US709617A - Metallic fence-post. - Google Patents

Description

No. 709,6!7. Patented Sept. 23, I902.

.1 A. 'UTTEB.

METALLIC FENCE PDST.

(Application filed Jan. 24, 1902.) (N 0 M 0 d e l UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. UTTER, OF ORAWFORDSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN F. UTTER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

METALLIC FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 709,617, dated September 23, 1902.

Application filed January 24,1902, fierial No. 91,054. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. U'ITER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crawfordsville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Indiana, have invented an Improvement in Metallic Fence-Posts; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention is designed for use in connection with wire in the construction of wire fence; and its object is to provide a metallic fence-post having a cement base, said fencepost being of a durable, firm, and ornamental character, capable of standing firmly in the :5 ground and of holding the horizontal linewires of Wire fence or woven wires securely by means of metallic clamps of so adjustable a character as to allow said wires to be fastened to the upright bars of the post at any desired distance apart and to be shifted readily up or down at any time as may be desired.

The invention consists in the several parts and their adaptation and combination to form such a fence-post as is hereinafter fully set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View of apost. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the 0 clamp and connections.

The cement base A, composed of cement, oement and sand, or cement and broken rock in any desired proportions to produce adequate strength, is to be of size and shape adapted to be planted in the ground and to receive and hold securely the lower ends of the two bars B and B, designed to stand parallel to each otherin an upright position to receive and sustain the horizontal line-wires 0 D D D &c., attached thereto by the clamps to be hereinafter described. Around the upper end of said cement base and embedded therein is placed a metallic band K, designed to strengthen it. Within the lower end of said base is a metallic core L, placed at or near the center thereof with one end firmly attached to the lower end of the upright bars 13 and B at N, and the other end is fastened to a suitable Weight M to keep said core in place and afford additional weight and stability to the base. The purpose of said core is to hold the upright bars at a proper distance from the lower end of the base and to further strengthen it.

The lower end of the cement base is enlarged, so as to form a projection or rim 0 around it, which enlarges the end surface of the base, causing it to set more firmly in the ground and to resist any force tending to raise or lower it in the ground or moving it sidewise. At the upper end of these bars a suitable cap or ornament F can be fixed by having a tongue or flange thereof extend a short way down between said bars, to which it can be riveted or bolted. This cap is designed to serve the double purpose of ornamenting the fence-post and of holding the tops of the bars I3 B in their proper relative position. These parts being set along the proposed line of fence, the wires D D, &c., are strung and are held in place by clamps which consist of broad backs 0, extending across the rear edges of the vertical bars B, which form the posts, and sides C, extending along the outer sides of the posts. These sides may be tapered or convergent, as shown, and their front ends project a little beyond the front edges of the bars 13 and are slotted, as at H, so that the wires can be laid in the slots.

The wires are secured and the clamps locked to the posts by means of hook-bolts E, the hook at the front end being adapted to engage the wire, and the rear end of the bolt passes through the back 0 of the clamp and is screw-threaded to receive a nut G, which being screwed down will draw the hook end back and pull the wire tight into the slots post. This construction enables me to adjust the clamp up or down and to lock it firmly to a smooth post without the necessity of any serrations or notches in the post.

By reason of the broad back with the centrally-disposed bolt the latter serves as a lever by its attachment to the wire, and any tendency to push the wire up or down will cause either the lower or the upper angle of the back to bind against the post and resist such movement. The greaterthe pressure the more tightly the wire will be clamped to the post. The shanks of the bolts are preferably of a thickness to correspond with the tongue of the cap-piece F and t0 thus serve to main- H, at the same time looking the clamp to the ICO tain the post-sections B B at an equal distance apart throughout their length. When downward pressure is exerted on said linewire, the arms of the clamp tend downward and the upper edge of the broad back of the clamp is drawn more tightly against the rear surfaces of the upright bars and the lower edgeof the back of said clamp isthrown backward and away from the rear surface of said bars, which draws the latch-bolt backward toward the rear of said bars, clamping the line-wire more firmly and tightly against the front surfaces of the upright bars, and when a force or pressure is exerted upward on said line-wires the same result is produced,-to wit, the increased tightening of the line-wires against the front surface of the upright bars. This automatic action of the clamp to further tighten and more firmly hold the line-wires against the upright bars when upward or downward pressure is exerted on the line-wires and the convenient adjustability of the line-wires by means of said clamp on the upright bars at any desired distance apart without any notches, holes, or projections on the upright bars constitute an essential feature of said clamp.

