2003 >> July >> Letters to the Editor  

Letters to the Editor
Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", July 2003, page 4

After the June article on the circular cross arm, Ian MacKy sent the pictures shown here.

Below is the Pierce Circle and Seat, which was used on telephone terminal poles for distributing service wires to consumers. The circle was 41 inches in diameter, and came with either 24 insulator brackets or 48 (as shown). With 48 brackets for insulators the Pierce Circle weighed 77 pounds and cost $16.38 (early 20th Century).

The item below was a smaller distributing circle. The rings were 14 inches in diameter and came in two parts so they could be installed on poles underneath existing cross arms. These smaller circles would support up to 15 insulator brackets (30 insulators with double brackets as shown). Hubbard and Company, a distributor in Pittsburg, PA sold these smaller circles for $5.34 each. A complete circle weighed 22 pounds.

Thanks, Ian.



| Magazine Home | Search the Archives |