US2352151A

US2352151A - Insulator

Info

Publication number: US2352151A
Application number: US402197A
Authority: US
Inventors: Minot K Holmes
Original assignee: Owens Illinois Glass Co
Current assignee: OI Glass Inc
Priority date: 1941-07-12
Filing date: 1941-07-12
Publication date: 1944-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 1961-06-20

Description

Patented June 20, 1944 iNsULAroR J i Minot K. Holmes, Muncie, Ind., asslgnor to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Application July 12, 1941, Serial No. 402,197

7 Claims. (01. 174-165) The present invention relates-to improvements in insulators and aims to provide novel construction and means for readily removably attaching insulators} or wire ho1ders,,to a support.

Generally wire holders or insulators of a low voltage type, to whichthe present invention reiers, are manufactured in a wide variety of styles particularly as regards the devices for attaching them to a support. Inorder to meet the various installation requirements encountered, insulators are made with long and short screws, or bolts, which are..usually permanently embedded or molded, therein, thus necessitating the maintenance ofYa'sufiiciently complete stock of a plurality of styles.

It isthe primary object of the present invention to provide, an insulator having more or less universal application in that it is constructed in almanner to employ detachable or interchangeable mounting pins and thus eliminatethe need for numerous style combinations.

Another object of the invention is the provi- 'sion of novel means for removably securing a mounting pin to the insulator body.

j' A further object of the invention is the provision of novel means for applying a pin holding clip to the insulator body.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out'hereinafter.

j In the drawing; I v

,f Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an insulator embodying myinvention mounted on a support. j Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the insulator taken along the plane of line 2-2, of Fi .1..

" Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the insulator with the mounting screw shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a compression "gasket. j a Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof the screw holdm sup.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the head of the clip inserting tool.

' Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional view through an insulator illustrating a preliminary clip inserting position. 1

, Fig. 8 is a similar sectional View showing the inserting tool and clip, or insert, in final posi tion.

shape an'd'adapted for mounting on a suitable support II. The insulator body is providedin its'lower end, or base, with'a cavity 12, which is substantially 'L-shaped and includes a longitudinal passageway, or leg l2 which opens through the base. I3. This passageway is disposed at one side of the longitudinal axis of the insulator. The inner end M, or base of the cavity I2 is disposed at right angles to the longitudinal passageway and opens into the end wall by means of an axial groove I5 in one wall of said passageway. This groove is adapted to receive the shank of ,an' attaching or supporting screw [6 having a head '11. The head I1 is normally adapted to lie within the chamber M of the cavity (Fig. 2) as will be brought out presently. The outer wall of' the cavity 14 into which the groove l5 opens, forms a shoulder l8 against which a pin retaining clip I9 is adapted to seat.

The clip [9 (Fig. 5) which may be formed of sheetv metal includes a substantially U-shaped top 20 providing an opening 2| which is adapted to register with the aforementioned axial groove !5, when placed in the insulator. A depending flange formed along the closed edge of the top 20, provides a retaining Wall 2201' lug for the screw head H and also aids in inserting the clip in the insulator. The free ends of the arms forming the side walls of the opening 2|, are bent downwardly and upwardly and thence outwardly, and form lugs 23 for engaging the head'of the pin in cooperation with said retaining wall 22. Ears 24 provided by'lateral extensions on theextreme end of the arms are bent upwardly as shown in Fig. 5 to permit ready insertion in the insulator. Afterward they are bent downwardly to the broken line position for locking the clip in position. Grooves 25 are provided in opposite walls of the cavity at the juncture of the longitudinal passageway I2 and groove l5 for receiving'the ears 24 when they are pressed into locking position. A gasket 26 (Fig. 4) of a malleable material such as lead, and of substantially the size and shape of the U-shaped top 20 of the clip, is placed thereon prior to insertion into the insulator. The gasket is adapted to compensate for any surface irregularities and insure a positive seat for the lag screw when tightening pressure is applied for mounting the insulator. a

In order to facilitate installation of the clip and gasket, I have provided a tool 28 (Figs. 6, '7, and 8) for inserting and locking the clip inposition. The tool comprises a rectangular head 29 carried on a rod 30 which is threaded at its upper end to receive a nut 3|. The head is provided with slots 32 into which the lugs 23 of the clip are placed to properly position'the' clip so that the body of the clip is thus supported on the end wall i3 or base, of the insulator.

the head. The gasket 26 may then be placed over the clip and the tool lowered into the longitudinal portion I2 01 the cavity 12. The tool may be caused to assume the angular position illustrated in Fig. 7, with the rod 30 lying partially within the groove IS, in order to properly place the clip against the shoulder I8 (Fig. 8). A U-shaped pressing or spreading fork 33 is then placed on the rod 30, one leg of the fork extending into the grooves 25 and bearing against the upturned ears 24 and the other end bearing on y threading the nut on the rod, pressure is applied to the ears 24 and the latter are thereby pressed outwardly and downwardly into the grooves 25. The head 29 is provided with extensions 34 which provide a backing for and support the ears 24 during bending of the latter.

