US792476A - Fence. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

J. McK. SUTHERLAND.

FENCE APPLICATION FILED FEB.11,1905.

$1 wantoz flaws v Witnuowo Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH MoKAY SUTHERLAND, OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,476, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed February 11, 1905. Serial No. 245,281.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH MoKAY Surn- ERLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sioux Falls, in the county of Minnehaha and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fences, and more particularly to stays therefor.

One of the objects of the invention is the production of a stay which has its longitudinal edges reinforced by means of peculiarly constructing the body of the stay.

Another object of the invention is the improvement of a stay which is adapted to be positioned upon the strands of a fence intermediate of the posts, said stay provided with reinforced notched edges for receiving the strands of wire and locking means for securing the strands and stays in an assembled position.

WVhile I have mentioned some of the ob-' jects of the present invention, the same also consists of certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more par ticularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a fence constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred form of my improved stay, illustrating the position of strands when retained in a locked position therewith. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective'view of my improved stay, which is provided with reinforced ends.

My improved stay is to be employed in the construction of fences which employs either wooden, stone, or cement posts, said posts being positioned a considerable distance apart, owlng to certain conditions existing when constructing said fenceas, for instance, the scarcity of timber or the expense of constructing a'fence with stone or cement posts. Of course stone or cement posts are preferable where it is likely that fires would destroy the fence. Furthermore, it will be obvious that while the posts may be spaced a considerabledistance apart, still they may be positioned under certain conditions close together without affecting the function of the stays, which are positioned upon the strands of a fence. The stays may be made of different lengths, as it will be obvious that in Fig. 1 I have shown short as well as long stays. The short stays are preferably positioned upon the lower strands of the fence, while the long stays are positioned upon all of the strands. Owing to the fact that it is comparatively inexpensive to construct the body of the stay semicylindrical in shape, I have shown as my preferred structure a semicylindrical stay, although other shapes of the body may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, provided said bodies are formed with reinforced longitudinal edges, said reinforced edges being formed by turning over or, in other words, bending back upon the body of the stay a comparatively small portion of each of the longitudinal edges of the stay and then transversely notching the double-walled edge. Furthermore, upon referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen that I have shown a stay which is provided not only with reinforced longitudinal edges, but also with ends similarly constructed, as will be hereinafter more specifically described.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 designates the stationary posts, and 2 thelongitudinal strands of the fence. While I have shown in the drawings the strands being secured to the posts 1 by fastening means driven into the posts, I desire it to be understood that the posts may be provided with longitudinal apertures. as clearly disclosed in my Patent No. 782,083, relating to improvements in fences, issued February 14, 1905. The strands of the fence are threaded through the longitudinal apertures and drawn taut by any suitable means and may be wound around a post for securing the strands in a tight position, if desired, or other fastening means may be employed for holding the strands when separated. Positioned upon the strands intermediate the posts are semicylindrical or U- shaped stays 3 and 4c.

In constructing a fence employing my stays it is found desirable for producing a comparatively inexpensive structure to employ long stays 3, as well as intermediate short stays 4:.

As the construction of stays 3 and 4 is simigitudinal edges 6 are provided with notches or cut-out portions 7, each pair of which are formed in alinement transversely of the stay for receiving a strand of the fence. Each notch 7 is provided with double walls, for it is a fact that the notched portion of the bent portion 5 forms one wall, while the opposite portion of the body of the stay also forms another. By means of this double-walled structure of each notch a more durable and efficient device is produced.

Referring to Fig. 4:, I have shown a stay which is provided with reinforced ends 8, as well as reinforced edges 6. The reinforced ends 8 are formed by bending the edges of the blank from which the stay is to be formed before the body of the stay is bent into the semicylindrical structure of a completed stay. After the blank has been bent for forming the reinforced ends then said blank may be bent for producing the semicylindrical body.

After the strands have been positioned within the notches 7 of the stay, or more properly speaking, after the stay has been positioned upon the strands of the fence such strands must be positively secured within the notches, and this is done by the employment of locking members 9 and 10. The locking members are positioned between the body of the stay and the reinforced edges 6 and the strands 2 within space 11, as will be clearly seen upon referring to Fig. 3. Of course this lockingmember-receiving space 11 will not be produced until the strands engage the farthest ends of the double-walled notched portions of the reinforced edges. When the stay is in its proper position upon the strands, the lockingmembers are positioned upon said stay for preventing of the same from becoming displaced. It is preferable to construct all of the locking members similarly, although I have shown in Fig. 2 locking members 9 and 10 slightly different in structure. The locking member 9, as wellas 10, is provided with abent or hooked end 11, which prevents of the member becom- 5 ing displaced by longitudinal downward movement after it has been positioned upon the stay. While the locking member 9 is of the same thickness at its lower end 12 as the body of the same, the locking member is provided with a slightly-enlarged portion 13 at its lower end. This portion 13 may be formed in any suitable manner. While it is not necessary to form the head or enlarged portion 13 upon the bottom of the member, in some instances it may be preferable to do so, for the reason that this enlarged portion 13 will positively prevent of the member working upward, as the strands will tend to press outward upon the locking member, thereby causing the member to bear against the edge portion 6 of the stay, and the slight obstruction or enlarged portion 13 will be suflicient to form a stop or lock for preventing of longitudinal movement of the member. By reason of the structure of the ends of locking member 10 means is produced thereon for preventing of its longitudinal displacement under normal conditions after the same has been positioned upon a stay, which is mounted upon the strands of a fence.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A stay, comprising a body portion, said body portion provided with its ends and longitudinal edges bent back in substantially parallel position with the body for forming reinforcing means thereon, and said body provided with notches.

2. A stay formed of a folded sheet of material, said sheet reinforced upon all of its edges, and strand-supporting means formed upon said folded sheet.

3. A stay, comprising a body formed of a folded metallic sheet, said body provided with reinforced strand supporting longitudinal edges and reinforced ends.

1. The combination with a strand, of a stay provided with a bent portion, said bent portion provided with a notch, said strand positioned within the notched portion of said stay, a locking member positioned between the bent portion of said stay for retaining the strand Within said notch, said locking member provided with a hook formed upon one end and with an enlarged portion formed upon the opposite end, the hooked and enlarged portion of said locking member preventing longitudinal movement of the same upon the stay.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH MGKAY SU'IHERLAND.

Witnesses:

G. E. MCKINNEY, D. L. MCKINNEY.

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