IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH METAL FENCING
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Andrew Ramsay Main, Robert Ramsay Main,
and John Dick, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH METAL FENCING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Andrew Ramsay Main,
Robert Ramsay Main, and John Dick at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 28th January 1880.
JAMES ANDREW RAMSAY MAIN, ROBERT RAMSAY MAIN, and JOHN DICK, of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
CONNECTED WITH METAL FENCING."
This Invention has for its objects to improve and strengthen metal fencing, to
render it less liable to damage, and to facilitate repairs.
"
One improvement relates to what is known as Corrimony" wire fencing, in
which the wires are stretched with long intervals between the standards, and are
provided with vertical connecting bars or "droppers" between the standards. It
is important that such droppers whilst of sufficient strength should present the
least possible surface for the pressure of wind or for catching snow, whilst they
should be fixed in position. By the present Invention the droppers are fixed
without being deeply indented or slotted, and in some modifications without being
perforated, so that they can be made of iron of comparatively small dimensions and
weight. The iron of the droppers may be of a U-section, of a crescent-shaped
section, of a V-section, or of any other suitable section presenting a concavity or
groove on one or more sides. In one modification the dropper is fixed on the
wires by fastenings, consisting in each case of a short tube or deep ring and a
wedge. The tube is slotted to admit the wire, and the wedge is driven in between
the outer parts of the tube and the wire so as to indent the wire more or less into
the concavity of the dropper. The indenting of the wire prevents the dropper
from moving along it, and if necessary very slight indentation of the dropper
where the wire bears on its edges will prevent vertical displacement. Instead of
the slotted tube two connected rings or a single ring may in some cases be
used.
In a second modification the wire is held against one side of the dropper by a
folded or double-hooked link passing round the other side of the dropper, a wedge

page_text: being driven in between the wire and the dropper so as to slightly bend the wire
outwards.
In a third modification the fastening is a staple shaped like a split key, but with
an eye through which the wire passes, and the points of this staple are passed
through a hole punched in the dropper, and are then bended at the other side so as
to fix them.
The improved dropper fastenings hereinbefore described are also applicable as
standard fastenings.
By a second improvement a strong and durable fencing is formed having one or
more horizontal wires or bars at its upper part, whilst the lower wires are inter-
laced with one or more of the horizontal wires, and with each other so as to
resemble netting having long lozenge shaped openings, and forming a lattice work
or diagonal bracing. Instead of interlacing the wires they may be connected or
interlaced by means of rings.
A third improvement consists in making a fastener for connecting the ends of
fencing wire in two parts, one of which is a short screwed pin having a head,
whilst the other is a nut to screw on the pin. The inside face of the nut is
smooth, but indentations or grooves are formed in the inside face of the head on
each side of the pin for the wire ends. When the wire ends have been placed in
their grooves and gripped by the nut, and strain is applied, the gripped parts
of the wires become angularly bended so that they cannot be easily drawn
asunder.
A fourth improvement relates to the fastening of the wires to a standard put in
place of a broken one, or which may under any circumstances require to be fastened
without disturbing the wires. The standard has a slot cut in it obliquely down-
wards from one edge to receive each wire, and a buckle either entirely embracing
the standard or merely clipping its edges, and formed with a corresponding inclined
slot cut upwards from the bottom is forced down when the wire is entered, and by
its inclined slot passing over the wire jams it firmly in its place.
A fifth improvement consists in making bar fencing with the joints of the top
bar, which is generally round, at standards intermediate to those on which the
lower or flat bar joints are made. This arrangement is stronger than the ordinary
one, in which all the joints are on one standard, and admits of longer bars being
conveniently used.
A sixth improvement consists in connecting swinging plates to the top wires of
fencing erected where grouse or other game is kept, for the purpose of rendering
the fence more visible, and thereby preventing the birds from striking the wires
and injuring themselves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Andrew Ramsay Main, Robert Ramsay Main, and John
Dick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th July 1880.
JAMES ANDREW RAMSAY MAIN, ROBERT RAMSAY MAIN, and JOHN DICK, of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain. " IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
CONNECTED WITH METAL FENCING."
Our said Invention has for its objects to improve and strengthen metal fencing,
to render it less liable to damage, and to facilitate repairs.