After the clip is secured in position the fork 33 may be removed from the rod 30 and the head 29 lowered to the broken line position shown in .Fig. 8. The head is thus freed from the clip and may be moved toward and into the longitudinal portion I2 of the cavity and withdrawn.

In attaching a mounting screw to the insulator, the screw is inserted head foremost into the cavity l2 and moved laterally toward the .axis of the insulator so that the shank of the screw lies within the groove IS. A slight withdrawal of the screw thus brings the head I! into contact with the clip and in frictional contact with and behind the lugs 23. With the screw in place, the insulator may be mounted on a support by rotating it to thread the screw therein. Binding pressure of the insulator body against the support draws the clip tightly against the shoulder I8, the gasket 26 being relatively soft and compensating for any irregularities in the surface thereof and preventing undue strain, which might tend to weaken, or crack, the glass. Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An insulator of the character described comprising a body having a substantially L- shaped cavity which includes outer and inner intercommunicating chambers, said outer chamber opening through one end of the body, and said inner chamber disposed axially of the insulator, one wall forming said outer chamber having a groove arranged axially of the body and opening axially at one end into said inner chamber and at its other end through said one end of the body, said groove being smaller in crosssectional area than the outer chamber, a demountable supporting pin for the insulator, and means including a U-shaped clip for holding said pin against accidental removal from the 2. An insulator of the character described having a substantially L-shaped cavity one leg of which extends lengthwise of the insulator and to one side of the axis thereof, a demountable supporting pin for said insulator, a transverse shoulder formed within the cavity, a substantially U-shaped clip adapted to seat against said shoulder, lugs formed on said clip for engaging said pin, and ears securing said clip within the cavity. i

3. An insulator of the character described having a substantially L-shaped cavity one leg of which extends lengthwise of the insulator and to one side of the axis thereof, a demountable supporting pin for said insulator, a shoulder formed within a chamber of the cavity, a substantially U-shaped clip adapted to seat against said shoulder, lugs formed on said clip for engaging said pin, a. malleable gasket disposed between said clip and shoulder, and ears formed on the clip engaging in grooves formed in the walls of the cavity for securing said clip therein.

4. An insulator of the character described comprising a body having a substantially L- shaped cavity which includes outer and inner intercommunicating chambers, said outer chamher opening through one end of the body, and said inner chamber disposed axially of the in sulator, one wall forming said outer chamber having a groove arranged axially of the body and opening at one end into said inner chamber and at its other end through said one end of the body, the wall of said inner chamber adjacent the groove forming a shoulder, a demountable supporting pin for the insulator, a substantially U-shaped clip adapted to seat against said shoulder and retain said pin axially of the insulator, lugs formed on said clip for releasably engaging said pin, ears formed on the clip engaging in grooves formed in the walls of the cavity, and a malleable gasket disposed between said clip and shoulder.

5. An insulator comprising a body having a base portion and a substantially L-shaped cavity, one leg of the cavity extending longitudinally of the body and opening through the base at one side of the axis thereof, the other leg of said cavity extending across the axis of the body, said body also having a longitudinal axial groove opening at one side into said one leg of the cavity and opening at its ends into the other leg of the cavity and through the base of the body, said groove being smaller in crosssectional area than said one leg of the cavity said body having a pair of opposed longitudinal channels at the juncture of the groove and first named leg of the cavity, and means in part secured in said channels for anchoring the head of a headed supporting element in said other leg of the cavity.

6. An insulator comprising a body having a base portion and a substantially L-shaped cavity, one leg of the cavity extending longitudinally of the body and opening through the base at one side of the axis thereof, the other leg of said cavity extending across the axis of the body, said body also having a longitudinal groove opening at one side into said one leg of the cavity and opening at its ends into the other leg of the cavity and through the base of the body, said body having a pair of opposed longitudinal channels at the juncture of the groove and first named leg of the cavity, and means in part secured in said channels for anchoring the head of a headed supporting element in said other leg of the cavity, said means including a substantially U-shaped clip arranged at the inner end of the groove, ears formed on the arms of said clip and projecting into the channels and spaced lugs formed on the clip and projecting inwardly into said other leg of the cavity. 7

7. An insulator comprising a body having a base portion and a substantially L-shapedcavity, one leg of the cavity extending longitudinally of the body and opening through the base at one side of the axis thereof, the other leg oi said cavity extending across the axis of the body, said body also having a longitudinal groove opening at one side into said one leg oi the cavity and opening at its ends into the other leg of the cavity and through the base of the body,

said body having a pair of opposed longitudinal channels at the juncture of the groove and first named leg of the cavity, and means in part secured in said channels for anchoring the head of a headed supporting element in said other leg of the cavity, said means including a substantially U-shaped clip arranged at the inner end of the groove, ears formed on the arms of said clip and projecting into the channels and spaced lugs formed on the clip and projecting inwardly into said other leg of the cavity, certain of said lugs being formed by bending the free ends of the arms upon themselves and thence in the normal direction of the arms.

MINO'I K. HOLMES.