CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC POSTS FOR SUPPORTING TELEGRAPH WIRES, AND WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ferdinand Potts, Tube Manufacturer, of Lombard
Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC POSTS FOR
SUPPORTING TELEGRAPH WIRES, AND WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 13th December 1861, and dated the 15th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ferdinand Potts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th June 1861.
I, FERDINAND POTTS, Tube Manufacturer, of Lombard Street, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of my said Inven-
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC POSTS FOR
SUPPORTING TELEGRAPH WIRES, AND WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows (that is to say):-
My improvements in telegraph posts consist in making or constructing them
of sheet iron of a taper form, and of any desired shapo in their transverse
section, and for this purpose I purpose using two or more segments or parts
cut out of the proper táper form according to the size or proportion required
at base and top. These segments or parts I intend preparing and cutting out
from
sheet iron in the same way described in a Patent granted to me in 1853,
No. 2138; these segments or parts I intend 'shaping by pressure with the

page_text: iron in a hot or cold state, as desired, or drawing them as far as practicable
through a hole at a draw bench, and when shaped and put together I purpose
securing them by rings shrunk on hot or otherwise, the circumference of the
ring being proportionately large, according to the position it may be required
to be placed, varying the number of such rings as may be desired, such rings
being of a corresponding shape to the form of the finished tube. Tho taper
tubular part thus formed I purpose uniting to a broad cast-iron or other formed
base, with suitable means for securing it in the ground. Telegraph posts
thus formed I purpose galvanizing or enamelling to protect the surface from
oxidation, or otherwise treated; and in some cases I purpose forming my
rings with projections or flanges for the purpose of attaching tention rods,
which may be secured to the base before described, or otherwise as desired,
and to the projections or flanges of the rings, the said tention rods being
tightened up by an intermediate coupling with a right and left handed screw;
and for posts where great strength is required, the segments may be increased,
cach segment having a flange formed at its edge or meeting, pointing towards
the centre, by which means great additional strength will be obtained. Posts
thus constructed may be coated, finished as before described, and made short
or long as required, and of any desired bulk, as, for instance, if used for
supports for fencing, the rings may be formed at the ends of rails, so that by
dropping on the rails, and striking them down in position, the parts or
segments forming the posts will be held secure, and a continuous fence may
be thus formed, such posts or standards being fitted with suitable means for
resting on or fixing in the ground, having a convenient simple metallic or
wooden boss to form a finish at the top end.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ferdinand Potts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FERDINAND
POTTS, Tube Manufacturer, of Lombard Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Ferdinand Potts, Her special license that I, the said Ferdinand Potts, my

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ferdinand
Potts, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC POSTS FOR SUPPORTING TELEGRAPH WIRES, AND
WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ferdinand Potts, by an instru-
ment 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 Ferdinand Potts, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in telegraph. or other posts consist in making or con-
structing them of sheet iron of a taper form, and of any desired shape in their
transverse section; and in giving effect to my Invention I purpose using two
or more segments or parts, cut out of the proper taper form, according to the
size or proportion required at base and top. These segments or parts I intend
preparing and cutting out from sheet iron in the same way described in a
Patent granted to me in 1853, No. 2138, and which parts I intend shaping
by pressure with the iron in a hot or cold state as desired, or drawing them, as
far as practicable, through a common or expanding hole at a draw bench; and
when shaped and put together, I purpose securing them by rings shrunk on
hot or otherwise, the circumference of the ring being proportionately large
according to the position that may be required to be placed, varying the
number of such rings as may be desired, such rings being of a corresponding
shape to the form of the finished tube. The taper tubular post thus formed I
purpose uniting to a broad cast-iron or other formed base, with a screw or
other suitable means for screwing or securing it in the ground. Telegraph
posts thus formed, I purpose galvanizing or enamelling to protect the surface
from oxidation, or otherwise treated; and in some cases I purpose forming my
rings with projections or flanges, for the purpose of attaching tension rods;
which may be secured to the base before described, or extended to other

