Improved APPARATUS FOR CARRYING, PROTECTING AND INSULATING WIRES EMPLOYED FOR CONVEYING ELECTRIC CURRENTS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Longdon and Francis Bernard Welch both of
Manchester in the County of Lancaster, for an Invention of "Improved
APPARATUS FOR CARRYING, PROTECTING AND INSULATING WIRES EMPLOYED
FOR CONVEYING ELECTRIC CURRENTS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Longdon and
Francis Bernard Welch at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
12th March 1883.
ROBERT LONGDON and FRANCIS BERNARD WELCH both of Manchester in the
County of Lancaster "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARRYING, PROTECTING AND
INSULATING WIRES EMPLOYED FOR CONVEYING ELECTRIC CURRENTS
"
This invention relates to improved means for carrying, protecting and insulating
wires used for conveying electric currents, such as are employed for electric lighting,
electric telegraphs, telephones and other similar purposes, so as to insure perfect
insulation, safety from fire and protection from injury from accidental or other
contact therewith.
For this purpose we propose according to our invention to employ longitudinal
slabs of slate of convenient length and of a suitable width according to the number
of wires to be conveyed, in the upper surface of which we cut or form (preferably
by means of a planing machine) a series of parallel longitudinal grooves. We lay
one wire in each groove and we cover the same over with a solid slab or cover of
slate fixed on by means of screws or otherwise or with a sheet of brown paper or
asbestos paper or other suitable material cemented on. Or we form the grooved
slabs with raised edges and we hold the wires down at intervals by means of cross-
bridge pieces of slate or other suitable material fixed in a transverse dovetailed
groove made in the raised edges.
These grooved slabs are placed end to end and the lengths are connected
together by butt or other joints, and fixed by bolts, screws, dowels, metal junction
pieces, or otherwise.

page_text: For turning corners the grooved slabs may be united together at any required
angle, but we prefer for this purpose to place a piece of slate of suitable size in a
lathe and turn therein a series of circular grooves corresponding in size number
and position to the grooves in the longitudinal slabs, and we then cut the same
into sections at such angles as may be required.
For taking side wires from the main line we cut lateral openings and attach
transverse slabs of slate with the required groove or grooves and with cover or
bridge-pieces of slate to confine the wire or wires therein. Where a branch wire
has to be taken from one of a number of main wires, the branch wire can be
carried either above or below the others and separated from them by a small slip
of slate.
As a modification of the above we sometimes employ plain slabs of slate or
other material and we insert therein or fix thereto at suitable intervals transverse
bridge-pieces of slate with notches or recesses for carrying the wires or with holes
perforated through them for the same purpose.
These slate bridge pieces may be attached to wooden blocks or frames or
otherwise fixed about buildings where electric wires are desired to be conveyed.
In some cases we also propose to make the grooves in wooden slabs and to
insulate the wires by means of a composition made from slate dust and a suitable
mucilage.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Longdon and Francis Bernard Welch in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 12th September 1883.
ROBERT LONGDON and FRANCIS BERNARD WELCH both of Manchester in the
County of Lancaster "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARRYING PROTECTING AND
INSULATING WIRES EMPLOYED FOR CONVEYING ELECTRIC CURRENTS "
This invention relates to improved means for carrying, protecting and insulating
wires used for conveying electric currents such as are employed for electric lighting,
electric telegraphs, telephones and other similar purposes, so as to ensure perfect
insulation, safety from fire and protection from injury from accidental or other
contact therewith.
Such being the nature and object of our said invention we will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
we have annexed hereunto a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in.
the following explanation thereof.
According to our invention we propose to employ longitudinal slabs of slate a, a
see Fig: 1. on the drawings of convenient length and of a suitable width
according to the number of wires to be conveyed, in the upper surface of which we
cut or form (preferably by means of a planing machine) a series of parallel
longitudinal grooves b, b. We lay one wire in each groove and we cover the same
over with a solid slab or cover of slate c, c fixed on by means of screws or other-
wise or with a sheet of brown paper, or asbestos paper or other suitable material
cemented on. Or we form the grooved slabs with raised edges d, d (see Fig. 2
section. Fig 3. side view and Fig. 4 plan) and we hold the wires down at intervals
by means of cross bridge pieces e, e of slate or other suitable material fixed in a
transverse dovetailed groove made in the raised edges. d, d.
These grooved slabs are placed end to end and the lengths are connected
together by "he-and-she" joints as shown at Fig 5. or by butt joints as shown at
Fig. 6. and fixed by bolts screws or dowels or by metal junction pieces f. f or
otherwise.
The metal junction pieces may be made taper on the edges so that when they
are screwed up they draw the joints together.
For turning corners the grooved slabs may be united together at any required
angle as shown at Fig 7. but we prefer for this purpose to place a piece of
slate of suitable size in a lathe and turn therein a series of circular grooves
corresponding in size number and position to the grooves in the longitudinal slabs,
and we then cut the same into sections at such angles as may be required as shown
at g, g Fig. 8.
For taking side wires from the main line we cut lateral openings as at h, h
Fig. 9. and we attach transverse slabs i, i of slate with the required groove or
grooves and with covers or bridge pieces e', e¹ of slate to confine the wire or wires
therein. Where a branch wire has to be taken from one of a number of main
wires, the branch wire can be carried either above or below the others and
separated from them by a small slip of slate.
As a modification of above we sometimes employ plain slabs of slate or other
material and we insert therein or fix the reto at suitable intervals transverse
bridge pieces k, k of slate with notches or recesses for carrying the wires or with
holes perforated through them for the same purpose as shown at Figs 10 and 11.
on the drawings.

page_text: These slate bridge pieces k, k may be attached to wooden backs or frames or
otherwise fixed about buildings where electric wires are desired to be conveyed.
In some cases we also propose to make the grooves in slabs of wood or other
suitable material and to insulate the wires by means of a composition made from
slate dust and a suitable mucilage, or by means of slate dust alone.
Having now described the nature and object of our said invention together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect we wish it to be understood that we claim as our invention
First the employment for such purposes of longitudinal grooved runners of slate
constructed connected and applied substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Secondly we claim the construction and employment in the manner and for the
purposes described of transverse bridge pieces of slate, either plain notched or
perforated and Thirdly we claim the employment of slate dust either alone or
mixed with a suitable mucilage as a medium for insulating electric wires when laid
in grooves or troughs formed in slate wood metal or other material.
In witness whereof we the said Robert Longdon and Francis Bernard Welch
have hereunto set our hands and seals this Eleventh day of September in the year
of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and Eighty three.