IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPH PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cornelius Varley. of 337, Kentish Town Road, in
the County of Middlesex, and Samuel Alfred Varley, of 66. Roman
Road, Holloway, in the said County of Middlesex, Telegraph Engineers
and Contractors, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPH
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cornelius Varley and
Samuel Alfred Varley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 20th May 1865.
We. CORNELIUS VARLEY, of 337, Kentish Town Road, in the County of
Middlesex. and SAMUEL ALFRED VARLEY, of 66, Roman Road, Holloway, in
the said County of Middlesex, Telegraph Engineers and Contractors, do
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
TELEGRAPH SUPPORTS, PARTS OF THE INVENTION BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES." to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is an improved construction of telegraph posts
or supports. by which greater economy is effected in their erection and
Our Invention is chiefly applicable to
strength obtained to resist strain.
poles constructed of iron, but it is applicable to all telegraph poles, and parts
of it to any pillar or post which is subjected to strain.
An important feature

page_text: of our Invention is that the power to resist strain is in a great degree
independent of the regidity of the upright, consequently iron or wooden
uprights of a much lighter description than generally used can be employed.
We construct our poles; when of iron, by preference of ordinary gas barrel
made of the requisite length and diameter; on the lower end of the gas barrel
we generally cast a piece of iron, or a piece of wrought iron can be forged on
to it, or the tube itself closed; this makes the lower termination of the pole,
which we prefer to be taper and 4-sided; this termination is fitted into a
hole, which corresponds in shape to it, cut into a block of stone, or a wooden
sleeper, or a plate of cast iron may be cast with a suitable fitting for it, but
any suitable material may be employed to form the base. We prefer in most
cases a cast-iron plate, which we make of sufficient surface to resist being
forced into the ground, and we generally make it square, for the convenience
of packing, with a boss in the centre containing a suitable hole for the
termination of the pole; and to obtain strength combined with lightness ribs
are usually cast on the iron plate.
A part of this Invention consists of a novel kind of mooring; this mooring
has an iron rod attached to it, with a link or eye at one end, and is made of
such a shape that it can readily be forced into the ground with a suitable tool.
and is of such a construction that on being submitted to strain it opens
something like a pair of scissors or a hinge, exposing a great surface, and
offering very great resistance. To render the opening of the moorings more
certain when submitted to strain, before filling the hole with earth a wedge is
usually driven down, which partly opens them. When gas barrel is used for
the upright or pole, upon the upper portion we usually cast a piece of cast
iron, which we call the arm piece; this piece is made of a suitable shape for
attaching a wooden arm, which carries the insulators; the insulators may,
however, be attached by suitable brackets to the pole direct, and the wooden
arms dispensed with. Stay wires attached at the one end to the moorings
are looped round the arm piece and brought down to the moorings again.
To keep the stay wires in their place we usually cast the arm piece with
two
one
two
2 flanges. 1 at the lower part and the other higher up, and connect the 2 with
pillars, forming a sort of cage. To erect the pole all that is necessary is to
mark out the place for the pole and the moorings; four moorings will
generally be sufficient. * The block of stone or sleeper or cast-iron plate to
receive the end of the pole is laid upon the surface of the ground or sunk into
the earth a short distance. The moorings are then driven into the ground,
and generally forced open to a certain extent by driving down a wedge;
earth is then rammed down and the holes filled.
The stay wires (one for

page_text: each mooring is generally sufficient) are then threaded through the iron cage
of the arm piece and round the pole; the two ends of cach wire are then
brought down to a mooring. The upright or pole is then erected and the
stay wires are (after being passed through the links of the moorings)
tightened by draw vices or other suitable means until the pole or upright
slands veriical. The two end of each stay wire are then joined together and
the draw vice removed. Any strain the telegraph wire may be subjected to
is almost entirely borne by the stay wires, and as the strain is almost entirely
one of tension they may be made of comparatively light wire. On the
mooring links we generally place a pulley or friction roller to lessen the
friction when tightening the stay wires. In some cases to obtain greater
strength, and also greater equality in the tension of the stay wires, we fit
castings, which we call stay pieces, on the upright or pole; these castings
slide freely on the upright, but can be fixed in any position either by a screw
or other suitable means: iwo of these stay pieces are generally sufficient.
The stay wires are then arranged in a somewhat different way to that
previously described. One plan is to fasten the one end of the stay wire to
the link of one of the moorings at the side of the friction roller or pulley.
then thread the stay through the cage of the arm piece. round the upright
and down again to the same mooring, and place it round the pulley or friction
roller attached to the link of the mooring: the end of the stay wire is then
taken up to the upper stay piece and passed over the groove of a fixed pulley
or portion of a pulley attached to it. The wire is then brought down again
to the opposite mooring, the stay wire passed round the friction roller or
pulley in the link of this mooring, then up to the arm piece, through the
cage, and round the upright, and down to the link of the mooring, where it is
firmly fastened; a second stay is arranged, generally at right angles to the
first one, and attached in the manner previously described to two other
moorings, and passed over the 2nd stay picce in a similar way.
The upper
stay piece is then forced up the upright by an apparatus constructed for the
purpose, or by any other suitable means. The apparatus for the purpose
above mentioned forms no part of our Invention, nor is any claim laid
thereto. The effect of this is to bring an equal strain on the stay wires on
the opposite sides of the upright or pole, the stay piece is then fixed, and a
key driven in, which is so arranged that it fastens this stay wire and prevents
it slipping. The second stay piece is then forced up and fixed in exactly the
same way as the first. The stay wires may be arranged somewhat differently
to that described, and a greater number of moorings may be employed, if
desirable. Wire rope or twisted wires may be employed for the stays. To

