AUSTRALA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT WIRE STRAINER The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me.
2 WIRE STRAINER The present invention relates to devices for the tensioning and tying of wire in a variety of applications. 5 For example, in the construction and maintenance of post and wire fencing, trellising for vines and fruit trees and in the erection of supporting structures for bird netting or shade cloth, these being some applications requiring the tensioning and tying of wire. 10 There are a number of wire strainers in common use, these are generally relatively complex tools requiring a fair degree of skill to operate, others are somewhat bulky devices requiring purpose manufactured tool to install. Not all are readily adaptable to tensioning barbed wire. 15 Unlike the strainers currently available, the various devices described and illustrated herein offer extremely simple and efficient means of tensioning and joining wire of a variety of strengths and gauges in both plain and barbed wire. In one form the wire strainer shall comprise a length of hexagonal rod having two holes 20 located along the longitudinal axis, transverse to same and sized to accommodate the wire to be tensioned. Another form of the invention shall comprise hexagonal rod with one hole and a slot located along the longitudinal axis, transverse to same and sized to suit the wire to be 25 tensioned. Other forms of the invention also illustrated herein comprise lengths of round rod with mushroom type hexagonal heads and having the rod portion holed and slotted as for the aforementioned devices. 30 3 All forms of the invention described and illustrated herein have been chosen because of the convenience of use with standard socket or ring spanners which are used to rotate the device to achieve the desired tension in the wire. 5 The strainers may be manufactured in steel, alloy or plastic in either hollow or solid form but essentially a material compatible with and of sufficient strength for the wire to be tensioned. Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which should be read in 10 conjunction with the following descriptions covering the various functions embodied in this invention. In the drawings: is Figure I shows application of the two holed hexagonal rod device in tensioning and tying two wires (Elevation Di) and in tensioning a single wire (Elevation Dii). Figure 2 shows the application of the single holed and slotted hexagonal device in tensioning and tying two wires (Elevation Bi) and in tensioning a single wire which may 20 be plain or barbed (Elevation Bii). Figure 2 shows examples of both two holed and single holed and slotted circular rods with hexagonal heads according to this invention. 25 Referring to Figure 1. It will be seen in the End View and Elevation C, that the Wire Strainer according to this invention comprises a length of hexagonal rod 1 with two holes 2 passing through this rod transverse to the longitudinal axis. Elevation Di illustrates the device tensioning and tying two wires 3 and 4 which have been passed through holes 2 from opposing directions. After taking up slack in wires by hand and bonding free ends 30 over to hold the device firm, the device has been rotated on its axis to achieve the tension desired before twisting the free ends of the respective wires around the tensioned wires 4 on each side of the device. Elevation Dii illustrates the device tensioning a continuous wire 5 which having first been passed through passed through hole 2 is tied off to a post orotber structural member not shown. The device has then been rotated on its axis to achieve the tension desired and tied off with wire 6 having been passed through the 5 second hole 2 and twisted around the tensioned wire 5 on each side of the device. Referring to Figure 2. It will be seen in the End View and Elevation A that the wire strainer in another form of this invention comprises a length of hexagonal rod 10 with one hole 11 passing through this rod and a slot 12 formed in the end of same, both being 10 transverse to the longitudinal axis. Elevation Bi illustrates the device tensioning and tying two wires 13 and 14 which have been passed through hole 11 and slot 12 respectively from opposing directions. After taking up slack in wires by hand and bending free ends over to hold device firm, the device has then been rotated on its axis to achieve desired tension before tying off by twisting free end 14 around tensioned wire 13 15 and free end 13 around tensioned wire 14. Elevation Bii illustrates the device tensioning a continuous wire 15 by first inserting the device onto a slack wire 15 to the Mibl depth of slot 12, rotating to tension and tying off in a manner similar to that described for wire 5 Elevation Dii Figure 1. 20 Referring to Figure 3. This illustration shows the invention in other fbnns comprising round rods 22 and 32 with hexagonal heads 20 and 30, that are otherwise similar to and functionally identical to the respective hexagonal rod devices illustrated in Figures I and 2.