US2400769A - Mechanical manual-type wire twister - Google Patents

Description

May21,1946.` WMORWS 2,400,769

MECHANICAL 'MANUAL-TYPE WIRE TWISTER 1 Filed Nov. .5, 1944 a 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I r11/rentar Wiliam farris Patented May 21, 1946 MECHANICAL MANUAL-TYPE WIRE TWISTER William Morris, New Haven, Conn. Application November 3, 1944, Serial No. 561,815

(Cl. 14o-119) Claims.

This invention relates to a portable simple and expedient manual-type'device for holding, feeding, and twistingythe ends of a safety tie wire such as is used in locking a castellated nuton a companion bolt. i It is a matter of common knowledge that present day modes of applying and twisting safety tie wires are attended with loss of time, inconveniences and highly laborious manual eiort. For instance, it is now common practice to insert and thread the end of a wire through an aperture which is especially formed in the bolt-end inwardly of the usual castellated nut. Then, the wire-end is fashioned by hand into a loop with longitudinal stretches or portions of the loop lodged in the retaining notches in the nut. To say the least, this is not only a diicult and unhandy procedure to pursue but is time consuming as well, With these objections infmind, I have evolved and produced a simple and expedient `mechanical device or implement for achieving the desired aim, the same being characterized by unusual simplicity in construction and reliability in operation and use. l

More specifically, in carrying out the principles of the invention, I have effected a practical and feasible structure characterized by' a cylinder having a coasting, inner cylinder revoluble therein, the cylinders, concurrently, constituting a casing, and said casing serving as an enclosure for a wire-holding reel, the first-named cylinder havingL a bearing, and the second-named cylindera hand crank, there being a rotatable wiretwistingunit in said bearing, and the hand crankequipped cylinder havingV geared connection therewith for adequately and satisfactorily operating the same.

Novelty is predicated upon the gear-driven, rotata'bly mounted wiretwisting unit or means, this being of a longitudinally `extensible and adjustable type, and provided at its outer end with wireholding, looping and twisting means such as permits the desired results to be attained in a practicable manner. l Y

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.` l

In the drawings:` Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire holder and twister constructed in accordance with the principles of the instant invention.

Figure 2 is a somewhat enlarged sectional and elevational view, this serving to bring out all of the details and their companionate structural relationships.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. l

vFigures 4, 5 and 6 are similar cross sections taken on the planes of the lines 4-4, 5-5 and 6 6, respectively, of Figure 2.

Figure '7 is a transverse section on the plane of the line 1-1 of Figure 2, looking toward the left, in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a perspective View, on an enlarged scale, of the rotary motion transmitting gear.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view detailing the wire-holding and twisting head and showing the manner in which the wire is inserted and then twisted to hold the castellated -nut against accidental displacement.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference numerals, it will be seen that the cylindrical hollow case or casing' is denoted by the numeral I0, this being of appropriate dimensions and materials, as are the other'parts:` As previously indicated, said `casing comprises an outer cylinder YI I, this having a concave-convex end I2 with a central spindle I3 formed integral therewith and extending axially through and beyond the left hand open end of the cylinder.

Reference being had to Figure 2, it will be observed that the left hand end portion of said cylinder, as indicated at I4, is slightly enlarged, diametrically speaking. The central portion of the cylinder on one side* thereof is provided with an integral outstanding tubular extension I5 which constitutes a bearing. A spool I6 is mounted for'rotatiorr on the spindle I3 and this is supplied with'wire I1 whereby to provide a convenient supply and reel from which the free end of the wire is paid out `and used for successive looping and tying purposes. Fitted into the left hand end of the cylinder II. is a complemental inner cylinder of cup-like form denoted by ,the numeral I8, and this has its inner end scalloped, as indicated at I9, to forman annular gear. This cylinder I8 is assembled and held in place by washers and clamping nuts 20, so that it is conveniently removable to permit access to be had to the spool and wire. Also, this cylinder I8 is providedwith a hand crank IBa.

The wire-feeding, device is characterized by a pair of telescopically connected tubular parts. part includes a cylindrical portion 2| which is mounted for rotation inthe bearing I5. That portion which extendsbeyond the bearing is flatlooping and tying unit or The main or larger` tened and converted into a tube of rectangular cross sectional form, as indicated at 22. A correspondingly-shaped rectangular extension tube 23 is telescopically mounted in the outer end of the tube 22. Before considering the outer end construction, I would direct attention to the gear 24 provided on the inner end of the inner tube 2|. This gear comprises (see Fig. 8) a pair of rings 25 and 26 fastened on the tube and provided with circumferentially spaced marginal pins 21. These provide the gear teeth and these teeth coact with the aforementioned gear teeth I9. Consequently, rotation of the cylinder I8 by way of the hand crank brings the gears I9 and 24 into play to rotate part 2l in its bearing.

