Improvements in the Manufacture of Telegraph Poles, Columns, Pillars, Flag-staffs, Signal Posts for Railways, Lamp-posts, Fence-posts, and other Posts; Rolls for Engineering and other Purposes, Chimneys for Factories, Pipes for Conveying Liquids or Gases, and other like Tubular Articles; Railway and Tramway Sleepers, Door-steps, Lintels, Window-sills, Building Blocks; and Tanks, Casks, and Drums for Con- taining Liquid, Semi-liquid, and Solid Matters.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Telegraph Poles, Columns,
Pillars, Flag-staffs, Signal Posts for Railways, Lamp-posts,
Fence-posts, and other Posts; Rolls for Engineering and other
Purposes, Chimneys for Factories, Pipes for Conveying
Liquids or Gases, and other like Tubular Articles; Railway
and Tramway Sleepers, Door-steps, Lintels, Window-sills,
Building Blocks; and Tanks, Casks, and Drums for Con-
taining Liquid, Semi-liquid, and Solid Matters.
I DAVID WILSON of Millwood House Grays in the County of Essex Manager
of Cement Works do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TELEGRAPH POLES COLUMNS PILLARS FLAG-STAFFS
SIGNAL POSTS FOR RAILWAYS LAMP-POSTS FENCE-POSTS AND OTHER POSTS ROLLS
FOR ENGINEERING AND OTHER PURPOSES CHIMNEYS FOR FACTORIES PIPES FOR
CONVEYING LIQUIDS OR GASES AND OTHER LIKE TUBULAR ARTICLES RAILWAY AND
TRAMWAY SLEEPERS DOOR-STEPS LINTELS WINDOW-SILLS BUILDING BLOCKS AND
TANKS CASKS AND DRUMS FOR CONTAINING LIQUID SEMI-LIQUID AND SOLID
MATTERS to be as follows :--
"
In manufacturing telegraph poles columns pillars flag staffs signal posts for
railways lamp posts fence posts and other posts rolls for engineering and other
purposes chimneys for factories and pipes and other tubular articles I take a
sheet of plain or perforated metal or of wire netting and bend or roll it into a
tube of the sectional form which the finished pole column or other article is required
to have and of a diameter rather less than the required diameter of the finished
pole column or other article. I use a sheet of such size that when rolled the edges
meet or nearly meet or overlap and I do not secure the edges together. Or I
construct a frame of the required form and size from metal bars or rods. Within
the said tube or the frame I place a mandril and I surround the said tube or frame
with a mould. The said mandril and the mould are of a sectional form corre-
sponding with that of the said tube or frame (which I will herein after refer to as
the "core") and are of such sizes that when placed as hereinbefore described spaces

page_text: are left between them and the core into which spaces I run concrete consisting of
portland cement and sand or portland cement and ground burnt clay mixed with
water or with a solution of silicate of soda or silicate of potash or caustic soda.
By this means I produce a tube consisting of a core of metal coated both internally
and externally with concrete.
Where telegraph poles and other articles are required of a greater length
than can be conveniently made as herein before described I make them in two
or more lengths and provide for the connection of the several lengths and
connect them as hereinafter described. I leave a portion of the metal core of one
length uncovered both on the inner and outerside and a portion of the end of the
length which is to be connected thereto I form of concrete only and in the said
concrete portion I form a hollow or hollows of a size and form suitable for the
reception of the uncovered portion of the core of the other length and I connect the
lengths by fitting the projecting core of the one portion into the hollow or hollows
formed in the other portion and secure the lengths together by running portland
cement into the said hollow or hollows. In some cases I also pass pins or bolts
transversely through the lengths at the part where they are fitted together. In
such cases I form the holes for the reception of the pins or bolts as follows:-I drill
or punch holes at the required places in the metal core before coating the core
with the concrete and place plugs of wood or other suitable material in the said
holes which plugs are of such a length that their ends project on each side of
the metal core a distance equal to the thickness of the concrete coating to be formed
and after coating the core I remove the plugs.
