Improvements in Metallic Hurdles and Gates.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 27th May, 1887.
Improvements in Metallic Hurdles and Gates.
We, SAMUEL BAYLISS, of the firm of Bayliss, Jones and Bayliss, of Victoria
Works, Monmore Green, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Manufacturers
of metal fencing and railway fastenings, and WILLIAM BAILEY, foreman in the
employment of the said firm, 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 reference being had to the accompanying drawings
and the letters of reference marked thereon (that is to say)
This invention consists, firstly, in improved means of joining the horizontal bars,
of horizontal-bar hurdles and gates, the end uprights, and the vertical bars, of
vertical-bar hurdles and gates, to the top or bottom rail, or the top and bottom rails,
in a manner which obviates the need for riveting the ends of the horizontal or vertical
bars, as the case may be, and thus avoids the risk of injury by the fracture of the
rivet heads, and which admits of the hurdles and gates being put together in situ, and
of being taken to pieces, if desired, thus permitting of the parts being readily bundled
for transport.
According to this part of our invention each end upright, or the top or bottom rail,
or top and bottom rails, as the case may be, is, or are, pierced at proper intervals with
holes corresponding in number and size with the horizontal or vertical bars, but a
narrower supplementary hole is formed out from each of the first-mentioned holes,
and the part at each end of each horizontal bar, or at one or both ends of each vertical
bar, which is intended to be within an upright or rail when the hurdle or gate is put
together is niched down to the width of the supplementary holes, the bar being
continued in length beyond such narrowed parts or part thereof. The uprights and
horizontal bars, or the rail or rails and vertical bars, are put together by passing the
ends of the bars through the larger parts of the holes and then moving the bars so as
to bring their narrowed parts into the narrower parts of the holes. A thin flat bar,
hereinafter called the fixing bar, having holes of the shape of the plain section of the
bars pierced therethrough, at proper intervals apart, is then passed over the
projecting ends of the bars at each end of the hurdle or gate, or over the ends
projecting above niched parts within the top rail or below niched parts in the bottom
rail, or one of such fixing bars is placed, respectively, over ends projecting above the

page_text: top and below the bottom rail (when the bars are niched at each end, for the purpose
described), and is itself fixed to the upright or rail by screws or otherwise. The bars
are thus securely held, by the edges of the narrower holes in the uprights, or rail
(or rails) from moving end ways out of the uprights or rails, and are securely held
within such narrower parts of the holes by the fixing bars or bar. It will be obvious
that the parts may thus be readily put together and taken to pieces again.
This part of our invention will be clearly understood on reference to the drawings
on sheet 1 herewith, which shew its application, by way of example, to a round-
horizontal-bar hurdle. Figure 1 is a front elevation of one end of the hurdle;
figure 2 an end elevation with the fixing bar, hereinafter described, removed, and
with the horizontal bars shewn as if cut through at the parts within the upright;
figure 3 is a flat view of the fixing bar; and figure 4 a full size sectional plan taken
through the centre of a joint of a horizontal bar with an upright. The same letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts throughout these views. a a etc. are rounded
holes through the upright A to receive the full section of the horizontal bars B B etc.,
and a narrower hole or opening is formed out from each such hole to receive a
narrowed part of its corresponding horizontal bar after the same has first been
passed into the part a of the hole. The fixing bar C has holes a¹ a¹ etc. therethrough
which are passed over the projecting ends of the horizontal bars and the fixing bar
then itself fixed to the upright. A, by means of nuts on the ends of two of the
horizontal bars, as shewn at figure 1, or by means of bolts c c etc., and thus holds the
horizontal bars securely within the narrower parts of the holes in the uprights. Both
ends of the hurdle are, of course, alike, one only being shewn for the sake of
convenience.