I next call attention to the wire-handling, looping and tying means on the outer end of the extensible tube 23. This may be generally referred to as a looping and tying head 28. The head .is actually formed by splitting the end of the tube and flattening the parts and fastening said parts 29 together by a bolt or the like 30 (see Fig. 4). The parts 29 will be conveniently referred to as plates, and it will be noted that the marginal edges thereof are flared outwardly, as at 3l, to provide alternatively usable retention jaws 32 and 33, respectively. The plates inwardly of the jaws are formed with grooves defining passages 34 and 35 for the free end portion 31 of the wire to be looped and tied. The free end of the wire is fed down through the tube 2l and tube 23 and is then deflected and fed out through an adapter hole 36 in the tube 23 adjacent the head 28.

In practice the wire l1 or the Vfree end 31 thereof, is pulled down through and beyond the head 28, this by way ofthe outlet hole 35 (see Fig. 2). Enough of the wire is paid out by unreeling it from the reel to form therloop and twisted tie, as shown in Figure 9. A portion of the wire Yis lodged between the jaws 32 on one side of the head. Then the wire is threaded through the bolt 38. Then, the free end portion is fashioned into a loop and brought up and clamped between the jaws 33 on the opposite side of the head, thereV being a retaining hook 39 on the Yhead at this point to accommodate the free end of the wire and to assist in holding it in place during the loop forming and twisting operation. With the wire thus properly clampedm it can be seen that by holding the cylinder Il inl one hand and operating the crank Ilia, in the other hand, `the gearing comes into play, thus twisting the head and also twisting the wire, as at 40. Once the twisting operation is thus completed, the wire is cut or clipped with a, suitable l tool or instrument, and the operation is repeated.

Novelty is predicated upon the intertting cylinders making up the casing for the wire accommodation spool, this in conjunction with the hand crank attached to one of the cylindrical parts or sections of said casing to function, through appropriate operating connections, as a ways and means of imparting rotation to the wire feeding, looping, clamping and twisting unit. The latter unit itself, comprising the telescopically connected rectangular hollow tube and Vthe special flattened head and clamping device on the outer end of the outer section or tube, provides an ingenious and adaptable structure for the purposes intended.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable thev reader Vto obtain a clear understanding and impression of the' alleged features of merit and novelty suf- -cient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A wire supply holder and reeling, loop-forming and twisting device of the class described comprising a casing embodying a relatively stationary cylindrical section, and -a second cylin- -drical section telescoping and mounted for rotation therein, a hand crank carried by the secondnamed section, a relatively fixed spindle carried by the first section, a wire lled spool mounted for rotation on said spindle and confined in said casing, a wire feeding and guiding, loop-forming and twisting unit, means for rotatably mounting same on said casing, and a gearing connection between the inner end thereof and the adjacent inner end of said second-named casing section.

2. In a device of the class described, a portable cylindrical casing comprising an outer relatively stationary cup-like cylindrical section closed at one end and provided with a rigid axially disposed spindle rod, the outer end of the latter extending through and beyond the outer end of the section, a spool mounted on said spindle rod, a complemental casing section comprising a cylindrical cup-like member fitted telescopically in the adjacent open end of said first-named section and rotatable therein, said second section .being provided with a hand crank, the inner end portion of the wall thereof being serrated to provide an annular motion-transmitting gear, said firstnamed section being provided with a centrally disposed laterally projecting tubular extension constituting a bearing, and a wire delivery and loop-forming unit including a tubular member mounted for rotation in said bearing, said tubular member projecting into the casing and having a gear on its inner end, said first-named gear meshing therewith. f

3. A device of the class described comprising a wire spool-holding casing, and a wire-feeding, looping and twisting unit rotatably mounted on said casing, said unit comprising interconnected telescoping tubes, the outer end of the outer tube being fashioned into a wire-gripping, looping and twisting head, said head embodying opposed at plates having longitudinal wire-gripping jaws along opposite longitudinal edges, whereby to hold the free ends and adjacent portion of the wire to dene the loop and to thereafter twist the ends of the wire together in the manner and for the purposes described.

4. A wire-supply holder, reeling and loopforming and twisting device of the class described comprising an elongated sectional casing embodying a relatively stationary cylindrical main section, a second cylindrical section telescoping and mounted for rotation therein, a hand crank connected to the outer end of the second-named section for rotating it in relation to the iirst section, a wire-filled spool mounted for rotation in said easing, a wire-feeding, guiding loop-forming and twisting unit, means rotatably mounting said unit on said casing in a manner to permit the wire to be fed from the spool and casing into and through said unit, and an operating connection between the inner end of said second-named cylindrical section and the adjacent end of said unit, whereby said crank turns said second section and said unit for wire feeding and twisting purposes,

5. A wire-supply holder, reeling loop-forming and twisting device of a portable hand-operated type comprising a casing embodying a pair of rotatably connected sections, Vone section being provided with a lateral tubular extension constituting a bearing, a hand crank connected to the remaining section for rotating it in relation to the first-named section, a Wire-filled spool n mounted for rotation in said casing, a, wire-feeding, guiding and loop-forming and twisting unit, lo

said unit being of a. longitudinally extensible and retractible type and embodying an inner portion rotatably Vmounted in said bearing, and provided at its outer end with a wire-looping and twisting head, together with an operating connection between the hand crank equipped section of the casing and the adjacent inner end portion of said unit, whereby to turn the unit in the bearing by way of the hand crank.

WILLIAM MORRIS.

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