To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wallingford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Tree-Insulator, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application, is an insulator, adapted to be mounted upon trees, and like objects, having a limited movement, the insulator being so constructed that a wire may readily be inserted thereinto.

Another object of the invention is to provide an insulator of this type, in which the wires may move freely, without chafing or injuring the wires.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for securing together, the two constituent portions of the insulator, and to prevent them from sliding upon each other.

Various changes, properly falling within the scope of what is claimed, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the insulator in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section upon the line A-B of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section upon the line C-D of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a top plan of the base of the insulator; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the cap of the insulator; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modification; Fig. T is a longitudinal section upon the line E-F of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section upon the Tine C-H of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a top plan of the base of the insulator delineated in Fig. 6; and Fig. 10 is a bottom plan of the cap used in connection with the form of base which is shown in Fig. 9.

In the form shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the base 1 of the insulator is circular in cross section throughout its entire length and in the bottom of the base 1 there is the usual threaded opening 2 for the reception of a supporting pin, the side walls of the base 1 being carried downwardly to form a hood 3.  An opening 4 extends entirely through the base, the opening being carried upwardly to intersect the upper face of the base, thus forming a groove in the upper face of the base. Longitudinally, the lower surface of the opening 4 convexes upwardly, as denoted by the numeral 5. Transversely, the opening 4 concaves downwardly, as denoted by the numeral 6; the bottom of the opening 4 thus consisting of an anticlastic surface, resembling the surface of a saddle.  The upper portions 7 of the side walls of the opening 4 flare as they extend upwardly, and are set back slightly, thereby forming shoulders 8 in the side walls of the opening 4. As seen to best advantage in Fig. 2, the upper edges of these shoulders 8 converge at 9 as they extend upwardly, to form an apex 10 in the side walls 4 of the opening through the insulator. These apexes 10 are thinned, as shown at 11.  The upper portions 7 of the side walls of the opening 4 are double-convex, as seen at 12.

A cap 14 is provided, adapted to fit upon the top of the base 1, the cap 14 overhanging the upper end of the base, as seen at 15.  Along the longitudinal center of the cap 14 there is a depending tongue 16, adapted to fit in the opening 4 of the base 1. The exterior side walls 17 of the tongue 16 are double-concaved, as shown at 18, to fit the double convexity 12 of the side walls of the opening 4 in the base 1. As denoted by the numeral 19, the tongue is notched transversely, so as to fit down upon the shoulder 8 and to engage the apex 10 defined in the side wall of the opening 4.  There is an opening in the bottom of the tongue 16, extended longitudinally of the same. Longitudinally of the tongue, this opening concaves downwardly, while transversely of the tongue, the opening convexes upwardly, the downward concavity being denoted by the numeral 20, and the upward convexly by the numeral 21.  Thus, in the lower face of the tongue 16, and anti-elastic surface is provided, which, cooperating with the anti-elastic surface defined by the bottom of the opening 4 in the base 1, serves to fashion an opening extended entirely through the insulator, which said opening is of least diameter at the center of the insulator, the opening flaring as it extends toward the side walls of the insulator. It will he seen that the curvature denoted by the numeral 21, together with the fact that the tongue is transversely notched as denoted by the numeral 19, results in the formation of four fingers 22, located in pairs, at opposite ends of the tongue 16.

The upper end of the base 1 is provided with a circumscribing groove 23, the groove 23 being continued across the end faces of the tongue 16, as shown at 24.  These grooves 23 and 24 are adapted to receive a band of wire 25 or the like, the ends of which are twisted together as shown at 26, thus securing the cap 14 in place upon the base 1. The base 1, in its upper portion, is provided with aligned openings 27, and in the tongue 16 there is a corresponding opening 28. These openings 27 and 28 are adapted to receive a cotter pin 29, and through the eye 30 of the cotter pin, the wire band 25 may be extended, the extremities of the

cotter pin being bent outwardly, and engaged by the wire 25, as shown at 31.