page_text: suitable bases in connection with them, or otherwise as desired; and to the
projections or flanges of the rings the said tension rods are to be attached,
being tightened up by intermediate couplings constructed with a right and
left handed screw; and for posts where great strength is required the seg
ments may be increased, each segment having a flange formed at its edge
or meeting projecting inwards towards the centre, by which means great
additional strength will be obtained. Posts thus constructed may be coated
or finished as before described, and made short or long as required, and of any
desired bulk, as, for instance, if used for supports for fencing, the rings may
be formed at the ends of rails, so that by dropping on the rails, and striking
down in position, the parts or segments forming the posts will be held secure,
and a continuous fence may be formed, such posts or standards being fitted
with suitable means for resting on or fixing in the ground, having a convenient
simple metallic or wooden boss to form a finish at the top end; or the rails
may be made of gas tubing tapped at the ends to receive a coupling to connect
them with the rings, the coupling in this case will act as a tension screw to
tighten them together; but reference to the accompanying Drawings will
show more fully my Invention, and the practical means for realizing the
same.
Fig. 1 represents a telegraph post made according to my improvements,
represented partly in section at the lower end for the purpose of exhibiting
the base A, A, which consists of a broad collar with a screw cast in con-
nection with the same for screwing it into the ground, as here represented,
marked B, B. The part C is cast with the collars, and forms a shank or
foot, over which the segments of the post D, D, D, pass; and this part is
represented in a top view at Fig. 2, the flat sides of which are for the purpose
of applying a lever for screwing the foot into the ground. I do not purpose
limiting myself to any number of segments forming the the tube, but consider
that either two, three, or four will answer well. The posts D, D, is repre-
sented as composed of two, as seen in the transverse section, Fig. 3, as taken
through the section E, E. These semicircles are held together by the collars
at the top, marked F, F, F, F, and the intermediate ones G, II, and I; and
when such a post stands by itself, I should continue the use of such collars or
rings at suitable distances, applying one at the extreme base, these collars
being made internally of the same angle of taper as the post, but varying in
size (according to the position they are required to be placed), admits of
being driven down tight, so as to hold the parts firmly together. The top
collars F, F, F, F, are formed with any required number of projecting radial
arms for supporting the insulators, and the collar G, I prefer forming with

page_text: open lugs, as seen also in a top view at Fig. 4. These lugs are for receiving
tension rods, as at K, K, K, strained by the coupling at L, which is tapped
with a right and left hand screw, that the rod may be slackened or tightened
as required, for setting up and holding the post in a particular position, or for
counteracting any unequal strain from the telegraph wires. Fig. 5
repre-
sents a section where the edges of the strips forming the post or standard aro
turned inward, forming strengthening flanges, so as to increase the strength at
the meeting or jointing of the parts of the tubes; and Fig. 6 represents the
same principle, but designed for composing the posts of four quarter segments;
and Fig. 7 represents a trefoil shape, which may be formed with or without
flanges. This mode of making telegraph posts I purpose also applying to the
standards or other parts of iron fencing, or such like purposes, as here repre-
sented, the standard M, M, being made in the same way as D, D, supported
on a cast-iron base let in the ground, marked N. The parts of the posts are
united at the base by the collar O, and in the middle and at the top by the
collar P and Q, while on the standard D the corresponding collars shown in
section at R, S, and T are placed. These collars are formed with tapped
pins, which with the coupling nuts U, V, and W connect the collars with the
horizontal bars or rods A', B', and C', which may be solid or tubular, as
required, and tapped at the ends in the reverse direction to the pins projecting
from the collars, in order that the couplings U, V, and W may, by screwing
or unscrewing, tighten or slacken the tension of such rails; not that I purpose
adhering to this mode of connecting the horizontal rails with the standards, as
they may be formed as at D', E¹, and F', the same being represented in a top
view at Fig. 8, the eye G' being of the proper diameter and inclination to
suit the taper and position required on the standard M. This mode of manu-
facturing telegraph posts admits also of their being made in lengths, the joints
being covered when set up by the collars before described, and when generally
so treated they may be galvanized, enamelled, or otherwise finished in parts,
and put together afterwards, a matter of great convenience when required to
be closely packed up to go abroad; and, if galvanized, the parts may, if
desired, be finally further secured by solder when set up in position. Tho
manner of forming the semicircular segmental or tubular parts forming the
posts is by pressure suitably applied, or by passing the required strips through
suitable grooved rolls; or the parts may be formed by the strips being placed
hot into a taper hole of the required size, and a mandrel for internal pressure
applied with great force; or they may be made or formed in any other
convenient way.
Having now given a general description of my Invention, and the manner

page_text: in which the same may be carried into effect, I wish it understood that I do
not purpose confining myself to the exact details as herein described and
exhibited, as the same may be altered without departing from the spirit of
my Invention; but what I claim and wish protected by these my in part
recited Letters Patent is, the general construction and manner of setting up
of posts for supporting telegraph wires, fencing, and such like purposes, as
herein described and exhibited.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ferdinand
have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
JAMES S. COCKINGS,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
FERDINAND POTTS. (L.S.)