US43542A - Edmund w - Google Patents

Description

i wmf/W NFETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D G UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND W. WOODRUFF, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FARA/|-FENCEn Speci'cation forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,512, dated July 12, 186i.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND WV. WOOD- RUFF, of the city and county of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the mode of constructing and setting up my improved taut-wire wood rail and post farm-fence and the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

Figure l represents a perspective view of live spans of finished fence, set up zigzag with side braces. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of two spans or sections of fence ready for setting up, the points of the posts saturated with pitch. Fig. 3 shows a post prepared ready for use, it having a series of notches to support the wires. Fig. 4. is the top rail prepared ready for use, the ends being notched to dovetail on the posts. Fig. 5 shows a rail used in connection with the top rail in tightening up each section of the fence. Fig. 6 is one of the side braces or supports.

The object of myinvention is to produce the most simple, economical, cheap, substantial, and durable fence for all plantation and farm purposes.

My invention consists in the mode of notching the ends of rails and the tops of posts, so that when they are put together they form a dovctail, the rail being held rmly in its place by the tension of the wires; also, in the manner of putting the wires on the posts supporting them in sawikerfs or their equivalent, alternately right and left, so that by using one panel ofthe fence as a lever in setting up a sufticient tension is produced on all of the wires at the same time; likewise, in the combined process of construction and mode of setting up and bracing the fence. v

To enable others skilled in the art to make and erect my improved farm-fence, I will proceed to describe it in detail, referring to the drawings, and to the letters marked thereon.

In constructing my farm-fence, I use either sawed stuft', split, or round stakes for the posts A A A. They maybe of such length as is desirable for the height of the fence, the bottoms of which are hewn to a sharp point, so as to be driven into the ground without digging.

On the top of the posts A A A, I cut angular recesses a a a a, to receive the ends of the horizontal rails B B, they being cut oit' at both ends in such a manner as to leave an angular notch or dovetail, b b b, to fit the recesses a a in the tops of the posts A A, which, when placed in and pressed together by the tension of the wires c c c c, will prevent the rails B B from coming out in either direction. In one corner or on one side of each post A, I make broad saw-kerfs or notches e e e e, in which to place a series of strong wires, c c c c. They may be at any desirable distance apart to fill up the space between the top rail Band the ground D D. The wires c c c c should be cut all of one length for each section of the fence, and an eye made on the ends to pass onto the ports. The sections may consist of from two spans to ten, more or less, as the convenience of putting up may require.

When sawed timber is used for the posts, braces, and rails, they may all be prepared under cover in bad weather, and then distributed along the line where the fence is to stand, the wiies being also ready in right lengths. The process of setting up is to drive one post, place the eyes of the wire onto it, they resting in the notches e e e e, then lay down the measuring-piece E, (shown in Fig. 5,) at the end of which drive another post; then place in the side brace, j', and the top rail B, then remove the measuring-piece E and lay it down again, and drive another post, and so on zigzag, alternately right and left of the direct line, until all but one post to complete the section is set up 5 then put the eyes' of the wires d d d onto the post not yet driven, and also the wires h h h for the next section. Ilace the top rail B in or against the notches a a, and also the measuring-piece E at the bottom against the last driven post and the one that remains to be driven to complete the section. This panel is now on one side of the line of the fence, and the wires are all slack. By carrying the post A into a line of the posts that are set up the top rail B and themeasurin gpiece E, holding against the wires c c c c, that are placed in the notches e e e e, right and left of all the posts, this panel performs the part of a lever, and produces the required tension on all of the wires, and they will be made taut in proportion to the length allowed them for that purpose. Thus section after section may be'put up, care being taken to have the Wires all of a length in each section, so that the tension may be uniform throughout.

The advantages of my improved mode of constructing and putting up farm-fence are, that any kind or shape timber can be usedsaWed, split, or round-for the rails, posts and braces. light, as the parts are all so arranged that the joints are compressed and held firmly together by the tension of the Wires on them, The sp an or distances between the posts may be of any desired length, from six to twenty feet. There being suficient strength to the top rail and side braces, any number of Wires from ,three to ten may be used, so that small animals may be kept from getting through, the top rails =be` ing so secured as not to be easily displaced, and they present a sufficient obstacle to prevent cattle from ruiming against the Wires and injuring themselves and damaging the fence; and, furthermore, the quantity of inaterial used being so much less than any other, there being no nails or pins used, nor any lnortiscs or tenons, it can be iitted in the field (requiring no tools but a saw and ax) and put The timber may be very smalland up with greater facility and at less cost than any other fence, the posts not requiring to be driven but a short distance into the ground, the side braces giving it sufficient strength to resist the Wind or other forces.

Having thus fully described my improved farm-fence, the mode of construction, and the process of setting it up, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Pate-nt, is-

1. So forming the upper ends of the posts by means of a dovetail shape and a corre-4 sponding angularity of the rails that when the Wires forming the body'of the fence are drawn to their required tension the said rails are held rmly in place.

`2. Attaching the Wires to the posts and supporting the same on intervening posts in the manner described, in combination with the method of giving ltension to thc Wires, substantially as specified.

n EDMUND W. WOODRUFF.

Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, J. B. WOODRUFF.

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