US1315220A - Planogra - Google Patents

Description

M. E. EVAN'S.

LOCKING TONGUE FOR FENCEPOSTS, sic.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 31.1918.

1 3 1 5,220 I Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

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WITNESSES THE COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPH c0-. WASHINGTON, D. c.

'nrrni) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN Evans, 015 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

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Application filed December 31, 1918. Serial No. 269,136.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, MARTIN.E. EVANS, a

resident .of Pittsburgh, in the county of Alle gheny and State of Pennsylvania, have ill. vented a new and useful lmprovement 1n Locking-Tongues for Fenceposts, 800., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to inetallicfence posts and other supports and spacing members, such, for instance, as used for concrete reinforcement, to support metallic lathing,

shingles, and thelik l The object of the invention is to provide a metallic post or other support with punched out tongues, integral atone end with the post or other support, for fastening and spacing the wires and other members to be secured to the post or support, and which tongues are formed with means to enter and lock the free end of the tongue in a tongue slot, thereby forming in effect a staple which is an integral part of the post or support and which provides astronge'i fastener and one not so liable to break, as such tongues here tofore formed. A further object is to provide tongues of such form that their free ends can belnterlocked 1n tongue slots by the use of ordinary tools, or even by a hammer aloneybyan ordinary workman. i

As the invention is particularly adapted for plate metal fence posts, it is illustrated and described in connection withthis particular use, but it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular use, but is adapted for any of the various uses above specified.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 illustrates a wlre fence post embodying one form of the invention; Fig. 2 is anelevation.

of a portion of the post showing one form of locking tongue; Figs. 8 and 4 are vertical sectional views of the post showing the tongue both before and after being locked in position; Fig. 5 is an elevation of a portion of a fence post showing a modified form of the invention; and Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sectional views of the post showing modified ways of utilizing the locking tongue.

In all of the view-s of the drawing 1 indicates a metalliofenoe post and 2 the wires secured thereto. Such posts are formed of.

thin plate metal, bent either to tubular form, forming a so-called closed post, or to U or concave form, forming a so-called open post. The tongues for fastening the wires to the post are indicated by the reference numeral 3, the same being punched out of the plate metal, being integral with theplate metal at one of their ends and bent out wardly from the body of the plate to permit of insertion of the wires between the same Specification of Letters Patent; L i l Sept, 9, 1919,. i

and the outer face of the post, and which tongues, in all forms are so formed that tllGlI'. free ends can enter and be lnterlocked in a tongue slot, theslot formed either by punching out the particular tongue under consideration, or the slotformedby punchiing out anadjacent tongue. i

hese tongues are preferably punched out While the plate isin the flat, and since they extend lengthwise of the post, the curving of the plate transversely to the tubular or U-shape, narrows these slots somewhat on the inner face of the plate, so that they are I10 longer of the full width of the tongues punched therefrom. Consequently if the end of a tongue is forced back through the slot from which it was punched, any en largement on the tongue will interlock be hindthe side wallsof the slot. This principle is utilized in the various forms of tongues illustrated.

In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4- the tongue 3 is provided with a narrow portion 4, below its end or head portion 5. With this form',*after the wire 2 is inserted, the end of thetongue is bent down until its head can enter through the under portion 6 of the slot, just below the narrow portion 4, then forced therethrough, as shown in Fig. 8.

This canxbe done by merely tapping the tongue with a hammer to first bend it and i then force its head through the slot. The

free end of the tongue is thenlifted slightly,

bya suitable tool or by lifting on the wire 2, thereby bringing its head 5 behind the edges of the narrow slot portion 4, and forming the interlock, as shown in Fig. 4:.

Fig. 5 shows a modification in which the i i slot. This form allowsfor a certain'amount of variation as to the 'final' position ofthe tongue V In Figs. 6 and 7 th'e'free'end of the tongue,- instead of being interlocked with the slot from which it is punched, is'interlocked with the slot immediately below it,l*ig. (3 showing the tongue bent downwardly on the outside of'the post and Fig. 7 showing the tongue bent downwardly on the inside of the post.

narrower portion of said slot;

movedjto final position by first giving an ini: tialsharp bend to-bring their ends into the wide portions of the slots whichthey are to enter, and then by properly tapping the tongues withahamlmer they can be causedto bend to the desired final position;

Various other modifications obviously can be made in the form of the interlocking tongue. With all forms described-the tongue is integral at one end with the metal of the post or other support, and said tongue is so 1 formed, that its vfree end is entered into and interlocked in atongue slot, thus forming in effect a staple which furnishes a strong support for the Wire or other member to be fas tened to the post or support and throwing any strains which may be brought upon the wire upon both ends of the tongue; As a consequence these tongues are stronger and not as liabletobreak, as with tongues as,

heretofore used, in which thefreeend ofthe' tongue was not interlocked with the' post, and, as a consequence the entire strain was throw upon the root of the tongue, thus resulting in frequent breakage.

The poster similar memben described can be fabricated by punching the tongnes from one side of the body of the plate.

All formsof tongues described can be,

the plate metal while in the Hat, with ordinary gang punching machinery, either rotary or reciprocatory, or combined rotary and reciprocatory. The dies for punching the tongues from the fiat will also beso formed as to bend the tongues outwardly to Or the tongues can be left in normal position, the

necessary bending being effected by the erector. All of the operations of manufacture are simple, and add nothing to the cost of manufacturing similar articles with integral tongues.

I claim 1; A plate metal post or spacing member,

provided with locking tongues punched from the metal of said member without removing metal therefrom, thereby forming complement-a1 slots, said tongues and slots being wide at theirfree ends and narrower at the] r intermediate portions and again wider at =the1r bases, the base portions belng at least as wide as the free end portions, whereby a tongue can be entered into and locked in its slot without twisting, by entering its wide end portion through the widened base portion of the slot and moving the end of said tongue to bring its widened portion behind the narrower portion of the slot.

2. A plate metal post or spacing member of, curved form, provided with locking tongues punched from the metal of said member and extending lengthwise thereof,

said tongues and slots being wide at their free ends and narrower intermediate their ends and the slots ad acent the1r bases being jwidened, whereby a tongue can be entered into and locked in a slot without twisting by entering its widened end portion through the widened base portlon of a slot and movingthe end of the tongue to bring its widened portion behind the narrower portion of the slot.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

MARTIN E. EVANS.

' copies of this patent may he obtained forf fiye cents each, by addressing th c mmissioner of Patents,

' r r Wflrashingto'n, D. C.

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