IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH METAL FENCING
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Duncan Ross, of Hilton Farm, in the County of Inverness,
North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH
METAL FENCING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Duncan Ross at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th September 1880.
DUNCAN Ross, of Hilton Farm, in the County of Inverness, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH METAL FENCING."
This Invention relates to certain improvements connected with wire fencing, and
particularly to the construction of fasteners, and mode or means of fastening,
holding, or fixing the wires to their standards, posts, or droppers, and which are
specially designed to enable the position of the wires to be adjusted and fixed to
any desired height or vertical distance apart to suit the various purposes to which
the fencing may be applied, whilst also dispensing with the holding or boring and
consequent weakening of the standards and droppers.
Under one modification of the improved fastener, this is constructed of a piece of
coiled wire, like a short spiral spring, which is slipped over or round the standard
or dropper as a gripper or clamp. The wire of the fence is pressed longitudinally
in between two of the coils, and a wedge inserted vertically inside the coil in a line
with the standard and on the outside of the wire, thus gripping the wire between
the wedge and the post, and this wedge is driven home when the wire is adjusted
to the desired vertical position.
In another modification of the Invention, the improved fasteners are formed or
constructed of iron, steel, or other metal, chain links or loops, which are doubled
at the centre to an U shape. These links, clamps, or fasteners are slipped on each
wire after it is stretched from the straining post, then the intermediate droppers or
posts are passed down through the fastener or clamps between the wire and the
looped end of the fastener, or the wire and fastener passed over the standards if
these are fixed in the ground; and when the wire is in its desired vertical position,
a small metal wedge is driven in between the wire and standard inside the clamp
or dropper, so as to fasten or hold the whole firmly together. Each wire of the

page_text: fence is so fastened to the standards, and the wires are then drawn tight by means
of the straining screws or other usual straining apparatus, either before or after
being fixed or fastened by the wedges.
In a modified construction of the link fastener described, this is made in the
form of a single U with hooked ends, and this fastener can be applied to fix any
wire or to replace any broken fastener by slipping it on the standard or dropper,
catching the wire into the hooked ends of the link, and then inserting the wedge
in between the dropper and the U loop of the fastener.
To suit different sections of standards or droppers as half round, square, flat, bar
Lor Tiron, the new grippers are varied in construction to embrace the standards
with the wire and wedge, pin, or key, but in all cases they are made to admit the
wires horizontally, to be locked or fastened by the pressure and friction of the
wedge and standard passing vertically through the fastener. It is preferred to
insert the wedge, pin, or key from the underside of the dropper, so that any
pressure on the wires will only tend to lock or fasten them more securely to the
standards, although they will act equally well when driven in from above.
For certain sections of standards and droppers, the heads of the gripping wedges
may be formed with lateral projections to grip the standards or droppers. And
the opposite side or edge of the droppers and standards may be serrated or formed
-with-small grooves-into which-the-wire would lie,.and thus give greater gripping
power to the fasteners.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Duncan Ross in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th March
1881.
DUNCAN Ross, of Hilton Farm, in the County of Inverness, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH METAL FENCING."
My said Invention relates to certain improvements connected with wire fencing
and in the construction of fasteners, and mode or means of fastening, holding, or
fixing the wires to their standards, posts, or droppers. The improvements are
specially designed to enable the position of the wires to be adjusted and fixed to
any desired height or vertical distance apart to suit the various purposes to which
the fencing may be applied, whilst also dispensing with the holeing or boring and
consequent weakening of the standards and droppers.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended for that purpose a Sheet
of explanatory Drawings, to be hereinafter referred to, and representing several
modifications of my improved fasteners and their application to wire fencing. In
these Drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same or like parts
where repeated.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings are respectively a side and edge elevation,
and a plan of a modification of my improved fastener applied to a segmental or
half round form of dropper or standard; Figures 4 and 5 are a side elevation and
plan, showing a similar fastener as adapted more especially for rectangular sections
of droppers; Figures 6, 7, and 8 are side and edge elevations and a plan; and
Figures 9 and 10 are a side and edge view; and Figure 11, a side view, showing
other modified forms of the improved fastener applied to droppers or standards of
rectangular cross section; Figures 12 and 13 are a side elevation and plan of a
form of fastener adapted for an angled section of dropper or standard; Figure 14
is an elevation of a portion of a wire fence in which the dropper and wires are
shown as secured by three different forms of my improved fasteners.
