TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, DARIUS STEBBINS, of Wallingford, in the county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Lightning Rod Insulator; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letter of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in--

Figure 1, a side view, and in

Figures 2 and 3 vertical central sections.

This invention relates to an improvement in the manner of attaching lightning rods to buildings. Insulators have been made from glass, but the shank for attaching the rod to the insulator has been secured to the glass upon the outside. The surface of the glass being unprotected is unavoidably wet at such times as the protection from the rod is necessary. The water on the surface of the glass being a good conductor, and the attachment of the rod being in direct communication with the wet surface, materially detract from the security desired by the use of the rod, and offer a great objection to such insulators.  By my invention this difficulty is entirely overcome and consists in securing the shank within the insulators so as to entirely disconnect from the outer surface of the insulator.

To enable others to construct and use my improvement, I will proceed to describe the same as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

A is the insulator, formed from glass or other non conducting material, and secured by means of a flange, B, at its base in any convenient manner.  I form a cavity, C, in the centre, and through the outer end perforate into the said cavity, as seen in fig. 2, then pass the two ends of a wire, D, through the said perforation, and through the doubled point in the wire insert another piece of wire, d, as seen in figs. 1 and 2, or other suitable device to prevent the wire from being drawn through the perforation, then place the rod E between the two ends of the wire, as seen in fig. 1, then twist or Otherwise unite the two ends together, and the rod is securely attached to the insulator; or, if preferred, instead of securing the wire, as seen in fig. 2, two perforations may be made through the end of the insulator and the wire inserted, as seen in fig. 8.  If deemed necessary the two ends of the wire may be left separate and projecting in different directions, as denoted in red, fig. 1.  Thus the rod; is secured to the insulator without direct connection with its exterior surface, and so that the moisture cannot come in contact with the connection, as to act as a conductor.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--

An insulator constructed substantially in the manner described, so that the rod may be secured directly from the interior of the insulator, as and for the purpose specified.

                                                        DARIUS STEBBINS.

 Witnesses: 

     JOHN B. EARLE,

     JOHN H. SHOMWAY.