US465564A - Henry w - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

H. W. JOHNS.

0011mm FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

No. 465,564. Patented Dec. 22, 1891.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY \V. JOHNS OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONDUIT FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. &65,564, dated December 22, 1891.

Application filed April 1, 1891- Serial No. 387,316- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HENRY \V. JOHNS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Conduit for Electric Wires, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in conduits for electric wires specially intended for interior work, although adapted also under many conditions to outside work.

Figure 1 illustrates an elevation of a piece of my improved conduit. Fig. 2 illustrates an end view thereof.

I-Ieretofore various means have been em- I ployed for protection of electric wires, especially upon the inside of buildings. Such conduits or protections should have three distinctive qualities: First, they should be sufficiently strong to withstand blows or shocks to which they are liable; second, they should be fireproof, and, third, they should be water-proof. Various attempts have been made to give such conduits these qualities, but not, asI believe, with very great success. By my invention I secure, as I think, a completely satisfactory article for the use stated.

In constructing my improved conduit I take a piece or strip of strong asbestus paper and wind it about a mandrel, or otherwise, so as to form a tube. This may be done by wind ing a series of strips superposed upon each other, all wound the same way or in difierent ways, as desirable; or it maybe made of a single thickness of material wound so that the edges meet one another, edge to edge, or overlapping, as preferred. The exterior and interior may be coated with cementing material to add strength and smoothness to theinside and outside, so that the finished tube may be easily placed in position and so that the wires may be quickly and easily inserted therein; or the tube may be formed directly from waterproofed asbestus pulp byany suitable me chanical means, and cementing matter may be added to the asbestus pulp to add to the density and strength of the product, and this pro duct may have an outer layer of asbestus paper or cloth added for strengthening and other purposes. In the figures of the drawings 1 show it as made of a series of overlapping strips wound in opposite directions, so as to give increased strength. A A are the strips. B shows the meeting edges of the outer layer and O the meeting edges of one of the under layers. There maybe as many layers superposed upon one another as desired. In order that the tube may be a stiff strong structure, I cement the sheets together with any suitable cementing material. For this purpose I prefer a fire-proof material such as silicate of soda, and in order to give the water-proof quality to the product it may be treated or coated with any suitable waterproofing material, such as oil, shellac, india-rubber solution, or cement and thelike. The shellac and the india-rubber will themselves serve both to waterproof and to adhere or cement the material togetl1er,if preferred ,or the asbestos paper or sheet may be rendered water-proof during the process of manufacture, which will render the product both fire-proof and waterproof.

Also, before the cementing material is dry I may add powdered mineral matter, such as oxide of zinc, powdered asbestus, or the like; or I may make a thick fire-proof coating or paste embodying suitable mineral matter and coat the inner or outer side, or both, to form a strengthened plaster-like tube, in which case I can use Manila or other paper instead of asbestus. As above stated, I prefer a fireproof material such as silicate of soda or other cementing material having substantially the same characteristics, becausethen in the event of a hot wire touching it the cementing material will not be either burned or fused or become softened, as would be the case with rubber or asphaltum or glue or' any similar cementing material, some of them being inflammable and some of them, while not strictlyinflan1mable,are readilysoftened byheat, so that they lose their holding or cementing quality. For outside use an additional coating of asphalt or other water-proof material may be applied to give greater strength and resisting power to withstand abrasion and the action of the elements. I may also attach or melt or mold upon the tube a sheet or film of lead or other metal. The asbestos paper, being the proof, will not be injured by molten metal.

I claim 1. A conduit for electric wires, composed of strips of compacted asbestus fiber wound in opposite directions, and waterproofing ma terial and cementing material, substantially of compacted asbestus fiber wound in oppoas set forth. X site directions, fire-proof and infusible ce- 2. A conduit for electric wires, made, cssenmenting material, andwaterproofing material, I 5 tially, of compacted asbestus fiber, fire-proof substantially as set forth. 1 and infusible cementing material, and water- Signed at New York, in the county of New proofing material, substantially as set forth. York and State of New York, this 18th day of 3. Aconduitfor electric Wires, madeof com- March, A. D. 1891. pacted asbestns fiber, fire-proof and infusible cement, waterproofing material, and an ex- 7 1o terior protecting and strengthening layer or Witnesses:

covering, substantially as set forth. PHILLIPS ABBOTT, 4. Aconduit forelectricwires,made of strips E. W. GIFFORD.

HENRY W. JOHNS.

Images