Improvements in Electric Wire Insulators.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
APA
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Wire Insulators.
We, DANIEL M. ROTHENBERGER, Inventor, CHARLES A. INGLIS and EDWARD
D. REILLY, Promoters, all of Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, and State
of Pennsylvania, United States of America, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in electric wire insulators.
Reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an insulator embodying this invention, the inner
end of the insulator being shown in section.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken transverse the direction of the
supporting wire.
Figure 3 is a view partly in section showing the invention applied to one side of
the insulator.
."
Figure 4 is a view of the insulator its outer end being shown partly in section at
right angles to the section shown in Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4, with the exception that the groove or
recess for the wire is made curved.
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 5, with a slight modification in respect
to the specific form of the wire openings.
The object of this invention is to provide a simple, cheap, but strong insulator in
construction and convenient of manipulation, by providing the insulator itself with an
external groove or recess to receive the main wire, and an inwardly extending
opening having its outer end opening into and communicating with the said external
groove, the said opening being formed to receive a tie wire to be held or secured in
the said opening by means of solder or plastic material; and to preferably provide
the opposite end of the insulator with a means of attachment to a wall or other
hold.
Referring now to the drawings in which A indicates an insulator composed of
porcelain, glass or other similar insulating material, having formed across its outer
end a groove or recess to receive the main wire J to be supported and held thereby.
An opening C is formed in the insulator with its outer end extending into and
communicating with the said groove B, and placed within the opening C is the tie
wire I which is preferably made in the form of a staple. This tie wire 1 is secured
firmly within the opening C by means preferably of solder D which is poured into
the opening after the wire is placed therein. However cement may be used in the
place of solder, and be forced into the opening in a plastic state, and permitted to
remain and harden therein thus forming a hold for the tie. wire.
Attention is directed to the exact position of the wire I, its ends extending
upward at each side of the groove B in which the wire is placed and forming
virtually a part of the side walls of said opening, so that when the main or line wire
is placed in the recess, the tie wire when brought together at its extremities
and twisted as shown in Figure 1 will grasp tightly and firmly the line or main
wire. It is due to the fact that the opening C has its upper end preferably larger
in diameter than the greatest width of the groove B as indicated in Figure 1.
However we do not limit ourselves in this particular, for the size of the tie wire
opening may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.
In Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, the tie wire opening C is made dove-tail in shape
to make more certain the retention of the solder and thereby the wire therein.

page_text: However this is not absolutely essential, for this opening may be formed with
straight walls as shown in Figure 6 and which we find to be very effective.
In Figure 2 is shown the preferred form of insulator in which a screw G is secured
within a recess F formed longitudinally in the inner end of the insulator, the
said screw being held in place by means of solder or cement E.
In Figure 1, the inner end of this insulator is shown provided with a recess a in
which is placed cement b, preferably of such a character as will soften by heating,
whereby a heating of the cement will hold the insulator in place when placed against
a flat faced object.
In Figure 3 the tie wire recess is shown communicating with the external
circunferential groove H. The object of this location is that when a wire is
to change its direction, as for instance in turning a corner, such a location is
especially adapted for that purpose.
In Figures 1, 2, and 4 is shown the recess B with a straight inner wall, while in
Figures 5 and 6 the recess is shown with a curved inner wall for the purpose
of changing the direction of the wire in a convenient and firm manner.
By means of an insulator constructed as herein shown and described a great deal
of time and labor is saved in the construction and running of the line or main wire.
The lineman has only to turn the screw into the wall or other object, place the line
wire in the groove B and twist the end of the tie wire about it, thus doing away with
the necessity for any tools whatever, the tie wire being of such a character that it
can be twisted by hand. This is likewise true of the constructions shown in Figure 1,
in that the lighting of a match would sufficiently soften the cement to make
it adhere to the object against which the insulator might be placed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is —
1. An insulator having at its inner end a means of attachment to an object, and
at its outer end an inwardly extending opening, in combination with a tie wire
placed in said opening, and a holding material within the opening surrounding the said
wire, substantially as shown.
2. An insulator having an external groove to receive the line or main wire,
an opening extending inward from the said groove and having its outer end extending
into and communicating therewith, a tie wire placed within the said opening, and a
bolding material placed within the said opening and surrounding the said wire,
substantially as described.
3. An insulator having an external groove to receive the line or main wire,
an inwardly extending opening having its outer end extending into and
communicating with the said groove, and a staple shaped tie wire having its doubled
portion within the said opening, and a holding material placed within the said
opening between and around the said doubled portion of the tie wire, substantially
as specified.
4. An insulator having an external groove for the line or main wire, an inwardly
extending tie wire opening having its outer end extending into and communicating
with the groove and its outer end preferably larger in diameter than the greatest
width of said groove, a tie wire placed in said opening and held therein, the
projecting portions of the tie wire extending out at each side of the said groove and
having its inner end forming substantially a portion of the side walls of the
said groove, whereby the wire is tightly grasped by the twisting together of the ends
of the tie wire, substantially as set forth.
5. An insulator having an external groove, adapted to receive a line or main wire,
an inwardly extending opening having its outer end extending into and
cominunicating with the said groove, and its inner end enlarged, a doubled wire
placed within the enlarged end of said opening, and a holding material placed
around the doubled portion of the wire and within the enlarged portion of the
opening, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 6. An insulator having its inner end provided with a recess, and a filling of cement
extending to or slightly beyond the outer surface of said inner end, for the purpose
specified.
7. An insulator having a tie wire, and its inner end provided with a recess, and a
filling of cement within the recess extending to or slightly beyond the outer surface
of said inner end, substantially as specified.
Dated this 16th day of April 1895.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.