IMPROVEMENTS IN INSULATORS, AND AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONNECTING INSULATORS TO POSTS AND OTHER SUPPORTS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sir Charles Tilston Bright. of Harrow Weald, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN INSULATORS,
AND AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONNECTING INSULATORS TO POSTS AND OTHER
SUPPORTS."
Scaled the 14th May 1859, and dated the 18th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sir Charles Tilston Bright
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th November
1858.
I, Sir CHARLES THSTON BRIGHT, of Harrow Weald, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN INSULATORS, AND AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONNECTING INSULATORS TO POSTS
AND OTHER SUPPORTS," to be as follows:-
The object of the present Invention is to guard against breakage in those
insulators which are employed to insulate overground wires, arising from two
causes the first arising from wilful or accidental fracture by objects coming
in contact with or being thrown against them, and the other from the
unyielding nature of the cement employed to connect them to the pins, studs,
or arms affixed or driven into the posts.
In order to guard against the breakage from the first cause, I fit over or
upon the glass or earthenware insulators protectors of wood, leather, vulcanite,
gutta percha, or gutta percha mixed with any other material, or of any other
[Price 8d.1

page_text: suitable material which will act as a shield to and protection for the
insulators.
In order to guard against fracture from the second cause, my Invention
consists in connecting the insulators to the arm, bracket, or other support by
means of an elastic or yielding cement or medium, such, for instance, as a
compound of gutta percha and pitch; or interpose between an iron pin
which carries the insulator and the inside of the stem of the insulator a serving
or wrapping of pitched hemp or other fibre; or Fuse a wooden stud, upon
which I fit the insulator. Where it is necessary to break the continuity of the
line wire by that form of insulator which is technically known as a shackle, I
employ a shackle in which the insulator is afforded by a dry surface being
preserved by a roof or cover; and I protect such shackles in the manner afore-
said from wilful or accidental injury.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent. Gled
by the said Sir Charles Tilston Bright in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th May 1859.
1. Sir
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
CHARLES TILSTON BRIGHT, of Harrow Weald, 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 fifty-eight, in the twenty-second
year of Her reign, did, for herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Sir Charles Tilston Bright, Her special licence
that 1, he said Sir Charles Tilston Bright, my executors, administrators.
and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Sir Charles Tilston Bright,
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,
und vond, within the United Kingdom of CD and Taland Th
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
INSULATORS, AND AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONNECTING INSULATORS TO POSTS AND
OTHER SUPPORTE," upon the condition (amongst others) that 1, the said Sir
Charles Tilston Bright, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: 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 Sir Charles Tilston Bright, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in protecting insulators used to support overground
wires by combining with the insulator a roof or cover composed of papier
mache, wood, leather, iron gutta percha, or any mixture thereof, or any
suitable material which will act as a shield to and protection for the insulator.
By means of this cover or protector the degree of insulation afforded by the
insulator is also augmented.
Figure 1 is a side view of a glass or earthenware insulator A, with its cover
B, B, shown in section. It is affixed to the insulator by screwing on a thread
upon the neck of the latter. The spaces between the thread of the screw
should be filled up with red lead or any cement adapted to the materials of
which the insulator and cover are made, and to the climate where they are
used.
Figure 2 is an external view of the insulator A, A, and cover B complete,
allixed to an arm C by a bolt a fastened into the stem of the insulator by a
cement composed of pitch, gutta percha, red lead, and beeswax.
At Figure 3 is shown the mode of applying these insulators to the system
of suspending overground wires, described in the Specification of a Patent
granted to Edward Brailsford Bright and myself, the 21st day of October
1852.
My Invention also consists in connecting the insulators to the posts, arms,
or other supports by means of a slightly elastic medium, by which the
difficulties arising from the unyielding nature of the cement commonly used
are obviated.
Figures 4 and 5 show the manner in which I effect this part of my
Invention.
In Figure 4 the insulator A shewn in section is attached to the arm B by
means of an iron pin C, which is tightly served with well tarred yarn, upon
which the insulator is then screwed down.
At Figure 5 the insulator A is shewn in section, and with a cover B also in
section; the form of connecting pin C is different. By increasing the size of
the hole in the stem of the insulator a wooden pin may be used with advan-

page_text: tage in place of the iron pin; and it is obvious that many variations may be
made in carrying out this part of my Invention, both in the materials (as by
the use of leather, felt, or other yielding substance around the pin) as well as
in the form of the insulator, pin, or cover used.
I also employ, where the curves are very sharp or the strain very great from
any other cause, the form of insulator shown at Figure 6, which may be
attached to the support by an upright pin passing through it as there shewn
by the dotted lines a, a, (I prefer to place a piece of vulcanized india-rubber
tubing round the pin) or the insulators may be used in the manner repre-
sented in plan at Figure 7. and in side view at Figure 8. In this case the
strain bears evenly upon the insulators at all times, and great facility is
afforded for leading down wires on each side of the insulators for testing pur-
poses, if the great height at which the wires are erected, or other circun-
stances rended it desirable to do so.
At Figure 9 I show a convenient mode of employing this insulator for
terminating line wires. The form of shackle shown was described in the
Specification of the Patent to which have before referred. A cover may
be fitted to this insulator, and when it is used to break the continuity of the
line wire (as for leading into a station) where it is not convenient to place a
terminal pole, a weight may be fixed to the under side of the metal strap in
order to keep the roof or cover in its horizontal position.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performe, I declare that 1 claim,-
First, the combining of roofs or covers with insulators, in manner and for
the purposes herein-before described.
And, second, the mode of connecting insulators to posts and other supports,
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Sir Charles Tilston Bright, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Eighteenth day of May, Onc
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
CHARLES T. BRIGHT. (..S.)