page_text: save the necessity of carrying ladders when erecting a telegraph line we
sometimes employ an arrangement which is attached to the pole, and forms
steps, and is so constructed that the pressure of the foot fixes it to the upright,
and on the pressure being removed it can readily be shifted to any other
position, but this arrangement forms no part of our Invention.
In places
confined for room, such as the sides of railways. or where great regidity is
required, as is the case where the wires terminate, we usually construct our
poles of two uprights, and attach the wooden arms which carry the insulators to
both in such a way that they act as ties or braces to the poles, and we usually
place one, two, or more lower down the uprights to increase their stiffness;
these double poles are generally siayed in the way previously described with
the single uprights, but where very great regidity is required the arms which
carry the insulators may project beyond the uprights, and the stay wires be
attached to them.
SPECIFICATION
in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Cornelius Varley and Samuel Alfred Varley in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 14th November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CORNELIUS.
VARLEY, of 337, Kentish Town Road, in the County of Middlesex, and
SAMUEL ALFRED VARLEY, of 66, Roman Road, Holloway, in the said County
of Middlesex, Telegraph Engineers and Contractors, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Cornelius Varley and Samuel Alfred Varley, Her special licence that we,
the said Cornelius Varley and Samuel Alfred Varley, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Cornelius Varley and Samuel
Alfred Varley. our executors, administrators, 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.
of Man an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TELEGRAPH SUPPORTS, PARTS OF THE INVENTION BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Cornelius
Varley and Samuel Alfred Varley, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one of their

page_text: hands and seals. should particularly describe and ascertain the 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 Letiers
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that T. the said Samuel Alfred Varley, on behalf of
myself and the said Cornelius Varley. 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:--
The object of our Invention is an improved construction of telegraph posts
or supports, by which greater economy is effected in their erection and
greater strengih obtained to resist strain. Our Invention is chiefly applicable
to poles constructed of iron, but it is applicable to nearly all telegraph poles,
and parts of it to any pillar or post which is subjected to strain. An
important feature of our Invention is that the power to resist strain is in a
great degree independent of the rigidity of the upright consequently iron or
wooden uprights of a lighter description than generally used can be employed.
We construct our poles, when we make them of iron, by preference of
ordinary gas barrel, of a diameter suitable to the strength required.
On one
end of the gas barrel we generally cast a piece of cast iron b, Fig. 1, or a
piece of wrought iron can be forged on to it, or the end of the barrel itself
closed; this makes the lower termination of the pole, which we prefer to be
taper and 4 sided, as shown in the top and under view of the base, Figs. 2
and 3. This termination is fitted into a hole, which corresponds in shape to
it, cut into a block of stone or a wooden sleeper, or any other suitable material
which may be employed to form a base to the pole. We prefer in most cases
to employ a cast-iron plate, which we make of sufficient surface to resist being
forced into the ground, and we generally make it square for the convenience
of packing, with a boss in the centre containing a suitable hole a for the
termination of the pole to fit into, and to obtain strength combined with
lightness; ribs are usually cast on the iron plate; Fig. 2 is a top view of this
plate; Fig. 1 shows it in section; Fig. 3 is a view of the under side.
A part of this Invention consists of a novel kind of mooring: this mooring
is of such a shape that it can readily be forced into the ground, and is of such
a construction that on being submitted to strain it opens in a similar way to a
hinge or a pair of scissors, presenting a broad surface, and offering a great
resistance to movement: the size and shape of these moorings can be varied
according to the resistance they are required to oppose; three shapes are
shown, which we call for distinction No. 1. 2, and 3. Figs. 4 and 5 show