The improved fastener, shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings, is con-
structed of a single piece of coiled wire A, like a short spiral spring which is slipped
over or round the standard or dropper B as a gripper or clamp. The wire C of the
fence is entered longitudinally between two twines of the coil A, as shewn, and a
wedge D inserted vertically inside the coil in a line with the standard or dropper B,
and on the outside of the wire to grip the wire C between the wedge D and the
post B. This wedge D is driven hoine to fix the wire C when it is adjusted to the
desired vertical position on the post or dropper B.
In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5, the fastener A is formed of a wire
coiled into a rectangular form in plan to adapt it particularly for use with square or
réctangular droppers or posts B. The mode of fixing the wires to the desired
position on the dropper is similar to that described in reference to Figures 1, 2,
and 3.
In the modifications shown in Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, 10, the improved fasteners A
are formed or constructed of iron or other metal, chain links, or loops A which
are doubled at the centre to an U shape, the link in Figures 6, 7, and 8 being
made of iron of square section, and that shown in Figures 9 and 10 is made of round
iron or wire. These links, clamps, or fasteners A are slipped on each wire after it
is stretched from the straining post, then the intermediate droppers or posts B are
passed down through the fastener A between the wire C and the looped end u of
the fastener, as indicated in Figures 8, 9, and 14; or the wire and fastener A
passed over the standards if these are fixed in the ground. When the wire C is
raised to its desired height and horizontal position, the wedge D is driven in

page_text: between the back a of the gripper A and standard inside the clamp or dropper,
so as to fusten or hold the whole firmly together. Each wire C of the fence is so
fastened to the standards, and the wires are then drawn tight by means of straining
screws or other usual straining apparatus, either before or after being secured by
the wedges.
The modified form of the link fastener A, shown in Figure 11, is made in the
form of a single U with hooked ends at a¹, a', and this fastener can be applied to
fix any wire or to replace any broken fastener by slipping it on the standard or
dropper B, catching the wire C into the hooked ends a, a, of the link A, and then
inserting the wedge D in between the dropper and the U loop a of the fastener A.
The fastener A, shown in Figures 12 and 13, is bent to to the shape of the
angled section or dropper B shown, and is made of a double U loop or link similar
to that described in reference to Figures 6, 7, and 8, but it may be formed of a
single link with hooked ends, as in the modification shown in Figure 11.
In the form of dropper B of channel section, shown in Figures 15, 16, and 17, tho
fastener A is also made in the U form of a small single or double looped wire
which is passed over the fonce wire C, and through one or two transverse vertical
slots b in the channel part of the dropper where a wedge D is inserted within the
fastener A, a. In this modification the wire C can only be adjusted vertically on
the dropper-to-the-extent of the length of slot-b...
To suit different sections of standards or droppers, as half-round, square, flat bar
Lor Tiron, the new grippers are varied in construction to embrace these with the
wire and wedge, pin, or key, but-in-all-cases-they-are-made-to-admit-the-wires
horizontally, to-be-locked-or-fastened-by-the-pressure_and_friction of the wedge
and standard passing vertically through the fastener.
It is preferred to insert the wedge, pin, or key from the underside of the dropper,
so that any pressure on the wires will only tend to lock or fasten them inore
securely to standards, although they will act equally well when driven in from
above.
For certain sections of standards and droppers, such as square or rectangular
forms, the heads of the gripping wedges D may be formed with lateral projections d,
as shown in Figures 6, 7, and 11, to grip the standards or droppers B; and the
opposite side or edge of the droppers and standards may be serrated and formed
with small grooves into which the wire would lie, and thus give greater gripping
power to the fasteners.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that 1 do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part recited
Letters Patent is,-The construction and use of spiral or U shaped grippers for tho
securing of the horizontal wires of fences at any desired vertical distance apart to
their posts or droppers by a vertical wedge, all substantially as herein described in
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Duncan Ross, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
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