Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 20th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 22nd Nov., 1887
I SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON of Marl Bank in the City of Worcester Civil Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to construct metallic signal and other posts so
that they shall present to view a larger surface than metallic signal and other posts
as ordinarily constructed and also that the parts of which they are composed may be
readily separated and put together without skilled labour and the transport and
storing of the posts thus facilitated. The parts of signal and other posts made
according to my invention are of such simple forms that they can be readily galvanized
if required.
I will describe my invention as applied to a signal post. In a signal post as
ordinarily constructed the edges of the bars forming the lattice work of the post
are presented to view and the post is consequently much less conspicuous in twilight
or in fog than posts constructed according to my invention in which the whole
breadth of the plates forming the lattice work is visible.
I make the frame or skeleton of the post of four bars somewhat resembling bars of
angle iron the sharp angle joining the two webs of ordinary angle iron being in the
angle bars I employ truncated or replaced by a plane inclined at forty five degrees to
each side. Or the junction of the webs of the angle bars may be curved. These bars
extend from the top to the bottom or nearly to the bottom of the post that is the said
bars constitute the framing both of the underground and the above ground portions
of the post. The underground portion of the frame is filled and the angle bars
connected together by plates the said plates being at bottom turned into a horizontal
plane and forming the foot of the post or the said plates may be connected to a
separate base plate. The tops of these plates extend somewhat higher than the ground
line and their top edges are inclined preferably at the same angle as the lattice plates
with which the upper part of the framing of the post is partly filled. The said lattice
plates are of a rectangular or lozenge shape figure and are bent diagonally so that one
half of each plate occupies one side of the post and the other half of the plate occupies

page_text: the adjacent side. Thus two lattice plates occupy the four sides of the post. The
lattice plates are kept close up to the inside of the angle bars by segmental or
filling pieces bolts or rivets passing through the said angle bars and segmental pieces.
These segmental pieces extend upwards from the bottom of the post as far as the
lattice plates extend either continuously or in suitable lengths. The lower part of
the post is strengthened by internal angular pieces which are united or bolted to the
segmental or filling pieces and angle bars described.
The segmental or filling pieces on that side of the post carrying the signal lever
may be extended above ground sufficiently high to carry the said lever.
Dated this Twenty first day of February 1887.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON of Marl Bank, in the City of Worcester, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My invention has for its object to construct metallic signal and other posts so that
they shall present to view a larger surface than metallic signal and other posts as
ordinarily constructed and also that the parts of which they are composed may be
readily separated and put together without skilled labour and the transport and storing
of the posts thus facilitated. The parts of signal and other posts made according
to my invention are of such simple forms that they can be readily galvanized if
required.
I will describe my invention as applied to a signal post. In a signal post as
ordinarily constructed the edges of the bars forming the lattice work of the post are
presented to view and the post is consequently much less conspicuous in twilight or
in fog than posts constructed according to my invention in which the whole breadth
of the plates forming the lattice work is visible.
I make the frame or skeleton of the post of four bars somewhat resembling bars
of angle iron, the sharp angle joining the two webs of ordinary angle iron being in
the angle bars I employ truncated or replaced by a plane inclined at forty five degrees
to each side. Or the junction of the webs of the angle bars may be curved. These
bars extend from the top to the bottom or nearly to the bottom of the post, that is,
the said bars constitute the framing both of the underground and the above ground
portions of the post. The underground portion of the frame is filled and the angle
bars connected together by plates the said plates being at bottom turned into a
horizontal plane and forming the foot of the post; or the said plates may be connected
to a separate base plate. The tops of these plates extend somewhat higher than the
ground line and their top edges are inclined preferably at the same angle as the lattice
plates with which the upper part of the framing of the post is partly filled. The said
lattice plates are of a rectangular or lozenge shape figure and are bent diagonally so
that one half of each plate occupies one side of the post and the other half of the
plate occupies the adjacent side. Thus two lattice plates occupy the four sides of the
post. The lattice plates are kept close up to the inside of the angle bars by segmental
or filling pieces, bolts or rivets passing through the said angle bars and segmental
pieces. These segmental pieces extend upwards from the bottom of the post as far
as the lattice plates extend either continuously or in suitable lengths. The lower part
of the post is strengthened by internal angular pieces which are united or bolted to
the segmental or filling pieces and angle bars described. The base plate on that side
of the post carrying the signal lever may be extended above ground sufficiently high to
carry the said lever.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in elevation a metallic signal
post made according to my invention in which separate lozenge shaped plates above
the base plates of the post to form the lattice work of the said post are used and
Figure 2 represents an elevation of a portion of the same looked at on the angle of
the post, that is, the planes in which the sides of Figure 2 are situated make an angle
of 45 degrees with the plane in which the side of Figure 1 is situated.
