US443892A - Tool for weaving wire-and-picket fences - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

A. J. BIGELOW & G. E. PROSSER. TOOL FOR WEAVING WIRE AND PIOKET FENCES. No. 443,892. Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

LtweMw QM awwm f UNTTE D STATES PATENT @FFICEQ ALFRED BIGELOV AND GEORGE E. PROSSER, OF NE\V LONDON, OIIIO.

TOOL FOR WEAVING WlRE-AND-PIOKET FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 443,892, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed August 5, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED J. BIGELOW and GEORGE E. PROSSER, citizens of the United States, residing at New London, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Tools for Weaving Pickets into WVire Fences; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to tools or instruments for weaving pickets into wire fences; and the object of the invention is to provide a tool or instrument which is cheap and simple in operation, and which will enable farmers and others who have fences of this kind to build to construct the same themselves.

To this end the invention consists in the construction substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the instrument or tool with the blade closed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof with the blade swung round to the extremity in the opposite direction and showing the relation of the spring thereto. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show the tool in various positions of use as they occur in succession, as hereinafter more fully explained.

The handle A is bifurcated or split at its outer end to receive the blade B, pivoted at b therein and adapted to swing round from one side to the other, as shown in the several views. In working size the handle is about fourteen inches long and the blade about seven inches. These sizes may be varied somewhat, but in practice are found to be about right.

The normal or first position of the tool is as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, in which it is held by a friction-lock (t, made in this instance of a piece of wire bent into a loop, a portion of which extends into the slot of the handle occupied by the blade, and is fastened through a portion of the handle. Any suitable lock or any means that will serve to retain the blade in the handle, as shown, and from which it turns when put to use, will serve the purpose. Upon the opposite edge of the handle is a spring 0, and nearly midway of its length is a stop cl, against which the spring bears when the tool Serial No. 361,099. (No model.)

is thrown round, as in Fig. 2. When the tool is released from the wire in weaving, the spring 0 instantly throws it round to the original position in readiness to repeat the operation of weaving. To enable the spring to work in the manner described, the blade is provided with a notch b at its head near its pivot-point. The end of the spring strikes the long inclined face of the notch and rides into the end thereof, where with the stop at it prevents further turning of the blade in that direction. The blade, furthermore, is formed with a longpointed extremity 17 which enters between the stretched wires, and a pointed heel or spur b about midway of its length, which is adapted to engage the wire, as shown, and form a stop to the thrust of the instrument. The twisting of the wire begins when this spur is reached, as then the pointed finger b is carried a sufficient distance through not to work out when turned.

The operation of the device is clearly illustrated in Figs. 3, i, and 5. Assuming that the strands of wire g g are stretched between two posts or along a line of fence and the pickets h are provided, a picket is placed in position between the wires, as shown in Fig. 3, and then the process of weaving begins. This is accomplished by inserting the instrument between the wires from below up to the spur b and then giving it a turn to the position seen in Fig. i, which makes one twist of the wires. Then by carrying the parts around to the position shown in Fig. 5 a double twist of the wires is effected and the movement completed. The instrument is then withdrawn and the wire retains its twist, there being little or no spring in the common grades of wire used for this purpose. The same operation is repeated as to the several sets of wires for each slot, two or more, at different elevations, and then another picket is placed in position, and so on. In every alternate picket, however, the twisting should be in the opposite direction to the one preceding, so as to take the twist out of the unwoven wire beyond the pickets. When the instrument is released from this last movement, the spring 0 automatically throws the blade around to the starting position and the friction-lock holds it there. Otherwise the blade is pivoted to turn freely. The style of spring may of course be differcut from that here shown, and any spring that serves the purpose may be used.

This instrument, it will be seen, has a long finger, the base of which is not wider than the thickness of an ordinary picket, so that the finger will enter between the wires without spreading them away from the picket and enable the weaving or twisting to be done close to the picket.

Having thus described our invention,what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an instrument to weave wire fences, a handle, a tool pivoted at one end in the end of the handle and provided with a pointed extremity to enter between the wires in weaving, and a spur projecting laterally from one side of the tool at the base of the pointed portion and forming a stop, substantially-as described.

'2. The slotted handle having a spring at and provided with a sharp-pointed finger, a lateral spur at the base of the finger, and a notch near its pivot-point for the spring on the handle, substantially as described.

The handle having the open slot in its end, a tool pivoted in said slot and having a pointed finger, a spur at the base of the finger, and a spring to throw the blade around to the starting position, substantially as described.

4. The slotted handle having a friction-stop for the blade and the spring, in combination with the blade pivoted in the handle and adapted to turn between the spring and friction-stop, substantially as described.

lVitness our hands to the foregoing specification this 22d day of July, 1890.

ALFRED J. BIeELow. GEORGE E. PROSSER.

Witnesses:

ROLLIN C. Power-1e, ()RRIE HEMENWAY.

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