IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL HURDLES, FENCING, AND GATES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bailey, Foreman in the employment of Messieurs
Bayliss, Jones, and Bayliss, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Iron Fencing Manufacturers, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF METAL HURDLES, FENCING, AND GATES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bailey at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th September 1880.
WILLIAM BAILEY, Foreman in the employment of Messieurs Bayliss, Jones, and
Bayliss, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Iron Fencing Manufacturers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL HURDLES, FENCING, AND
GATES."
This Invention relates to an improved method of fixing the ends of the bars of
horizontal bar hurdles, fencing, and gates to the uprights, and the vertical bars of
vertical bar hurdles, fencing, and gates to the horizontals.
I will first describe my Invention as it refers to horizontal bar hurdles and
fencing, when its application to the other purposes named will be readily understood.
Holes are formed in the upright rather larger than the full section of the bar at
the parts where bars are to pass through, and in addition thereto a smaller bole is
formed a short distance above or below each of the first mentioned holes. Each
end of a bar is tapered somewhat so as to be capable of entering one of the smaller
holes aforesaid, and is then bent down at or about at a right angle a short distance
from the end, and the tapered part is bent back again parallel with the bar. The
upright is then threaded on to the bar so that the bar passes through the larger
hole in the upright, thence downwards or upwards as far as the smaller hole in the
upright, and thence through the smaller hole, and thus through the upright again,
the tapered end projecting somewhat from the inner side of the upright; the
projecting end is then clenched up and the joint made secure. The projecting end
may be riveted if desired. If the uprights are made of channel or corresponding
section of iron the projection of the bars beyond the web or inner part of the
upright may be wholly or partially concealed.
The method of fixing the ends of the bars in the case of vertical bar hurdles
and fencing, and in the case of gates, being of the same nature as that already
described in the case of horizontal bar hurdles and fencing does not require detailed
description.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Bailey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th March
1881.
WILLIAM BAILEY, Foreman in the employment of Messieurs Bayliss, Jones, and
Bayliss, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Iron Fencing Manufacturers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL HURDLES, FENCING, AND
GATES."
This Invention relates to an improved method of fixing the. ends. of bars of.
horizontal-bar hurdles, fencing, and gates to the uprights, and the ends of vertical
bars of vertical-bar hurdles, fencing, and gates to the horizontals.
I will first describe my Invention as it refers to horizontal-bar hurdles, fencing,
and gates, when its application to vertical-bar hurdles, fencing, and gates will bo
readily understood.
When the horizontal bars are circular in section holes are formed in each upright,
rather larger than the full section of the bar, at the parts where bars are to pass
through, and in addition thereto a smaller hole-is.formed a short distance above or
below (preferably below) each of the first mentioned holes. Each end of a bar is
-heated-and-tapered somewhat (preferably in a pair of tools), so as to bo capable of
_ entering one of the smaller holes aforesaid and of projecting somewhat-therethrough,
and to allow of an upright being the more easily-threaded thereon, and is then bont
whilst hot at, or about at, a right angle a short distance from the end, and at about
where the tapering commences, and a part is bent back again parallel with tho bar.
The upright is then threaded on to the bent ends of the bar, so that when placed
in position the bars pass through the larger holes in the upright, thence downwards
or upwards, as the case may be, as far as the smaller holes in the upright, and
thence through the smaller holes, and thus through the upright again, the tapered
ends projecting somewhat from the inner side of the upright. The projecting ends
are then clenched up and the joints thus made secure. The projecting ends may
be riveted, if desired, instead of being clenched, but I very much prefer the latter
method of securing the joints. If the uprights are made of channel or corresponding
section the projections of the bars beyond the web or inner part of the upright
when clenched may be wholly or partially concealed from a person standing
in front of the upright, and of course if an H section of upright is used the
projection of the bar on each face of the upright may be so concealed.
When horizontal bars of a flat section are used the holes in the uprights to
receive them are punched somewhat wider than the thickness of the bars, and no
supplementary holes are required. The bars are tapered down somewhat at their
ends, and are bent at right-angles in two places flatways at each end, the second
bend bringing the end back again parallel with the bar. The distance between the
two bends is the same as between the hole in the upright and the side of the upright.
