US369751A - Samuel p - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

S. P. STILES.

FENCE.

No. 369,751. Patented Sept. 13,1887.

Warren dramas PATENT tries.

SAMUEL P. STILES, OF BARDSTOYVN, KENTUCKY.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,751, dated September 13, 1887.

Application filed January 3, 1887. Serial No. 293,236. No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. SrrL-Es, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bardstown, in the county of Nelson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fences, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fences, the main objects being to build a durable fence that will not have any part inserted into the earth and will not be put together by nails or bolts, thus preventing decay, which accrues usually at the lower underground ends of the posts or stakes and in and around the nail-holes.

A further object of the invention is econonly of construction, as the amount of rails that are necessary to build the fence is not much more than one-half of that employed in building the ordinary zigzag or worm fence, and the time of construction is consequently considerably less.

The invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the parts hereinaf- U ter described, illustrated in the drawings, and

pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the fence.

. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 8 is a View of a portion of the fence as modified to serve as a cattle-fence. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the upper parts of the bracerails, supportingrails, and the wires binding the same to the top rails of the fence.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the pairs of crossed stakes that perform the function of fenceposts. The said stakes of each pair are inclined in opposite directions at or near similar angles, with their lower ends resting upon the ground and with their upper portions crossing each other at suitable distances below their tops.

B B are the top or rider rails of the fence, which rails lie with their ends resting in the upper crossed ends of the supporting-stakes A, the end of the top rail of one'section of the fence overlying the end of the top rail of the adjacent section 011 one side and the opposite end underlying the end of the top rail of the adjacent section on the other side.

X X are the sections of the fence, each situated between two adjacent pairs of supportingstakes A.

C G are the longitudinal fencerails, the ends of those in one section being inserted between the ends of the similar rails in the adjacent sections on each side. The fence is thus built up solidly, each section aiding in sustaining those adjacentto itself. The rails O in each section do not overlie each othervertically, so that the said rails in any two adjacent sec tions form an inclined joint or union, 0, serving a purpose hereinafter explained.

D D are brace or truss rails arranged in pairs, as shown, the members of each pair lying against the opposite sides of the fence and being inclined at the proper angle to lie and bind upon a'sectionjoint, c.

E E are flexible wires of suitable size and of proper 1netal,whieh are bound tightly around the brace-rails D at the upper ends of the same and around the ends of the top or rider rails 13. Each wire E, at its corresponding joint, is bent up over the end of the overlying top or rider rail, being passed upward around the truss-rails D D, overlying the joint 0 at that point. The said wire E is thus bent down ward under the brace or truss rails D and then bent upward, and has its ends twisted firmly and tightly together, binding the upper ends of the brace or truss rails securely to the top rails of the fence. The two brace or truss rails of each pair are also bound together below the lowest rail of the fence by a wire, F, similar to one of the wires E, and at a point at a suitable position between their upper and lower ends are also bound by a wire, F, so that if any one of the wires should break the two others will hold and keep the brace rails in position.

The purpose of the truss-rails D is to cover the inclinedjointc between the meeting ends of the longitudinal rails G and to support the longitudinal rails. These trussrails support are suspended from the rider-rails above the ground. By this means the truss-rails cannot rot off at their lower ends, and, furthermore, as the said truss-rails do nottouch the ground, it will be seen that when the fence settles the longitudinal rails O and truss-rails will draw onto the wire ties and tighten the same. The suspension of the truss rails from the riderrails, with the truss-rails supported out of contact with the ground and the longitudinal rails supported by the truss-rails, is the essen tial feature of the present invention.

The supporting-stakes A are secured at the crossing of each pair by a flexible wire, G, which is wound around the two below their crossing and bent upward above, the end of the top rail lying lowest in said crossing and then twisted or otherwise secured together at the ends.

While the described way of binding the wires upon the supporting -rails, the bracerails, and the longitudinal rails of the fence is preferable, I do not desire to confine myself to the same, as the wires mightbe secured to the rails in several ways, any of which would be effective in securing the same together.

Each pair of supporting stakes A is connected a short distance below their lower ends by awire, H,which prevents them from spreading apart too far as the fence settles. Any one of the said wires H may, if desired, be wrapped around one of the rails of the corresponding sections; but the preferable construction is to allow the said wire to pass the rails without connection therewith, as the expansion and contraction of the wires might deflect the fence out of a right line.

Some oftheadvantages ofthis fence are as follows: The supporting stakes, not having their ends inserted in the earth, will not readilyde cay at said ends, and there being no nail-holes the stakes will not rot as quickly as stakes which are connected together by nails, as there will be no recesses to receive water when rain falls upon the fence. The inclined joints 0 cause water to fall more rapidly from the-ends of the longitudinal rails, so that the same dry sooner than if the said rails were vertically above each other, thus preserving them from rapid decay. The fence, havingits supporting-stakes resting upon the ground at opposite angles, is braced or trussed by the said stakes, so that it cannot be easily overthrown, and will sustain a very much greater impact or pressure than a fence made with stakes having their ends inserted into the ground. The fence can be made of rails of any size, and, being straight, will require much less material than the worm or zigzag fence so largely used.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the fence dein the opposite direction.

its fellow to support the fence in an upright position. WVhen the fence runs down a hill, the stakes should have their lower ends inclined downward. They will thus brace the fence much more thoroughly than if inclined As the fence settles the wires are drawn tighter and make the fence more solid and firm.

Having thus described my invention, whatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As an improvement in fences, the combina tion of the inclined crossed stakes A, the riderrails B, resting and secured in a crotch formed by the crossed stakes, the ends of the riderrails lapping each other in the said crotch, parallel inclined truss-rails D, having their upper ends arranged on opposite sides of the rider-railsat the point where the ends of the latter lap, wire ties securing the upper'ends of the truss-rails to the lapped ends of the riderrails, longitudinal rails 0, having their ends overlapping each other between the truss-rails, and the wire ties F, connecting the truss-rails, which ties F serve to support the lapped ends of the longitudinal rails, the ends of the longitudinal rails in one section of the fence overlapping corresponding rails of adjacent sec tions, the lapped ends being arranged in contact with each other on their upper and lower ends and terminating at varying distances from a vertical line drawn through the end of one of the extreme upper or lower ends of a panel and thereby forming aninclinedjoint, c, the parallel truss-rails D being arranged across and on opposite sides of the joint 0, and having their lower ends suspended and out of contact with the ground, whereby the said trussrails serve to cover the inclinedjoints 0 between the meeting ends of the longitudinal rails C, also to support the said longitudinal rails, and said truss-rails are in turn suspended from the rider-rails B, and thus when the fence settles the longitudinal rails and the truss rails will draw onto the wire ties, as and for the purpose set forth.

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

SAMUEL P. STILES.

\Vitnesses:

D. O. HARDIN, W. J. DALMAZZO.

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