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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FORD, OF HOLLIS, TEXAS.
FENCE.
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,961, dated May 20, 1884.
Application filed October 4,1883. (No model.)To all wzuo7n it 7nay concern.:
Be it known that I, B. F. FORD, a citizen of
the United States, residing at Hollis, in the
county of Madison and State of Texas, have in-
5 vented certain new and useful Improvements
in Fences; and I do declare the following to
be a full, clear, and exact description of the in-
vention, such as will enable others skilled in
the art to which it appertains to make and use
o0 the same, reference being had to the accompa-
nying drawings, and to letters or figures
of reference marked thereon, which form a
part of this specification.
Figure 1 of the drawings is a representa-
15 tion of this invention, and shows the manner
of laying the rails on the cross-pieces, in a top
view. Fig. 2 is also a top view to show the
end posts. Fig. 3 is a side view. Fig. 4 is a
perspective view.
20 This invention has relation to farm-fences;
and it consists in the construction and novel
arrangement of the parts of the same, as will
be hereinafter fully described, and particu-
larly pointed out in the claim appended.
25 Referring to the accompanying drawings, a
a are the end posts of the fence, which, how-
ever, are used only to commence and end the
fence.
b designates the fence-posts proper, which
30 are driven or set into the ground at proper dis-
tances apart to permit the fence-rails c to pro-
ject beyond at each end a distance of about
one foot.
d indicates the short cross rails or pieces,
35 the first ones being placed on the ground, and
the bottom rails laid thereon, and the others
between the successive fence-rails as the fence
is built up. Five heavy rails or six light one
are usually employed; but the number of rails
40 may vary according to the height of fence
required. The top rails areboundto the posts
b by short pieces of wire, e, passed over the
rails on one side of the posts, under the rails
at the opposite side of the posts, and the ends
45 of the wire piece twisted together to form a
tight wire loop. After I have built the fence
to the height of five or six rails, and have se-
cured the top rails by the wire loops, I thenstretch a barbed wire, f, along the posts above
the top rails, thus completing the fence. By 50
following this method of construction I can
build a straight rail fence without the use of
nails, and by only using one post at the end of
each panel.
The principal advantages claimed for this 55
fence are its simplicity, cheapness, security,
and durability. In resetting old fences of this
construction, broken rails can be utilized as
posts or cross-rails, and a good fence will re-
sult. Another advantage is that there are no 6o
fence-corners for the growth of weeds, and the
plow can be used quite close to it. When a
rail breaks or rots,it can be easily replaced by
a new one.
I am aware that it is not new to construct a 65
fence the posts of which are provided with
cross-pieces having notches at each end to re-
ceive the rails which extend from one side of
one post to the opposite side of the next, and
that straight rail fences have been constructed 70
in which double posts are used at each end,
and therefore do not claim either of these con-
structions, broadly; but,
Having thus fully described my invention,
what I claim as new, and desire to, secure by 75
Letters Patent, is-
The fence constructed substantially as de-
scribed, having its rails arranged diagonally
to theline of fencing, consisting of the double
end posts, a a, bound together at their upper 80
ends by means of the crown-wire, as shown,
the intermediate single posts, b, the horizon-
tal rails having their ends alternately lapping
the inner and outer sides of the said single
posts, the transverse blocks d, interposed be- 85
tween the respective rails c, and the top rails
bound to the single posts by means of the
wire loops e, all substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 90
presence of two witnesses.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FORD.
Witnesses:
C. B. HOLLIS,
B. H. FonD0
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Ford, Benjamin Franklin. Fence., patent, May 20, 1884; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth170752/m1/2/: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.