Improvements in Means or Devices for use in the Distribution of Electrical Currents.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd June, 1890-Accepted, 5th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Devices for use in the Distribution of
Electrical Currents.
We ARTHUR WEST HEAVISIDE of 7 Grafton Road Whitley in the County of
Northumberland and ROBERT CATTLEY JACKSON of 1 St. Nicholas Buildings in the
City and County of the City of Newcastle on Tyne Electrical Engineers do hereby
declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
The objects of this Invention are to provide devices which furnish adequate means
for localising faults in underground mains and give protection to the mains and
submains from over pressure bymeans of fuses conveniently situated at the distributing
points. This invention also gives great facilities for insulating joints in mains so
that the insulation need not be disturbed each time a test has to be made and further
also facilities for cross connecting mains so as to make a good main relieve a defective
one or to alter the distribution of electric energy so as to meet varying needs.
We provide a distributing box or container of any suitable material but preferably
capable of being hermetically sealed. This box may to give greater security against
dirt and moisture be provided with a second lid or top.
To the sides bottom or in the space closed in by the box or container is fitted a
tray shelf or support made preferably of insulating material such for example as
porcelain. Upon this tray shelf or support any convenient insulators are mounted
and to them the respective cables are attached preferably by conductors pinched
down by screws screwing onto the tops of the insulators.
The connections between the insulators carrying the supply cables and those
carrying the distributing cables may conveniently take the form of fusing pieces to
protect the respective mains from too great an electric pressure. Upon removal of
the fusing pieces or other metallic connecting links the insulating terminals carrying
their respective cables may be conveniently used as testing points in the general
system of electric distribution.
Where several cables enter the same box it may at times be convenient to make
cross-connections between these cables as for example, it may be desired to test the
condition of a cable between two points, these points terminating at a box. At these
points parallel or other connections are made by metallic links or connecting pieces
and a suitable path being thus provided for the electric energy the cable may be
freed for the purpose of testing or assisting another circuit and generally any com-
bination of cables entering the box can be made.
The connection of the links with the cables may be conveniently made by
furnishing the links with ends which embrace the bared conductors of the cables.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Devices for use in the Distribution of
Electrical Currents.
We, ARTHUR WEST HEAVISIDE of 7 Grafton Road, Whitley in the County of
Northumberland and ROBERT CATTLEY JACKSON of 1 St. Nicholas Buildings in the
City and County of the City of Newcastle on Tyne Electrical 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:-
The object of this Invention is to provide means for localizing faults in under-
ground mains and for giving protection to the mains submains feeders and leads from

page_text: over pressure by means of fuses conveniently situated at the distributing junctions.
This invention also provides means whereby facilities are provided for insulating the
joints in mains in such a manner that the insulation need not be disturbed when a
test has to be made or when a consumer's lead is to be connected and further
facilities are provided for connecting cross mains relieving a defective main or for
altering the distribution of electric energy so as to meet varying needs.
The principle of this Invention may be described as a system of underground
electric lines connected at intervals by suitable mechanical devices whereby the
following advantages are obtained viz.:-
Single sections of an electric line can be conveniently tested.
A section or sections of the electric line can be conveniently connected as required
at each point of junction with other electric lines.
Sections of the electric line may be secured from over pressure by providing fusible
connecting links which when the normal pressure is exceeded will fuse and break the
circuit, and joints can be more conveniently and quickly insulated than heretofore.
In carrying out our Invention we provide at each junction point a distributing
box or container made of any suitable material and preferably capable of being
hermetically sealed. Such a box is shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.
Figure being a part elevation and part vertical section Figure 2 a plan with the
outer cover and a portion of the inner cover removed and Figure 3 shews a plan of
the tray or shelf for supporting the insulators to which the electric lines are con-
nected. The sides of the box are built up of brickwork supported upon a stone
slab A forming the bottom of the box. Through the brickwork sides protrude the
iron pipes B containing the electric lines which pipes may enter the box at any con-
venient angle and are preferably cemented in the brickwork.
brickwork sides of the box is surmounted by a frame C provided with a channel or
The top of the
groove C containing a permanently plastic compound composed preferably of pitch
and tallow.
