Untitled record

Application filed December 3,1894. Serial No, 530,659. (.No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Henry D. Streator, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalama5 zoo and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Posts, of ivhich the following is a specification.

• My invention relates to improvements in fence-posts and posts of other descriptions io and means for preserving the same when placed in the ground.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a means of preserving the post when placed in the ground; second, to provide a 15 means of causing circulation of air around the lower end of the post after the same has been set in the ground to prevent decay by keeping the post dry; third, to provide improved means of holding the post securely in 20 the ground; fourth, to provide means of preventing injury to the post arising from moisture saturating the same. I accomplish these objects of my invention by the devices shown in the accompanying drawings, in which—· 25 Figure 1 shows the most approved form of my device for an ordinary fence-post. Fig. 2 shows a slight modification of the same. Fig. 3 shows my invention adapted for use with a round post and is especially well 30 adapted for use in connection with telegraph and telephone poles. Fig. 4 presents a modification of the device wherein corrugated iron is used for the purpose of constructing the flues.

In the drawings similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the post, around which is placed a suitable casing, as D, which is de40 signed to be a little separated from the post all the way around to permit of circulation of air around the same. I prefer to support the post at its bottom on a transverse flat strip ri and hold the casing away from the post by 45 the thin flat strips n. One side of the casing extends up at D' to form a flue at a considerable height to the side of the post. It will thus be seen that when the post is in place in this position with the soil packed around the 50 outer casing there will be short air-flues to one side and longer flues extending up to the opposite side, and by placing the blocks ri under the post there will be a passage under the post. The higher flue D' will of course become heated somewhat above the tempera- 55 ture of the lower parts, and air will pass up at that point, as from an ordinary chimney, drawing the air down through the shorter fl ue, up through the longer, causing circulation around the bottom of the post, which will pre- 60 vent moldingand decay and also keep the post dry, preventing the injurious effects to the post from water saturating the same.

In Fig. 2 the modification shown shows the casing nailed tight to the sides of the post, 65 the flue opening on only two sides. A notch m is cut off the bottom of the post to allow the air to circulate past.

Fig. 3 shows my invention adapted to a round post, which is also well designed for use 70 in connection with telephone and telegraph poles and poles of that character, in which case the pole is placed upon a block n, which supports it a little distance up from the bottom, and the casing is nailed to the sides, the 75 angles of the casing forming passages or flues, and thus compelling circulation around the same.

In Fig. 4 I show the same result as accomplished in the other figures by means of cor- 8o rugated iron. The iron is crimped near the bottom to support the post a little distance above the ground, saving the necessity of having a block for the purpose, and the air circulates down through the passages formed 85 by the corrugations in the iron.

I desire to state that my improved device for ventilating and drying the bottom end of the fence-post will operate to the best advantage when the higher flue is placed to the 90 south side of the post, where it will be directly exposed to the action of the sun’s rays, which will expand the air and give the flue a stronger draft; and I desire to state that the higher flue can be extended to any height desired. 95 In Fig. 4 I show it extending almost to the top of the post, which will get a very strong draft. However, it will be found sufficient if the taller flue extends up in about the proportion to the shorter flue of the height indicated in 100 the other figures, and the device will be effective.

I desire to state that the flues in connection with my improved post can be constructed in

574,641 various ways without departing from my invention, as will be readily understood bj⁷ the accompanying drawings. As I indicated above, the strength of the draft can be regu5 lated by the comparative height of the two flues. It is very desirable to place a block under the end of the post for the reason that moisture will not travel readily sidewise through the grain of timber when it will be io absorbed quite quickly from an end cut, and such an arrangement prevents the post absorbing the moisture from the ground below. However, if the post is supported entirely free from the ground (indicated in Fig. 4) 15 such block-support will not be found necessary.

My device depends for its efficiency on the circulation of the drier atmospheric air down around the end of the post to keep the post 20 dry and prevent its absorbing moisture. The device is specially adapted for use in fenceposts, gate-posts, telegraph and telephone poles, and posts for foundations of buildings, or in any post or support that is used by be25 ing placed in the ground, as the circulation of the current of dry air around the same prevents the action of the moisture in the soil and preserves the post, and the material of Avhich the post is constructed will thus be 30 kept sound for many years, and when finally decay does come to the outer casing a new casing can be substituted in the same way without having caused any undue injury to the post.

The bottom of the casing around the post should be open under ordinary circumstances to allow water from heavy rain or from melting snow or other causes which may flow into the flue between the casing and the post to 40 soak into the ground below and pass away.