Improvements in Metal Posts.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 6th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metal Posts.
I, THOMAS JONES THORP of 1748 Diversey Street, Chicago, Illinois, United
States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to hollow metal posts adapted for fixing in the ground and
while variations in their construction may be made without departing from the
spirit of the invention the following particulars will serve to illustrate one manner.
in which it may be constructed. The post may be made in sections and is preferably
circular and tapering. The joints may be arranged in the following manner, the
tube sections have their ends serrated and the serrations or teeth bent or turned at
an angle to the tube wall and are secured by a plug having a screw threaded stem
a ring having two seats for the tube ends and a screw threaded central opening to
receive the screw plug and a second plug with a screw threaded opening so that the
two plugs can be screwed together to clamp the two sections in the ring.
The tubular post may be provided with a ring having the re-entrant angular part
adapted to fit the post an angular bracket fitted to and bolting the angular part and
a bar provided with insulators fastened to the bracket.
The post or cach section thereof if it be divided may be composed of a partial
tube, that is to say, that each section instead of being a complete tube would be
curved round like a tube (of conical form if desired) and provided with one or
more rings secured thereto and having a re-entrant angular portion fitting the
opening. External hooks or other similar devices may if desired be connected
with the angulur portion of the rings and to which railing wires or other devices
may be secured. These hooks are preferably composed of opposite cleft hooks or
forks preferably arranged in pairs so that the wire can be wound upon or around
them and the post in the required manner.
Dated this 6th day of December 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metal Posts.
I, THOMAS JONES THORP, of 1748 Diversey Street, Chicago, Illinois, United
States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of the invention is to provide a metallic post suitable for use as
telegraph-poles and other purposes; and it consists in the constructions hereinafter
described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

page_text: away.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the upper part of the post.
Figure 3 is a plan of a wire-attaching plug or core and hook.
Figure 4 is a like view of a modified form.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a coupling-ring.
Figure 6 is a similar view of a removable cap.
Figure 7 is an end view of a tube-section.
Figure 8 is a side elevation of a section of a modified means of supporting
a post.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the upper half of a cap-shaped plug,
indicated near the top of Figure 1, on a reduced scale; and
Figure 10 is a similar view of the lower half of a wire-securing plug, the wire-
securing hooks being cut away.
A denotes a tube open upon one side thereof longitudinally and having preferably
a gradually-decreasing diameter toward one end, which in use will be the upper
end, or directed toward the upper end of the post. This tube is made of metal,
and preferably of sheet-steel, galvanised or otherwise protected from rust.
BB denote rings of different sizes, adapted to slip over the top and down upon
the body of a section of the post. The location of the ring can be determined by
its size, the open tube permitting some slight degree of compression, so that the
exact location of any particular ring can be varied to some extent by compressing
the tube more or less by driving the ring down thereon. It may be fastened to the
tube by a screw or other means.
The ring is cast or otherwise formed with a re-entrant angler of about ninety
degrees, having angular depressions p p, in which the edges of the tube are forced
when the ring is driven down upon it.
Claw-hooks o o are cast or otherwise secured in the angular portion r and shaped
like hammer-claws, or substantially as indicated in the drawings, for the attachment
of barbed or other fence wire. Such wire can be secured to these hooks by a half-
hitch, and will thus be very securely held.
C denotes the lower half of a plug, preferably made in skeleton form. It is
provided with claws o o, similar to the claws on rings B B, and with a screw-stem l,
which may be cast solid with the plug.
D is a ring, having in each end a seat k, formed by the edge of the ring, and an
interior web or diaphragm i, provided with a screw-threaded, opening adapted to
permit the screw to pass through the same.
E is a cap-shaped plug, (shown on a comparatively small scale in Figure 9,)
which may have a skeleton form, and which is provided with a screw-threaded
opening to receive the end of a screw-stem l. These devices are used for coupling
tube-sections of the post. The plug C being placed in the lower tube-section near
its top, the cap-shaped plug is screwed thereon, the upper end of the said tube-
section finding a seat in the ring and bearing against the web therein. The screw
extends through the web i of the ring D, and upon its free end is screwed the plug n
after it has been placed in the bottom of an upper tube-section, both sections being
provided with the bent parts m, and by these means the sections are firmly coupled.
The ends of the sections are notched, and the teeth m thus formed are bent inwardly
at right angles to the wall of the tubes, and these teeth are firmly clamped in the
tube-seats within the ring D between the diaphragm i and plugs C and n.
F indicates an ornamental cap or finish screwed upon the complete post, whether
it consists of one or more sections.
G is a heavy cap, that may be placed temporarily upon the lower post-section by
screwing it thereon by the use of a plug like C, provided with a suitable screw to
engage a socket formed in the cap, and it is intended to receive the impact of the
sledge blows when the post is driven in the ground, after which it is removed, and

page_text: either the ornamental cap or another tube-section, as desired, is placed upon the
section that has been driven into the earth.
H indicates a modification of the wire-supporting hooks. They consist of arms,
preferably extending upwardly from their point of attachment to the post, adapted
to receive and hold a transverse wooden bar, upon which irsulators may be
arranged for supporting electric conductors.
Under many circumstances the tube driven into the ground will be sufficiently
anchored; but when necessary or when special firmness and security are desired
additional devices of any known character may be employed for giving greater
stability. As many sections may be coupled together as found convenient. In case
posts higher than ordinary fence-posts are required it will be convenient to provide
à section to be driven into the ground, and upon the top thereof can be coupled as
many sections as the circumstances of use require. It is not to be understood that
the invention is limited to the uses named, as there are others that are contemplated
by the invention-as, for example, it will be suitable for scaffolds and like purposes,
and in situations where the lower sections cannot be driven into the ground it will
be entirely practicable to secure the lower end thereof over and upon short posts
attached to a horizontal frame or otherwise made stable, and other mechanical
changes can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the
invention.
Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters
Patent is-
1-The open tube-sections having their ends serrated and the serrations or teeth
bent at an angle to the tube-wall, combined with a plug having a screw-threaded
stem, a ring having two seats for the tube ends therein and a screw-threaded axial
opening, and also with a similar section having a plug with screw-threaded opening,
whereby the two plugs can be screwed together to clamp the tube-sections in the
ring, substantially as set forth.
2-The tube-section having a serrated end and the serrations or teeth bent at an
angle to the wall of the tube, a plug having a screw-stem, and a screw-threaded cap
adapted to screw upon the plug-stem and clamp the teeth or serrated portions
between itself and the plug, whereby the end of the upper tube-section is kept in
proper form and adapted to receive a finial F, substantially as set forth.
3-The open tubular post provided with a ring having a re-entrant angular part
fitting the opening in the post, an angular bracket fitting and bolted to said angular
part, and a bar provided with insulators fastened to said bracket, substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 14th day of February 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.