I am aware that prior to my invention some metallic fence-posts have been made attached to a supporting-base. I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly.

The operation of the invention is such that when the base A is securely planted in the ground with the twin upright bars B and B embedded and attached to the base, as aforesaid, having their upper ends held in relative place by the secured tongue of the cap F, and

the said metallic clamp is placed on the said bars, and the wires D D D &c., are placed in the slots H, Figs. 4 and 5, and the latchbolt is placed over or under the line-wire D and its nut is screwed tight at the back of the clamp the desired objects are attained-- viz., the fence-post is held firmly in the ground and is finishedinanornamental mannerat the topand holds the line-wire D so firmly and securely in place asto resist anyordinary force or pressure in any direction, inasmuch as said clamp by its slots in conjunction with its broad back prevents any movement of the wire up or down and by its latch-bolt prevents any movement of the wire forward or back. It provides a convenient adjustability of the wire at any desired distance'up or down on the smooth surface of the fence-post, for whenever it is desired to readjust the wire up or down on the fence-post it is only necessary to loosen adequately the said nut G at the back of the clamp to allow the c1arnp,with the line-wire in the slots, to glide up or down to any desired point and then to tighten the nut again.

Having thus described myinvention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a metallic fence-post of a cement base having embedded therein a pair of upright parallel metallic bars secured together at the top, adjustable clamps having slotted arms embracing the outer sides of the bars, latch-bolts passing between the inner separated sides of the bars and through the clamps, and nuts securing said bolts.

2. In a metallic fence-post, the combination of a cement base, a pair of upright bars embedded in said base and having smooth surfaces, a substantially U-shaped clamp embracing the exterior of both bars and having its broad base bearing against the edges of the bars, and having its arms adapted to receive a line-wire, and means for holding the clamp to the bars.

3. The combination of an inseparable base; spaced upright bars fixed therein; a metallic clamp having a broad back and slotted parallel arms said arms embracing the outersides ofthe barsand said backhavingahole through it; a latch-bolt passing between the inner faces of the bars and having an end extending through the back of the clamp; and means for securing said end said, clamp having means at the opposite end to engage a fencewire.

4. In a metallic'fence-post for wire fence the combination of a cement base having a metallic band around its top or embedded therein and a metallic core, and upright bars fixed in said base, the upper end of said core being attached to said upright bars and the lower end of said core attached to a weight near the bottom of said base substantially as described.

5. In a metallic fence-post, the combination of a cement base having a flange, a pair of parallel and spaced upright bars fixed in said base, said base having a metallic band embedded in it. near its top, U-shaped clamps embracing the outside of the upright bars and having means for receiving the line-wire; and a bolt passing through the space between the pair of upright bars, and also through the back of the clamp, and having a hook end to engage the portion of wire between the pair of bars, and a means for securing the bolt.

6. The combination in a fence of substantially parallel and separated vertical bars, a cement base in which they are fixed, a cappiece with a tongue interposed to hold the bars apart, wire-holding clamps inclosing the bars with the backs across their rear edges and slots for the wires in the front ends of the clamps, bolts having hooks to engage the wires between the arms of the clamps, screwthreaded rear ends passing through the backs of the clamps and nuts fitting thereon, the shanks of said bolts acting as braces at intervals between the post-sections.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH A. UTTER.

Witnesses:

IRVIN C. DWIGGINS, STEPHEN A. STILLWELL.

ICC

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