Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 31st May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
I FRANK CAWS of 60 Fawcett Street Sunderland in the county of Durham
Architect do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It relates to the method of securing or attaching telegraphic or other wires which
are carried on fixed posts or other supports-And its object is to provide for the
contraction and expansion of the wires due to changes of temperature weights of
snow and ice, wind pressure and other causes without subjecting them to any undue
strain and also to provide against the rubbing or chafing of the wires at their points
of support due to oscillation produced by wind and other causes which gradually
wears them away and thus reduces their strength and also to improve their insulation
and to render their fixing or hanging more expeditious.
I carry out my invention as follows, instead of attaching the wires to fixed
immoveable points of support as at present I attach them to moveable or sliding or
oscillating supports which are made self adjusting longitudinally by means of springs,
levers, weights or other equivalent device, employed singly or in combination and
which are thus regulated to prevent any undue strain on the wire the supports are
also made capable of transverse action by means of pendulums, levers, springs, or
other equivalent device employed singly or in combination which thus prevents the
oscillation of the wires from producing chafing And I improve the insulation by
preventing the wire from touching the main insulator while maintaining the wire
as the short circuit for the current with further insulators intervening. And I render
fixing or hanging of the wire more expeditious by means of a mechanical cramp or
grip which works automatically by the tension of the wires-That is to say I secure
the wire by means of the insulated clamps, which are attached to the main insulator
as above described, and carry it loosely from one clamp to the other, thus forming the
short circuit for the current, maintaining at the same time in case of failure of
the clamps a connection through the stretching mechanism which is carried by the
intervening main insulator.
By the means above described I produce a method of attaching which renders
the wires much more durable as well as safer and not so liable to break by climatic
influences.

page_text: I FRANK CAWS of 60 Fawcett Street Sunderland in the county of Durham Architect
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED FLEXIBLE
SUPPORTS FOR TELEGRAPH OR OTHER WIRES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
It relates to the method of securing or attaching telegraphic or other wires which
are carried on fixed posts or other supports And its object is to provido for the
contraction and expansion of the wires due to changes of temperature, weights of
snow and ice, wind pressure falling tree branches and other causes without subjecting
them to any undue strain & also to provide against the rubbing or chafing of the
wires at their points of support due to oscillation produced by wind and other causes
which gradually wears them away and thus reduces their strength and also to improve
their insulation and to render their fixing or hanging more expeditious.
Referring now to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 shows two methods of
connecting or securing the line wires with the supports & figures 2 to 6 show details
of the clip which I found best suited for gripping the line wires, while figure 8 represents
the tool for connecting and disconnecting the line wire, and figure 9 a straining lath
for a similar purpose.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout.
The telegraph post is represented by the letter A and the arm or crosstree upon
which the insulators are fixed by the letter B-C shows a double spring regulator
attached at or near its centre to the usual earthenware insulator attachment, while D
shows a similar double spring suspended from a specially formed insulator E by means
of a hook, link or sling F-G represents the continuous line wire, which is clasped
& held by the automatic grips or clasps H-the clasp anchors lettered I which are
held in position by the pull of the line wire on the springs render these clasps
automatic the greater the pull the firmer being their grip.
;
The clasp or grip H is formed of three pieces of the forms shown in figures 2 to 7
the cone or taper pieces which may be of earthenware or other suitable material are
represented in end view in figures 2 and 3, and in elevation in figures 4 and 5, while
figures 6 and 7 show a plan and end view of a pad of india rubber or other suitable
material, which may be placed between the conical pieces shown in figures 2 to 5 one
or more of these pads may be employed in each clip or they may be dispensed with
altogether Figure 8 shows a convenient form of tool for fixing the spring to the line
wire A vice V is securely fixed to the arm B by the handle P, clasps HH are then
adjusted in slots in the arms S S and pushing rods Y Y which are hooked to the
springs CC are secured to S S as shown-Right and left hand screws T T¹ are
secured to the arms S S and suitable nuts are provided in XX which may be,actuated
by the hand-wheel W-Thus as W is turned the arms S S are drawn together pulling
tight the line wire G and at the same time by means of the push rods Y Y extending
the spring CC to meet the clasp anchors I I which are attached to the clasps H H.-
As soon as the attachment is made the tool is slacked off leaving the connection
complete This tool may be dispensed with and the wire attached by using steel
stretching laths shown in figure 9 which are attached to the springs to keep them open
during fixing.
Upon my drawing I have shown springs as being the most convenient form of
movable attachment for connecting the line wire to the supports, but I do not confine

page_text: myself to the use of this forms of attachment as lovers, weights, or other equivalent
device for ensuring flexibility of supports may be employed either singly or in
combination.
By the employment of the springs D or other self adjusting supports I prevent all
undue strain coming upon the line wire from whatever cause, and while maintaining
continuity of line wire I avoid such rigid connection of the wire to the points of
support, as prevents the needful yielding, produces chafing, & causes the gradual
destruction of the wire itself.
to
This chafing and also the sudden strains of tempestuous gusts may be further guarded
against by the use of the suspension link or sling attached as shown in figure
the underside of the arm B by means of the insulator E which allows for a limited
transverse action of the whole attachment and consequently of the line wire itself.
Further I render connecting and disconnecting of the wire by means of the clips H
more expeditious than at present either by the use of straining laths inserted in the
springs to keep them extended during fixing or by means of a tool as above described
or by both means in combination these clasps may be opened or closed and a new
or old wire inserted with ease and without interfering with the attachment of the spring
to the insulator at all.
Thus it will be seen that the line wire is supported by a double insulator attachment
to the spring viz. at H H while the spring is attached to the usual carthenware
insulator on the arm B and at the same time forms the short circuit for the current,
moreover in the event of one of the clasps H giving way or otherwise failing to
insulate no interruption of the current would take place and should one span of line wire
be broken by unavoidable cause the clips would sustain the adjoining span & prevent
their falling-Thus the invention fulfils the office of a shackle confining & localising
mischief to that particular span in which it may happen to occur- -If it be found
needful to give between the two clips of each spring shackle more length of slack line
wire than can be conveniently contained in a plain bow shape the shape of the slack
wire may be helical or any other convenient shape which while assisting to retain its
shape against pressure of birds or other bodies or weights, at same time leaves the
slack line wire free to contract and expand.
By the means above described I provido a method of attachment, which is more
expeditiously performed than the existing methods, while it renders the wires more
durable, safer and not so liable to break by adverse climatic influences, and at the
same time renders the insulation of the wire more perfect.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The employment of springs (or other equivalent device for obtaining flexibility)
attached to points of support and to a continuous line wire substantially as shown and
for the purpose described.
2. The oscillating arrangement E F and other equivalent device for obtaining freedom
of line wire to oscillate transversely at points of support.
3. The automatic clasps H, or other equivalent device for automatically clasping and
extra insulating the wire.
4. The connecting and disconnecting tools substantially as shown and for the purpose
described.
F
1 1
1 J
11
10
1
1
1 1