IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE AND OTHER SIMILAR FENCES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Potter, of Leeds, in the County of York, Wire
Fencing Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE AND OTHER SIMILAR FENCES."
Sealed the 30th August 1861, and dated the 22nd March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Potter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd March
1861.
I, JOHN POTTER, of Leeds, in the County of York, Wire Fencing Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE AND OTHER SIMILAR FENCES," to be as
follows:-
The object of my Invention is to draw up to tension the strands, wires, wire
rods, cords, or bands of strained fences, and to keep them strained, or allow
them to be slackened as may be required.
The straining apparatus I enclose within an upright pillar or post made of
any suitable material. The strands, wires, wire rods, cords, or bands enter into
the pillar or post through suitable openings, and pass over friction rollers or
pulleys which are fixed at the mouth of such openings upon the pillar or post
either on the outside or inside thereof, as may be most desirable. Within the

page_text: pillar or post is a vertical' slide (or slides) working within a suitable slot,
which slide has curved lugs or hooks cast or fixed upon it. The ends of the
strands, wires, wire rods, cords, or bands, after entering the pillar or post, are
fastened to these lugs or hooks. By means of a screw connected to the slide,
the slide and lugs may be raised or lowered, and also maintained in position,
and thereby I am enabled to strain or slacken the metallic or other strands of
the fencing, as may be required.
To the top of the screw is fixed a toothed wheel, and a toothed pinion
(which has its axle continued to the outside of the pillar or post) is made to
gear into such wheel; when, therefore, a key or other instrument is applied
to the end of the axle of the toothed pinion, the required vertical movement is
given to the slide which strains the metallic or other strands, and by applying
this from time to time as required, the fence may be always kept in a proper
state of tension. But I do not confine myself to this particular mode of work-
ing the slide or slides, as it is evident that the same result may be obtained
by other convenient fittings, and that whatever fittings may be used, they
may be applied either at the top or bottom of the slide or slides, or both.
Another part of my Invention consists in the adaptation of a novel kind of
corner post or pillar to the straining apparatus. The post or pillar is hollow,
and down the centre passes a rod, and upon this rod are mounted at proper
intervals loose friction pulleys or rollers. The post or pillar has openings let
into it, so that the metallic or other strands may enter the pillar, pass over the
friction pulleys, and out of the pillar at any angle required.
I am enabled to construct a fence of various irregular forms with fewer
straining pillars than usual, by reason of the greater facility given to the
metallic or other strands by the friction pulleys to pass the corners or angles
of the fence.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Potter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
POTTER, of Leeds, in the County of York, Wire Fencing Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth 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 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC-
TION OF WIRE AND OTHER SIMILAR FENCES," 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 per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the drawing up and retaining
at tension of the strands, wires, wire rods, cords, or bands of straight or
irregular strained fences.
The Invention consists, first, in a novel arrangement or novel arrangements
of straining apparatus, which apparatus is enclosed, as is now usual, within an
upright hollow pillar or post made by preference of cast iron. The strands or
wires enter into the pillar or post through suitable openings, are passed over
antifriction rollers or pulleys mounted upon the pillar or post at the mouth of
the openings, and are looped to hooks projecting from the face of a vertical
slide, by the movement of which slide in its guides the strands are all simul-
taneously brought to tension, or slackened as desired.
The Invention consists, secondly, in the adaptation of a novel kind of corner
or angle post or pillar to angular or irregular-strained fences. The post or
pillar (which is hollow) is fitted with loose antifriction pulleys or rollers to
receive the strands and allow of their passing out of the post at the angle
suitable for the form or figure of the ground intended to be enclosed.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 a front view,
:

