.
Third. The combination with two metallic wires each having a fire and water-
proof insulating covering, of a wrapping of water-proof insulating material to bind
the two conductors together, as set forth.
Fourth. The combination in a cable of two conductors, insulating fire and
water-proof material for the same, an external winding of adhesive tape, a covering
of threads around the same and adhesive material to unite the parts, substantially
as set forth.
Fifth. The combination in a cable of two conductors insulated by water proof
material, filling cords or strings and an exterior covering of fibrous material and
an adhesive substance as set forth.
Sixth. The combination in a cable of two conductors, insulating material for the
same, filling cords, a covering of adhesive tape around the same, an exterior
covering of thread and adhesive water proof material applied to the covering as
set forth.
Seventh. The combination of a conductor of wire, a wrapping of adhesive
water-proof tape upon the same, and a winding or braiding upon such wrapping
whereby the wrapping is pressed into intimate contact with the wire and the
winding or braiding adheres to the adhesive wrapping substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The combination in an electric conductor of a winding or wrapping of
adhesive water proof material, a winding or braiding of threads upon the same
and a second wrapping of adhesive water-proof strips or tapes, substantially as
set forth.
Ninth. The combination in an electric conductor of a winding or wrapping of
adhesive water-proof material, a winding or braiding of threads upon the same,
a wrapping of adhesive water-proof tape and an exterior braiding or winding of
threads, substantially as set forth.
Tenth. The method herein specified of preparing flexible adbesive water proof
tape and applying it to the conductor, consisting in rolling the tape after the saine
has been impregnated with such water-proofing material and afterwards heating
the roll of tape to expell moisture and soften the adhesive water-proofing material
and applying such tape while in the hot condition to the conductor, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.