IMPROVEMENTS IN POSTS OR SUPPORTS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO POSTS OR SUPRADING FOR THESE
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Henley, of Saint John Street Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Telegraphic Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN POSTS OR SUPPORTS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO POSTS OR
SUPRADING FOR THESE W
Sealed the 4th October 1867, and dated the 8th April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Henley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
8th April 1867.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS HENLEY, of Saint John Street Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Telegraphic Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POSTS OR SUPPORTS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO
POSTS OR SUPPORTS FOR TELEGRAPH WIRES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing posts or supports of wrought iron or
steel of flat plate or plates bent at an angle and fastened together, as hereafter
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a view of a post or support consisting of a flat tapered plate
with tapered webs rivetted on each side, so as to make a cross section of the
form shown in Figure 2. The best way to construct it is to take a flat plate,
say, about fourteen inches wide, and as many feet long as the pole is required
to be, I then shear off a taper piece each side, say, five inches wide at one
end and three inches at the other. I then cut at intervals of about three feet

page_text: and bend at right angles about an inch in width, each alternate three feet
length bent in reverse directions; this forms a flange to the web for rivetting
on each side of the central flat plate which is now of a taper form of eight
inches at one end and four inches at the other; this and the flanges of the
webs are punched and then rivetted together, forming a rigid support as
shown in the Drawing, and when galvanized it becomes very firm and durable.
The bottoms of the two tapered plates may be bent at right angles in reverse
directions, and the central plate may be slit up the same distance and also
bent in reverse directions, so as to form a foot either by itself or to bolt on a
plate of iron, but I make no claim to this bending up the plates to form
a foot, something similar having been done before, instead of this square holes
may be punched through the plate, and webs near the bottom, and lengths of
iron wedged in to form a foot, as shown in Figure 11.
Figure 3 shows a post with three webs or flanges of a cross section, as
shown at Figure 4, formed of one taper plate and one taper web; in this case
the alternate bendings from the edge of the web are not set at right angles,
but to suit the bent plate forming the main part of the post, and is rivetted
on similar to Figure 1.
Figures 5 and 6 show in elevation, and Figures 7 and 8 in transverse
section, posts or supports of a similar form to those shown at Figures 1 and 3,
but the webs or flanges are secured to the main piece by lengths of angle
iron instead of bending the edges of the flanges as before described. If the
post is required very strong the angle iron may be carried the whole length of
the post, but the weight is much increased thereby.
Instead of constructing the pole of one broad and two narrow tapered plates,
as in Figures 1 and 5, it might be formed of four tapered plates of an equal
size, and rivetted up with angle iron in the corners; these tapered plates can
be cut out of either one or two parallel plates without any waste, and if
punched from a template, and properly cramped together whilst rivetting up, a
very strong post is formed with very little trouble. It may also be made of
four pieces without angle iron, by bending one edge of each plate at a right
angle all the way up and rivetting up, as shown in elevation at Figure 9,
and in cross section at Figure 10, or of three plates as shown at
Figures 11 and 12.
In Figures 1 and 3 gusset pieces a, a, are shown as introduced where great
strength is required to prevent buckling or bending of the webs, or in some
cases it may be filled up between the webs with wood. If necessary the posts
may be made with more than four webs or flanges, the greater number the
stronger the pole will be, but necessarily heavier.

page_text: I make the poles as described in Figures 9, 15 and 16, in a ready way by
having tho iron rolled of the form shown in Figures 13 and 14, of which
Figure 14 is a transverse section of Figure 13, and then cut as represented by
the dotted lines in Figure 13, each plate is thus cut in two, and four of those
pieces are punched and rivetted together, and form a post as at Figure 9; the
top of the post can be sheared to the shape shown by a shearing machine if
necessary to give it a neat form. In rolling the plate in some cases I propose
to make the flanges taper from one end to the other, which can easily be done
by keeping the plate inclined a little to one side as it passes through the rolls;
this will have the effect of making the flanges taper the reverse of each other,
that is, the narrow part on one will be opposite the broad part of the other,
the flat part of the plate being parallel, and when cut in a slanting direction
as shown, and fastened together in the pole, both the webs and flanges will
taper from the bottom upwards.
I do not in all cases confine myself to making the posts in one length, as
they may be made of shorter lengths and rivetted or bolted together; neither
do 1 in all cases confine myself to making them taper, as some may be parallel
and taper, and parallel ones may in some cases be bolted together, as shown
in Figure 15.
Figures 16 and 17 show another mode of fastening the taper plates together
to form the pole. b, b, b, are clamps of iron or steel, either wrought or cast,
which are made of different sizes to suit the taper of the pole, and are driven
on over the plates when they are placed in position; the plates may be
either rivetted or may be left without rivets, as when the clamps are
driven tight on and all galvanized together the zine unites it altogether in
one piece.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Henley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS HENLEY, of Saint John Street Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Telegraphic Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said

