IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING AND INSULATING ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH WIRES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sir William O'Shaughnessy Brooke, of Westminster,
Knight, Director-General of Telegraphs in India, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING AND INSULATING ELECTRIC
TELEGRAPH WIRES."
Sealed the 10th December 1861, and dated the 17th July 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sir William O'Shaugh-
nessy Brooke at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th July 1861.
I, Sir WILLIAM O'SHAUGHNESSY BROOKE, of Westminster, Knight, Director-
General of Telegraphs in India, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING AND INSULATING ELECTRIC
TELEGRAPH WIRES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for suspending
and insulating electric telegraph wires. For these purposes, in order that
electric telegraph wires may be insulated where they are supported, the appa-
ratus is formed in the following manner :-An inverted cup or hollow vessel,
by preference of cast iron, and of a rectangular form is used, the upper end of
which is closed, and has formed on it a recess suitable for receiving, and
having a wire fixed therein by solder or by clamps of hardened india-rubber,
prepared wood, or other material. The edges of the sides at their lower ends
are turned up into a trough or gutter-like form; on the interior of this
inverted cup or hollow vessel is fixed another hollow inverted cup or vessel
composed of the hard compound produced by combining india-rubber and
sulphur, and submitting the same to high temperatures. This inner cup or
hollow vessel is of like section to the outer cup or vessel above mentioned,
but of less dimensions, so as to leave a space in all directions between the

page_text: inner and outer cups or hollow vessels, and such space is filled up with melted
sulphur. This apparatus is placed on an upright pin or support, by prefer-
ence of wrought iron, though other material may be used, and such pin or
projection is of like section to the interior of the inner inverted cup or vessel,
but of different dimensions, so as to leave a space in all directions between the
pin or support and the interior of the cup or vessel, which is filled with melted
sulphur. The pin or support is carried by a bracket or post or other suitable
means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Sir William O'Shaughnessy Brooke in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Sir WILLIAM
O'SHAUGHNESSY BROOKE, of Westminster, Knight, late Director-General of
Telegraphs in India, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Sir William O'Shaughnessy Brooke, Her special licence that
I, the said Sir William O'Shaughnessy Brooke, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Sir William O'Shaughnessy Brooke,
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
SUSPENDING AND INSULATING ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH WIRES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Sir William O'Shaughnessy Brooke, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 Sir William O'Shaughnessy Brooke,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for suspending
and insulating electric telegraph wires. For these purposes, in order that
electric telegraph wires may be insulated where they are supported, the appa-
ratus is formed in the following manner:-An inverted cup or hollow vessel,
by preference of cast iron, and of a rectangular form is used, the upper end of
which is closed, and has formed on it a recess suitable for receiving, and
having a wire fixed therein by solder or by clamps of hardened india-rubber,
prepared wood, or other material. The edges of the sides at their lower ends
are turned up into a trough or gutter-like form; on the interior of this
inverted cup or hollow vessel is fixed another hollow inverted cup or vessel
composed of the hard compound produced by combining india-rubber and
sulphur, and submitting the same to high temperatures. This inner cup or
hollow vessel is of like section to the outer cup or vessel above mentioned, but
of less dimensions, so as to leave a space in all directions between the inner
and outer cups or hollow vessels, and such space is filled up with melted
sulphur. This apparatus is placed on an upright pin or support, by prefer-
ence of wrought iron, though other material may be used, and such pin or
projection is of like section to the interior of the inner inverted cup or vessel,
but of different dimensions, so as to leave a space in all directions between the
pin or support and the interior of the cup or vessel, which is filled with melted
sulphur. The pin or support is carried by a bracket or post or other suitable
means.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view of apparatus, constructed according to my Inven-
tion, for suspending and insulating electric telegraph wires; Figure 2 is a plan
of the same; in these Figures the wire is shewn secured in its place; Figure 3
is a vertical section; and Figure 4, a plan of the apparatus, without the wire;
Figure 5 is a horizontal section, taken at the line 1, 1, Figure 1. In these
Figures the exterior cup of cast iron is marked a, the cup of hard india-
rubber compound b, the pin or support on which these parts are mounted
is marked c, and the telegraph wire d; the sulphur cementing the several
parts together is marked e. The several parts are, by preference, constructed
as follows:-The cast-iron cup is of rectangular form, open at one end and

page_text: closed at the other. It is 3 inches long, a little more than 2 inches square
externally; the edges of the lower part are inverted or turned up to the extent
of of an inch, so as to form a channel or gutter to collect moisture; and
this channel slopes slightly towards one of the sides of the cup, so as to carry
off the collected moisture more readily. On the top or closed part of the cup
are two snugs forming part of the casting. These are of an inch thick, one
inch high, 1 inches broad, and the interval between them is of an inch, to
admit freely No. 1 wire, Birmingham gauge. They are perforated at an
inch from their summits by two holes of an inch in diameter. The edges
of the cup at the upper or covered part are rounded off to avoid the danger
of cutting the wire. The cup weighs about 26 oz. avoirdupois. The india-
rubber cup b is also of rectangular form, open at one end and closed at the
other. It is composed of pure india-rubber, which has been hardened by the
addition of pure sulphur and exposure to heat. No other materials besides
india-rubber and sulphur are admissable. The cup is 33 inches long, 1 inches
square externally; the cavity of the cup is inch square, the thickness of the
material is inch. The pin is of wrought or cast iron 7 inches long, 1 inch
square at the top; the lower end tapers for about 1 inches from the end to
admit of the pin entering into the bracket or other contrivance which supports
it. These three parts, viz., the iron cup, the india-rubber cup, and the cast-
iron pin are cemented together by means of pure melted sulphur, which is
made to fill the intervals left by the differences of their several diameters.
Thus the iron pin is first placed in the centre of the india-rubber cup, and the
sulphur is poured in, the thickness of the cement being of an inch on all
sides. The pin and cup are then placed in the centre of the iron cup, and the
sulphur again poured in the thickness of the cement on all sides being of
an inch. The telegraph wire is laid on the top of the iron cup in the interval
between the two snugs. Some melted spelter is then poured over the wire
until it covers it and fills the two holes in the snugs, which have been already
described. The spelter on the wire, and the portions of it which run into the
holes form an ingot, which retains the wire firmly in its place on the top of
the insulator.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sir William O'Shaughnessy Brooke, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
TITIT TEAM O'STLATICILNESSY DROOKE
WITTIAM O'CHAUGHNESSY BROOKE
TALLY