US854616A

US854616A - Equalizer for wire-fence machines.

Info

Publication number: US854616A
Application number: US31803506A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sherman S Withington
Original assignee: JACKSON FENCE Co
Current assignee: JACKSON FENCE Co
Priority date: 1906-05-21
Filing date: 1906-05-21
Publication date: 1907-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1924-05-21

Description

PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

S. S. WITHINGTON. EQUALIZEB. FOR WIRE FENCE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1906.

TINTTEE STATES PATENT OEEIGEQ SHERMAN S. WITHINGTOV, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO JACK- SON FENOE COMPANY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed May 21,1906. Serial No. 318,035.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHERMAN S. IIVITHING- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lena-wee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Equalizers for I/Vire-Fence Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and ex act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in equalizers for wire fence machines; and its object is to provide a device that will equalize the feed of the various longitudinal wires of a wire fence so that the same will be of equal length and equal tension throughout; and it consists essentially of a series of grooved wheels fixed on a shaft to rotate si multaneously, automatic grippers on the wheels to prevent the wire from slipping, means for releasing the grippers to permit the wire to engage and disengage the wheel, and in various details of construction and arrangement all as hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the aco1npanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1. is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2. an enlarged end elevation of the same; Fig. the same as in Fig. 2. shown in side elevation; Fig. 4. the reverse view of Fig. 2.; and Fig. 5. a vertical section of the same Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

1 represents a shaft on which are fixed a series of grooved wheels 2 spaced apart to correspond to the spacing of the longitudinal wires of a fence; 3 are gripping plates inserted at intervals in the rim of the wheel adja cent to one side of the groove. Opposite to each plate is a recess in which is an opposing gripping member consisting of a radially disposed arm 4 pivoted to the wheel at its inner end and movable at its outer end opposite the plate 3. Spanning the recess and engaging the outer end of the arm 4 is a bridge bar 10 having an inner surface inclined to the plane of the plate 8, whereby the end of the arm 4 is crowded against and grips the wire 8 between the arm and the plate.

To move the arm 4 to grip the wire, a contractile spring 11, is connected to the arm at one end and to the wheel 2 at the other end, and moves the arm along the bridge bar 10 and into engagement with the Wire and thus securely grips the wire between the end of the arm and the plate 3 and prevents it from slipping in the groove of the wheel.

To release the wire wnere it enters and leaves the groove, a bell crank lever 5 is pivoted to the bridge bar 10 opposite the arm 4, one member of which lever engages a pin 6 in the arm, and the other member extends outward beyond the periphery of the wheel and at each revolution of the wheel engages the concave side of a segment 7 arranged near the rim of the wheel and supported by a bar 9 to which. it is secured. In operation there being a number of these grippers on each wheel, four being shown, three of the same would at all times be engaged with the wire and thus securely prevent the wire from slipping in the groove of the wheel. Each wheel being of the same circumference, and the wheels being all fixed on the same shaft which is mounted to rotate freely in any convenient bearings, it is obvious that each wire must move at precisely the same rate regardless of any variation of tension thereon, the result being a uniform length to the longitudinal wires of the fence and uniform tension on the same when the fence is in place for use.

What I claim is:

1. An equalizer for wire fence machines, comprising a rotary shaft, a series of wheels of equal circumference fixed on said shaft, a series of grippers mounted on each wheel and each comprising a fixed member and a movable member consisting of a radially disposed arm pivoted at its inner end and movable circuniferentially of the wheel at its outer end, bars having surfaces inclined to the iixed member and traversed by said arms, a lever connected to each arm. to move the same, and a fixed obstruction to successively engage the levers at each revolution of the wheels.

2. In an equalizer for wire fence machines, a rotative shaft, a series of wheels of equal circumference fixed on said shaft and having recesses in the side of the rim, bridge bars spanning the recesses and having inclined surfaces, grippers movable in the recesses and traversing the inclined surfaces of the bridge bars, springs to move the grippers in one direction, levers to move the grippers in the opposite direction, and fixed segments to engage the levers.

3. In an equalizer for Wire fence machines, a rotative shaft, a series of grooved wheels fixed on the shaft, each wheel having a series of side recesses in its rim, bridge bars spanning the recesses and having inclined surfaces opposite the same, radially disposed and pivoted arms in the recesses, springs attached to the arms to move the same in one direction, bell crank levers connected to the arms to move the same in the other direction, and fixed segments to engage the levers.

4. In an equalizer for Wire fence machines, a rotative shaft, a series of grooved wheels fixed on the said shaft, each wheel having a series of side recesses in its rim, bridge bars spanning the recesses and having inclined surfaces opposite the same, gripper plates opposite the bridge bars, radially disposed pivoted arms movable in the recesses, a spring engaging each arm to move the same in one direction, a lever to move each arm in the other direction, and fixed segments to successively engage the levers on each wheel.

5. An equalizer for wire fence machines, consisting of a rotative shaft, a series of grooved wheels fixed on said shaft, each wheel havlng side recesses in its rim, bridge bars spanning the recesses and having inclined surfaces opposite the same, gri per plates opposite the bridge bars, radia ly disposed arms pivoted to the wheel and movable in the recesses, springs attached to the arms at one end and to the Wheel at the other end, bell crank levers pivoted on the bridge bars, eachlever having one member connected to an arm and the other member projecting outward, and fixed segments to successively engage the levers on the respective wheels.

In testimony whereof I a'lfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SHERMAN S. WITHINGTON. Witnesses:

A.-C. MILLS, CHAS. HUMPHREY.