US1339407A - Wire-stretcher - Google Patents

Description

W. C. M ITCHELL.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY21, 19x9.

1,339,407. Patented May 11,1920.

\Hll Hill HI III HIHH HIIIH" W a ficz wwm Y mu WILLIAMC. MITCHELL, 0F GBANDVIEW, TENNESSEE.

WIRE-STRETCH-ER.

eeaaor.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 21, 1919. Serial No. 298,640.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. MrroH- ELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grandview, in the county of Cumberland and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and a specification. I I

his invention relates to improvements in wire stretchers and the primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character adapted to be clamped to a strand of wire and associated with a fence post in a manner that will permit the wire to be thoroughly stretched.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved clamping element associated with the stretching mechanism whereby a number of wires may be attached to the stretcher so that an equal tens1onmay be obtained on all of the wires which constitute the fence.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which consists of comparatively few parts and is simple in constructiombut durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this character are ordinarily subjected.

For a full description of and the advantages and merits erence is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of a portion of the invention, and,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section taken through the clamping mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention, in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the rack bar 1 is provided with a plurality of teeth 2 along one of its edges and has a head 3 formed at one end which extends at right angles from the main portion of the rackbar and has one edge provided with corrugations adapted to engage the fence post indicated at A. Attached to this head 8 is a forwardly extending bar 4 the end of which forms a bearing 5 through which a turn screw 6 is extended, the latter having its terminal received in a supporting member 7 carried by the invention thereof refuseful Improvements in. Wire-Stretchers,-of which the following is the head 3 so that the screw 6 lies parallel with the member 4. The end of the screw is provided with a handle 8 for the purpose of turning the screw. Slidably mounted on the bar 4 and projecting parallel with the head 8 .is a jaw 9 which has one end shaped to form a sleeve 10 throughwhich a screw.

threaded opening is formed for receiving the turn screw 6 so that when the handle 8 is turned to rotate the turn screw, the latter will cause the sliding jaw 9 to move into engagement' with the fence post for tightly gripping the same as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

A-longitudinally movable supporting bar 11 is arranged parallel to the rack bar 1 on the side opposite the teeth 2 and this bar carries the yoke members 12 and 13 which embrace the rack bar 1 to maintain the rack bar and supporting bar 11 in proper relative positions A pawl 14 is pivotally mounted on the yoke 13 and is spring pressed to cause it to engage the teeth 2 of the rack bar whereby accidental sliding movement of they supporting bar 11 in a rearward direction is prevented.

Pivotally attached to the bar 11 is an oper ating lever 18 having an extension handle 19 which may be of any desired length. The handle portion 18 is bifurcated and the branches of the bifurcation straddle the rack bar and are pivotally connected to the supporting bar 11; An operating pawl 20' is mounted between said bifurcation branches of the member 18 and is normally held in operative position by a coil expansion spring which urges the pawl into engagement with the teeth 2 on the rack bar.

One end of the supporting bar 11 is laterally offset to provide a plate 22 disposed parallel with the rack bar as shown in Fig. 1. This plate carries two clamp plates 23 and 2 1 which are elongated as shown to advantage in Fig. 2. The plate 22 is provided with a slot 25 through which a screw threaded bolt 26 is extended. This bolt. is provided with a handle 27 whereby it may be readily turned. A screw threaded opening in the plate 23 receives the bolt 26 and the plate 261 is provided with a nut having a central screw threaded opening as indicated at 28 in Fig. 4 of the drawings to receive the end of the bolt 26. When the bolt is turned by the handle 27, the two plates 23 and 2 1 will be drawn together to clamp the strands of wire which constitute Patented May 11,- 1920.

the fence. A number of these bolts are provided in the clamping plate, bein longitudinally spaced apart, as shown iniig. 2 and may be tightened and loosened to engage or disengage the wire strands B. Each nut 28 is provided with a central circular portion from which diametrically opposite fingers extend to be received in recesses 29 formed in the plate 24 for this purpose. In this manner the nuts 28 are held against rotation while the bolts are being turned.

In operation, the post engaging device will be mounted as shown, the head 3 and movable jaw 9 being tightly engaged with the post. The strands of wire will then be engaged between the clamping members of the clamp whereupon the bolts will be tightened to tightly fix the wire strands to the clamp. Then, by reciprocating the operating lever, the su oporting bar 11 may be longitudinally movefl by virtue of the engagement and disengagement of the pawl with the teeth in the rack bar, thus stretching the wire strands after which they may be fixed to the fence post.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings have reference to what might be considered to be thepreferred form of m invention. I desire it to be understood tiat I may make such changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, material dimensions, et cetera,

v as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention and means extending through all three of said plates and adjustable to clamp the same snugly in engagement,

2. A Wire fence stretcher, including a rack bar one end of which is adapted to be secured, a supporting bar slidable on the rack bar, and engaged with the fence wires, a handle for actuating the supporting bar consisting of a shank one end of which is bifurcated and the branches of the bifurcation straddle the rack bar and pivotally engage with said supporting bar, a pawl pending between said branches and engaging the rack bar whereby movement handle will actuate the supporting bar for stretching the fence wires.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM C. MITCHELL. Witnesses:

J E. Bmmm'r, Mrs. A. E. NILES.

of said.

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