US620629A

US620629A - Wire-stretcher

Info

Publication number: US620629A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1899-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1916-03-07

Description

Patented Mar. 7, I899.

D. P. YATES.

WIRE STRETCHER.

(Application filed. Mar. 31, 1898.)

(No Model.)

: NORRIS PETERS co, morouwa. wgsn UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID P. YATES, OF SALISBURY, MISSOURI.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,629, dated March 7, 1899.

Application filed March 31, 1898. Serial No- 6'75,979. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID P. YATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salisbury, in the county of Chariton and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Wire- Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in wire-stretchers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of wire-stretchers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one which will be strong and durable and capable of readily stretching a fen ce-wire to the desired tension and of holding the same adjacent to a fence-post while the said wire is being stapled or otherwise fastened to the latter.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire-stretcher constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a fence-post. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the opposite side of the wire-stretcher. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the wire-clamp.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates asubstantially U-shaped frame having the terminals 2 of its sides pointed and adapted to be embedded in a fence-post 3, and the frame is provided at its opposite end with a centrally-arranged shank or neck 4, which is provided with a bearing-opening 5 for the reception of a shaft 6. The sides of the frame are supported adjacent to the curved portion or bend by a transverse bar or cross-piece 7, interposed between the sides and connected with the same by any suitable means.

The shaft is disposed horizontally, and it has connected with it at one side of the frame a chain 8 or other suitable flexible connection, which carries a wire-clamp 9, adapted to engage the wire to be stretched, whereby the wire will be drawn across the face of the fence-post, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The device is supported at the opposite side of the frame by a pair of rods 10, extending upward and downward from the shaft and provided at their outer ends with arms 11, engaging the fence posts, preferably at a point opposite the ends of the sides of the frame, whereby when there is a tension on the chain 8 the device will be firmly held on the fence-post. The frame is mounted on the outer face of the post and the armsengage the inner face of the same, being located at points above and below the sides of the frame, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. By this arrangement the frame is held perfectly steady and a fencewire may be drawn to any desired tension without displacing the device. The inner or adjacent ends of the rods 10 are provided with eyes, which are linked into perforations 13 of a plate 14, which is provided with an opening for the reception of the shaft and is secured on one end of the same by a pin or key 15. The other end of the shaft is extended beyond the frame and is supported bya pair of inclined or angularly-disposed bracing rods 16, which extend from opposite sides of the frame to the shaft, adjacent to one end thereof, being provided With an eye 17, and the said shaft carries a ratchet-wheel 18, located adjacent to the shank or neck of the frame and adapted to be engaged by a pair of

pawls

19 and 20. The pawls or

dogs

19 and 20, which are pivoted to the frame at opposite sides of the shaft, are adapted to engage the ratchet-wheel when the device is employed at either side of a fence-post and when either side of the frame is uppermost. One of the pawls or dogs will always be in position for automatically engaging the ratchetwheel to lock the shaft against accidental retrograde rotations and hold the wire at the desired tension while the same is being stapled or otherwise fastened to the fence-post.

The shaft carries a disk 21, which is arranged parallel with and disposed opposite the ratchet-wheel, and the space between the ratchet-wheel and the disk is adapted to receive a fence-wire should it be drawn to that extent. The disk is located adjacent to the eye or opening of the braces 16, and it is located at the innersides of the same, a crank handle 23 being secured to the shaft at the outer side of the braces. The crank-handle, which may be'mounted on the shaft in any suitable manner, can be provided with a ratchet connection with the same, so that a fence-wire may be stretched close" to the ground by partially rotating the crank-handle successively instead of completely rotating the same.

The wire-clamp, which is connected with the outer end of the chain by a pair of rods 24., is composed of a pair of clamping-levers 25, having diverging outer or handle portions and pivoted between their ends at 26 to a connecting-bar 27. The levers 25, which are adapted to engage a fence-wire at a point between their pivots and their inner ends, are curved inward toward each other and present convex faces to the fence-wire and their inner edges diverge at opposite sides of the convex faces. The inner ends of the levers are perforated to receive the adjacent terminals of the rods 24 and the other ends of the latter are provided with eyes and are linked into one end of the chain. By pressing the outer or handle portions of the clamping-levers together the engaging portions are separated to release the fence-wire, and when there is a tension on the fence-Wire and on the chain the clamping-levers are caused to engage the wire firmly with a powerful grip.

The invention has the following advantages: The wire-stretcher, which is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, possesses great strength and durability and is capable of stretching a fence-wire to the desired tension and of holding the same while it is being stapled or otherwise secured to a fence-post. The device is firmly supported against a fence-post, and as it is provided with a double pair of dogs or pawls it is adapted to operate at either face of the same.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

WVhat is claimed is- V 1. A device of the class described comprising a frame adapted to be embedded in a fencepost, a shaft jonrnaled on the frame, disposed horizontally and extending from opposite sides of said frame, aplate mounted on the shaft at one side of the frame and provided with perforations, rods linked into the perforations and having arms at their outer ends,

and means for connecting a fence-wire with the shaft at the opposite side of the frame, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a substantially U-shaped frame having pointed sides adapted to be embedded in a post, said frame being provided with a neck or shank having a bearing-opening, a horizontal shaft journaled in the bearing-open ing, rods connected with one end of the shaft and adapted to engage a fence-post, braces mounted on the frame and supporting the other end of the shaft, and 'means for connecting a wire with the shaft, substantially as described. I

3. A device of the class described, comprisingaframe adapted to be embedded in afence post, a horizontal shaft journaled on the frame and extending from opposite sides thereof, a plate mounted on the shaft at one side of the frame, rods connected with the plate and adapted to engage the fence-post, a ratchet-disk mounted on the shaft and located at the opposite side of the frame, means for engaging the ratchet-disk,braces mounted on the frame extended outward therefrom and connected with the shaft, a guide-disk mounted on the shaft adjacent to thebraces, and means for connecting a wire with the shaft at a point between the guide-disk and the ratchet-disk, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, a wireengaging clamp comprising a pair of clamping bars or levers provided between their ends with convex wire-en gaging portions and having their inner edges diverging outwardly at both sides of the wire-engaging portions, the outer ends of the levers forming handles and adapted to be compressed to open the clamp, a transverse connecting-piece pivoted to the levers at a point between the convex engaging portions and the handles, and the conver- DAVID I. YATES.

Witnesses:

T. MARSHALL RIcE, S. H. REYNOLDS.