Improvements in Insulators for Electric Wires.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES NASH HAMMOND, of No. 677, Dudley
Street, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Salesman.]
Improvements in Insulators for Electric Wires.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
So far as known to me electric wires are at present in practice usually secured to.
insulators by some separate securing device as by a piece of wire or the like or by
carrying the electric wire around the outside of the insulator in a groove therein.
This is objectionable in that it takes time to secure the wire and it adds to the
expense and also interferes with the appearance of the work.
In some instances insulators have been constructed with passages therethrough
for the reception of the electric wires, such passages being open at one side for
the introduction of the wires, and, in order to retain the wires in place, these
insulators have been constructed with lips or flanges projecting from opposite
sides of the slot or opening of the passage or past the median line of the passage,
it being necessary to incline or bend the wires around these lips or flanges in
order to effect the introduction of the wires through the slots or openings into
the passages.
Whenever these insulators have been so constructed as to form a
curved or irregular slot or opening leading into the passage, with more than
one overhanging lip or flange on one side of the slot or opening, the passage
itself has been so formed as to bend or bind the wire, thereby interfering with
the end wise movement of the wire rendering the insulators undesirable for use
us guide insulators. In some insulators having straight passages therethrough
in which a wire may play or move endwise, the slots or openings leading to the
same have been straight diagonal slots or openings having each but one lip or
flange on each side thereof. The object of my invention is to provide an
insulator of such construction that it shall with certainty and efficiency retain
the electric wire in place within the passage therethrough, thereby obviating a
defect of the class of insulators last described, and shall permit the electric wire
to move endwise with freedom, thereby disposing of an objection to the class of
insulators first described. My invention will first be described with reference
to the accompanying drawings and then be particularly pointed out in the claims
at the close of this Specification.
In the accompanying drawing, to which reference is made in the following
Specification, I have shown my device in the best form known to me. In said
drawing
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an insulating block embodying my invention.
Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views showing modifications.
My device is simple and will be readily understood from the following
description. A represents the insulator which may be of any desirable shape
and of any well-known insulating material. is a recess or passage which is
formed in the insulator and which is large enough to receive the wire, this
recess or passage extending straight through the insulator as shown. d is a slot
or opening leading from the recess to the face or outside of the insulator.
The slot is large enough to allow the wire m to be passed into the recess b,
and is curved as shown so as to form at least two overhanging lips or flanges f
on one side of the slot and one on the other, each of these lips or flanges
extending to, and it may be beyond the median line of the slot.
To secure

page_text: the wire it is bent into the curved shape of the slot d and pressed inwardly
through the slot in the recess. The walls of the recess being straight or
not coincident with the slot d, the wire is allowed to straighten in the recess
and cannot be withdrawn without again bending it into the curved form of the
slot d. The wire is in this way prevented from being accidentally dislodged
or thrown out of contact with the insulator. In other words the recess for
the wire is so closed in front as to prevent the dislodgment of the wire without
bending it in a peculiar manner. Insulators of this class are intended more
particularly for guide insulators.
When it is desired to provide for two wires, the insulator may be constructed
as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In Fig. 2 the recess is deepened, a rib or pro-
jection being formed therein to separate it lengthwise into two portions in
cach of which a wire may be placed. In Fig. 3 the recess and slot d are
duplicated and arranged side by side on the insulator thus providing for the
reception of two wires.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what 1 claim is:
1. An insulator for electric wires having a straight recess or passage through
the same to receive the wire, said recess being partially closed by a lip or
lips f
2. An insulator for electric wires having a straight recess or passage
through
the same to receive the wire and permit the latter to move end wise with freedom
and having a curved slot leading into the said recess or passage for the introduction
of the wire, two over-hanging lips or flanges being formed on one side of the said
slot and one on the other.
Dated this 10th day of March 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.