US1109172A

US1109172A - Fence-clamp.

Info

Publication number: US1109172A
Application number: US82669214A
Authority: US
Inventors: Milton Mccarter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1914-03-23
Filing date: 1914-03-23
Publication date: 1914-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 1931-09-01

Description

M. MQGARTER.

FENCE CLAMP.

APPLIOATION FILED 111411.23. 1914.

1, 1 09, 1 72. Patented Sept. '1, 1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHDNLITHQ, WISHINGTON. D C

' clamp.

UNITED sT TEs PATENT OFFICE. 5

MILTON MCCARTE on oorirAxi vnm vA.

FENCE-CLAMP,

7 i 1 Application filed March 23, 1914. Serial No. 826,692.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON MOGARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Colfax, in the county of Clinton and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful F ence-Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to fence clamps, and aims to provide a novel and improved contrivance of that nature. 7

It is'the object of the present invention to provide a wire'fence clamp of unique construction, whereby the same may bereadlly applied to and removed from the longitudinal'strands of awire fence. I

The present invention contemplates the provision of a wire fence clamp embodylng a series of peculiar" cooperating jaws for receiving the fence wires or strands 1n a ready and efiecti'vemanner, novel means being provided for moving the aws mto and out of clamping relation.

It is also within the scope of the present invention, toprovide a wire fence clamp, which will be improved generally 1n constructionp whereby the utility of the device will be enhanced,whereby the structure Wlll be comparatively simple and inexpensive, as well as convenient, practical, servlceableand eflicient in its use.

l/Viththe foregoing and other objects in View whichwill appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes vin'the precise embodiment of the 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 preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein a Figure 1 is a front vlew of the improved fence clamp, portions being-broken away.

Fig. 2 is a back view of the clamp,portions being broken away. Figs.i3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines 3-3 and H respectively, of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is as de elevation of the upper end portion of .1 the In carrying out the present invention, thereis provided a frame, which is preferably'in the form of a casing, andwh1chcomprises parallel bars 1, having spaced transverse webs or cross members 2 connecting Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented se tj 1, 1914.

certain edges thereof. The frame or castingis of channel shape, certaln portions of the back ofthe' channel being cut away, to

provide the spaced webs or cross pieces 2. The edges of the Webs 2 are preferably cut or molded on sinuous or tortuous lines to provide gripping jaws, it being noted that both edgesof the'webs 2 intermediate the upper and lower webs, are formed to provide jaws. Theclamp further includes a second main part or element,'in the form of a channel bar 3, which is slidably disposed between the bars 1 of the frame with its back resting against the inner sides or faces.

of the webs 2. The back of the channel bar or part 3-is formed with transverse'ribsor lugs 4, which are disposed between the webs or jaw members 2. The channel member 3 is preferably. in the form of a casting and the edges ofthe ribs or lugs 4 are cut-or molded :on sinuous lines corresponding or matching with theedges or jaw portions of the webs2u Both edgesof each rib 4 are sinuous or tortuous to provide opposed jaws cooperable with the adjacent jaws of the adjacent web's, whereby the jaws of the webs andthe-ribs may be made to cooperate upon both the upward and "downward movements ofthe channel member or slide 3 with respect-to the'frameQ The channel member or slide 3 is maintained in place within the frame, by means of a retaining plate 5 secured, by means of screws or otherwise, to the free edges of the bars liintermediate' the ends of the said bars, and engaging the free edges of the flanges of the channel member 8. It is evident thatthe plate or retaining member 5 holds the channel member 'or slide 3 snugly within the frame, but permitsthe channel member to be readily slid longitudinally with respect to the frame. A cap 6 fits over. the upper end of the frame, or the bars 1 thereof, the cap 6 being divided fromone side o-f the frame, to theother, to provide twosections 7, the sections being secured to the upper ends of the bars 1,-by means contacting with the upper and lower faces of the cap 6, to permit the screw to rotate, and to prevent its longitudinal move portion of the channel member 3 being provided with a solid portion 13 between its flanges, which portion 1-5v is provided with a. longitudinal bore 14 loosely receiving the threaded portion of the screw 10. The solid portion 13 of the channel member 3 is also provided with a transverse rearwardly opening socket or recess 15 in which is snugly fitted a. nut 16 through which the screw 10 is threaded. The nut 16 is held non-rota tably within the socket or recess 15, and in stretching mechanism, which may be of any suitable character, a pair of openor slotted links 17 are slidable through slots 18 formed in the side bars 1, and complementing slots 19 formed in the flanges of the channel member 8. The slots 19 are elongated in order to enable the channel member 3 to be moved longitudinally, without interference. The links 17 are disposed transversely of the clamp and arranged adjacent the ends thereof, the ends of the links protruding beyond the bars 1, and the links being provided with bulged or enlarged portions 20 adjacent certain ends, while retaining rings or elements 21 are engaged through the other ends of the links. The rings 21 are arranged to strike or seat against the corresponding side bar 1, to lock the links against withdrawal, when the chain sections 22 are engaged to the other ends of the links so as to enable the clamp to be connected to the stretching mechanism. The chain sections 22 may be readily passed through the bulged or enlarged portions 20 of the links, whereby when the chain sections are tightened, the links may be locked with the corresponding end portions of the links, as "seen in Figs. 1 and 4, to thereby effectively connect the chain sections with the clamp. It is obvious that the chains .22 may be readily applied'to and disengaged from the links 17, and may be adjusted readily with respect to the links. It is also apparent that when the chains 22 are disengaged from the links 17, the links may be withdrawnfrom the slots 18 and 19, and may be reversed, if desired. The enlarged'or bulged portions 20 ing the upper and lower strands of a'wire the l and sidesof thebars 1, and a pair of cross .bars or jaws 26 having their ends loosely Of the links are arranged to snap through the slots 18 of the bars 1 and therefore, when the links are applied, the bulged portions 20 will normally prevent the withdrawal of the links, unless the links are forcibly extracted from the clamp 3.

