US1055354A - Wire-stretcher. - Google Patents

Description

F. R. RICHARDS.

WIRE STRETGHBR.

APPLICATION IILED JULY 17, 1912.

1,055,354, Patented Mar. 11,1913.

Inventor Witne sses e Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK R. RICHARDS, 0F LEBANON, KANSAS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK R. Rioimnos, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lebanon, in the county of Smith and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Wire-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wire stretchers, and aims primarily to provide a wire stretcher adapted to be connected to a fence post or the like and to stretch a wire so as to draw the Wire past the post to which the stretcher is attached, in order that the wire may be stapled to the post in a convenient and efficient manner.

It is also the object of the present invention to provide a wire stretcher capable of stretching wires in various manners as will be necessary or beneficial in its use, and which may be employed for drawing the adjoining ends of two wire strands together, in order that the ends may be readily connected or spliced.

This invention also contemplates the provision of a wire stretcher which shall be simple, durable, substantial, compact and incX- pensive in construction, and which will be simple, convenient and eflicient in operation.

With the foregoing general objects outlined, and other objects in view, which willbe apparent as the invention is better understood, the present invention resides in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of 'parts hereinafter set forth and pointed out inthe appended claim, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention has been illustrated in its referred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters have been employed to denote correspond ing parts, and wherein,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the wire stretcher as in use. Fig. 2 is a f 'agmental detail of the stretcher.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the present invention embodies in its essentials, a tubular body 3 through which a rod or shaft 4 passes for sliding movements, and an actuating mechanism denoted generally by the numeral 5 carried by the body 3 and co-acting with the rod 4: to slide same relative to the body, the body and rod having Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 17, 1912.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

Serial No. 710,015.

gripping devices as hereinafter more fully pointed out.

The body 3 may be constructed of suitable piping or of any tubular material, and is provided at its rear and front ends respectively, with the heads 6 and 7, the said heads being preferably formed by fastening collars onto the ends of the body. The 11 aid 6 is provided at its sides with the hooks 8 and is provided with a depending loop or eye 9, and the head 7 is provided with an upstanding loop or eye 10 to which is attached a chain or flexible member 11. This chain 11 provides post-engaging means, the said chain being adapted to be looped or passed around the post and then engaged to the hook 8 on the corresponding side, it being apparent that the body 8 may be arranged at either side of the post which may be most convenient or to which side of the post the wire is to be secured. The body 3 is also provided with an upper longitudinal slot 12 for the purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The rod l may be constructed of any suitable stock, and is provided along its upper portion with a series of ratchet teeth 13 adjoining the slot 12 in the body 3 and is provided along its bottom with a longitudinal featherway 14. A clevis 15 is pivoted to the rear end of the rod 4, and a hook 16 is carried by the rear end of the rod adjoining the clevis 15, the said hook having an eye or loop engaging the rod. A clamp or gripping device 17 is connected to the clevis 15 by means of a link 18, the said gripping device and the gripping devices hereinafter referred to being of any preferred construction. At its forward end, the rod 4 is provided with a depending or radially projecting member 19, a clamp or gripping device 20 being connected to the free end of the projection 19 by means of a link 21. A clamp or gripping device 22 is also connected to the loop or eye 9 by means of a short length of chain or other flexible member 23.

A clip or strap 24 passes around the body 3 at the rear end of the slot 12 and is provided at its ends with the upstanding ears 25, between which is pivoted a pawl 26 which passes through the slot 12 in order to cooperate with the ratchet teeth of the rod 4. The pawl or dog 26 is provided with a tail 27 which is curved upwardly or backwardly for the purpose which will hereinafter appear. A coiled wire compression spring 28 is disposed between the tail of the pawl and the body 3 in order to force the pawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth.

