US554263A

US554263A - Theodore guilleaume

Info

Publication number: US554263A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 1913-02-11

Description

(-No Model.) T. GUILLEAUMEJ -3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I ELECTRIC CABLE. No. 554,263 Patented Feb. 11,1896.

(HoVModeU T" GUILLEEAUME. s Sheets-'-Shet 2.

ELEGTRIU GABLE- Patented Feb. 1.1, 1896.

I ImA nzo r;

(N0 Model.)

T. GUILLEAUME. 3Sheets-Sheet'3.

ELECTRIC CABLE.

No. 554,263. Patented Feb; 11, 1896.

"[1711 6306. v ,[n uen (or.

AN DREW EGRAHAM. PHOTO-H1110 WASHINTON. D C

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE GUILLEAUME, OF MllLllElM-ON-RIIINE, GERMANY.

ELECTRIC CABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,263, dated February 11, 1896.

Application filed March 19, 1895. Serial No. 542,375. (No model.) Patented in England November 1, 1893, No. 20,698,- in Belgium November 10, 1893, No. 107,113,- in France November 11, 1893, No. 233,988; in Austria March 26, 1894,

No. 2,313, and in Hungary March 26, 1894, No. 1,112.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LTHEonoRE GUILLEAUME, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Miilheim-on-Rhine, in the German Empire, have invented new and useful Improvements in and in Connection with Electric Oables, (in respect whereof I have obtained or caused to be obtained Letters Patent in the following countries: Great Britain, dated November 1,1893,No. 20, 698; Belgium,dated NovemberElO, 18-93, No. 107,113; France, dated November 11,1893, No.233,988; Austria,dated March 26, 1894:, No. 2,313, and Hungary, dated March 26, 1894, No. 1,112, and inrespect whereof I have applied for but have not yet obtained Letters Patent in Germany to bear date September 19, 1893,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric cables designed to obviate certain difficulties attending the employment of electrical currents in places where combustible substances or inflammable gases are present, one of such difficulties being that in the event of the con ductor breaking the sparks emitted may cause ignition of the said substances or gases, and thus under certain circumstances-as, for eX- ample, in coal-mines-involm serious danger to life.

In a cable constructed according to this invention there is combined with the main conductor an additional or safety conductor made of less ductile metal than the main conductor. This safety-conductor serves, in conjunction with a switch device, to close the circuit whereby the main conductor is connected with the source of electrical energy. Should the main conductor be strained to a point rendering fracture imminent, the safety-conductor, owing to its inferior ductility, breaks, whereupon the current passing through the same is interrupted, and the switch in the main circuit is opened. The current passing along that conductor is thus intercepted or diverted before fracture of the main conductor can take place.

The invention is also adapted to ghard against danger from sparking should the cable suffer injury by crushing.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 representsin elevation a cable embodying a safety-conductor in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is'a similar view of a cable provided with a safety-conductor and adapted to withstand external pressure or crushing. Fig. 3 illustrates the method of connecting a cable such as represented in Fig. 1, Fig. 4- illustrating the method of connecting the cable shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates the mode of combining a cable, such as Fig. 1, with a safety-switch, in order to provide against accidents which may arise either from excessive tension or from crushing. Fig. (5 is a side elevation of a cable illustrating the mode of construction when two or more safetyconductors in accordance with this invention are assembled together, Fig. 7 being a similar rent traversing the safety-conductor c is first interrupted in consequence of that conductor breaking, the effect being that the main current is diverted from the principal conductor a before the latter breaks.

Where there is reason to apprehend crushing, the cable may be constructed as illustrated in Fig. 2. In this instance the safetyconductor 0 c, in the form of a bipart steel tape, is wound round the insulated copper conductor a in a coarse pitch double spiral. \Vhere such a cable is liable to damage from concussion or crushing only (as distinguished from excessive tension) the main and safety conductors may respectively be made of metal of equal ductility; but when it is desired to provide in addition against the effect of tension the safety-cowluctor composed of metal having less ductility than that possessed by the main conductor.

The above-described. arrangement may be adopted in connection with cables composed of several conductors, in which case the cable must be provided with at least two safetyconductors. These latter may assume the form of a pair of conductors in the center of the cable, as shown in. Fig. 1, or as indicated in Fig. 3, but the most advantageous arrangement of the safety-conductors is shown in Figs. 0 and 7, where one of the safety-conductors, c, is in the center of the cable, while the other, e, in the form of a metallic tape, may occupy a position cit-her between the inner main conductor, a, and the outer main conductor, a, Fig. 6, or between the outer main conductor, a, and the lead covering 6, Fig. 7.

