US3356341A

US3356341A - Winding and stretching attachment for wire fences

Info

Publication number: US3356341A
Application number: US614881A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jack S Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-02-09
Filing date: 1967-02-09
Publication date: 1967-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 1984-12-05

Description

J. 5. BROWN 3,356,341

AND STRBTCHING ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE FENCES Dec. 5, 1967 WINDING Filed Feb.

2 Sheets-Shem 1 Jack 5. Brawn INVENTOR.

STRETCHING ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE FENCES J. 5. BROWN Dec. 5, 1967 WINDING AND 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb.

III

Jack 5. Bra wn INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,356,341 WINDING AND STRETCHING ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE FENCES Jack S. Brown, 403 Elm St, Clyde, Tex. 79510 Filed Feb. 9, 1967, Ser. No. 614,881 6 Claims. (Cl. 254-64) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A power operated winding attachment for tractors having power hitch and drive take-off mechanisms. A hitch supported platform mounts a common shaft assembly carrying a wire stretching reel and a removable spool of barbed wire driven from the power take-off of the tractor.

Background of the invention This invention relates to the construction of barbed wire fences and more particularly to an attachment for tractor vehicles through which barbed wire is unreeled and stretched during the construction of a barbed wire fence.

In connection with the construction of barbed wire fences, the handling of the spools of barbed wire from which the barbed wire is unreeled and tacked to the fence posts, presents a problem as well as a hazard because of the injury that may result from uncontrolled coiling of the wire. Thus, many prior art wire reeling or winding attachments are unsatisfactory for barbed wire type of fence construction. Further, prior art wire winding attachments do not provide facilities for both controllably unreeling and stretching barbed wire as well as to accommodate easy replacement of exhausted spools of barbed wire.

Summary of the invention In accordance with the present invention therefore, an attachment is provided for tractor towing vehicles having a power take-01f drive whereby barbed wire may be controllably unreeled and maintained under constant tension. Toward this end, the attachment includes a shaft assembly having one or more removable sections facilitating the removable mounting of spools of barbed wire, the shaft assembly being positively driven from the power takeoff through a right angle drive. Thus, barbed wire may be unwound from its spool while the vehicle is stationary.

A further feature of the present invention is to provide an attachment for towing vehicles such as tractors having a shaft assembly including removable shaft sections keyed together by an element which is rotatably supported by a hinge bearing so as to facilitate disassembly of the shaft sections and removable mounting of spools of barbed wire thereon. The shaft assembly may also permanently mount a rewinding or stretching reel to which the barbed wire may be anchored.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

Brief description of the drawing figures FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing the attachment of the present invention in use and associated with a tractor vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 22 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substan- 3,356,341 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings in detail, the winding attachment generally denoted by reference numeral 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2, is shown in trailing relation to a towing vehicle such as a conventional tractor 12 having a universal power take-off shaft 14 and a power operated, three-point hitch mechanism including the lower lift arms 16 and the upper link arm 18 to which the attachment is hitched.

The attachment 10 includes a platform 20 supported in spaced relation above the ground by the hitch mechanism. A pair of pivot brackets 22 are fixed to the platform adjacent the forward edge 24 thereof in laterally spaced relation to each other so as to be pivotally connected to the lower lift arms 16 of the hitch mechanism. A standard 26 is also fixedly mounted on the platform between the pivot brackets 22 so as to establish a pivotal connection 28 to the upper link arm 18 of the hitch mechanism. The platform is thereby supported in a horizontal position adjustably spaced above the ground by means of the hitch mechanism in accordance with the load imposed thereon in a manner well known. Barbed wire 30 may extend rearwardly from the platform for attachment to fence posts 32, the wire being guided over a guide rod 34 supported at opposite ends by the arms 36 hinged to the platform 20 by the hinge brackets 38 adjacent the rear edge 40. When not in use, the guide rod may be pivotally retracted to the position as shown by dotted line in FIG. 2.

