Western Union Splice [WIRE SPLICES AND JOINTS]

The Western Union splice or Lineman splice is a method of joining electrical cable. It was developed in the nineteenth century during the introduction of the telegraph. This method can be used where the cable may be subject to loading stress. The wrapping pattern design causes the join to tighten as the conductors pull against each other. This type of splice is more suited to solid, rather than stranded conductors.

The Western Union splice is used when the connection must be strong enough to support long lengths of heavy, wire. In the past. this splice was used to repair telegraph wires. If the splice is to be taped, care should be taken to eliminate any sharp edges from the wire ends.