The upright is threaded on to the bent ends of the bars and placed in position so that
the bars bend round the back of the upright and return along one side, projecting
somewhat beyond the inner face of the upright. The projecting ends are then
clenched by bending them round the inner corner of the upright and against its
inner face.
The method described of securing the ends of the flat bars may be adopted also
in the case of circular and other sections of bars, if desired, instead of the method
first described.
A modification of my first-described method of fixing the ends of round bars
consists in tapering the ends of the bars and bending them down at right-angles,
and then when they are placed in position with the bent-down parts against the
outside of an upright, passing a rivet through each bent part and through the

page_text: upright, and thus riveting them up; or a staple may be passed around cach bent
part and rivoted to the upright. In either case of course no supplementary holes
are required in the upright except those required for the rivets.
The method of fixing the ends of horizontal bars to uprights, according to any of
the modifications before-described, in the case of fencing, applics only to such
fencing when made up in lengths, and does not apply to continuous horizontal-bar
fencing, except that the extreme ends of the lengths of bars in a length of continuous
horizontal-bar fencing may be so fixed if desired.
The method of fixing the ends of the bars in the case of vertical-bar hurdles,
fencing, and gates, being exactly similar to that already described in different
modifications in the case of horizontal-bar hurdles, fencing, and gates, does not
require detailed description.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention I will now proceed more
particularly to describe the manner of performing the same with referenco to the
accompanying Drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.
Figures 1 and 2 represent my method of joining the end of a horizontal round
bar to an upright, though the method next described as applied to flat-bar fencing
may be adopted if desired. A is the upright; and B, the horizontal bar; & is the
hole punched through the upright to receive the bar; and c, a supplementary hole
punched through the upright to receive the return bend of the bar. Whilst the
bar is straight the part from about at a to the end bis tapered down, as shewn;
the end of the bar is then bont into the shape shown at Figure 1, and the bars
being then all placed with their bent parts parallel with one another, and at right-
angles to the plane of the hurdlo or fence, the uprights are threaded over at the
opposite ends, commencing at the parts corresponding to b until they arrive on the
straight parts of the bars. The uprights are then moved along the straight parts
of the bars so as to allow the bent ends of the bars to be turned down with the
parts corresponding to b opposite the supplementary holes corresponding to c. The
returned ends of the bars are then driven up (or the upright is driven back), and
the ends of the bars are brought into the position shown at Figure 1. The pro-
jecting tapered ends b of the bars are then clenched up, as shown at Figure 2, and
the joint is thus secured. The hole d in the upright is made somewhat easy to
allow of the upright being readily threaded on to the bar, but the hole c is distanced
from the hole d so that the metal between the two holes is tight between the bar
and the returned end when the latter is driven up. Of course intermediate uprights
must be threaded over the bent ends of the bars.
When a square or oval section of bar is used at the top or other horizontal bar,
in conjunction with other bars fixed in the ordinary manner, the ends must be
rounded down and tapered, if it is desired to form joints with the uprights in the
manner described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. It is necessary to round the
bars down in order that they may be turned in the uprights when the latter have
been threaded on.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 illustrate my method of securing the ends of horizontal flat
bars to uprights; Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sections through the upright
shewing the bar in plan. D is the upright; E, the bar, and a¹ the hole punched
through the upright to receive the bar. The end of the bar is first tapered flatways,
and then bent, as shewn by Figure 3. The upright is threaded over the bent ends
of the bars, and afterwards the parts of the bars corresponding to the part ď
are clenched over, as shown in Figure 4. Figure 5 is a front elevation of
Figure 4.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate respectively a plan and elevation of an apparatus I
employ whilst clenching up a hurdle constructed according to this Invention.
e, e, etc., is a hurdle ready for clenching up; f. f, are trestles; 9, 9, and g¹, g¹, are
bars fixed firmly into the ground or otherwise; h, h, are bars or standards fixed
firmly in position, and have slots cut down at their top ends, in which one of the
uprights of the hurdle may lie loosely as shewn. The bars of the hurdle, after
the ends have been bent as shewn, are threaded through the intermediate upright,

page_text: and are then laid upon the trestles f, f. The end uprights are then threaded on
and driven up into the positions shewn (the bent ends of the bars may be most
conveniently driven into the upright for fixing the first of the two uprights in
place). One of the uprights is then laid in the slots at the tops of the standards h, h,
(though it may be so placed while the bars are knocked up into position if desired)
and the bars g, g, and g', g', keep the horizontal bars parallel with one another
while they are clenched up. The bars g', g', keep the horizontal bar & in position
against one of the standards h as shewn, and the bars g, g, distance off the back
ends of the horizontal bars.
