US1152583A - Wire-stretcher. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

N. WHITESEL WHITESEL N. & F. WHITESEL.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1914.

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vvflmemo WIRE-STRETGHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '3, 1915.

Application filed October 14, 1914. Serial No. 866,643.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NEWTON Wrn'rnsnn and FRED lVHrrEsnL, citizens of the United States, residing at VVatertown, in the county of Buffalo and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to wire stretchers, and particularly to improvements in the wire stretcher covered by our prior Patent, No. 1,110,473, issued September 15, 1914:.

An object of this invention is to simplify the construction and arrangement of the parts of the wire stretcher as disclosed in our prior patent, to render the tool more cheaply manufactured, and to increase the usefulness of the same. i

A further object of the invention is to improve and simplify the anchoring means for supportingthe stretcher on a fence post, the means for stretching the wire and the means forclamping the tool to the. post being carried by the same member of the device.

With these and other objects in view, as will become more fully apparent as the description proceeds, our invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whi.ch

Figure 1 is a top plan view of our improved wire'stretcher; Fig. 2 is a side elevation-a1 view thereof{ Fig.3 is a bottom plan view with the chain removed; Fig. 4'

is a detail sectional view of the head showing the dog mounted therein; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the head taken at right angles with that shown in Fig. 4;.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the wire stretcher includes a post clamp or anchoring member which comprises a head 1 from which projects a pairof arms 2 and 3 which are of the same length and which extend in parallel relation with each other, the arms being held spaced apart by a brace 4i. Projecting from the head 1 at right angles to the arms 2 and 3 are another pair of arms 5 and 6, the arms being disposed in parallel relation with each other, and the arm 6 being of relatively greater length than the arm 5. The inner edges of the arms 5'and 6 are providedwith spurs 7 which are adapted to engage into the post to hold the head rigid with relation thereto, and to prevent turning or slipping of the head. The arms 2 and 3 are provided intermediate of their ends with rearwardly projecting ears 8, and disposed between the cars is agrooved sheave 9, having integral therewith a ratchet segment 10. The sheave 9 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 11 which is rotatably mounted at its ends in the ears 8 and loosely mounted on the shaft 11 between the ratchet segment and one of the ears 8 is the forward end of an operating lever 12.

The outer edge of the arm 6 is provided with a plurality of inwardly extending slots or recesses 14, and connected to the periphery of the sheave 9 is one end of a post clamping chain 15, one of the links adjacent the outer end of the chain being adapted for engagement within one of the slots 14: in the arms, whereby the stretcher may be connected to posts of various sizes and to rotate the sheave 9 whereby the chain 15 may be tightened about the post, a lug 16 projects laterally from the segment 10 at one end thereof. As shown in the drawing, the lug 16 is disposed in the path of the lever 12, whereby when the lever is swung in the proper direction, it is engaged against the lug 16 and the sheave 9 is rotated to tighten the chain about the post. To prevent rotation of the sheave" in the reverse direction, a pawl 17 is pivotally connected to the arm 2, the pawl being normally engaged against the periphery of the ratchet segment 10." r

Thehead 1 is provided with a chamber 18 in which is pivotally mounted a wire holding dog 19, the dog being provided with the usual serrations to bite into the wire which is designated by the letter W, the dog being adapted to bind the wire against the adjacent wall 20 of the head. The outer wall of the chamber is divided to provide a passage way 21 through which the wire may be inserted within the head and against the wall 20. The dog 19 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 22 to one end of which a lever 23 is connected, and projecting from the lever is a pin or stud, to which one end of a coiled spring 24: is connected, the other end of the spring being connected to a pin or stud projecting from the arm 2. The connection of the spring with the lever 23 is such that when the lever is swung to a position to shift the holding dog 19 from operative to inoperative position, the lever will pass the dead center and thereby cause the spring to operate to hold the dog in an operative posi-- 26 is provided, a pulling dog 27 being mounted in the chamber on a shaft 28 one end of which projects from the head and carries a lever 29. A spring is connected at one end to the lever29 and at its other end to the lever 12, the spring 30 operating in the same'manner as the spring 2 1 to cause the lever 29 to hold the pulling dog in an operative relation relative toone Wall of the head 25, the outer wall of the head being also divided to provide a passage way 31 to permit the insertion of the wire within the head. The post chain 15 is preferably provided with teeth 32 which are adapted to bite into the post to assist in holding the stretcher thereon when the same is in a position for use.

In the practical'use of our improved wire stretcher, the arms of the head are brought into engagement with the post, and'one of g the links on the free end of the chain is en gaged in one of the slots 14 in the arm 6,

. whereupon the lever 12 is rotated to tighten the chain and thus cause the spurs'7 on the arms ,to sink into the post and anchor the tool in position. The dog 19 is then moved to unlocked position and the wire is passed through the passage way 21 in the chamber 18 and the wire is also passed through the passage way 31 in the chamber 26 with the pulling dog 27 in unlocked position, whereupon the dog 27 is brought into engagement with the wire, so that when the lever is Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the swung in the proper direction, the wire is placed under the desired tension, and the locking dog 19 is then moved to locked position to securely grip the Wire and hold the same until the operator staples the wire to the post.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that an extremely simple fastening means is provided for holding the clamping chain in position, and that the lever 12 serves as a means for tightening the chain, and also for placing the wire under the desired tension.

What we claim is 2-- In a wire stretcher, a head provided with pairs of post engaging arms, each arm of one of said pairs being provided with a laterally projecting lug, a shaft rotatably mounted in said lugs, a grooved sheave secured on said shaft, a ratchet segment formed on one side of said sheave and having a lug formed thereon, a chain connected at one end to the sheave and havingits other end arranged for engagement with one of the other arms, a lever mounted at one end on said shaft, said lug being disposed in the path of the lever, whereby upon movement of the lever in the proper direction, said sheave will be rotated to tighten said chain, wire holding means carried by the lever, and means carried by the head for preventing rotation of the sheave in the opposite direction to loosen the chain.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

Witnesses: V

A. L. FITCH, E. B. BUNINGTON.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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