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| History of Porcelain Insulator |
| Author:TCI
time:2006-11-24 0:02:55 read:1305times |
Porcelain insulators had their start when local potteries began making telegraph insulators in the 1850’s and 1860’s. These crude early pieces were usually threadless and were produced in much lower quantities than their glass counterparts, and few have survived the years. Some more notable examples are the "Elliot" flint insulators (U-980 and U-981), Bennington pottery insulators complete with the unique Bennington glaze (U-982 and U-983), as well as a porcelain version of both the "Teapot" (U-990) and the "Slash top" (U-988).
Porcelain saw very minimal use for either telephone or telegraph after the development of threaded glass insulators. Glass tended to be cheaper than quality porcelain, and was deemed better as it was thought that clear glass would discourage insects from building nests under the insulators reducing their effectiveness. This all would change with the proliferation of electricity.
With the advent of electric power distribution in the 1880’s, larger and more reliable insulators were needed to carry the higher voltages of power lines, in the tens of thousands of volts. Glass at that time was not sufficient, and one man in particular, Fred M. Locke of Victor, NY, was convinced that porcelain was a superior insulating medium and began experimenting with clay mixtures that would produce finer insulators. In addition he was working to create new insulator designs that would hold up to high voltage service in all weather conditions. Fred contacted several companies to help him with his experiments, and one offered assistance. That was Imperial Porcelain Works of Trenton, NJ.
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