US813782A

US813782A - Fence-post.

Info

Publication number: US813782A
Application number: US28493405A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Eade
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1905-10-30
Filing date: 1905-10-30
Publication date: 1906-02-27
Anticipated expiration: 1923-02-27

Description

EATENTED EEE. 27, 1906.- W. J. EADE. FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED OCW-30,1905A INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY'.

' Aline e z of Fig.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. EADE, OF DAYTON,`OHIO.

FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed October 30, 1905. Serial No. 284,934.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. EADE, a citizen of the United tates, residing at Dayton, in thev county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts, of which reference be, ing had therein to the accompanying draw-1 the triangular tongues formed by the slits the following is a specification,

ings.

This invention relates to fence-posts, being designed more particularly for application to fence-posts constructed of cement, although applicable to fence-posts of other material.

The invention has for its object to provide means for the ready and secure attachment of the fence-wires to the fence-post, the construction being such as to permit the wires to be readily connected and disconnected therefrom.

To these and other ends my invention consists in certain novel features which I will now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a fence-post embodying my invention in one form. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line x of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a detail plan section taken on the line y y of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on the 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the locking bar or key detached.

In the said drawings, l indicates the body of the post, which is preferably constructed of cement or a cementitious compound, preferably by the process of molding. The rear portion of the body of this post is preferably reinforced by one or more metallic members extending longitudinally of the same near the rear thereof from end to end. In the present instance I have shown for this purpose the construction which I perefer, consisting of two wire cables 2.

3 represents a metallic plate, preferably of iron or steel, partially embedded in the front portion of the post above the ground-line and serving bothto reinforce the saidfront portion of the post-body and also to receive and support the fence-wires. This plate is arranged radially with respect to the post, along which it extendslongitudinally, and has a suitable proportion thereof-as, for instance, about half cement.

of its width-embedded in the cement body of the post. This embedded portion is preferably slit at intervals, as indicated at 4, in that portion thereof which is embedded in the cement, so as to effect a more perfect bond and permanently unite said plate to the This result is obtained by bending outwardly alternately in opposite directions 4, so as to cause the projecting tongues thus formed to engage the cement, and the slits 4 are preferably alternately inclined upward and downward from the rear margin of the plate, as shown, so that the tongues will project alternately upward and downward as well as onboth sides of the plate. The portion of the plate which extends out beyond the front face of the post is provided at intervals with wire-receiving slots, of which any suitable number may be employed, according to the number of wires of which the fence is composed. In the present instance I have shownfive of these slots. Each consists of a horizontal portion 5 extending from the outer edge of the plate to the face of the post, a vertical portion 6 extending along the face of the post, and a seat or recess portion 7, said seat or recess extending outwardly from but opening inwardly toward the body of the post, being closed by the body of the plate at its top and bottom and outer sides. Coperating with these wire-receiving slots is a locking bar or key 8 (Shown in position in Fig. l and separately in Fig. 6.) This locking-bar is of a thickness such that when it lies against the front face of the post it leaves a sufficient space within the seats or recesses 7 to permit the fence-wires to lie therein, while at the same time it closes the portions 6 of the wirereceiving slots in such a manner as to prevent the fence-wires which lie within the seats or recesses 7 from entering said slots, so that they may be disengaged from the post. The locking-bar is preferably provided with a hooked upper end 9, adapted to engage over the upper edge of the plate 3, so as to limit the downward motion of the locking-bar and prevent its falling by gravity from its position when in place. The plate 3 prevents lateral displacement of the locking-bar in one direction, and the postbody is provided on the other side of the locking-bar with means for -preventing lateral displacement thereof in the opposite direction, this means preferably consisting of pins l0, partially embedded in the cement body and projecting outward therefrom sufficiently to IOO IIO

engage the locking-bar and prevent lateral movement thereof away from the plate.

