US2621881A - Support for insulators - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 16, 1952 A. B. BUSSMANN 3 SUPPORTFOR INSULATORS Filed Sept. 20, 1946 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 20 I ZR III l INVENTOR. 1H0 L/S/US Bffiussmann aet mw A TTa/r IVE Y 1952 A. B. BUSSMANN 2,621,881

SUPPORT FOR INSULATORS Filed Sept. 20 1946 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. A/m flusBBuss/nann Patented Dec. 1 6, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORT FOR INSULATORS Aloysius B. Bussmann, St. Louis,- Mo., assignor to Alamo Corporation, Clayton, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application September 20, 1946, Serial No. 698,292

2 Claims.

structures that have arcuate, multi-lateral or blade-type surfaces.

In using insulators, and in particular in using insulators for electric fences, it is desirable to provide a quick and easy method of securing them to a post or other supporting structure. In some instances, the fence post or other supporting structure has a broad fiat surface that a nail or a screw can be caused to penetrate, and against which the base of the insulator can bear; and with such posts or supporting structures, it is possible to secure an insulator-engaging member to the posts or supporting structures by means of nails or screws. The insulator-engaging member then serves to hold the insulator firmly seated against the post or supporting structure. Where, however, the posts or other supporting structures have arcuate or multi-lateral surfaces, it may be inconvenient or impossible to obtain firm seating of the insulators against the posts or supporting structures in the manner employed where the posts or supporting surfaces have broad flat surfaces against which the bases of the insulators can bear; and in those instances, a new type of insulator support must be provided. This new type of insulator support must be capable of seating firmly against posts that are of wood or metal and have arcuate or multi-lateral surfaces. The present invention provid'es such an insulator support, and that support can be nailed, screwed or wired against fence posts or other supporting structures that have arcuate or multi-lateral surfaces. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved insulator support that can be nailed, screwed or wired to fence posts or other supporting structures that have arcuate' or multilateral surfaces.

It is sometimes desirable to use a post or other supporting structure which has a projecting blade or web, and to secure an insulator to that blade or web. Some posts of this type have a T-shaped' cross section, some have an L-shaped cross section, some are U-shaped in cross section, and some have still different cross More particularly, this sections. To be completelyversatile, an insulator support should be constructed to seat firmly against any and all of these posts or supporting structures. Moreover, the insulator support should be capable of being seated in various positions on these posts or other supporting structures. The present invention provides such an insulator support, and it is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an insulator support that can be seated against posts or other supporting structures that have T-shaped, L-shaped', U-shaped and other cross sections.

The insulator support of the present invention has a seating member which has a substantially plane surface that serves as a bearing surface for the base of the insulator; and the seating member also has a downwardly depending flange or skirt which is adapted to engage the surface of the fence post or other supporting structure. To make this skirt capable of being seated firmly in contact with any one of a number of different types and shapes of posts or supporting structures, the skirt is provided with two oppositely disposed indentations of varying depth that extend upwardly from a theoretical plane embracing those points of the.

skirt most remote from the plane surface and extend toward said plane surface. In addition, the skirt has two relatively narrow rectangular slots that are oppositely disposed of the, skirt, and are alternated with the indentations of the skirt, and that extend upwardly from the said plane and extend toward the plane surface of the seating member. The slots and indentations in the skirt of the seating member permit the insulator support to engage and be firmly seated against posts .or supporting structures of almost any cross section. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an insulator support with a seating member which has a substantially plane insulator-engaging surface and a downwardly depending flange with alternated upwardly extending indentations and upwardly extending narrow rectangular slots.