In some cases I also pass a metal socket or tube over the junctions of the
lengths.
In order to secure the cross bars which support the insulators on telegraph poles
I form recesses in the outer coating of concrete at the parts where the bars are
to be secured and I form holes in the poles at those parts and place a metal
tube in the said holes and place the cross bars in the said recesses and pass screw
bolts through the said tubes and cross bars and secure the latter by screwing nuts
on the said bolts. Or instead of placing tubes in the holes I place a plug of wood
in the part of the hollow pole where the cross bars are required and drill holes
therein for the reception of the bolts by which the cross bars are secured.
In manufacturing a railway or tramway sleeper according to my Invention I use
a metal core preferably rectangular in cross section and coat it on both the outer
and innersides with concrete as hereinbefore described and in the hollow of the
sleeper at the parts where the chairs are to be fixed I place and secure blocks of
wood into which the spikes for securing the chairs are driven and I form holes
in the core and the concrete coating as hereinbefore described for the spikes to pass
through.
In manufacturing door steps lintels window sills and building blocks according
to my Invention I take metal cores of the form required and coat them on their
inner and outer sides with concrete as herein before described and where the said
articles are required to be closed at their ends I close the ends with concrete.
In manufacturing tanks according to my Invention I place a suitably formed
metal core within a mould so much larger than the core as to leave a space between
the mould and core equal to the thickness of concrete required and I support the
core in any suitable manner at the necessary height above the bottom of the mould
and place and support within the core another mould the exterior of which is of
the size and form which the interior of the tank is required to have and I then
run the concrete into the spaces between the core and the two moulds.
In manufacturing casks and drums for containing liquid and other matters
according to my invention I form the body and one of the heads as herein before
described with reference to tanks and I form and secure the other head as follows.
I take a core of suitable size and shape to form the said other head and coat it
with concrete and place and support the core so coated in the open end of the cask
with the concrete side inward and I then cover the outer side of the said core

page_text: with concrete and thus secure it in place. The bung holes and tap holes I form
by securing plugs of wood in the core at the parts where the said holes are
required which plugs I remove when the cask is finished.
In some cases when I use water alone for mixing with the cement and sand or
with the cement and ground burnt clay I soak the article when finished in a solution
of silicate of potash or silicate of soda or caustic soda.
When I use sheet metal for the cores I prefer to punch holes in it in order to give
the coatings of concrete a good hold and I prefer so to punch the holes as to produce
burrs or projecting ragged edges around the holes and to punch the holes alternately
from opposite sides of the sheet metal in order that the burrs or ragged edges of
adjacent holes may project on opposite sides of the sheet metal.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Telegraph Poles, Columns,
Pillars, Flagstaffs, Signal Posts for Railways, Lamp Posts,
Fence Posts, and other Posts; Rolls for Engineering and other
Purposes, Chimneys for Factories, Pipes for Conveying
Liquids or Gases, and other like Tubular Articles; Railway
and Tramway Sleepers, Door Steps, Lintels, Window Sills,
Building Blocks; and Tanks, Casks, and Drums for Con-
taining Liquid, Semi-liquid and Solid Matters.
I DAVID WILSON of Millwood House, Grays in the County of Essex Manager
of Cement Works 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:-
-
In manufacturing telegraph poles, columns, pillars, flag-staffs, signal posts for
railways, lamp posts, fence posts and other posts rolls or rollers for facilitating the
removal of heavy articles for engineering and other purposes, chimneys for factories
and pipes and other tubular articles, I take a sheet of wire netting and bend or
roll it into a tube of the sectional form which the finished pole column or other
article is required to have and of a diameter rather less than the required diameter
of the finished pole column or other article and within the said tube I place a
mandril and I surround the said tube with a mould which mandril and mould are
of a sectional form corresponding with that of the said tube (which I will herein-
after refer to as the "core") and are of such sizes that when placed as herein before
described spaces are left between them and the core into which spaces I run concrete
consisting of cement and sand or ground burnt clay mixed with water or with a
solution of silicate of soda. By this means I produce a tube consisting of a core
of metal coated both internally and externally with concrete.
