US2622553A - Visibility disk for use on wire fences and the like - Google Patents

Description

Dec, 23, 1952 R. M. wlgs N 2,622,553

VISIBILITY nrsx FOR USE ON WIRE: FENCES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 8, 1949 i' m l".

INVENTOR t M. WLISOTL F m 7 BY CR QCPM ORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1952 VISIBILITY DISK FOR USE ON WIRE FENCES AND THE LIKE Robert M.. Wilson, Battle Creek, Mich., assignor to Dare Products, Incorporated, Battle Creek, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 8, 1949, Serial No. 75,260

4 Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to fences and electric fence assemblies, and in its specific phases to discs mounted on electric fences to show the location of the fence wire.

The use of electric fences is of comparatively recent origin but in the few years which they have been in use there have been hundreds of thousands of electric fence posts sold and thousands of miles of bare electric fence wire. The fence posts of ordinary woven wire fences have been rather commonly spaced about a rod apart, and apparently the habit formed as to thespacing of those posts has been automatically carried over to the spacing of electric fence posts. It has also been standard practice to use relatively heavy electric fence wire which has ordinarily been in-the range of 9 to 12 gage, although some 14 gage and a small amount of 16 gage wire have been used for this purpose.

In order to make electric fences less costly and even more satisfactory, I now propose to space the posts 50 to '75 feet apart, and use a lighter gage-wire, such as 18 gage copper covered steel wire. This wire can be used for the same purpose as the heavy wire which is now used, and at the same time it does not require wire tightening apparatus or braces for the corner posts which are necessary with the heavier wire. This lighter wire is only about half as heavy as 16 gage wire, which thus not only makes the cost of the wire less but also permits-hand tightening of same.

Electrically fenced animals quickly learn to keep away from the fence and apparently depend to a large extent upon seeing the fence posts and the insulators, which is easy when the posts are close together, and also on seeing the Wire itself, a thingv which will become more difficult with the use'of light weight wire. The training of animals to recognize these items is part of the requirements for the use of electric fences, and when the discs of the present invention are mounted on the fence they also become part of the warning system recognized by the animals. It was a recognition of these problems and the comparative costliness of the electric fences using closely spaced posts and heavy wire which led to the conception and development of the present invention.

Accordingly, among the objects of the present invention is the provision of an electric fence which has more widely spaced posts and a light weight electric wire extending between them, together with an indicating means of relatively permanent construction mounted on the wire for showing the location of the fence.

Another object is to provide a relatively permanent means for increasing the visibility of fence wire, and particularly that of an electric fence.

Another object is to make possible the satisfactory use of a light weight bare wire for electric fences wherein such wire can be tightened by hand.

Another object is to provide discs which can be mounted on fence wire of various types at spaced intervals to show its location.

Another object is toprovide discs which preferably are round and smooth-edged sothat if by any chance an animal swallows one of these discs, same wil1 not have pointed edges which would be harmful.

A further object of the invention is to provide a special form of discs for mounting on fences wherein each of such discs has a locking tab means.

Another object is to provide an electric fence disc wherein such disc is preferably supported near its center so that there will be a little attention calling flutter of the disc on the electric fence wire when there is even a light breeze.

A further object is to provide fence discs which have perforations so that they will produce a hiss or whistling sound when there is a breeze.

Stillfurther objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds- To the accomplishment of the foreoing and. related ends, the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain means for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means illustrating, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may beused.

In the annexed drawing:

Figure 1 shows an electric fence with a preferred form of the discs of the present invention mounted thereon.

Figure 2 shows a front view of one preferred form of the discsof the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a vertical center section, view of the disc illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view Of the disc of Figure 2 mounted on a wire.

Figure 5 shows a vertical center section view of the disc and wire assembly of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a rear viewof the Figure 4 assembly.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawing, it will be noted that an electric fence is shown wherein the electric fence wire I is supported on insulators 2 carried by electric fence posts 3. In order to improve the visibility of the fence, and particularly so where the electric fence posts are further apart than the standard one rod spacing, and also where the electric fence Wire is smaller than the ordinary 9 to 12 gage, its is preferable to mount on such wire some wire location indicating discs 4.

