US304496A

US304496A - Fence

Info

Publication number: US304496A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1884-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 1901-09-02

Description

(No Model.)

W. E. BROCK.

FENCE. No. 304,496. Patented Sept. Z, 1884.'

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Unirse STATES 4FENCE.

SFECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 304,496, dated September 2, 1884.

v Application lilcd December 17, 1883. (No model.)

To all who/1t it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, VILLIAM E; BRoox, of Dunellen, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and use- 5 ful Improvement in Fences, and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. s

rol The object of this invention is to utilize branches of trees, brush-wood, and other small and refuse timber for the construction of fences. Timber of this description has not heretofore been applicable for fences as the same have hitherto been constructed, and has been either wasted or used for fuel; but by my invention this waste product, consisting of thin pieces and short lengths, can easily and at little ex# pense be utilized in constructing neat, strong, 2o and durable fences, which are as desirable in all respects as those constructed of valuable timber. My said invention is especially useful in those localities where the timber growing upon the lands consists chiefly or entirely of underbrush, and in such localitiesis adapted to take the place ofthe more expensive and less durable wire fences which are so extensivel y used; but it isalso useful in localities which are more heavily timbered, as those 3o portions of the timber which have usually been allowed to goto waste can be used in the construction of fences at little expense, and the more valuable portions hitherto used for making fences can be used for other purposes or sold.

The invention consists in a fence having its bar or bars made of separate short lengths'of wood, connected at their ends by wire links, said lengths each being beveled or rounded at 4o both ends, and the bars thus constructed being attached to upright posts, all as hereinafter particularly set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 rep# resents a portion of a fence constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a portion of one of the bars. Figs. 3 and et are detached views, on an enlarged scale, ofthe wire links employed, and Fig. 5 is a portion of a bar and a post, showing modifications ofthe 5o devices for connecting thelengths and attaching thc bars to the posts. Fig; 6 is a diagram, hereinafter explained. I

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the several figures.

A A A are the separate short lengths of which the bar is composed, and which may be pieces of branches or of underbrush, or other small timber which' has hitherto been allowed to go to waste. These pieces are sawed into suitable lengths of, say, twelve to twenty-four 6o inches, more or less, and both ends of each are beveled or rounded, as shown, and at a short distance from each end a hole is bored through them transversely to receive the l shanks of wire links B or B. The wire links B B may be made either in one piece or in two pieces, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The preferred form is shown in Fig. 3, the same being composed of two separate but similar pieces of wire, each of which is bent at right angles 7o at about its center, and each has a loop, a a', formed at one end. In applying this link the shanks b b', which are straight, are passed through the holes above mentioned in the ends of adjoining lengths A, and the end of the one passed through the loop a or a of the other, and then turned or twisted over said loop, as shown. rIhe form shown in Fig. 4 is similar, except that it is made in one piece instead of two. In applying this the shank b2 8o is passed through the hole in one of the lengths A. The portion e is then bent at right angles to b2, and the shank b3 bent at right angles to the latter and passed through the hole in the adjoining length A, and the end of the same 8 5 passed through the loop a3 and turned back or twisted, as in the former case. The adjoining lengths A are thus pivoted to each other, and the vbevels on opposite ends of each are set at righs angles to each other, and each joint ar- 9o ranged to swing at right angles to the next` joint lon either side thereof, thereby imparting a great degree of flexibility.

C C represent the posts, which may be of the ordinary kind, and set in the ground in the ordinary manner, and may be either round or angular in cross-section. Ordinarily -I attach the bars to the posts by passing them through mortises cut in the latter in the ordinary manner; but, if' preferred, they may be 10o attached by means of staples f, or by a holdfast, g, or ring having a shank adapted to be driven into the post, as shown in Fig. 5, or they may be attached by nailing them to the post-s, as at h, Fig. 1.

The bevels on the ends of each length A being at right angles to each other, as shown, and alternate joints being pivoted so that they swing in directions which are at right angles the one to the other, as described, a great degree of iexibility is obtained, and whenever any pressure is brought to bear upon a bar from any direction it will yield to such presS- ure, and hence the strain will be mainly in a longitudinal direction, or lengthwise of the bar, as in the case of a chain, so that comparatively very light timber may be used for the bars. This construction also admits of the bars being very closely and eompactly packed into convenient form for transportation, as may be seen by reference to the diagram, Fig. 6, by which it will be seen that the lengths marked l and 2 will lie side by side when folded, and that 3 will lie on top of 2 and 4 on top of l, and so on for any number of lengths, which can thus bc folded into a rectangular bundle.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form of link, i

consisting of a flat piece of metal, m, let into the ends of adjoining lengths A, and provided with perforations near its ends, through which the pins n n are passed, the ends of the latter being turned back, as shown, after being inserted.

I am aware that a fence has been made of lengths or strips of wood, barbed and joined at their ends with wire links or couplings; but in that the ends are not beveled,` but cut oil' square, and the wire couplings would have to be of undue length, (thereby weakening the fence,) in order to permit the lengths to be folded side by side. Moreover, in said fence upright strips of wood are attached to the links or couplings, and consequently the fence is not flexible under a vertical pressure. Such construction I do not claim, but hereby disclaim, one object of my improvement being to make the fence flexible both horizontally and vertically, or in any direction between the two, and to bring the ends of the lengths close together.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- A fenccbar composed of separate short lengths of wood, A, having their ends beveled at right angles the one to the other, said lengths being connected by wire links B, constructed as described, so that adj oininglengths swing in directions that are at right angles to each other, as and for the purposes set forth.

VILLIAM E. BROCK.

Vitnesses:

M. H. TorriNG, JonN S. THORNTON.