US275286A - Fence-post - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

G. SWINGLE, 4th.

FENCE POST. No. 275,286.

WITNESSES Attorneys nnnnnn a mmmno nwm, washin a. c.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE SWINGLE, 4TH, or ROSEVILLE, OHIO.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,286, dated April 3, 1883. Application tiled September 16, 1851. Renewed December S, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE SWINGLE, 4th, of Roseville, in the county of Muskingum and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had tothe accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which-- Figure l is a side view of my improved vitrified fence-post. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec tion of one of my compound fence-posts. Fig. 3 is a side view of a vitrified post adapted for barb-wire fences. Fig. 4 is a top view of the same. Fig. 5 is a side view representing a modified construction of a post for barb-wire fences, and Fig. 6 is a similar view of a post adapted for lath-fences.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention contemplates an improved construction of fence-posts, as hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The chief object of my improvement is to prevent premature decay of the post, notably, that portion which is in the ground and is most liable to decay. To this end I construct my improved posts either wholly or in part of a vitrified substance, which will last for an y length of time, and is suificiently inexpensive to warrant its general use in posts of all descriptions. Where suitable timber is scarce I prefer to make the entire post of this substance, which is a composition of potters clay, orfire-clay, and crushed rock,mixed with water in suitable proportions and molded into the shape which the post is to have, after which the molded post is dried and burned in a kiln until the material has been thoroughly vitrified. Where fireclay cannot readily be had ordinary brick-clay may be used, and treated, after molding, as in the manufacture of building-brick.

The post consists essentially of two partsvia, the top part or post proper (denoted by the letter A in the several figures) and the bottom part or base, 13. Where the post is made partly of wood or iron the base Bis, previous to burning, molded with a central socket, b, which receives the tenon a at the lower end of the wooden or metal part A, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The post and its base may either be square, rectangular, oval, or iound in cross-section, as taste and expediency may suggest. To hold the tenoned top part firmly in its socket, I employ any suitable cement, which, when it has set and hardened, will completely fill up the space around the tenon, so that the two parts A and Bare as one solid piece.

To prevent the post from rising out of the ground by frost,I make the base 13 with a projecting bottom flange, c, and a series of two or more flanges, (Z (1, above the bottom flange, which operate to hold it firmly in the ground in which it is set and prevent displacement in a vertical direction. The upper part or post proper, A, which projects above 'the ground, is made tapering from base to top,

and constructed according to the class or kind of fence for which the post is to be used. Thus in Fig. 1 I have shown a post provided with slots or mortisescfor theinsertion ofrailsin the construction of a rail fence. The post shown in Fig. 2 (whether made in one or two parts) is adapted for the construction of a panel or picket fence. In Fig. 3 I have shown a post provided with headed pinsf, around which the wire is wound in the construction of a wire fence. Fig.5 shows a post of asimilarconstruc tion 5 but, instead of headed-pins, theupper part, A, is molded with projecting buttonsg g, being wider at their cuter than at their inner ends, around which the wire is wound or twisted, and in Fig. 6 I have shown a post molded with a' series of steps or offsets, h h, on one side, which form supports for lengths of laths used -in the construction of a lath-fence, the lath being held in place by a wooden strip,G, whicl is secured longitudinally upon the post, so ato impinge upon the steps or offsets, and is held in place by bolts i, inserted through holes inthe post A.

In the construction of corner-posts intended to be used for barb-wire fences 1 mold the head or top part, A, of the post with arightangled recess, 7c, in which the meeting ends of the top rails forming the corner are placed edgewise and fixed in place by cement. In Fig. 4: I have shown a top view of a post of this construction.

It is obvious that the shape of the upper 5 part, A A, of the post may be varied in different ways, according to the uses for which the post is intended; but the base Bis in all cases molded with the projecting flanges c d, irre spective of the detailed shape and construc- 10 tion of the upper part, A.

Having thus described my invention, I claim a and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- A fence-post the lower part or base, B, of 15 which is composed of burned and vitrified clay molded with abottom flange, c, and series of parallel flanges d 01 above said bottom flange, and provided with a central vertical socket, I), and an upper part, A, of wood or metal, having atenon, a, at its lower end, adapted to fit 20 into the socket b, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE SWINGLE, 4TH.

Witnesses:

W. B. WEAVER, THEO. BROWN.

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