US645898A - Poultry-coop. - Google Patents

Description

No. 645,898. Patented Mar. 20, I900. C. N. FISHER.

POULTRY COOP.

(Application filed Aug. 18, 1898. Renewed Sept. 6, 1899.)

( o Model.)

1N VE N T OR Ckaries J: F 3. 7 I

Allorneys N o c m: NQRRIS PETERS co P 0., wasNmGTO NIED TATES PATEN Err:

POULTRY-COO P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,898, dated March 20, 1900. Application filed August 18,1898. Renewed September 6, 1899. seri l No. 729,659. (No model.)

To alZ whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, CHARLESNICHOLAS FISHER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Warren, in the county of Tyler and State of Texas, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in' Poultry- Ooops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in poultrycoops, the object of my said invention being to provide a structure of this general character which shall be strong and durable and also as light as possible consistently with the required strength, the parts being rigidly connected and thoroughly braced to withstand the rough handling to which such coops or crates are usually subjected and support the weight of other crates that may be stacked thereon.

With the above object in View my invention consists of a coop or shipping-crate for poultry, &c., made up of light strips of Wood connected to each other in a particular manner to form strong joints, the said frame being reinforced by strands of wire, which close the spaces between the strips and are connected to'the latter in such manner as to thoroughly strengthen the crate and reduce the wear and tear upon the same in use.

The following specification enters into a detail description of my improved poultry-coop or shipping-crate, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters thereon, which designate the different parts, and what I consider to be the novel features of construction are more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a coop or shipping-crate constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view through one corner of the coop on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through one corner of the coop on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 5 5, Fig.1. Fig. 6 is a sec tional view through one end of the coop.

In carrying out my invention I first construct a rectangular frame or crate in which the strips forming the four sides and top are so disposed with respect to each other as to form a rigid structure and then thoroughly strengthen and brace this frame by strands of wire woven in and about the strips in such manner as to prevent them from becoming loosened, the corner-posts being constructed light and firmly connected, while the bottom of the crate is made up of thin boards held securely in place by wire strands that are drawn taut and their ends fastened to the body.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A designates the corner posts, which are each made up of two pieces a a, dis posed at right angles to each other and nailed together, said corner-posts being as long as the height of the crate, exclusive of the loot tom,hereinafter described. To the upper ends of these posts are attached narrow longitudinal strips B, forming the upper part of the sides of the crate, and similar strips 0, which form the upper part of the ends, the said strips being attached to the outer sides of the pieces a of the corner-posts, as shown, while the ends are beveled for the purpose hereinafter described.

Strips D and E, similar to B and G, are attached at their ends to the central portion of the corner-posts in the same manner as the aforesaid strips, and strips F and G secured to the lower end of said posts. This forms a skeleton frame the parts of which are firmly connected to each other by short wires H, the ends of which are passed through holes in the horizontal strips and corner-posts to the inner side of the frame, where they are twisted together tightly, forming the strongest possible bond and permitting the use of light ma= terial, the twisted ends being bent back into the angle of the corner-posts to be out of the way.

The horizontal strips of the skeleton frame hereinbefore described are connected to each other by a number of vertical strips 1, forming the panels of the sides and ends of the crate, the said strips being attached to the inner side of the horizontal strips and terminating at their upper ends below the upper edge of the strips 13, while their lower ends are flush with the lower edges of the strips F and G. The vertical strips which form the end panels are extended to be fiush with the upper edges of the strips O. Strips J extend across the top of the frame, with their ends resting upon the panels I, to which they are nailed, and lying over these strips at right angles thereto are strips K, nailed to the upper ends of the panels which form the ends of the crate. These strips present an open top or lattice-work, and by the particular manner of attaching the same to the sides and ends of the crate a strong connection is bad, for it will be noted that the strips B, in addition to being attached to the panels I, are also nailed to the ends of the top strips J, and the strips K, in addition to being nailed to the panels I, are also nailed to the strips 0, forming, practically, a lock-joint.

The sides, ends, and top of the crate, made up of the strips of wood connected to each other in the particular manner hereinbefore described, are firmly braced or rigidly connected by reinforcing cross-wires, which also cover the spaces left between the strips. To this end a series of wires L are extended across the top from side to side, being led over the longitudinal top pieces and down to form additional side panels. One end of each wire is first passed through a hole f in the lower strip G from the inner side and then back through a lower hole f and the terminal bent against the strip and over the wire, as shown, forming a strong connection. The wire is then passed behind the strip E, out over the upper strip C, and across the top of the crate, the other end being brought down over the opposite strip 0 behind the strip E and the terminal threaded through the lower strip G in the same manner as the opposite end of the wire, the wire being drawn taut during the operation. \Vhere the wires pass under the strips K and across the strips J of the top, they are fastened thereto by staples 7; and are also fastened by staples b and (Z to the strips Band D.

