US1094741A - Post. - Google Patents

Description

W. A. OLIPHANT.

POST.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1912.

Patented Apr, 28

A llorneys,

I 1% lll l 2 i! 2; I ll I INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-,\VASHINGTON. D. c

WILLIAM A. OLIPHANT, OF PETERSIBURG, INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 19114.

Application filed November 25, 1912. Serial No. 733,560.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lVrnLnmr A. OLIPHANT, citizen of the United States, residing at Petersburg, in the county of Pike and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Posts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, broadly speaking, to post structures, and its principles may be embodied in the construction of fence posts, telephone and telegraph poles, etc.

The post embodying the present invention is designed chiefly for use in localities where the action of the elements is likely to be such as would tend to overturn the post. lVhen the principles of the invention are embodied in the construction of fence post, such a post is particularly well adapted for use in fencing off low lands which are liable to become inundated. Where a perfectly rigid fence post is employed in fencing ofi low lands, when the lands become flooded, drift is swept by the flood over the surface of the land and lodging against the fences or the posts thereof, results in the posts being snapped at their bases so that they cannot be repaired, and the erection of a new fence is rendered necessary.

It is therefore, one aim of the present invention to provide a fence post so constructed that the fence of which it forms a part may be laid down upon the surface of the ground when found desirable. Consequently, when posts embodying the present invention are employed in fencing oif low lands, a greater or less length of the fence of which they form a part may be manually laid down, thereby allowing free passage of the drift and preventing injury to the fence.

Incidentally, it is an aim of the invention to provide a post possessing the characteristics above mentioned, which post may be readily overturned or set up without the use of tools of any sort and without the necessity of adjusting any of its parts or its connection with its base.

A telephone or telegraph pole constructed in accordance with the present invention is especially adapted for use in localities where high winds are likely to prevail which would in. all likelihood snap or overturn and destroy or injure beyond repair the ordinary rigid post.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a section of fence including in its structure the fence post embodying the present invention, the fence being shown set up in full lines and laid down in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the post, a portion of the base thereof being broken away. Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in edge elevation of the fence post, the same being shown in normal position in full lines and in swung down or tilted position in dotted lines. Fig. at is a vertical transverse sectional view illustrating a slight modification of the invention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

As before stated, the principles of the invention may be embodied in the construction of a fence post or of a telephone or telegraph pole, or any similar post-0r pole, but are here shown as embodied in a fence post.

The base of the post is indicated by the numeral 1 and is preferably of concrete or some other plastic material, and while it may assume practically any desired form, the form shown in the drawing is to be preferred. As illustrated, the base is of greater width and thickness at its upper end, and tapered in the direction of its lower end, the downwardly converging side faces of the base being indicatedby the numeral 2, and the downwardly converging edge faces being indicated at 3. At its lower end, however, the base is increased in width as indicated at a, so that when embedded in the soil it will be anchored as against upward displacement. For a purpose which will be presently fully explained, the base is formed in its top face with a transversely extending recess 5 which preferably terminates at its ends short of the planes occupied by the edge faces 3 of the base. The wall of the recess 5 is preferably transversely concaved, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The postproper is indicated by the numeral 6 and as clearly shown in the several figures of the drawing is tapered toward its upper end. This post is preferably formed of wood and in is ap iroximatcly t'mice post. -ctlerrii to Fig. 3 it will be obvious that the lower end of the post i.--: rounded or tran :vc1sely convened as at (3 and the curvature of the convex lower end of the post corresponds to the 'lransv curvature of the ."Jilll of the seat or rec in the upper end of the base so that the lower end of the host may seat snugly in the recess in the (ll-airing, the recess is illustrated as relative. y shallow. but it will be understood that it may be of greater depth than here shown it aind expedient. The post is supported at its lower end between a pair of anchoring members, each of which is formed from a suitable length 7 of strap iron bent upon itself at a point midway between its ends, as indicated at 8, the portions of the anchoring member adjacent the bend S bcing' slightly spaced, as indicated at fl so that when the anchoring members are embedded in the base 1, the plastic material from which the base is formed will fill the space 3) between the folds or spaced portions of the anchoring members and these members will be thus firmly anchored as against withdrawal.

