US595158A - Fence-making machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. POREMAN.

FENCE MAKING MACHINE.

No. 595,158. Patented Dec. 7,1897.

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J. H. FOREMAN.

FENCE MAKING MACHINE.

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Uwirnn STATES PATET rri'cn.

JOHN HENRY FOREMAN, OF ST. LUCAS, IOIVA.

FENCE-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,158, dated December '7, 1897.

Application filed eptember 1, 1897. Serial No. 650,265. (No model.)

To aZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN HENRY FOREMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at St. Lucas, in the county of Fayette and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Making Machines; 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 appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This-invention relates to certain new an d useful improvementsin that class of fence-making machines known as fence-looms for making wire-and-wood fencing; and my invention consists in the special construction and combination of the parts, whereby I am enabled to simplify and lessen the cost of such machines and at the same time provide one which will be of great capacity and easy to manipulate.

The invention consists in the specific construction and organization of the parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3, a vertical section through the line a: so of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a sectional View through one of the twister-heads; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the draw-board and means for operating the same.

The frame A of the machine is constructed so as to provide a main table or platform which carries at one end an extension which serves as a support for a roller A, which is removably journaled to arms a, which are provided adjacent to their ends with supports a. One of the ends of the roller is provided with a ratchet-wheel B, with which a pawl carried by an arm 13 is adapted to engage, and the roller is rotated by the arm 13 which has at one end a plate which engages with the ratchet-wheel, said arm being connected to a lever pivoted to the main frame so as to project above the table or platform thereof.

The main table or platform A carries two or more longitudinal slats or bars, upon which the pickets to be woven into the fencing are placed, these slats being referred to by the letter 0, and at one side of the table or platform is a gage-strip c,against which the ends of the slats or pickets will abut. The side pieces of the table are provided with grooves or recesses cl, which are adapted to receive the ends of a draw-board D, which is adapted to have a reciprocal movementin the recesses d. This draw-board is moved in one direction by means of a flexible connection d, which is preferably attached to the central portion of the draw-board at one end, passes over a suitable guide-roller, the other end of the flexible connection having attached thereto a suitable weight (1 and it is moved in an opposite direction from the movement imparted thereto by the weight by a roller E, which is journaled in the depending side pieces of the table or platform, said roller or rock-shaft having two upwardly-projecting arms 6 connected to the draw-board D by short sections of chain c, which are connected to the arms 6 slightly below their upper ends. The roller or rock-shaft E is also provided with a projecting arm E, which extends from the opposite side of the roller from the arms c, said arm Ebeing connected toa foot pedal or lever E It will be noted by the construction shown that the weight will tend to keep the draw board D normally toward the twister-heads, and said weight will also hold the foot treadle or lever normally raised. The draw-board D carries a series of forks D, which are made up of single bars of metal bent upon themselves to provide upwardlyprojecting portions and horizontally-extending portions, having eyes through which bolts pass for connecting said forks to the drawboard, the function of said forks being to guide the wires and draw the slats tight against a twist previously made prior to operating the twister-heads, and they also keep the wire close together while being twisted.

The twister-heads are supported between two transverse beams G G, and said heads comprise two sections 9 9, having flanges which abut against bearings therefor carried by the beams G Gr, and between the parts 9 g of the twister-heads are secured sprocketwheels II. The two parts of the twister-heads up of a single flat bar of metal, which are atg g and the hub of the sprocket-wheel H have corresponding apertures, so as to provide apertures for the passage of bolts M, and openings, two in number, through which pass the wires from the spools, the bolts M serving to hold the spools in positive engagement with each other and also serving to connect with the twister-heads the spool-carrying frame I. The parallel beams G G have journal-bearings for the series of twister-heads and a sprocket-wheel, said sprocket-wheel being carried by a shaft having a crank-handle. The chain for operating the sprocket-wheels of the twister-heads passes over the sprocketwheel II. Each of the beams G G is made up of two sections or pieces, the shorter sections projecting beyond one of the sides of the main frame, and each section of the beams G G is connected to the adjacent section by hinges,as shown, so that the beams when not required for use can be folded over the main frame.