The discs 4, which are used in accordance with the present invention, may be of many sizes and types, although a preferred size of same is 1%" in diameter and .016 thick. While these discs can be made out of various kinds of materials,

sheet aluminum is exceptionally satisfactory due to its non-rusting characteristics, low cost, machinability, lightness, and good visibility characteristics.

The discs 4 are preferably provided with a tab 5, one edge 8 of which acts as the hinge for the tab which is also given a light break 1 so that the tip portion 9 of the tab extends outward away from the plane of the disc. Hinge 6 of the tab is preferably just above the horizontal center line of the disc, and below that center line is provided a cutout perforation 8 which is substantially parallel to hinge 6 and a little longer than the width of tab 5. This facilitates passing the end of tab 5 through perforation 8 when the disc is mounted on a wire.

The perforation 8 as well as the opening from which tab 5 extends cause a hissing or whistling sound when the wind blows, and this can be made still more pronounced with addtional holes, all of which it is intended the drawings will be considered to diagrammatically illustrate. That noise will be helpful to electrically fenced animals, both during daylight and at night, to keep them from getting too close to the fence. Luminous or fluorescent coatings can also be used on these discs to render them visible at night both to animals and to human beings.

To mount the disc 4 on a Wire such as electric fence wire I, tab 5 is bent outward about its hinge 6 and passed over wire I. This tab 5 is then further bent until the tip 9 of same is passed through cutout perforation 8 whereupon tip 9 is bent back as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6 to anchor the disc firmly on wire I. While the engaged disc can be easily released and removed by means of a jackknife or a screw driver, it is anchored in place sufficiently well so that it will not accidently drop off of the wire, nor will it be easy for an animal out of pure curiosity or habit to get the disc loose. Electric fence power units are commonly of the type which charge the wire with low-amperage high-voltage electric current many times a minute and hence if a goat or the like tried to chew one of these discs he would be quickly discouraged.

While these discs are particularly adapted for use on electric fences, they are not specifically limited to such use since they are suitable for mounting as a warning on any wire, such as barb wide fences, plain wire around a newly seeded lawn, or the like.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the visible warning device and fence assemblies herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In an electric fence assembly, which comprises a bare electric wire with insulated supports for said wire, a thin metal disc means mounted at intervals on said wire between supports to increase the visibility of same, each of said disc means having an interior cut portion which extends short of the periphery of said disc and forms a tab having a bendable hinge edge near the center of said disc, said disc also having a. perforation adjacent to but spaced from the hinged edge of said tab and through which the tip end of said tab may be threaded and releasably anchored after same has been passed around said wire.

2. A visible warning device for mounting on a wire such as is used in electric fences, which comprises a substantially flat thin metal disc with a tab as a unit part of same, said tab being hinged near the center of said disc and having its tip end at a point short of the periphery of said disc which is continuous past the tip of said tab, said disc also having a perforation at the opposite side of the center of said disc from said tab, said perforation being spaced from but closely adjacent the hinge edge of said tab, said tab being adapted to be bent outward and backward with its tip threaded through said perforation where it is releasably anchored after same has been passed around said wire.

3. A visible warning device for mounting on a wire such as is used in electric fences, which comprises a thin metal disc formed from a material such as sheet aluminum, and a tab hinged near the middle of said disc and terminating short of the periphery of said disc, said disc also having a perforation longer than the width of said tab and spaced a short distance from and substantially parallel to said tab hinge, said tab being of a length such that it can be bent about its hinge edge over said wire and its tip passed through said perforation and clinched in place.

4. A visible warning device for mounting on a wire such as is used in electric fences, which consists of a thin metal disc formed from material such as sheet aluminum, means for increasing the visibility of said disc after dark, and a tab hinged near the middle of said disc and terminating short of the periphery of said disc which is continuous past the end of said tab, said disc also having a Perforation longer than the width of said tab and spaced a short distance from and substantially parallel to the hinge portion of said tab, said tab having an outward bend near its point to facilitate use and anchoring of said disc on a wire, and said tab also being of a length such that it can be bent about its hinge edge over said wire and its tip passed through said perforation and clinched in place.

ROBERT M. WILSON.

1 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 197,661 Putnam, Jr Nov. 27, 1877 249,777 La Fleur Nov. 22, 1881 405,851 Schlyer June 25, 1889 1,174,033 Abbott Mar. 7, 1911 1,219,916 Carley Mar. 20, 1917 2,220,687 Peters Nov. 5, 1940

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