Improvements in the Socket Joints of Metallic Telegraph Poles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 25th Oct., 1895-Accepted. 30th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Socket Joints of Metallic Telegraph Poles.
We, BULLERS LIMITED, of Sherlock Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Telegraph Engineers and Manufacturers, and EDWARD JOHN CHAMBERS,
of Castle Cottage, Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Civil and Mechanical
Engineer and Director of Bullers Limited, aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The said invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of socket
joints for metallic telegraph poles in the manner hereinafter described whereby
greater precision and firmness of erection are secured than with joints of the
ordinary construction.
In socket joints made according to the said invention the connecting and
disconnecting of the parts of the joint may he effected by unskilled workmen with
great rapidity and without the use of tools.
We will describe the said invention in connection with the socket joint by which
the upper tube of the metallic telegraph pole is connected to the base of the said
pole, which said base is fixed in the ground as is well understood.
We preferably make the socket or head of the base somewhat larger both in
external and internal diameter than the lower part of the base, the interior of the
said socket being slightly conical, that is, diminishing in diameter downwards.
On the lower part of the upper tube which is to be connected to the base we fix
preferably in the manner hereinafter explained one or more strong tubular iron
rings. This ring or rings are situated on the said upper tube at any desired
distance (say, five or six inches) from its lower end. The said rings are slightly
conical their lower ends having a less external diameter than their upper ends.
The bottom of the upper tube is also made conical the outer faces of the said rings
and the outer tapering surface of the bottom of the upper tube forming parts of
the same cone.
The socket of the base has two or more internal shoulders one at
the top and the others at any desired distances (say, five or six inches) below the
top. These shoulders are conical and are of a size and shape suitable for the.
reception and tight fitting therein of the conical rings and tapering bottom of
the upper tube.
In effecting the connection of the upper tube with the base it is only necessary
to drop the lower end of the upper tube into the socket in a vertical direction when
the conical rings on the upper tube and its lower tapering end engage accurately
and firmly with the conical shoulders in the socket. In removing the upper tube
from its socket it is only necessary to raise the said upper tube vertically.
We prefer to fix the conical rings described on the lower part of the upper tube
by the process commonly known as shrinking. In order to determine the distances
to which the rings shall be fixed on the upper tube we raise at the required height
three teats or projections similar to the teeth of a file and after the rings have been
shrunk on the tube at a height limited by the said teats or projections, other teats
or projections are raised on the tube immediately under the lower edges of
the said rings. Or the rings may be fixed to the upper tube by rivets or
otherwise.
Although under ordinary circumstances the dropping of the bottom of the upper
tube into its socket effects the connection of the parts with sufficient firmness' yet

page_text: where for special reasons it is thought necessary or desirable to do so the parts
may be fixed together by a screw or screws passed through the head of the socket
taking into screwed holes in the bottom of the upper tube.
The application of the said invention to the joining of different lengths of
metallic telegraph poles differs in no essential' respect from its application to the
connecting of the upper tube to the base as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Second der of February 1805
Improvements in the Socket Joints of Metallic Telegraph Poles.
We, BULLERS LIMITED, of Sherlock Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Telegraph Engineers and Manufacturers, and EDWARD, JOHN
CHAMBERS, of Castle Cottage, Dudley in the County of Worcester, Civil and
Mechanical Engineer and Director of Bullers Limited, aforesaid do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
1
It
The said invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of socket
joints' for metallic telegraph poles in the manner hereinafter described whereby
greater precision and firmness of erection are secured than with joints of the
ordinary construction.
In socket joints made according to the said invention, the connecting and
disconnecting of the parts of the joint may be effected, by unskilled workmen with
great rapidity and without the use of tools.
We will describe the said invention in' connection with the socket joint by, which
the upper tube of the metallic telegraph pole is connected to the base of the said.
pole, which said.base is fixed in the ground as is well understood.
fix
We preferably make the socket or head of the base somewhat larger both in
external and internal diameter than the lower part of the base, the interior of the
said socket being slightly conical, that is, diminishing in diameter downwards.
On the lower part of the upper tube which is to be connected to the base we
preferably in the manner hereinafter explained one or more strong tubular iron
rings. This ring or rings are situated on the said, upper tube at any desired
distance (say five or six inches) from its lower end. The said rings are slightly
conical their lower ends having a less external diameter than their upper ends.
The bottom of the upper tube is also made conical the outer faces of the said rings
and the outer tapering surface of the bottom of the upper tube, forming parts of
The socket of the base has two or more, internal shoulders one at
the top and the others at any desired distance (say five or six inches) below the
top. These shoulders are conical and are of a size and shape suitable for the
reception and tight fitting therein of the conical rings and, tapering bottom of
the upper tube.
the same cone.
In effecting the connection of the upper tube with the base it is only necessary.
to drop the lower end of the upper tube into the socket in a vertical direction when
the conical rings on the upper tube and its lower tapering end engage accurately,
and firmly with the conical shoulders in the socket. In removing the upper tube
from its socket it is only necessary to raise the said upper tube,vertically.
We prefer to fix the conical rings described on the lower part of the upper tube,
by the process commonly known as shrinking. In order to determine the distances
to which the rings shall be fixed on the upper tube we raise at the required height.
three or more teats or projections similar to the teeth of a file and after the rings

