To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RALPH G. HEMIN-GRAY of Covington, county of Kenton, State of Kentucky, and JAMES C. GILL, of Muncie, county of Delaware, State of Indiana, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulators for Telegraph-Wires and the Like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Our improvements relate to insulators in which means are devised to obtain as perfect insulation as possible, and to prevent the water which collects on the insulator during rains, from effecting the insulation, by coating the surface of the insulator and thus forming connection between the wire and the insulator support.

In the drawings: - Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved insulator. Fig. 2, is a central vertical section of the same.

A, is the body of the insulator made of glass, porcelain or other suitable insulating material.

B, is the usual groove for the tie-wire, by which the main wire is secured to the insulator. The insulator is molded with a screw threaded recess C in the usual way, by means of which the insulator is secured to its support. The insulator shown is further provided with what is known as a "double petticoat," which consists of the inner shield D and the outer shield E, with the recess a, between the two shields or "petticoats." This double shield or double petticoat arrangement, has been long in use, to present a broad weather protected surface between the lower outer edge of the insulator and the support, the idea being to obtain such abroad surface that water running down the outside of the insulator, will not be able to find

its way to the supporting peg.

It is to obtain a more perfect insulation than has been obtained by this arrangement, that our invention is directed. To accomplish this result, we mold or secure at the lower edge of the flaring bell-mouth of the insulator, a series of lugs or teats b, b. These teats are arranged in series around the lower edge of the insulator and preferably so close together, as to attract and receive on their rounded points, all drops of water that may run down the sides of the insulator. With this construction the teats b attract and draw to their points, where they drop off one at a time, all drops of water which would otherwise gradually extend themselves by capillary attraction over the inner surface of the insulator. We find in practice that a single row of these teats arranged on the lower edge of the insulator, is sufficient, but when desired, of course the inner shield D could be provided with a similar series of teats.

Of course we do not wish to be limited to the particular class of "double petticoat" insulators shown in the drawings, as our series of teats can be formed on the lower edge of any of the well known forms of insulators.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is -

An insulator, provided with a series of teats at the lower edge of the insulator shield, to attract and gather at their points the drops of water running down the outer surface of the insulator, substantially as described.

RALPH G. HEMINGRAY.

JAMES C. GILL.

Witnesses:

J. W. BARTLETT,

C. L. GRIFFITH.