US664174A - Wire-fencing machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 664,!74. Patented Dec. l8, I900.-

. N. S. PARKER.

WIRE FENCING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 20, 1960.)

(No Model.) 2 Shouts-Sheet I.

nnnnnnnnn 5 mins co. mo'rouma, wAsumrn'oN. n. c.

Patented Dec. I8. I900.

u. s. PARKER; WIRE rename MACHINE. (Application fi led. Aug. 20, IQOQ.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

NATHAN s. PARKER, or FORT DODGE, KANSAS, AssIeNo OF TWO-THIRDS TO 0. J. ANDREWS AND JULIA M. DIOKEY, OF'SAME PLACE.

WIRE-FENCING MACHINE;

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 664,174. datedDecember 18, 1906. n ncation'fiiea August 0,1900. Serial No. 27,479. (No modeLl To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that LNATHANS. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Dodge, in the county. of Ford and State of Kansas,have invented a new and useful Wire- Fence Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relates to wire-fence machines; and the object of the same is to pro- IO vide a simple and effective mechanical organization of relatively coacting elements for twisting the stringers orrunners arranged at regular intervals over wire pickets which are of themselves inter-twisted with the said stringers or runners by twisting members arranged in transverse alinement and adjustable vertically equally and simultaneously by a treadle connection to bring them into the operative plane of the runners or stringers and at the same time render the latter taut for a close unity with the pickets to produce a closely-woven fabric of any width in an expeditious manner.

The invention consists in the construction 2 5 and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed, and subject to such variations as re-' side within the scope andprinciple of the invention.

0 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire-fence-making machine embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of a portion 3 5 of the transverse picket-twisting mechanism. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through a portion of the said transverse picket-twist ing mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view of por-. tions of the stringers and a picket, showing the method of fastening the latter.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates the frame, which 5 is proportioned to receive the several mechanisms which will be hereinafter described and provided with hinged legs 2 for reducing it to compact form for transportation from one place to another, the latter operation being facilitated by the application to one of the side bars of horizontal rollers 3, as shown in Fig. 1, and brought into contact with the ground surface or flooring by tilting the frame, so as to cause the bar carrying the said rollers to be on the bottom. The infolding of the legs 2 and the reduction consequent therefrom also affords convenient means for storing the entire machine within a comparatively small space when not in use, and the entire frame structure will be as light as the weight and strain of the parts of the machine will permit without impairing the durability of the complete organization.

At one end of the frame a turn-bar 4 is rotatably mounted, the said bar being tubular to lighten it and increase the strength thereof, and through the center is inserted one extremity of a hand-lever 5. This bar has links 6 loosely connected thereto and to the front end of a slidable twister-frame 7, consisting of front and rear vertically-disposed plates 8 and 9,'connected byhorizontal intermediate and lower plates or beams 10, which may be of wood to lighten the structure, and also having longitudinally-extending forwardiy-projecting upperend guides 11,havingtheir lower edges bearing on opposite guide-blocks 12,held by the side bars of the frame; The upper portions of the plates 8 and 9 provide bearings for longitudinally-disposed parallel spindles 8o 13, having sleeved miter-gears .14: on their front ends in advance of the plate 8 and twisting-heads 15 on their rear ends back of the plate 9. The twisting-heads 15 each comprise a sleeve 16, secured on the spindle and having diametricallyopposed spool posts 17, which may be of a. single piece, of material of a suitable nature extending entirely through the sleeve 16 and spindle-terminal and adapted to receive wire-holding spools 18, which are rotatable thereon and removable at will therefrom. In the forward terminals of the end guides 11 a drive-shaft 19 is mounted, having sleeved miter-gears 20 thereon at regular intervals and meshing continuously with the 5 gears 14 on the spindles 13, the said shaft also having a crank-lever 21 on one end for hand rotation of the same and a band-pulley 22 on the opposite end to provide for operation of the machine by two methods.

