230 



THE CIVIL ENGINEEK AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[August, 



mav be covered with threads in a plaited or braided form, by means f a 

 bra'idinir-machine ; such description of covering being much stronger and 

 less likelv to be disturbed or rubbed off when passing through the machinery 

 hereafter described, than the coiled coverings of the ordinary bobbm-wires, 

 or anv other description of covering hitherto employed for that purpose. As 

 the liabilitv of the wires to come into contact, and thereby disturb the elec 

 trie circuit is greatlv diminished by braiding tlieir surfaces, the patentees 

 consider this mode of protecting the wires as one of great importance in the 

 construction of electrical conductors. , , , .,,. ,, 



The wires so covered are to be introduced into and enclosed within a tube 

 or pipe composed of lead or other similar soft metal ; which tube or pipe is 

 filled with asphalte, pitch, wax, resin, or other substance, being a noncon- 

 ductor of electricity, and capable of being liquified by heat, and afterwards 

 becoming concrete by cold. ... . , 



The wires being covered with thread, as above mentioned, are prevented 

 from coming into contact with each other, or with any adjacent conducting 

 medium which might divert tlie course of the electric fluid; and the spaces 

 between the covered wires being filled with pitcli or other suitable noncon. 

 ductor of electricitv, as before mentioned, and enclosed in pipes or tubes of 

 lead or other soft 'similar metal, the wires will be cfl'ectually preserved in 

 an insulated state, and protected from damp as well from other sources of 



'" xlfe means of manufacturing the improved electric conductors will be best 

 understood by reference to the drawings in Plate XII. F.g. 1, is an eleva- 

 tion nartlv in section, of a machine for effecting this object, a, is a cistern 

 or vessel formed of iron or other suitable material, for containing the bitu- 

 iiiinous o'r resinous matters which are intended to surround the wires in the 

 leaden pipe • b, represents a tubular or hollow rod or mandril, open to and 

 descending from the bottom of the vessel a ; which mandril is preferred to 

 be made of polished steel, and fixed, by means of flanges and screw-bolts, to 

 a triangular plate or head, q. c, is a tubular core at the lower end of the 

 mandril b, also made of polished steel ; and d, d, is a circular hollow die, 

 resting on the top of the ram e. The ram e, is cylindrical, having a perpen- 

 dicular opening through its centre ; the lower part of the ram is enlarged at 

 f with a transverse slot tiirough it, and is bolted firmly upon a triangular 

 Dlate s ff is a piston, working in the hydrauliccylinder i, having a projec- 

 tion or enlarged diameter A, to be packed with leather or otherwise, so as to 

 fit the cvlinder i, accurately. This cylinder is of cast-iron, bored, and lined 

 with copper, and is bolted to the ground ; i, is a ring or cap-plate, over the 

 end of the cvlinder, embracing the smaller diameter of the piston g, winch is 

 to be properly packed ; i, is a malleable iron cylinder, having a chamber >n, 

 within it and an aperture to admit the sliding tubular mandril « ; it is also 

 provided with a small opening at o, for filling the chamber m, with lead or 

 i.ther soft metal. p,p, are pillars, fixed upon the plate q, and intended to 

 support the cistern or vessel a ; the plate y, has an aperture in its centre to 

 admit the tulmlar mandril b, shown in the drawing, r, r, are three sliding- 

 rods (two onlv are shown in fig. 1,) which pass through the snugs or ears of 

 the plate g. aiid are fastened thereto by nuts ; their other ends are attached 

 in the ^ame wav to the plate s. These rods pass freely through a heavy cir- 

 cular plate r, which, bv means of a ring.plate bolted to its under surface, 

 supports the cvlinder/; a ledge or belt being provided at x, to rest upon 

 the inner edge if the plate y. z, z, are six iron pillars, with screw-nuts at 

 their eads, for binding the plate v, to the cylinder i. 