Figure 8 is a side elevation, and Figure 9 an end elevation shewing a modification
of the arrangement illustrated by Figures 1 and 2. F is an end upright, and G
the bar. The end of the bar is bent down, as shewn, before being passed through
the upright. m is a rivet through the bent end of the bar and the upright, by
which the bar is firmly secured.
Figure 10 is a side elevation, and Figure 11 and end elevation of a slightly
different arrangement to that last described. A staple n is passed around the bent
end and riveted up through two holes in the upright in place of the rivet m in
the arrangement last described.
A modification of the arrangement shewn by Figures 3, 4, and 5 consists in
cutting a niche or recess in one or both edges of the upright, and to the depth of
the horizontal bar or less, instead of punching a hole therethrough to receive the
bar, and then bending the end of the bar so as to pass from the middle of the
_upright round one edge (in a recess) and across the back, and then when the bar
is placed in position clenching the same round-the-other-edge-of-the-upright.(and.
in a recess if desired).-
I have described the modifications shown by Figures 8 to 11, and also a modifi-
cation of the arrangement illustrated by Figures 3 to 5, but I wish to state
distinctly that I do not recommend these modifications, but very much prefer those
before-described.
In applying this Invention to vertical-bar hurdles, fencing, and gates, its
application will be perfectly understood by considering the horizontals in the
accompanying illustrations as vertical bars, and the verticals as horizontals.
Having now stated the nature of my said Invention, and particularly described
and ascertained the manner of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that
I do not confine myself to the exact details as shewn, as such may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention, but what I claim as my
Invention, and desire to secure by the hereinbefore in-part-recited Letters Patent
is,―
1st. Joining the ends of horizontal circular bars (or the ends of a single bar of
other section, having the ends rounded down as described) to the end uprights of
horizontal-bar hurdles, fencing (subject to the [restrictions herein before mentioned),
and gates, and the corresponding vertical bars to the horizontals of vertical-bar
hurdles, fencing, and gates, by bending the ends of the bars, and placing the said
ends each in the two holes provided therefor in an upright or horizontal (as the
case may be) substantially as herein described and illustrated by Figure 1, and
then clenching up the projecting ends, substantially as herein described and
illustrated by Figure 2.
2nd. Joining the ends of horizontal bars to the end uprights of horizontal-bar
hurdles, fencing (subject to tho restrictions herein before mentioned), and gates,
and the vertical bars to the horizontals of vertical-bar hurdles, fencing, and gates,
by bending the ends of the bars and placing them in position in the upright or
horizontal (as the case may be), substantially as herein described and illustrated by
Figure 3, and then clenching up the projecting ends, substantially as heroin
described and illustrated by Figures 4 and 5.
3rd. Joining the ends of horizontal bars to the end uprights of horizontal-bar
hurdles, fencing (subject to the restrictions hereinbefore mentioned), and gates, and
the ends of vertical bars to the horizontals of vertical-bar hurdles, fencing, and

page_text: gates, by bending the ends of the bars so as to pass down the back of the upright
(or corresponding part of a horizontal, as the case may be), and returning the same
through the upright (or horizontal) and clenching or riveting them, or by riveting
them without returning them again through the upright (or horizontal) by means
5 of soparate rivets or staples, or by clenching the said ends round the side of the
upright or horizontal (and whether each bar is passed through a hole in each
upright or horizontal, or each bent end of a bar is carried in a niche or niches, and
passed around an upright or horizontal), all substantially as herein described and
illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, and any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bailey, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-one.
5:
Witness,
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Assoc. M. Inst. C.E.,
Office for Patents,
Wolverhampton.
WILLIAM BAILEY. (L.S.)