US378175A - patterson - Google Patents

Description

' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. R. PATTERSON. TELEGRAPH CABLE.

No. 378,175. Patented Feb. 21, 1888.

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.sulating-filling of paraffine.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAM R. PATTERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEGRAPH-CABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,175, dated February 21, 1888.

Application filed November 17, 1887. Serial No. 235.407.

Zo aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. PATTER- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Telegraph-Cables, (Case 74,) of which the following is afull,'clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to telegraphcablcs in which the separately insulated wires are formed into a core and protected by a waterproof covering, a lead pipe being usually used for the outside covering.

Heretofore the cores have been usually dipped in a bath of melted paraiiine or other insulating material, so as to be thoroughly saturated throughout their entire length. After being thus saturated they have been either drawn into the pipe or covered by means of a lead press, the space remaining within the pipe about the core being afterward filled with insulating materiahwhichlhave usually forced in hot charged with gas. The object of this latter filling, as well as the saturation of the core, has been to prevent water from penetrating longitudinally in case of aleak orbreak in the pipe. I have found that cables thus filled are very satisfactory, and they have now been generally adopted for underground and aerial telegraph and telephone cables throughout the United States, and to a large extent-in foreign countries. It is well kn0wn,however,

that any insulating material like paraffinenecessarilyincreases, the electrostatic capacity of the conductors to a considerable extent over and above the capacity of conductors simply insulated with dry cotton or jute. None of these insulating-fillings render the fibrous insulating material water-proof, the outside pipe being always necessary to protect the conductors when used out of doors. The function of the insulating-filling is to act as a dam to prevent water from running longitudinally into the pipe. If it were not for the necessity of guarding against accidental injuries to the pipe, the cable would be better without the in- The increase in the static capacity of the cable,due to the use (No model.)

avoid saturating the entire length of the cable,

a portion thereof remaining unsaturated with paraffiue or other insulating material. I am thus enabled to lower the static capacity of the cable, and at the same time at alternate sections obstruct the flow of water in case it should penetrate through the pipe. I am also enabled to save a large amount of material, and in case the cable is to be run near steampipes I place the unsaturated sections of cable so that they will come opposite the pipes. Thus theinsulating-filling will not be heat-ed,asheretofore, by the pipes, so as to cause it to lose its insulating properties.

My invention herein consists of a new method in the manufacture of telegraph-cables and the new product resulting from -the employment of said method.

My method consists in first drying the core of insulated conductors, then saturating said core in alternate sections, and then covering the core thus prepared with water-proof covering. The new article of manufacture resulting consists in an electric cable provided with a core of insulated conductors, said core being saturated at alternate sections and covered by a water-proof sheathing.

reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of a cable, portions thereof being broken away, the core being shown unsaturated in one portion and saturated with paraffine at the other portion orsection in the length of the cable, a steam-pipe being shown near the dry section. Fig. 2 is a sectional view upon line m m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view upon line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a view of an apparatus for carrying out my method.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the different figures.

As shown in Fig. 1, a is a section of acable in which the core has been left simply insulated with a fibrous material and dry. The core of the section b of the same cable has been saturated with paraffine. A usual wipe-joint My invention will be readily understood by is shownin Fig. l for uniting the sections of pipe 0. The pipe 0, it will be observed, fits closely upon the core, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

The method of earrrying out my invention will be understood by reference to Fig. 4. The core d, having been made in the usual manner and consisting of any desired number of separately-insulated wires, is first thorlO oughly dried and placed upon areel, 6. From this reel 6 it is led through the lead press f, and after being covered with lead is taken up by the reel 9. Between the reel 6 and the'press f, I have shown atank of melted paraffine and r apparatus for dipping alternate sections of the core into the paraffine, the full lines indicating the core passing through the parafiine,

the dotted lines indicating the core and apparatus in position when the core is lifted from the paraffine. It will be seen that the unsaturated section h is just entering the press,while a saturated section, t", is following. Thus by lowering and raising the core the core may be saturated in alternate sections. If desired,

the core may be provided with a serving of cotton or jute. The lead or other water-proof covering should fit closely to the saturated section, so as to obstruct the passage of water,

in case water should penetrate through the 0 outside pipe.

Vhen the cable is to be little exposed to mechanical injury, the unsaturated sections may be left longer than the saturated sections.

For example, the saturated sections may be only two feet, while the unsaturated sections may be each five feet in length. Thus the length of the alternate unsaturated and saturated sections may be varied according to circumstances.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The method of manufacturing electric cables, which consists in providing a dry core of conductors insulated by fibrous material, saturating said core in alternate sections with melted insulating material, and covering the core thus prepared with a water-proof sheathing.

2. The method of manufacturing electric cables,which consists in immersing the core of insulated conductors at alternate sections in melted para'ffine or other insulating material and covering the core with ashcathing or pipe of lead, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an electric cable consisting in the combination, with the lead pipe, of a core of insulated con d uctors placed therein, the alternate sections of said core being saturated, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day of October, A. D. 1887.

XVILLIAM R. PATTERSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE P. Biln'roix', CHAS. G. I-Lxwrnv.

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