IMPROVEMENTS IN FENCE POSTS
Year: 1882

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Pitt of Sutton in the County of Surrey, for an
invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FENCE POSTS Communicated to him from
abroad by Otis Shepard of the City of Boston in the State of Massachusetts
and Edward Williams Peck, George Henry Morse, William Augustus Crombie,
Edward Radcliffe Powell, and Theodore Safford Peck, all of the City of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sydney Pitt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1882.
SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey IMPROVEMENTS IN FENCE
POSTS [Communicated to him from abroad by Otis Shepard of the City of Boston
in the State of Massachusetts and Edward Williams Peck, George Henry Morse,
William Augustus Crombie, Edward Radcliffe Powell, and Theodore Safford Peck,
all of the City of Burlington, State of Vermont United States of America.]
The invention has reference to that class of posts formed of metal which are
driven into the ground to form supports for the longitudinals of fencing and is
equally applicable whether wire, barbed wire, or boards are used for this purpose.
The invention may be thus briefly described.
It is proposed to form the post proper either of T iron or of two flat bars placed
together so as to form a T. To the foot of this are secured wings one the broadest
being in the line of the fence and the other, half the size, at right angles thereto so
as to form a stay.
The devices to hold the wire consists of rings having formed in them a T shaped
slot so that they can be slipped on over the post. The head of this T slot is
broad enough to allow of the introduction between the post and the ring of a key
wedge securing the whole in place.
When this wedge (which cannot be withdrawn from the ring) is pushed up it
falls into a level seat formed for it in the ring. The ring has on its front side a
projection in which are formed grooves to receive the wire. These grooves are so
Pin G21

page_text: cut that when the key is loosened and the ring canted up to an angle oblique to
the post, they are vertical and parallel thereto thus allowing the wire to be easily
laid in them.
By bringing the ring to a horizontal position, in which it is held by driving the
key home these grooves are inclined at an angle toward the post against which
they firmly hold the wire.
Where boards are used as longitudinals they are simply recessed to receive the
projections and provided with wires which are similarly held.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Sydney Pitt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th November
1882.
"
SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FENCE
POSTS A communication to me from abroad by Otis Shephard of the City of
Boston in the State of Masachusetts and Edward Williams Peck, George Henry
Morse, William Augustus Crombie, Edward Radcliffe Powell and Theodore
Safford Peck all of the City of Burlington State of Vermont United States of
America.
This Invention has reference to fence posts made of metal and adapted to be
driven into the ground and consists in improvements in the shares or wings and
in the way in which they are attached to the standards, in the the form of the
standards, and in the devices by which the wire longitudinals are set in place and
held, these being equally effective where lengths of broad fencing are substituted
for wire.
The invention also provides means for obviating one of the greatest difficulties
in connection with wire fencing viz,-in indulating or rolling land the lifting out
of the ground by the contraction of the wire of the lowest posts in hollows.
For full comprehension of the invention reference must be had to the annexed
Drawings forming part of this Specification in which Figure 1 is a front view and
Figure 2 a side view of the post, Figure 3 is a plan of wire holder, Figure 4 is
a sectional elevation and Figure 5 a side view of same, Figure 6 a view of key or
wedge, Figure 7 a section of board shewing means of attachment to post, Figure 8
a plan and Figure 9 a view of device for holding post in ground.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.
A is the standard proper, composed of two flat bars a, a, placed so as to form
a T and having their lower ends secured to the wings B, B', by elbow bolts b.
These wings B. B. are shaped as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 and made preferably
of strong sheet iron, the wing B lying longitudinally with the fence and B' at
right angles thereto so as to form a stay, the two being connected at bottom by a
stud or rivet b¹.

page_text: C is the wire holder having formed in it a T slot C, by which the bars a. a. are
held in position relatively to each other when C is slipped over them. The head
of this T slot is made broad enough to allow of the insertion between C and the
bar a of the key D shewn particularly in Figure 6 and c, is a bevel formed in C
where shewn in Figures 3 and 4.
e, e, are grooves formed in the sides of C in which the wire is received and held
by the insertion of the key D provided with lug d, having turned up foot d'.
F is the wire and G a board made so as to be capable of attachment to the post
with chase G¹ cut therein to receive the end of the holder C, the short wire F¹
which is gripped by same being turned driven through the board and clinched.
In placing these holders C on the posts the keys D are placed loosely in them
and held up, the turned up ends d' of the lugs d, preventing them from falling out,
the holders can then easily be slipped down to the proper point.
To receive the wire these holders are canted to the position shewn in Figure 4
when the sides of the grooves e, e, will be vertical and parallel to the edge of the
bar a, and the key raised so that the lug d, will be in the bevel c.
The wire E is
then put in place and the key D driven down bringing all the parts to the
respective positions shewn in Figure 5 with the edges of the grooves C holding the
wire inclined towards the bar a, and retaining the wire firmly in place so that it
cannot be dislodged by blows or shocks.
Although a perfect T is formed by the holders C retaining the bars a, a, in the
proper position it may sometimes be found desirable to substitute for these suitable
ordinary T iron.
By the construction just described and the special method of attachment to the
standards only these wings are needed to hold the post upright in the ground and
to secure it against being lifted out of the ground, when in a hollow, by the
contraction of the wire I make use of the device now to be described and specially
shewn in Figures 8 and 9.
I excavate to a suitable depth corresponding to the nature of the ground by the
side of the wing or flange B and place in same a block or plate of cast metal H in
which are formed slots h. h, curving or sloping downwards and outwards.
K is an iron bar or strap of suitable length and any desired section with turned
in ends k. k. which when K is put in place grip the edge of B.
L is a bent iron strap slipped over the strap K, its ends which are preferably
bevelled entering into the slots h. h.
The parts being in position the iron L is driven down through the slots h. h
thus drawing on the strap K, until it is strained tight the direction of these slots
curving the ends of L outwards and bringing them into the position shewn in
Figure 9 thereby giving so great a hold upon the ground that it will be impossible
for the contraction of the wire to lift the post out, whatever may be its
position.
The space about the block H which may be of thick wood is then filled in and
packed.
What I claim is as follows:-
First. A fence post made of T shaped iron, to the lower end of which the
wings B. B. are secured by elbow bolts, substantially as herein set forth.
Second. In combination with a T shaped metallic fence post composed of two
flat irons a griping ring for holding them together and in position substantially as
herein set forth.
Third. In combination with a fence post a ring or holder slipped on same with
projection in which are formed oblique grooves to receive wire, as and for the
purposes herein set forth.
Fourth. The combination of a metallic fence post, wire holder C with bevel c,
and key D, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. The board H constructed as shewn and arranged to be attached to a
metallic fence post all as herein set forth.
Sixth. The combination with the wings or flanges of a metallic fence post of a

page_text: block or plate H with slots h. h. formed therein, iron K with turned ends k. k, and
bent iron strap L driven down through slots h. h, all substantially as herein set
forth and for the purposes described.
•
In witness whereof I the said Sydney Pitt have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty eighth day of November in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two