CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STRAINING PILLARS OR POSTS FOR WIRE OR OTHER STRAINED FENCING, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE ADAPTED THERETO FOR STRAINING OR TIGHTENING THE WIRES OR STRANDS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Potter, of Leeds, in the County of York, one
of the Partners in the Firm of Henry Joseph Morton & Co., of the same
Place, Iron and Wire Fencing Manufacturers, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STRAINING PILLARS OR
POSTS FOR WIRE OR OTHER STRAINED FENCING, AND IN THE APPARATUS
TO BE ADAPTED THERETO FOR STRAINING OR TIGHTENING THE WIRES OR
STRANDS."
Sealed the 14th November 1861, and dated the 5th August 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Potter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
August 1861.
I, JOHN POTTER, of Leeds, in the County of York, one of the Partners
in the Firm of Henry Joseph Morton & Co., of the same Place, Iron and
Wire Fencing Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STRAINING
PILLARS OR POSTS FOR WIRE OR OTHER STRAINED FENCING, AND IN THE APPARATUS
TO BE ADAPTED THERETO FOR STRAINING OR TIGHTENING THE WIRES OR STRANDS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of straining pillars or
posts for wire or other strained fencing, and in the apparatus to be adapted
thereto for straining or tightening the wires or strands, relates,―
First, to an improved mode of. constructing the posts, which may be formed

page_text: either of wrought or cast iron. The wrought-iron pillars or posts are tubular,
so as to contain the rollers of the straining apparatus hereafter described.
The spindles of these rollers pass through holes in one side of the pillar or
post, and have square ends, so that they may be turned on their axes by means
of a key, winch, spanner, or other suitable contrivance. The other end of the
roller is inserted in a socket which is screwed or pinned on to the other side
of the post; an opening is cut in the front of the pillar or post to allow the
wire or strand to be attached or adapted to-the-roller placed therein. If the
wire or strand is to pass through the pillar or post, then a corresponding
opening must be made on the other side or back of the pillar or post. The
lower end of the pillar or post is secured in the socket or step of a cast-iron
foundation block which rests on the ground, and the pillar or post is secured
in a vertical position by means of diagonal struts which are attached at one
end to the vertical pillar or post, and at the other end to the foundation
plate.
The cast-iron pillars or posts are also made hollow, so as to contain the
rollers of the straining apparatus, but the sockets to receive the ends of these
rollers are cast on the pillars or posts instead of being subsequently fixed
thereon by screws, pins, or otherwise. The holes for the spindles and for
inserting the wires or strands are either made afterwards or are cast with the
pillars or posts, and the lower end of the pillar or post is cast in one with the
horizontal foundation plate, and is provided with lateral wings or webs for the
purpose of strengthening the same, and also to enable the posts or pillars to
resist the strain upon them.
The second part of the Invention relates to the straining apparatus, and has
for its object to dispense with the ratchet wheel, which is usually adapted to
the rotating straining roller, for the purpose of holding the same firmly after
the wire or strand has been strained. To this end a hole is made transversely
through the end of the roller, for the purpose of receiving a transverse pin,
and a corresponding hole is made through the fixed socket, so that by inserting
the transverse pin through the socket and roller, the latter may be held
secure. When it is required to strain or tighten the strands or wire the pin
must be withdrawn, and then the roller may be turned half round on its axis
or made to perform one, two, or more revolutions, as the case may require ;
the pin is then to be reinstated in its place, and all will be again secure.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Potter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
POTTER, of Leeds, in the County of York, one of the Partners in the Firm of
Henry Joseph Morton and Company, of the same Place, Iron and Wire
Fencing Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Potter, Her special license that I, the said John
Potter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Potter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter 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 "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STRAINING PILLARS OR POSTS FOR WIRE
OR OTHER STRAINED FENCING, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE ADAPTED THERETO FOR
STRAINING OR TIGHTENING THE WIRES OR STRANDS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Potter, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
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 John Potter, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of straining pillars or
posts for wire or other strained fencing, and in the apparatus to be adapted
thereto for straining or tightening the wires or strands, relates,-
First, to an improved mode of constructing the posts, which may be formed
either of wrought or cast iron..