page_text: No. 1 mooring in elevation in two positions, ready to be placed in the ground.
Fig. 6 shows No. 1 mooring when subjected to strain. c. c. Fig. 4, 5, and 6, are
two blades working in the joint d; e. c, are ribs to strengthen the blades of
the mooring: f. f. is a connecting rod or shank working also on the joint d;
g is a wedge sliding freely on the connecting rod f. 1; is a pulley working
on the end of the shank, which is formed into a loop, as shown in Fig. 4-
and 5.
When the two blades of the mooring are closed there is a space left
between, as shown in Fig. 7. which is a top view of mooring No. 1 when
closed: the object of this space is for the insertion of a bar of metal, which
we call a driving fork to force the mooring into the ground. Fig. 8 and 9
show in elevation the inside and outside of the blades of No. 1 mooring
separated; Fig. 10 shows the iwo blades of No. 2 mooring separated; the
chief difference of this mooring from No. 1 mooring is that there are no ribs
on the outside of the blades. consequently it occupies less room and is more
easily forced into the ground. The two blades are prevented from opening
beyond the desired degree when subjected to strain by cutting away a portion
of the knuckle of the joint on both blades, leaving a quadrant. more or less:
when the two are opened to a certain extent these quadrants meet and prevent
the blades opening further; these quadrants are shown at i, i, Fig. 10
and 11. Fig. 12 shows mooring No. 3 closed, without the shank; Fig. 13
shows the same mooring when subjected to strain; Fig. 14 shows the inside
of one of the blades of No. 3 mooring; the moorings may be made with 3 or
more blades radiating from a centre. or they may be made with only one
blade, but we prefer those described as No. 1, 2, and 3; these moorings may
be made of common cast or malleable cast iron, or of any other suitable
material. Fig. 15 is a bar of metal slotted up the centre at one end, as shown
at h, k, which we call the driving fork: Fig. 16 is an edge view of the same.
When gas barrel is used for the pole upon the upper portion we generally
cast a piece of iron, which we call the arm piece, Fig. 17; this piece is made
of a suitable shape for receiving a wooden arm which carries the insulators.
The lower portion of the arm piece is usually made into a sort of cage by
casting it with two flanges 1, 1, connected by two pillars m, m. It is con-
venient sometimes to make the arm piece and the cage in two separate parts,
and instead of rigidly fixing them to the pole by casting them on the gas
barrel we sometimes make them to slide freely over the pole, and cast them
with a key way; they are then fixed in the desired position by driving in a
key, or they may be fixed by means of a screw. Fig. 18 is a top view of the
arm piece when separated from the cage; n, n, is the arm, attached to the
arm piece by two screws or bolts: o is the key way, into which a key is

page_text: driven to fix the arm piece to the pole; p is a screw for a similar purpose;
Fig. 19 shows the same arm piece in elevation; Fig. 32 shows the cage in
elevation when made separate from the arm piece. To erect the pole all that
is necessary is to mark out the place for the pole and the moorings; four
moorings will generally be suflicient for one pole. The base of the pole A is
then laid on the surface of the ground or sunk a short distance in the earth.
The moorings are closed, as shown in Fig. 4 and 5, and if the ground is soft
are driven in at once by inserting the driving fork 15 between the two blades,
and forcing it down with a mallet or other suitable means. If the ground be
hard we first drive down a bar of wood, which we call a drift; this drift is
usually made in the shape of a wedge at one end to facilitate its entering the
ground, and armed with metal; the other end has either a ring or cap of
metal driven on to it to prevent its splitting when struck on this drift there
is a metal shoe having a lip on one side; this shoe slides freely on the drift.
but can be fixed in any position by driving in a wedge between the shoe and
the drift. Fig. 20 represents the drift when driven down. q is the shoe; r is
the lip on one side of the shoe; s is the wedge to fix the shoe to the drift.
After the drift has been driven down, as shown in Fig. 20, the shoc q is fixed
to the drift by driving in the wedge s; the end of a crowbar or any suitable
lever is then placed under the lip r, as shown in the Drawing. making use of
a sleeper or any suitable material for a fulcrum, and the drift forcibly raised
to a certain degree; the shoe is then knocked away from the wedge and
slipped down the drift and fastened again by driving the wedge in; the lever
is then applied as before, and the drift forcibly raised; the shoe is then
knocked away from the wedge as before, and the process just described
repeated until the drift is extracted. The moorings are then placed down the
holes made by the drift, the blades then are forced open to a certain extent
by dropping the wedge g, Figs. 4 and 5, and driving it between the blades by
means of the driving fork, Fig. 15. Earth is now rammed down the holes
until they are filled. Stay wires (one for each mooring will generally be
suflicient) are then threaded through one side of the iron cage, taken half
round the pole, and brought back through the other side of the cage, and the
two ends of each wire brought down to their respective moorings. One end
of each stay wire is then passed round the pulleys of the moorings and the
wires tightened by inserting a draw vice between the two ends and a joint
made in the same way as telegraph line wires are tightened and jointed. The
act of tightening each pair of stay wires pulls up its respective mooring, the
blades of which continue to open until they assume the position shown at u,
Figs. 1 and 6. Fig. 21 represents a pole so stayed. Two stays only are