The manufacture of telegraph poles according to my Invention is hereinafter
fully described with reference to Figures 1 to 20 of the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 being an elevation of a finished telegraph pole constructed according to
my said Invention and Figures 2 to 20 representing details of the manufacture
and of the apparatus or appliances used therein. The same letters and figures of
reference indicate the same parts in each of the said Figures and in the other
Figures of the drawings hereinafter referred to.
The scale to which the several Figures are drawn is marked on the drawings.
The general arrangement of the apparatus which I use in the said manufacture
is illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. A is the mould which is
supported on a suitable staging B in a pit C and is formed of cast iron and built
up of several lengths connected together by bolts passing through flanges a¹ a¹ each
of which lengths is formed in two parts hinged together as shown in Figures 3
and 4 in which Figures a portion of the mould is shown open. The mould is

page_text: provided at the upper part with a hopper a² and the two parts of the mould when
it is in use are secured in their closed position by means of clamps a³, a³, or any
other convenient means of fastening may be used. The hopper a² is fitted on the
upper end of the mould A. as shown in Figure 10 herein after referred to-D is the
mandril which is suspended within the said mould by a chain d¹ passing over
pulleys d d. The construction of the said mandril is shown in Figures 5 and 6.
Figure 5 being an elevation and Figure 6 being a longitudinal section of the upper
and lower portions. The said mandril is formed of cast iron, hollow, and in several
lengths which are bound together end to end by means of a rod d³ the several
lengths of which the mandril is composed being confined between a collar d' formed
at one end of the said rod and nuts do d' which engage with a screw thread formed
at the other end of the said rod. To provide for the formation of recesses for the
reception of the arms carrying the insulators blocks of the required form and size
are secured within the mould as shown at a, a, in Figures 7 and 8-Figure 7
being an elevation of the interior of one half of the upper part of the mould A and
Figure 8 a transverse section thereof-Figure 9 is a section of the lower portion of
the staging B showing one half of the mould A supported thereon and the lower
portion of the mandril D and the arrangement for closing the lower end of the
mould and showing a portion of the wire netting forming the core in position in
the mould. Figure 10 is an elevation of the upper part of the mould and the
mandril the hopper a² being in section Figure 11 is a transverse section of the
upper part of the mould and the mandril showing the core of wire netting in
position and Figure 12 is a plan of one of the clamps a³-The arrangement by
which the lower part of the mould A. is opened and closed as required consists of a
collar b¹ (see Figure 9) which fits over the mandril D and is supported beneath the
open end of the said mould by means of a hinged flap 62 secured by a screw bolt b³
and nut b. The portion of the core shown in Figures 9 and 11 is marked E.
I have found netting of half inch mesh formed of No 16 gauge steel wire suitable
for use in the manufacture of a pole thirty feet long. A portion of such netting
is shown drawn of the full size in Figure 13.
In manufacturing a telegraph pole according to my Invention and by the use of
the appliances hereinbefore described I proceed as follows:-
I take a sheet of wire netting of the length of the pole to be formed and of a
width equal to the required circumference of the lower part of the pole and I roll
the said sheet into a taper tube the edges of the sheet meeting at the larger end
and overlapping at the smaller end. I then lower the mandril D clear of the
mould A and remove the clamps a³ a³ and open the mould and place the tubular
core of wire netting within it and confine the said core in the required position
relatively to the said mould by means of strips of wood or by other convenient
means such as by passing wires twisted into the form of a spiral spring (as shown
in Figure 14) at intervals through the meshes of the netting until the spirals
project to an equal extent on each side thereof. After the core has been thus
adjusted I raise the mandril into the position shown in Figure 2 and close the
mould and secure it by means of the clamps a³ ³ and pour concrete into the
hopper a at the upper end of the mould until the mould is filled. While
the concrete is setting I turn the mandril occasionally in order to prevent the
concrete from binding on it while the concrete is setting. This may be done by
means of wrenches applied to the projecting upper and lower parts of the mandril
or by other convenient means. When the concrete has sufficiently set I lower the
mandril and detach it from the chain d' and secure a bar to the said chain below
the collar band across the aperture therein and release the flap 62-The pole
consisting of the wire core coated on the outside and inside with concrete is now
supported by the said chain and in order to remove the said pole from the mould
I unfasten the clamps a³ a³ and open the mould. After removing the pole from
the mould the apparatus is again ready for use as hereinbefore described.
