To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJIMAN S. PURKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to insulators and more especially to an insulator which comprises in itself a tying device but which may also include in connection therewith an independent wire tie.

The body portion of the insulator may be threaded in the usual manner and the portion to which the wire is attached may be cut with a transverse slot extending across the end portion, such slot having curved walls and the lower portion thereof in which the line wire is disposed when the insulator is in its final position, also extending transversely of the body portion of the device but at an angle to the entrance portion of the slot.

In the accompanying drawings---Figure 1 is a view of the device in perspective.  Fig. 2 is a top plan view.  Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation with the parts in section. Fig. 4 is a detail view.

The body portion of the insulator is indicated by 10, this portion being provided with the usual threaded bore 12 and a transverse bore 13 connecting with bore 12, and designed to accommodate a set screw 14 which may engage the pin secured to the cross arm of a telephone or telegraph pole.  The body portion is provided with an enlarged head 15 which is slotted in a peculiar manner in order to carry into effect the purpose of the insulator which is to provide a tying device operative in part by the mere turning of the body portion after the same is partially screwed on the pin. The mouth of the slot is indicated at 16 and may extend across the upper end of the head of the insulator, the slot curving from its mouth downwardly as shown in Fig. 1 and ending with a channel 17 which extends transversely thr6ugh head 15 at an angle to the entrance portion or mouth 16 of the slot.  The insulator is placed on the pin and screwed down a suitable distance leaving the entrance portion of the slot parallel with or extending in the same direction as the line wire when strung.  The wire being inserted in slot 16 the insulator is then turned to a suitable angle until the line wire rests in the channel 17 in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 where the line wire is indicated by 19.

The device as described is sufficient to hold the line wire in position, but if further attaching

means are desired a wire clip may be provided consisting of a central portion 20 extending across the head of the insulator and transversely of the entrance portion of the slot and arms 22 projecting downward.  Grooves 21 may be provided in the sides of the head 15 and in order to accommodate the arms, and the ends of the latter are offset inwardly in order to engage a shoulder 23 formed beneath the head 15 or around the body of the insulator proper.  The offset ends may be looped as at 24 if desired, though it is obvious that any suitable construction which is the equivalent of a head will serve the purpose.  The clip may be formed of steel wire if desired in order that the resilient action thereof will be sufficient to hold the end portions of the tie against the annular portion 23, engaging the shoulder thereby formed.  In this event no twisting of the wire about the body portion is necessary.  The continuous curved wall extends in opposite directions with reference to the end portions of the slot opening.

What I claim is:

1. An insulator whose body has a shoulder around it and whose upper end is transversely slotted for the line wire, the body having grooves at points out of register with the ends of the slot; and a spring clip lying across said slot and having arms lying in said grooves and their lower ends inturned under said shoulder.

2. An insulator having an enlarged head provided with a line-wire passage whose mouth is a slot extending diametrically across the top of the head, the ends of the slot curving downwardly in opposite directions and terminating in a diametric channel; a clip having arms crossing the curved ends of the passage between the extremities of said mouth and channel; and means for holding the arms below said head.

3. An insulator having an enlarged head provided with a line-wire passage whose mouth is a slot extending diametrically across the top of the head, the ends of the slot curving downwardly in opposite directions and terminating in a diametric channel; and a spring wire clip lying across said month and having arms extending downward across the curved ends of the passage beyond the extremities of said mouth and channel, and inturned loops at the lower ends of the arms sprung inward under said head.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

   BENJIMAN S. PURKEY.

Witnesses:

E. W. GARRETSON,

M. PETTERSON.