IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING WOODEN POSTS WHEN FIXED IN THE GROUND
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hale, of Lime Strcct, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING WOODEN
POSTS WHEN FIXED IN THE GROUND."
Scaled the 29th January 1875, and dated the 2nd December 1874.

page_text: the same.
The socket may be either of round, square, or other form in
section, according to the shape of the post, and the socket is made rather
larger than the foot of the post to admit a filling of pitch, tar, or other
suitable material, by which the post will be firmly fixed in the socket,
and at same time preserved from the effects of damp.
To further prevent the rain water insinuating itself between the post
and the sides of the socket I prefer to form the post at that part which
will be at or just above the surface of the ground when the post is fixed,
with an overhanging lip or flange on all sides, which embraces and
completely covers the top edge of the socket so that rain water running
down the post will drip off on to the ground clear of the socket. This
overhanging lip or flange may however be dispensed with in some
cases,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Hale in the Great Seal Patent Office on 1
the 2nd June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HALE, of Lime Street, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Hale, Her special
licence, that I, the said Thomas Hale, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Hale, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRESERVING WOODEN POSTS WHEN FIXED IN THE GROUND," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Hale, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
-

page_text: nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Hale, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
My Invention relates to improved means of preserving from decay
that part of telegraph, gate, fence, and other wooden posts which is
embedded in the ground.
The Invention consists in fitting the post in a socket of glazed earthen-
ware or stoneware closed at bottom. The socket may either be of square,
round, or other form in section, according to the shape of the lower part
of the post. The latter should fit loosely in the socket to admit a filling
of pitch, tar, or other suitable material, by which the post will be firmly
fixed in the socket, and at same time preserved from the effects of
damp.
To throw off the rain water and prevent it entering between the post
and the sides of the socket I may in some cases form the post at that
part which will be at or just above the surface of the ground when the
post is fixed, with an overhanging lip or flange on all sides, which
embraces and completely covers the top of the socket, so that rain water
running down the post will drop off on to the ground clear of the
Figure 1 shows a vertical section of the socket with a gate post fixed
O therein, according to my Invention; and Figure 2, a similar section, the
post in this case being provided with an overhanging lip for throwing off
the rain.
A is the socket of glazed earthenware or stoneware, such as that used
for drain pipes. The sockets may be made in the same way as drain
pipes, that is to say, the clay may be moulded continuously by being
forced through a dod or mould, as in a drain pipe making machine, and

page_text: cut off in suitable lengths. The socket is then closed at bottom by a
plate of clay applied thereto and joined with slip in the usual way,
after which the socket is fired and glazed. This plate 6 forms a flange
to the socket, thus serving to strengthen the same and prevent it from
moving in the ground when fixed. In Figure 2, c is a lip formed on the
post to enclose the top of the socket.
In fixing the post the socket is first sunk in the ground until its top
edge is level with or slightly above the surface, and a suitable quantity
of pitch or tar is then poured in the socket, in which the post is placed,
as shown.
In order to strengthen the socket and prevent splitting a hoop iron
strap or band may be embedded in the thickness of the clay at the top
of the socket, as indicated at d. These bands would be previously cut
to the proper length and bent to the form of the socket, and their ends
united by rivetting or otherwise.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
application and employment of carthenware or stoneware sockets, con-
structed as herein described, for fixing wooden posts in the ground,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hale, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
WM. CLARK.
THOS. HALE. (L.S.)