US54459A - Improvement in fences - Google Patents

Description

UNrrnn STATES Arnivr Ormea.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENC ES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,459, dated May 1, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI YORK, M. D., of Windsor, in the county of' Shelby and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Fence 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a fence made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to construct a fence of such material as is usually found lying around when clearing off timber-land, Without the necessity of any essential carpentering or preparation of the material, and at the same time provide a strong and very durable fence.

My invention, therefore, consists in putting up a strong and durable fence in a manner which will require but little or any preparation of the timber of which the fence is to be made. The fence may be built out of round, sawed, or split timber.

A designates the posts of the fence, and B blocks, which I term ground-chunks, upon which the posts rest.

C are the upright pieces or pickets, and D the rails which passfrom post to post and hold the pickets in place.

The ground-chunks B may be of any knotty or crooked timber which would be almost worthless for any other purpose. These rest or rather lie Aupon the ground, and form the base to which the posts A are secured. They may be bolted to the ground, as represented, or not, as may be found practicable in different cases. It would bewell to have a shouldercut in the lower ends of the posts, as shown at a, Fig. 1, to give them a firmer position, though such shoulder need not necessarily be used, and would not, probably, if the side of the post be sufficiently square where it is placed against the side of the ground-chunks. The posts are bolted to the ground-chunks by nails or spikes, or wooden bolts, or in any suitable way.

The rails D extend from post to post on each side of the posts, one pair near the top of the posts and the other near the bottom, as shown clearly in the drawings. The upper rails are bolted to the posts in any suitable manner, and

the lower ones are bolted to the posts or to the groundchunks in any suitable manner.

The pickets C may be of any kind of timber, and their shape is not essential-such pieces as can be easily procured will answer the purpose. They may be of any suitable length, according to the height it is designed to build the fence,

and their distance apart may be greater or less, as desired. A very tight fence, as effective as a close board fence, can be had by putting the pickets close together, as shown in the drawings. The ends may simply rest upon the ground, or maybe driven into it, if desired.

The several ground-chunks along the fence project out on alternate sides so as to form a better support. But in order to the better support the fence I contemplate, in some cases, using a brace, one of whose ends can belet into a notch cut into the posts and the other into a notch cut into the groundchunks.

A few of the many advantages of a fence constructed according to my invention are:

First, the timber of which it is made needs but little preparation, and such timber can be used as is generally in woody localities burned when clearing the ground. Round pieces, just as they are cut, would answer for pickets, and all such piecesv as would not be suitable for making fences in the ordinary way.

Second, the fence would be lasting and durable, for the reason that timber does not so quickly decay when in an upright position instead of a horizontal.

Third, the posts need not enter the ground, and the very part which in an ordinary setpost7 fence enters the ground could be used for a ground-chunk, where timber is not very plentiful.

Fourth, the posts may be put much farther apart than those of ordinary fences, and the rails will yet be iirm, as they sustain little weight or strain.

Fifth, the fence is portable, as it can be quickly taken apartand transported by merely knocking off the rails which hold the pickets in place.

Sixth, the fence may be made a close fence,

whichis of greatimportance in many instances, and especially in wool-growing and fruit-rais ing sections of the country, and in such cases fence may be put up Without any essential the fence could be made high enough to prepreparation ofthe timber composing thefence, vent the invasion of wolves or the climbing substantially as specified. over of boys for evil purposes.

. yf" What I claim as new, and desire to secure I ELI YORK M' D' by Letters Patent, is- Witnesses: y

The manner herein described of construct- A. BLAND,

ing a, fence, whereby a, strong and durable Z. FERGUSON.

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