To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NECTER ROUSSEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Insulators for Electric Wires, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In constructing insulators by which electric wires are suspended it is usual to provide them with what are known as "storm-shields," which serve to prevent the short-circuiting of the currents by the water or moisture which in stormy weather adheres to the sides of the insulators.  The most usual form of insulator is one somewhat in shape of an inverted cup, which is held upon the cross-arms of the telegraph-pole by means of a central pin, which fits within the cup in such manner as to leave a space between the lower inner sides of the cup and the bottom of the pin.  With this class of insulators, however, it sometimes happens that this space, which is just above the cross-arm, becomes partially filled with dust or soot, which collects within the space and upon the cross-arm, and in severe storms the rain, splashing upon the cross-arm, wets the dust in the space, and allows the current to escape through the same and the wet cross-arms and pole to the ground.  Again, when this form of insulator is employed upon lines which are divided-as at some way-station the ends of the divided wire, if attached to separate insulators, have a tendency to pull the same off the cross-arms, since the strain of the portion of the wire attached to each insulator is in but one direction.

The object of my present invention is to provide an insulator which shall better guard against the escape of the electric current, and which shall more effectually insulate and better sustain the ends of a divided wire.  This object I have accomplished by the construction of insulator hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly defined in the claim at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved insulator.  Fig. 2 is a view of the

same in vertical section.  Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of a modified form of insulator.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A designates the insulator, composed of glass, porcelain, or other suitable material, and held upon the cross-arm B by means of the wooden pin C, fitted within the central threaded socket of the insulator.  The part of the

insulator next to the cross-arm is cut away to form the space between the pin C and the inner or lower shield, a'.  Above the shield a' is formed the groove a2, for one end, W, of a divided wire, and above this groove is formed the space a3, between the body of the insulator and the outer shield, a4.  The groove a5, above the outer shield, receives the other end, W', of the wire.

From the above-described construction it will be seen that the ends of the divided wire being connected to the same insulator, the strain upon one side of the insulator is offset by that upon the other, and there is not that tendency to draw the insulator from the cross-arm which would exist were but one end of the wire connected to the insulator.  The shield a’ serves, as in the old form of insulator to insulate the portion W of the wire from the pin C, and the shield a4 effectually insulates the part W of the wire from the part W’ thus allowing current to pass to a way-station by wires connected to the ends w.  As the shield a’ is exposed to the rain, it is kept clean, and there is hence less danger of dust and dirt collecting in the space a3 than in the space a, which is immediately above the cross-arm, and, moreover, there is no danger of water being splashed into the space a3 in case of severe storms so that this space is always dry.  For this reason the use of this construction of insulator will be found of great advantage, even where the wire is not to be divided and the single groove a5 is employed.

In Fig. 3 is shown a form of insulator adapted to be attached to the under side of the cross-arm, or in other positions where it would he impracticable to place an insulator in vertical position.  In this form the wire W is insulated from the cross-arm by the space a and from the wire W’ by the space a3.

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

As a new article of manufacture, an insulator for electric wires, having two storm shields and two grooves for wires, one of said grooves being located between the two shields and the other being located beyond the two shields, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of March, A. D. 1883.

    NECTER ROUSSEAU.

In presence of—

GEO. P. FISHER, Jr.,

JAMES H. PEIRCE.