The covered wires which form the electric conductors a, are intended to 

 oroceed from reels, placed in convenient situations (but which reels are not 

 represented in the drawings), and pass through the vessel a ; the reels should 

 be loaded with a weight or drag to keep the wires always at a certain ten- 



"'"The relative position of the hollow circular die d, d, with regard to the 

 tubular core c, of the mandril, will be clearly seen in fig. 1. I'he core c, is 

 screwed into the tubular mandril b, and is tapered off and terminates before 

 it reaches the most contracted part of the opening in the hollow circular 



The mode in which the machine operates is as follows :— The wire or wires, 

 covered as before described, are introduced into the machine through the 

 vessel a where thev become coated with pitch or other similar material. 

 They are'then brought down through the tubular mandril b, the hollow core 

 c the hollow circular die d, and the tubular ram c, to the opening at/, 

 where they issue from the machine. The asphalte, pitch, wax, resin, or 

 other nonconductor of electricity, capable of being liquified by beat, and 

 afterwards becoming concrete by cold, is put into the vessel a, and brought 

 to a liquified state bv means of heat applied to that vessel. The l.qu'fied 

 Ditch or other similar substance, will descend into and fill the tube of the 

 mandril b, and the hollow core c, and during its passage oown the said man- 

 liril the pitch or other matter will remain in a liquified state. The chamber 

 m of the hollow cvlinder /, is filled with lead or other similar soft metal, 

 introduced in a molten state through the opening at o. The metal in this 

 chamber is to be forced therefrom by the action of the hydraulic ram, when 

 in either a heated or cold state ; but the patentees prefer to operate upon it 

 in a heated though solid state, varying from 250 to 400° of Fahrenheit's 

 thermometer. This degree of temperature may be preserved in the cylinder 



by anv convenient means. . , , . . ^ , ,, • , t 



When the chamber m, is filled with lead or other metal, the said mass of 

 metal will assume the form nf a thick hollow cylinder or tube, of which the 

 mandril b, and the core c, form the centre. The cylinder i, and piston g, 

 constitute a common hydraulic press, and water being forced into the cylin. 



der i, at the opening w, below, by means of force-pumps in the usual way, 

 the piston y, will be made to ascend, and with it tlie rame, and the whole of 

 the superstructure attadied to the plate y. As the ram ascends, it will force 

 the hollow circular die d, against the mass of the lead or other metal in the 

 chamber m, which, having no other outlet than the channel between the 

 core c, and the hollow circular die d. the thick cylinder of lead in the cham- 

 ber m, will be forced into the form of a small pipe or hollow tuhe, and de- 

 scending through the tubular ram e, will he delivered finished at the opening 

 at/, with the wires firmly secured and enclosed within it. 



When the charge of lead has been pressed out of the chamber m, it is 

 again to he filled with melted lead or other metal, to be operated upon in 

 the same manner, and the charge repeated, until a proper length of tube is 

 produced. The metal being hot when it is poured in, will amalgamate with 

 the remaining metal of the previous charge, so that one continuous perfect 

 tube will be formed. Previously to commencing the operation of forming 

 the pipes, the wires must be carried down to the opening at/, and when the 

 first portion of the pipe is produced, it must he made fast to the wires; the 

 further operations will then draw down the wires from the reel or coil, 

 through the pitch vessel a, and tubular mandril ; so that the pipe or tube, 

 during its whole formation, will always have the wire or wires and the non- 

 conducting material encloed within it. 



The screws at each end of the rods r, and corresponding nuts, are intend- 

 ed for adjusting the mandril and die. The vacancy formed in the cylinder i, 

 between the projection li, in the piston g, and the ring k, is to admit of 

 water being injected through a small opening by force-pumps, for the pur- 

 pose of accelerating the descent of the piston. 



