IMPROVEMENTS IN IRON TELEGRAPH POSTS
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 22nd Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 15th Feb., 1887
I, WILLIAM EVERARD PEDLEY, of Karachi, Sind, India, Associate Member of the
Institution of Civil Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN IRON TELEGRAPH POSTS to be as follows
:-
(1) I take an old rail 24 feet long of double headed section; 5 feet from one end
I cut the head just through down to the web (this may be done thirty or forty at a
time in the planing machine); I then turn the rail over, and make a similar cut
5 feet from the other end; the two cuts are thus 14 feet apart. I now cut the web
diagonally from the bottom of one cut to the bottom of the other; this divides the
24 foot rail into two pieces each 19 feet long, 5 feet being of the full section of the
rail, and the remainder of tapering section; three feet of the full section are intended
to go into the ground, the end being fixed into a cast iron sole plate of the usual
kind; the length of rail and resulting posts may of course be varied.
(2) A flat footed rail may be cut in the same way, but the two posts are not exactly
alike.
(3) Similarly a rolled iron beam may be cut so as to form two posts.
It is convenient to have the top three feet of the post of similar section so as
to have all brackets alike. Also as the greatest strain occurs at about the ground
level it is advisable to have the post as strong as possible at that point. Take an iron
or steel beam say 19 feet long, 6 inches deep and with top and bottom booms each 6 inches
wide; thickness inch. Drill a small hole through the web close to the top boom
3 feet from one end, and a similar hole through the web 3 feet from the other end
close to the bottom boom. Then cut the web diagonally from hole to hole, and also
from each hole to the end of the beam parallel to the boom; this will produce two
posts mainly of a T section. The bottom 3 feet will have a web of about 5 inches
then the web gradually tapers up to 3 feet from the top. The top 3 feet_consist of
very little else but the flanges, the web being cut off as close as possible. In order to
stiffen this part the flanges may be bent together a little by means of dies under the
angle iron.
steam hammer, so that the upper 3 feet has the shape of an
;

page_text: (5) An old rail may be cut in a similar fashion.
(6) In order to form a post in a similar way, but in two parts, take an old rail
12 feet long, of flat footed section, and cut through the head, as described in para. (1),
5 feet from one end; at the other end make a mark at the centre of the web, and then
cut the web diagonally from the bottom of the cut to the mark above referred to; the
tapering piece cut off should be bolted on as an upper length; to enable it to be bolted
on the thicker end should be heated and the head flattened out under the steam
hammer to form a pair of flanges which can be bolted on to the flat foot of the rail;
there must be a slit in the anvil to preserve the web from being also flattened out.
(7) Similarly a post may be formed in two parts from a rolled iron beam having
preferably smaller flanges on the side from which the upper length is cut off.
(8) A rolled beam of channel iron section may be cut diagonally down the web to
form two posts of angle iron section.
a
(9). A flat rolled bar may be cut into two tapering parts, from each of which a post
may be made by pressing between die and matrix to an angle iron shape, or
Usection; the latter may be stiffened at intervals by encircling it with an iron ring,
and putting an iron ring, or plug, inside.
WILLIAM EVERARD PEDLEY.

page_text: I WILLIAM EVERARD PEDLEY Associate Member of the Institution of Civil
Engineers, of Karachi Sind India do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :—
My Invention has for its object to manufacture or construct the posts from rails or
beams or the like as hereinafter described so as to produce a cheap strong and durable
post.
I will describe my Invention with reference to the accompanying drawings as
applied to the manufacture of the posts from certain kinds of beams rails or girders
from which its application to the utilization of rails beams or the like generally will
be understood.
From an ordinary rolled beam of the section shewn in Figure 2 I produce two
tapering posts of tee section by cutting the web of the rolled beam diagonally from
top to bottom as shewn by the dotted line in Figure 1 which represents a side view of
the beam to a smaller scale; the two portions so produced are alike in shape; three
sections of each portion are shewn at A, B, and C above Figure 1.
By varying the size of the beam lighter posts or portions of posts (see Fig. 3) may
be obtained. For instance a four foot length of rolled Iron or Steel beam of the
section shewn at Fig. 6 is intended to be cut into two intermediate posts for wire
fencing; when cut each post will be taper, one inch wide at the top and two inches
wide at the bottom. In the same way an ordinary rolled channel iron may be cut so
as to form two taper angle iron posts..
Figure 3 shews a telegraph post formed of a piece of old rail 11 feet long, and a
taper upper length of section of which two full sized sections (on the lines LM and
NO respectively) are given at Figures 4 and 5.
The taper upper length is obtained as herein before described from a rolled iron or
steel beam of the necessary section.
The drawing also shews a cast iron sole plate, and a cast iron sleeve joining the old
rail to the upper taper beam, if the old rail be flat footed the upper length may be
connected by bolts through the flanges of the flat foot and the flanges of the tee
section; or a pair of old fish plates and bolts may be used for the joint a piece of
packing being introduced to bring the web of the tee section beam up to the same
thickness as the web of the old rail.
Figure 7 shews how an old rail may be cut into two taper posts. In the same way,
from a short old rail about 13 feet long a taper strip may be cut off about 8 feet long
and half the depth of the rail at its thickest end this strip being for use as an upper
length.
The cutting of the rolled iron or steel beams may be effected as follows :-
(1). They may be cut in the plaining machine by the ordinary well understood
method of which no description is required.

page_text: (2). They may be sheared, especially when operating on the small thin beams such
at Figure 6.
(3). While the beam is still hot from the rolls in which it has been manufactured
it may be passed through a pair of grooving rolls which roll a diagonal groove nearly
through the web of the bean along the line which it is desired to cut; final separation
may be effected by shearing. This method should be employed for large sections
in which the metal would be distressed if the full thickness were sheared.
I am aware that. there is nothing novel in using as a telegraph post a piece of old
rail with a taper upper length of wood or iron tube and that cast iron sole plates and
joining sleeves are in common use. The above are described to shew the useful
applications of the Invention and except as hereinafter stated are not claimed as
novel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The production of tapering telegraph or other posts by cutting or dividing into
tapering portions old rails or rolled iron or steel beams or the like of ordinary uniform
section substantially as hereinbefore described.