Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1887
Complete Left, 17th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
We, CHARLES SHAW, of 21 Waterloo Road South, Wolverhampton in the County
of Stafford, Architect, and WILLIAM HAYWARD, of Vulcan Works, Willenhall Road,
Wolverhampton, aforesaid, fencing manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved means for retaining barbed and other wire within
fencing standards and droppers.
For the purpose of this invention holes are formed in the standards and droppers
for the reception of the wire somewhat larger in diameter than the diameter of the
wire, and when barbed wire is to be employed (and, preferably, also when plain or
unbarbed wire is to be employed) openings of just sufficient width to allow of the
passage of the wire are cut out from the holes to the edges of the standards or
droppers, the width of such openings being, consequently, less than the diameter of
the holes. The wires are first placed in position in the standards by moving them
sideways through the openings, aforesaid, into the holes, in a manner hitherto
commonly practiced, but, in order to prevent the wires from moving out again
through the openings, fasteners are employed, each consisting of a part of greater
width than an opening from a hole to the edge of a standard or dropper, and capable
of being inserted within such hole and between the opening and the wire to prevent
both itself and the wire from being moved out through such opening, and of a stop
to come against one side of the standard or dropper to prevent the fastening from
being moved in one direction endways of the wire, and of a part which may be bent
to form a stop on the other side of the standard or dropper so as to prevent the
fastener from moving in the opposite direction.
A simple form of this fastener consists of a cylindrical part formed to fit easily
within a hole through which a wire passes, but having an opening on one side parallel
with the axis of the cylinder to permit of such cylinder being passed over the wire,
and each fastener is provided also with a flange or stop on one end, and with a tongue
on its other end which may be turned up to form also a flange or stop. This fastener

page_text: is fixed by being first placed over the wire then moved endways into the hole and
finally the tongue turned back to prevent, in combination with the stop, any endway
movement of the fastener. It is preferred to make the flange and tongue both of a
greater width than the opening so that the fastener may not slip end ways in case it
is turned with the flange and tongue opposite to such opening. This fastener may be
formed with a flange or stop at each end, in lieu of a flange at one end and tongue at
the other, and one of such flanges be sufficiently narrow to be passed through the
opening the fastener is in such case turned axially after being placed within the
standard or dropper, so as to bring both flanges against the solid metal of the standard
or dropper.
and
A modification of such fastener consists of a cylindrical part, as aforesaid,
with a part at the back thereof to project into the opening, and with a stop on one
end of such projecting part, and a tongue on the other end to form a stop when bent
back. This fastener will not turn when once fixed in place.
A further modification consists of a fastener as described in the last preceding
paragraph, but formed simply with a plain part of a somewhat greater depth than
the opening, in lieu of the cylindrical part aforesaid, and such plain part may be
formed taper so as to tighten the wire within the standard or dropper.
In order to fix the wire to a standard or dropper when plain or unbarbed wire is
simply threaded therethrough, a leaden or other soft metal plug, crescent-shaped in
section, and, preferably, formed with a lump or head at one end, is inserted within
the hole and, preferably, so as to project beyond the face of the standard or dropper
at its leading end, and is then compressed endways to make it perfectly solid
within the hole and thus firmly fix the wire, and its leading end is also, preferably,
turned up to insure against any liability of the plug working back.
The fasteners described as for use in cases in which openings are formed from the
holes to the edges of the standards or droppers, are not, of course, applicable in
cases in which plain or unbarbed wire is simply threaded through the standards or
droppers.
Dated this 16th day of June 1887
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton and Walsall,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Barbed and other Wire Fencing.
We, CHARLES SHAW of 21 Waterloo Road South, Wolverhampton in the County
of Stafford, Architect, and WILLIAM HAYWARD, of Vulcan Works, Willenhall Road,
Wolverhampton, aforesaid, fencing 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, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, that is
to say :-
This invention relates to improved means for retaining barbed and other wire
within fencing standards and droppers.
