A CONTINUOUS SELF-WEDGING FENCING
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Long, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "A CONTINUOUS SELF-WEDGING
FENCING."
Sealed the 7th January 1871, and dated the 12th July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Long at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th July 1870.
I, RICHARD LONG, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A CONTINUOUS
SELF-WEDGING FENCING," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object a simple and efficient means of
wedging and fixing fencing (for parks, fields, railway tracks, and other
similar purposes) throughout its entire length, but more especially bar-
iron fencing, so that a continuous strain is brought to bear through the
entire length, and no loose wedges, keys, or separate parts are required to
fix or attach the fence, which is erected easily, and particularly adapted

page_text: for exportation, as it is easily packed, and is devoid of numerous attendant
parts.
In the case of flat bar iron fencing the horizontal bars are made of
uniform thickness throughout their entire length until within a short
distance of one end where the flat side rises into a wedge or thickness
towards the end, the other end being parallel throughout its length.
The vertical uprights or standards supporting the fencing may be formed
of flat bar iron, with the usual ground fork, with suitable intermediate
pillars. The flat fencing passes through rectangular slots in the uprights
and pillars. These slots are formed with their sides parallel or bevelled
to meet the wedge, as deemed expedient.
In erecting fencing, the uprights and pillars being in position, a
suitable length, say from twelve to sixteen feet of bar iron, is passed
through the corresponding slots in the various uprights, and its parallel
end allowed to pass, say, an inch and a half, or suitable distance through
its respective slot. The next bar is then taken and passed through the
the same slot until its tapered or wedged end enters the slot; it is
then driven home and forms a strong attachment of the fencing
to the uprights, at the same time bringing a continuous strain to
to bear through the entire length; the next or consecutive bar is fixed
in a similar manner, and so on. It is not necessary that every upright
should have the lap or wedging of each separate bar, as, say, in the case
of four-bar fencing, the top bar may be wedged into one upright, the
second bar wedged into the second upright, the third bar into the third
upright, and the fourth bar into the fourth upright, the fifth upright
being wedged again at the top, and so on, the bars where not lapped
passing simply through a slot or rectangular hole in the upright. A
round bar may be used for the top rail of the fencing, passing loosely
through the uprights and being connected with loose ferrules to allow
for the give and take of the wedged bars. The horizontal bars may be
made with both ends wedge-shaped, and of such a thickness that the
wedge end with the main thickness of the bar are enabled to be passed
through the slot in the vertical upright, and then drawn or driven tight
in the slot wedge and wedge, or the horizontal bars may be made with
the wedge on the edge and lapped in the slots on their edge instead of
the side.
In the case of sheep pens timber fences may be erected and wedged in
a simil

page_text: Wire fencing may also be fixed by the wire being attached to short
lengths of flat bar iron passing through slots in the uprights and forming
wedges, as described.
A modification may consist of thickening, or rising into a wedge both
ends of the alternate bars, passing in erecting the bar with the thick-
ened ends through the uprights first, and then a plain bar with both
ends parallel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Long in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
LONG, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Richard Long, Her special licence that
I, the said Richard Long, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Richard Long, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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, an Invention for "A CONTINUOUS SELF-WEDGING
FENCING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard
Long, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their 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 Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Long, do hereby declare.
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is:

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This Invention has for its object a simple and efficient means of
wedging and fixing fencing (for parks, fields, railway tracks, and other
similar purposes) throughout its entire length, and no loose wedges,
keys, or separate parts are required to fix or attach the fence, which is
erected easily and particularly adapted for exportation, as it is readily
packed and is devoid of numerous attendant parts.
In the case of flat bar iron fencing the horizontal bars are made of
uniform thickness throughout their entire length, until within a short
distance of one end, where the flat side rises into a wedge or thickens
towards the end, the other end being parallel throughout its entire
length. The vertical uprights or standards supporting the fencing may
be formed of flat bar iron, with the usual ground fork, with suitable
intermediate standards. The flat fencing passes through rectangular
slots in the uprights. These slots are formed with their sides parallel,
or bevelled to meet the wedge, as deemed expedient.
In erecting fencing, the uprights being in position, a suitable length,
say from nine to sixteen feet, of bar iron is passed through the corre-
sponding slots in the various uprights, and its parallel end allowed to
pass, say, an inch and a half or suitable distance through its respective
slot. The next bar is then taken and passed through the same slot,
until its tapered or wedged end enters the slot; it is then driven home
and forms a strong attachment of the fencing to the uprights, at the
same time bringing a continuous strain to bear through the entire
length. The next or consecutive bar is fixed in a similar manner, and
so on. It is not necessary that every upright should have the lap or
wedging of each separate bar, as, say, in the case of four-bar fencing,
the top bar may be wedged into one upright, the second bar wedged
into the second upright, the third bar into the third upright, and the
fourth bar into the fourth upright, the fifth upright being wedged again
at the top, and so on, the bars where not lapped passing simply through
a slot or rectangular hole in the upright. A round bar may be used
for the top rail of the fencing, passing loosely through the uprights
and being connected with ferrules fixed on one side only to allow for
the give and take of the wedged bars.
Another arrangement for fixing may be adapted as follows:-The top
flat horizontal bars are in three feet lengths, having their laps wedged

