IMPROVEMENTS IN POSTS OR PILLARS FOR FENCES AND GATES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Hunt, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN POSTS
OR PILLARS FOR FENCES AND GATES."-A communication from abroad by
David Middleton of Christchurch
Sealed the 20th November 1863, and dated the 25th May 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
May 1863.
I, EDMUND HUNT, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN POSTS OR PILLARS FOR FENCES AND GATES," (communicated to me from
abroad by David Middleton, residing at Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand,)
to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates principally to the constructing of posts or pillars for
fences or gates of a number of parts built up or fitted together so as to be
convenient for the application of straining mechanism for wire fencing or of
hinge fittings for gates, and possessing other advantages.
In carrying out the Invention, according to one modification the post or
pillar is composed of four vertical corner pieces of angle iron fixed into a stone
or iron base piece and fitted with a cap. The base piece when of iron may be
cast upon the vertical corner pieces. When the post or pillar is for a strained
wire fence, the vertical corner pieces are disposed slightly apart and the

page_text: straining barrels or ratchets are fitted between them. As the straining mecha-
nism can be arranged to receive the wire at the opening of any of the four
faces of the post or pillar, it may be conveniently used at a corner, or where
two, three, or even four lines of fencing meet. When the post or pillar is for a
gate the hinge staples or bearings are fixed to the vertical corner pieces, but
the bottom or footstep bearing is by preference fixed to or formed on the base
piece when this is of iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edmund Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
HUNT, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edmund Hunt, Her special licence that I, the said Edmund Hunt,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edmund Hunt, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN POSTS OR PILLARS FOR FENCES AND GATES," communicated to me
by David Middleton, of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edmund Hunt, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Edmund Hunt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates principally to the constructing of posts or pillars
for fences or gates of a number of parts built up or fitted together so as to be
convenient for the application of straining mechanism for wire fencing or of
hinge fittings for gates, and possessing other advantages.
In carrying out the said Invention, according to one modification, the post
or pillar is composed of four vertical corner pieces of angle iron fixed into a
stone or iron base piece and fitted with a cap. The base piece when of iron
may be cast upon the vertical corner pieces. When the post or pillar is for a
strained wire fence, the vertical corner pieces are disposed slightly apart, and
the straining barrels or ratchets are fitted between them. As the straining
mechanism can be arranged to receive the wires at the opening of any of the
four faces of the post or pillar, it may be conveniently used at a corner, or
where two, three, or even four lines of fencing meet. When the post or
pillar is for a gate, the hinge staples or bearings are fixed to the vertical
corner pieces, but the bottom or footstep bearing is by preference fixed to or
formed on the base piece when this is of iron.
And in order that the said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, there is hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing two
modifications of the improved post or pillar as arranged for strained wire fences,
and with footstep pivots for gates.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, Figure 2 is a vertical section, and Figure 3
is a side elevation, of a double pillar or post for straining in two directions,
Figures 4, 5, and 6 being horizontal sections as taken respectively across the
base, at the top of the base, and across the upper part of the pillar.
The base A, which is embedded in the soil, may be of various forms, but in
this modification consists of four radiating vertical flanges upon a horizontal
sole plate, and with a solid head B, all being of cast iron. The above-ground
portion of the pillar consists of four corner pieces C of angle iron, either batted
into the base head B, or having it cast upon them, and united at the top
by a cast-iron cap D. The winding barrels E for straining the fence
wires are contained in boxes inserted within and rivetted to the angle-iron
corner pieces C, the barrels being formed as usual with projecting key
squares to be turned by and with ratchet teeth, into which catches, held in
grooves in the boxes, drop as the barrels are turned and prevent their turning
back. The pillar may be.strengthened by rivetting additional plates, as at F,
between the corner pieces C. A footstep pivot or bearing G for a gate is

page_text: cast on the base head B, and the hinge staple or bearing H for the upper part
of the gate is rivetted to the corner pieces C.
Figure 7 is an elevation, and Figure 8 is a vertical section, whilst Figures 9
and 10 are horizontal sections of another modification, which however differs
from that already described merely in being fitted with single winding
barrels E at each level for straining the fence wires in one direction only.
It will be obvious that the angle irons may be arranged in various ways in
making up a post or pillar. Thus two or three angle irons only may be used,
or there may be more than four, and the angle irons may be placed with their
edges or with their sides or angles towards each other.
Having thus particularly described the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that the Inventor
does not restrict himself to the precise details herein described or delineated,
but that what is believed to be novel and original, and is claimed as the
Invention secured by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the
constructing of posts or pillars for fences and gates with angle irons, and
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Hunt, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
EDMUND HUNT. (L.S.)