US2421286A - Insulator tie for line conductors - Google Patents

Description

May 27, 1947.

R. D. PYLE Filed March 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 27, 1947. PYLE INSULATOR TIE FOR LINE CONDUCTOR Filed March 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 27, 1947 2,421,286 INSULATOR TIE FOR LINE CONDUCTORS Ralph D. Pyle, Pleasant Hills, Pa., asslgnor to Copper-weld Steel Company, Glassport, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 24, 1945, Serial No. 584,536

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a tie for securing transmission and distribution line conductors to pin type and spool insulators.

Various forms of insulator ties have been proposed heretofore for securing conductors at their points of support. All such ties have been open to certain objections and it is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improved tie which is simple and easy to apply and which largely eliminates the human element and personal skill required for application. The tie is effective in securing the conductor in such a manner as to minimize the danger of fatigue failure resulting from vibration and to eliminate chafing of the line wire due to looseness of the tie.

In a preferred embodiment the invention comprises a pair of hard-drawn preformed helical reinforcing wires, adapted to be applied to the conductor, having loops formed therein adapted to engage opposite sides oi. an insulator, whereby the insertion of a binding wire through the loops and the twisting together of its ends serve to complete the tie and securely anchor the conductor to the insulator. The reinforcing wires when applied to the conductor have a relatively tight fit on the conductor since the inside diameter of the helix is substantially the same as the diameter of the line conductor on which it is applied.

The details of the invention will be made clear during the following complete description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment and certain modifications. In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view showing one form of tie;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a partial elevation of one of the reinforcing wires;

Figure 4 is a partial plan view thereof;

Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 3 and 4 showing a modified form;

Figure 'I is an end elevation of the modified form;

Figures 8 and 9 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 showing a further modified tie;

Figure 10 is an elevation of the reinforcing wire used in the last mentioned modification;

Figure 11 is a plan view of a side tie embodying the invention; and

Figure 12 is an elevation thereof with parts in section.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, a transmission or distribution line conductor i0 is adapted to rest in a groove II in the top of an insulator I2.

The insulator is adapted to be 5g Figures 8 through 10 illustrate a mounted on a pin secured to a pole or a crossarm carried thereby. A pair of substantially identical preformed helical reinforcing wires l3 and H are applied to the conductor ill. The reinforcing wires have loops i5 projecting therefrom intermediate their ends. The wires l3 and H are applied to the conductor in spaced relation thereon so that the loops It will engage the sides of the insulator adjacent the top, as shown in Figure 2. The wires l3 and I4 overlap each other except for a short distance inwardly from the ends.

When the wires l8 and II have been applied to the conductor the latter may be secured to the insulator by a binding wire iii. For this purpose a suitable length of wire has its ends inserted through the loops l5 and twisted together at ll.

It will be appreciated that the tie described above has the advantage that no forming of wire is required on the job except the twisting together of the ends of the binding wire. This operation may readily be performed with a pair of pliers, although special tools may be used to facilitate this twisting of the binding wire. A further advantage is that the reinforcing wires space the line conductor away from the bottom of the insulator groove and prevent any chafing action between the line conductor and the insulator. Also the reinforcing wires being preformed have a firm grip On the conductor insuring against chafing of the conductor by said reinforcing wires. The depth of the loops 15 should be such that when the binding wire is tightened, the line conductor with the reinforcing wires thereon will be held firmly in the insulator groove without bending the conductor over the sides of the insulator. The width and design of the loops, furthermore, should be substantially equal to the pitch of the helix so that the wire on each side of the loop is a continuation of the same helix.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of reinforcing wire l8 which is generally similar to the wires l3 and I4 except that, instead of an open loop l5, it has a closed loop or eye l9 intermediate theends thereof. It will be apparent that this form of reinforcing wire functions in the same manner as those shown in Figures 1 through 4. It is hardly necessary to state that the helical portions or the reinforcing wire obtain a tight grip on the line conductor by friction so as to prevent longitudinal slippage of the conductor relative to the insulator.