It will be seen that the fence-wires may be readily engaged in the receiving-slots of the plate and moved to a position such that they rest in the seats'or recesses 7 whereupon the locking-rod may be passed down between the wires and the face of the post on two of its sides and between the plate 3 and pins 10 on its two other sides. thus placed in position, it holds the fencewires firmly in the recesses 7, while said wires, in conjunction with the plate, pins, and postbody, hold the locking-bar against displacement. The'locking-bar is preferably made of a length sufficient to cause it when in position to extend downward beyond the lower edge of the plate and into the ground, the engagement of the upper end of said rod with the upper edge of the plate serving to limit its downward motion during the operation of inserting said locking-rod in position. However, the said rod may be made of a length such as to cause it to terminate above the ground, in which case the engagement of its upper end with the top of the plate will prevent it from falling. The locking-bar may be readily withdrawn by a longitudinal movement upward, whereupon the wires may be readily released in an obvious manner.

I have shown the plate 3 as provided at its lower end with' apertures 11, two of them formed in its embedded portion and one of them in its exposed portion. This latter aperture mayserve for the attachment by tiewires ef a fence-wire at the ground-line, as shown in dotted lines. The two inner apertures serve to give an additional bonding connection between the plate and cement body of the post at the ground-line and also serve for the connection to the plate of conducting wires 12, which extend from the plate downward through the post, so as to give a good earth-contact terminal. The said apertures 11 are made of a size such that after the conducting-wires 12 are passed through the same to connect the plate the openings are still of a size sufficient to permit the cement of which the body of the post is formed to extend through said apertures, and thus effect a firmer union of the plate and the cement body. The wires 12 are important for the reason, among others, that wire fences are frequently struck by lightning, and frequent and efficient earth connections serve to diminish the liability to injury of live stock, which are apt to gather near a fence during a storm. The cement post being a non-conductor of electricity would insulate the fence-wires from the ground if not provided with these earth conductors, so that the post would be liable to injury .by the jumping of the current from the embedded portion of the plate to the ground. The same tendency of the current to jump from Vhen the locking-bar is' the wires to the ground which exists when no provision for ground connections is made would be liable to injure or cause the death of cattle standing near the fence by reason of the current passing from the fence-wires to the cattle on its way to the ground, and this danger is averted by the ample ground connections which I have furnished. The locking-bar furnishes in itself a ground connection when said bar is made of a length such as to extend down into the ground, as in my preferred construction. A similar ground connecting-wire 13 may be connected to the exposed portion of the plate 3 by means of the aperture 11 at the lower end thereof if desired. The size of the aperture 11 is such as to permit the connection thereto of both the ground-wire 13 and the tie-wire which supports the lowermost fence-wire, in case this latter is employed. The ground-Wires 12 being embedded in the body of the fencepost also serve as a reinforcing or strengthening element for this portion of the structure which lies below the plate, and which is therefore not reinforced by said plate.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction hereinbefore described, and shown in the accompanyin drawings, as it is obvious that these detaiIs may be modified without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

1. A fence-post comprising a body and a longitudinal plate being provided with wire receiving grooves extendin from the margin of the plate to the face of the body and having seats or recesses for the wires opening toward said body, and a locking-rod adapted to fit between the body and said recesses adjacent to the plate and prevent the wires in said recesses from entering the slots, substantially as described.

2. A fence-post comprising a body and a longitudinal plate projecting therefrom, said plate being provided with wire receiving grooves extendin from the margin of the plate to the face of the body and having seats or recesses for the wires opening toward said body, and a locking-rod adapted to fit between the body and said recesses adjacent to the plate and prevent the wires in said recesses from entering the slots, said body being provided with means for preventing lateil'al motion of the locking-rod away from the p ate.

3. A fence-post comprising a cement body and a combined reinforcing and wire-supporting member consisting of a plate extending longitudinally of the portion of the post above ground, partly embedded therein to reinforce the same, and having its projecting part provided with wire-receiving grooves IOO plate projecting therefrom, said IIO IIS

terminating in inwardly opening recesses,

pins projecting from the body along one side of the plate, and a locking-rod fitting between the pins and plate against the face of 5 the body and adapted to close the mouths of the recesses, substantially as described.

4. A fence-post comprising a body and a longitudinal plate projecting therefrom, the projecting portion of the plate being pro- Io vided with wire-receiving slots terminating in inwardly-opening recesses, and a free locking-rod adapted to fit between the recesses and the face of the body adjacent to the plate and having its upper extremity adapted to engage the plate, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereor i affix my signature i presence of two witnesses.

WLLIAM J. EADE. Witnesses;

H. L. LITELIFIELD, l M. SMITH.