page_text: in each upright or standard, and so fixing the uprights. The under
bars are in twelve to sixteen feet lengths, their ends being either
wedged ends, or of the ordinary lap joint' as used in continuous fencing.
A round bar may be used on the top as before mentioned. The hori-
zontal bars may be made with both ends wedge-shaped, and of such a
thickness that the wedge end of one bar with the main thickness of
the corresponding horizontal bar are enabled to be passed through
the slot in the vertical upright and then drawn or driven tight in the
slot "wedge and wedge," or the horizontal bars may be made with the
wedge on the edge and lapped in the slots on their edge instead of
the sides.
In the case of sheep pens timber fences may be erected and wedged
in a similar manner.
Wire fencing may also be fixed by the wire being attached to short.
lengths of flat bar iron, passing through slots in the uprights and forming
wedges as described.
A modification may consist of thickening, or rising into a wedge both
ends of the alternate bars, passing in erecting the bar with the thickened
ends through the uprights first, and then a plain bar with both ends
parallel.
The before-going methods of self-wedging and attachment are appli-
cable to any continuous lengths of bar iron for fencing, also wrought-
iron bridgework, and many other like purposes, as will be well
understood.
The before-going being the nature and object of this my Invention,
I will now proceed to describe more in detail the means by which it
may be carried into practical effect, and for this purpose there is here-
unto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, which are marked
with letters and figures of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my self-wedging bars showing the
parallel end of one and the wedged end of the other or fixing bar.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing my self-wedging bars. In
this case the bars have both ends tapered or wedge-shaped.
Figure 3 is a plan showing parallel end of one bar and the tapered
or wedged end of the other bar before fixing in the standard.

page_text: Figure 4 shows section of standard with rectangular slot for taking
the lap of the parallel bars.
Figure 5 shows the parallel bars with both ends wedged showing
the means by which both are passed through the rectangular slot in
the standard.
Figure 6 is a sectional view of the standard showing rectangular slot
for taking the single bar intermediately between the laps.
Figure 7 is an elevation of my continuous self-wedging fencing
shown with four bars wedged alternately, the top bar in one standard,
the second bar in the second standard, the third bar in the third standard,
the fourth bar in the fourth standard, and so on, the first upright
being shown in perspective.
Figure 8 is an elevation showing a portion of my continuous self-
wedging fencing, the top bar only being wedged or lapped in each
standard, the bar being in about three feet lengths, the other bars being
passed through rectangular slots as usual in common fencing.
A, uprights or standards; B, rectangular slot in uprights or standards;
C, horizontal bars; D, parallel part of horizontal bars; E to E¹, tapered
or wedged part of horizontal bar or bars. Figure 7, F, laps or wedge
joints of horizontal bars; G, round bar passing loosely through the
uprights A at H in the uprights or standards, the horizontal bars C
pass simply through a slot in the upright; K, ground fork; L (Figure 8)
laps or wedge joints of the top horizontal bar which is in three feet
lengths and lapped and wedged in every standard.
In erecting fencing according to this Invention, the uprights A being
in position a suitable length of from nine to sixteen feet of bar iron C
is passed through the rectangular slots B, and its parallel end D allowed
to pass, say, an inch and a half or suitable distance through the respec-
tive slot. The next bar is then taken and passed through the same
slot until its tapered or wedged end from E to E¹ enters the slot;
it is then driven home and forms a strong attachment of the bars to the
uprights, at the same time bringing a continuous strain to bear through
the entire length. In the case of both horizontal bars C being made
with wedged or tapered ends the tapered end of one bar is passed
with the main thickness of the other bar through the slot B, as shown
in Figure 5, the wedged end of the other bar is then drawn or driven
up.

page_text: Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my
Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, I wish it to be clearly understood that I do
not confine myself to the several proportions and relative dimensions of the
fencing as shown, as it will be readily seen that the before-going methods
of self-wedging and attachment are applicable to any continuous lengths
of bar iron for fencing, also the principle is applicable in iron bridgework
and many other like purposes, as will be well understood; but what I
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is,
the construction and application of bar iron for fencing and other like
purposes with one or both ends of the bar tapered or wedge-shaped
and being self-fixing or binding in the rectangular slots of the uprights
or standards, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before decribed, set forth, and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Long, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
0
Witness,
FREDERICK J. CHEESBROUGH,
of 43, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
RICHARD (L.S.) LONG.