Figure 3 represents in elevation a signal post in which the lattice work above the
base plates is made of half lozenge shaped plates and Figure 4 represents an elevation
of the same looked at on the angle of the post; Figures 5, 6 and 7 represent cross
sections of the two posts represented in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 drawn to a larger scale.
The cross section Figure 3 is taken on the line A. The cross section Figure 4 is
taken on the line B and the cross section Figure 7 is taken through the base of the
post on the line C.
Figure 8 represents an arrangement for strengthening the post. The same letters of
reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
d, d are the angle bars or angle pieces forming the frame or skeleton of the post,
the said angle pieces extending from top to bottom of the post, the outside angle of
the webs of each angle piece d being by preference chamfered or cut away as repre-
sented; e, e are the separate plates forming the lattice work of the upper part of the
post and ff are the segmental or filling pieces extending up the inside of the angle
pieces d, d throughout the whole or part of their length, between which pieces d and f
the lattice plates e are rivetted or bolted. The open spaces between the lattice plates e
are marked 1. it will be seen by an examination of the cross sections that the inner
or bearing faces of the segmental or filling pieces f are curved and the inside of the
angle pieces d are made concave to form seats to receive the lattice plates e. Each
lattice plate e is bent to fit in the curved or concave seats of the angle pieces d and
the said lattice plate extends on two sides of the post so as to connect three of the
angle pieces d, d, d together, the ends of one lattice plate e meeting or overlapping
the lattice plate from the opposite angle pieces as best seen in the cross section
Figure 6. By this means a cross bracing of great rigidity is produced. The angle
pieces & and segmental pieces with the lattice plates e between them are rivetted
together by the rivets at c or in place of rivets screw bolts and nuts may be used when
the parts of the post are required to be separated for transport or otherwise.
In making tall posts the lower lozenge shaped lattice plates e are progressively
increased in thickness as they approach the base of the post. The strength of the
post can in this way be progressively increased towards the base which is not so
readily attainable in the ordinary continuous lattice work arrangement.
I do not limit myself to making the separate lattice plates e of the post of the lozenge
or half lozenge shapes represented as the lattice plates may be made of a rectangular
figure.
The lattice plates marked g² at the base of the post are made thicker than the
upper
plates e and the said base lattice plates d, d are not bent inside the angle pieces d, d but
fit in the spaces between the said pieces d, d as seen in the cross section Figure 7.
The base lattice plates 92 on one or more sides of the post may extend upwards
sufficiently above the ground, as shown at 93 Figure 3, to carry the fulcrum i of the
signal balance levers. Additional strength is thereby given to the lower part of the
post. The framing at the base of the post is also strengthened by the internal
angular pieces which are rivetted or bolted at P to the segmental or filling pieces f
and angle pieces d and the lattice base plates g² as seen in the cross section Figure 7.
When high posts are made, flat strengthening bars as represented in Figure 8 and
marked may be laid against and rivetted or bolted to the segmental pieces and angle
pieces at the base of the post-the said flat bars extending upwards so far as it is
necessary to strengthen the post at or above the base.
The base plates g² are secured at bottom to a separate flanged base or foot k for the
purpose of giving stability to the post in the ground; or the base plates ² may be
formed with horizontal flanges by bending their lower ends outwards at right angles
to the parts situated between the angle pieces d, d.

page_text: The arrangement of the lozenge or half lozenge shaped plates represented while
permitting wind to pass freely between them presents a much larger surface to view
than the ordinary lattice iron post.
I do not limit myself to the shape size or angle of the separate lattice plates of the
post as their shape and size may be varied without departing from the nature of my
invention.
When screw bolts are substituted for the rivets represented, the parts of the posts
constructed according to my invention may be readily taken apart for the purpose of
galvanizing or transporting them and put together again without skilled labour.
Having now. particularly described and ascertained the nature of my_inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention of "Improvements in metallic signal and other posts.'
"
First Forming the frame or skeleton or angles of the said posts of angle pieces
consisting of bars chamfered or curved outside and hollow or concave inside substan-
tially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing; also
the combination with the said angle pieces of the segmental or filling pieces for
strengthening the post and for securing the separate side lattice plates to the
post substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
Secondly-Forming the sides of the said posts of a series of sheet metal plates
preferably of a lozenge or half lozenge shape the said side plates forming the lattice
work of the post and being bent and secured to the frame or skeleton or angles of
the post substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
Thirdly Strengthening the underground portion of the post and such portions
above the ground as may require strengthening by means of angle bars on the inner
sides of the segmental or filling pieces or by means of a flat bar or bars rivetted or
bolted to the said segmental pieces and outer angle pieces and securing the side plates
at the base of the post substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
Dated this Seventeenth day of October 1887