At an intermediate point in the frame and at a prearranged distance from the twisting IOO mechanism just described is a transverselyoperating picket-twisting mechanism comprising end hangers 23, of T shape, formed with central vertical slots 24, which extend upwardly through the side bars of the frame, the latter being braced by the heads of the hangers. Between the side bars of the frame, in line with the opposite side edges of the depending portionsofthe hangers,areverticallyarranged inclosing guide-plates 25, having upper longitudinally-extending supporting extensions 26 secured to the inner sides of the side bars of the frame, and between the said plates a plurality of trausversely-alined twisting devices 27 are loosely mounted and verticallyadjustable. These twistingdevices each include an upstanding pair of closelyarranged guards 28, with an intermediate open space 29 and upper and lower space-closing blocks 30 and upper centrally-located vertical throat-slots 31, with flaring months 32, the slot and throat of each plate or guard being in alinement with the other. The guards all rise from a bottom plate 33, to which they are rigidly attached, and the throats of the entire complement of twisting devices 27 are in transverse alinement considered relatively to the longitudinal extent of the machine and the direction of the stringers or runners. The twisting devices 27 and the bottom plate 33 are unitedly movable in a vertical direction between the guide-plates 25, and extending through the lower portions of all of said twisting devices is a counter-shaft 34, having pin ions 35 thereon within the spaces 29 between the guards. These pinions are rotatable with the said cou nter-shaft,and the latter has its opposile extremities projecting loosely through the slots 24 of the hangers 23, and on one end of the same is a crank-handle 36 for hand operation, the opposite end being adapted to receive a pulley or analogous device for the application of driving power. Vertically disposed over the pinions 35 are twisting-gears 37, having extended hubs 38, the gears 37 being each radially slotted, as at 39. The hubs 38 have longitudinal recesses 40, with which the slots of the said gears directly communicate, and at the lower terminals of the throats of the guards 28 circular seats 41 are formed for rotatably receiving the said hubs. By the rotation of the shaft 34 the twisting-gears 37 are caused to be revolved equally, and picket wires placed in the throats of the guards 28 and pressed down through the slots of the gears 37 into the recesses of the hub 38 will be regularly twisted without any preliminary formation and be thereby firmly interlocked with the stringers or runners, which are fedin pairs from the spools 18. One mode of uniting a picket and the double stringers by the improved machine is to provide two suitable lengths of wire to form the picket and then draw the stringers so that the crotches will be located between the guards 28 in line with the centers of thethroat-slots 31 and the twisting-hubs 38 of the twisting devices 27 when the latter devices are elevated. The picket lengths are then closely arranged in the said hubs with one in the crotches of the stringers and the other on the uppermost of the latter for about one-half or less of the longitudinal extent of the same and the hub set in motion to twist the two lengths. The

' stringers are then twisted by the mechanism set forth for this purpose any distance desired and proportionately to dimensions of the fabric and then shifted by winding the same until the crotches thereof are alined relatively to the twisting devices 27, as before. The remaining portions of the picket lengths are then bent to form a head and then placed in the twisting devices 27, as in first instance, and treated, as clearly shown-by Fig. 5. During this operation the stringers will be held taut with considerable tension.

As before indicated, the guards 23 are unitedly adjustable in a vertical direction, and the purpose of this adjustment is to bring the picket-wires at a proper elevation relatively to the opening between the untwisted double stringers or runners from the spools 18, and for thispurpose a treadle-frame is employed consisting of a cross-bar 42, having right-angular rearwardly-extending end bars 43, pivotally connected to forwardly-projecting ears 44 in connection with the front end portions of the transversely-alined twisting mechanism, and provided with a foot-engaging member 45, projecting outwardly from one side of the machine. The said trcadle-frame has a rearwardly projecting arm 46, working through a slot in the front plate 25 and having its free curved end bearing against the under side of the bottom plate 33. By depressing the foot-engaging member of the treadle-frame, the said bottom plate 33, and all the parts connected thereto and including the guards and shaft 34, itis understood that the parts will be so regulated that when a full depression of the treadle-frame is had the hubs 38 of the gears 37 will be at the propel-elevation relatively to the stringers or runners in order to obtain the practicable result sought. The end bars 43 have uprights 45 pivotally attached thereto and vertically rising therefrom, one on each, and in the upper extremities of said uprights a tension-rod 46 is rigidly secured at opposite points and the extremities freely movable in slotted vertical guides 47, secured to the side bars of the frame. The purpose of this tension-rod is to contact with the stringers or runners below and depress the latter to the level of the twisting-hubs 38 in the guards 28 simultaneously with the elevation of the latter by the depression of the treadle-fraine, the said rod and hubs by a predetermined calculation arriving at their respective depression and elevation in timed relation to accurately produce the operation desired. The weight of the transversely-alined twisting mechanism, including the guards and counter-shaft and parts in intimate relation thereto, will automatically gravitate and restore all the parts to normal position when depressing force is relieved from the treadle-frame.

At the rear extremities of the side bars of the frame 1 are upwardly-projecting bearingplates 48, having the opposite ends of a finished fabric winding beam 49 rotatably mounted therein, one end having an operating crank-handle 5O thereon and a ratchet 51, adapted to be engaged by an adjacent pawl 52 to prevent unwinding movement of the beam and enable a certain amount of longitudinal tension to be exerted on the stringers or runners in the initial arrangement of the machine for operation.

