IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING AND ADJUSTING TELE- GRAPHIC LINE WIRES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Siemens, of No. 3, Great George
Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING AND ADJUSTING TELE-
GRAPHIC LINE WIRES."
Sealed the 11th May 1869, and dated the 18th November 1868:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William
. Siemens at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th November 1868.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM SIEMENS, of No. 3, Great George Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING AND
ADJUSTING TELEGRAPHIC LINE WIRES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object to provide a ready and simple means
to insulators whereby such wires

page_text: may as readily be released again when required. For this purpose I
construct an excentric or cam carried by a pin upon which it can turn,
and situated between two studs or grooves in such manner that when
the cam is turned into a certain position the telegraphic line wire can
pass freely between its edge and the studs or grooves, but when turned
into another position it is caused to press upon the portion of the wire
between the two studs or grooves and to bend it down, whereby the
wire will be securely held. The excentric or cam may also be made to
nip or pinch the wire directly against an opposite surface instead of
bending it down between studs as described, but I prefer the latter
method. Instead of two studs or grooves one only may be employed,
and the wire be bent down on one side thereof by the excentric or cam,
or two such excentrics or cams may be made to bend the wire down one
on each side of the stud or groove. I prefer to form that part of the
edge of the excentric or cam which effects the pressure on the wire
concentric for some distance with the pin on which it turns, in order
that there may be no tendency in the same to release its pressure on
the wire should the cam or excentric be turned slightly when the
strain is put on the wire in one direction or the other. The cam or
excentric may also be secured from turning round by forming part of it
in the shape of a nut with any number of sides found most convenient,
over which a plate cut out to fit the sides of the nut may be placed,
the plate having an arm which butting against a fixed projection or
projections, such as the studs or grooves before mentioned, prevents the
cam from turning; this part of the excentric or cam, shaped as a nut,
may also be made of use for turning the cam when required by means
of an ordinary spanner or key. The excentric or cam may also of
course be prevented from turning by a pin passed through it, or by any
other means. The cam or excentric is by preference provided with a
flange or projecting edge which, in fitting behind the wire, prevents the
cam or excentric from sliding off the pin upon which it turns.
It is not
necessary for the excentric or cam to be fitted accurately upon its pin,
and both parts may be made of cast iron left as it comes from the mould,
the pin or pins being conveniently cast in one piece with the cap or bell
fixed upon or containing the insulating cup. By this means telegraphic
wire can be readily fastened to every insulator and be released at pleasure
for the purpose of letting out or adjusting the wire. Every eighth or
tenth insulator being made a stretching insulator with two excentric or

page_text: cam fastenings is made to contain a loop of wire for adjustment of the
amount of deflection to be allowed, as also to provide a sufficient length
of spare wire to make a joint in case of breakage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles William Siemens in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WILLIAM SIEMENS, of No. 3, Great George Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS
Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles William Siemens, Her special
licence that I, the said Charles William Siemens, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles William
Siemens, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING AND ADJUSTING TELEGRAPHIC
LINE WIRES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles William Siemens, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters.
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles William Siemens, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
s to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-

