US580267A - Fence-machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

S. A. FRETWELL'.

FENCE MACHINE.

No. 580,267, Patented Apr, 6, 1897 UNITED STATES PATrNT OFFICE,

SILAS A. FRETIVELL, OF CENTRALIA, MISSOURI.

FENCE-MACHINE.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,267, dated April 6, 1897.

Application filed July 29, 1896. Serial No. 600,882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SILAs A. FRETWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Centralia, in the county of Boone and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fence-Machines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved fence-machine. Fig. 2 is a plan View; Fig. 3, an enlarged View of a part of one side of the machine, showing the slotted sprocketwheel forming a part of the twisting mechanism; Fig. el, an enlarged view of the opposite side of the device; Fig. 5, a plan view; and Fig. 6, a detail view of one of the sprocketwheels and one of the auxiliary disks, respectively.

My invention pertains to improvements in fence-n1aking machinery; and my object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device for constructing slat-and-wire fences and for repairing the same when broken or otherwise deranged.

The peculiar features and special advantages of the invention will be apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which A represents a stanchion or post of suitable size reinforced on one edge by a flange 2. The lower end is provided with a horizontal metal plate 3 and the upper end with a handle 4, whereby the machine is held steady when at work by the hand and foot of the operator. A series of apertures 5 are formed at suitable intervals in the stanchion and provide bearings for the circular twisters. Slots 7 extend diagonally downward from said apertures to the outer edge of the stanchion to admit the fence-wires. The twisters consist of a sprocketed wheel 8, having on one side a smaller integral disk 9, forming a journal which revolves freely in the apertures or bearings 5. Slots 10 extend diametrically from the periphery of the twister to a point near the center. The inner ends of said slots have reversed rightangled extensions, as shown in the drawings. A supplementary disk 11 is adjustably attached to the face of the smaller disk 9 by a screw and thumb nut 12, and is provided with slots 13, the rightangled extremities of which are reversed in relation to the slots 10.

The twisters are operated by a crank attached to a sprocket-wheel 14, which engages a sprocket-belt 15. In order to provide means for slackening or tightening the said belt, the arm 16, which carries the driving-wheel 14, is pivoted to the stanchion and is adjusted in position by a thumb-nut 17, which engages the slotted segment 18. If it be desired to introduce additional twisters in the stanchion it is only necessary'to release the arm and permit the driving-wheel 14 to swing downwardly free from the belt as far as necessary for the purpose required. The desired changes being effected, the wheel is raised and readjusted by the thumb-nut.

The operation of the device is as follows: The stanchion being set in the desired position, the thumb-nut 12 is slackened and the disk 11 turned until the slots 10 and 13 coincide. One of the fence-wires is then placed in the twister and the disk 11 turned a halfrevolution, bringing the opposite slot into position to admit the second wire. Aslight backward turn of the disk incloses the wires in apertures formed by the angular extensions of the slots and they are retained therein by tightening the thumb-nut.

In order to adapt the machine for repairing fences without cutting the wires, the sprocketchain 15 is provided with a hooked link,(not shown,) and may thus be opened to receive the wires. It will also be understood that the twisters may be passed over a kinked or spliced wire by the same means.

What I claim as new is In a fence-machine, the combination with the post having a series of apertures 5 and a series of slots 7 extending therefrom to the outer side of the post, the twisting-wheels each comprising a sprocket-wheel having on one side a smaller integral disk forming a journal adapted to rotate in said apertures 5, and formed with diametrical slots extending from near the center of said disks to the periphery thereof and having reversely-disposed angular inner ends, and the supplementary disks adjustably connected with said small disks and having reversed angularinner ends have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of in reverse relation to the slots 10, of the swing- J uly, 1896, in the presence of Witnesses. in arm pivotally connected at the inner end 1 to the post, the sprocket-Wheel at the outer SILAS A"FRLTWELL' 5 end, the slotted segment, and the thumb-nut, W'itnesses:

substantially as described. M. A. ARNOLD,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I A. L. COX.

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