US1237875A - Wire-stretcher. - Google Patents

Description

W. C. DICKERSON.

WIRE STRETCHER,

APPLICATION FILED IAN.2, 1917.

L I 'PatenIed A Ig. 21,1917.'

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WARREN C., DICKERSON, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

WIRE-STRETCHEB.,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug.' 21, 1917.

Application led January 2, 1917. lSerial No. 140,146.

door openings to prevent `the admission -of p flies and other insects.

A leading object of my invention is t0 provide a device -such as referred to, which consists of few parts and is, therefore, simple in construction i and `may be cheaply manufactured, and whichhas one: part to engage the meshes lof the wire and another part to fulcrum against and slide over the outer edge of the frame towhich the wire is to be attached, to thereby stretch the wire and to lock againstthe `frame andmaintain itself in place with the wire under tension rduring the subsequent tacking of the wire 4,to kthe frame.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists ofthe parts and the constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts, which I will hereinafterdescribe and claim.

Inthe accompanying drawing forming part of this speciication and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views;

Figure 1 is la perspective view of a portionl of a window or door-screen showing the stretcher in its initial engagement with the wire sheet. e

Fig. 2 is aI similar view` showing the stretcher locked in position on the frame and holding the wire in its stretched or tightened condition. f

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View `on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4c is a 'perspective view of the slidable jaw.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal `sectional view of a device of modified form.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view ofFig. 5 showing parts broken away.

In carrying out my invention I `employ a lbody-portion, A, and "whichI will :hereinfafter refer to as a stationary jaw, said jaw being of sutlicient length to enable one part of it `to pass over the ordinary window or door stile or rail, for a suliicient distance to engage the sheet of Lscreen-wire, which ordinarily is laid thereon, said jaw having its shank, A,eXtending rearwardly a sufficient distancey beyond the frame to serve as a handle by which the tool or implement may be manipulated. The forward edge of this stationary jaw, A, `is turned to one side and is serrated to form a series of teeth, a, which are designed to enter between the meshes of the wire-cloth and to take secure hold of the same.

Slidaloly mounted upon the stationary jaw I.is lan larched clamping yoke or frame, B, the side memberso'f which are turned under the yside edges ofthe jaw, A, to form guides ,or channels, c, thereby enabling the yoke or frame to be adjusted back and forth on `the stationary jaw, said in'turned ends of these sides also serving to receive and to hold the slidablejaw, C, of the device. The

slidable jaw consists of a bent plate or bar having one part, 2, arranged parallel to the shankfof the stationary jaw, A, and having `another part, 3, substantially at Y rightanglesy to the first-named partvand to they shank of the stationary jaw and adapted to extend down over :the outer edge of the stile or rail of therscreen-'frame and to bear with increasing pressure thereon, whereby the stationary jaw is drawn outwardly and the screen-wire engaged thereby is stretched or Vplaced under tension, as the deviceis moved from the position shown in Fig. 1, tothe locked position shown in Fig. 2, in which latter position it will be found that the device ybecomes locked to the frame and cannotbe displaced except by force applied in a reverse direction -to the outer shank portion of said stationary jaw. When in this aforesaid locked position, the wire is held tightly stretched lover the frame, in which locked to they latter, I may locate underthe arched portion ofthe clamp, or yoke, B, a plate or nut','E, which'is confined between the shank of the stationary j aw, A, and the under surface of the yoke or clamp and has a threaded opening adapted to receive the corresponding portion of a thumb-screw, F, wing-nut or the like, the end of which is designed .to bear against the shank, Ay, so that `when the 'screw is turned the nut or plate will be caused to ride thereon andrv to bear against the innersurface of the yoke and therebycause the clamp and the movable jaw member carried therebyl to be tightly clamped against and yheld to the shank `of the stationary jaw. f

To prevent the detachment of they slidable jaw from its associated clamp, if desired,

anyv well-known 1means 'may be employed.

In Figs. 3 and l suitable lugs,V 4, are 'shown as being formed on the edges near one end of the bent slidable jaw and the outer ends of the inturned portions of Vthe sides .of the yoke or clamp are engaged by these lugsto lock the clamp to said jaw member andthus prevent the detachment of these parts.

lIn applying the device, the toothed end of the stationary j aw is rst 4engaged `with the meshes of the wire cloth, as shown in Fig.