Extending across the top of the crate from end to end are a number of wires M, said wires being secured at their ends to the lower strips F in the manner hereinbefore described and passing behind the strips D, over the upper strips B, and across the under side of the strips K of the top, being attached to the aforesaid strips by staples, as shown. The wires L and M, hereinbefore referred to,which extend across the center of the top, are not carried across the central space in said top, being bent into engagement with the central strips J and K to leave a doorway. In connecting the wires to these strips the ends are passed around the inner edges thereof and then threaded through holes therein. Covering this doorway is a sliding wire door N, having loops or eyes 72 at its sides, through which are passed guide-wiresN', extending from one of the strips K under the top to one of the strips B, in order that the said door can he slid under the top and uncover the doorway.

Extending around the crate to form horizontal panels are wires 0, which overlie the vertical panels and are passed through holes a in the corner-posts to serve as an additional bond for said posts, the ends being brought through one of said corner-posts and twisted to draw the wire taut.

The bottom of the crate is made up of thin boards P, extending from one side to the other and nailed to the lower strips I G and ends of the vertical panels I, a reinforcing crosspiece R extending across the upper side of the bottom, and the boards forming said bottom nailed thereto. Reinforcing-wires S are drawn across the under side of the botto1n,the ends thereof being passed up through the boards 1) and strips F G, and after being bent down over said strips the terminals are secured by staples 8. These wires are secured to the bottom-boards P and cross-piece R by means of staples t and form a means of firmly holding the bottom-boards in place.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily seen that I construct a crate or poultry-coop which will be strong and durable; also, that by the particular manner of making the connections and disposing the parts the crate can be made up of light material and will be exceedingly strong.

In practice it has been found that a rigid crate or coop is more serviceable than one of the knockdown type, as this style of crate is usually subjected to rough handling and is therefore required to be very strong and well put up and should also be as light as possible. In the construction of my improved crate I have taken all these requirements under consideration and have produced one that will positively withstand rough usage and will therefore be of considerable service.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- V 1. A poultry-coop or shipping-crate, comprising the corner-posts each made up of two pieces attached to each other at an angle, horizontal strips secured at their ends to the outer sides of said corner-posts, short wires passed through the strips and pieces forming the corner-posts and their ends twisted together and bent into the angle of the cornerposts; vertical battens secured to the inner sides of the horizontal strips to form panels, those at the ends of the crate terminating below the upper edges of the upper strips; wires extending around the sides of the crate, said wires being threaded through the pieces of the corner-posts and the ends at the inner side of one of said corner-posts twisted together; cross-strips forming the top of the crate and nailed at their ends to the top strips and vertical battens; and cross-wires extending across the top down the sides and attached at their ends to the lower horizontal strips, a doorway being left in the center of the top as shown; a wire door covering said doorway and provided with loops or eyes, and

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guide-wires upon which said door slides; together with the'bottom-boards secured to the lower horizontal strips, corner-posts and vertical battens, as herein shown and described.

2. A poultry-coop or shipping-crate, comprising the cornenposts each made up of two pieces attached to each other at an angle, horizontal strips secured at their ends to the outer sides of the corner-posts, short wires passed through the strips and pieces forming the corner-posts and their ends twisted together and bent into the angle of the cornerposts; vertical battens secured to the inner sides of the horizontal strips to form panels, those at the ends of the crate terminating below the upper edges of the upper horizontal strips; cross-strips forming the top of thecrate and attached at their ends to the top horizontal strips and vertical battens; wires extending around .the sides of the crate through the piece of the corner-posts and twisted together at their ends at the inner side of one of said corner-posts, and wires extending across the top down the sides and attached to the lower horizontal strips; together with the bottom-boards secured to the lowerstrips, corner-posts and vertical battens, a reinforcing cross-piece for the bottom, and strengthening-wires across the under side of the bottom with their ends passed up through the lower horizontal strips and bent thereon, the wires of the crate being secured to the Wooden parts by staples, all as herein shown and particularly described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES NICHOLAS FISHER.

Witnesses:

L. I. DEALY, B. S. FITZGERALD.

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