For the purpose of this invention holes are formed in the standards and droppers,
for the reception of the wire, somewhat larger in diameter than the diameter of the
wire, and openings of just sufficient width to allow of the passage of the wire are
cut out from the holes to the edges of the standards or droppers, the width of such
openings being, consequently, less than the diameter of the holes. The wires are
placed in position in the standards by moving them sideways through the openings,
aforesaid, into the holes, in a manner hitherto commonly practised where openings
of this character have been employed, but, in order to prevent the wires from moving
out again through the openings, fasteners are employed, each consisting of a part of
greater width than an opening from a hole to the edge of the standard or dropper,
and capable of being inserted within such hole and between the opening and the wire
to prevent the wire from being moved out through such opening, and of a stop to
come against one side of the standard or dropper to prevent the fastening from being
moved in one direction endways of the wire, and of a part which may be bent to
form a stop on the other side of the standard or dropper so as to prevent the fastener
from moving in the opposite direction. The fasteners may be placed within the
standards or droppers after the wires have been passed sideways into the openings
therein, or may be previously placed within the openings but so as to allow of the
wires being passed into the openings, and be afterwards turned in such openings
so as to close the entrances from the wider to the narrower parts of the openings and
thus retain the wires.
For the sake of convenience we will describe the invention in relation only to
uprights, when its application to droppers for swing fencing will be readily understood
without need for special description.
A modification of this invention which we prefer to employ is illustrated by
figures 1 to 5 inclusive. Figure 1 is a side elevation of a short length of upright,
shewing a fastening constructed according to this invention within a specially formed
opening in the web of the upright. Figure 2 is a view of the opposite side of the
part of the upright shewn by figure 1. Figure 3 is a section taken on line xjof
Figure 1. An opening a is formed through the web of the upright A. for the

page_text: reception of the wire and of the fastening therefor, and it is consequently therefore
somewhat larger than the diameter of the wire, and such opening has also a part b,
of sufficient width to allow of the passage of a wire, which passes out therefrom to the
edge of the upright. The shape of one of these openings is clearly shewn by
figure 4. Figure 5 is a detached view of the fastening, as seen in side elevation,
previously to its insertion within the upright. The fastening B has a barrel d of the
width of the web of the upright and of the diameter of the part a of the opening, and
on one end of this barrel is a flange c, and on the other end at the top thereof is a
tongue e, and at the botton thereof a tongue f. Both the barrel and flange are open
on one side, as shewn at figure 1, and a short arm g is formed down from the lower
edge of the flange. The fastener is inserted endways into the part a of the opening,
and the tongues e and fare bent back against the face of the web, and thus the fastener
is held within the web of the upright by the flange c on one side and the tongues on
the other. When it is desired to secure a wire to the upright the fastener is moved
half a turn, if in the position shewn, by means of the arm g (which may be operated,
if desired, by the aid of a spanner or key), so as to bring the open side of the barrel
and flange opposite the part 6 of the opening in the upright, and the wire is then
moved sideways through the part 6 and into the barrel, upon which the fastening is
turned back into the position shewn by figure 1, thus closing the communication
between the parts a and b of the opening in the upright, and securely retaining the
wire within the upright. The tongues may then be tightly clenched up, if desired,
to prevent the fastening from being turned through accident or mischief, but in such
case it may be turned back, when required, by the aid of a spanner or key applied to
the arm g. The fastening may be put in place within the upright, if preferred, after
the wire has been passed into the opening a. It is not essential to form the fastening
with an arm g if the fastening is sufficiently slack within the standard to allow of
its being moved by the fingers, but the use of the arm is very much preferred as it
enables the fastening to be tightened in the standard, and yet to be readily turned
thereafter if desired. Neither is it essential, of course, to have two tongues as shewn,
as one only may be employed, if preferred, in which case the tongue may be formed
of a width which will pass through the narrower part 6 of the opening, and thus such
tongue may, if desired, be bent back previously to the insertion of the fastening
within the upright, as upon turning the fastening somewhat within the part a of the
opening the tongue will be moved against the side of the upright and, in combination
with the flange, prevent the fastening from moving end ways. This arrangement will
be clearly seen on reference to figures 1 and 2 which represent, respectively, a
detached elevation of the side of the fastening on which the tongue occurs, and a
detached edge view of the fastening. Both the views shew the tongue f¹ bent back
previously to the insertion of the fastening within the standard. The tongue f¹ is
made of a width which will readily pass through the part 6 of an opening in a
standard, and is in such position upon the fastening that when the fastening has
been turned, after its insertion within the standard, to close the communication
between the parts a and 6 of an opening therein, the tongue will be turned across
the side of the standard and thus prevent the fastening moving back out of the
standard. The upright is, preferably, rolled with a rib h to strengthen it against
liabitity to fracture through a part where an opening a is formed.
