Improvements in Tree-protectors.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tree-protectors.
We, MICHAEL BARTHOLOMEW RYAN and PLEASANT WARD, of No. 304,
North Eighth Street, in the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States of
America, Gentlemen, 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:-
It has
Our invention relates to a new and useful device to be applied to the trunks of
trees, to present a barrier to caterpillars and insects in ascending the same.
for its object a convenient and easily applied device-one that is adjustable, to a
limited degree, for different-sized trees, neat in appearance and cheaply constructed.
It consists in the hereinafter-described device and in the means for securing the
same to the tree.
The accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference denote like parts
in the several figures, illustrate our device.
Figure 1 is an elevational view of a trunk of a tree with our device attached ;
Figure 2 is a plan-view of our device;
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same, with part broken away to show the
packing placed between the upper edge of the device and the tree when it is
applied;
Figures 4, 5, and 6 are views illustrative of a modification of the means for
securing the ends of the device together, when the same is secured around the tree,
Figure 4 being a side elevation, as in Figure 3, of the joint, Figure 5, an edge-view
of the end to which the fastening strip is attached, and Figure 6 is a plan-view of
the strip itself before being applied to the protector.
The device, as a whole, in shape consists in two distinct portions 1 and 2, the
former corresponding to the surface of the frustum of a cone, and the other or lower
part to a short cylinder. The upper edge of the part 1 is formed with an inwardly-
facing concave.groove 3, in which is secured, when the device is applied to a tree,
the cord of cotton 4, or other material of similar character suitable for packing.
The lower edge of the part 1 is secured to the part 2, or when preferably made
according to our improved method, as hereinafter described, integral with the
game.
The device is, as illustrated, preferably composed of one piece or strip circum-
ferentially, and each of the two consequent contiguous edges, when made to encircle
the tree 7, as illustrated in Figure 1, is provided with knobs or buttons 5 around
which a cord or wire 6 is laced and drawn taut until the upper edge of the
device makes the packing snugly hug the tree, the edges of the protector over-
lapping, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.
As another, and in some instances an advantageous, means for securing the two
ends of the protector together, when placed as shown in Figure 1, we make use of
the device illustrated in Figure 6, which consists in a strip of metal 8, preferably
copper or some other correspondingly non-corrosive metal, made of a length, in the
main, corresponding to the width of the strip forming the protector 1-2, with
longitudinally extending ears 9, at either end, of a convenient length and of a width
corresponding, approximately, to one-half of the width of the strip. In applica-
tion, the strip 8 is doubled over one end of the strip forming the protector, as
illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, and secured thereon by the rivets 10, holes 11 for
which have been formed in the strip 8. When the protector has been placed
around the tree, as shown in Figure 1, and the ends brought together as shown in
Figures 3 and 4, the ears 9 of the strip 8 are doubled over the upper and lower
edges of the encircling protector, in the manner illustrated in Figure 5.

page_text: Among the practical features of advantage in the use of the latter fastening
device, is this:-That when the ends of the protector are secured in this manner,
i.e., by the strip 8, the extending ears 9 when turned over the edges, as described,
are amply strong to hold the device to the tree as desired.and yet not so tight but
what to allow the end to slip through, or the device, as a whole, to compensate for
the increased diametrical dimensions of the tree in its future growth.
The device, as a whole, is preferably made of some paper pulp, or board, pressed,
or otherwise formed, into the desired shape, and the whole surface, more particularly
the underneath side, coated with some material, such as a hard paint, to give to
the same a hard, smooth surface to which the insects cannot take hold in trying to
pass the same, as in crawling from the tree around the same.
The principal feature of advantage inherent in making use of a paper board as
the material from which to construct our protector is that, it is absolutely non-
corrosive, and, being protected by the coating of paint, is very lasting.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In a tree-protector, the combination with a split-band, of a strip secured to
one of the ends thereof, and ears formed on said strip adapted to be folded over
the overlapping contiguous end of the split-band; substantially as and for the
purposes described.
2. In a tree-protector, the combination with a split-band provided with a circum-
ferential groove in its upper edge, a packing secured in said groove, a metallic
strip folded over and secured to one end of the band, and ears formed on said strip
adapted to fold over and bind the other overlapping contiguous end of the split-
band, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated the 24th day of January 1893.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent.