IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TELEGRAPH STANDARDS, FENCING POSTS, AND SIGNAL POSTS."
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Sinclair Robertson, of Liverpool, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TELEGRAPH
STANDARDS, FENCING POSTS, AND SIGNAL POSTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Sinclair Robertson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd January 1866.
I, GEORGE SINCLAIR ROBERTSON, of Liverpool, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
TELEGRAPH STANDARDS, FENCING POSTS, AND SIGNAL POSTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
telegraph standards, fencing posts, and signal posts, and consists in manu-
facturing such standards and posts of tubes of corrugated sheet iron.
The sheet iron is to be cut to the dimensions and taper required according
to the size of the post, after which it is to be corrugated by the employment
of taper dies; the size of the corrugations being made according to the size
and strength of the post required; a proper margin or corrugation being left
on each side of the sheet to allow of a suitable overlap for rivetting the edge
of the sheet. In order to prevent the corrugations from opening out or
expanding while the sheet is being bent into the form of a tube, a strip of

page_text: iron is to be rivetted across the corrugations on the inner surface of the
sheet. The strips of iron will be corrugated at each end with a correspond-
ing corrugation to the portions of the sheet where it is to be rivetted. The
top and bottom portions of the tube have applied to them external binders
of sheet or hoop iron of a width and thickness to be determined upon
according to the dimensions of the tube required, the object of the binders
is to prevent the corrugations opening out or expanding while the corru-
gated tube is being fixed or forced upon the end of a cast-iron ground
socket, which it is preferred should be cast with corrugations to receive
the sheet iron tube. Where wood may be required to be fixed on the end
of a tube the binder will prevent the corrugations from expanding. After
the tube has been bent into the required dimensions it will then be placed
on a cast-iron or suitable mandril for the purpose of being rivetted. The
sheet iron having been thus formed into corrugated tubes the same is to be
galvanized. In some cases the interior strips or bands are not employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Sinclair Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office.
on the 3rd July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SINCLAIR ROBERTSON, of Liverpool, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Sinclair Robertson, Her special licence that I, the said
George Sinclair Robertson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said George Sinclair Robertson, my executors, ad-
ministrators, 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 MANUFACTURE OF
TELEGRAPH STANDARDS, FENCING POSTS, AND SIGNAL POSTS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Sinclair Robertson, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: 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 George Sinclair Robertson, 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 following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The Invention consists in manufacturing telegraph standards, fencing
posts, and signal posts of tubes of corrugated iron as hereafter described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a telegraph standard constructed
according to my Invention, the upper part having a cast-iron cap and
arms fixed thereon suitable for receiving ordinary insulators. When a
signal post or a fence post is required according to this Invention, it is to
be made in like manner to that shown in the Drawing, but will be provided
with another form of top or cap according to the purpose to which the
post is to be applied, and such cap or top will readily be supplied by a
workman. Figure 2 shows the hollow iron casting used for the foot and
which is buried in the ground. The form of the foot may be varied but
it should be made with corrugations or flutes corresponding with and
suitable to fit the corrugations of the lower end of the corrugated tube.
In order to give greater holding in the ground the foot is cast with
horizontal openings through it for the reception of horizontal bars which
project radially to any desired extent. In making the corrugated or
upper portion a, a, of a standard or post, the sheet iron is to be cut to
the dimensions and taper required according to the size of the post or
standard. In corrugating the sheet iron a sufficient width is left at the
two edges to overlap, and these are to be punched to receive rivets. The
requisite tubular form may be given to a plate in the act of corrugating it.
External hoops are used which may be plain or corrugated, and they may
be rivetted and plain, or corrugated bands may be introduced at intervals
in the interior when desired, and they may also be rivetted; or when the
corrugated upper part of a standard or post is coated with zinc after it has
been put together, the zinc will securely hold the external hoops and also
the internal strengthening rings (when used) in their places. b, b, is the
cast foot; c, c, are the bars which pass through at or near the lower end;
d is the cap or cover.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
combined construction of standards for electric telegraphs and signal and
fence posts herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Sinclair Robertson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Third day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
G. SINCLAIR ROBERTSON. (L.S.)