The box is closed by a lid or cover E having a depending flange or rim e which
rests upon or in the plastic compound which yields sufficiently to ensure a perfectly
water tight joint.
Over the lid or cover E is placed an outer lid D having a depending flange or
rim d which fits over the upper edge of the frame C so as to further ensure against
the admission of water to the interior of the box. At or near the centre of the
outer lid D there is provided a recess F for the introduction of a key or lever to
facilitate the removal of the lid.
If it be required to open the box the lid D is first removed after which the
inner lid E may be readily lifted by means of rings H H shewn in Figure 2.
As an additional safe guard against the penetration of moisture india rubber,
greased leather or other suitable packing F¹ may be interposed between the top of
the frame C and the inner surface of the outer lid D. Inside the box and resting
upon the stone slab A (Figures and 3) are blocks preferably of creosoted wood
upon which blocks rests a tray or shelf K made preferably of insulated material
such for example as creosoted wood. The blocks I are cut away as shewn at k
to diminish surface for leakage and to allow moisture to drain away readily. The
tray K is preferably open or of lattice form as shewn in Figure 3 whereby improved
insulation is obtained as it presents less surface for leakage and increased facilities
are provided for handling the electric lines which enter the box from the pipes B.
To the tray K are attached insulators L of any convenient pattern but preferably
such as are described in the Specification to Heavisides Patent dated 20th April
1888 No. 5913 or that shewn in elevation and plan respectively in Figures 4 and 5.
The insulators L shewn in Figures 1 and 3 are each provided with an insulating
screwed bolt or stem by which it is secured to the tray K.
insulators are furnished with screwed stems to which are connected by nuts m
The tops of these
links M made of any suitable metal or material that will melt at a lower tempera-
ture than will that of which the electric lines is composed and thus act as safety fuses
on the main line, branch lines or feeders. Other insulators N are shewn in Figures 1

page_text: and 3 attached to the tray for the distributing mains or consumers leads. These
insulators N are connected to the insulators L by fusible connections which may
be of the form shewn in Figure 7 which represents tinned metallic washers n to
which suitable fuses M² are attached.
Figures 3° 3° 3d represent diagrammatically some of the various connections that
may be made and also that part of our Invention relating to means for cross
connecting mains or branch lines or feeders for the purpose of providing regularity
of supply and for facilitating the removal of any particular section when so desired.
It may sometimes be more convenient to use the form of insulator shewn in Figures 4
and 5 which is of the well known double shed pattern provided with a slot at the
top. When these insulators are used the conducting strips M are preferably arranged
to stand on edge elastic bands or strips A2 and wedges B2 being provided to keep
the links fixed firmly in position as shewn in Figure 5. Sometimes it may be
desirable to use only 1 pair of insulators in a box as shewn in Figure 3B in which
case the plus and minus ends of the electric lines are respectively connected thereto
and a branch circuit or branch circuits may be led away from the insulators as shewn.
This part of the Invention is not however confined to the employment of any definite
number of any particular disposition of the insulators in one box. For instance
in Figure 3° two pairs or four insulators are shewn and in Figures 3 and 34 four
pairs or eight insulators are employed.
By means of our Invention great economy in time and labour is obtained owing to
the facility afforded for measuring and cutting into length with accuracy the electric
lines as the measurement thereof can be taken readily from box to box, whilst the
ends of the lines may be prepared for connecting to the insulated terminals in the
boxes before the lines are brought to the place where they are to be connected.
Owing to the somewhat limited space obtainable in a street box it is advisable for
greater ease of manipulation to make the joint between the insulated terminals and
the electric lines as flexible as possible. Figure 8 shews in plan and elevation a form
of flexible connection made according to this Invention as applied to a concentric
conductor arranged to reduce to a minimum surface leakage between the conductors.
