US43790A - Improvement in fence-posts - Google Patents

Description

Patented Aug. 9, I864 m xv ' at c and h h.

NITED STATES JEROME PALMER, OF PAIN ESVILL E, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT lN FENCE-POSTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,791}, dated August 9, 1864.

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEROME PALMER, of Painesville, in the county of Lake and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Method for Securing and Preserving Wood Posts for Fences and other purposes; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is afull and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view exhibiting a wood post secured to an iron sill; Fig. 2, an elevation of the same, showing its appearance when bedded in the soil; Fig. 3, aperspective view of the post, showing the construction of its lower end; Fig. 4., an elevation of a wood post and iron sill resting on a stone base and its position in the soil; Fig. 5, a plan of the sill used therewith; Fig. 6, an elevation of a sill with iron posts adapted thereto.

The letters of reference apply to like parts in all the figures.

The primary object of this invention is an improved method of combining a wood post with an ironsill for fences and other structures in such manner as to insure solidity, durability, and cheapness and facility of manufacture, and to counteract the premature decay of the wood portion thereof, thereby rendering the post indestructible. As wood in many localities is becoming scarce and dear, and iron at no distant day will be plentiful and cheap, it is believed this arrangement will be deemed of great importance, particularly in the erection of fences.

The following description will show the construction and mode of using my invention: A, Fig. 1, is a sill of cast-iron. Its upright part consists of four cross-braces, B, and a tongue, (I, which, with the shoe D, is cast solid. The said tongue may be shaped as shown, which represents it as slightly tapering upward and of wedge shape. This form is that which I prefer; but it can be formed square and flat or cylindrical, so as to fit corresponding apertures in the post. E is a wood post, having its bottom out and formed to fit the tongue 0, and the top of the braces B, as shown in Fig. 3 The post is secured to the said sill by the bolts 60 a, passing through its lower end, and through corresponding holes in the tongue 0. Another bolt, I), is passed through above the last mentioned and through a notch in the upper end of the said tongue. The

bolts to (t secure the post firmly to the sill. The other is added to prevent any tendency in the wood to split.

It will be observed that thelong open aperture 0, Fig.3, allows its inner faces to contract on the tongue 0 in case of shrinkage of the solid portion above it. insure a tight and firm fit of the post to the sill.

Fig. 2 exhibits the appearance of the before-mentioned post and sill when in its place in the ground. The delineation shows the soil and surface of the ground, the dotted line at 6 indicating the position of the bottom of the post above the surface of the ground,

thus keeping it from contact therewith. A glance at the figure will show that this method cannot but secure all the desirable advantages attainable through mechanical arrangementthat of solidity, permanency, indestructibility, and the action of frost.

In some localities it may be desirable to employ stone as a base for the iron sill, in which case the sill can be shortened in height and so trimmed or cut away in the braces and shoe that the weight might be considerably lessened This form is shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Instead of stone, blocks of wood, kyanized or made indestructible by other known methods, could be adopted for such bases. Again, should it be desirable to employ iron or iron and wood for the posts instead of wood alone, Fig. 6 shows the method of attaching such to the tongue 0, ff being two thin upright bars, of cast or wrought iron, or an ornamented front of iron with a back of wood, the rails or lattice-work of wire being received between the said bars and secured by any known method.

It is presumed that my arrangement, as above stated, is a very simple and eflicient plan for combining wood and iron, or wood, iron, and stone, for the purposes named.

I do not claim broadly the use of an iron sill or base; but I am not aware that a combination of a wood post with an iron sill, ora combination of a wood post with an iron sill and stone base, as delineated in Figs.2 and 4, have ever been adopted or patio use.

I do not claim the'use of iron, stone, or earthenware bases or shoes as applied to the support of wood posts to prevent their decay separately considered, as such have been al- This will always.

ready in use; but I am not aware that such bases have ever been constructed and arranged in the manner shown in my invention herein set forth.

What I claim therefore, and desire to secnre by Letters Patent, is p The manner of combining a wood or other post with an anti-destruotible base by conconstruoting the upper portion of the base or sideA with the broad and elongated wedgeshaperl tongue G, the said tongue being provided with a notch, or its equivalent, on its upper edge and bolt-holes through its lower

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