The method of connecting a cable such as described with reference to Fig. 1 is illustrated in Fig. 3, 1) representing the dynamo supplying current to the main circuit ll, 13 the battery supplying current to the safetycircuit S, and A A the switch device adapted, on the interruption of the safety-circuit, to intercept communication through the main conductor.

Throughout the line all the safety-wires c, Fig. l, are included in one circuit S, to which current is constantly supplied by the battery 1 this current being just strong enough to retain the armature A of the switch or cutout in position for enabling the other or more powerful current to traverse the main circuit ll. \Vhen the saiety-currentis interruptcd the armature A, being no longer attracted, falls away and instantly effects the interception of the main circuit it. Thus, when a cable of the improved construction, forming the main electric line, is strained to a point threatening it withruptnre the safetywire 0, being less ductile than the main conductor a, breaks, interruption in the main circuit 11 ensuing before the copper conductor a itself breaks.

The method of connecting a cable of the construction hereinbeforc referred to with reference to Fig. 2 is illustrated in Fig. i. As there are in this instance two safety-conductors c c, and consequently two safety-circuits S S, a cut-out A is connected to each of these conductors, current being supplied for both cut-outs by one battery 13 common to both. In this arrangement upon either of the two safety-wires c 0 being broken the current is diverted from the main conductor abeforc the latter suffers fracture and protection afforded against sparks being emitted on such fracture taking place.

To provide at once against both kinds of aeeidentsviz., those due to excessive tension and those due to erushing-a cable constructed in accordance with Fig. 1 may be combined with a special safety-switch, such as shown in Fig. 5. In this Iigure I) designates the dynamo; ll, the main circuit; S, the safety-circuit; A, the cut-out or switch; l3, :1 battery, and R a relay provided with double contacts 7" r, the provision for affording safety coming into operation both when. the current is cut off and when it is considerably intensified. The contacts 0' r of the relay are clcc trically connected with one pole and the tongue .2 with the other pole of the battery 1 The safety-wire c, or, in other words, the safety-circuit S, is fed in the manner illustrated in the drawings i. 8., by part of the tension of the main current-and by the aid of a resistance \V the safety-current flows through the coils of the relay, and while its power is normal retains the tongue in the intermediate position, overcoming for the purpose the resistance of the usual relay spring, the battery-circuit being .in this position open. If the cable be so far strained that it is about to break, the safety-condimtor will in all cases break first. The relaysprin thereupon become released and close the circuit 13 of the battery 1 by causing the tongue to come into contact with the contact-piece r, for example, of the relay. The armature A is thus attracted and the main circuit II interrupted. Should, on the other hand, the cable be crushed and damaged, so that a connection is established between the main conductor a and the safety-coeductor c, an intensified current will pass from it through the safety-00nductor S, the coils of the relay will be excited to a greater extent, and the tongue .2 will meet the contact '7", the battery-circuit l3 thereupon becoming closed, the armature A attracted, and the main. circuit H interrupted, as before.

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

1. An electric cable comprising a main conductor and a safety-coiuluctor, the latter be ing of such a character as to withstand less tensile strain than the main conductor; so that upon the safety-conductor breaking the current is, by means of suitable switch apparatus, diverted from the main conductor, before the latter breaks, substantially ashcrein described.

2. An electric cable comprising a main conductor and a safety-conductor, the latter being arranged in such a manner that upon its being forced into contact with the main conductor, the current is, by means of suitable switch apparatus, diverted from the main conductor, substantially as herein described.

0. An electric cable comprisin two or more main conductors and two or more safety-con- ICO from those conductors before the latter break, substantially as herein described.

4:. The combination, with an electric cable comprising a main conductor and a safetyconductor conveying independent currents, of a switch A, a relay R, and a resistance W, arranged or operating substantially as described and whereby, on the safety-conductor being either broken or crushed into contact with the main conductor, the current 10 conveyed by the main conductor is instantly interrupted.

THEODORE GUILLEAUME. Vitnesses FRITZ SoHRoDER, SOPHIE NAGEL.