To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. DWYER, of Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lightning-rod Supporters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing a lightning-rod holder of only two pieces, of such a form that the rod itself will combine the said pieces with each other at the same time that the said rod by so doing is securely held and sustained by the said pieces when one of them is secured to some portion of a building or is otherwise suitably sustained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved rod-supporter; and Figs. 2 and 3 are sections of the same representing the respective parts thereof as being combined with each other by a piece of a rod.

The portion A of my improved supporter may he made of glass or other suitable material. The base of the said portion A may be given such a shape as to in make it most convenient to secure it to a wall, roof, or other sustainer. The head of A has shoulders c c projecting from opposite sides thereof and a transverse notch, d, is formed in the face of said head, which descends into the said shoulders and is enough larger than the rod which is to pass into said notch to allow it free play therein.

The other portion of my improved lightning-rod holder is composed of the sides e e and the

connecting-bar f. The said sides e e have square holes g g placed opposite each other, and at their lower extremities inwardly projecting shoulders i i are formed, which shoulders are such a distance from each other that they can be passed freely under the shoulders c c (which project from the sides of the head of A) into the position shown in Fig. 3,in which position the holes g g in the said sides e e will be opposite the notch or groove d in the face of the head of A, which will allow the rod k to be passed through the said holes g g and the notch d, and when placed in said position the respective parts of the rod-holder will be securely fastened to each other and the said rod be securely fastened to them.

The size of the respective parts of my improved lightning-rod holder are so proportioned to each other and to the size of the rod which they are to be combined with that the high temperature imparted to the rod by the electric fluid and the consequent expansion of the rod will not produce any injury.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--

Constructing a lightning-rod holder of but two parts, of such a form that the lightning-rod will connect them to each other at the same time that it combines itself securely with them, substantially as represented by the accompanying drawings and herein set forth.

                          R. D. DWYER.

Witnesses:

      JAMES EVANS,

      I. A. AUGHINBAUGH.