Improvements in Connecting or Joining Wires or Wire Ropes to the Parts of Structures or Things Made Mainly or in Part of Wire or Wire Ropes, and in Joining Wire and Wire Ropes for Various Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Connecting or Joining Wires or Wire Ropes to the
Parts of Structures or Things Made Mainly or in Part of Wire
or Wire Ropes, and in Joining Wire and Wire Ropes for Various
Purposes.
I HENRY JOHNSON of Trindle Road Dudley in the County of Worcester Mining
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of improvements in or modifications of an invention
for which Letters Patent were granted to me dated the 26th day of July 1888
No. 10841.
In the specification of the said patent I have represented and described a holdfast
or coupling box for connecting a wire to an upright for wire fencing and other
purposes. The said coupling box consists of a strong disc preferably of cast iron
baving a raised or projecting rim at front. The said disc has a central hole through
which a screw bolt is passed to fasten it to the upright. A lid or cover is fitted in
the depression. This lid has a central hole through which the screw described passes
the said screw fixes the lid at the same time that it fixes the disc to the upright.
Crossing the depression in front of the disc is a groove of a size suitable for the
reception of the wire employed. At the middle part of the disc the said groove is
expanded on one side the said expansion being of a nearly semi-circular figure. The
straight wire is placed in the groove and the lid put in its place. A pointed tool
being driven through the holes in the lid and disc the wire at the middle of the groove
is deflected into the semi-circular part of the recess. On the withdrawal of the said
tool and the introduction of the fixing screw tho deflected wire is maintained in the
curved part of the recess and cannot pass out of the coupling box.
According to my present invention I make the groove or grooves in the circular
disc pass straight across the said disc in the direction of a chord or chords to the
circle but 1 make the groove or grooves of greater depth at their middles than at
their ends and I make on the inner face of the lid a rib or ribs nearly the counter-
parts or shape and size of the said grooves so that when the said lid is fixed to the
disc its ribs shall nearly fill be grooves in the disc sufficient space being left between
the edges of the ribs and the bottoms of the grooves for the deflected wires.
The wires to be fixed are placed in the grooves and the lid put in its place. The
fixing screw is passed through the holes in the lid and disc and driven home into
the upright. The driving hoine of the screw depresses the lid into the disc pushing
the wires into the grooves and curving them into the configuration of the space
enclosed between the bottoms of the grooves in the disc and the edges of the ribs on
the underside of the lid. The wires thus permanently deflected and fixed in the
grooves cannot be drawn out of the coupling box. The connecting of the wires to
the coupling box and the fixing of the lid to the disc of the coupling box and the
fixing of the coupling box to the upright are thus effected by the single operation
of driving home the screw.
Where the wire or wires are not likely to be exposed to much strain the use of
grooves in the disc of the coupling box and of ribs on the lid of the said box may
be dispensed with and the wire or wires gripped between the inner faces of the
disc and lid by the driving home of the fixing screw. In this case the wires suffer
no deflection and may be introduced into and withdrawn from the coupling boxes
by a longitudinal or threading motion.

page_text: Instead of making the lid and fixing screw or rivet separately they may in some
cases be conveniently made in one piece.
Dated this 20th day of Santambar 1880
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
- 1
T
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. •
Improvements in Connecting or Joining Wires or Wire Ropes to the
Parts of Structures or Things Made Mainly or in Part of Wire
or Wire Ropes, and in Joining Wire and Wire Ropes for Various
Purposes.
I HENRY JOHNSON of Trindle Road Dudley in the County of Worcester Mining
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement.:
My invention consists of improvements in or modifications of an invention
for which Letters Patent were granted to me dated 26th day of July 1888
No. 10841.
