US2335088A - Weatherproof electric wire - Google Patents

Description

- Nov. 23, 1943. R, w. SHOEMAKER WEATHERPROOF ELECTRIC WIRE Filed Oct, 30, 194;

Patented Nov.

wna'rnsmoor merino Wina melma w. :shot-maker, Woodbury. conn., sssignor to Chase Brass lb Copper Co. Incorporated, Waterbury Conn., a corporation muestran october so. 1941, serial No. 411,060

V 1 claim. (Cl. v17a- 124) The present invention 'relates to improvements in electric conductors and relates more particularly to improvements in electric conductors employed out of doors mainly for urban distributing lines and for service lines to individual homes,

veniently be composed of rubber, synthetic resins, etc.

The inner braided covering I2 comprises a plurality of parallel right-hand tape-like bands etc. Suchpipes .or wires are commonly referred l to as weatherproof" wires.

When exposed to the weather over a consider-` able perlod of time. ordinary lso-called weatherproof wires are subject to having. their coverings deteriorate under the combined inuences of sunshine, moisture, changes in temperature. etc.

The deterioration of the covering is usually not uniform throughout the length of the conductor but is 'apt to be spotty with the result that the covering material breaks away at various points while remaining anchored fat other points, `and thus forms an unsightly series of strings and depending loops commonly referred to ,as festoona One o'f the main objects oi' the present invention is to provide a superior weatherproof elec-- Withv the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from thepresent disclosure, this invention includes all features inv the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art and which are not claimed in any separate application. Y

In the accompanying drawing, in which certain modes of ciatrrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a broken' view -in side elevation of a.l

weatherproof electric wire embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is`a 'transverse sectional view thereoftaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. The particular weatherproof electric wire herein chosen for purposes of illustrating the A present invention, comprises a metallic core i0, a tubular insulating-body II-an intermediate layer ci braided covering I2 and an outer layer' oi braided 'covering Il. The core It may be formed of any suitable high eleetroaconductive material such as copper, aluminum, etc., while the insulation II, when employed, may conofA use and exposure tothe ele-v bands I4 extending helically in a right-hand direction around the insulating-body- I I. The inner braided covering I2 also includes a plurality of parallel left-hand tape-like bands II which ex- -tend helically in a left-hand direction around in the insulating-body II.

Both the right-hand bands Il and ,the lefthand bands I5 of the inner braided covering I2 are preferably each composed of a group of individual laterally-abutting strands Il which may be conveniently formed of cotton or other suitable textile material. The said strands Il ci' the right-hand bands Il are jointly alternately braided over and under the groupsof similar strands I6 making up the left-hand bands I6, in a manner'well known inthe braiding art.

The outer braided covering Il is, as shown, composed of a series of tape-like right-hand I1 extending in parallelism helically around the inner braided covering I2 in a righthand direction. The outer braided covering also `includes a plurality of tape-like left-hand bands I8 extending around the inner braided covering I2 in a helical pathileft hand) in a direction opposite the helical path of the bands jil before referred to. Each of the right-hand helical bands lI'l alternately extends under and over alternate ones of the contiguous and oppositely-inclined left-hand bands I8, as is apparent from Fig. l.`

-In the instance illustrated in the accompanying drawing. the right-hand tape-like bands Il of the outer braided covering I3 are .composed cf aplu- 'rality of strands arranged vside by side. Each right-hand band I'I includes a retaining-strand Il of glass and a plurality of strands 2li preferably composed of cotton, synthetic materials or other strandsof textile materials other than` glass. f'

Similarly, each of the parallel `left-hand bands Il of the outer braided covering I3 includes a retaining-strandfli formed oi glass and a plurality of parallel companion strands 22 formed of cot'- ton or other non-glass textile material.

From the foregoing and by referencev to the accompanying drawing. it will be seen that the glass retaining-strands Il and 2| of the respective bands I'I and I8 extend transversely across ,the non-glass strands of the bands extending helically in a direction opposite to that in which a given vglass retaining-strand'extends. 'In other words, d

bands il extends crosswise oi all of the strands Il and 20 of the righthand helical band l1.

The number ofcoatings placed over the conducting-corel i0 will 'vary with service vrequirements, but preferably the covering will include several layers of textile material, which material is preferably impregnated with asphaltum, coal tar or other suitable preservative material.

By virture of the construction set forth in which the covering material is braided with interlaced oppositely-inclined helical groups of strands and in which certain of the groups of strands include lglass strands, the breakdown and unsightly iestooning of the covering is guarded against over long periods of time and without materially adding to the cost oi' the-weatherproof conductor.

The invention may b carried out in other specinc vways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all re-v spects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range oi the appended claim are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

A weatherproof outdoor overhead-suspension `electric wire comprising: a core of conducting material; and a covering surrounding the said core and including, a set of right-hand helically-inclined bands of strands extending generally parallel helically around the said core in a righthand direction, and a, set of left-hand-helicallyinclined bands of strands extending generally parallel helically around the said core in a leithand direction; and each of said bands including a minority oi strands, each of which is dominantly of glass, and a majority of strands, each of which is dominantly oi' cotton or the like organic textile material, and each or said bands being of tape-like form with its strands laterally abutting one another; and the bands ofeach of said sets oi bands repeatedly extending over and under the bands of the other of said sets of strands. and the said minority strands of each of said sets of bands extending over and retaining the said ma- Jority strands of the other of said sets or bands.

RICHARD W.' SHOEMAKER.

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