US23908A - Method of compensating fob expansion and contraction of metallic fences - Google Patents

Description

L- EIKEN'BERRY.

Iron Fence; v 7

N0. 23,908. Patented May 19, 185a H1 0 xy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIDE.

LEWIS EIKENBERRY, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF COMPENSA'IING FOR EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF METALLIC FENCES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,908, dated May 10, 1859'.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS EIKENBERRY, of Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Compensating Iron Fence; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a front view of an iron fence constructed with my improvement. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

My invention consists in making provision for expansion and contraction in an iron fence by having its palings loosely pivoted together to form lattice work or other similar open work and its panels with its palings arranged to turn 011 their points of connection throughout and thus enable the fence to maintain its usual length while it increases in height.

To enable others, skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents the sill on which the fence is erected.

B, B, B, are short intermediate supports for the panels of the fence to hang and turn upon.

C, is a tubular or solid iron post; between two of these posts, one or more panels of my fence may be arranged so as to be prevented from having longitudinal movement when expansion occurs, but not have their upward movement interfered with.

D, D, represent two panels of an iron fence made after my invention. These panels are made by crossing palings a, a, diagonally or in any manner which will form open work, as shown in the drawing at the points where the palings cross each other, pivots b, b, are inserted, so that they hold the palings firmly together and yet allow them perfect freedom to turn, independently of each other. The panels thus formed are attached by pivots 0, 0, 0, to the intermediate short supports B, so as to be capable of turning freely.

To relieve the pivots 0, 0, c, in case the weight of the panels is too great for them to sustain and it is not practicable to enlarge the pivots, the ends of the palings through which the pivots pass may be rounded off as at c, e, and corresponding circular sockets f, f, provided in the supports for them to rest and turn in, as shown in the drawing.

E, E, are braces for preventing lateral vibration or movement in the panels of the fence. These braces should be arranged with the diagonals and attached to the sill and to the panels so as to turn at g, and at h, and thus not interfere with the changes in the height of the panels when contraction and expansion occur.

From the above description of parts it will be evident that as the panels cannot slide on the points of connection, but as they and the palings are capable of turning on their points of connection when contraction or expansion from change in temperature occurs, the fence throughout will increase or decrease in height, the palings assuming a position more or less inclined from a horizontal line and consequently approximating to or receding from each other.

When expansion occurs, the palings approximate and become more nearly upright and consequently the fence increases in height, but when contraction takes place, the palings recede from each other and stand less inclined to the horizon and consequently the fence decreases in height.

It is very essential in the construction of an iron fence to make provision for expansion and contraction, for if it is not done, serious injury often results to such a fence from the snapping asunder of the weakest parts of the metal in case of sudden changes in the temperature of the weather occurring.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The method, substantially as herein described, of making provision for expansion and contraction in an iron lattice or other open work fence.

LEWIS EIKENBERRY.

Witnesses:

G. Yonxn AT LEE, T. F. ALLEN.

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