page_text: shown in the Drawing. In some cases to obtain greater strength and also
greater equality of tension in the stay wires we fit on the pole what we call
stay pieces; these slide freely on the pole, but can be fixed in any position by
means of a screw or a key; these stay pieces are shown in two positions in
Fig. 22, 23; a semicircular groove is made at the side of the stay piece,
which can be fixed at any position on the pole by the screw p; a is a key, the
object of which will be explained further on. When these stay pieces are used
the stay wires are arranged somewhat differently; one plan of doing it is
shown in Fig. 1; one end of the stay wire is fixed to the shank of the
mooring at the side of the pulley and taken up and threaded through the
cage, brought down again, as shown by the arrow, passed round the pulley h,
and taken up, as shown by the arrow, and passed over the groove of the
upper stay piece and brought down to the opposite mooring f', as shown by
the arrow, passed round the pulley ', taken up to the cage 1, threaded through
and brought down to the shank of the mooring and fastened; stay wires are
then connected to the two remaining moorings and passed over No. 2 stay
piece in a similar way to that just described. Another plan is to fasten the
ends of the stay wires to the cage, as shown in Fig. 24, which is a top view
of the cage, and then take one of these wires y down to the mooring pulley /,
Fig. 1, pass it round and up to the stay piece v, Fig. 1, over it, and down to
the opposite pulley f, and up again to the cage, and fasten it as shown at z
Fig. 24. The upper stay piece is now forced up the pole, the effect of this is
to tighten the stay wires equally on the opposite sides; the stay piece is then
fixed to the pole by means of the screw p, shown in Fig. 22, and the key
driven into it, this bends the stay wire a little in a recess made for this
purpose in the key way, and prevents its slipping. No. 2 siay piece v', Fig. 1,
is now forced up and fastened in the same way as No. 1 stay piece; this
tightens the remaining stay wires. Only two of the mooring links are shown
in Fig. 1. Any strain these poles are subjected to is chiefly borne by the stays,
and as this strain is almost entirely one of tension the stays may be made of
comparatively light wire. When, however, it is thought desirable to use very
strong stays, we sometimes do away with the cage and the stay pieces and
employ the sliding pieces shown at Fig. 25; these sliding pieces can be fixed
at any height on the pole by driving in the key, and are formed into a hook
on one side, as shown in Fig. 25. The stays are then made with a hook at
one end and a loop at the other, the hook is passed into the link of the
moorings, and the loop passed over the hook of the sliding piece, Fig. 25, as
many sliding pieces being required as there are stays; these sliding pieces are
then forced up the pole until it stands upright, and fastened by driving in the

page_text: keys. The plan we generally adopt for forcing up the stay pieces is shewn by
Figs. 26, 27, 28. Fig. 26 is a pulley mounted on the metal cap a', which
fits easily over the pole; Fig. 27 shows this pulley in another position;
Fig. 28 is a clamp working on the joints b, and opens to allow it to be
placed on the pole. The modus operandi is as follows: -The pulley is placed
on the top of the pole previously to raising it in its position. The clamp.
Fig. 28, is fixed to the pole by a screw a bent fork, shown at Fig. 29
and 30. is attached to a rope passing over the pulley, and placed under the
stay piece v, as shown at Fig. 30; the other end of the rope is brought down.
and connected by means of a draw vice with a piece of wire rope or ordinary
telegraph wire attached to the clamp, and the stay pieces. Fig. 30, forcibly
drawn up. In places confined for room, or where great rigidity is required,
as is the case where wires terminate, we usually construct our poles of two
uprights, Fig. 31, and attach the wooden arms which carry the insulators to
both in such a way that they act as ties or braces to the poles; and we
frequently place bars across lower down to obtain increased rigidity; these
double poles are generally stayed in a similar way to the single ones, but
where great rigidity is required the arms may be made to project beyond the
uprights, and the stay wires may be attached to them. Fig. 31 represents
these double poles.
Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24,
25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, are drawn to a scale of 3 inches to a foot; Figs. 1.
2, 3, 20, 31, to a scale of inch to a foot; Fig. 21 to a scale of inch to
a foot.
We claim,
First, the general arrangement of the telegraph posts or supports, as
described.
Second, the moorings, which open as described on being subjected to
strain.
In witness whereof. I. the said Samuel Alfred Varley, on behalf of
myself and the said Cornelius Varley, have hereunto set my hand and
scal, the Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
SAMUEL ALFRED VARLEY. (L.S.)