In the specification of the said Patent I have represented and described a holdfast
or coupling box for connecting a wire to an upright for wire, fencing and other
purposes. The said coupling box consists of a strong disc preferably of cast iron
having a raised or projecting rim at front. The said dise has a central hole through
which a screw bolt, is passed to fasten it to the upright. A lid or cover is fitted to the
depression. This lid has a central hole through which the screw described passes; the
said screw fixes the lid at the same time that it fixes the dise to the upright. Crossing
the depression in front of the disc is a groove of a size suitable for the reception of
the wire employed. At the middle part of the disc-the said groove is expanded on one.
side the sail expansion being of a nearly semicircular figure. The straight wire is
placed in the groove and the lid part in its place. A pointed tool being 'driven through
the holes in the lid and disc the wire at the middle of the groove is deflected into the
semicircular part of the recess. On the withdrawal of the said tool and the introduction
of the fixing screw the deflected wire is maintained in the curved part of the recess
and cannot pass out of the coupling box.
According to my present invention I inake the groove or grooves in the circular
disc pass straight across the said disc in the direction of a chord or chords to the
circle but I make the groove or grooves of greater depth at their middles than at
their ends, and I make on the inner face of the lid a rib or ribs nearly the counter
parts in shape and size of the said grooves so that when the lid is fixed to the disc its
ribs shall nearly fill the grooves in the disc sufficient space being left between the
edges of the ribs and the bottonis of the grooves for the deflected wires. The wires
to be fixed are placed in the grooves and the lid put in its place. The fixing screw or bolt
is passed through the holes in the lid and disc and driven home into the upright. The
driving home of the screw depresses the lid into the disc pushing the wires into the
grooves and curving them into the configuration of the space enclosed between
the bottoms of the grooves in the dise and the edges of the ribs on the underside of
the lid. The wires thus permanently deffected and fixed in the grooves cannot he
drawn out of the coupling box. The connecting of the wires to the coupling box and
the fixing of the lid to the disc of the coupling box and the fixing of the coupling
box to the upright are thus effected by the single operation of driving home the
screw.
When the wire or wires are not likely to be exposed to much strain the use of
grooves in the disc of the coupling box and of ribs on the lid of the said box may be
dispensed with and the wire of wires gripped between the inner faces of the disc and
lid by the driving home of the fixing screw.

page_text: In this case the wires suffer no deflection and may be introduced into and with-
drawn from the coupling boxes by a longitudinal or threading motion. Instead of
making the lid and fixing screw or rivet separately they may in some cases bo
conveniently made in one piece.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan of upper side a coupling box constructed according to
my invention with two wires connected or joined to the said box for wire fencing or
other purpose; Figure 2 represents the same with the lid or cover removed and
Figures 3 and represent cross sections of the box taken in planes nt right angles to
one another. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1..2. 3
and 4.
a.is the circular disc constituting the body of the coupling box and b is the lid of
the same; cc are the grooves crossing the disca in the direction of chords to 'the
circle for receiving the wires d d to be connected to the coupling box.
It will be seen by reference to Figure 3 that the said grooves cc arc. of greater
depth at their middles than at their ends. On the inner face of the lid ribs ee are
made nearly the counterparts in shape and size of the grooves cc as represented:
The ribs ee when the lid 6 is put in its place fill or nearly fill the said grooves leaving
sufficient space between the edges of the ribs and the bottoms of the grooves to receive
the deflected wires d d as represented in the Drawing is the fastening bolt or rivet
holes being made in the axes of the disc and lid or cover for the passage of the stem
of the bolt or' rivet.
In fixing the wires to the coupling box the lid is removed as represented in
Figure 2 and the straight wires are laid in the grooves ee and the lid & put in its
place. The fixing bolt or rivet (or screw) is passed through the holes in the lid and
dise and its end rivetted on the underside of the disc. By the driving home of the
bolt the lid is forced into and fixed to the disc its ribs e e-forcing the wires d d
before them into the grooves ce and bending them into the configuration of the space
enclosed between the bottoms of the grooves c c in the disc and the edges of the
ribs e e on the underside of the lid as represented in Figure 3. The wires d d are
tlius permanently deflected and fixed in the grooves c.c and cannot be drawn out of the
coupling box.