The pole when removed from the mould is open at both its upper and lower ends
and the wire core projects from the upper end as shown at E Figure 15 which is

page_text: an elevation of the pole as removed. The open upper end of the said pole I close
by means of a cap of concrete formed as shown in section in Figure 15" which cap
I secure in place by passing the recess in its underside over the projecting end E
of the wire core of the pole and running concrete or cement in a fluid state
between them.
Figure 16 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the finished pole and Figure 17
is a transverse section thereof showing the position of the wire core in the concrete
and the positions of the spiral wires herein before referred to and illustrated in
Figure 14 by which the core is retained in place in the mould the said spiral wires
being marked h, h, in the said Figures 16 and 17.
In order to secure to the pole the wooden arms or cross bars which support the
insulators I drill holes in the pole at the parts where recesses are formed by the
blocks as a herein before referred to and I place the said arms in the recesses and
pass screw bolts through them and through the said holes and secure the said arms
by screwing nuts on the said bolts-Figure 18 of the accompanying drawings is a
longitudinal section of a portion of a telegraph pole to which the arms are secured
as herein before described. In some cases I place metal tubes in the holes through
which the bolts pass which tubes bear the strain caused by screwing up the nuts
on the said bolts. This arrangement is illustrated in section in Figure 19 the
tubes being marked f. f. Or before closing the upper part of the tubular pole as
herein before described I place a plug of wood therein at the part where the arms
are to be secured and drill the holes for the reception of the bolts through both the
pole and the said plug. This arrangement is illustrated in section in Figure 20
the plug of wood being marked g.
In providing telegraph poles constructed as herein described with lightning
conductors it is only necessary to connect to the upper part of the metal core a
piece of wire of sufficient length to project some distance above the top of the pole
as shown at e' in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
In order to prevent the wire core from springing open while it is being handled
and before it is adjusted in position in the mould it may be convenient to bind or
confine the core by means of string or wire secured around it or by means of inetal
hoops or rings passed over the core at distances of a foot or more apart or by other
suitable means but this is not necessary to the stability of the finished article-
Where hoops or rings of metal are used for this purpose they may be of any
sectional form.
Where it is desirable to increase the rigidity of the core I secure metal rods
longitudinally to the said core as shown in Figures 21 and 22 in which Figures
the said rods are marked i. i.
In some cases I form the core of a frame of metal bars or rods and hoops or rings
instead of wire netting A portion of a core thus formed in place in a mould and
with the mandril in place therein is shown in transverse section in Figure 23 and
a portion of the said core alone is shown in elevation in Figure 24. Referring to
the said Figures, j¹ j₁ are metal bars and ¹¹are rings having slits formed in
them through which the said bars are passed. The outer and inner diameters of
the said rings are respectively somewhat less than the inner and outer diameters of
the mould and mandril and portions of the said rings are cut away as shown at k² k²
to allow the concrete to flow freely between them-ja ja are pins passed through
holes formed in the bars which pins keep the hoops in place and keep the
frame from contact with the mould. Cores thus formed may be used in place of
cores of wire netting for any of the manufactures herein described or referred to.
In manufacturing columns, pillars, flag staffs, signal posts for railways, lamp
posts, fence posts and other posts, rolls or rollers, chimneys, pipes and other
tubular articles according to my Invention I proceed substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to telegraph poles In the case of railway signal posts
provide for the formation of the slots in which the signal arins work by forming
slots in the mould and placing therein cores of the form of the said slots which
cores I remove when the concrete has set in the moulds. The arrangement of coros

page_text: in the mould will be readily understood by an examination of Figures 25, 26, 27
and 28 of the accompanying drawings. Figure 25 being a longitudinal section and
Figure 26 a transverse section of portions of the mould and mandril with a portion
of the cast signal post therein. Figure 27 an elevation of a portion of the mould
and Figure 28 an elevation of the upper portion of a finished signal post. In
the said Figures 25, 26 and 27 the cores used to form the slots in the post are
marked 1, l.