The seating member of the insulator support of the present invention also has a. centrallylocated opening in the plane surfacethereof and an upwardly extending annular projectiongthat surrounds the opening and spaces the insulatorengaging member from the substantially plane insulator-engaging surface of the seating member. This upwardly extending annular projection makes it easy for the insulator to be -threaded onto the insulator-engaging member;

and the opening makes it possible to use nails, screws or wires interchangeably in securing the insulator-engaging member to the post or other supporting structure. In addition, where a wire is used, the opening makes it possible for the wire that passes around and is secured to the post or supporting structure to the same wire that holds the insulator-engaging member in assembled relation with the seating member of the insulator support. Moreover, the upwardly extending annular projection and the downwardly depending flange or skirt space the insulatorengaging member from the post or other supporting structure in such a Way that the nails, screws or wire can be inclined to the plane surface of the seating member and still not interfere with the firm seating of the insulator support against the supporting structure. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an insulator support with a seating member which has a centrally-located opening in the plane surface thereof and an upwardly extending annular projection that surrounds the opening and spaces the insulator-engaging member from the plane surface of the seating member.

Where a wire is used to secure the insulatorengaging member and the seating member to a post or other supporting structure, it is necessary for that wire to pass through the post or along the outer surface of that post. Moreover, where the wire passes along the outer surface of the post, that wire must not interfere with the firm seating of the insulator support against the post. The alternated indentations and slots of the present invention make it possible for the insulator support to be seated firmly against the post although the insulator-engaging member is secured to the post by a wire that passes along theouter surface of the post; and they do this by having the portions adjacent the indentations bear against the post while the slots receive the wire, or by having the portions adjacent the slots bear against the post while the indentations receive the wire. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an insulator support that can be firmly seated against a post although the insulator-engaging member is secured to the post by a wire that passes along the outer surface of that post.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from an examination of the drawing and accompanying description.

In the drawing and accompanying description, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described but it is to be understood that the drawing and accompanying description are for the purposes of illustration only and do not limit the invention and that the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a seating member embodying the principles and teachings of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a bottom View of the seating member shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the seating member shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a preformed wire that is used with the seating member of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an insulatorengaging member used with the seating member of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the insulator 4 support of the present invention which includes the seating member of Fig. 1, the preformed wire of Fig. 4, and the insulator engaging-member of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the insulator support of Fig. 6, and it shows that insulator support secured to a fence post of T-shaped configuration, and it shows an insulator secured to the insulator support,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view which shows the insulator support of Fig. 6 securing an insulator to an L-shaped fence post,

Fig. 9 is a perspective View which shows the insulator support of Fig. 6 securing an insulator to a U-shaped fence post, and

Fig. 10 is a perspective View which shows the insulator support of Fig. 6 securing an insulator to a fence post with a curved edge.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 20 denotes a substantially plane upper surface on the seating member shown in Figs. 1-3, 22 denotes the skirt or flange that extends down from the plane surface 29, and the numeral 24 denotes two oppositely disposed arcuate indentations of the skirt 22 that extend upwardly from a theoretical plane embracing those points of the skirt 22 most remote from the plane surface 20, and that extend toward the plane surface 20. The numeral 26 denotes two oppositely disposed substantially rectangular slots that are formed in the skirt 22 and that extend upwardly from said theoretical plane and extend toward the plane surface 23. The slots 26 alternate with the indentations 24. Formed in the center of the plane surface 23 of the seating member is an opening 28, and formed around the opening 23 is an upwardly extending annular projection 33. The seating member of Figs. 1-3 is preferably made of a single piece of metal and it may be made in several ways; one particularly useful way is to punch the support out of a piece of metal.

Formed from a piece of wire that is relatively stiff, but has sufficient flexibility to be twisted as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, is a U-shaped element 32. As indicated in Fig. 6, the legs of the element 32 can, if desired, be bent so the span of the legs is greater than the diameter of the opening 23 in the seating member. Such a construction is highly desirable because after the legs of the U-shaped element 32 have passed through the openings 36 of the insulator-engaging member 34 and have passed through the opening 28 in the seating member, the legs can be forced apart and will have sufficient stiffness to remain apart and hold the insulator-engaging member 34 in assembled relation with the seating element and the preformed element 32. This permits the assembled insulator support of Fig. 6 to be handled as a unit during packaging, shipment, sale and installation.

In addition to having the two openings 36 therethrough, the insulator-engaging member 34 has a notch 38 at the periphery thereof. The edges of the notch 38 form the leading and trailing edges of a helix, which helix constitutes the periphery of the insulator-engaging member 34. This helix is so dimensioned that it will thread into the threaded recesses of the insulators 4!] shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10.

