AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN TRAINING OR GROWING HOPS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest George Cook Bomford, of Fladbury, near Pershore,
in the County Worcester, Farmer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN TRAINING OR GROWING HOPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest George Cook Bomford
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1876.
ERNEST GEORGE COOK BOMFORD, of Fladbury, near Pershore, in the County of
Worcester, Farmer. "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE
USED IN TRAINING OR GROWING HOPS."
My Invention consists of the arrangement of parts of apparatus herein-after
described to be used in training or growing hops in place of hop poles or the
ordinary arrangement of horizontal and vertical wires.
In arranging the parts of apparatus, according to my Invention, I erect at each
end of each row of hops a pole having at top a cross piece, and between the ends
of the cross piece of one pole and the ends of the cross piece of the other pole two
parallel wires in the same horizontal plane are stretched and fixed. To each of
these two horizontal wires a series of detachable vertical wires, at the required
distances apart, is connected. I secure these vertical wires to the horizontal wires
by meaus of hooks either fixed to or capable of sliding on the horizontal wires, and
I provide the upper end of each of the vertical wires with a loop or eye, which is
engaged with or hooked upon one of the hooks on the horizontal wires. The lower
end of each vertical wire is fastened to the ground by a peg of wood, or iron, or by
other like means. By the use of the said pegs the required tension is put upon the
vertical wires after they have been hooked to the horizontal wires.
By combining the vertical wires with the horizontal wires, in the manner
described, the said vertical wires may readily be detached by unhooking them from
the said horizontal wires, and the pegs pulled up from the ground and the detached
vertical wires carrying the hops may be conveyed to the cribs to be picked.
In addition to the advantage described my Invention has the further advantage,
that the ordinary lower horizontal wire to which the lower ends of the vertical
wires are fixed is dispensed with, and the hop garden may be planted on the square
and worked each way with horses in a similar way to the plan adopted when the
hops are grown upon poles.

page_text: My Invention also permits four or other number of detachable vertical wires to
be pegged around each root or plant.
A pole and cross piece is used to support the horizontal wires at about every
twenty yards, and to prevent these poles being blown sideways in windy weather
cross wires are stretched from pole to pole and firmly fastened at opposite sides of
the field.
When the horizontal wiros bearing the vertical ones are tightly strained they
are firmly fastened to each cross piece by a wedge driven in the hole through which
the wire passes, so that if the wire breaks only that portion of it between two poles
gives way instead of the whole length.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ernest George Cook Bomford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th February 1877.
ERNEST GEORGE COOK BOMFORD, of Fladbury, near Pershore, in the County of
Worcester, Farmer. "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE
USED IN TRAINING OR GROWING HOPS."
My Invention consists of the arrangement of parts of apparatus herein-after
described, to be used in training or growing hops in place of hop poles or the
ordinary arrangement of horizontal and vertical wires.
In arranging the parts of apparatus, according to my Invention, I erect at each
end of every third or fourth row of hops a pole having a cross piece or bar fastened
on the top, the other end of the said cross piece or bar being fastened to the top
of the next pole. A series of these poles and crossing pieces or bars is arranged at
the required distances apart. To these cross pieces or bars parallel wires in tho
same horizontal plane are stretched and fixed, two wires over each row of hops
being used. To each of these two horizontal wires a series of detachable vertical
wires, at the required distances apart is connected. I secure these vertical wires
to the horizontal wires by means of hooks either fixed to or capable of sliding on
the horizontal wires, and I provide the upper end of each of the vertical wires with
a loop or eye, which is engaged with or hooked upon one of the hooks on the hori-
zontal wires; or the hook may form part of the vertical wire and be hooked to the
horizontal wire. The lower end of each vertical wire is fastened to the ground
by a peg of wood or iron or by other like moans. By the use of the said pegs the
required tension is put upon the vertical wires after they have been hooked to the
horizontal wires.
By combining the vertical wires with the horizontal wires in the manner
described, the said vertical wires may readily be detached by unhooking them from
the said horizontal wires, and the pegs pulled up from the ground and the detached
vertical wires carrying the hops may be conveyed to the cribs to be picked.
In addition to the advantages described my Invention has the further advantage,
that the ordinary lower horizontal wire to which the lower ends of the vertical
wires are fixed is dispensed with, and the hop gardens may be planted on the
square and worked each way with horses in a similar way to the plan adopted when
the hops are grown upon poles.
My Invention also permits four or other number of detachable vertical wires to
be pegged around each root or plant.
Strong wire rope may be used in place of the cross bars or pieces described, the
said wire rope being strained tightly from post to post, and having holes or eyes in
it for the horizontal wires to pass through, the said horizontal wires being fixed
in the said holes by wedges; or the horizontal wires may be hooked to the strong
wire rope or be connected thereto by clips or other like means.
The horizontal wires may also be made in sections to fit upon hooks on the cross

