OTK Insulators, Osaka, Japan
First let me tell all you collectors
out there how much I sincerely thank you for your letters asking questions,
giving information, offering insulators for my collection, and just plain ol'
encouragement! That makes it all worth while. Keep them coming. One letter came
all the way from West Germany. Delores and Wayne Dixon are collectors who are
presently living over there where Wayne is the Market Manager (Europe) for P.T.T.
and Public Radio Systems, a communications division of Motorola, Inc. They have
managed to put together quite a collection of insulators from Europe, the
Seychelle Islands, Kenya, and the island of Jersey. They have asked me to tell
you that they have some spare German Bundesbahn (railroad) insulators they would
be willing to trade, and have invited any collectors who happen to be in the
Frankfurt, West Germany, area to contact them. Their address is: Wayne and
Delores Dixon, Mosbacher Str. 5. 62 Wiesbaden, West Germany. (What's that you
say? Your kingdom for a private airplane?)
Now, on to other things! and again,
my thanks to Lu Farin of Decatur, Texas, for the loan of one of her insulator
catalogues from Japan. You know "insulators from Japan" is a pretty
broad subject. There is no way to cover it all in one article. So next month
I'll tell you about NGK insulators also manufactured in Japan. And quite
honestly I have several others in my collection that are made in Japan, because
they say so, but with quite a variety of markings that I know nothing about.
There are bound to be collectors out there with Japanese porcelains on their
shelves who could shed some light on the subject, so when I list these next
month I would appreciate some help with this.
The OTK plant -- OSAKA TOGYO
KAISHA, Ltd. - is located in Osaka, Japan, and was founded in 1920. Its first
success came with the manufacture of 10" suspension insulators used on 154
KV transmission lines. Since then OTK has concentrated its efforts to produce
the best insulators possible for each particular requirement through a
combination of constant research, strict quality control, and improved
production methods. The majority of its insulators are fashioned from white or
dark brown porcelain, with any metal caps, when necessary, made from black heart
malleable cast iron and ball pins of forged steel. Insulators are marked with
the OTK logo.
OTK presently supplies insulators and apparatus bushings ranging
in capacity from low and high voltage to extra high voltage to electric power
companies, machine and appliance manufacturers, and national and private
railways of Japan. It also exports its products to more than 20 nations. OTK
produces insulators for power stations, sub stations, power transmission lines,
power distribution, electric instruments, and for all kinds of broadcasting.
Since the catalogue is 3/4" thick and pictures several different variations
and sizes of each type of insulator, I will include only a typical example of
each.
Pin type insulators: Under this rather large grouping, OTK includes
pin hole sizes according to American, British, or Australian standards,
depending on requirements.
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Suspension insulator
Ball and socket type |
Cable and pin type |
Suspension insulator
Clevis and tongue type |
Shackle insulator |
Strain insulator |
Long rod insulator |
Line post insulator |
Station post type |
Spool |
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