US978740A - Fence-post brace. - Google Patents

Description

A. w; HAMILTON & E. L. THOMPSON."

FENCE POST BBAGE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 26, 1908.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS W. HAMILTON AND EARNEST L. THOMPSON, OF BLUFFTON, INDIANA.

FENCE-POST BRAOE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUSTUS W. TIAM- lLl'ON and EARNEST L. THOMPSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Bluffton, in the county of Wells and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Post Braces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fence post braces, and has for its object the production of parts having special construction and particular arrangement for successfully Withstanding the pull to which a post is subjected in a wire fence, the post itself being to a certain extent bodily movable.

The stated object is accomplished by fashioning and associating the parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 represents a side view of all the parts assembled. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the grooved seat for the lower end of the post, and shows one manner of connecting the post seat with the concrete base. Fig. 8 is a side view of the lower end of the post. Fig. 1 is a vertical section of portions of the post and base, and the post seat, the section being taken lengthwise of the groove of the post seat. Fig. 5 is a side View of all parts assembled similar to Fig. 1, but showing the tightening lever raised whereby the strain is taken off all the parts.

Like reference letters are used to mark the same parts throughout the description and drawings.

The fence post A has its lower end a formed to correspond with the T-shaped lower end of the plate B, best shown in Fig. 3. The plate is secured to the post by bolts Z) and b and will be again mentioned. The T-shaped ends of the post and.

plate engage the groove in the post seat C. The groove has the same shape as the end of the post, and is referred to by the letter 0. The post seat C is a piece of cast metal having the form indicated in Figs. 2 and 4:, and it is secured upon the top of the concrete base D, by the bolts 0 and 0 A set screw 0 passes through the end of the post seat into the groove 0 as best shown in Fig. 41-, and the end of the set screw bears against the end of the plate B. Thus, it is thought to be now clear that the plate B is intro duced to receive the thrust of the set screw, which would otherwise injure the wooden post. Considering Fig. 1, it will nowbe Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 26,

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

1908. Serial No. 435,146.

I understood that the post may be bodily moved in the groove 0 in one direction by the set screw, and in the opposite direction when desired by hand. The direction in which the post is movable by means of the set screw is that in which the groove 0 eX- tends. The weight of the post rests upon the upper surface of the seat C.

A plate E, shown in Figs. 1 and 5 as resting upon the ground, has a lug or abutment 6 projecting upwardly from it, and against the lug e is placed one end of the inclined bar F. The other end of the bar engages a notch a near the top of post A. It will be here observed that the inclined bar F is in the position of the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle of which the post and the ground line are the other sides. Therefore, the length of the bar F is greater than the distance from the lower end of the post to the lug c of the plate E measured along the ground line.

The rods G and g are placed along the ground line, and they are connected by the turnbuckle H. The end of rod G .is secured to the foot of post A. The end of rod 9 is pivotally connected with the lever J, and the lever is also pivotally connected with a link K that has a hook end 70 by which the link is is usually constructed, the connection of rod 9 and lever J is made above the connection between the link K and the lever. By reason of such construction, when the free end of lever J is pressed downwardly toward the plate E, the link is drawn upon in a direction from the plate and the rods G and g are drawn upon in a direction toward the plate and from post A with result ing stress or pull upon the rods and link, which through the plate E is communicated to the inclined bar F forcing the bar against the upper end of post A, thereby resisting any contrary force exerted upon the post.

Considering Figs. 1 and 5 there will be observed vertically arranged next to the post the two alined rods L and Z coupled by the turnbuckle M. The rod L has one end connected with the inclined bar F near the post A, and the rod Z has its lower end connected with the horizontal rod G near the foot of the post. The purpose of the vertical rods L and Z and the turnbuckle M is set forth in the explanation of the operation of this invention which is the following: Let it be assumed that the lever J is attached to the plate E. As this invention raised as illustrated in Fig. 5. During that movement, the link K and the plate E are i moved toward the right and the lug 0 leaves the lower end of the bar F as shown. All the parts are now released from stress, and each may if desired be removed. \Vhen the lever is again turned downwardly toward the plate, the lug c of the plate is forced against the lower end of the inclined bar F and the upper end of the bar correspondingly supports the post. Ordinarily, this force is sufficient to resist the usual strain to which the post is subjected. But, possibly some subsequent added strain may incline the post from the vertical in spite of the bracing given it by the horizontal rods G and g and link K acting upon the bar F through the plate E. It is now desired to restore the post to an exact vertical attitude and to counteract the added strain. To accomplish it, the turnbuckle M is operated to draw the ends of the vertical rods L and Z toward each other. The upper end of the bar is drawn downwardly against the post and out of the very shallow notch a, which, in fact, is often omitted altogether, and the top of the post is in that way forced back into the proper position. It has been found that greater force for a short distance is exerted by operating the turnbuckle M than by similarly actuating the turnbuckle H.

It will be observed that the bracing eifect of the adjustable vertical and horizontal rods, and the inclined bar F, is to cause the post to assume a proper upright attitude, but the bracing will not exert any tightening action upon the fence. To tighten the fence or panel thereof, which is almost al- Ways necessary after the post has been braced upright, as the bracing of the post is most readily done when there is some slackness of the fence or panel, the screw 0" is operated and the post A moved bodily on the base D.

Having now described this invention and explained the mode of its operation, what we claim is- 1. In a fence post brace, the combination with a post, of means for bracing the post comprising the ground plate having a lug, an inclined bar having one end against the lug and the other end against the upper part of the post, and adjustable horizontal rods extending between the said plate and post, a base, the said base and the lower end of the post having mutually engaging devices constructed to receive and guide the end of the post, and means arranged to act upon the said base and post and to move the post bodily sidewise.

2. The combination with a base, of a post, the said. post being arranged to stand upon the base, devices attached to the post and to the base and arranged to engage each other and to retain and guide the end of the post upon the base, means arranged to act simultaneously upon the base and the end of the post upon the base to move the post sidewise, and bracing devices including a bar having one end resting against the top of the post, the said bar inclining downwardly to the ground, and adjustable connections joining the lower end of the bar and lower end of the post on the base.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS W. HAMILTON. EARNEST L. THOMPSON. \Vitnesses BI. A. STOUT, FREEMAN CARLISLE.

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