GB2111460A

GB2111460A - Device for protecting wooden posts against rotting

Info

Publication number: GB2111460A
Application number: GB08136395A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Chiverton Bullock
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-12-02
Filing date: 1981-12-02
Publication date: 1983-07-06

Abstract

A device to protect a wooden post against rotting comprises a container 1 to hold a wood preservative liquid, the container 1 having an outlet pipe 9 at its lower rear end to be engaged in a transverse bore in the post, a lid or cap 14 at its upper end and means, such as a tab 7, whereby it can be fixed to the wooden post. Ribs 12 may be provided within the container 1 to reinforce it so that it can be struck by a mallet to force the outlet pipe into the bore in the wooden post. In use the liquid in the container flows into the bore in the post to replace sap drying out of the post thereby to protect the post against ingress of water. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for protecting wooden posts against rotting The invention relates to a method and a device for protecting posts against rotting.

Wooden posts having a lower portion buried in the ground are subject to rotting and while the upper part of the post can be treated by brushing on wood preservatives such as creosote or proprietary preservatives for example that sold under the trade mark "Cuprinol", the lower part of the post which is the part most likely to rot due to moisture in the ground cannot be treated once the post has been installed in a hole in the ground. As natural sap dries out of timber, moisture is drawn into the timber by capillary action and causes rotting.

According to one aspect of the invention, a device for protecting wooden posts against rotting comprises a container to hold a wood preservative liquid, the container having an outlet pipe at or adjacent its lower end, a lid or cap at its upper end and means whereby it can be fixed to a wooden post with the outlet pipe engaged in a transverse bore in the post such that the liquid from the container can pass from the container through the outlet pipe into the bore in the post.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a method of protecting a wooden post against rotting comprises forming a transverse bore in a face of the post at a position which, when the post is installed in the ground, corresponds generally to the ground level, the bore extending approximately three-quarters of the distance between said one face and an opposite face of the post, engaging in said bore an outlet pipe provided at the lower end of a container such that the outlet pipe is sealed in an outer end portion of the bore, securing the container to said one face of the post, filling the container with a wood preservative liquid, closing the upper end of the container and periodically topping up the level of preservative liquid in the container to replace liquid which has been drawn, by the action of gravity and capillary action, from the container via the bore into spaces between fibres of the wooden post.

Preferably, the container is formed of a moulded plastics material such as polypropylene, has a flat rear face to lie against said one face of the post, a tab at the upper end of the rear face, through which tab a screw or nail can be passed to secure the container to the post and has the outlet pipe extending perpendicular to the rear face adjacent the bottom of the container.

Preferably, the lid has a downward projection to engage in the upper end of the container and be retained therein by the resilience of the moulded material from which the container is formed.

The preservative liquid seeps into the wood of the post by a combination of the action of gravity from the head of liquid in the container and capillary action due to spaces between the fibres of the wood. By forming the bore to extend approximately three-quarters of the width.or thickness of the post, substantially all of the growth rings existing in the post and formed in the wood of the tree from which the post was cut, will be intersected by the transverse bore such that the preservative liquid can seep between the rings from the transverse bore both upwardly and downwardly of the post from the location of the bore.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of a container of a device for protecting a wooden post against rot according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side view corresponding to Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view corresponding to Figures 1 and 2, Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 1V--IV of Figure 1 and showing a lid for the container, Figure 5 is a plan view of the lid of the container, and Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a device according to the invention installed at the lower end of a wooden post.

Referring to the drawings, a container generally indicated at 1 is moulded of polypropylene and has a planar rear wall 2, side walls 3 and 4, a front wall 5 and a bottom wall 6. A portion 7 of the rear wall 1 extends upwardly above the level of the walls 3, 4 and 5 and has a countersunk aperture 8 in its front face. Adjacent the lower end of the rear wall 2 an outlet pipe 9 having its bore 10 in communication with the interior of the container 1 extends rearwardly, the pipe 9 having raised triangular section circumferential ribs 11 extending therearound. Internally of the container a pair of integral triangular ribs 12 extend from the front wall 5 to the junction of the rear wall 1 and the bottom wall 6.

A lid 13 for the container 1 is also moulded of polypropylene, has an upper planar portion 14 and a downwardly depending flange 1 5 of a size such that when the flange 1 5 is pushed into the open upper end of the container 1 the resilience of the material from which the container and lid are made will retain the lid in position. The upper member 14 of the lid 13 has a recess 16 in its rear-edge to accommodate the tab 7.