page_text: have been shrunk on the tube at a height limited by the said teats or projections,
other teats or projections are raised on the tube immediately under the lower edge
of the said rings.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in elevation a metallic telegraph
pole provided with socket joints, constructed according to the said invention.
Figure 2,represents in vertical section the junction of a wrought iron, tube to a
cast iron base and
Figure 3 represents in vertical section the joint between a wrought iron lower
section of the pole and a cast iron base plate.
Figure 4 represents in vertical section 'a modification of the said invention applie
to one of the upper socket joints of the pole as hereinafter described.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawing.
A is the base plate of the metallic telegraph pole; Bis the base tube of the same
and C, D, are the upper tubes of the said telegraph pole, a, b, c Figure 1 being the
respective junctions of the parts of the telegraph pole with each other.
In constructing, the connections or joints according to the said invention we form
in the sockets at the tops of the said tubes and in the socket of the base plate A
(see Figures 2 and 3) two conical shoulders marked respectively e, f the surfaces
of the said shoulders e, f being parts of the same inverted hollow cone. The said
socket ends of the tubes have, preferably an external strengthening flange (see
Figure 2). We form the bottom part of the several tubes conical externally the
said conical part being of a size suitable to fit the hollow conical shoulder of the
socket part of the tube or base socket into which it is to be inserted: We also
fix on the several tubes near their lower ends by the process commonly called
shrinking, a ring g conical externally the said conical ring g being of a size suitable
to fit the hollow conical shoulder e of the socket into which it is to be inserted.
order to determine the position which the ring g is to occupy on the lower end of
the tube and at the same time to prevent the ring shifting after shrinkage, we form
on the said tube teats or projections h, h at the required distance from the bottom
of the tube. The said ring y being heated it is pressed onto the bottom end of the
tube until the top shoulder, of the ring bears against the teats h when the said ring
is shrunk in position; similar teats or projections are, preferably, formed on the
tube under the shrunk ring.
In
In connecting the parts of the telegraph pole it is only necessary to lower the
bottom ends of the several tubes into their respective sockets, the conical bearing
surfaces ensuring the tight fitting and accurate erection of the several parts of the
pole; and when it is desired to remove or take down a pole it is only necessary to
raise the several parts vertically from out of their respective sockets.
Instead of forming the upper or socket parts of the several tubes with shoulders e, f,
as hereinbefore described, the mouth of the tube may be made conical for receiving
the ring of the upper tube by reducing the thickness of the said tube as
represented in Figure 4, an external collar k being shrunk on or otherwise
attached to the tube for the purpose of strengthening it, and the lower hollow
conical seat of the socket may be formed by shrinking or otherwise fixing a
ring at the required distance from the mouth or upper conical seat of the tube,
the said ring i being conical internally and forming part of the same cone as the
mouth of the tube.
Although we prefer to fix the rings to or in the tubes by the process commonly
called shrinking, they may be attached by brazing, riveting or otherwise.
Although we have only described and represented one iron ring on the lower end
of each of the tubes, two or more rings may be employed, the exteriors of the
several rings constituting parts of the same tapering surface formed at the bottom
of the said tube. When two or more rings are employed three or more shoulders
are formed in the upper or socket part of the next lower tube.
Although under ordinary circumstances the dropping of the bottom of the upper

page_text: tube into its socket effects the connection of the parts with sufficient firmness yet
where for special reasons it is thought necessary or desirable to do so the parts of
the joint may be fixed together by a screw or screws passed through the bead of
the socket taking into screwed holes in the bottom of the upper tube.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we
claim as the said invention;-
"
First; The improvements in the socket joints of metallic telegraph poles
hereinbefore described and represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawing the said improvements consisting in forming in the upper or socket parts
of the several metallic tubes of the telegraph pole, as well as in the socket part of
the base plate of the same, two or more shoulders the surfaces of which shoulders
constitute parts of the surface of the same inverted cone and making the bottom
end of each of the tubes which is to engage in the socket part of the next lower
tube, or in the socket of the base plate, of a figure suitable to fit the lower or
lowest conical shoulder of the said socket, an inverted conical ring or conical rings,
shrunk or otherwise fixed or formed on the said tube near its bottom, engaging and
fitting tightly the upper shoulder or shoulders of the socket substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Secondly-The modification of the socket joint claimed in the first claim,
hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing,
wherein the hollow conical shoulders in the upper or socket part of each of the
tubes are dispensed with, the mouth of the modified socket being made conical and
having a conical ring or conical rings shrunk or otherwise fixed in it near its mouth
for the conical part or parts of the bottom of the upper adjoining tube to engage
in and accurately fit substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Dated this Twenty-second day of October 1895.
BULLERS LIMITED,
T. H. SIMMONDS,
Secretary.
EDWARD JOHN CHAMBERS.