IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC FENCING, AND IN FASTENINGS FOR JOINING WIRES AND STRIPS OR BANDS FOR METALLIC FENCING, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Steer, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, and John Sheldon, of Birmingham aforesaid, Mechanical
Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC FENCING, AND
IN FASTENINGS FOR JOINING WIRES AND STRIPS OR BANDS FOR METALLIC
FENCING, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Steer and John
Sheldon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st June 1881.
EDWARD STEER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and
JOHN SHELDON, of Birmingham aforesaid, Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN METALLIC FENCING, AND IN FASTENINGS FOR JOINING WIRES AND STRIPS OR
BANDS FOR METALLIC FENCING, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Our Invention relates principally to the kind of fencing commonly called barbed
fencing, and consists of the methods, herein after described, of constructing and
fixing the barbs of the said fencing, and of joining together lengths of the same.
Our improvements in joining lengths of the said fencing are however applicable
to the joining of lengths of fencing other than barbed fencing, and are also
applicable to the joining of wires, strips, or bands for various purposes, such, for
example, as bale ties.
We will describe our Invention in connection with barbed wire fencing.
We make the barbs from pieces of wire, preferably nearly semi-cylindrical in
cross section. The said pieces of wire are pointed at their ends, and the middle
is bent into a nearly circular form, the parts on either side the middle being in the
same or nearly the same line. These barbs are attached to the wire fencing by
compressing (by means of plyers or otherwise) the circular parts or eyes of the
barb upon the fencing at the required distances apart.
In order the more effectually to secure the barbs in their places and prevent
them turning on the fencing, the wire of the fencing may be flattened at the
points where the barbs are to be attached.
Or the wire at those parts may have bends or curves of a nearly semi-circular
or other figure made in it.

page_text: By these means the barbs, when compressed on the wire of the fencing at the
flattened or bent parts, are not only attached to the fencing, but are incapable of
turning on the wire of the fencing.
In making a fastening for joining fencing according to our Invention, we take
two pieces of strong wire. Each of the said pieces is bent or cranked so that one
part of it is at right angles to the other. At one end of the said cranked pieces of
wire is an eye or loop of a size suitable for the reception of that end of the other
wire which is without an eye or loop. When the plain end of each piece is inserted
in the looped end of the other, the two pieces become connected together, forming a
rectangular frame; and if before they are engaged together the plain ends of the
pieces are passed through loops in the ends of the lengths of fencing to be joined,
the said lengths of fencing are securely joined by the engaging together of the two
parts of the fastening.
Our improvements in fastenings for wire fencing are also applicable to the joining
of metallic fencing made of metallic strips or bands for various purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Steer and John Sheldon in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd November 1881.
EDWARD STEER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and
JOHN SHELDON, of Birmingham aforesaid, Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN METALLIC FENCING, AND IN FASTENINGS FOR JOINING WIRES AND STRIPS OR
BANDS FOR METALLIC FENCING, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Our Invention relates principally to the kind of fencing commonly called barbed
fencing, and consists of the methods, herein after described, of constructing and
fixing the barbs of the said fencing, and of joining together lengths of the same.
Our improvements in joining lengths of the said fencing are however applicable
to the joining of lengths of fencing other than barbed fencing, and are also
applicable to the joining of wires, strips, or bands for various purposes, such, for
example, as bale tiles.
We will describe our Invention in connection with barbed wire fencing.
We make the barbs from pieces of wire, preferably nearly semi-cylindrical in
cross section. The said pieces of wire are pointed at their ends, and the middle is
bent into a nearly circular form, tho parts on either side the middle being in the
same or nearly the same line. These barbs are attached to the wire fencing by
compressing (by means of plyers or otherwise) the circular parts or eyes of the
barbs upon the fencing at the required distance apart.
In order the more effectually to secure the barbs in their places, and prevent
them turning on the fencing, the wire of the fencing may be flattened at the points
where the barbs are to be attached.
Or the wire at those parts may have bends or curves of a nearly semi-circular or
other figure made in it.
By these means the barbs, when compressed on the wire of the fencing at the
flattened or bent parts, are not only attached to the fencing, but are incapable of
turning on the wire of the fencing.
In making a fastening for joining fencing according to our Invention we take
two pieces of strong wire. Each of the said pieces is bent or cranked, so that one
part of it is at right angles to the other.
At one end of the cranked pieces of wire is an eye or loop of a size suitable for
the reception of that end of the other wire which is without an eye or loop.
When the plain end of each piece is inserted in the looped end of the other, the
two pieces become connected together, forming a rectangular frame; and if beforo
they are engaged together tho plain ends of the pieces are passed through loops in
the ends of the lengths of fencing to be joined, the said lengths of fencing are
securely joined by the engaging together of the two parts of the fastening.
Our improvements in fastenings for wire fencing are also applicable to the
joining of metallic fencing made of metallic strips or bands for various purposes.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan of underside, Figure 2 in plan of upperside, and
Figure 3 in side elevation, a portion of a barbed fencing, the barbs of the said
fencing being constructed and fixed according to our Invention; Figure 4 represents
a side elevation of one of the barbs and wire of the fencing; and Figure 5, a cross
section of the same; Figure 6 represents the wire fencing prepared to receive the
barbs; Figure 7 represents one of the blanks from which the barbs are made.
The barbs are marked a, b, a, and the wire fencing on which they are fixed is
marked c in the Drawing.