page_text: And in order that our said Invention may be most readily understood, we will
proceed at once to particularly describe our various improvements with the aid of
a Sheet of explanatory Drawings, which is hereunto appended, and on which the
same reference letters are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
"
One improvement relates to what is known as "Corrimony wire fencing, in
which wires are stretched with long intervals between the standards, and are
provided with vertical connecting bars or "droppers" between the standards. It
is important that such droppers, whilst of sufficient strength, should present the
least possible surface for the pressure of wind or for catching snow, whilst they
should be firmly fixed in position. By our present Invention the droppers are
fixed without being deeply indented or slotted, and in some modifications without
being perforated, so that they can be made of iron of comparatively small
dimensions and weight. The iron of the droppers may be of a U-section, of a
crescent-shaped section, of a V-section, or of any other suitable section presenting
a concavity or groove on one or more sides.
In one modification of our dropper fastener shown in sectional elevation in
Figure 1, and in horizontal section in Figure 2, the dropper D is fixed on each
wire W by a fastening consisting of a short tube or deep ring A, and a wedge B.
The tube A is slotted to admit the wire W from one side, and the wedge B is
driven in between the outer parts of the tube A and the wire W, so as to indent
the wire more or less into the concavity of the dropper D. The tube A may be
placed with the slotted part passing round the dropper D instead of as shown.
The indenting of the wire by the wedge prevents the dropper from moving along
it, and if necessary very slight indentation of the dropper where the wire bears ou
its edges will prevent vertical displacement. Instead of the slotted tube A two
connected rings C may be used, the rings being first in the form of a long link and
afterwards twisted at the middle and bended, as shown in Figures 3 and 4; or the
rings being made separate and connected by a gib E, as shown in Figures 5 and 6,
or in any other convenient way. Or a single ring F may be applied in the manner
shown in Figures 7 and 8, in which case the rings F require to be strung on the
wires W, which may however be avoided by using split rings.
In a second modification, shown in Figures 9 and 10, the wire W is held against
one side of the dropper D by a folded or double-hooked link G passing round the
other side of the dropper, a wedge B being driven in between the wire and the
dropper, so as to slightly bend the wire outwards.
In a third modification, shown in Figures 11, 12, and 13, the fastening is a
staple H shaped like a split key, but with an eye through which the wire W
passes, and the points of this staple H are passed through a hole punched in the
dropper D, and are then bended out at the other side so as to fix them.
Our improved dropper fastenings hereinbefore described are also applicable as
standard fastenings.
By the second part of our Invention, which is shown in Figures 18, 19 and 20,
a strong and durable fencing is formed having one or more horizontal wires or
bars at its upper part, whilst the lower wires are interlaced with each other, so as
to resemble netting having long lozenge-shaped openings, and forming a lattice
work or diagonal bracing. Instead of interlacing the wires simply with each other
they may be connected by or interlaced with rings, as shown in Figure 20.
A third part of our Invention consists in making a fastener for connecting the
ends of fencing wire, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, which are respectively a face
view and a section. This fastener consists of two parts, one of which is a short
screwed pin J having a head L, whilst the other is a nut M to screw on the pin.
The inside face of the nut M is smooth, but indentations or grooves are formed in
the inside face of the head L on each side of the pin J for the wire ends W. When
the wire ends have been placed in their grooves and gripped by the nut and strain
is applied the gripped parts of the wires become angularly bended so that they
cannot be easily drawn asunder.

page_text: A fourth part of our Invention relates to the fastening of the wires to a standard
put in place of a broken one, or which may under any circumstances require to be
fastened without disturbing the wires. This improvement is shown in Figures 16
and 17; which are a horizontal section and a sectional elevation. The standard N
has a slot in it, which is indicated by dotted lines at P, and which is cut obliquely
downwards from one edge to receive each wire W and a buckle Q, either entirely
embracing the standard, as shown in Figure 16, or merely clipping its edges, and
formed with a corresponding inclined slot R cut upwards from the bottom is forced
down when the wire is entered into the slot at P, and by its slot R passing over
the wire jams it firmly in its place.
A fifth improvement, which is shown in Figure 21, consists in making bar fencing
with the joints S of the top bar T, which is generally round, at standards X inter-
mediate to those Y, on which the lower or flat bar joints are made. This arrange-
ment is stronger than the ordinary one, in which all the joints are on one standard,
and admits of longer bars being conveniently used.
A sixth improvement consists in connecting swinging plates Z, as shown in
Figure 19, to the top wires of light fencing erected where grouse or other game is
kept, for the purpose of rendering the top of the fence more visible, and thereby
preventing the birds from striking the wires and injuring themselves.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated, but that what we believo to be novel
and original and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The several fastening devices, hereinbefore described with reference to Figures
1 to 13 of the accompanying Drawings, for securing droppers to fence wires, or
fence wires to standards.
2. The improved system of fencing with interlaced or diagonally connected
wires, herein before described with reference to Figures 18, 19, and 20 of the
accompanying Drawings.
3. The fastener for connecting the ends of fencing wire, hereinbefore described
with reference to Figures 14 and 15 of the accompanying Drawings.
4. The device for fastening wires to standards, hereiubefore described with reference
to Figures 16 and 17 of the accompanying Drawings.
5. The making of the top bar joints of bar fencing on standards intermediate to
those having on them the joints of the lower bars, as hereinbefore described.
6. The fitting of swinging plates to wire fencing, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Ramsay Main, on behalf of the said
James Andrew Ramsay Main, myself, and the said John Dick, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
R. R. MAIN. (L.S.)