The insulator support of the present invention is very versatile; it can be used on fence posts of various configurations, and it can be secured to fence posts by two nails or two screws instead of the wire 32 as shown in the drawing. As a assign:

matter of fact, where the fence post is made-"of woods the nails: or" screwscan be desirable; but

where the fen'ce' post is .of metal and is not per mrated, the wire is-usually desirable.

Reference to Fig. 7 indicates that where the insulator-support is to be used with a fence post ofT- shaped configuration and: where the slots- 2E of the seating'mem ber have awidth equal tothe thickness of the blade of the post, the slots 26- wi'll telesccpe over one of the projecting blades or webs of the post and will. thus prevent displacement of the insulator support relative to the fence'post. At such time the indentations 24- of varying depth permit the legs of the preformed element 32 to pass between the seating member and the fence post to the: rear of the post where they can be twisted together, as showninthe drawing, to secure the insulator support to the ost. Where the insulator supportis to be used one fence of L-shaped or U-shap'edi configuration,- as indicated in Figs. 8 and- 9, the poi-5 tionsof the skirt 22" adjacent indentations "24 will bear against the outer surface of the fence post, and the slots 26 will permit the legs of the wire 32 to pass between the post and the seating member and to be twisted together at the rear of the fence post. In Fig. 10, the manner in which an insulator support is attached to a fence post with a curved edge is shown; and in this installation the slots 26 telescope over the'curved edge of the fence post, and the indentations 24 permit the Wire 32 to pass between the seating member and the fence post and to be twisted together in. the rearof the fence post.

Examination of Figs. 7, 8, 9 and discloses that the insulator support of the present invention can seat itself against fence posts of different configurations. Where the fence posts have a projecting blade orweb, as do the fence posts in Figs. 7 and 10, the closed ends of the slots 26 will bear against theedges of the blades or webs and the sides ofthe slots 26 will bear against the sides of the blade or web. By doing so the closed ends and the sides of the slots 26 limit movement of the insulator support relative to these posts, which posts may be referred to as blade-type posts. Where the fence posts have a multi-lateral surface or an arcuate surface, as do the fence posts of Figs. 8 and 9, the portions of the skirt 22 adjacent indentations 24 will bear against several points on the surface of the posts. By doing so, those portions of skirt 22 limit movement of the insulator support relative to these posts. The indentations 24 are shown as being arcuate to enable the seating member to bear firmly against posts with arcuate or multi-lateral surfaces. As a matter of fact, the indentations 24 may equally as well have straight sides that form a notch or may have sides formed by various combinations of straight and curved lines to provide indentations of varying depth that will facilitate seating of the insulator support against various posts or supporting structures. Moreover, while the seating member of Figs. 1-3 is shown with two arcuate indentations and two rectangular slots to make a total of four indentations, that seating member can be made with more than four indentations if desired, and those indentations can have any desired configuration.

In using theinsulator support of the present invention, the insulator-engaging member 34 is telescoped over the ends of the legs of the U- shaped wire 32. Thereafter, the legs of the wire 32 are inserted through the central opening 28 of the seating member; and once this has been done, the-legs of the element 32', can, if desired, be" spread apartto hold the insulator-engaging member 34 the seating member, and the wire 32 in: assembled relation. While in. this assembled relation, the three elements can easily be packaged and sold as a unit. Thus a; compact item which is easily handled and can be secured to a post with ease; All that need be done is to spread the legs of the wire 3-2 to agreater extent, slip those legs around the fence post, pull the seating member up against thesurface of the post in the manner shown in Figs.- 7,: 8; 9 or 10, and then twist the legs of wire 32,- either by hand or by means of a pair of pliers. The twisting of the legs of wire 32 face 20 of the insulator support, and will pressthe skirt 2'2-into intimate engagement with the surface of the post.