Referring to F 2 of the drawing it will. be noted that the anchoring members are so positioned or embedded in the base that the ends of their spaced portions or an ordinary foldswill project a slight distance above the upper end of the base 1, the projecting end of one anchoring member being located a i; one end of the recess and the projecting end of the other anchoring member being located at the other end of the said recess. The anclmiing members have their ends tor-med with openings 10 through which are inserted lag screws 11, these screws being driven into the opposite edges of the post 6 at a point ad acent the lower end thereof.

By referring to Fig. 3 of the drawing it will, be apparent that the post may have swinging or tilting movement upon the lag screws 11, but it will also be apparent from this figure that the axis about which the post may have wringing movement, as defined by the lag screws, is located such a distance above the lower end of the post as to be eccentric to the line of curvature of the said lower end of the post. As a cons quence, when the post is in an upright position, its COI'D'QX lower end will seat snugly and firmly in the recess and the post will be supported in u right position, additional support being afforded by the wires secured to it. it will be pparenh however, that the post may be overturned manually as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3, and that when overturned or tilted it will lie substantially horizontally, or in other words substantially flat upon the ground.

wires carried by the post are indicated by the numeral 12 and may be merely line wires as shown, or may be replaced by woven wire, or by wooden rails.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a fence constructed in accordance with the present invention will be substantial, and will withstand any ordinary impacts and may be readily manually overturned, carrying with it the fence wires, and may be equally as readily raised 01' swung up to upright position. In practice, a number of the posts constructed as herein shown and described will be arranged in a line be tween fixed end posts and when it is desired to lower the fence, the fence wires will be disconnected from one of the fixed posts and the fence will then be allowed to lower as ll()'\\fi in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Vl hen it is desired to return the fence to upright position, a rope may be connected to the said end of the fence and pulling force exerted thereon. After it has been pulled to uprightposition, the wires of the fence are secured.

As shown in Fig. & of the drawing, the anchoring members 7 may be additionally reinforced by a third anchoringmember formed from a suitable length of rod mate rial bent to form a connecting portion 13 at the ends of which the rod is bent to extend through the loops formed by the bends S in the anchoring members and is thence bent downwardly as at 14, the lower ends of the portions ll of the rod being bent as at 15 to conform substantially to the contour of the widened portion 4- of the base 1.

It will be understood that in embodying the principles of the invention in the con struction of a. telephone or telegraph pole, practically the same arrangement of parts will be resorted to as in the present case, the proportions only being varied to suit the different use to which the post is put.

It will be observed by reference to the drawing that the posts are arranged with their side faces presented in the direction of extent of the fence as a whole, and that the fence wires are secured to the edges of the posts, the posts being adapted to swing down in the direction of extent of the fence, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It will thus be seen that the up standing portions of the anchoringmembers and the lag screws 11 will serve to firmly brace the post in a direction at right angles to the line of extent of the fence, although it may be readily manually lowered, as before described.

Haring thus described the invention what claimed as new is 1. In an article of the class described, a base having a concave seat. in its upper end, supports located at the ends of the seat, a

The post disposed in its lower end betwoen'the supports and having its said lower end resting in the seat, and means upon the supports pivot-ally engaging the post, the pivot means being located eccentrically to the concaved wall of the seat.

2. In an article of the class described, a base provided in its upper end With a transversely extending seat terminating short of the opposite sides of the said upper end of the base, supports projecting above the upper end of the base and closing the ends of the seat, a post having its lower end shaped to fit the seat When the post is in upright position, and means upon the supports pivotally engaging the post at points eccentric to the seat.

In an article of the class described, a base formed in its upper end with a concave side, spaced supports embedded in the base at the opposite ends of the seat and projecting above the said upper end of the base, a post disposed at its lower end upon the base and having its said end shaped to fitthe seat When the post is in upright position, and pivots fitted through the upper ends of the supports and into the opposite sides of the post, the pivots being located eccentrically With respect to the curvature of the seat.

In' testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

lVILLL-XM A. OLIPHANT. [1,. s]

lVitnesses VILLIAM D. (From, JEFF. M. ALEXANDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O.

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