Rotatably mounted about a common horizontal axis spaced above the latform 20, is a shaft assembly which includes a plurality of

shaft sections

42, 44 and 46, as more clearly seen in FIG. 3. A plurality of laterally spaced

journal brackets

48, 50, 52 and 54 are mounted on the platform and extend upwardly therefrom. The shaft section 42 is rotatably supported between the

journal brackets

48 and 50 by means of a pair of

permanent bearing assemblies

56 and 58 respectively mounted on top of the

journal brackets

48 and 50. Hinged

bearing assemblies

60 and 62 are mounted on top of the

journal brackets

52 and 54 in order to rotatably support the

other shaft sections

44 and 46. Each of the hinged bearing assemblies as more clearly seen in FIG. 8, is pivotally connected by a hinge 64 to the top of its journal bracket so that it may be pivotally displaced from the solid line position to the dotted line position. In this manner, the

shaft section

44 or 46 may be removed from the shaft assembly in order to replace or install a spool 66 of barbed wire. When assembled, the

shaft sections

44 and 46 are keyed to each other by means of an interconnecting key element 68 the opposite ends of which are provided with noncircular projections 70 received within non-circular sockets 72 in the adjacent ends of the

shaft sections

44 and 46. The key element 68 is rotatably supported by the hinged bearing assembly 60 disposed axially between the

shaft sections

44 and 46. Removable fastener assemblies 74 hold the hinged bearing assemblies in place during use of the attachment.

Each of the

removable shaft sections

44 and 46 has a non-circular sleeve 76 secured thereto by setscrew fasteners 78 so as to removably mount thereon a spool 66 for rotation with the shaft assembly. One or more spools may be mounted on the shaft assembly by means of the

removable shaft sections

44 and 46. The shaft section 42 on the other hand permanently mounts adjacent the end bearing assembly 56, a rewinding or stretching reel 80 to which the barbed wire may be anchored by means of an anchor slot 82 for example. The barbed wire may thereby be rewound or stretched as shown in FIG. 6. Also mounted on the shaft section 42 between the reel 80 and the bearing assembly 58, is a right angle drive assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 84.

The drive assembly includes a gear housing 86 fixedly mounted on the platform 20 by the bracket 88 through which the shaft section 42 extends. A driven bevel gear 90 is secured to the shaft sections and is in driving engagement with a drive bevel gear (not shown) to which the universal power take-off shaft 14 is drivingly connected. It will be apparent therefore, that rotation may be imparted to the shaft assembly while the vehicle is stationary at a forward or reverse speed ratio to the output of the power plant associated with the tractor vehicle. Further, because of the constant gear connection between the shaft assembly of the attachment and the power take-off drive mechanism, any wire being unwound or rewound will be maintained under constant tension. This attribute of the attachment is of particular significance since barbed wire has a tendency to coil and weave about making it very dangerous should tension be relieved at any time. It will be apparent therefore that the attachment of the present invention will be particularly useful in connection with the various operations in building barbed wire fences including the unreeling and stretching of barbed wire.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a towing vehicle having a load supporting hitch mechanism and a power take-off, a winding and stretching attachment for barbed wire comprising, a platform supported by the hitch mechanism above the ground, a shaft assembly having a plurality of separable sections keyed to each other, means journaling said shaft assembly on the platform about a common axis, a stretching reel connected to one of said shaft sections having means for anchoring barbed wire thereto, means mounted by at least another of the shaft sections for removably receiving a spool of barbed wire, and gear means mounted on the platform for drivingly connecting the shaft assembly to the power take-off to controllably rotate said stretching reel and said spool about the common axis while the vehicle is stationary.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said journaling means for the shaft assembly includes, permanent bearing means rotatably supporting the shaft section to which the stretching reel is connected, and hinged bearing means rotatably supporting the other shaft section.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said shaft assembly further includes a key element removably mounted by said hinged bearing means and slidably interconnecting adjacent shaft sections.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said gear means comprises a right angle gear drive connected to the shaft section to which the stretching reel is connected.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said gear means comprises a right angle gear drive connected to the shaft section to which the stretching reel is connected.

6. In combination with a towing vehicle having a load supporting hitch mechanism and a power take-off, a winding and stretching attachment for barbed wire comprising, a platform supported by the hitch mechanism above the ground, a shaft assembly, means journaling said shaft assembly on the platform about a horizontal axis, a stretching reel connected to the shaft assembly, a spool of barbed wire, means removably mounting said spool on the shaft assembly and right angle drive means drivingly connecting the shaft assembly to the power take-off for controllably rotating the reel and spool and holding the barbed wire under tension at all times.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,914,270 11/1959 Parker et al. 254-64X 3,072,357 1/1963 Sprague et a1. 242-86.5 3,107,877 10/1963 Weaklend 242--86.5 3,128,962 4/1964 Bieber 24286.5 3,227,393 1/1966 Misegadis 242-865 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner.