942 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



ceptibilit}^ of gutta percha to be softened by heat and rendered 

 plastic and easily worked by immersion in hot water, Richard 

 Archibald Brooman, in the year 1845, secured letters patent for a 

 method of preparing it for use in the arts. Covering everything 

 into which gutta percha could be manufactured, this patent was 

 called the " Master patent." It only now remained to discover 

 some effectual method of applying the gutta percha thus prepared, 

 to the covering of the telegraph wire. 



In September, 1845, Henry Bewley took out letters patent, in 

 England, for a machine for making tub es^ flexible syringes, bottles, 

 hose, and other like vehicles or vessels, or to the improvement 

 thereof, &c. 



Hancock and Keene also took out letters patent, in England, 

 about the same time, for processes of purifying and working gutta 

 percha, <fec. (Vide the "Magazine of Science and Arts," 1846.) 

 Brooman and Bewley sold their patents to the London gutta 

 percha company, who, under them, made the Atlantic telegraph 

 cable. 



The present process of making lead pipe of indefinite length, 

 by machinery, is in principle similar to that for forming gutta 

 percha pipe. 



The Bishop Gutta Percha Company of New York use the same 

 machinery, and by it have made all the telegraph cable used by 

 the Government of the United States, and nearly, if not quite all, 

 that has been laid by the telegraph companies in this country. 

 The annexed drawings srives a view of this machine, and its manner 

 of working. 



The process of making pipe is through a die, with a mandrel 

 or core attached to the head of the machine, at the point where 

 the formation commences. The process of covering wire is through 

 two dies, with the wire in the centre, which is carried along with 

 the gutta percha, thus forming the coating ; the same cjdinders 

 are used in both cases, and no change except the wire instead of 

 the mandrel, and two dies in covering wire, and one in making 

 pipe. 



First Use of Gutta Percha as a Cable Insulator. 



Pierrer's Universal Lexicon, 17th vol., page 339, has the fol 



lowing : "In 1846 the Prussian Lieutenant, Siemens, tried first to 



cover telegraphic wire with gutta percha, and in 1847 laid down 



three hundred German miles ; but they soon ceased to work well 



