Improvements in Pickets and Fences.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pickets and Fences.
I, PURCHES MILES, of No. 528, Classon Avenue, Brooklyn, in the County of
Kings, and State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:
The object of my invention is to provide an improved Picket and Fence that shall
be simple, cheap, durable, and effective.
The Invention consists first in a sheet metal picket that is longitudinally corrugated
and grooved at right angles to such corrugation, said groove being adapted to hold
a wire.
The Invention also consists in a longitudinally corrugated sheet metal picket having
a groove at right angles to such corrugation and slits extending from said groove to
the end of the picket forming thereby fingers, barbs, or points on the end of the
picket.
The Invention also consists in the combination with a picket constructed as above
stated, of a wire that passes through the groove in the picket and is embraced by the
fingers or barbs.
The Invention further consists in other details of improvement, and the combinations
of parts, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specifi_
ro

page_text: cation, in which figure 1 is a side elevation of a, portion of a fence embodying my
invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line c'c' figure 1. Figure 3 is a
cross-section on the line cc figure 1. Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line kk
figure 1. Figure 5 is a side view of a portion of the fence, shewing a modification.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the same on the line k¹k figure 5; and figure 7
is a side view of another modification. Similar letters of reference designate
corresponding parts in all the figures.
b
In the drawing, the letter A represents my improved fence picket. This picket A
is corrugated longitudinally either throughout its entire length or only at or near its
ends, as preferred. Near one or both ends, the picket A is grooved at right angles to
the corrugations, as at a. The picket A has points or fingers b at one or both ends,
as shewn, these barbs or fingers being made by providing the picket with slits or
openings d that extend from the groove a longitudinally to the nearest end, the metal
that is left forming the barbs b. These fingers may be drawn to a sharp point, as
shewn. B is the horizontal wire of the fence, to which the pickets A are secured, the
pickets A, being arranged at any distance desired along the wire. There may be two
wires B to each picket A, as in figure 1, one at or near each end of the picket, or
there may be only a single wire B, as in figure 7. The wire B where it receives the
picket, is curved to conform to the corrugated shape of the picket, as clearly shewn in
figures 3 and 4. The wire B passes through the cross-groove a in the picket A, its
curved parts resting in said grooves, as in figures 3 and 4; also over one side of the
two outer barbs or fingers 6 and over the opposite side of the centre barb or finger,
and through the slits d. To permit this passage of the wire B through the slits d,
said slits may be made wide enough to receive the wire, as shewn in the left hand
picket in figure 1 and in figure 7; or the slit d may be quite narrow and provided at
its inner end with an enlarged portion d to permit the passage of the wire, as shewn
in the upper part of the right hand picket in figure 1. The cross-groove a is so made
as to be on one side of the two outer fingers 6 and on the opposite side of the centre
finger. The concave parts of the curved portion of the wire B fit in the groove a on
the respective side of the picket, as clearly shewn in figure 4.
In securing the picket A, to the wire B, I bend the centre finger b laterally on one
side and the other fingers b laterally on the opposite side. But still, all the fingers
project longitudinally from the end of the picket. This leaves an opening between the
centre and outer fingers. The wire B is now passed between the fingers, and its
curved part into. the groove a when the barbs or fingers will be returned to their
original positions, as in figure 2. The picket will now be firmly held on the
wire, and movement laterally or longitudinally along the wire is prevented, owing to
the several curves in the wire and picket, which form a continuous lock seat from edge
to edge of the picket. By thus interweaving the fingers of the picket with the curved
part of the wire, all danger of displacement of the parts is avoided.
On account of the longitudinal corrugations in the picket, it is transversely elastic or
spring-like and being clasped upon the curved part of the wire B, it operates as a
spring in conjunction with the curved part of the wire, thereby permitting a shortening
or contraction of the wire through a lowering of the temperature; and causing the
slack to be taken up when the wire is expanded or lengthened through a rise in the
temperature.
An important advantage obtained by my improvement, is the strengthening of the
picket through the longitudinal corrugations and the cross-grooves a and the
interweaving of the wire with the picket in the peculiar lacing manner shewn.
Although I have shewn but three fingers bit will be understood that the pickets
may be provided with any desired number of fingers and interwoven with the wire, as
already explained. The wire may be additionally secured to the pickets by passing the
wire and attached pickets through a metallic bath to galvanize the same, the spelter
serving to unite the wire to the pickets and to fill up, and thereby prevent the collection
of moisture in the crevices between the picket and wire.
In the modification shewn in figures 5 and 6, the slits d instead of passing from the

