IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING TELEGRAPH POLES, THE POSTS OF WOODEN FENCING, AND OTHER SIMILARLY EXPOSED OR PARTLY EMBEDDED WOODEN Sur- PACES. AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Balfour McKenzie Ross, of Ardgay
Cottage, in the County of Ross, North Britain, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING TELEGRAPH POLES, THE POSTS OF WOODEN
FENCING, AND OTHER SIMILARLY EXPOSED OR PARTLY EMBEDDED WOODEN Sur-
PACES. AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.'
"
Scaled the 28th March 1873, and dated the 22nd October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Balfour
McKenzie Ross at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 22nd October 1872.
I, GEORGE BALFOUR MCKENZIE Ross, of Ardgay Cottage, in the
County of Ross, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING TELEGRAPH POLES, THE POSTS OF
WOODEN FENCING, AND OTHER SIMILARLY EXPOSED .OR PARTLY EMBEDDED WOODEN
SURFACES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOB," to be as follows, that is to
sav

page_text: embedded wooden surfaces from rot or decay, consists in encasing the
lower extremities of such wooden surfaces, in a water or damp proof
foundation, and which may be composed of fire-clay or other suitable
material impervious to moisture. The lower end of this foundation has
a sole or palm formed thereon, which rests on the bottom of the
excavation made to receive the telegraph pole, fence, post, or other
wooden erection, and the part of the foundation or casing surrounding
the pole or post is made of a depth sufficient to project to a distanco
above the ground when the pole or post has been erected in position.
The said part of the foundation or casing is also formed of a width or
diameter slightly greater than that of the base of the pole or post
inserted therein, and into the space between the inner side of the
foundation and the pole or post, a coating composed of pitch, tar, slack
lime, and sand, the proportions of which may be considerably varied, is
poured. This composition is heated and applied in that condition, a
sufficient quantity thereof being employed to fill the space surrounding
the lower extremity of the post or pole.
It is to be understood that the composition above set forth may in
some cases be employed to preserve embedded wooden surfaces, without
the addition of the fire-clay or other impervious casing herein-before
described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Balfour McKenzie Ross in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE 28
BALFOUR M'KENZIE Ross, of Ardgay Cottage, in the County of Ross,
North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the 36th 3
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me; the said George Balfour McKenzie Ross, Her
special license that I, the said George Balfour McKenzie Ross, my

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Balfour McKenzie Ross, my executors, administrators, or
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 TELE-
GRAPH POLES, THE POSTS OF WOODEN FENCING, AND OTHER SIMILARLY EXPOSED OR
PARTLY EMBEDDED WOODEN SURFACES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Balfour
McKenzie Ross, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Balfour M'Kenzie Ross, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to preserve telegraph poles, the
posts of wooden fences, and other similarly exposed or partly embedded
wooden surfaces, from rot or decay.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
have hereunto appended an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, on which
Figure 1 illustrates in vertical section, and Figure 2 in plan, one system
or mode in or under which the same is or may be carried out in practice.
As shewn by these Figures, the lower extremity of the telegraph pole,
fence, post, or other partly embedded wooden surface A is encased
within a water or damp proof foundation B, composed of fire-clay or
other material impervious to moisture. At the lower end of the
foundation B a sole or palm C is formed, which rests on the bottom of
the excavation made to receive the telegraph pole, fence, post, or
other wooden erection, and the socket D or that part of the foundation
which surrounds the pole or post is made sufficiently deep to project a

page_text: short distance above the ground when the pole or post has been erected
in position, as shewn at Figure 1, by which means that portion of the
pole or post situate at and above the ground level, as well as the
embedded portion, is protected from the destructive action of damp or
moisture. The hole or opening in the socket D is formed of a width
slightly greater than that of the base of the pole or post inserted therein,
and into the space between the inner side of the socket D and the pole
or post, a coating composed of pitch, tar, lime, sand, and red or other
ochre is poured. This composition, the proportions of which may be
considerably varied, is heated and applied in that condition, a sufficient
quantity thereof being employed to fill the space surrounding the lower
extremity of the pole or post, as shewn at Figure 1.
Although I do not limit myself to the proportions of the composition
yet in practice I have found the following proportions to give satisfactory
results, namely, of pitch, 1 part by weight; of tar, part; of slaked
lime, th part; or of fresh building lime, † part; and of red or other
ochre th part; or the ochre may be dispensed with, and additional
proportions of lime admixed with clear sand employed in lieu thereof.
In place of forming the foundation B in one piece, as herein-before
described and shewn at Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings, the said
foundation may be otherwise formed, for example, the sole or palm E
may constitute one part, and be formed with a neck or tubular portion
at its upper end, as shewn at E, Figure 3, into which the lower part of
the socket is introduced previous to erecting the pole or post G.
Figure 4 is a plan of this arrangement.
It is to be understood that the composition herein-before described as
employed in conjunction with the impervious foundation, may in some
cases be used to preserve wooden surfaces imbedded in the ground or
submerged in fresh or salt water, without the addition of the fire clay or
other impervious foundation or casing.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and there-
fore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, preserving or protecting the lower extremities

page_text: of telegraph poles, the posts of wooden fencing, and other similarly
exposed or partly embedded wooden surfaces, by encasing them in a
water or damp proof foundation, as shewn on the Drawings, and by
coating them with the composition herein-before described, which com-
position also serves to secure the pole or post in position.
of telegraph poles, the posts of wooden fencing, and other similarly
exposed or partly embedded wooden surfaces, by encasing them in a
water or damp proof foundation, as shewn on the Drawings, and by
coating them with the composition herein-before described, which com-
position also serves to secure the pole or post in position.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Balfour M'Kenzie Ross, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Balfour M'Kenzie Ross, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
GEORGE BALFOUR M'KENZIE ROSS. (L.S.)