page_text: panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
a
My Invention has for its object to provide ready and simple means
for attaching telegraphic line wires to insulators whereby such wires
may as readily be released again when required.
For this purpose I
construct an excentric or cam carried by a pin upon which it can turn
and situated between two studs or grooves in such manner that when
the cam is turned into a certain position the telegraphic line wire can
pass freely between its edge and the studs or grooves, but when turned
into another position it is caused to press upon the portion of the wire
between the two studs or grooves and to bend it down, whereby the
wire will be securely held. Instead of two studs or grooves one only
may be employed and the wire be bent down on one side thereof by the
excentric or cam, or two such excentrics or cams may be made to bend
the wire down one on each side of the stud or groove. I prefer to form
that part of the edge of the excentric or cam which effects the pressure on
the wire concentric for some distance with the pin on which it turns, in
order that there may be no tendency in the same to release its pressure on
the wire should the cam or excentric be turned slightly when the strain
is put on the wire in one direction or the other. The cam or excentric
may also be secured from turning round by forming part of it in the
shape of a nut with any number of sides found most convenient, over
which a plate cut out to fit the sides of the nut may be placed; the
plate having an arm which abutting against a fixed projection or pro-
jections such as the studs or grooves before mentioned prevents the cam
from turning; this part of the excentric or cam, shaped as a nut, may
also be made of use for turning the cam when required by means of an
ordinary spanner or key. The excentric or cam may also, of course, be
prevented from turning by a pin passed through it, or by any other
means. The cam or excentric is by preference provided with a flange
or projecting edge which in fitting behind the wire prevents the cam or
excentric from sliding off the pin upon which it turns. It is not
necessary for the excentric or cam to be fitted accurately upon its pin,
and both parts may be made of cast iron left as it comes from the
mould, the pin or pins being conveniently cast in one piece with the
cap or bell fixed upon or containing the insulating cup. By this means
telegraphic wire can be readily fastened to every insulator and be

page_text: released at pleasure for the purpose of letting out or adjusting the wire.
Every eighth or tenth insulator being made a stretching insulator with
two excentric or cam fastenings is made to contain a loop of wire for
adjustment of the amount of deflection to be allowed, as also to provide
a sufficient length of spare wire to make a joint in case of breakage.
But in order that my Invention may be readily understood I will
now proceed more particularly to describe the manner of performing
the same, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 shew respectively a side and front elevation and a
plan of an intermediate insulator A, upon the top surface of which are
formed two studs or grooves a, a, into which the line wire B fits.
Between these is placed an excentric or cam C capable of turning on
a pin formed on the insulator shewn in dotted lines in Figure 3, which
cam is shewn detached in elevation, section, and plan respectively at
Figures 4, 5, and 6. This cam, when turned with its lesser radius
towards the studs a, a, allows the wire B to be freely inserted between
it and the latter, whereupon by turning the cam into the position shewn
at Figure 3 it will cause the wire B to be bent down between the
studs a, a, and thus hold it securely. The cam is formed with a
polygonal head at c to enable it to be turned with a spanner and to
prevent it from turning back a small plate D, shewn in plan and side
view at Figure 7, fits with a corresponding aperture on the head c, while
the other part thereof fits between the studs a, a. In order to prevent
the cam from slipping off the pin on which it turns it is provided with
a flange c which catches underneath the wire B.
Figures 8, 9, and 10 shew respectively a front and side elevation and
a plan of a modified arrangement of my Invention applied to a stretching
insulator in which two cams C, C', arranged vertically hold the line
wire B at two places between the studs or grooves a, a, a', a', as shewn,
so as to leave a loop of wire between the points of attachment.
Figures 11, 12, and 13 shew other modifications of the mode of
applying my Invention respectively to the single and double cam
arrangements. Here the cams C are held between two upright lugs F
on the top of the insulator A, and depress the wire B as before between
studs or grooves a.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
I do not limit myself to the arrangements thereof shewn on the accom-
panying Drawing, as these may be variously modified, as before stated,
without departing from the nature of my Invention, but what I
claim is,
First. The construction and use of apparatus for fastening and
adjusting telegraph line wires wherein an excentric or cam is caused
to hold the line wire by depressing it either between studs or projections
or into grooves, such excentric.or cam being so formed that when
turned into a certain position it allows the wire to pass freely between
it and the said studs, projections, or grooves, substantially as herein-
before set forth.
Second. Arranging two such aforesaid cam fastenings on one and the
same insulator só as to hold the line wire at two separate points between
which the line wire is formed into a loop for adjusting purposes,
substantially as herein-before set forth.
Third. The peculiar form and arrangement of the cam fastening
herein-before described with reference to the accompanying Drawing for
holding it securely in position.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Siemens, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Witness,
FRED. H. RICKETTS.
C. W. SIEMENS. (L.S.)