Pin insulator

It is thought to be the earliest developed overhead insulator and is still popularly used in power networks up to 33 KV.

Unlike the others, pin insulators are directly connected to the physical support compared to being suspended from the wire.

Pin insulators are shaped to allow the secure attachment of the conducting wire and avoid it coming adrift.

All glass pin insulators are assigned a Consolidated Design (CD) number, a system first implemented by hobbyist N.R.

[5] The finished product was usually discoloured from impurities and foreign objects diffused within the molten glass and metal molds.

It can be assumed that Brookfield may have had poor quality control as their insulators seem to be found with the most imperfections, however, this could be disputed.

There are many manufacturers in the United States, Canada, and other countries that can be found embossed on all styles of insulators.

An insulator of a telephone transmission line
A pin insulator ceramic plate used for 20 KV lines
A sparkling CD 145 or "beehive" insulator from the telegraph era made by the Brookfield Glass Company circa 1882.
The same snowy CREB 145 sitting on its side