Improvements in Droppers and Standards for Wire Fencing.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Droppers and Standards for Wire Fencing.
I, SAMUEL BAYLISS, of the Firm of Bayliss, Jones and Bayliss, of Victoria Works,
Monmore Green, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Fencing Manufac-
turers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to droppers of wire fencing which are attached to the
wires according to the method described in Bain's Patent Specification No. 5029
of 1876, and to standards of wire fencing to which it is intended to fix the wires
in a similar manner.
When the droppers are formed with slots through the angles or curved backs
thereof in the manner described in Bain's specification, that is to say, by cutting
pieces of metal clean out from the droppers, it is found that the constant rubbing
of cattle against the fence tends to tear the metal through from the ends of the
slots to the outer edges of the droppers; and standards, prepared in the same
way for receiving the wires, are liable to the same inconvenience.
Now, the object of this invention is to obviate or greatly lessen any liability
of the metal tearing through between the end of a slot and the edge of a dropper
or standard.
To accomplish the above object, according to this invention, each side of the
slot is simply cut down without cutting out the ends, and the metal between the
cut-down edges is pressed down into the bottom of the slot while its ends remain
connected with the sides of the dropper or standard. The metal thus pressed down
forms a strengthening piece and receives the pressure of the wire when the key
is driven down between the angle or hollow of the dropper or standard and the
wire, and this piece is preferably concave at the face which is towards the wire.
The key is, of course, driven down through openings which occur between the
edges of the metal which has been pressed down and the angle or hollow of the
dropper or standard. The metal of each dropper or standard is strengthened.
immediately beyond the ends of the slots, by corrugations, ribs or thickened
portions, which extend for the length of the droppers or standards. These corruga-
tions, ribs or thickened portions tend greatly to strengthen the metal, and are an
additional security against any tendency for it to tear through at the end of a
slot.
The method of forming a strengthening piece across the bottom of each slot
which receives a wire, and the method of strengthening the metal at the ends of
the slots by means of corrugations, ribs or thickened portions, as described, may,
if desired, be used independently of one another, and much of the advantage of
the invention be still secured; that is to say, the droppers and standards may be
formed with slots to receive the wires having the strengthening bars across the
bottoms of the slots independently of corrugations, ribs or thickened portions to

page_text: give additional strength, and the corrugations, ribs or thickened portions may be
used simply to strengthen the metal at the inner ends of plain slots formed in the
manner described in Bain's specification aforesaid.
Improvements in Droppers and Standards for Wire Fencing.
I, SAMUEL BAYLISS, of the Firm of Bayliss, Jones and Bayliss, of Victoria Works,
Monmore Green, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Fencing Manufac-
turers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to droppers of wire fencing which are attached to the
wires according to the method described in Bain's Patent Specification No. 5029
of 1876, and to standards of wire fencing to which it is intended to fix the wires
in a similar manner.
When the droppers are formed with slots through the angles or curved backs
thereof in the manner described in Bain's specification, that is to say, by cutting
pieces of metal clean out from the droppers, it is. found that the constant rubbing
of cattle against the fence tends to tear the metal through from the ends of the
slots to the outer edges of the droppers; and standards, prepared in the same way
for receiving the wires, are liable to the same inconvenience
Now, the object of this invention is to obviate or greatly lessen any liability of
the metal tearing through between an end of a slot and an edge of a dropper or
standard.
The above object is accomplished, according to this invention, by means which
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the drawings herewith, the said
drawings being given as examples of the application of the invention, and not,
of course, as intended to limit the same to the exact details shewn.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a short length of dropper or standard, and of a
short length of wire connected therewith; but, of course, standards would be of
stronger section than droppers. Figure 2 is a plan view of the parts shewn by
Figure 1. Figure 3 is a back elevation of the same. Figure 4 is a side elevation
of the same. Figure 5 is a vertical section, taken on line x x of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a view, corresponding to Figure but shews a modified section of
dropper or standard.
Referring first to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, A. is the dropper or standard, a the
wire, the slot cut through the face of the dropper or standard into which the
wire is passed sideways, and c the key or wedge which is driven in between the
inside of the dropper or standard and the front of the wire to securely retain the
wire within the slot. According to this invention, however, the metal of each
dropper or standard is strengthened near to or just beyond the ends of the slots b
by ribs g, which extend lengthways of the droppers or standards. These ribs
strengthen the metal against any tendency to tear through at the ends of the slots.
According to this invention, also, instead of cutting a piece of metal clean out
from the dropper or standard to form the slot b, as has heretofore been the case,
each side of the slot is simply cut down without cutting the ends, and the metal d
between the cut down edges e e is pressed down or back into the bottom or back of

page_text: the slot while its ends remain connected with the sides of the dropper or standard.
The metal thus pressed down or back forms a strengthening piece and receives the
pressure of the wire when the key is driven down between the back or inner
face of the inside of the dropper or standard and the wire; and this piece d is,
preferably, concave in transverse section at the face which is towards the wire,
as shewn hy Figure 5, for the purpose of increasing its strength and forming a
channel to receive the wire. The key is, of course, driven down through
openings f which occur between the edges of the metal d which has been pressed
down or back and the inner or back face of the interior of the dropper or standard.
In Figure 6, the dropper or standard is shewn to have corrugations 7, in lieu of
the solid ribs shewn by Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, but it may have solid ribs such
as shewn by the latter figures, and corrugations may be substituted for the solid
ribs shewn by such figures.
The method of strengthening the metal at the ends of the slots by means of ribs,
and the method of forming a strengthening piece across the bottom of each slot,
may, if desired, be used independently of one another, and much of the advantage
of the invention be still secured.
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. In a dropper or standard for wire fencing having gaps or notches, formed
each in position between hollow or outwardly convex portions of a side thereof,
to receive the wires, strengthening ribs running lengthways of the dropper or
standard adjacent or near to the ends of the gaps, substantially as described, for
the purpose set forth.
2. In a dropper or standard for wire fencing having gaps or notches, formed
each in position between hollow or outwardly convex portions of a side thereof,
to receive the wires, transverse pieces of metal along the bottoms or backs of such
gaps which join into the ends thereof, substantially as described for the purpose
set forth.
3. In standards and droppers for wire fencing having gaps or notches formed
therein to receive the wires means for strengthening them against their liability
to tear through the ends of the gaps substantially as described and shewn by the
drawings herewith.
Dated this 8th dar of Inuil 1900
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.