1; l.The clamp is then released and pushed inward `until 'the out-turned portion ofthe movable 4jaw coinesagainst theedge of the stile or railof the frame to which the wire is to be attached land Vthen-the yclamp'is secured immovably in place. .The operator then presses upon the shank of thersta'tionary jaw and as the bent outstanding portion fof the slidable j aw rides over the edge of the screen-frame, it serves as a fulcrum and causes the device to lmove outwardly with the result that the wire is tightly stretched.v TvVhen the shank, A, has beeny pressed down upon or in contact with the screen-frame, the device will be so locked to said frame that it will retain itself in this 4position 'tothereby enable the operator -to use bothhan'ds in tacking or nailing the wire clothy to the frame. v f

The'devicefshown in Fig. 5 is similar in construction and operation to the oneshown in Figs. l and 2, and before described, eX-

cept that" the form 0f clamp is slightly different. y In this case the stationary ljaw,

H, is slotted longitudinally as shownat 10 and 'the' slidable jaw, I, is formed with a tongue, 11, which operatesjinfsaid slot, and l guides the )aw in' its movements.

A bolt, l2, having a head on its-underside passes upwardly through the slidable jaw and the Slot in the .body f 'thefstationary jaw and through a lwasher-,13,- and has its upper vportion engaged by a wing-nut, 14. f In-*they modified form ofdevice lshown in Figs. 5

and 6, I also employ a lever, l5, the inner end of which is mounted-ont the aforesaid N .bolt and hasavcam-portion, 16, the purpose of which I l'will now describe. Assuming that the device of Fig. l has been engaged withthe wire-cloth and screen-frame in the manner before described, and has y been pressed into the locked position shown in Fig.' 2, and it is desired lto further stretch the wire while the device is in this locked position, the lever, 15, which we will assume is open and is propecting laterally, may

now be closed or turned about the bolt as a pivot and as its cam-portion, 16, rides. in contact with the inner face of the out-turned portion of the movable jaw, whichnow fulcrums tightly against the edge of the screen- -fra1ne,-the stationary jaw, A, which is in engagement with the wire will be caused to moveoutwardly for a further distance there- 'by more tightly stretching thewire, said lever becoming locked after passing the dead center and remaining in this position until it is desired to release the parts which may be done by moving the lever in a reversel direction from that before described, as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 1 r

The out-turned portion of the movable jaw -may be substantially straight as in Fig. 1, or

'it may be slightly curved as in Fig. 5 without departing from 'the spirit of my invention, thisv portion in either case serving as lthe fulcrum about which the device may be f row of teeth projecting substantially at right-angles thereto for engaging the fabric to be stretched, a jaw co-acting with the first-named jaw and slidably mounted therejon and bent to'form` two members Aone kof 110 `which issubstantially parallel to said shank and the other is substantially at right-angles to the shank, and is adapted to fulcrum against the edge of a frame to which the fabric is tobe applied, and means for clamping said second jaw rigidly to said shank.

- 2. In a fabric stretching device, the vcornybination of a relatively thin, wide, flat jaw -having a shank. portion, said jaw having a row of teeth projecting substantially at rightangles thereto for'engaging the fabric to be stretched, a jaw co-acting'with the -iirst- -named jaw and Aslidably mounted thereon and bent to form two members one yof which -is substantially parallel to said shank and the other is substantially at right-angles to the shank, and is adapted to fulcrumagainst the edge of a frame to which the fabric is to be applied, andmeans for clamping said second -j aw rigidly to said shank, said clamping means lcomprising a yoke having side portions straddling the edges of said shank and overlapping the edges of the adjustable jaw and forming a guide for adjusting one jaw relatively to the other.

3. In a fabric stretching device, the combination of a jaw having a shank portion and means for engaging the fabric to be stretched, a jaw co-acting with the firstnamed jaw and slidably mounted thereon and bent to form two members one of Which is substantially parallel to said shank and the other is substantially at right-angles to the shank, and is adapted to fulcrum against the edge of a frame to which the fabric is to be applied, means for clamping said second j aw rigidly to said shank, said clamping means comprising a yoke having side portions straddling the edges of said shank and overlapping the edges of the adjustable jaw and forming a guide for adjusting one jaw relatively to the other, a nut Within the yoke and a screw engaging said nut.

4. In a fabric stretching device, the combination of a jaw having a shank portion, said j aw extending continuously substantially in line With the shank and having its outer end provided with a row of teeth which project substantially at right angles to the j aw and shank, said teeth adapted to engage the fabric to be stretched, and a jaw carried by said Vshank portion and bent to form tWo members one of Which extends along parallel to. the shank and the other is arranged substantially at right angles to said shank and is adapted to fulcrum against the edge of a frame to which the fabric is to be applied, said last-named member being relatively Wide to form a broad bearing against the edge of said frame.

In testimony whereof I aliX my signature.

VARREN C. DICKERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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