IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hippolyte De Matthys, Civil Engineer, of Antwerp, in
the Kingdom of Belgium, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES."
Sealed the 29th May 1860, and dated the 30th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hippolyte De Matthys
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th November 1859.
I, HIPPOLYTE DE MATTHYS, Civil Engineer, of Antwerp, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in combining together the following materials in the
construction of electric telegraph cables, and I desire it to be understood that
this Invention consists in the order of arrangement or disposition of the said
materials, and not in the materials when separately considered, as I am aware
of their having been already used in the construction of electric telegraph
cables. The following is the proposed improved method of constructing electric
telegraph cables according to this Invention. The core of the cable consists
of an ordinary wire of copper; this wire is to be coated or covered with gutta

page_text: percha, over and around this coating iron wire is to be wound; this wire is to be
covered with a coating of gutta-percha, over and around this last-named coating
a fourth envelope or covering of iron wire is to be wound as before; over this
another coating of gutta-percha is placed, and upon this last-named coating
one, two, or more layers of tarred ropes are laid side by side, parallel or
lengthwise of the cable, and lastly, over and around these said ropes another
covering of tarred rope is wound tightly in a helical direction. By thus con-
structing the cable the water is prevented from filtering or permeating the
insulating casing or covering of the central copper wire, and the permanent
insulation thereof is obtained, and likewise a light flexible cable sufficiently
regid to prevent elongation thereof under all circumstances.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hippolyte De Matthys in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HIPPOLYTE
DE MATTHYS, Civil Engineer, of Antwerp, in the Kingdom of Belgium, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Hippolyte De Matthys, Her special licence that I, the said Hippolyte De
Matthys, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Hippolyte De Matthys, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Hippolyte De Matthys, my executors, or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hippolyte De Matthys, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in combining together the following materials in
the construction of electric telegraph cables, and I desire it to be understood
that this Invention consists in the order of arrangement or disposition of the
said materials, and not in the materials when separately considered, as I am
aware of their having already been used in the construction of electric telegraph
cables. The following is the proposed improved method of constructing
electric telegraph cables according to this Invention. The core of the cable
consists of an ordinary wire of copper; this wire is to be coated or covered with
gutta-percha, over and around this coating iron wire is to be wound; this wire
is to be covered with a coating of gutta-percha; over and around this last-named
coating a fourth envelope or covering of iron wire is to be wound as before;
over this another coating of gutta percha is placed, and upon this last-named
coating one, two, or more layers of tarred ropes are laid side by side, parallel
or lengthwise of the cable, and lastly, over and around these said ropes
another covering of tarred rope is wound tightly in a helical direction. By
thus constructing the cable the water is prevented from filtering or permeating
the insulating casing or covering of the central copper wire, and the permanent
insulation thereof is obtained, and likewise a light flexible cable sufficiently
rigid to prevent elongation thereof under all circumstances.
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, reference is
made to the accompanying illustrative Sheet of Drawings, of which the following
is a description.
A is a copper wire coated or covered with gutta-percha at a; B, iron wire
wound around A; the wire B is also coated with gutta-percha at b, and is
wound around with another iron wire C, also coated with gutta-percha at c, but
of smaller guage than the wire B. D, D, are layers of tarred ropes lai
lengthwise of the cable, and E is another tarred rope wound tightly around the
ropes D. I propose to employ mechanism of the ordinary kind in the manu-
facture of my improved cable, such as is now used in the manufacture of
electric telegraph cables.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "Improvements in Electric Telegraph Cables," I would remark in
conclusion that I hereby declare my Invention to consist in, and I claim, the
mode set forth, described, and represented of combining together materials

page_text: employed in and for the manufacture of electric telegraph cables as constituting
my said improvements therein.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hippolyte De Matthys, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
HIPPOLITE DE MATTHYS. (L.S.)
ADOLPHE CROVIJ.