further modi- 3 fication of preformed helical reinforcing wire 20. This form of wire differs from those described above in that it has a closed loop or eye 2| adiacent one end. In securing a conductor II to an insulator by this form of reinforcing wire, two

wires are applied with their eyes engaging opposite sides of the insulator and the adjacent portions of the wires in overlapping relation. The binding wire it is then applied by inserting its ends through the eyes 2 i. In this modification the conductor is again spaced away from the insulator to insure against chafing. Furthermore, it is evident that the resistive pressures on the line conductor are confined to the section over the insulator and are reduced by the bearing of the reinforcing wires on the insulator.

Figures 11 and 12 show a side tie for securing the conductor in to the insulator I! in the circumferential groove I2a thereof. This tie, like that shown in Figures 8 and 9, requires two reinforcing wires 20, the Only difference being that the eyes 2i thereof project laterally from the conductor instead of downwardly. A binding wire 22 has its ends brought around the insul tor from the side opposite that on which the conductor is disposed, and passed through the eyes 2|. The ends of the wire 22 are then bent back on themselves, taken back around the insulator and twisted together as at 23, to complete the tie.

The invention is characterized by an important advantage in that the preformed helical reinforcing wires constitute the connection from the conductor to the binding wire so that there is no contact between the latter and the line conductor. This overcomes the danger of chafing of the line conductor by the binding wire which is one of the faults of ties made entirely by hand. Such ties when improperly applied, or if they become loose due to vibration, can cause chafing of the line conductor. The personal skill or human element involved in applying hand-wrapped ties is largely eliminated by this improved type of tie.

A further advantage is the fact that the loops in the reinforcing wires may be properly dimen sioned to give just the right amount of down pull, without causing any localized bending of the line conductor which would tend to hasten fatigue failure. The use of two reinforcing wires to form the tie is an advantage in that they can readily be applied to the conductor so that insulators of various sizes may be accommodated by the loops formed by the wires.

Although I have illustrated and described but a few preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that changes in the details thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Atie for-securing aline conductortoaninsulator comprising two separate substantially identical, hard-drawn, pr formed, helioll, reinforcing wires adapted to be wrapped around the conductor, said wires being thereby efiective to secure a tight frictional grip on the conductor, each wire having an ofiset loop formed therein. the wires being disposed on the conductor one on each side of the insulator, in partly overlapping relation, their loo s engaging opposite sides or the insulator, and a binding wire extending around the insulator and through the loops of said reinforcing wires to secure the latter to the insulator.

2. An insulator tie as defined by claim 1 wherein said loops are located intermediate the ends of said wires.

3. An insulator tie as defined by claim 1 wherein said loops are U-shaped.

4. An insulator tie as defined byrclaim 1 wherein said loops are substantially closed.

5. An insulator tie as defined by claim 1 wherein said loops are closed and located intermediate the ends of said reinforcing wires.

6. An insulator tie as defined by claim 1 wherein said loops are substantially closed and located at one end of each of said reinforcing wires.

7. An insulator tie as defined by claim 1 wherein said loops are U-shaped and located intermediate the ends of the wires.

8. A tie for securing a line conductor to an insulator comprising two separate substantially identical hard-drawn, preformed, helical, reinforcing wires wrapped around and frictionally engaging the conductor, each wire having an oflset loop formed therein, the wires being wrapped on the conductor in partly overlapping relation, with their loops engaging opposite sides of the insulator, and means engaging said loops and securing said reinforcing wires and said conductor to the insulator.

RALPH D. PYLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 534,169 Myers Feb. 12, 1895 867,901 Barclay Oct. 8, 1907 2,263,728 Gordon et a1 Nov. 25, 1941 2,182,342 Karitzky Dec. 5, 1939 2,202,538 Selquist May 28, 1940 2,414,045 Kitselman et a1. Jan. 7, 1947

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