US784866A - Concrete fence-post. - Google Patents

Description

N9. 784:,866. I PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905. R H. LATHERS. CONCRETE FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED OUT-27, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

REUBEN H. LATHERS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CONCRETE FENCE-POST- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 784,866, dated March 14, 1905.

Applicatitn nee October 27, 190 1. Serial No. 230,282.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REUBEN H. LATHERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Concrete Fence-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in concrete fence-posts, and has for its object to provide a strong durable post into which can be driven at any point along its face ordinary nails or fence-staples. This I attain by use of a nailing-strip of wood or similar material which is embedded in the cementitious post.

The novel and principal feature of the invention is the method of embedding this strip in such a manner that the post will not crack along the sides of the strip, and, further, to provide a surface of concrete over the strip to protect it from the elements. I am able to obtain by the novel construction which I employ a comparatively thin coating of concrete over the outer face of my nailing-strip in such a manner and of such construction that the same is not ruptured by a nail or staple, but permits the same to pass through itinto the nailing-strip and make only a small hole. It is important in the manufacture of concrete fence-posts to reinforce the same with a sufiicient amount of metal, which should be placed as far removed from the central line or neutral axis of the post as possible.

In my construction I utilize a metal mesh to make the front reinforcement of mypost and to prevent the concrete facing from cracking and spalling. These parts are shown in the annexed drawings, which illustrate my invention and constitute a part of this specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of a post constructed according to my invention, showing a slight nailing-groove along" the front face, below which is the mesh binding and reinforcing member and the nailing-strip. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the post on the line m m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the nailingstrip with the metal-mesh. reinforcement attached. Fig. 4 is aview of the rear reinforcement. Fig. 5 is a View of an auxiliary reinforcement, which may be inserted at the ground-line, if desired.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views.

A is the body portion of the post, which consists of Portland cement, concrete, or similar cementitious substance. I preferably make this square or rectangular in cross-section, with the corners slightly removed.

B is a nailing-strip of Wood or similar substance running longitudinally of the upper part of the post and along the front surface. This strip will be depressed a half-inch or so beneath the surface of the concrete. This wood strip may run the entire length of the post, but preferably will begin an inch or so from the top of the post and extend within a couple of inches above the ground-line.

U is a narrow strip of metal mesh, preferably of ordinary wire-cloth, but may be of any other woven or expanded metal construction desired. This strip of wire-cloth or the like has attached to its back surface at the central line a small strip of wood or like material, (represented by B.) Short staples 0 are employed to hold the wood strip'B and the metal cloth U in position. The outer edges of this strip of metal cloth are preferably turned upward about one-half inch.

D, as shown, is a metal reinforcement for the rear side of the post and may be constructed of a single piece of metal bent upon itself atits middle. I prefer this rectangular or elliptical in cross-section to increase the amount of surface for the steel employed. This metal reinforcement may be deformed, if desired,

to make a mechanical bond with the concrete,

though the adhesion between the steel and concrete will ordinarily be sufficient to utilize the full tensional strength of the steel. The strip of metal cloth serves both for the reinforcement of the front side of the post and for binding members for the concrete. In certain cases it may be desirable to employ in the front section of the post a metal reinforcement similar to that used in the rear, which would be inserted back of the metal cloth and within the upturned edges.

' As shown in Fig. 3, the nailing-strip B does not extend the entire length of the metal cloth. The auxiliary reinforcement E is designed to be inserted at the ground-line F and to extend in the neighborhood of one and one-half feet above and below this line. In construction this auxiliary member would be laid in the post immediately behind the metal cloth and with its upper ends on either side of the lower end of the nailing strip.

l is a slight groove about one-fourth inch in depth along the front center line of the post. The object of this groove is to reduce the thickness of the concrete coating immediately over the nailing-strip to serve as a marker for placing the staples and, further, to enable the fence-wire to be slightly kinked and held securely to the post when the staples G are driven firmly into position. It will be observed that the wire H rests solidly against the front surface of the post on either side of the groove 1 and that the staple will force the wire into the groove. Itis very important to obtain a secure attachment of the fence at each post, so that the entire strain of the fence is not communicated to the end posts.

In practice I prefer to mold my post with face down, in which case the pallet would have a bead at a proper position to form the groove 1. A suflicient amount of concrete is first placed in the mold and struck off, leaving a thin layer of concrete for the face of the post. The metal-mesh strip with the nailingstrip attached is then placed in the mold, which is then nearly filled full of concrete. The rear reinforcement is next inserted and concrete added to complete the post.

Other modifications may be had and other methods of reinforcement used Without departing from the intended scope of my invention, the gist of which consists in a meshed strip for reinforcing and binding the concrete and the nailing-strip for receiving the nails or staples.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a concrete fence-post the combination with a nailing-strip embedded in the cementitious body, of a strip of wire-cloth along the front surface of said nailing-stri p, of a groove in the front surface of the post, and metal reinforcements embedded in the corners of the posts, substantially as described.

2. A concrete fence-post havinga groove along the front surface, of a nailing-strip of wood having wire-cloth attached to the front surface, said nailing-strip and wire-cloth embedded in the cementitious body material of the post at a short distance below the said groove, of additional metal reinforcements disposed in other portions of the post, substantially as described.

3. A concrete fence-post consisting of a eementitious body material, of a strip of wirecloth embedded in the front surface of the post and extending through its length, of a nailing-strip placed immediately behind said wire-cloth running longitudinally of the post above the ground-line, of metal reinforcements disposed in the corners of the posts, substantially as described.

4. A fence-post consisting of a eernentitious body material, a nailing-strip embedded in one face of the post and protected by a covering consisting of a strip of open metal mesh laid in the face of the post, the pores of the mesh being filled with the cementitious body material, substantially as described.

5. A fence-post consisting of a cementitious body reinforced with metal pieces embedded therein and running longitudinally thereof, of a strip of wire-cloth embedded in the post a short distance beneath the surface, of a nailing-strip immediately under the Wire-cloth and the cementitious coating contained Within the interstices of the Wire-cloth, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

REUBEN H. LATHERS. WVitnesses:

ALEX. M. REA, DAVID N. HARPER.

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