US343099A - Edward g - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. G. AOHESON. PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS. No. 343,099.

Patented June 1, 1 886.

N PETERS. PhomLilhngr-whar. Waskinglon. n.0,

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIcE.

EDVVARD G. AGHESON, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,099, dated June 1, 1886.

Application filed January 26, 1886. Serial No. 1559,1 30.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. Aeuusou, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Processes of lvlanufacturing Electric Conductors, of which the followingisaspccification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of electrical conductors; and it has for its object to improve the mode of manufacture i rsuch a way as to prodneea cheap and effective conductor, thatis flexible and durable, and at the same time will avoid the disturbances d no to induction from neighboring wires.

To these ends my invention consists in the method substantially as hereinafter pointed out for manufacturing conductors,and in more particularly describing my invention re ferencc is made to the accompanying drawing, in which is indicated one form of appa atus by which my improvements may be carried out.

The line-wire or conductor Av is covered with some insulating material, 1- preferably consisting of a fibrous cJveri ng saturated with some hydrocarbon having a comparatively highmelting-point, as asphaltum. This may be applied in any usual and well-known manner, not necessary to illustrate in the d rawin Over thisinsulating material form a metallic covering or shield, preferably of copper dcposited by electrolytic action, and in order to do this cheaply and effectively I pass the insulated conductor A B through a boxer receptacle, 0, containing powdered graphite. This graphite will adhere to the insulating covering; but to insure its uniform distribution' rubbers or brushes may be used, as is usual in such instances, to produce a thin uniform coating of the plumbago or lead. The conductor is now in condition to receive the coating of copper, and in doing this I prefer to cover it, first, with a thin metal surface and sub sequently build up upon this coating to the desired thickness. The deposition of the first coat requires a current of comparatively high electro-m0tive force to overcome the resistance due to the graphite; but I have found that the shield is more flexible, durable, and suitable for the purpose designed when the greater part of the deposition of the metal is more (No model.)

slowly performed and by a current of lower electro-motive force and of greater quantity. Various arrangements may be adapted for carrying out this part of the invention, and l have shown one that .l have found convenient. The insulated conductor, with its covering of graphite, is passed over a metal wheel, \V, in to the bath M. of electrolytic fluid, and one end, a, of the circuit of the electric generator G is connected to the wheel and the other end, I), to aplate, lL-ofcopper, forinstanceimmersed in thebath. 'lhis bath may be comparatively short, and l have indicated a cur- .rent ofcomparatively high clectro-motive force as passing through it by including the three cells ofbattery in the circuit. From this bath the conductor passes toanothersimilar though larger bath, which in practice may be aprac' tical continuation of the lirst, and thence through the bath and out over another roller, \V', which is connected to one branch of the circuit from the enerator, the other being connected to thelargep'latc K. lhave shown threecclls of battery connected inseries in the circuit of the lirstbath and a single cell in the circuitoflhesecond bath. "lhe eleetro motive force of the currents used will depend upon the thicknes; of the two coal-s of metal desired, as well as the conditions of the electrolytic fluid and other com'litions well known to those skilled in the art.

It will thus be seen that while the operation is practically continuous there are, in fact, two kinds of deposits made upon the conductor, which combined give it great strength and flexibility, and the shield is formed over the insulating material of a uniform thickness.

I have found that by making thc'baths of.

proper proportion and using proper strengths of current the conductor may be fed along continuously, and the operation be expeditiously and effectively performed. lVhile any suitable electric generator may be used, I hate derived very satisfactory results from an improved dynamoelectric machine having a uniform field of force, which gives an unusually steady current of great quantity and low electro-motive force. I have also found it ad vantag'eous to coat the electro-deposited shield with a metallic alloy having a low meltingpoint, and to do this I simply pass the conductor through a vessel containing the alloy in a fused state, and allow it to adhere to the copper shield, and I have shown such an arrangement at H, and as the conductor is rapidly passed through the alloy it does not receive a heat sullicient to injure the insulating material. 7

The conductor may be further covered with insulating or protective coverings in 'any of 10 the wellknown ways and to suit the purpose for which it is to be used.

One arrangement '1' have found useful is as follows: Two separate generators of constant elect ro-1notivc force are used, having a relative power of live to one, the former being used to apply the first or interior layer of copper. The bath consists of a saturated solution of sulphate of copper, and the wire is passed through the baths at the rate of about twentyfive feet per hour. The anode and cathode have substantially the same superficies and are about two inches apart, and the temperature of the bath varies from 33 to 70.

Of course I do not limit my invention to any of the above-specified details, as they may be any or all varied, as will be evident to those skilled in the art.

Various modifications of my invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, 0 which do not depart from the spirit of the invention, and which are not necessary to be specified here. I am aware that it is not new to use a current ofhigherelectro-motive force at the commence 35 ment of the deposition, and then to continue the deposit by a current of lower electromotive force. My invention dili'ers therefrom in that I continue the use of the current of high electro-m tive force to produce a substantial layer 1; of con paratively hard,'brittle, and crystalline 4; deposit, and then by reducing the electroj motive force I produce upon said first layer a substantial layer of softer and more flexible deposit, thereby producing a conductor having the necessary flexibility and tenacity, as well as eheapncss.

The method of forming electric conductors, which consists in covering insulating cond uctors with an electrolytically deposited 5c shield by first depositing a comparatively hard 1 crystalline layer, and then depositing upon the same a comparatively soft and flexible layer, substantially as described.

2. The method of forming el'ectric conduct- 5 5 ors which consists in covering them with an eleetrolytically-deposited shield of difl'erent layers in one continuous operation by passing the conductors through baths of different size and supplied with currents of different electromotive forces, substantially as described.

3. The method of forming electric conductors which consists in covering the insulated conductor with a metal shield, electrolytically deposited in layers of different degrees of hardness, and covering the same with a metal alloy by passing the conductor through alnolten mass of the alloy, substantially as described;

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribi g witatnses.

nnwARo e. ACHESON.

\Vi tnesses:

Gino. J. MEN-Ion, IB. 1. BURNl-IAM.

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