IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC WIRES OR CONDUCTORS." IN APPARATUS FOR INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC WIRES OR CONCTORS.
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Enoch Tomey, of the City and County of Perth,
North Britain, Glass Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC WIRES OR CONDUCTORS."
IN APPARATUS FOR INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC WIRES OR CONDUCTORS.'
31
Sealed the 25th May 1860, and dated the 28th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Enoch Tomey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th November 1859.
I, ENOCH TOMEY, of the City and County of Perth, North Britain, Glass
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC WIRES OF CON-
DUCTORS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a simple and efficient arrangement for effecting
the perfect insulation of telegraphic wires or conductors at the points or parts
where they are supported or guided as to direction. The improved. insulators
are composed of glass, porcelain, or other material, glass however being
preferred. Each insulator of the improved kind consists of a short standard
or bracket piece formed with a screwed pin for screwing into the telegraph
post, or it may be formed in other ways so as to secure an efficient attach-
Between this pin or stud piece is a shoulder or collar to provide a
good bearing against the main support, and above this is a thick flat head or

page_text: bearing piece for carrying the telegraphic wire. This head piece is formed
with a wide hole transversely through its centre, a transverse slot being formed
in the head so as to allow the wire to slip through down into the bearing
recess when adjusted in position. This slot may be formed either in a line
with the aperture for the wire, or, as is preferred, at a slight angle with such
axis; in the latter case, the vibratory action of the wire cannot cause the
wire to fly out of its bearing recess. Insulators of this kind are available
either as vertical standards or horizontal brackets, the entering slot being of
course made to suit either arrangement. Although the entering slot is most
advantageous, in as far as it admits of such facilities for adjustment, the
improved insulators may be made with a simple bearing hole through them,
but in this case the wires must necessarily be threaded into the insulators.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Enoch Tomey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ENOCH
TOMEY, of the City and County of Perth, North Britain, Glass Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Enoch Tomey, Her special license that I, the said Enoch Tomey,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Enoch Tomey, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there-
after 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 INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC WIRES OR CONDUCTORS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Enoch Tomey, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Enoch Tomey, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:―
My said Invention relates to a simple and efficient arrangement for effecting
the perfect insulation of telegraphic wires or conductors at the points or
parts where they are supported or guided as to direction. The improved
insulators are composed of glass, porcelain, or other material, glass however
being preferred. Each insulator of the improved kind consists of a short
standard or bracket piece formed with a screwed pin for screwing into the
telegraph post, or it may be formed in other ways so as to secure an efficient
attachment. Between this pin or stud piece is a shoulder or collar to provide
a good bearing against the main support, and above this is a thick, flat head
or bearing piece for carrying the telegraphic wire; this head piece is formed
with a wide hole transversely through its centre, a transverse slot being
formed in the head so as to allow the wire to slip through down into the
bearing recess when adjusted in position. This slot may be formed either in
line with the aperture for the wire, or, as is preferred, at a slight angle with
such axis; in the latter case the vibratory action of the wire cannot cause the.
wire to fly out of its bearing recess. Insulators of this kind are available;,
either as vertical standards or horizontal brackets, the entering slot being of
course made to suit either arrangement. Although the entering slot is most
advantageous, in as far as it admits of such facilities for adjustment, the
improved insulators may be made with a simple bearing hole through them,
but in this case the wires must necessarily be threaded into the insulators.
And in order that my said Invention of improvements in apparatus for
insulating telegraphic wires or conductors may be properly understood, I
now shall proceed to describe the several illustrative Figures on the explanatory
Sheet of Drawings, which I have hereunto appended, for the purpose of
showing certain modifications under which my improvements may be judi-
ciously carried out in practice, that is to say, Figure 1 on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, is an elevation of a telegraphic post, for insulating a series
of wires or conductors of the electric fluid, the insulators being arranged in
parallel rows on laterally projecting branches rising pyramidically one above
the other. Figure 2 is an elevation of a telegraphic insulating post, in which
the insulators are screwed into the post itself. Figure 3 is a front elevation
of one of my improved insulators detached; Figure 4 is an end view, and
Figure 5 a plan of the same. In this modification the insulator is arranged

page_text: for screwing into the lateral arms of a vertical post similar to that shown in
Figure 1 on the accompanying Drawings. The insulators are formed either
of glass, porcelain, ordinary earthenware glazed, or other suitable material,
but preference is given to glass as being the best insulating material. The
body A of the insulator consists of a flattened lump or mass of the material
selected for its manufacture, to which a curved or partially elliptical figure is
given as shown in Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings. The edges of the
insulator at B are bevelled off as shown, and at the lower part the material is
curved outwards so as to form a good firm base. From the under side of this
circular base a screwed stud or pin C extends, which serves to secure the
insulator to the post or other support and firmly attach it thereto. A hole is
made through the centre of the insulator, and from its upper part a slot or
opening D extends downwards to this aperture. In this way the insulators
have only to be screwed into the laterally projecting arms of the post E,
Figure 1, and the several wires or conductors simply slipped over the vertical
slots down to the central retaining part. In lieu of the slot D a simple
aperture may be made through each insulator and the wire passed through it,
but I prefer the arrangement as shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Another modification of insulators which is adapted for screwing laterally
into the post or other support is shown in front elevation in Figure 6, and in
end view and plan in Figures 7 and 8. In this modification the general
contour of the insulator corresponds to that shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5; but in
order to adapt it to the horizontal position the slot D is formed at right angles
to the length of the insulator, so that when screwed into a post or other
support F as shown in Figure 2, the wire or conductor may be readily slipped
over the insulator into the slot. Figures 9 and 10 on the accompanying
Drawings are front and end views of an insulator, in which the slot D is
formed in a diagonal direction. This arrangement while it admits of the
telegraphic wire being as readily passed into it as in the vertical or horizontal
modifications, yet from the diagonal direction given to the slot D, the wire is
prevented from springing out upon its being strained or vibrating with the
wind.
In some cases I prefer to make the slot or opening D diagonal to the
faces of the insulator, instead of being at right angles as shown in the Figures.
This arrangement of the diagonal slot is indicated by red lines in Figure 5,
the object of the diagonal slot being to prevent the telegraphic wires from
springing out of the insulators when strained. These insulators may be
manufactured at a very cheap rate, and may be readily fixed to the posts or
other supports; and they are easily replaced if broken, or their position

page_text: requires to be altered. Although I have named glass, earthenware, or porce-
lain as desirable materials to manufacture these insulators from, I do not
confine myself thereto, as they may be made of gutta percha or of some cheaper
material coated with a solution of gutta percha or other non-conducting
varnish or covering to prevent the absorption of moisture and secure the due
insulation of the telegraphic wire or conductor.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of apparatus for insulating
telegraphic wires or conductors as herein-before described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second, the system or mode of insulating the wires of electric telegraphs or
other similar apparatus by means of insulators composed of glass, porcelain,
earthenware, or other suitable non-conducting material, and arranged and con-
structed in the manner herein-before described and delineated in the accom-
panying Drawings, or any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I the said Enoch Tomey, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty.
ENOCH TOMEY. (L.S.)