US306037A

US306037A - Thomas g

Info

Publication number: US306037A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1884-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1901-09-30

Description

(No Model.)

' G. TURNER.

ELECTRIC CABLE. N0. 806.037.

Patented Sept. 30, 18 84.

N PETERS. PhDlO-Lllhngmpher. Wnshmglnn. DV 1:.

\MTN ESEEEZ UNITED STATES PATENT FFICEQ -THOMAS G. TURNER, OF NEWV YdRK, N.,Y.

ELECTRIC CABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,037, dated September 30, 1884.

Application filed February 29, 188-1.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS G. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in Electric Cables; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of elec tric cables in which the conductors are laid concentrically around a core, and inclosed in a protecting sheath or armor.

The objects of the invention are, first, to so construct the armor that it may be opened at any point without rupture of the metal of which it is composed to afford access to any one or more of the conductors of the cable, and again closed and sealed; second, to so arrange the individual wires or conductors of the cable with relation to an indicator and to each other that any one of said conductors maybe readily found; third, to so arrange the conductors and indicator with relation to the joint or seam of the armor that the indicator and each of said conductors will pass said seam once in a given distance; fourth, to establish contact between the core and armor to lessen the effect of induced current; also, to provide a core which will yield slightly upon the contraction of the surrounding conductors; also,

to provide means by which the interstices between the conductors may be filledrwith a material which will repel moisture, and, finally, minor objects relating to the laying or use of a cable, which objects will more fully appear hereinafter.

The invention consistsin certain novel parts and combinations, which will be claimed in the clauses at the close of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective v-view of my improved cable. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partlyin section, of the preferred form of core. Figs. 3 and 4 are details of the cable in cross-section.

The core A of my cable is a tube or pipe of lead, having, preferably, numerous perforations, (1, in its walls for the double purpose of rendering the core more sensitive to lateral pressure, and of affording means by which hot paraffine or other equivalent substance may (No model.)

2 be forced into the interstices between the respective conductors surrounding the core.

- Around this core A is grouped a number of independent insulated conductors, B, one of the conductors, B, differing from the others of the group, so that it may be readily distinguished and serve as a guide or indicator, so that any one of the conductors of the group may be known from the position it bears ductors B and B having been laid closely about the core A, I apply a binder or binders b, to hold them in a fixed position with relation to each other during the application of the armor O. The binder or binders b may be of insulating material-such as kerite tapeor of non-insulating material, as is found most convenient; or, as it is desirable to place the core Ain metallic contact with the armor C, I contemplate in some instances forming the binders of short strips of lead, one end of which is placed between any two of the conductors B and in contact with the core, while the free end of the strip is wrapped around the grouped conductors so that the armor, when applied, will bein contact with it. These lead binders can be quickly and cheaply applied at suitable intervals during the construction of the cable. In the event of using other than the lead binders the indicator-conductor B may be one having a metallic armor, while the conductors B may be provided with any ordinary insulation without armor, it being understood, of course, that in this instance the binder be so disposed as to permit the inclicator B to come in contact with the armor 0, thus establishing contact between said armor and the core A. The armor-O is composed of a ribbon of lead of such width that when the ribbon is folded around the grouped wires or conductors a surplus of metal will be left at the meeting edges, which surplus is bent out to form the radial projections c. A key, D, of soft metal or solder, is interposed between thcse projections, and melted to unite them and form a tight joint. This key should be made of a metal or composition fusible at a comparatively low temperature, in order that it maybe melted without affecting the lead. armor, as it will he sometimes necessary to open the seam formed by the key and projections 0, to connect branch-wires, or for other purposes, and again close said seam when the connection has been made.

I prefer to lay the conductors spirally upon the core with a pitch of, say, one turn in three feet, as by this means I am enabled to bring each wire of the group across the seam of the armor in a given distance, so that upon opening the seam all the wires will be exposed to view, and the required one selected (its position with relation to the indicator being known) and the branch connection made.

It will be seen that the cable herein described is very simple and can be cheaply coir structed.

