AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF FENCES
Year: 1884

page_text: I WALKER GEORGE DE FORGÉS GARLAND of East Molesey in the county of
Surrey Timber Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF FENCES to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct a fence that shall be very strong and
firm and not so liable to deterioration as are the usual styles of fences while at the
same time the cost of construction is decreased.
To carry out this object I fit on each end post to the lower part thereof a spur
or strut which is preferably fixed on the horizontal shoe piece on which the post
rests and is below the ground. This spur or strut supports the post against the
strain that is brought upon it. I can also if I should so prefer fit this strut to the
upper part of the post above the ground. The intermediate posts are firmly
secured by a stop or stay placed on either side of the post below the ground.
Between the posts are the railings which are not mortised and housed into the
posts as is usual but may simply but against them. The railings are kept in
position by a metal rod or wire which runs along a groove in the face of the railing
and passes through the posts and a nut or other fastening on the outer sides of the
end posts puts the necessary tension thereon which binds the whole fence together.
The palings are then secured on the faces of the railings over the rod or wire and
keep it in position in the groove. The palings may be placed close together and if
necessary fitted with a gravel plank or the palings may be placed at any distance
apart that may be convenient.
These fences made after my method may be constructed of wood or metal or any
material that I may deem expedient.

page_text: I WALKER GEORGE DE FORGÉS GARLAND of East Molesey in the county of
Surrey Timber Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF FENCES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:- -
The object of my invention is to construct a fence that shall be very strong and
firm and not so liable to deterioration as are the usual styles of fences while at the
same time the cost of construction shall be decreased and whenever any repair
or renewal shall be required the same shall speedily readily and easily be
accomplished.
The chief feature of the method by which I carry out this object aforesaid is-the
running of a metal rod or wire along a groove in each of the railings of the fence
which rod or wire passes through all the posts of the fence and is secured on the
outer sides of the end posts by screw nuts or other fastenings and the palings if
any are secured on the railings over this rod or wire and thus the said railings
need not be mortised or housed into the said posts as is usual but may simply abut
against them and the whole fence is bound tightly and firmly together when the
necessary tension is put on the rod or wire by the fastenings on the ends thereof.
When required for the purpose of imparting additional strength thereto or
otherwise the metal wire aforesaid may be made of two or more strands or wires
twisted or otherwise laid up or joined together.
In order fully and clearly to explain this my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I refer to the accompanying drawing in which I have
shewn two of the most common styles of fences constructed after my method as
hereinbefore described.
Figure 1 is an elevation of an open pale fence. Figure 2 is a cross section
thereof.
Figure 3 is an elevation of a close fence. Figure 4 is a cross section thereof.
The letters refer to the same or corresponding parts in all the Figures.
AA is the ground line and on each end post B I fit a spur or strut C which
spur or strut C may be secured to the said post B in any position whether above or
below the ground line A to support the said post B against the strain that is
brought to bear upon it as is hereinafter described. I prefer however in the
majority of cases to fit the spur or strut C entirely below the ground as shewn in
the drawing and the lower end thereof is then supported by the horizontal shoe
piece D on which the post B also rests. This method renders the end posts very
firm and rigid as is required. The intermediato posts E are also housed in the
ground and to render the said posts E firm and rigid against the lateral strains that
may be brought to bear against them I preferably place and fix on the said posts E
on either side thereof below the ground the stops or stays F which are parallel
with the line of the fence or thereabouts. Between the posts B and E or E and E
are placed the railings G which are not mortised or housed into the said posts as is
usual but may simply abut against them. Each of the railings G is kept in
position by the metal rod or wire H which runs along a groove formed therefor in
the face of the said railing G and passes through all the posts B and E in the line
of the fence and a screw nut or other fastening I preferably on each of the ends of
the said rod or wire H at the outer sides of the end posts B can put the necessary
tension on the said rod or wire H which binds the whole fence tightly and firmly
together and secures the abutting railings in their places between the said posts.

page_text: The palings K if any are then secured by nails or otherwise on the faces of the
railings G over the rod or wire H and thus assist in keeping the said rod or wire H
in the proper position in the groove hereinbefore described and ensure that the said
railings G shall remain in position even when from any cause or for any purpose
the binding rod or wire H has been slackened or broken. It is sufficiently obvious
that according to this my method of constructing fences as aforesaid the palings if
any may either be secured in the aforesaid manner at any suitable distances apart
so as to form an open pale fence as shewn in Figure 1 or may be placed close
together either overlapping each other or not as may be convenient to form a close
fence as shewn in Figure 3 in which latter case a gravel plank L may be fitted
below the palings K if I should so desire which gravel plank L may be mortised
into the posts or tenons may be formed on the ends of the same and grooves be
made in the said posts to receive the said tenons or be otherwise secured as may be
convenient and suitable in each case.
I have thus described and shewn my invention as applied to two of the most
common styles of fences and it is sufficiently obvious therefrom that my method of
construction as hereinbefore described can in a similar manner be applied to other
descriptions of fences whether made of wood or metal or other material and of
whatever sizes or dimensions the said fences or the several parts thereof may be
constructed and no further description is or can be needed.
Thus according to this my invention the fence is rendered very strong and firm
and not so liable to deterioration chiefly owing to the absence of the large recesses
or apertures that have commonly to be made in the posts to receive the ends of the
railings while at the same time the cost of construction is decreased and any part
of these fences can speedily readily and easily be removed and replaced by simply
slackening the nuts or other fastenings on the ends of the binding rod or wire.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination in a fence of the abutting railings the grooves therein and
the binding rods or wires substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described and declared.
2. The combination in a fence of the abutting railings the grooves therein the
binding rods or wires and the palings secured over the same substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described and declared.
3. The fences constructed and fitted substantially as hereinbefore described and
shewn in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 6th day of December 1884