 In Fig. 6 of the drawings, a slight modification of the invention is shown. The upper portion of the base 32 is oval in cross section, while the lower portion of the base remains circular in cross section. The opening 33 in the base 32 is convexed upwardly in the direction of its length, as seen at 34, the opening being concaved downwardly, transversely, as shown at 35, and thus the bottom of the opening 33 is made to define the anti-elastic surface hereinbefore mentioned in connection with the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1. The side walls 36 of the opening 33 flare as they extend upwardly, and in these side walls 36 there are double-convexed grooves 37 extending longitudinally of the base 32. The cap 38 bears a tongue 39 adapted to fit in the opening 33 and upon the remote side faces of the tongue 39 there are double-convexed ribs 40 adapted to fit in the grooves 37.  As shown, the ribs 40 terminate at their lower ends in fingers 43.  The side walls of the tongue 39 of the cap are inclined as shown at 41, to fit against the side walls 36 of the opening 33 in the base 32. The lower surface of the tongue 39 is downwardly concaved longitudinally of the tongue as seen at 44, and upwardly convexed transversely of the tongue, as denoted by the numeral 42, thus defining an anti-elastic surface in the lower face of the tongue, which, cooperating with the anti-elastic surface in the bottom of the opening 33, serves to provide an opening extended entirely through the insulator, which said opening is of least diameter adjacent the center of the insulator, the opening flaring as it approaches the side walls of the insulator.  By reason of the peculiar contour given to the opening through the insulator, the wire which is to be mounted in the insulator may slide freely to and fro in the insulator without chafing or injuring the wire. The cooperation between the faces 12 and 17 of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 5, prevents the cap 14 from sliding longitudinally of the opening 4, while the cooperation between the elements 37 and 40, in the form shown in Figs. 10 and 9, likewise prevent the cap 38 from sliding longitudinally in the opening 33.

It will be seen that by removing the cap, a wire may readily be dropped into the openings 4 and 33, whereupon the cap may be mounted upon the base and secured by means of the cotter pin 29 and the wire 25.  It is of course obvious that either the cotter pin 29 or the wire 25 may be used alone, the two being used together only when an unusually secure joint is required.

When a light wire is mounted in the insulator, the form shown in Fig. 6 may be used to advantage.  When, however, a heavier wire is used the form shown in Fig. 1 will prove more satisfactory for the reason that a larger bearing surface for the wire is provided the base of the insulator in the form shown in Fig. 1, being circular in cross section adjacent its top, instead of oval the latter construction being carried out in the form shown in Fig. 6.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:--

1. An insulator comprising a base having an opening in its top; and a cap to cover the base the cap having a tongue to register in the opening, there being a continuous groove about the base and across the tongue, for the reception of a securing band.

2. An insulator comprising a base having an opening in its top and a cap to fit upon the base, the cap having a depending tongue to fit in the opening; the base and the tongue having aligning transverse openings for the reception of a securing pin.

3. An insulator comprising a base having an opening in its top; and a cap to cover the base, the cap having a tongue to register in the opening, there being a continuous groove about the base and across the tongue, for the reception of a securing band; there being in the tongue and in the base, aligning transverse openings terminating in the groove, and adapted to receive a securing pin.

4. An insulator comprising a base having an opening extended entirely across its top; a cap to fit upon the base and provided with a tongue to register in the opening, the tongue and the base being provided with integrally formed, interengaging elements, permitting the cap to be freely lifted from the base, but preventing the cap and the base from having relative transverse movement.

5. An insulator comprising a base having An opening extended entirely across the top; a cap to fit upon the base and provided with a tongue to register in the opening, there being shoulders in the base, in the side wall of the opening, converging to an apex, and the tongue being provided in its side wa11 with fingers to straddle the apex.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED L. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

ERNEST L. AVERILL,

HARRY E. DICKERMAN.