Preferably, the container 1 has an overall height in the region of 9 cm. In use, and with reference to Figure 6, a transverse bore 1 7 of 7.5 mm diameter is bored in the front face 18 of a wooden post 19, for example a fence post which supports arris rails 20 and 21. The hole 1 7 is bored at approximately the level at which the surface of the ground will be when the post 19 is installed or if the post 1 9 has already been installed in the ground then at the level of the ground. The outlet pipe 9 of the container 1 of Figures 1 to 5 is then pressed into the outer end of the bore 1 7, the outlet pipe 9 being of a size such that it is a relatively tight fit in the bore 17.If necessary the container can be tapped with a mallet to press the pipe 9 into the bore 17, the webs 12 reinforcing the container against damage caused by tapping it with a mallet. When the rear face 2 of the container 1 is flush with the front face 18 of the post 19, a nail or screw is engaged in the countersunk aperture 8 in the tab 7 and driven home to secure the container 1 to the post 19. The container is then filled with liquid, the initial charge of liquid also filling the entire bore 1 7 in the post as well as the container 1.The triangular section circumferential ribs 11 on the outlet pipe 9 of the container 1 are so shaped, as can be seen in Figure 4, that as the outlet pipe 9 is pressed into the bore 1 7 the sloping face of each rib 11 will abut the inner surface of the bore 17 and will form a seal therewith which will prevent the liquid from leaking out at the outer end of the bore 17. The lid 13 is applied to the container to prevent dirt and leaves entering the container. Field trials have shown that a charge of liquid in the container 1 is sufficient for approximately one year before the container needs refilling, the actual period depending on the type of timber, the width of the post, the grain formation of the post, the water content of the post and the type of soil in which the post is embedded.

It has been found that cattle and horses do not tend to chew devices which are provided on posts at ground level and the polypropylene of which the container 1 is formed should be sufficiently impact resistant to avoid damage should the container be accidentally kicked by a horse or cow.

The post 19 could obviously be of other than rectangular section, the rear wall of the container could, if desired, be of a complementary shape and the lid could be in the form of a cap to go over rather than into the top of the container.

Claims (Filed on 30 Nov 1982) 1. A device for protecting wooden posts against rotting comprising a container to hold a wood preservative liquid, the container having an outlet pipe at or adjacent its lower end, a lid or cap at its upper end and means whereby it can be fixed to a wooden post with the outlet pipe engaged in a transverse bore in the post such that the liquid from the container can pass from the container through the outlet pipe into the bore in the post.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which the container is formed of a moulded plastics material such as polypropylene, has a flat rear face to lie against a face of the post, has a tab at the upper end of the rear face, through which tab screw or nail can be passed to secure the container to the post, and has the outlet pipe extending perpendicular to the rear face adjacent the bottom of the container.

3. A device according to claim 2, in which the lid has a downward projection to engage in the upper end of the container and be retained therein by the resilience of the moulded plastics material from which the container is formed.

4. A device according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which integral reinforcing webs are provided extending from the rear wall of the container to a front wall of the container within the container.

5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, including triangular section circumferentially extending ribs on the outlet pipe.

6. A method of protecting a wooden post against rotting comprising forming a transverse bore in a face of the post at a position which, when the post is installed in the ground, corresponds generally to the ground level, the bore extending approximately three-quarters of the distance between said one face and an opposite face of the post, engaging in said bore an outlet pipe provided at the lower end of a container such that the outlet pipe is sealed in an outer end portion of the bore, securing the container to said one face of the post, filling the container with a wood preservative liquid, closing the upper end of the container and periodically topping up the level of preservative liquid in the container to replace liquid which has been drawn, by the action of gravity and capillary action, from the container via the bore into spaces between fibres of the wooden post.

7. A device for protecting wooden posts against rotting substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A method of protecting a wooden post against rotting as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. mallet to press the pipe 9 into the bore 17, the webs 12 reinforcing the container against damage caused by tapping it with a mallet. When the rear face 2 of the container 1 is flush with the front face 18 of the post 19, a nail or screw is engaged in the countersunk aperture 8 in the tab 7 and driven home to secure the container 1 to the post 19. The container is then filled with liquid, the initial charge of liquid also filling the entire bore 1 7 in the post as well as the container 1.The triangular section circumferential ribs 11 on the outlet pipe 9 of the container 1 are so shaped, as can be seen in Figure 4, that as the outlet pipe 9 is pressed into the bore 1 7 the sloping face of each rib 11 will abut the inner surface of the bore 17 and will form a seal therewith which will prevent the liquid from leaking out at the outer end of the bore 17. The lid 13 is applied to the container to prevent dirt and leaves entering the container. Field trials have shown that a charge of liquid in the container 1 is sufficient for approximately one year before the container needs refilling, the actual period depending on the type of timber, the width of the post, the grain formation of the post, the water content of the post and the type of soil in which the post is embedded. It has been found that cattle and horses do not tend to chew devices which are provided on posts at ground level and the polypropylene of which the container 1 is formed should be sufficiently impact resistant to avoid damage should the container be accidentally kicked by a horse or cow. The post 19 could obviously be of other than rectangular section, the rear wall of the container could, if desired, be of a complementary shape and the lid could be in the form of a cap to go over rather than into the top of the container. Claims (Filed on 30 Nov 1982)

1. A device for protecting wooden posts against rotting comprising a container to hold a wood preservative liquid, the container having an outlet pipe at or adjacent its lower end, a lid or cap at its upper end and means whereby it can be fixed to a wooden post with the outlet pipe engaged in a transverse bore in the post such that the liquid from the container can pass from the container through the outlet pipe into the bore in the post.