CERTAIN IMPROVE. MENTS IN TELEGRAPHIC CABLES
Year: 1865

page_text: Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declara-
tion, on the 30th September 1865, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
AUSTIN MEE, of Failsworth, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Wire Drawer, send greeting.
WHEREAS am in possession of an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE.
MENTS IN TELEGRAPHIC CABLES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am the first
and true Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said James Austin Mee, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement
and accompanying Drawings:-
My Invention relates to a novel construction and arrangement of cable
be employed for submarine or other telegraphic purposes, wherein the con
[Price Sd]

page_text: ducting electric wires require to be surrounded by a non-conducting insulating
material, and the improvements consist in covering or shielding (the outer
surface of the insulating material with which the conducting wires are coated)
with a metallic tube composed of a number of wires peculiarly constructed
(which are herein-after more fully described): these wires form a continuous
tube or cylindrical sheald around the insulated conducting wires; this metalic
sheald is constructed so as to embrace the insulation material in a spiral form,
after which it is surrounded or covered with hemp, flax, or other suitable
material, this fibrous coating is again covered finally with spiral metalic wires
of the ordinary form, the spiral .course of which runs in a direction opposite
to the afore-mentioned intermediate internal wires, forming a cylindrical tube
or sheald for the conducting medium.
In order that the Invention may be more fully and clearly explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 being
made about full size, and Figs. 3 and 4 enlarged Diagrams.
Fig. represents a transverse sectional view of the cable; Fig. 2, a longi-
fudinal section; Fig. 3, a sectional view of one of the intermediate internal
wires; and Fig. 4, a transverse sectional view of a number of the wires com-
bined and arranged so as to form a cylindrical tube.
In Figs. and 2, a. a. are the conducting wires through which com-
munications are transmitted; b. the insulating material in which such wires
are imbedded; this insulating material is surrounded by a metalic coat 4,
composed of al number of peculiarly prismatically-formed wires, a section of
the wire being seen in Fig. 3. and a section of a number of such wires com
bined forming a tube being seen in Fig. 4; on reference to these Diagrams
it will be seen that the sides where these wires come together form an angle
corresponding with a line drawn radially from the centre of the cable, the
whole series or number when combined, as shown, forming a tube that
becomes stronger by compression or strain.
In manufacturing the cable the wires forming a sheald for the insulater
conducting wires take a spiral course longitudinally, after which they are
covered with the hemp or flax coating d; the several layers or combinations
of rings forming the cable now receive their final external covering, which
consists of a number of wires e of the ordinary shape; these wires also take a
spiral course, but in a reverse direction to the spiral course of the intermediate
internal metalic sheald c. If any undue or extra strain should happen to the
cable during its manufacture, paying out, hauling in, or other unforseen cir-
cumstances, such straining or extension of the external metalic covering e will
receive a counteraction in the intermediate internal sheald c, thereby keeping

page_text: the cable rigidly compact, any strain actually under breaking power will have
the effect of compressing the wire composing the tube c more firmly together,
preventing thereby any possible strain happening to the conducting medium.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I claim,
The novel construction and arrangement of an intermediate internal
cylindrical sheald. employed for the purpose of protecting the insulated con-
ducting wires of telegraphic cables, as fully described and particularly shewn
in Diagrams Figs. 3 and 4 of the Drawings.
Secondly. I claim the novel employment. construction, and use of the
intermediate internal arrangement of anguler or prismatically-formed wires
for strengthening and making more durable cables and suspensary ropes of all
descriptions where great strength and durability is required.
In witness whereof. I, the said James Austin Mee, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this
day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JAMES AUSTIN MEE. (L.S.)