IMPROVEMENTS IN CON- STRUCTING STRAINED WIRE FENCES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Johnson, of No. 6, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CON-
STRUCTING STRAINED WIRE FENCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
March 1865.
I, ROBERT JOHNSON, of No. 6, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CONSTRUCTING STRAINED WIRE FENCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing strained wire
fences. For these purposes the posts or uprights through which the wires pass,
in place of being formed as heretofore, are made of a trough-like or hollow
section, by which not only is greater stiffness obtained for a given weight of iron
but the holding of the wires is greatly improved. The sections of posts may
be varied so long as they are hollow or trough-like in section. Each wire passes
through two holes formed towards the two edges of a post, and the wire is held
to a post by driving a wedge downwards in a vertical direction between the
wire and the surface of the post, the wedge having a head or enlargement at
its upper end which prevents it falling through. The cross section of post
preferred is semicircular though it may be formed of a larger or smaller
section of a curve, or it may be of a V or other section so long as the sides of
the post will admit of two holes being made for the passage of a wire, and

page_text: admit of a wedge being driven downwards in a vertical direction. The holes
in the two sides of the post through which the wire passes may, if desired, be
made at an angle to one another, so that the wire when stretched will be bent
where it passes through the holes and will thus be held securely.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
JOHNSON, of No. 6, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Johnson, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Johnson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Robert Johnson, my executors, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING STRAINED WIRE FENCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Johnson, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 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 Robert Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing strained wire
fences. For these purposes the posts or uprights through which the wires
pass, in place of being formed as heretofore, are made of a trough-like section,
by which not only is greater stiffness obtained for a given weight, of iron,

page_text: but the holding of the wires is greatly improved. The sections of posts may
be varied so long as they are trough-like in section. Each wire passes through
two holes formed towards the two edges of the post, and the wire is held to
the post by driving a wedge downwards in a vertical direction between the
wire and the hollow surface of the post. The cross section of the post may be
of a V or other form, so long as the sides of the post will admit of two holes
being made for the passage of a wire, and admit of a wedge being driven
downwards in a vertical direction.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will preceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view of a post or standard of a wire fence as I prefer to
construct it; Figure 2 is a back view of the same; Figures 3 and 4 show
portions of the front and back of a post or standard about full size; Figure 5
is a transverse section of the post taken at the point where the wire strand
passes. The metal is rolled like ordinary angle or trough iron, but of a some-
what different form, and it is cut off with suitable shearing cutters to the
lengths required; the lower end is by preference pointed, and the upper end
rounded to give it a suitable finish. The holes are produced by punching, the
two sides of the trough iron being punched either separately or together.
A, A, are wedges driven into the trough behind the wire, these wedges are
conveniently made of wood, or they may be of metal, they lock the wire tightly
in the post or upright and add considerably to the rigidity of the fence, it is not
however essential that they should be employed.
Another convenient form for the trough post or standard is of a semicircular
section, such a post is shown at Figures 6 to 10; Figures 6 is a front view;
Figure 7, a back view; Figures 8 and 9 enlarged view of parts of the same
respectively; and Figure 10 is a transverse section of the post or standard.
In witness whereof, I the said Robert Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
ה A n
TANKOOK
ROBERT JOHNSON. (L.D.)