It is my purpose to construct the cable at the trench or ditch as it is required; and which may be briefly described as consisting of a platform provided at its front end with standards between which is mounted a drum carrying the core. Near this drum, and be tween it and the rear of the platform, is a re volving head having a central aperture to permit of the passage of the core, and provided on its rear face with brackets adapted to support spools on which the respective conductors are wound. Another drum carrying the lead ribbon which is to form the armor is ar ranged in rear of and preferably below the revolving head, and at a short distance from this drum is a guide having an aperture for the passage of the core carrying its group of conductors, and another aperture so formed as to fold the lead ribbon around the grouped conductors and bend the surplus metal out to form the radial projections c. The key I) may be laid between these projections by hand or by suitable guides as the folded armor leaves the folding-die, and a nozzle is arranged to direct a blast of heat upon the key to fuse it. Feeding rolls and guides should be provided at suitable points, and the revolving head should be connected by gears or band and pulleys with the drum carrying the core, in order that the speed at which said head revolves be proportioned to the weight at which the core is fed. The lead binders can be quickly and cheaply applied by hand as the conductors are laid upon the core. 'When the conductors upon any one of spools becomes exhausted, its end is spliced to the end of the conductor of a new spool, and. the empty spool .removed from its s1ippciting-brackets and replaced by the new one without stopping the machine.

As the conductors can be spliced at any point during the construction of the cable, I i

avoid the necessity ol'splieing two sections of eable fwhich is always necessary in laying long lines of shop-made cable,) and also avoid any possible injury to the armoror insulating coatings of the conductors resulting from the coiling and uncoiling of shop-made sections.

As I intend filing a separate application or applications covering the mechanism for constructing this cable, a full description of this mechanism is here deemed unnecessary.

\V hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cable, the combination of the flexible core, a group of insulated conductors surrounding said core, (one of which is an indieator,) and an armor having a longitudinal seam, substantially as set forth.

2'. In a cable, the combination of the flexible core, a spirally'disposcd group of insulated conductors surrounding said core, one of which is an indicator,) and an armor having a longitudinal seam, substantially as set forth.

8. In a cable, the combination of the perforated tubular core,a group of insulated conductors surrounding said core, an armor inclosing said comluctors, and metallic binders arranged at intervals and connecting the core with the armor, substantially as set forth.

4. In a cable, the combination of the tnbular core, a spirally-disposed group of insulated conductors surrounding said core, (one of which is an indicator,) and an armor consisting of a ribbon of metal folded around said conductors and having its longitudinal edges united by solder, substantially as set forth.

5. In a cable, the C(Hl'lbllltlidOll of the tnbnlar core, a spirally-disposed group of in sulated conductors surroumling said core, (one of which is an indicator) and an armor consisting of a ribbon of metal folded around the conductors,and having the on t'wardly-proiecting surplus of metal at its edges united by solder interposed between them, substantially as set forth.

6. The improvement in the art of forming continuous cables which consists in :teeding a group of insulated conductors, (one of which is an indicator,) each from a separate spool spirally upon a core splicing the individual conductors as the respective spools become ex hausted, folding a ribbon of metal longitudinally npon the conductors as they are laid upon the core, and uniting the meeting edges of the ribbon by solder to form a longitudinal seam, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\Vitnesses:

(7. A. News, W, M. TIAXNAY.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No 306,037, granted September 30, 1884 to Thomas G. Turner, of New York, New York, for an improvement in Electric Gables, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: At the end of line 22, page 2, the words, for this purpose I have devised a portable machine, should be inserted, and in line 51, same page, the word weight should read rate and that the Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein to make it conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 14th day of October, A. D. 1884.

[SEAL] M. L. J OSLYN Acting Secretary of the Interior. Oountersigned R. G. DYRENFORTH,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 306,037, granted September 30, 1884,

to Thomas G. Turner, of New York, New York, for an improvement in Electric Cables, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: At

the end of line 22, page 2, the words, for this purpose I have devised a portable machine, should be inserted, and in line 51, same page, the word weight should read rate; and that the Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein to make it conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 14th day of October, A. D. 1884.

[SEAL.] M. L. JOSLYN,

' Acting Secretary of the Interior. Oountersigned R. G. DYRENFORTH,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.