As a matter of further improvement, the clamp is provided with upper and lower clamps 23 and 24:, respectively, for clampfence, which are usually of larger gage than the intermediate strands or wire. The

upper clamp 23 is adjustable, and comprises a U-shaped bolt 25 straddling the rear edges embracing or. engaging the end portions of the bolt Nuts 27 are threaded upon the ends of the bolt 25 to clamp the jaws v26 together, and to clamp the frame between the bolt 25 and the jaws 26, It is evident that when the nuts 27 are loosened, the clamp 23 may be adjusted longitudinally upon the upper end portion of the frame, and when the nuts are tightened, the clamp 23 will be locked in its adjusted position, and the jaws or clamping bars 26 will be clamped together. The lower clamp 24 is stationary, inasmuch asthe lower strand or wire of the fence can in all cases be accommodated thereby; the lower clamp 24 embodying a clamping plate'or jaw 28 ccoperating with the lowerweb 2 of the frame and adapted to be clampedthereagainst by a bolt 29 engaged through the lower end 100 portion of the frame and the clamping plate or jaw 28. 1 i

In the use of the present clamp, the fence wires or strands 80 may be readily applied thereto by simply rotating the screw 10 105 properly, through the medium of a wrench or other suitable implement, so that the jaws a will be spaced from the aws 2, which will enable the strands or wires to be readily placed between the respective jaws. 10

In practice, it is-preferable to provide the clamp with a suflicient number of cooperating jaws 2 and 4, to enable the clamp to accommodate various woven wire fences.

Then, by rotating the screw 10 properly, 115

thejaws 2 and 4 may be brought into mutual gripping relation, to tightly grip the wires 30 between the sinuous or tortuous faces of the jaws, whereby when the clamp is drawn, orpulled through the medium of 120 the stretching mechanism (not shown) at tached to the-chains 22, there will be no liability of the wires 30 pulling loose, even though the clamp is subjected to severe strains when long and heavy fences are be- 125 or downwardly, to, bring the-jaws 2 and 4 130 into gripping relation, it being noted that both the upper and lower edges of the said ]LW,S are provided with cooperating jaw faces. The operative connect-ion of the screw 10 with the upper end of the frame and with the upper end of the channel or slide 3 thus enables the said channel member or slide to be actuated in both directions.

l/Vhen the upper and lower wires or strands of the fence are of larger gage than the intermediate wires or strands, the clamps 23 and 24: may be employed for gripping the same. Thus, the lower wire or strand 31 may be clamped or gripped between the r lower end portion of the clamp frame of the clamp plate 28 as clearly suggested in Fig. 1, while the upper wire or strand 32 may be readily clamped between the edge portions of the clamping or jaw bars 26 after the nuts 27 have been loosened, and r advantages of the present device will be obvious to those versed in the art without further comment being necessary, it being noted that the objects aimed at have been carried out satisfactorily by the provision of the structure herein disclosed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 2- 1. In a clamping device, a channel-shaped bar having its back cut away to provide spaced webs, a second channel-shaped barfitted within the aforesaid bar with its back resting against the said. webs, the back of the second bar being providedv with transverse ribs between and cooperable with the I said webs, means carried by the flanges of the first bar and engaging the flanges of the second bar to hold the second bar slidably within the first bar, and actuating. means connecting certain ends of thebars for sliding the second bar.

2. In a clamping device, a frame'having' a series of jaws, aslid'e carried by the frame and having a series ofjaws cooperable with the aforesaid jaws, means connecting the frame and slide for actuating the latter, and an adjustable clamp mounted upon one end portion of the frame, the adjustable clamp including a U-shaped bolt straddling the frame, cooperable clamp bars mounted upon theend portions of the said bolt, and

nuts threaded upon the ends of the bolt.

3. In a clamping device, a frame having a series of jaws, a slide mounted within the frame and havingjaws cooperablewith the aforesaid jaws, a cap mounted upon one end of the frame, a screw j ournaled through the cap and having means for engaging the cap to prevent the longitudinal movement of the screw, and a nut portion carriedby one end of the slide and threadedly receiv ing the said screw. g

4:. In a clamplng device, a. frame having transverse slots, clamping means carried by the frame, open links fitting througlrthe ,said slots, each link having a bulged 'por tion adjacent one end forthe passage of chain links therethrough to engage within the said end, and retaininglmeans carried by j i I the other ends of the links and seatable against the frame. I v I In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy'signature in the presence of twowitnesses. v MILTON MCCARTER.

Witnesses: V I

BASIL C. HORNER, J ALVA MCCARTER.

pi Of this P y be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the f Commissioner of Patents, i

Washington, D. C.