It is not, of course, essential that the narrower parts of the holes in the upright
shall be all in an upward direction, as they may be all downwards, or some upwards
and the others downwards; nor is it essential (though it is moro convenient) to fix
the fixing bar outside the upright, as it may, when the narrower parts of the holes in
the upright are all formed in one direction, be put over the horizontal bars before they
are passed into the upright, and be afterwards fixed inside the upright.
In lieu of a single fixing bar at each end of a hurdle or gate, two or more shorter
bars may be employed each fixing the ends of a part of the number only of the
horizontal bars in place within the narrower parts of the holes, or a short length of
fixing bar may be used for the projecting end of each horizontal bar.
This part of our invention will now be readily understood, also, in its application to
vertical-bar hurdles and gates, without need for further description.
This invention consists, secondly, of improved means of forming the joints between.
flat horizontal bars of hurdles and gates and angle or T-iron (preferably angle-iron)
end uprights, whereby, also, riveting the ends of the bars into the uprights is avoided
and a stiff and strong joint is secured.
According to this part of our invention holes for the reception of the bars are
punched through the member of each upright which is at right angles to the plane of
the hurdle, or gate, to the size of the section of the bars, and in such position that
when the bars are placed therein they are also flat against the other members of the
uprights. Each bar is riveted with a single rivet (preferably square in section), at
each end, to the last-mentioned members of the uprights, and is extended, preferably,
somo distance beyond the end face of each upright.
This part of our invention will be clearly understood on reference to the drawings
on sheet 2 herewith, which illustrate a hurdle with angle iron end uprights con-
structed according to this part of our invention. Figure 5 is a front elevation of the
hurdle; figure 6 a section taken on line of figure 5; and figure 7 a full size
sectional plan taken through the centre of a joint of a horizontal bar with an upright.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout these views.
The horizontal bars B B etc. pass through holes formed therefor in the members d d
of the uprights.A A, and are flat against the members ee to which they are riveted,
as shewn. The joints thus made between the horizontal bars and uprights are very stiff

page_text: and strong as the hold of the horizontal bars within the uprights materially relieves
much of the strain which would otherwise be occasionally thrown upon the rivets.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. Metal hurdles and gates in which the horizontal bars (of horizontal-bar hurdles
and gates) are fixed to the end uprights, and the vertical bars (of vertical-bar hurdles
and gates) to the top or bottom rail, or the top and bottom rails, by passing the ends
of the bars through holes formed therefor in the uprights, or rail, or rails, moving
niched parts of the bars into narrower openings formed out from such holes, and
securing the bars in position within such narrow openings by means of fasteners
which may be readily detached when it is desired to take to pieces a hurdle or gate,
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
2. Metal hurdles and gates in which the horizontal bars (of horizontal-bar hurdles
and gates) are fixed to the end uprights, and the vertical bars (of vertical-bar hurdles
and gates) to the top or bottom rail, or the top and bottom rails, by passing the ends
of the bars through holes formed therefor in the uprights, or rail, or rails, moving
niched parts of the bars into narrow openings formed out from such holes, and
securing the bars in position within such narrow openings by means of fixing bars,
or a fixing bar, passed thereover and secured to the uprights, or rails, or rail, sub-
stantially as described, for the purpose set forth.
3. Metal hurdles and gates in which the horizontal bars are fixed to the end
uprights substantially as described with reference to the drawings on sheet 1 herewith,
for the purpose set forth, and the adaptation of the invention described with reference
to such drawings for the purpose of fixing the vertical bars of vertical-bar hurdles and
gates to the top or bottom rail, or the top and bottom rails, thereof, for the purpose
set forth.
4. Metal hurdles and gates in which flat horizontal bars are fixed to angle and
T-iron end uprights by passing them through holes formed in one member of each of
such uprights and riveting them flat against the other member, substantially as
described, for the purpose set forth.
5. Metal hurdles and gates in which flat horizontal bars are fixed to angle and
T-iron uprights substantially as described with reference to the drawings on sheet 2
herewith, for the purpose set forth.
1 1005
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton and Walsall,
Agent for the Applicants.