Instead of using a rivetted bolt as represented a screw bolt or fixing screw may be
passed through the holes in the disc and lid and driven into the upright to which the
coupling box is to be fixed. When a screw is used as last described the connecting of
the wires to the coupling box and the fixing of the lid to the disc of the said box and
the fixing of the coupling box to the upright are effected by the single operation of
driving home the screw.
Figure 5 represents in plan of upper side; Figure 6 the same with the lid removed;
Figure 7 in cross section and Figure S in side elevation a compound coupling box
constructed according to my invention for fixing two pairs of wires one pair crossing
the other pair at right angles. In this modified coupling box the body or disc a is
provided with two sets of grooves in its opposite faces for receiving the two pairs of
wires 9.9 ani... and two lids or coyers and are used each lid being provided
with ribs as described with respect to the lid of the single coupling box. It will be
seen by reference to the Drawing that the pair of grooves in one side of the box a is
situated at right angles to the pair of grooves in the opposite face of the said box the
ribs of the two lids being similarly arranged. The driving home and riveting of the
bolt or the screwing home of a screw when a screw is used causes the two pairs of
wires 99 and to be fixed to the coupling box by the deflection of the said wires
into the two pairs of grooves of the box.
Figure 9 represents plans of upper and lower sides and Figure 10 elevations taken
at right angles to one another of the lid of a coupling box together with a screw bolt
the said screw bolt being made in one piece or forms one article with the said lid the
lid being marked m the ribs on its underside m² m² and the screw bolt.

page_text: When the screw bolt represented in Figures 9 and 10 or a separate screw bolt is
used with the coupling box the said bolt is fastened in its place by a screw nut screwed
on its end protruding from the bottom of the box.
Figure 11 represents in plan; Figure 12 the same with the cover removed;
Figure 13 in cross section and Figure 14 in side elevation another coupling box
constructed according to my invention the said box being without grooves in the disc
or body and without ribs on the underside of the lid.
In the said Figures 11. 12 13 and 147 is the disc through slots in the sides of
which the wires are passed the said wires resting on the flat bottom of the disc
and is the lid or cover and the rivet (or screw) used for fastening the lid to the
disc. By driving home and rivetting the rivet t (or fixing screw) the wires are
gripped between the inner faces of the disc q and lid gas représented in Figure 13 no
deflecting of the wires taking place. When the coupling box Figures 11. 12. 13
and 14 is used the wires can be introduced into and withdrawn from it by a longitudinal
or threading motion.
invention
Although I have represented coupling boxes constructed according to my
as used for connecting or joining wires for wire fencing yet the said coupling boxes
may be used for connecting or joining wires or wire ropes to the parts of structures or
things made mainly or in part of wire or wire ropes and to the joining of wire and
wire ropes for various purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed 1 declare that I
claim as my invention of "Improvements in connecting or joining wires or wire ropes
to the parts of structures or things made mainly or in part of wire or wire ropes, and
in joining wire and wire ropes for various purposes
First Making coupling boxes for the purpose described with a groove or grooves
crossing the circular disc or body of the box in the direction of a chord or chords
of the circle the said groove or grooves being deepest at the middle; and making on
the underside of the lid or cover of the box a rib or ribs which when the lid is fixed in
its place by a bolt rivet or screw forces before it or them the wire or wires or rope or
ropes into the groove or grooves in the body or disc of the box thereby deflecting the
said wire or wires or rope or ropes and connecting or joining it or them to the said
box substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1. 2. 3 and 4 of
the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly The modification of the coupling box hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 5. 6. 7 and 8 of the accompanying Drawing in which modifica-
tion two sets of crossing grooves are made in the body of the box and a corresponding
number of crossing ribs made in the two lids used with the box for the purpose of
attaching or joining wires or ropes crossing one another to the coupling box.
Thirdly Making the screw bolt or rivet in one piece with the ribbed lid of the
coupling box substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 9
and 10 of the accompanying Drawing.
LastlyThe modified coupling box hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 11. 12. 13 and 14 of the accompanying Drawing in which the wire or
wires or rope or ropes is or are gripped between the inner faces of the disc or
body and lid of the coupling box.
Dated the 20th day of June 1890.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.