page_text: The blank, Figure 7, from which the barb is made, consists of a piece of wire
having, by preference, a nearly semi-cylindrical figure in cross section, and its ends
are pointed. The middle of the blank or piece, Figure 7, is bent into a nearly
circular figure, so as to form an open eye b, the barbs or pointed arms a, a, on
either side, the middle circular part being in the same or nearly the same line
(see Figures 4 and 5). At the required distances apart on the wire fencing c,
where the barbs are to be fixed, the wire is flattened on opposite sides, as seen in
Figure 6, the flattened parts being marked d. The open eyes or nearly circular
parts b of the barbs being passed over the flattened parts d on the wire fencing c,
the open parts of the said eyes are compressed on the underside of the wire fencing,
so as to close the eyes upon and cause them to firmly grip the wire fencing, as seen
in Figures 4 and 5, the flattened parts d, d, upon which the eyes are compressed
preventing the barbs a, b, a, turning on the wire fencing.
The compressing of the eyes b upon the wire fencing may be effected by means
of plyers or otherwise.
Or the preventing of the turning of the barbs on the wire fencing may be
effected by bending or cranking the wire fencing at the parts whero the barbs are
to be attached to it, as illustrated in plan of upperside in Figure 8, underside
partly in section in Figure 9, and side elevation in Figure 10; Figure 11 represents
the cranked or bent wire without a barb. In the said Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11, the
cranked or bent part of the wire is marked e.
We do not limit ourselves to the figure of the cranked, curved, or bent parts of
the wire fencing, where the barbs are to be attached, as various forms may be
given to the said wire fencing to prevent the turning of the barbs upon it; or the
barbs may be fixed on plain wire fencing.
Figure 12 represents in side elevation, Figure 13 in vertical section, Figure 14
in plan, and Figure 15 in horizontal section, a fastening for joining lengths of
fencing, and for other purposes constructed according to our Invention; Figure 16
represents the ends of the fencing to be joined together, and Figure 17 the parts
of the fastening detached.
ff, is one part of the fastening, and g, g², is the
each part being made from separate pieces of wire.
cranked or bent at right angles, and at the end of the
loop.
other part of the fastening,
The end of each piece is
cranked part is an eye or
The cranked end of the part ƒ of the fastening is marked f", and its eye or
loop, and the cranked end of the other part g of the fastening is marked g*,
and its eye or loop is marked g³. The eye or loop on one part of the fastening
is of a size proper to receive the plain or unbent end of the other part of the
fastening.
When the plain end of each part is inserted in the looped or eye end of the
other part, the two parts of the fastening become connected together, forming a
rectangular frame, as seen in the Drawing.
In fastening the lengths of the bands or strips forming the fencing loops h, i,
are made at the ends to be joined together, and the said loops are passed onto the
unbent ends f, g, of the fastening. The two parts of the fastening are then engaged
together by passing the unbent end of one into the eye of the other, in the manner
represented in the Drawing. The ends of the lengths of the fencing are thus
joined together, the tension put upon the fencing effectually preserving the two
parts of the fastening in their places.
We prefer to make the halves f, f, ƒ³, g, g², g³, of the fastening by bending or
doubling pieces of semi-cylindrical wire, the flat faces of the wire being closed upon
or made to abut against one another.
Instead of making the fastening from wire, it may be made from sheet metal.
The fastening made from sheet metal is represented in side elevation in Figure 18,
plan in Figure 19, and horizontal section in Figure 20, the said Figures 18, 19,
aud 20, showing the ends of the lengths of the fencing joined together; Figure 21
represents the parts of the fastening ready for joining the ends of the fencing;

page_text: Figure 22 represents the ends of the fencing to be joined; Figure 23 represents
the two parts of the fastening; and Figure 24, the sheet metal blank from which
the two similar parts of the fastening are made. To form the two parts of the
fastening, the blank, Figure 24, is divided at the dotted line, and the endsƒ³, g³, SO
divided are doubled or folded so as to form nearly elliptical loops or eyes f³, g³,
as seen in Figure 23, the eyes or loops at the ends of the lengths of the foncing
having a similar shape, as represented.
This fastening is used in the same manner as that first described.
For the joining of wire fencing we shorten those limbs of the fastening which
are without eyes, as illustrated in Figure 25, the looped ends of the wires to
be joined being enclosed between the two parts of the fastening in the manner
shown.
Besides joining metallic fencing composed either of strips or bands of metal or of
wire, the improved fastenings described and represented may be used as balo ties
and for joining wires, strips, or bands for various purposes.
Having explained the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be perforined, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves
to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of our Invention.
But we claim as our Invention,―
First. The improvements in constructing and fixing the barbs of metallic fencing,
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 11, both inclusive, of tho
accompanying Drawings, that is to say, making the said barbs from pieces of wire,
preferably nearly of a semi-circular figure in cross section, pointed at their ends
and bending the middle of the wire into a nearly circular loop or eye, as described
and illustrated; also fixing the said barbs to the wire fencing by compressing the
nearly circular loops or eyes of the barbs upon flattened parts of tho wire fencing,
or upon parts bent or cranked into a nearly semi-circular or other figure, or upon
plain wire fencing, for the purpose and substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The improved fastening for joining wires and strips or bands for
metallic fencing and for other purposes, herein before described and illustrated in
Figures 12 to 25, both inclusive, of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say,
making each fastening of two similar cranked wires or strips, one end of each part
being furnished with a loop or eye, the two parts of the fastening being passed
through loops in the ends of the lengths of wires, strips, or bands, and the said
two parts of the fastening engaged together, substantially as described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Steer and John Sheldon, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of November, in
Witness,
CUTHBERT CHRISTY,
8, Wheeley's Rond,
Edgbaston, B'ham.
EDWARD STEER. (L.S.)
JOHN SHELDON. (L.S.)