Improvements in Metal Picket Fences.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metal Picket Fences.
I, DAVID ROWELL, of 31, Old Queen Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, 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 this invention is to produce a metal picket fence which can be
quickly and easily erected by unskilled labour, the parts when erected being
locked in position in such a way that the fence is self-raking, that is to say, it
is adapted to be set on an incline of moderate gradient.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a pespective view representing part
of an erected metal picket fence constructed and fitted in accordance with this
invention, and Figs. 2 to 8 show details on an enlarged scale. Fig. 2 is an
elevation showing part only of one of the vertical members and the two horizontal
members of the fence and the means for locking the the verticals in position;
Figs. 3 and 4 are plan sections taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 2; Figs. 5
and 6 are sectional elevations taken on the lines 5-5 and 6-6 of Figs. 3 and 4
respectively; and Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views showing parts of the upper
and lower horizontals respectively, and the means for locking the verticals in
position. The same letters of reference where they occur are used. to denote the
same or corresponding parts in all the figures.
Briefly stated my invention consists in the construction of a metal picket fence
from a suitable number of verticals passed through apertures in the horizontals
and secured thereto by a longitudinal locking bar or bars passed through trans-
verse coincident holes in the verticals, the horizontals being bolted to the earth
standards in the ordinary way. From this brief description it will be apparent
that the raking of the fence will be determined by the amount of play between
the locking bar and the transverse holes in the verticals through which it passes.
In the drawings the vertical members A and the horizontals B are shown as
being made respectively of T and channel section but they may be made of any
other section desired. Holes are punched or otherwise formed in the horizontal
bars B to receive the verticals A, and transverse holes a are also punched or
otherwise formed in the verticals A to receive the locking bars C.
These
bars C I prefer to make of circular section as shown, but they may be made
of other section if desired, the transverse holes a being made to correspond.
Two transverse holes a are made in corresponding positions in each of the
verticals A, so that when fitted in place in the horizontals B the transverse
holes a shall be in alignment and the locking bars C can then be easily passed

page_text: through all of them. The locking bars C are made slightly less in length than
the horizontals B the ends of which latter are bolted or otherwise secured in the
ordinary way to the standards D. The lower transverse holes a are are made in
such positions as to allow the lower locking bar C to rest on the top of the lower
horizontal bar B, as shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 8; while the upper transverse
hole a are located so that the upper locking bar lies against the underside of the
upper horizontal bar B, as shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 7.
The method of erection of the picket fence is as follows; -the horizontals B
are laid on the ground and the vertical members A are passed through the holes
formed to receive them in both horizontals so that the lower transverse holes a in
the verticals A are on the upper side of the lower horizontal and the upper trans-
verse holes a are beneath the upper horizontal. The two locking bars C are
then passed respectively through the upper and lower sets of transverse holes
and the relative parts assume the position shown in Fig. 1. The panel thus
formed is secured by bolting or otherwise fastening the horizontals B to the
standards D.
It is clear that the vertical members A are all locked in position top and
bottom by the locking bars C. The top bar C, being under the top horizontal B,
prevents the verticals from being drawn out upwards, and the bottom bar C,
being over the bottom horizontal, prevents the verticals from being displaced
downwards. Also it will be clear that endwise motion of the bars C will be
prevented by the standards D, so that the bars C need not be secured or fastened
in any way, the fastening of the horizontals to the standards will be all that
18 necessary to effectually hold-the-locking bars in proper position for keeping
the verticals in place.
Only one locking bar such as C may be used if desired in which case I secure
it on to the top or underside of the horizontal, according to whether it is used
in connection with the lower or upper horizontal, by means of ordinary screw
hooks loops, or hook bolts or the like, screwed or bolted or otherwise secured to
the horizontal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A picket fence comprising a suitable number of standards, top and bottom
horizontals having holes to receive the pickets, pickets or vertical members
passed through said holes and all having two corresponding transverse holes, and
two locking bars passed through said transverse holes so as to lie one over the
bottom horizontal and the other under the top horizontal so as to prevent the
downward or upward displacement of the pickets or vertical members substan-
tially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. A picket fence comprising a suitable number of standards, top and bottom
horizontals having holes to receive the pickets, pickets or vertical members
passed through said holes and having each a corresponding transverse hole, and
a locking bar passed through said transverse holes and through loops or hooks
or the like secured to one of the horizontals so as to prevent the upward and
downward displacement of the pickets or vertical members substantially as
described.
3. In a metal picket fence securing the picket or vertical members to the hori-
zontals through which they pass, by forming two holes in each vertical_adjacent
to the horizontals and passing locking bars through said holes one above the
lower horizontal and the other below the upper horizontal substantially as
described.
4. In a metal picket fence securing the picket or vertical members to the hori-
zontals through which they pass, by forming a hole in each vertical adjacent to
one of the horizontals and passing a locking bar through loops or the like secured

page_text: to the upper, side of the lower, or the underside of the upper, horizontal accord-
ing to which one the holes in the verticals are adjacent to substantially as
described.
Dated this 28th day of February 1899
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.