page_text: groove a to the nearest end of the picket, as before shewn, may be extended towards
the opposite end or the centre of the picket and converged toward each other so as to
form a tongue or lip e that extends from the groove a. This tongue e may be moved
outwards, as shewn in figure 6 to permit the wire B to be slipped behind the
tongue and into the groove a, and the tongue e being then pressed back to its
normal or original position will clamp the wire in the groove a, as shewn in
figure 5.
In the modification shewn in figure 7, the picket is shewn as clamped to a single
wire said wire passing near the centre of the picket. The picket in this figure, is
provided with the longitudinal corrugations, cross-groove a, and fingers b, and held to
the wire B in manner similar to that shewn in figures 1 to 4. But in this case, 1
provide the picket A, with an additional cross-groove a' that acts to stiffen the picket
materially, both ends of the picket being preferably pointed, as shewn, but only one
end having the extending fingers b. With this construction, quite thin metal may be
employed, a single wire being used to hold a picket, instead of using two wires as
before. This picket will not be able to turn on its axis owing to the curves in the
wire, and will thereby be held in its proper position at all times.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
1. The picket A that is corrugated at the ends and grooved at about right angles to
the corrugations, substantially as described.
2. The picket A that is corrugated at the ends grooved at about right angles thereto
and split from the groove to the end thereby forming fingers b, substantially as
described.
3. The picket A corrugated throughout its length and having a groove a at about
right angles to the corrugations and also split from the groove à to the end, substantially
as described.
4. The picket A that is corrugated at the ends and grooved at about right angles to
the corrugations, combined with the wire B that enters the cross groove, substantially
as described.
5. The picket A that is corrugated at the ends grooved at about right angles to the
corrugations and split from the groove to the end, combined with the wire B that enters
said groove, substantially as described.
6. The picket A corrugated throughout its length and having a groove a at about
right angles to the corrugations and also split from the groove a to the end, thereby
forming fingers b, combined with the wire B that enters said groove a and is ombraced
by the fingers b, substantially as described.
7. The combination with a wire B, of pickets A having slits d, perforations at the
inner end of said slits, and the groove a for the passage and attachment of the wire,
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
8. A fence composeu of horizontal wires and sheet metal pickets, the latter
having longitudinal terminal fingers, one or more of said fingers being formed
with a cross-crimp or groove, substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
9. A fence composed of sheet metal pickets and horizontal wires, the said pickets being
corrugated and having three or more terminal fingers and a cross groove or crimp
formed on alternate sides of said fingers, the said wire having curves conforming
with the corrugation of the picket and bound alternately between the said fingers
within the cross groove, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
10. A sheet metal picket for fences having three or more terminal fingers each
formed at or near their base with a cross groove or crimp, the outer fingers having the

page_text: groove or crimp on the same side and the intermediate finger or fingers having the
groove or crimp on the opposite side, substantially as herein shewn and described, and
for the purpose stated.
11. As a new article of manufacture, a fence composed of horizontal wires and
sheet metal pickets, the latter having three or more terminal fingers each having a
cross-groove or crimp at or near the base and on alternate sides thereof within which
the wire is laid, bound and secured by a solid metallic joining formed within the groove
by the operation of galvanizing the fence when completed, substantially as herein
shewn and described.
PURCHES MILES.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.