Has Anyone Seen "Fins" on an Insulator

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geofrac

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Hello:
I picked this up at an antique store in California. It looks like a normal insulator, but it has four small "fins" below the lower lip. There are four 90 degrees apart.
It has no markings on it.
My questions are:
1. What are the "fins" for?
2. Is this a rare insulator?
3. How old is it?

Much Thanks,
Greg Stanley - California
Pic 1 (2).jpg
USA
 

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nhpharm

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That is a CD 106.3. I don't think anyone has determined what the ribs were for. They date to the 1890's and are not rare.
 

geofrac

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That is a CD 106.3. I don't think anyone has determined what the ribs were for. They date to the 1890's and are not rare.
nhpharm:
Thank you, those fins are hard to see in photos. I was thinking their purpose was to aid in installing and removing the insulator, or perhaps designed for a special tool to screw them in and out.
 

nhpharm

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Definitely could be. The researchers have looked for years for a patent that might identify what they were for, but it appears to not have been a patented "improvement". I believe they show up on 4 different styles of insulators, all presumably made by the same company.
 

willong

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nhpharm:
Thank you, those fins are hard to see in photos. I was thinking their purpose was to aid in installing and removing the insulator, or perhaps designed for a special tool to screw them in and out.
geofrac,

That was my thought too before even reading your response to nhpharm. Either working barehanded or with gloves on, installing or removing wet, dry, dusty or ice-covered insulators in all types of weather conditions those relatively low ribs would provide a lineman extra purchase* on the otherwise slick glass.

EDIT: Special-purpose pliers or a spanner might be required to exert enough torque if the wooden pins are expanded from moisture. Perhaps something like the soft-jaw connector pliers in photo below, only contoured and notched to accept the "fin" region of the insulator.

1663438585647.png



* a hold or position on something for applying power advantageously, or the advantage gained by such application
 
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BillinMo

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That's a CD 121 toll. What you call fins are usually called "ribs" by collectors and they're a characteristic of Duquesne Glass Co. which produced insulators I think the 1890s or so in the Pittsburgh area.

They're unusual, but not rare.
 

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