US3370699A

US3370699A - Barbed-wire bundle

Info

Publication number: US3370699A
Application number: US523684A
Authority: US
Inventors: Seymour C Gedge; William H Johns
Original assignee: United States Steel Corp
Current assignee: United States Steel Corp
Priority date: 1966-01-28
Filing date: 1966-01-28
Publication date: 1968-02-27
Anticipated expiration: 1985-02-27
Also published as: BE693324A

Description

Feb. 27, 1968 s. c. GEDGE ETAL. 3,370,699

BARBED-WIRE BUNDLE Filed Jan. 28, 1966 I/VVEIVTORS SEYMOUR 6v 6506!: and V/IL L IAM H. JOHNS United States Patent Ofifice 3,370,699 Patented Feb. 27, 1968 3,370,699 BARBED-WIRE BUNDLE Seymour C. Gedge, Petoskey, Mich., and William H. Johns, South Euclid, Ohio, assignors to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 523,684 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-59) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A barbed-wire bundle which eliminates the usual reel with its core. The bundle includes a plurality of helically wound layers with the direction of lay in each layer being opposite to that in adjacent layers. It is necessary that the layers have a pitch of at least 1%," which is substantially greater than the pitch used in bundles with a core.

This invention relates to a barbed-wire bundle and is more particularly directed to a barbed-Wire bundle which is self-supporting. For many years barbed-wire has been wound on wire reels mounted on a mandrel. After the bundle is completed, the barbed-wire and the wire reel are removed from the mandrel as a single unit. The barbed-wire is laid up helically in a plurality of layers with the direction of lay in each layer being opposite to that in the adjacent layers. The pitch is short, about /1 inch, which causes successive layers to cross one another at a very slight angle. The cost of the barbedwire reel and the expense incurred in assembling it on the mandrel form a very substantial part of the manufacture of the bundle. The reel has a center core and two end flanges and it is customary to lift such reels of barbed-wire by engaging the center core or one of the legs of the flanges. Neither of these locations provides a suitable handle because they are near the barbed-wire. In paying oif the barbed-wire in the field, the bundle is rotated on a shaft that is inserted snugly through aligned center holes in the end flanges. When a snag occurs, a sudden jerk will usually disengage it, but this sudden jerk also causes an undesirable acceleration of the rotation of the reel because it is rotating about its center of gravity. This usually causes one or two loose wraps of barbed-wire on the reel which often fall off to the side and become entangled with the shaft or the legs of the reel. This necessitates stopping the stringing to disentangle the barbed-wire.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide a barbed-wire bundle which eliminates the reel and the disadvantages thereof.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of apparatus which may be used in forming a bundle and showing layers of barbedwire in place on the mandrel;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bundle of barbed-wire of our invention; and

FIG. 3 is a view showing the bundle of FIGURE 2 supported for paying off the barbed wire.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 designates a barbed-wire bundle of our invention. The bundle 2 comprises a plurality of layers of barbed-wire 4 which are arranged around an axial coreless opening 6. As in the conventional bundle, the barbedwire in each layer is helically wound with the direction of lay in each layer being opposite to that in the adjacent layers. However, contrary to the teaching in the prior art, the barbed-wire is laid with a relatively long pitch P which we have found must be at least 1% inches. This results in the wires in adjacent layers crossing at an angle A of approximately 10 or greater. We have found that when the reel is eliminated and the barbed-wire wound directly on a mandrel with the short pitch previously used, the barbed-wires in adjacent layers nestle together in such a manner that the barbs lock together and, in addition, the bundle has a tendency to split in the middle. In addition, because the wire is substantially normal to the axis of the bundle, there is a tendency for the wire adjacent the ends of the bundle to slip beyond the end of the bundle. While we have found that the bundle can be handled without any additional wrappings, it is advisable to fasten tie wires 8 and 10 through the axial opening 6 and around the outside of the bundle in diametric alignment, as shown in FIGURE 2, and to connect the ends of a wire handle 12 to the tie wires 8 and 10.

In making up a bundle, the barbed-wire 4 passes over a wire guide 14 and is wound on a driven mandrel 16 having end members 17 and will reverse its direction of travel after each layer of barbed-wire is laid. The wire guide 14 traverses a shaft 18. This equipment is conventional and it is preferred that the guide 14 be positively driven transversely as in Putnam et al. Patent No. 359,- 917, dated June 20, 1882, since when so driven it is possible to better control the pitch. However, the bundles have been made successfully on equipment similar to that shown in Bates Patent No. 265,723, dated June 28, 1887, in which the wire guide 14 is traversed by movement of the barbed-wire itself. After the bundle is completed it is stripped from the mandrel 16 in the usual manner by removing one of the end members 17. The tie wires 8 and 10 and handle 12 are then applied and the bundle is ready for shipment.

In removing the barbed-wire from the bundle, the wires 8 and 10 and handle 12 are removed and the bundle is supported in horizontal position on a rod 20, which in turn is supported on bracket 22. The rod 20 has a diameter substantially less than that of opening 6. For example, it is quit common to have the diameter of the core opening 5 inches and the diameter of the

rod

20, 1% inches. In such an arrangement the center of gravity of the bundle is 2 /2 inches below the center of rotation so that when a snag occurs it can be disengaged by a sudden jerk without causing any acceleration in the rotation of the bundle. Thus the barbed-wire will not become entangled with the shaft. The long pitch also helps to prevent Wraps falling ofl the bundle because the barbed-wire approaches the edge of the bundle at a considerable angle and then recedes immediately from the edge at a similar angle.

While we have shown one embodiment of our invention it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A barbed-wire bundle comprising a plurality of layers of barbed-wire around an axial coreless opening, the barbed-wire in each layer being helically wound with a minimum pitch of 1% inches, the direction of lay in each layer being opposite to that in the adjacent layers.

- 2. A barbed-Wire bundle according to claim 1 in which the wires in adjacent layers cross at a minimum angle of 3. A barbed-wire bundle according to claim 1 includ- 162,760 ing two tie wires passing through the axial opening and 5 750056 around the outside of the bundle. 784794 4. A barbed-wire bundle according to claim 3 in which the two tie wires are in diametric alignment, and a wire handle has its ends connected to said tie wires.

Goddu 20659 Woodman 224-57 Kimball 20659 McGregor 206-59 Scott 206-59 WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner.