To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND W. GREGORY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulators, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide at a nominal cost an improved insulator especially adapted to telegraphic purposes.

It consists of a hollow cap having a vertical face upon one or more sides and horizontal grooves cut into the face of sufficient depth to completely house the line-wire and openly terminating on each side of the face.

The following is a complete description of my invention, reference being had to the drawings, of which--

Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a front view; Fig. 3, a plan of base; Fig. 4, a perspective view showing my insulator in practical use.

Like letters refer to like parts.

G is the groove; C, coil; O, open end of groove; T, tie-wire; P P, section of plane; L, line-wire.

My improved insulator may be made of any suitable material, of dome shape, as shown, or of any configuration suited to requirements, the novelty of which consists of a vertical face or planes or cross-sections thereof equal in width to the diameter of the body of the insulator and of height to admit of one or more horizontal grooves of sufficient size to house the line wire or wires and extending to retain the tie-wire around the insulator, as shown in Fig. 4.  G, the grooves, openly terminating at the parallel sides of the face, are equal in length to the diameter of the insulator, thereby making a long solid bearing

and reliable support for the line-wire and admitting the tie-wire being drawn tightly against the ends of the grooves, and there easily and smoothly coiled around the line-wire without the slightest abrasion, bend, or kink, as shown in Fig. 4, C.  The grooves may be at any desired angle and at opposite sides of the insulator and directly opposite each other or upon four sides.  In such event they may serve, in conjunction, for the line and tie wires.

My improvement furnishes a long and steady bearing, a reliable rest and support for the line-wire, and admits of using a stronger or thicker tie-wire, which may be coiled upon either side close to the bearing of the line-wire without kinking or abrading, and the coil may be extended upon the line-wire, thereby relieving any indirect strain at this juncture.

What I claim, and ask to have secured by Letters Patent, is--

A hollow knob-like insulator having a screw-thread upon its inner side walls for the purpose of confining the insulator to a pin adapted to the purpose and said insulator having upon its exterior a vertical face spanning the width of said insulator and longitudinally across said face a groove of sufficient depth to house a line-wire and form a substantial rest for said line-wire when therein confined by a tie-wire, a tie-wire groove encircling the cylindrical part of the knob and forming a continuation of the straight groove.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 7th day of August, A. D. 1902. 

FERDINAND W. GREGORY. 

Witnesses:

M. E. LAWRENCE,

CHAS. V. WOOD.