The mechanism carried by the body 3 for actuating the rod 4 comprises a lever 29 pivoted or fulcrumed to the body 3, the lever 29 having the inner end thereof forked as designated by the numeral. 30 in order to straddle the body 3. The lever or handle 29 projects upwardly from the body, and the fork 30 is pivoted to the bearing 31 brazed, soldered or otherwise secured to the bottom of the body 3. The pawl or dog 32 is pivoted between the branches of the fork 30 and passes through the slot 12 of the body to cooperatewith the ratchet teeth of the rod 4, the pawl or dog 26 being arranged in rear of the lever 29. It will therefore follow, that when the lever 29 is oscillated, the rod 4 will be moved forwardly step by step as will be apparent. The pawl 32 is provided with a tail 33, the free end or terminal 34 of which is bent inwardly to form a stop which is adapted to strike or contact with the lever 29 when the lever is swung rearwardly sufficiently so as to lift or swing the pawl 32 out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. A leaf spring 35 is also carried by the lever 29 and bears against the pawl 32 to serve as an expedient for forcing the pawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth. A screw 36 is also passed through the bearing 31 and the bottom of the body 3 to enter the featherway 14 so as to serve as a feather for constraining the rod 4 against rotation.

The tail 27 of the pawl 26 is arranged in the path of the lever 29 or in the path of the tail 33 of the pawl 32, so that when the le ver 29 is swung rearwardly to raise the pawl. 32 out of engagement with the ratchet teeth, the tail 33 of the said pawl 32 will strike the tail 27 of the pawl 26 and in turn lift the pawl 26 out of engagement with the ratchet teeth, so that the rod 4 will be free to slide rearwardly. It will thus be observed, that to disengage the rod 4, the operator need merely swing the lever 29 rearwardly to a suflicient extent, but it will be noted that ordinarily, the rod will be locked against retrograde movement by the pawl 26, the pawl32 serving to move the rod 4 forwardly in a step by step movement as the lever 29 is oscillated.

The present device may be employed in various capacities and manners, examples of which are described directly.

WVhen a wire strand is to be stretched and stapled or secured to a post, the body 3 is located on the proper side of the post and the chain 11 is then looped around the post and engaged to the corresponding hook 8, the clamp 17 then being engaged to the wire strand and the lever 29 being oscillated to force the rod 4 forwardly so as to give the strand its initial stretching action. After the rod 4 has been forced forwardly as far as it will move, or to its forward limit, the clamp 22 is swung rearwardly and is engaged to the wire strand. in rear of the clamp 17, the chain 23 being drawn taut prior to attaching the clamp 22. The clamp 17 is then released, which throws the entire strain on the chain 23, and the lever 29 may then be moved rearwardly to disengage the pawls and permit the rod 4 to be slid rearwardly again, in which event, the clamp 17 may be engaged to the wire strand at a new position rearwardly relative to the clamp 22. The clamp 22 is then disengaged and the oscillation of the lever 2929 is repeated. This operation may be repeated until the wire strand has been sufficiently stretched or drawn taut, in which event, the free portion of the wire strand is engaged by the clamp 20 carried by the forward end of the rod 4 and is also passed over the'hook 16. The clamp 17 may then be released, and the rod 4 may then be forced forwardly slightly to draw the wire strand tightly'beyond the post, so that the wire strand may be stapled or otherwise secured to the post in a convenient and efficient manner. With the operation as described, a single operator may stretch the wire and secure same to the post without encountering any difficulty, whereas with the block and tackle and similar devices, two or more operators are necessary, and the stretching of the wire and securement thereof to the post is rendered less eflicient and convenient.

When the device is to be employed for drawing the ends of two strands together for purpose of splicing, the clamp 22 is engaged to one end and the clamp 17 is engaged to the other end, the chain 11 being passed around the corresponding end and the body 3 to prevent the body from swinging away from the strands as its tendency will be. The lever 29 may then be oscillated to slide the rod forwardly which will serve to draw the ends of the strands together so that they may be readily and conveniently spliced.

From the brief descriptions of the two uses of the device, other uses and capabilities will be apparent, and it will also be apparent that the objects aimed at are attained in a satisfactory manner, the present device providing a desirable one for the purposes for which it is designed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is A wire stretcher embodying a body, a member slidably engaging the same and having ratchet teeth, a lever pivoted to the body, a pawl pivoted to the lever to cooperate with the ratchet teeth and having a tail the extremity of the tail being bent inwardly to provide a stop arranged to strike the lever whenthe lever is swung rearwardly so as to swing the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet teeth, a pawl pivoted to the body in rear of the lever to cooperate with the ratchet teeth and having a backwardly curved tail lying in the path of the tail of the aforementioned pawl so that the latter pawl is raised out of engagement with the ratchet teeth When the lever is swung rearin the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK R. RICHARDS. WVitnesses:

T. J. Fun, A. LULL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G."

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