In the case of pipes I provide for their junction by forming annualar recesses at
their ends the recess at one end of each pipe or length of pipe being internal and
that at the other end external. In order to produce the said recesses I form an
external projection on the lower part of the mandril which projection produces the
internal recess in the pipe and I form an internal projection at the upper part of
the mould which projection produces the external recess in the pipe. In Figure 29
of the accompanying drawings a mould for casting pipes is shown in vertical
section having a mandril arranged within it and a core of wire netting in position
the projection on the mould being marked a' and that on the mandril do.
In manufacturing pipes of very large diameter where wire netting is used for the
core I prefer to considerably overlap the netting or to roll it in a spiral form or to
arrange several cores of netting one within the other as shown in Figures 30 and 31
of the accompanying drawings. Figure 30 being a transverse section of a pipe
having three cores arranged concentrically and Figure 31 representing portions of
the same pipe in longitudinal section. In the said Figures the several cores are
marked E E² E³.
In manufacturing a railway or tramway sleeper according to my Invention I use
a core of wire or a frame of metal constructed as herein before described (preferably
rectangular in cross section) and coat the said core on both the outer and inner
sides with concrete as hereinbefore described and in the hollow of the sleeper at
the parts where the chairs are to be fixed I place and secure blocks of wood into
which the bolts or spikes for securing the chairs are driven and I form holes in the
core and the concrete coating for the bolts or spikes to pass through. Figure 32 is
a longitudinal section and Figure 33 a transverse section of a railway or tramway
sleeper thus constructed the core being of wire netting-F is the said core and m. m
are the blocks of wood into which the bolts or spikes are driven. I prefer to form
the said blocks of some hard wood such as green heart.
In manufacturing door steps, lintels, window sills and building blocks according
to my Invention I take cores of wire netting of the form required and coat them
on their inner and outer sides with concrete as herein before described and where
the said articles are required to be closed at their ends I close the ends with
concrete.
In manufacturing tanks according to my Invention I place a suitably formed
core of wire netting within a mould so much larger than the core as to leave a space
between the mould and core equal to the thickness of concrete required and I
support the core in any suitable manner in the necessary position within the mould
and place and support within the core another mould the exterior of which is of
the size and form which the interior of the tank is required to have and I then run
the concrete into the spaces between the core and the two moulds.
In manufacturing casks and drums for containing liquid and other matters
according to my Invention I form the body as hereinbefore described with reference
to pipes except that I form an internal recess at each end as shown in Figure 34
of the accompanying drawings which is a longitudinal section of the body of
a cask or drum the recesses in which are marked n. n. The internal recess at the
end which is lowermost when the body of the cask or drum is being formed
I produce as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 29 and the internal
recess at the uppermost end I produce by placing a loose ring of larger diameter
than the mandril on the upper end of the said maudril which ring I remove after
removing the mandril. To form the heads of the cask or drum I first pour a

page_text: sufficient thickness of concrete over a piece of wire netting laid in the bottom of a
mould of suitable form and after the concrete bas set I turn over the netting with
the concrete cast on it and lay it concrete side downward in another mould of
suitable form and pour a sufficient thickness of concrete over the uncovered side
of the netting. I form the bung holes and tap holes by securing plugs of wood in
the core at the part required. Figure 35 is an edge view and Figure 36 is a
section of the head of a cask or drum thus formed o being the plug by which the
tap hole is formed. In order to connect the heads of the cask or drum to the body
place the said heads in the recesses n n and secure them by a fillet of cement or
concrete laid around the projecting edges of the body of the cask or drum as
shown at h Figure 37 which is an elevation partly in section of a finished cask
or drum.