The spool-carrying frames I are each made tached to the twister-heads by means of the bolts 7 i, the apertures through which the wires pass being on opposite sides of the bars I. One of the ends of the spool-carryin g frame is rounded, as shown at i,and enters bearings in a bar carried by the main frame, and the other end of the bar I is free, and through said free end and the center portion of the spool-carrying frame I passes a bolt I, upon which the spools which carry the wire are placed, and the bolts I not only serve as a support for the spools, two being carried by each frame, but they also serve as a friction or tension device, which will prevent the Wire being payed out too freely.

The sprocket-wheels, which are journaled between the beams G G and are rigidly connected to the twister-heads and spool-carrying frames, are driven by a sprocket-chain, which engages with said sprocket-wheels and with a sprocket-wheel H, carried by a shaft journaled between the extended ends of the beams G, and the shaft is provided on its side nearest the foot-treadle E with a crankhandle.

If desirable, the extended portions of the beams G may be separated from that portion of the beams opposite the table, so that the beams may be folded when the device is not in use, so that the fence-making machine when stored will occupy but little space. The parts of the frame are preferably connected by bolts.

The fence-making machine hereinbefore described is constructed with a view of providing a simple apparatus which can be operated by a single person, and to this end the crank which operates the twister-heads is placed relatively near the foot lever or treadle and also near the lever which is oscillated to operate the roll upon which the fencing is wound, and when the machine is in use a bundle of slats may be placed so that the ends will rest against the extension of the beams G G, so as to be within easy reach of the operator. In making fencing the oper ator will place his foot upon the foot-treadle, which will move the slats toward the roller. The hand-lever is then operated to turn the roller, which exerts a tension upon the fencing and draws the wires taut, so that the wires beyond the forks will lie one above the other. A slat is then placed between the wires, and the crank-handle is given several turns, according to the number of twists or distance which the operator desires the slats to be one from the other. After the wire has been twisted theoperator depresses the foot-lever, which moves the draw-board and again operates the lever to wind the fencing upon the roll. As soon as the fencing is wound upon the roll the operator removes his foot from the foot lever or treadle, which permits the draw-board to move back to its normal position, so that the fork carried thereby will be in close proximity to the twister-heads.

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

1-. In a fence-m achine, the combination with the mainframe having a series of twisterheads connected to sprocket-wheels, spoolcarrying frames connected to the twisterheads, the spool-carrying frames and twisterheads being journaled on a line with each other, a draw-board reciprocally mounted on the main frame and provided with forks positioned opposite the twister-heads, means for holding the draw-board normally adjacent to the twister-heads, a rock-shaft having arms connected to the draw-board and an arm connected to a foot-lever, a roller upon which the fencing is wound carried by the main frame and a lever for engaging said roller, the lever for operating the roller, foot-treadle for operating the rock-shaft and crank-handle for operating the twister-heads being positioned adjacent to each other so as to be within reach of a single operator, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fence-making machine, the combination of the twister-heads made up of two sections g g, sprocket-wheels II, said parts having registering apertures, bolts for connecting the parts to each other, and spoolcarrying frames attached to the twister-heads by the connecting bolts, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a fence-making machine constructed substantially as described, a reciprocating draw-board, a guided flexible connection weighted at one end to hold the draw-board normally adjacent to the twister-heads, forks carried by the draw-board, a rock-shaft connected with the draw-board and with a footlever so that a depression of the foot-lever will move the draw-board out of the position which is normally held by the weight, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth. g

4. In a fenceqnaking machine, the combi- ICC nation with the parallel beams G, G, having use, substantially as shown and for the purjournal-bearings fora series of twister-heads, pose set forth. 10 a sprocket-Wheel having a crank-handle jour- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature naled between said beams, a chain for enin presence of two witnesses.

5 gagement with the sprocket-wheels, hinges JOHN HENRY FOREMAN.

for connecting the ends of the beams to the Witnesses: beams opposite the main frame so that said G. O. KRUGER,

beams may be folded when not required for LEO O. STONE.

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