CD127 Brookfield Patent

Reprinted from "INSULATORS - Crown Jewels of the Wire", May 1971, page 6

QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY N. R. WOODWARD

Dear Mr. Woodward:

Recently I found several CD 127 insulators embossed (front dome) W. BROOKFIELD 55 FULTON ST and (back dome) PAT APRIL 4. 1871. As you may know, this patent, number 113,393, was issued to William Brookfield for "a mode of making telegraph insulators".

On the same telegraph line I also found several CD 127 insulators embossed (front dome) W. BROOKFIELD 55 FULTON ST. and (back dome) CAUVETS PAT APR 4. 1870. I was not able to find this date in the patent literature.

However, I did come across a patent dated May 31, 1870, which was issued to J. M. Brookfield for "a mode of forming insulators' The patent number is 103, 555.

Please comment, especially on the scarcity of the two insulators and on the scarcity of CD 127 insulators which do not bear the W. U. T. CO. name.

Yours truly, 
Dave Wentworth

In reply to Dave Wentworth:

The patent date of April 4, 1870, is an error date. It would seem that the molds that were lettered in this way were used for some time without change, as quite a few of these insulators have been reported.

As you know, the Cauvet patent date is February 22, 1870. It would seem that the mold engraver was thoroughly confused about three patents. I do not know if the press covered by the May 31, 1870, patent to which you refer was used or not.

As to the scarcity of these old Western Union Standard insulators, it is correct to say that they are not plentiful at this time. But since they were a standard insulator that was produced by the hundreds of thousands in the 1870's they cannot be called rare at this time, as little pockets of them show up now and then in all parts of the country where they have managed to survive. From the collector's standpoint, these are a most desirable insulator; but they will possibly not soon command the high prices that have been attached to some items initially made in very limited quantities.