US276073A - Flood and suspension fence - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

' J. W. POWER.

FLOOD AND SUSPENSION FENCE.

No. 276,073. Patented Apr. 17,1883.

V Wlkeewea'. I amnion I L I ffl W Z i ZZM 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

JOHN W. POWER, OF SLATESVILLE, VIRGINIA.

FLOOD AND SUSPENSION FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,073, dated April 17, 1883.

Application filed November '7, 1882.

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. POWER, of Slatesville, in the county of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Flood and Suspension Fences; and I do hereby declare that the following; is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention is for an improvement upon that class of fences known as flood-fences, such as are used in low places, as marshes, meadows, and bottom lands which are subject to periodical floods, and for crossing streams of water, for hill-sides, and such like places. Oommon fences used for these purposes are extremely liable to injury and destruction occasioned by the swelling of streams after a storm and especially from floating timber or other debris thatis swept along in many cases very rapidly and with an irresistibletorce. To avoid this calamity to fences, they have heretol'ore been so constructed and arranged as to be thrown down when struck with floating dbris, and capable of being again set up when the water has subsided sufficiently to enable it to be done. Such fences are unsatisfactory for the reason of the cost and labor consequent upon their construction and use, and for other reasons they have failed to operate effectually.

The object of my invention is to provide a light, simple, and economical, yet durable,

fence, which shall not fail to accomplish the results desired and which is portable.

The construction and improvements of my fence are as follows:

Referring to the drawing, the figure represented is a perspective view of a fence embodying my improvements.

B-is a beveled top bar or strip, and F represents the posts. From this strip are the bars 1 2 3 at suspended. These bars are secured by a wire, a, which is first doubled and put around the top strip, B, as shown at a, then the two ends crossed and a bar placed between, when one end of the wire is twisted around the bar one side and the other end around it on the other side, which brings an end of the wire down each side of the bar, and another bar placed in and secured in the same manner, and so on with each bar for as many (No model.)

as are to be used. When the bottom bar is put in the ends of the wire are twisted on the bottom of it, as shown at a". The bars are secured in this way at each of their ends, and when an entrance-way through the fence is desired the wrapping and connecting of the bars with wire of one section of fence can be omitted and the bars placed in between the others at each adjacent section. Thus when itis desired to make an entrance through thefence all one has to do is to slide the bars back either side between the other bars, when they can easily be replaced. Across the bottom of the fenceposts can be nailed the strip 0.

It will be seen by this construction of fence that should water or debris be coming down against it it will float or rise with'ease and allow it to pass through, and when it has subsided fall back again in its former position. The posts are all beveled at their tops, as shown at g, and on them is laid the top strip or bar, B, which is also beveled for its whole length, as shown at g. This strip B, with the bars depending therefrom by the wire, as above, is simply laid on the posts with its beveled side against the bevels on the posts, when, as can be seen, water, floating debris, or any force can strike it, and the fence will yield and allow it to pass through. The weight of the bars keeping the strip B right down against the posts, this fence could rise as high as the posts themselves without falling off.

It will be seen that a fence of this kind can be made so cheap as to enable it to be used in the place of more expensive fences heretofore discarded.

What I claim is- 1. The combination of the beveled fenceposts with the corresponding beveled top strip, having, suspended therefrom the bars, as and for the purpose set forth.

'2. In a flood-fence, the combination of a series of bars wrapped and joined by wire, as

described, the bars depending from the top strip, said strip being beveled on one of its sides and resting on corresponding beveled posts, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. POWER;

Witnesses:

J. E. DUFFY, M. P. CALLAN.

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