Where (as in the case of pipes) it is desirable for the internal form of the
manufactured article to be as nearly as possible cylindrical and in consequence
the mandril is only very slightly taper it is advantageous to lubricate the mandril
and both the mandril and the mould may in all cases be lubricated before using
them. The composition hereinafter described is suitable for this purpose namely-
Soft soap and paraffin oil warmed and mixed together in the proportions of about
two parts of soft soap to one part of paraffin oil. Any cheap oily or greasy
matter may however be used for this purpose.
In preparing the concrete I use either Portland cement or any other cement
having similar properties and either sea sand, river sand, slag sand or pit sand or
other sand or ground burnt clay such as brick bats or crushed or finely disintegrated
granite or other stone and I mix the said matters either with water or with a
solution of silicate of soda or silicate of potash or caustic soda. The said matters
may be used in the following proportions namely
Cement, about one part by bulk.
Sand, about three parts by bulk.
Water, or a solution of silicate of soda or silicate of potash or caustic soda
about one tenth the joint weight of the cement and sand.
In some cases when I use water alone in the preparation of the concrete I soak
the article when finished in a solution of silicate of potash or silicate of soda or
caustic soda.
I prefer to use netting made of steel wire but I do not limit myself to the use
of any particular metal or gauge of wire or form or size of mesh.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be or may be performed I would
observe that I am aware that it has been proposed to construct tubes and other
hollow articles of sheet metal either plain or corrugated and coated on one side or
on both sides with plastic materials and concretes the edges of the sheets being
rivetted together at the junctions. I am also aware that it has been proposed to
construct tubes partly or entirely of sheet metal coated with asphaltum and rolled
into a volute form. I am also aware that it has been proposed to use wire netting
in combination or in conjunction with cores of corrugated or fluted sheet metal in
the manufacture of pipes from metal and concrete. Such methods of manufacture
are however attended by disadvantages which do not attend the manufacture
herein before described and I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to the
manufacture of pipes and other articles according to the said proposed or known
methods neither do I limit myself to the precise details of the methods herein-
before described of carrying my Invention into effect as the said details may be
varied without departing from the nature of my said Invention but I claim as my
said Invention of "Improvements in the manufacture of telegraph poles, columns,
pillars, flag staffs, signal posts for railways, lamp posts, fence posts and other
posts, rolls for engineering and other purposes, chimneys for factories pipes for
#
16

page_text: "
conveying liquids or gases, and other like tubular articles, railway and tramway
sleepers, door steps, lintels, window sills, building blocks and tanks, casks and
"drums for containing liquid, semi-liquid and solid matters."
First. The use of wire netting and concrete as the sole or essential materials in
the manufacture of such articles.
Secondly. The manufacture of such articles by forming a core of wire netting or
a skeleton metal frame of the general figure of the article required and coating the
said core or frame on both sides with a concrete or composition of the kind
herein before described.
Thirdly. The use in the manufactures herein before described of a core formed
entirely of wire netting bent into the required form whether or not the means
herein before described or other means be used for preventing the core from
springing open while it is being handled or while the said manufactures are being
completed.
Fourthly. The use in the manufactures herein before described of a core of wire
netting strengthened by means of metal rods secured thereto as illustrated in
Figures 21 and 22 of the accompanying drawings.
Fifthly. The use in the manufactures herein before described of a core of metal
bars or rods and hoops constructed substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in Figures 23 and 24 of the accompanying drawings.
Sixthly. The manufacture of telegraph poles substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 1 to 20 of the accompanying drawings.
Seventhly. The manufacture of signal posts substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 25 to 28 of the accompanying drawings.
Eighthly. The manufacture of pipes and tubes substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 29. 30 and 31 of the accompanying drawings.
Ninthly. The manufacture of sleepers for railways and tramways substantially
as herein before described with reference to Figures 32 and 33 of the accompanying
drawings.
Tenthly. The manufacture of building blocks and other like articles substantially
as herein before described.
Eleventhly. The manufacture of casks and drums substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 34 to 37 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this thirteenth day of February 1886.