page_text: William Thomas Henley, Her special licence that I, the said William Thomas
Henley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Thomas Henley, my 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, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
POSTS OR SUPPORTS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO POSTS OR SUPPORTS FOR TELEGRAPH
WIRES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Thomas
Henley, 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 William Thomas Henley, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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, that is to
say-
My Invention consists in constructing posts or supports of wrought iron or
steel of flat plate or plates bent at an angle, and fastened together as hereafter
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a view of a post or support, consisting of a flat tapered plate
with tapered webs rivetted on each side so as to make a cross section of the
form shewn in Figure 2. The best way to construct it is to take a flat plate,
say, about fourteen inches wide, and as many feet long as the pole is required
to be, I then shear off a taper piece cach side, say, five inches wide at one end
and three inches at the other, I then cut at intervals of about three feet, and
bend at right angles about an inch in width, each alternate three feet length
bent in reverse directions; this forms a flange to the web for rivetting on each
side of the central flat plate which is now of a taper form of eight inches at onc
end and four inches at the other; this and the flanges of the webs are punched,
and then rivetted together, forming a rigid support as shewn in the Drawing,
and when galvanized it becomes very firm and durable. The bottoms of the
two tapered plates may be bent at right angles in reverse directions, and the
central plate may be slit up the same distance, and also bent in reverse direc-
tions so as to form a foot either by itself, or to bolt on a plate of iron, but I
make no claim to this bending up the plates to form a foot, something similar

page_text: having been done before; instead of this square holes may be punched through
the plate and webs near the bottom, and lengths of iron wedged in to form a
foot as shewn in Figure 11.
Figure 3 shows a post with three webs or flanges of a cross section, as
shewn at Figure 4, formed of one taper plate and one taper web; in this case
the alternate bendings from the edge of the web are not set at right angles,
but are adapted to suit the bent plate forming the main part of the post, and
is rivetted on similar to Figure 1.
Figures 5 and 6 shew in elevation, and Figures 7 and 8 in transverse
section posts or supports of a similar form to those shewn at Figures 1 and 3,
but the webs or flanges are secured to the main piece by lengths of angle
iron instead of bending the edges of the flanges as before described. If the
post is required to be very strong the angle iron may be carried the whole
length of the post, but the weight is much increased thereby.
Instead of constructing the pole of one broad and two narrow tapered plates,
as in Figures 1 and 5, it might be formed of four tapered plates of an equal
size, and rivetted up with angle iron in the corners; these tapered plates can be
cut out of either one or two parallel plates without any waste, and if punched
from a template and properly cramped together while rivetting up a very
strong post is formed with very little trouble. It may also be formed of four
pieces without angle iron by bending one edge of each plate at a right angle
all the way up, and rivetting up as shewn in elevation at Figure 9, and in
cross section at Figure 10, or of three plates as shewn at Figures 11 and 12.
In Figures 1 and 3 gusset pieces a, a, are shewn as introduced where great
strength is required to prevent buckling or bending of the webs, or in some
cases it may be filled up between the webs with wood. If necessary the posts
may be made with more than four webs or flanges, the greater number the
stronger the pole will be, but necessarily beavier.
I make the poles as described in Figures 9, 15, and 16, in a ready way by
having the iron rolled of the form shewn in Figures.13 and 14, of which
Figure 14 is a transverse section of Figure 13, and then cut as represented
by the dotted lines in Figure 13; each plate is thus cut in two, and four of
those picces are punched and rivetted together, and form a post as at Figure 9;
the top of the post can be sheared to the shape shewn by a shearing machine
if necessary to give it a neat form. In rolling the plate in some cases I pro-
pose to make the flanges taper from one end to the other, which can easily be
done by keeping the plate inclined a little to one side as it passes through
the rolls, this will have the effect of making the flanges taper the reverse of
each other, that is the narrow part on one will be opposite the broad part

page_text: of the other, the flat part of the plate being parallel, and when cut in a
slanting direction as shewn, and fastened together in the pole, both the webs
and flanges will taper from the bottom upwards.
I do not in all cases confine myself to making the posts in one length, as
they may be made of shorter lengths, and rivetted or bolted together, neither
do I in all cases confine myself to making them taper, as some may be parallel
and taper, and parallel posts may in some cases be bolted together as shown
in Figure 15.
Figures 16 and 17 shew another mode of fastening the taper plates together
to form the pole; b, b, b, are clamps of iron or steel, either wrought or cast,
which are made of different sizes to suit the taper of the pole, and are driven
on over the plates, when they are placed in position the plates may be either
rivetted or may be left without rivets, as when the clamps are driven tight on
and all galvanized together the zinc unites it altogether in one piece.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, the construction
and employment of posts or supports, particularly applicable as posts or sup-
ports for telegraph wires, made of flat plate or plates bent at an angle and
fastened together, or fastened with angle iron or cramps, all substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Henley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
W. T. HENLEY. (L.S.)