US507452A - Wire-stretcher - Google Patents

Description

"(No Model.)

W Q. P'REWITT. WIRE STRETGHER.

No. 507,452. Patented Got. 24, 1893.

WWI wows V I a'vvuo/wko c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAMQ. PREWITT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 507,452, dated October 24, 1893.

Application filed February 4, 1893. Serial No. 460,971. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM Q. PREWITT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved reel or spool stretcher for wire fences and devices'for winding and locking said reel or spool.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments of my improvements, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the spool. Fig. 2 illustrates an end view of the spool and look as it appears on a fence post. Fig. 3 illustrates, in side elevation, one form of my winding device. Fig. 4 illustrates another form of the winding device; and Fig. 5 illustrates the key to prevent the spool from unwinding when on the post.

1 designates the barrel of the spool which will preferably be of +-form in cross section and have one of its webs provided with a hole 2 through which the wire to be wound or tightened is passed.

3 designates the heads of the spool. On these heads are formed projections that have square ends 4 and a polygonal groove 5 to receive a lock 6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The lock has a square recess 7 that fits in the groove so as to prevent the rotation of the spool therein while the arm 8 abuts against the post to prevent the rotation of the spool when subjected to the tension of the wire. The square ends 4 receive the wrenches of my improved winding device,such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The winding device shown in Fig. 3 comprises a yoke or frame 10 made of two parts adjustable toward or from each other by means of a screw 11. One of the parts of the yoke may have a guide pin 9 that passes through a hole in the opposite part of the yoke so as to hold said parts in the same plane. In the ends of the yokes are formed bearings 12 to receive the shanks 13 of the wrenches. A head 14 having a square socket to fit on the square end or the wire-tightening spool and a crank handle 15 are formed at opposite ends of the shank 13. A slit 16 in the bearing, of such size as to receive the crank handle 15 permits the shank of the wrench to be seated in said bearing, as shown, so that the wrench may be turned. When the winding device is thus constructed the parts of the yoke are separated by turning the screw so as to permit the sockets in the wrench to be placed opposite the square ends of the spool after which a slight returning of the screw will secure the winding device in proper position.

In Fig. 4 the yoke is made in one piece and one of the bearings is formed as a hollow screw 17 which receives the spindle 18 of a socketed head. The end of the spindle or shaft 18 is threaded or otherwise constructed to receive removably a crank whereby the socketed head may be turned.

In operating my invention, the spool is first put in the winding device and the wire tightened or wound upon the spool. The lock or key is then placed in the groove on the spool and in position against the post to hold it from rotation. After having done this, the winding device is removed. The sockets of the wrenches are shallow enough to permit the placing of the lock on the spool while the latter is still in the winding apparatus.

' What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A wire tightener comprising, to Wit, a spool having on its head a projection constructed to be removably engaged by a turning wrench and also provided with a groove extending polygonally around the spool, and a locking key having a portion constructed with complementary surfaces to engage the groove so as non-rotatably to embrace the spool and another part to abut against an obstruction whereby the spool may be held from rotation, substantially as described.

2. A device for winding wire tightening spools comprising, to wit, a yoke having bearings 12 12 arranged and adjustable in the same straightline, one of said bearings being slitted moved from the winding device, substan in substantially the direction of said line, a tially as described. I head 14 jonrnaled in one of said bear-in gs and In testimony whereof I affix my signature in constructed to engage one end of the spool presence of two witnesses.

5 and having a lateral projection or handle on WILLIAM Q. PREWITT.

the outer part of its (the head) shank con- Witnesses: structed to pass through the aforesaid slit, CHAS. L. WATSON,

whereby the spool may be rotated and re- CHARLES E. PITCHER.

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