Figs. 2, 3, and 4, represent various views of another construction or ar- 

 rangement of machinery, which is a modification of the one above described ; 

 for although the arrangement of the parts is somewhat different, the princi- 

 ple upon which both machines are constructed is the same, and the effect 

 produced is identical in both. Fig. 2, represents the machine in vertical sec- 

 tion. As many of the parts in both arrangements are the same, their situa- 

 tion only being changed, it has been thought unnecessary to give a detailed 

 description of this machine ; but similar letters of reference are employed to 

 denote the corresponding parts. The hollow mandril in this machine is 

 made of much greater length than that in the first described machine, and 

 the position of the core and die is consequently changed, which is poured in 

 at the top, by raising the ram or plunger e, out of the chamber. In this 

 machine the hollow mandril and the die do not move up aud down with the 

 other moveable parts, but are stationary, and only so far moveable as to 

 allow of their proper adjustment. The die d, is placed in a recess made at 

 the bottom of the malleable iron cylinder /, and is secured therein by means 

 of a plate d*, bolted to that cylinder. Through the cover of the hydraulic 

 cylinder passes the hollow mandril 4, surrounded by a strong tube n, which 

 is a prolongation of the piston g. 



The ram e. is firmly bolted to the lower end of the piston or plunger y, 

 and the hollow mandril i, which, at this part, is contracted in diameter, is 

 passed through it. The lower end of the ram e, is furnished with a steel 

 plate, which accurately fits the chamber m. The cylinder /, is suspended in 

 a strong circular plate v, firmly secured to the frame work, and is prevented 

 from moving from its seat by means of a ring y, which is bolted to that plate. 

 q, is a circular plate, supported from the top flange of the hydraulic cylinder, 

 i, i, by means of rods, and has an aperture in its centre, through which the 

 hollow mandril i, passes; 7, is another plate, supported above the plate y, 

 upon vertical worm-shafts a*, a*, which pass through holes made in the 

 plate; and to the centre of this plate j, the hollow mandril b. is secured in 

 such a manner that by moving tlie said plate ^^ up and down, the hollow 

 mandril is moved also in a corresponding ratio. The vertical worm-shafts 

 a*, a*, each carry a toothed |>iuion b* \ aud upon a horizontal shaft c*, 

 mounted in bearings on the plate q, are small endless screws or worms e*, e*, 

 which gear into the pinions 4*. Vi hen ihe pinions 4*,i*, are made to revolve, 

 the worm-shafts a*, a*, will raise or lower the plate j, and, consequently, 

 the tubular mandril A, to which it is secured. By this contrivance the dis- 

 tance between the core c, and the die d, is regulated, and, consequently, the 

 thickness of the pipe is determined with the greatest nicety. 



The mode of operating with this machine is very similar to that first de- 

 scribed. Ihe wires being enclosed in tubes or pipes, filled in the manner 

 aforesaid, may be laid down or otherwise used, either abo\e ground in the 

 open air, or underground, or below the surface of water : and when so con- 

 structed, according to this improved method, will present outwardly the ap- 

 pearance of a common leaden or soft metal pipe. The improved conductors 

 may be manufactured, by the machinery and means described, in longlengtbs, 

 and may be rolled upon reels. If the electric conductors are to be used in 

 great lengths on land, it is proposed to carry them on reels, on a wheeled 

 carriage; and while the pipe is heing laid down, ose end is to be held fast, 

 as the carriage proceeds in the direction in which the pipe is to be laid, so 

 that the reel may revolve on its journals or centres, and thereby allow the 

 pipe containing the wires to be unwound and delivered on the ground, with- 

 out risk of injury, and with great facility. Should the conductors be re- 

 quired to be laid in water, it would be advisable to employ a floating vessel, 

 propelled at a suitable speed, by drawing upon ropes or chains, made fast to 

 the bottom or banks ; or by steam-boat machinery, applied so as to regulate 

 the speed. 



When the electric apparatus is laid down or used on land, it may be laid 

 in a trench made in the ground ; and at regular or convenient distances, the , 

 ends of the pipes should be raided above ground, and placed in a cast-iron or 



