IMPROVE- MENTS IN MEANS OF ATTACHMENT FOR SECURING METAL WIRES, RODS, BARS, OR STRANDS TO POSTS AND OTHER SUPPORTS FOR FENCING AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL POSTS THEREFOR."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Braby and Benjamin Scarles, both of No. 356,
Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OF ATTACHMENT FOR SECURING METAL WIRES, RODS, BARS,
OR STRANDS TO POSTS AND OTHER SUPPORTS FOR FENCING AND OTHER
PURPOSES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL POSTS THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Braby and
Benjamin Scarles at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th
January 1880.
FREDERICK BRABY and BENJAMIN SCARLES, both of No. 356, Euston Road, in
the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OF ATTACHMENT FOR
SECURING METAL WIRES, RODS, BARS, OR STRANDS TO POSTS AND OTHER SUPPORTS
FOR FENCING AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL POSTS
THEREFOR."
This Invention has more particularly for its object to afford a ready and simple
means whereby the wires, strands, rods, or bars of fencing may be secured to
the posts and be again detached when required. In wire fencing as at present
ordinarily constructed, the lengths of wires or strands have to be threaded or passed
consecutively through holes in each of the posts or standards, and special means
have to be provided for securing the wires to the posts, such as by wedging,
whereby the wire becomes bent or kinked, thus rendering any subsequent removal
of the wires very laborious. Furthermore, when barbed wire is used metal posts
cannot be employed at all on account of the impossibility of threading the barbed
wire through the holes in the posts.
According to our present Invention we provide means whereby the wire instead
of being threaded through holes in the posts is passed laterally into a slot, where it
is held by the nipping action of a loose piece or disc having the action of an
eccentric or cam and turned by a key, and from which it can be as readily removed
by turning back the loose piece or disc. Thus the fixing and removal of the wire
is greatly facilitated, and the barbed wire can be as easily secured to metal posts as
other wires.
For the above purpose we form in the post or in a separate metal piece a lateral
slot terminating in a circular hole in which is fitted a loose cylindrical piece or disc

page_text: having a groove or notch at one point of its circumference, so that on introducing
the wire through the slot into the groove, and then turning the loose piece or disc
partly round by means of a key, the wire will be carried round thereby and nipped
between the loose piece and the surface of the hole, if this be somewhat eccentric
to the cylindrical piece; or, by preference, an eccentric or cam shaped flange or
flanges is or are formed or fixed on the side or sides of the hole against which the
wire is nipped. In order to strengthen the post where it is slotted as described,
the said flanges on each side of the slot may be formed in one piece with a band or
bands of metal passing round either the back face of the post, or round the slotted
face, or both, and firmly secured thereto by rivetting, soldering, or by the
galvanizing process. When metal posts are employed, these may either be of bar,
angle, or tee iron, or they may be tubular; in the latter case we prefer to make
them of galvanized sheet iron of a flat or oblong section, the said eccentric or cam
shaped flanges with their connecting bands being fixed in any suitable manner on
either side of the slot and circular holes formed in the tube, while the loose
cylindrical piece passes through the holes in the tube into the said flanges in which
it effects the nipping of the wire as before described.
According to another modification the loose piece is contained in a recess formed
on the outside of one of the before mentioned side flanges or cheeks, and has its one
edge slotted down to the centre, where the slot terminates in a curve formed
eccentric to a curved projection extending into it from the end of the slot in the
cheek. The wire or rod having been passed through the slots in the cheeks and
post, and that of the loose piece until it bears against the said projection, the loose
piece ia turned in its recess by means of a key, so that the curved end of its slot
is made to nip the wire between it and the curved stop.
Although we have described the said Invention as particularly applicable to wire
fencing, yet it is also applicable with great advantage to other purposes, such as
the manufacture of iron hurdles when these are intended for transport, in order
to enable the cross bars of the hurdles to be readily connected to and detached
from the standards, so that the whole of the separate parts can be packed within
a comparatively small compass. When employed for securing wires or rods to
supports that do not admit of being slotted as described, such as walls, trees, and
the like, the appliance may be constructed with a metal frame consisting of two
side cheeks in which the slots are formed and into which the loose nipping
piece is fitted, and with a back piece or base provided with flanges for securing
the appliance by screws, or otherwise, or with eyes or any other known device
for that purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick Braby and Benjamin Scarles in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th July 1880.
FREDERICK BRABY and BENJAMIN SCARLES, both of No. 356, Euston Road, in
the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OF ATTACHMENT FOR
SECURING METAL WIRES, RODS, BARS, OR STRANDS TO POSTS AND OTHER SUPPORTS
FOR FENCING AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL POSTS
THEREFOR."
This Invention has more particularly for its object to afford a ready and simple
means whereby the wires, strands, rods, or bars of fencing may be secured to the
posts and he again detached when required. In wire fencing as at present
ordinarily constructed, the lengths of wires or strands have to be threaded or passed
consecutively through holes in each of the posts or standards, and special means
have to be provided for securing the wires to the posts, such as by wedging,
whereby the wire becomes bent or kinked, thus rendering any subsequent removal
of the wires very laborious. Furthermore, when barbed wire is used, metal posts
cannot be employed at all on account of the impossibility of threading the barbed
wire through the holes in the posts.
According to our present Invention we provide means whereby the wire instead
of being threaded through holes in the posts is passed laterally into a slot, where
it is held by the nipping action of a loose piece or disc having the action of an
eccentric or cam and turned by a key, and from which it can be as readily removed
by turning back the loose piece or disc; thus the fixing and removal of the wire is
greatly facilitated, and the barbed wire can be as easily secured to metal posts as
other wires.
For the above purpose we form in the post or in a separate metal piece a Interal
slot terminating in a circular hole, in which is fitted a loose cylindrical piece or
disc having a groove or notch at one point of its circumference, so that on intro-
ducing the wire through the slot into the groove, and then turning the loose piece
or disc partly round by means of a key, the wire will be carried round thereby and
nipped between the loose piece and the surface of the hole, if this be somewhat
eccentric to the cylindrical piece; or, by preference, an eccentric or cam shaped flange
or flanges is or are formed or fixed on the side or sides of the hole, against which
the wire is nipped. In order to strengthen the post where it is slotted as described,
the said flanges on each side of the slot may be formed in one piece with a band or
bands of metal passing round either the back face of the post, or round the slotted
face, or both, and firmly secured thereto by rivetting, soldering, or by the galvanising
process. When metal posts are employed these may either be of bar, angle, or tee
iron, or they may be tubular; in the latter case we prefer to make them of
galvanised sheet iron of a flat or oblong section, the said eccentric or cam shaped
flanges with their connecting bands being fixed in any suitable manner on either
side of the slot, and circular holes formed in the tube while the loose cylindrical
piece passes through the holes in the tube into the said flanges, in which it effects
the nipping of the wire, as before described.
According to another modification, the loose piece is contained in a recess formed
on the outside of one of the before mentioned side flanges or cheeks, and has its one
edge slotted down to the centre, where the slot terminates in a curve formed
eccentric to a curved projection extending into it from the end of the slot in the
cheek. The wire or rod having been passed through the slots in the cheeks and
post, and that of the loose piece until it bears against the said projection, the loose