page_text: bars or pieces, herein-before described, whereby the horizontal wires between post
and post may be detached and lowered for gathering the hops.
Instead of the cross bars or pieces fixed from pole to pole the following arrange-
ment may be used:-A pole and cross piece is used to support the horizontal wires
at about every twenty-one yards, and to prevent these poles being blown sideways
in windy weather cross wires are stretched from pole to pole and firmly fastened
on opposite sides of the field.
When the horizontal wires bearing the vertical ones are tightly strained they
are firmly fastened to each cross piece by a wedge driven in the hole through which
the wire passes, and fastened on the top of the cross pieces by staples, so that if
the wire breaks only that portion of it between two poles gives way instead of the
whole length.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing,
the manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1, represents in side elevation; Figure 2, in plan; and Figure 3, in end
elevation, apparatus to be used for training or growing hops constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 4 is a portion of the same drawn of the full size.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
a, a, are the two horizontal wires stretched and fixed over each row of hops;
and b, b, are the detachable vertical wires attached to the horizontal wires, four of
the said vertical wires being used by preference for each plant (see Figure 2). The
method of connecting and disconnecting the vertical wires b, b, will be undertood
by reference to Figure 4, which represents elevations taken at right angles to one
another of a portion of one of the vertical wires and parts connected with it and
the horizontal wire. Each of the detachable vertical wires b has at its upper end
a loop or eye c, and the horizontal wire a to which the detachable vertical wire is
to be fixed is provided with a hook d, which may either be stationary or capable
of sliding on the wire a. The lower end of each vertical wire b is connected with
a wedge-shaped pege of wood or iron, the said peg being secured to the wire b by
passing the end of the wire through a hole in the peg, so as to form a loop and
coiling the end of the loop upon the main wire.
By means of the hooks d on the horizontal wires a, a, and the eyes or loops c
on the upper ends of the vertical wires b, b, the said vertical wires may be readily
attached to and detached from the said horizontal wires, and by means of tho
pegs c, e, at the lower ends of the said vertical wires b, b, the said wires may be
fixed in or removed from the ground and the required tension put upon them after
they have been hooked to the horizontal wires.
Instead of the wedge-shaped pegs represented ground screws may be used for
the same purpose, and instead of eyes at the upper ends of the vertical wires and
hooks on the horizontal wires hooks alone may be made from the upper ends of the
vertical wires and be hooked upon the horizontal wires.
I prefer to support the horizontal wires in the manner illustrated in the Drawing,
that is to say, at every third or fourth row of hops and about sixty feet apart in
the other direction of the field I erect a pole f, and connect each set of the said
poles together by transverse bars or pieces of wood or iron marked g, g, joined end
to end, the ends of the transverse bars g, g, being fixed in mortices or recesses made
in the tops of the said poles f, f, as will be understood by an examination of the
Drawing. To the cross continuous bars or framing g, supported upon the poles f, f.
the ends of the horizontal wires a, a, are attached. These horizontal wires may be
permanently fixed to the cross bars g, or the said horizontal wires may be hooked
or otherwise fastened to the cross bars g, so as to be capable of ready attachment
and detachment. In the latter case it is preferred to make the detachable hori-
zontal wires in sections or lengths to stretch from one continuous cross bar or
framing g to the next, so that the horizontal wires between the said cross bars or
framings g, g, may be detached from them and lowered for gathering the hops when
required.

page_text: By the use of the continuous bars or framings g, g, the number of poles required
for the supporting of the horizontal wires is considerably reduced, the said poles are
braced together and side strain upon them resisted.
Instead of the continuous bars or framing described and represented a strong
wire rope or cable may be used, the said wire rope or cable being strained tightly
on the poles or posts. For the purpose of fastening the horizontal wires to the
cross wire ropes or cables holes or eyes are left at short intervals in them, through
which holes or eyes the horizontal wires are passed and fixed by wedges or other
analogous means. Or hooks on the ends of the horizontal wires (when the said
horizontal wires are made detachable) may be hooked to the holes or eyes in the
wire rope or cable; or clips may be used in place of hooks, in which case the holes
or eyes in the wire rope or cable are not required.
. Figure 5 represents a piece of wiro rope or cable having holes or eyes in it for
the purpose before described.
Although I prefer to use my arrangement for permitting of the ready attachment
and detachment of the vertical and horizontal wires of the apparatus in conjunction
with the arrangement of poles and continuous cross bars or pieces or cross ropes
or cables, yet the said arrangement for attaching and detaching the vertical and
horizontal wires may be used in conjunction with a supporting pole and cross piece
at each end of each row of hops as ordinarily used, or with other methods of sup-
porting the horizontal wires.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood, that I claim as my Invention
of an improvement or improvements in apparatus to be used in training or
growing hops,
First. Making the vertical wires capable of being readily attached to and dotached
from the horizontal wires of the said apparatus, and pegging or screwing the lower
ends of the vertical wires to the ground, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. Making the horizontal wires supporting the vertical wires of the
apparatus capable of ready attachment to and detachment from the supporting
poles or the continuous cross bars or pieces or wire rope or cable of the apparatus,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. Connecting the poles or posts of the apparatus together by continuous
cross bars or pieces or by wire rope or cables, to which cross bars or pieces or wire
rope or cables the horizontal wires are attached, substantially_as and for the purpose
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest George Cook Bomford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
JAMES W. WAGSTAFF,
Fladbury,
Nr. Pershore.
ERNEST GEORGE COOK BOMFORD. (L.B.)