page_text: and Figure 3 a vertical section, of a hollow post fitted with my improved straining
apparatus; Figure 3* is a sectional plan of the pillar. In these Figures, A is
a hollow cylindrical pillar or post of cast iron formed below the ground line in
any suitable and approved manner so as to ensure stability, and closed at top
with a removable cap a. This pillar is cast with brackets b, b, in front of
openings c, c, formed in front of the pillar for inserting the ends of the strands
or wires d. The brackets 6, 6, are intended to carry the antifriction rollers e, e,
over which the strands are strained.
Within the pillar are two vertical flanges B, B, cast on or secured to the
pillar, and intended to form guides for the vertical slide before mentioned to
bear against. This slide is shewn at C (Figure 3) as fitted with a series of
hooks D, D, corresponding in number to the strands used in forming the
fence. At its back the slide C is provided with a lug E, which is tapped to
receive a vertical screw shaft F, mounted within the pillar in suitable bearings
prepared to receive it. Keyed to the top of this shaft F is a worm wheel G,
into which gears a worm H, the axle of which is continued outside of the post,
and squared for the purpose of receiving a key or other instrument for impart-
ing rotary motion thereto.
It will now be understood that the looped ends of the strands d enter the
pillar or post through the openings c, passing over their respective antifriction
pulleys e, e, and are secured to the hooks D of the slide C. In order, there-
fore, to draw the strands to tension, it will only be necessary to apply a key to the
end of the axle of the worm, and communicate rotary motion to the worm H,
which gearing into the worm wheel G, will rotate the screw shaft F, and cause
it to depress the slide C. The descent of this slide will draw down the ends
of the strands, as shewn at Figure 3, and tighten them all simultaneously. By
giving rotary motion in the reverse direction to the shaft F, the strands may be
simultaneously slackened. The slide is made to work against the faces of the
flanges B (see the plan view Figure 8*) in order to maintain a suitable position
for the working of the apparatus. The pillar or post may be fixed in the
ground in any suitable manner, but the hollow part must be continued
some distance down in order to allow for the downward traverse of the
slide.
Figures 4 and 5 shew in elevation and plan view a modification of the
above-described arrangement for tightening up the strands or wires. In this
example, the straining apparatus is intended to bring the strands or wires of
the fence up to tension separately, thus allowing for the unequal "give" of the
strands. A, A, are screwed shafts fitted severally with a nut B, carrying a

page_text: hook for receiving the loop of a strand. These shafts are squared at their
rotated by a key, and thus causing the
While thus free to move vertically, the
upper ends to allow of their being
traverse up or down of the nuts B.
nuts are held laterally to prevent them from turning by vertical ribs or flanges
C. The loops of the strands enter the post at their own respective apertures
K, K, in the pillar or post over the antifriction pulleys. The screw shafts
rest in sockets in the collar D, and their top ends pass through another collar,
and are thereby held in position. But I do not confine myself to the above
mode of obtaining the vertical movement of the slide, as I may obtain the
same movement by a rack attached to the slide, and gearing the rack into a
toothed wheel which has its axle adapted to a key for the purpose of turning
it, and also employ a separate slide for each strand in the post.
The second part of this Invention is shewn at Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, the
object being to provide a post that will enable the strands to be turned or bent
to any required angle; in this instance, also, the post is made hollow, and by
preference of cast iron, and cylindrical with a removeable cap piece. A
vertical rod A is fitted in the centre of the post for receiving a series of pulleys,
which are mounted loosely thereon at any required intervals corresponding to
the distance apart of the pulleys. Horizontal slots or openings are made into
the pillar on a line with these pulleys, and the strands of the fence enter
through these, pass over the antifriction pulleys, and out of the post by similar
openings on the opposite side of the pillar, as shewn best in the enlarged
sectional plan view, Figure 9, the direction outwards of the strands being
capable of variation to suit the angle of inclination indicated for the fence.
In order to adapt strained fences to uneven ground, I slightly modify this
corner post, as shewn at Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13. This modification con-
sists in mounting the antifriction pulleys on horizontal axles instead of on one
common vertical axle. By this arrangement the parallelism of the strands
will be preserved when the fence is run across ground presenting a ridge and
valley surface.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
the Construction of Wire and other similar Fences," and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that, under the
above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,-
First, the adaptation to straining pillars or posts of travelling hooks, hold-
fasts, or other fastenings operated in the manner and for the purpose above
set forth.
Secondly, constructing corner or angle posts as above described, whereby

page_text: the number of straining posts commonly required in the erection of irregular
strained fences may be materially diminished.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Potter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
JOHN POTTER. (L.S.)
Witness to the signature of the
said John Potter,
J. B. WILKINSON,
Clerk to Messrs. J. & H. Richardson & Turner,
Solicitors, Leeds.