The pairs of stringers or runners are extended longitudinally of the machine and attached to the beam 49, the said stringers or runners lying over the upper edges of the guide-plates 25 and close to one sideof each of the guards 28. An initial twist is then given to the stringers or runners by the rota.- tion of the shaft 19 and the consequent actuation of the spindles l3 and spools 18. The hand-bar 5 is then grasped and drawn toward the front of the machine to turn the bar 4 in the same direction and forwardly slide the twisting-frame 7 through the medium of the links 6 and exert a longitudinal tension on the stringers or runners and bring the crotches of the twisted portions thereof in line with the plane of elevation of the hubs 38, so that the recesses in the latter will be in transverse alinement with the openings between each double set of the said stringers or runners. The transversely-alined twisting devices for the pickets are then elevated sufficiently to permit the introduction of a double-strand picket of considerable length in the throats 31 of the guards 28 and within the recesses 40 of the hubs 38 of the twisting-gears 37 and also within the openings between the strands of each of the stringers orrunners. The shaft 34 is then operated to twist the picket length in position, as set forth, the tension-rod 46 having drawn all the stringers or runners downwardly close against the strands of the picket, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. After the proper twist has been obtained in the picket length the stringers are again twisted to lock the picket length in place, and the remaining unfastened portion of the latter may then be formed into a curved head, as shown by Fig. l, and then disposed as just explained, when the same operation will be repeated and an elongated looped picket be formed and securely fastened in place. This is one very simple mode of applying the picket; but for all purposes the preferred mode of procedure will be to thread one strand of the picket-wire through the openings between the stringers or runners and the other picket-strand over the uppermost of the latter and then pursue the combined twisting action as before explained and produce a firm interlock of the pickets and stringers or runners to prevent the pickets from shifting out of place. The machine is capable of permitting various other picket applications, and a number of pleasing designs can be produced in the pickets between the stringers or runners by bending and looping the same. It will also be observed that the stringers or runners are to be arranged in closer relation near the part of the fence fabric which will be adjacent the ground when erected in order to strengthen the same by producing a more rigid base-support and also to prevent the passage of small stock therethrough from one inclosure into another when in use. This proposed arrangement is clearly indicated in Fig. 3 bya closer disposition of a portion of the guards. As shown also by this latter figure, the shaft 34 will be given a stable support for operation by hearing in end upright extensions 53 at either one or bot-h ends of the plate 33, as will he obviously apparent.

The improved machine has manifold advantages, and its equipment with the doubletwisting mechanism as set forth will render it extremely useful in expeditiously fabricating fence constructions with the additional capabilities of variety of design, and though a double picket is shown and has been referred to it will be understood that single forms of pickets can be equally well introduced with beneficial results.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a wire-fence-making machine,the combination of a frame, a plurality of stringer or runner twisting devices, and picket-twisting mechanism in a plane at right angles to the direction of the runners or stringers and vertically movable to the plane of the latter..

2. In a wire-fence-makingmachine,the combination of a frame, a plurality of stringer or runner twisting devices, vertically-movable picket-twisting mechanism extending transversely of the frame in a plane at a right angle to the direction of the said stringers or runners, and a transversely-extending tension member connected to and movable downward by the said picket-twisting mechanism simultaneously with the upward movement of the latter.

3. In a wire-fence-making machine,the combination with a plurality of stringer or runner twisting devices, of vertically-movable picket-twisting mechanism in a plane at a right angle thereto and operative independent thereof.

4. In a wire-fence-making machine,the combination ofaframe,a twisting-frame mounted thereon to slide longitudinally thereof and having a plurality of stringer or runner twisting devices, and a vertically-movable independently-operating picket-twisting mechanism in a plane at a right angle to the said stringer and runner twisting'devices.

5. In a wire-fence-making machine,the combination with a plurality of stringer or run= ner twisting devices, of Vertically-movable IIO picket-twisting mechanism extending transversely of the machine and consisting of a series of throated guards arranged vertically and having radiallyslotted twisting-gears with recessed hubs at the lower terminals of the several throats, a treadle-frame for operating, and a transversely-extending tensionrod connected to the said treadle-frame and movable downwardly thereby simultaneously with the upward movement of the pickettwisting mechanism.

6. In awire-fence-makingmachine,thecombination with a plurality of longitudinallyslidable stringer or runner twisting devices, of vertically-movable picket-twisting mechanism extending transversely of the machine and consisting of a series of throated guards arranged vertically and having radially-slotted twisting-gears with recessed hubs at the lower terminals of the several throats, and means for operating the said gears and movable with the said mechanism.

7. In a wire-fence-making machine,the combination of a frame, a plurality of stringer or runner twisting devices each comprising two wire-holding spools,vertically-movable twisting mechanism extending transversely of the machine and consisting of a series of vertically-arranged guards having throats in the upper portions thereof, radially-slotted twistinggears mounted within the guards and having recessed hubs at the lower terminals of the said throats, a shaft extending through the guards and having pinions thereon in mesh with the gears, a treadle-frame for operating said picket-twisting mechanism, and a vertically-movable tension-rod attached to the said frame and operated by the latter in a downward direction simultaneously with the upward movement of the picket-twisting mechanism. a

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

NATHAN S. PARKER.

Witnesses:

J. M. BURSON, F. J. OYLER.

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