page_text: piece is turned in its recess by means of a key, so that the curved end of its slot is
made to nip the wire between it and the curved stop.
Although we have described the said Invention as particularly applicable to wire
fencing, yet it is also applicable with great advantage to other purposes, such as the
manufacture of iron hurdles, when these are intended for transport in order to
enable the cross bars of the hurdles to be readily connected to and detached from
the standards, so that the whole of the separate parts can be packed within a
comparatively small compass. When employed for securing wires or rods to
supports that do not admit of being slotted as described, such as walls, trees, and
the like, the appliance may be constructed with a metal frame consisting of two
side cheeks in which the slots are formed, and into which the loose nipping piece is
fitted, and with a back piece or base provided with flanges for securing the
appliance by screws or otherwise, or with eyes or any other known device for that
Fig. 1 shews a side view of a post having one arrangement of our before described
fastening applied thereto, and Fig. 2 shews a front view of the same. The post A
which may be a flat tubular metal one, has a lateral slot B extending from its
front side inwards, which slot is cylindrically enlarged at its inner end. The post
is strengthened round such slot by having a metal flange C of the shape shewn
secured to it, and in the holes of this flange is fitted the cylindrical loose piece D,
the holes being made slightly eccentric to the piece D. This piece has a notch D¹
at one point, and when it is desired to insert the wire to be secured the piece is
turned so that the notch faces the slot B, and the wire E is introduced, as shewn
at Fig. 1. On then turning the piece D by means of a key inserted in the hole F
the notch with the wire is brought into the position shewn in dotted lines at E¹,
where it is securely held by the nipping action due to the eccentric form of the
holes of C.
Fig. 3 shews a side view, and Fig. 4 a cross section on line X, X, of another
modification applied to a post A formed of a solid bar, the action being precisely
the same as in the previous arrangement, and the parts being indicated by the same
letters of reference.
In the modification shewn at Figs. 5 to 8 there is substituted for the cylindrical
loose piece of the previous arrangements a loose piece D of the form shewn in side
elevation and plan at Figs. 6 and 7, which after the wire is introduced into the
slot is inserted into the latter, as shewn at Fig. 8, and is made to nip the wire E
by the pressure exerted upon it by the loop G which is pivotted to the flange C,
and is driven down over the piece D so as to engage in a notch in the back thereof,
the loop being bent as shewn so as to have the requisite amount of spring action
for this purpose. Or in place of the loop G a loose ring embracing the post might
be used which is driven down over the piece D after this is inserted, or this might
be secured by passing a piece of bent wire round it to the back of the post and
twisting the ends together at that point.
It will be seen that by extending the flanges, C round to the back of the post
this can be sufficiently strengthened to compensate for the weakening produced
by the slot.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew respectively a side and front view of the last described
modification as applied to a bracket H, which may be attached to trees, walls, posts,
or other convenient objects.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed we claim,―
First. Connecting wires, rods, bars, or strands, to posts or supports by passing
them into lateral slots in the said posts or supports or in brackets fixed thereto

page_text: and securing them therein by means of a loose piece, substantially as herein
described.
Second. Constructing posts or supports for wire fencing and the like with lateral
slots into which the wires are inserted, and in which they are secured by a loose
piece, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Scarles, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
BENJAMIN SCARLES. (L.S.)