IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FENCES AND HURDLES." PROAL SPFICATION
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hunter Meriwether, of Morley's Hotel,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FENCES AND HURDLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left. by the said William Hunter Meri-
wether at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd August 1854..
I, WILLIAM HUNTER MERIWETHER, of Morley's Hotel, Strand, in the County
3 of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FENCES AND HURDLES " to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in the use of undulated or zig-zag wire as a substi-
tute for the ordinary straight wire. The wires are attached to uprights, of
either wood or iron, and may be drawn tight by the ordinary means or other-
wise, when the undulations, by their capacity of opening or closing, will give
to the wire an elasticity, so as to yield to the action of heat and cold, or pres-
sure from wind, cattle, or accidents, and resume its set when those disturbing
causes are removed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hunter Meriwether in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HUNTER MERIWETHER, of Morley's Hotel, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord
Ono thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Hunter Meriwether, Her special licence that I, the said
William Hunter Meriwether, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Hunter Meriwether, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter luring 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF FENCES AND
HURDLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Hunter Meriwether, 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 Offico within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Hunter Meriwether, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists in the use of undulated or zig-zag wire as a sub-
stitute for the ordinary straight wire. The wires are attached to uprights, of
either wood or iron, and may be drawn tight by the ordinary means or other-
wise, when the undulations, by their capacity of opening or closing, will give
to the wire an elasticity, so as to yield to the action of heat and cold, or pres-
sure from wind, cattle, or accidents, and resume its set when those disturbing
causes are removed.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the means pursued by me.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows an elevation of a fence according to my Invention, the
uprights being of wood. Figure 2 shows an elevation of another fence
In like manner
according to my Invention, the uprights being of iron.
hurdles will be made, with horizontal bars of iron bent into zig-zags, in place
of their being all straight, as heretofore. By making the horizontal bars of
zig-zag wire or bars, there is an elasticity obtained, which will allow of these
bars yielding when pressed against, or are subject to varying temperature, and
they will return to their own proper figure when released. The zig-zag wires
or rods may be produced in any convenient manner; but it is preferred to
employ fluted rollers, the flutes and ridges being of an angular or rounded
form, according as it is desired that the undulations shall be more or less
angular or rounding. The fluted rollers so used should be geared together,
that they may retain their proper relative positions, and it is desirable that the
flutes and ridges of the rollers should be grooved, to receive the wires or rods;
hence, the wires or rods will be bent into zig-zag forms, and according to the
forms of the ridges and flutes of the rollers used for the purpose; and the
extent of the undulations given to the wire or rods used will be more or less
extensive, according as it is desired to give thereto more or less elasticity. It
is preferred that the bending of the wire or rods should be done cold. The
zig-zag or undulating wires or rods are fixed to the wood or iron uprights or
posts, by being passed through holes in them, or by staples driven in, or by
other convenient means. a, a, are the posts or uprights; b, b, are the zig-zag
rods or wires; c, c, aro bars of wood or iron, which last may be omitted, and
undulating wires or rods put in their places.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
construction of fences and hurdles, by applying zig-zag or undulating wires or
rods therein, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hunter Meriwether, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
WILLIAM HUNTER MERIWETHER. (L.S.)