US387072A - Flood-fence - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

0. HERRING.

FLOOD FENCE.

No. 387,072. Patented July 31, 1888.

WITNESSES,

lhvrran @TATES ATENT Urrrcs.

CHARLES HERRING, 0F GENEVA, JENNINGS COUNTY, INDIANA.

FLOOD-FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,072, dated July 31, 1888.

Application filed September 9, 1887. Serial No. 249,236. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES HERRING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Geneva township, in the county of Jennings and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FloodFences; 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, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved floodfence. Fig. 2 is an end View showing the fence adjusted for the passage of ice and drift. Fig. 3 is an end view showing the fence swung over under the force of a strong current.

The same letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in all the figures.

Myinvention consists in an im proved adj ustable llood-fence, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A A indicate the posts, which are embedded at their lower ends in the bed of the stream at or near the banks of the same, or which may be set in a suitable sill, l3, and to these posts is piv otally hung or hinged the fence 0, as hereinafter described.

My improved fence 0 is formed with the base piece or log I), in which are set the lower ends ofa series of parallel pickets, E. Through this base-log D extend on an angle with the series of pickets E, as shown, the stems of two heavy eycbolts or screws, F F, on the lower projecting screw-threaded ends of which are screwed the nuts G G, which serveto hold the log firmly on the said bolts, the bolts preferably, as shown in the drawings, passing through the log at points near its end.

The posts A A are preferably made square in cross-section, and upon them fit adjustably the movable square collars H H, which are held in their adjusted positions at the point to which they are moved up or down on the posts A A by the wedges I l, or by any other suitable fastening or retaining devices which it may be desired to employ. These square metallic collars are provided at their forward sides with the stout eyes K K, and the eyes F of the bolts F pass through these cycsK of the postcoll ars, and thus hinge the fence to the posts.

In operation the fence is thushinged to the two posts A A, the collars H being usually adjusted upon the posts A at about theheight shown in the drawings and secured in their adjusted position by drivingdowu the wedges I, the lower ends of the posts A A being either embedded in the bed of the stream near the banks thereof or secured in a suitable sill, B, so that the top of the base-log D lies a little below the surface of the stream. Vhen the current of the stream, which runs in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, presses with unusual force against the panels or pickets E of the fence, owing to the volume of the stream being swollen by rain or melting snow, &c., the unusual pressure ofthe flood will force or swing it over, the fence turning on its pivotal or hinge points until, if the flood is very heavy,it lies perfectly horizontal, allowing the water to flow freely over it, and thus prevent-- ing it from being carried away by the rushing waters or from being struck by any heavy log or other object which may be carried along by the flood. As the pressure of the water gradually subsides the weight of the base-log D will raise the upper part of the fence,as the log swings down by its own weight into its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, until it is brought back into its normal position. By hanging the fence in the manner shown and described it will be seen that I get the full strength of the posts to resist the pressure of the stream, and that as the base-log, when in its normal position, rests upon the bed of the stream, or upon the sill B when a broad sill is employed, no additional means whatever will be employed to prevent the pickets from dropping orinclining upstream, or for holding them in their normal vertical position.

During certain seasons of the yearas, for instance, in the spring-time, when the streams are filled with ice and drift-it is very desirable to have the pickets inclined downstream in order to permit the ice and drift to pass over the pickets without danger of breaking them off or of damming up the stream, as at such times the base-log would be apt to be frozen fast, and the fence thereby be prevented from floating upon the top of the water, as it would if it were not frozen fast. To give the pickets this inclination while the base-log can still be moved freely, the collars H H are moved down upon the posts and secured by means of the wedges, so that the base-log \villrest upon the bed of the stream above the posts, as shown in Fig. 3, which will cause the pickets to incline down the stream as desired.

The posts may be set at any points desired along the length of the base-log by merely boring suitable transverse apertures for the passage of the stems of the eyebolts.

From the foregoing description, taken in' connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation, and ad vantages of my improved adjustable fioodfence will be readily understood.

It will be seen that my invention is simple and strong in construction, not liable to break the collars in their positions, and the fencepanel consisting of the base-log having the series of pickets and provided with the hinged eyes, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

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

CHARLES HERRING.

W it n esses THOMAS GALLAHAN, RUTH GASTON.

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