This rib is
preferably formed to run down each side of the web of the upright. The employment
of the rib for this purpose is not, however, claimed as novel, as such a rib is described
in the specification of Letters Patent No. 10638 dated 26th July 1884, granted to
William Bayliss, for an invention entitled "Improvements in metal fencing."
A modification of the above fastening according to which it cannot be turned in
the standard or dropper, is shewn by figures 6 to 12 inclusive. This modification is
shewn by figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, as made of sheet metal, and by figures 10, 11, and 12
as made of malleable iron. Referring first to the case in which the fastening is made
of sheet metal, figure 6 is a corresponding view to figure 1, figure 7 a front edge view
of figure 6, figure 8 a plan of the fastening previously to its being folded up for
application to the upright, and figure 9 a corresponding view to figure 7, but shewing

page_text: the fastening previously to its being clenched up to fix it firmly in place in the
standard. By way of example only, the upright is shewn in this case as a plain flat
bar. The opening in the upright is of the same character as in the modification above
described. As this fastening cannot be turned in the upright, it must be put in place
therein after the wire has been moved sideways into the part a of the opening. This
fastening consists of a part i which passes within the part of the opening, of a
part which passes within the opening a and closes the communication between the
part a and the part of the opening, and of tongues k k etc. which bear against each
side of the upright. The fastening is pushed into place as shewn, from one side of
the upright, after the wire has been moved into the part a of the opening, and the
tongues on the opposite sides of the upright to that from which the fastening has
been pushed in must, of course, be turned back against the side of the upright after
the fastening has been placed therein. Referring to figure 8, the fastening is formed
by folding the plate over so that the parts are against one another, and then
opening out such parts to the required shape, shewn by figure 6, and also opening
out a pair of tongues k k at one end. One tongue only may be provided at each end
of the fastening, but a pair is preferred. The pair of tongues which have to be
clenched back against the upright after the fastening has been inserted within an
opening thereof, may be conveniently opened out and clenched back by a pair of
pincers of which one of the jaws is shaped in the manner shown by figure 13, which
is a view looking at the outer end of a pair of pincers, shewing consequently the
outer or gripping ends of the jaws. The edge of a plain jaw C is held against the
head of the fastener while a sharp edge on the jaw is pressed between the tongues
to partially open them. The pincers are then moved to bring a plain edge m of the
jaw C against the partially opened tongues, and the jaws are then pressed together
to clench back the tongues against the standard. Referring now to the case in which
the fastening is made of malleable iron, figures 10 and 11 correspond, respectively,
to figures 6 and 7, and figure 12 is a detached view of the fastening looking from the
opposite end thereof to that shewn by figure 10. In this case a flange c¹ is formed on
one end of a part ¹ which passes into the part a of the opening in the upright, and
the outer end of the part which passes into the part 6 of the opening is bent back
against the face of the upright, as shewn at figure 11, after the fastening has been
placed with the upright. Fasteners constructed in this manner may be employed to
hold the uprights securely against any tendency to move in a direction in the plane
of the fence, by forming the parts of the fasteners (or of one or more of the fasteners
for each upright) which pass within the parts a of the openings of a tapering thickness
lengthways so as to wedge themselves tightly against the wires.
l
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. For employment with an upright, or dropper, for wire fencing, which has an
opening formed therein consisting of a narrow part through which the wire is passed
into the upright, or dropper, from the edge thereof, and of a part of greater width
into which the wire is passed, a fastening which when applied to such upright, or
dropper, has a part within the wider part of the opening in position to prevent the
wire from being moved out through the narrower part of the opening, and which has
also parts which bear against the two sides of the upright, or dropper, and securely
retain the fastening from moving endways, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
2. A fastening of the description set forth in the preceding claim, in combination
with an opening of the character therein described, in an upright, or dropper, for
wire fencing, formed to be capable of being turned within the upright, or dropper, so
as to open the communication between the narrower and wider parts of such opening
and admit the wire into the wider part, and of being afterwards turned to close such
communication and thus retain the wire, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. A fastening of the description set forth in claim 1, in combination with an
opening of the character therein described in an upright, or dropper, for wire fencing,
having a part which passes into the narrower part of such opening and thus prevents
the fastening from turning, substantially as described.
4. The several means or devices by which fencing wires are retained in uprights
and droppers, substantially as herein described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated this 16th day of March 1888
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton and Walsall,
Agent for the Applicants.