US401133A - Guard for barbed-wire fences - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

M. B. OHAPPELL. GUARD-FOR BARBED WIRE. FENCES.

No.401g138. Patented Apr. 9, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MERRITT BRO\VN CI-IAPPELL, OF BATTLE CREEK, IOYVA.

GUARD FOR BARBED-WIRE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 401,133, dated April 9, 1889. Application filed July 3, 1888. Serial No. 278,887. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MERRITT BROWN CHAP- PELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Ida and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Guards for Barbed-\Vire Fences, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in guards for barbed-wire fences; and it consists in a certain novel construction and arrangement of devices, fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cattle-guard embodying my improvements, showing the same suspended from a barbed wire. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved guard. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the guard, which is of suitable length and width, and is T-shaped in'transverse section. The guard is composed of a pair of slats, B C, arranged perpendicular to each other, the slat 0 being secured to the lower edge of the slat B and extending beyond the opposite sides of the latter slat to form flanges c c, as shown in the drawings.

I have found that it is more economical to make these guards of wood; but other materials may be used in their manufacture, if preferred.

I) represents a suspending-link, which is made from a single piece of wire, bent to form a small hook, E, at its lower end, which engages a transverse opening, F, in the center of the slat B. The upper end of the link is bent to form a closed hook, G, which is adapted to engage the upper wire of a barbedwire fence, to suspend the guard therefrom, and is provided with the outwardly curved or flared extremity g, to facilitate the engagement of the hook with the wire.

The guard should preferably be painted some appropriate color which will attract the eye and at the same time preserve the guard from the action of the elements.

A guard thus constructed is adapted to swing from the topmost wire of a barbed-wire fence, and a suitable number of the said guards being employed, the same will render the fence distinctly visible to animals to persons and prevent them from inguring themselves by coming in contact with the wire. The shape of the guards is such that a maximum area is at all times presented to view, and also to the wind, whereby the guards will be kept in almost perpetual motion, and will hence be rendered remarkably conspicuous. A further advantage in suspending the guards loosely, as described, and of light material and small size, is that in heavy winds the strain on the fence is not so great. Furthermore, confined animals are liable to rub against and bite the fence or the guards thereon; but when the guards are suspended loosely they are not so easily grasped or injured.

The herein-described suspending-link is simple, is easily and effectively applied to the wire of the fence, and maybe cheaply manufactured. Y

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A guard. T-shaped in transverse section and adapted to be suspended from the fencewire, substantially as described.

2. The guard comprising the slat B, the slat C, secured to the lower edge thereof and projecting beyond opposite sides of the same, and the link pivotally connected to the guard and adapted to be engaged with the fencewire, substantially as described.

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

MERRITT BROWN CHAPPELL.

Witnesses:

WALTER T. SMITH, HENRY N. CHAPPELL.

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