A METHOD OF MAKING HURDLES, GATES, PALISADES, VIRANDERS, BALUSTRADES, STAIRCASE RAILS, ESPA- LIERS, FRAMES, AND VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1814

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NEVILLE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant and Coach
Founder, send.greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of
May, in the fifty-fourth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said
William Neville, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Neville, my exors,
admors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of years
therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A METHOD OF MAKING
HURDLES, GATES, PALISADES, VIRANDERS, BALUSTRADES, STAIRCASE RAILS, ESPA-
LIERS, FRAMES, AND VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso that if I, the said William Neville, shall not
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of his said Invention, and in
what manner. the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High.
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all
liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease,
determine, and become void, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto
had) may more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Neville, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
references or description thereof (that is to say):-
My Invention is to make articles of the above description so as to be
handsome in appearance, and permanent in the wear or use, and yet to be
light & portably convenient, to effect which I have iron rolled or flatted
down into sheets to such a thickness or size as is best suited to the intended
purpose; but that which is mostly used for gates or any other purpose were
considerable strength is required is No. 15, and that for hurdles or fences is
mostly No. 19 upon the gȧge plate, varying the strength as discretion may
direct, after which it is cut into strips & drawn into tubes of various dimen
sions, which form the bars of the hurdles, gates, fences, &c., &c. Those used
for lighter purposes, as hurdles, &c., are made of iron No. 19 or 20, or of a
stronger size if wanted very large for a fence against large cattle, as oxen, &c.,
and the tubes are ,,, 1 inch, or to any larger size that necessity may
point out. The tubes are cut into lengths of six fect, more or less, as occasion
may require, and an iron plug is fixed into each end either by welding,
soldering, or rivetting, which has a projection sufficiently long to pass through
the uprights, which are solid iron of about one quarter inch thick & 1 inch
broad, more or less, according to the size of the tubes & strength required,
& are fastned to the tubes either by rivetting or screwing, & have one,
two, or more centre uprights to increase the stability, made with strait, forked,
or any other shaped feet as most approved to fix them in the ground. The
gates are formed of tubes made from iron of various sizes, but those of a large
description are usually of No. 15 size, varying according to the purpose to
which they are applied, as the small bars placed in an upright direction in
plate No. 8 are not required to be so strong as those which are longitudinal..
The tubes are mostly fixed to strong solid ends of bar iron in the same manner
as the hurdles, with one or more diagond bars of about two inches broad &
inch thick (more or less) pierced for the tubes to pass through, which adds to
the stability and beauty of the gate. See annexed Plate, No. 5. The palli-
sades are iron tubes, various in size and strength, left either plain or with
ornamental centres & tops, made of wrought or cast iron, or any other metal,
and affixed by rivetting, welding, soldering, or in whatever manner the most
eligible to save expence & is most durable. The balustrades are iron tubes
either plain or with brass (or any other metalick) feet & capitals or orna-
mental centres, and the plain parts are either painted, tinned, lacquered,

page_text: bronzed, or finished in any other manner as taste & price may direct. The
espallier frames are tubes with feet of iron or wood affixed to them, and are
bound together at the top by twisted wire, a flat iron bar, or let into another
tube of larger dimensions, or a wooden rail, as most approved. When done in
the manner first described the tops are pluged up with corks, or in some other
way to prevent the wet from entering, & are either painted, pitched, sanded,
or coverd in some other way to avoid injury from the weather, as well as
utility & appearance. The raspberry frames are formed of two solid ends
& two or more tubes, put together in the same manner as the hurdles, or the
ends are made of round iron, & pass thro' the tubes & rivetted. The
virandas are made in the usual manner, but tubes are substituted in many
parts of them instead of solid iron; and in like manner I make all articles,
viz., by substituting hollow tubes instead of solid bodies wherever they can be
applied; and altho' in my Drawings I have laid down a scale in order to be
more clear, yet I do not confine myself to it, as they may be varied in
size, &c., &c., according to local & other circumstances. N.B. Articles made
upon this principle are in many respects superior to any ever before introduced
to the public, and especially the fences & gates, which, altho' they are con-
siderably lighter than if made of solid iron, yet they are much stronger, to
resist any force applied against them, and are more bandsomer in appearance.
In witness whereof, I, the said Will Neville, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 18th day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred & fourteen.