page_text: In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn various views of both wrought
and cast iron pillars or posts constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 a side elevation, of a wrought-
iron pillar or post; Figure 3 is a side elevation, and Figure 4 a front elevation,
of a cast-iron pillar or post. It will be seen that the pillar or post a in both
these instances is tubular, so as to contain the rollers b, b, of the straining
apparatus hereafter described. These rollers 6 pass through holes in the sides
of the pillar or post a, and have square ends ', as shewn in the detached view,
Figures 5, 6, and 10, which are drawn upon an enlarged scale. It will be
seen that the ends of the rollers being square, they may be turned on their axis
by means of a key, winch, spanner, or other suitable contrivance, as shewn
at c, in Figure 1. The other end of the rollers 6 is inserted in a socket, which
is screwed or pinned on to the other side of the post, as shewn best in the
enlarged detached views, Figures 5 and 6. An opening a¹ is cut in the side
of the pillar or post a, to allow the wire or strand e to be attached or adapted
to the roller b, placed therein. If the wire or strande is to pass through the
pillar or post, then a corresponding opening a' must be made on the other side
or back of the pillar or post.
The lower end of the wrought-iron pillar or post a is secured in the socket
or step of a cast-iron foundation block f, which is shewn detached and in plan
at Figure 7, and rests on the ground, and the pillar or post a is secured in a
vertical position by means of diagonal struts g, g, which are attached at one
end to the vertical pillar or post a, and at the other end to the foundation
plate f, as shewn in plan view, Figure 8.
The cast-iron pillars or posts shewn in Figures 3 and 4 and 9 are also made
hollow, so as to contain the rollers of the straining apparatus, and may be
cast either round or square, but the sockets to receive the ends of these rollers
are cast on the pillars or posts, as shewn in Figure 10, instead of being
subsequently fixed thereon by screws, pins, or otherwise, as shewn in the
wrought-iron pillar at Figures 5 and 6. The holes for the spindles b, and also
those marked a', for inserting the wires or strands e, are cast in the pillars or
posts, and the lower end of the pillar or post is cast in one with the horizontal
foundation plate f, and is provided with lateral wings or webs g, g, as shewn
in the sectional plan view, Figure 9, for the purpose of strengthening the
same, and also to enable the posts or pillars to resist the strain upon
them.
The second part of the Invention relates to the straining apparatus, and has
for its obiect to dispense with the ratchet wheel which is usually adanted to:

page_text: the rotating straining roller b, for the purpose of holding the same firmly after
the wire or strand has been strained. In order to effect this object a hole is
made transversely through the end of the roller b, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6,
and also in the sectional view, Figure 10, for the purpose of receiving a
transverse pin i, and a corresponding hole is made through the fixed socket, so
that by inserting the transverse pin i through the socket and roller b, the
latter may be held secure. When it is required to strain or tighten the strands
or wire, the pin i must be withdrawn, and then the roller may be turned half
round on its axis, or made to perform one, two, or more revolutions, as the
case may require; the pin i is then to be reinstated in its place, and all will
be again secure. It will be seen that as the wire or strand e passes through
the roller b, the effect of turning the latter in the way above described will be
to lap the wire round the roller b in both directions, and thus strain the wire
on both sides of the post to an equal extent or nearly so.
Having now described my Invention of certain improvements in the con-
struction of straining pillars or posts for wire or other strained fencing, and in
the apparatus to be adapted thereto for straining or tightening the wires or
strands, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,―
First, the mode or modes herein set forth of constructing the straining
pillars or posts of strained wire fences.
Second, the application to the straining rollers 6 of transverse pins, which,
when passed through holes in the sockets and rollers, will hold the latter
secure, as herein set forth, without the necessity of employing ratchet wheels,
as heretofore.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Potter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
Signed and sealed by the said John Potter
in the presence of
J. B. WILKINSON,
27, East Parade,
Leeds.
JOHN POTTER. (L.S.)