The annular projection 30 maintain a minimal distance surface 20*of the seating member and the insulator-engaging member 34-. This enables the insulator tobe threaded onto and threaded off of the insulator-engagingmember 34 withconsiderable ease, and italso enables the insulatorengaging member 34 threads of the recess inthe base of the insulator 43. By having the insulator-engaging member 34 spaced from the plane surface 20 of the seating member by the gently rounded annular projection 30, and by having the skirt 22 depending downwardly from-the plane surface 20' of the seating member, the present invention holds the insulator-engaging member 34 at a distance from the post and permits the insulatorsuppo'rit to seat firmly against the post even though the wire 32 is at an angle to th epost.

The plane surface 2001? the insulator support is shown as a wide annular surface that receives the base of the insulator 40'. However, the dimensions and shape of that surface can be changed considerably but the surface should be capable of providing adequate support for the base of the insulator 40. Where this is done the rotation of the insulator 40, relative to the insulator-engaging member 34, will increase the tension in the twisted wire 32 and can seat the skirt of the seating member even more firmly against the fence post with which it is assem- In the drawing, four fence posts of the type now in use are shown and described, but it is to be understood that the insulator support of the present invention can be used with many different posts of the blade-type or of the type which have multi-lateral or arcuate surfaces. In Figs. 7-10 the seating members are shown bearing against the posts at points which are spaced apart along the three dimensions, thus illustrating how the seating members fixedly secure the insulators 40 to various posts to which the insulators 40 by themselves could not be so secured. In Fig. 7 the insulator support is shown secured to the vertically-disposed blade or web of the post but it could equally as well be secured to one or the other of the horizontally disposed blades or webs of that post. Similarly, the insulator supports of Figs. 8 and 9 are shown secured to the backs of the posts of L-shaped and U-shaped configuration, but they could equally as well be secured to the blade-like edges of those posts. Where this is done the slots, rather than the indentations, would telescope the user has is dimensioned: to between the planeto engage the innermost over the projecting surface of the post. It will be noted that the slots 26 of the insulator supports of Figs. 8 and 9 are wider than the edges of the posts in Figs. 8 and 9 are thick; but this will not keep those insulator supports from being seated firmly against those edges, because suflicient friction can be established between the edge of the post and one side and the closed end of each slot to hold the insulator support in position. As a matter of fact, the insulator support can be maintained in position by the engagement between the edge of the post and the closed ends of the slots along where the edge of the post is fairly flat. Moreover, the insulator support cannot become dislodged since the sides of the slots 26 definitely limit tilting of the supports; and once the support has tilted until a side of the slot engages the edge of the post it will be held there by the tension in the wire. In each instance, whether the indentations or the slots telescope over the projecting surface of the post, the insulator support will provide a plurality of points of support radially spaced in different directions from the point at which force is applied to the seating member.

Whereas a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in the drawing and accompanying description, it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form of the invention without affecting the scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. An insulator support that comprises an insulator-engaging member, a seating member and a wire that are assembled together for direct and immediate securement to a post, said insulatorengaging member being directly engageable with an insulator, said seating member being directly engageable with said insulator and with said insulator-engaging, member and with said post, said seating member having an opening therethrough, said wire being preformed to have a U-shape, said wire being engageable with said insulator-engaging member and with said seating member and with said post, said wire having the legs thereof extending through said opening in said seating member, said wire being bendable to give the legs thereof a span which is greater than the diameter of said opening in said seating member and thus maintain said wire and said insulator-engaging member and said seating member in assembled relation, said insulator-engaging member directly engaging said seating member whenever said wire is tightened around said post to hold said insulator-engaging member and said seating member fixed relative to said post for receiving an insulator.

2. An insulator support as claimed in claim 1 in which the seating member has a flat surface and a depending skirt, said skirt being provided with spaced substantially rectangular slots extending from an edge of the skirt toward said surface, and having arcuate indentations in the edge of said skirt disposed in alternate relation with said slots.

ALOYSIUS B. BUSSMANN.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 698,865 Smith et al Apr. 29, 1902 871,490 Duncan Nov. 19, 1907 1,175,849 Warren Mar. 14, 1916 1,710,157 Felix Apr. 23, 1929 1,802,995 Williams Apr. 28, 1931 2,107,037 Kippenberg et al. Feb. 1, 1938 2,278,852 Hoffman Apr. 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 550,254 Great Britain of 1942

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