A is a case formed in two parts preferably of insulating material such for example
as vulcanite. B³ is the concentric cable. C the insulated flexible connections bared
at their inner extremities for soldering or otherwise securing them to the inner and
outer conductors respectively suitable tongues being provided at the other extremities
for clamping them to the insulated terminals. The two halves of the case A³ may
be screwed together or otherwise fastened and melted wax oil or other suitable
medium may be poured in at an opening D³ an escape hole E being provided to
allow of the complete filling of the case. When the case is filled apertures D3 and E³
One
may be closed by means of screwed caps or in any other convenient manner.
half of the case A³ may be provided with a groove as shewn by dotted lines at x into
which a projecting lip on the corresponding half may engage. In making
mechanical joints.according to our Invention we use a split sleeve or ferrule which
upon being compressed will yield and give an even and secure contact between the
conductor and the surrounding envelope. Two such joints are shewn in Figures 9
and 10. In Figure 9 A represents a metallic casing. B³ the conductor surrounded
by a split sleeve or ferrule C. Wedges D and D³ are driven in between the casing
and the split sleeve which compress it forcibly upon the conductor B and as the
wedges are sent home a sound mechanical and electrical joint is made. E' is a
tongue for clamping on the insulator terminals at the box. Instead of wedges for
clamping the split sleeve on to the conductor the sleeve may be screw threaded as
shewn in Figure 10 and be screwed into a metallic socket A fast on the connecting
piece E. The conductor B3 passing through the split screwed sleeve C' is,
when A and C are screwed together, compressed in the said sleeve and a good joint
is thus made.
Where alternating electric currents are used it is necessary to adopt means to
avoid any injurious effects arising on neighbouring electric circuits owing to possible
lateral inductive action. According to our system of underground distribution we

page_text: may employ either concentric or simple cables as conductors. When using concentric
cables properly insulated from earth the only inductive action occurring which can
be detected will be at the junction boxes owing to the parallelism of the connecting
links M M shewn in Figures 1, 3 and 6. Should it be desirable to avoid this
inductive action at the boxes this can be effected by making the connecting links M M
cross the box diagonally as shewn in Figure 3 and thus neutralise the induction. If
single cables are used a similar method of getting rid of lateral induction may be
employed although in the latter case it is advisable that the boxes be not more than
about 50 feet apart.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination in a system of underground electric lines of a closed chamber
containing a tray supporting insulators to which the ends of the electric lines are
attached substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination in a system of underground electric lines of a closed chamber
containing a tray supporting insulators to which the ends of the electric lines are
attached by means of removeable connecting links substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination in a system of underground electric lines of a closed chamber
containing a tray supporting insulators to which the ends of the electric lines are
attached by removable links, of another set of insulators to which the distributing
lines, feeders or consumers leads are attached and removable connecting links
joining the two sets of insulators substantially as hereinbefore described-with-
reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination in a system of underground electric lines of a closed chamber
containing a tray supporting insulators the connection between the insulators being
made by removable links or safety fuses said safety fuses being made integral with
the removable links substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
5. Junction boxes substantially as described and shewn in the drawings for use
as testing points in a system of underground electrical distribution by the removal of
the connecting links or by disconnecting at the insulators substantially as hereinbefore
described.
6. The means for avoiding lateral induction in underground electric mains
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3ª of the accompany-
ing drawings.
7. The use of a permanently plastic compound for closing the lid or lids of electric
junction boxes substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
8. The insulator as described and shewn in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
9. The method of making insulating joints in concentric electric lines substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 8 of the
accompanying drawings.
10. The use of a split elastic sleeve or washer in making mechanical joints in
electric lines substantially as described with reference to Figures 9 and 10 of the
accompanying drawings.