AU607606B2 - Tensioner for wire fencing - Google Patents

Description

and year form signed Signature of applicant or Australian attorney Ljdluu tills APPLICATION ACCEPTED AND AMENDMENTS TO ALLOWED S (Signature) THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS This form must be accompanied by either a provisional specification (Form 9 and true copy) or by a complete specification (Form 10 and true copy).

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AUSTRAIA-

6 07606 P/00/011 Form PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. CI: Application Number: Lodged: V kR4- Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: S' nriority: Related Art: Related Art: 6e To L 6 C) STO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: DAVID DAVIDSON CONNAN U U Address of Applicant: 96 BEACONSFIELD ROAD EMERALD, VICTORIA.

Actual Inventor: DAVID DAVIDSON CONNAN Address for Service: 96 BEACONSFIELD ROAD EMERALD, VICTORIA, 3782 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: TENSIONER FOR WIRE FENCING The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:-* SNote: The description is to be typed in double spacing, pica type face. in an area not exceeding 250 mm in depth and 160 mm in width, on tough white paper of good quality and it is to be inserted inside this form.

i i: 14599/78- L Printed by C. J. THOMPSON, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS, (IMPORTANT Cross out inapplicable words in the above Form.) L 0

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This invention relates generally to tensioning systems and/or connectors suitable for use with wire metal banding, tape or other flexible elongate materials.

One particular application of the tensioning system of the present invention relates to wire strand fencing and it will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to that particular application. It is to be understood however, that this is not to be considered a limitation as to the scope of the invention.

When the ends of two wires are drawn together with a tensioning device it is a difficult task to tie such ends together and much more difficult to make such a tie without slack. It is frustrating when tension gained is lost when the slack in the tie is removed upon transference of the tension from the tensioning device to the wire.

Tensioning devices which avoid the need for a tie in the wire do so by winding the slack in a continuous fence line onto a reel. Such reel becomes an integral part of the fence. Present methods employ reels which are excessively costly. It is an object of the present invention, by means of a simply constructed reel, to provide an improved tensioning method which at minimal cost will enable the ends of two wires to be brought together without a tie after which to apply tension to the fence line so completed then to enable the

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removal of the tensioning device from the line without significant loss of tension in the line. A further object of the present invention is likewise by means of a reel of simple construction, at minimal cost to apply tension to an unbroken fence line by removing slack to any desired extent also without significant loss of tension when the tensioning device is removed.

Basically in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a tensioning device and a reel, which when used in conjunction, are suitable for ten&ioning wire or other flexible oo elongate materials. Hereinafter the means by which tension is applied will be referred to as "the device" and the 40. component of the invention around which wire is wound by means of o o the device will be referred to as "the reel".

The reel comprises a rectangular piece of material with two flat parallel faces. Three apertures are formed in this rectangular piece. Two of these apertures are in the form of a vee. The broad 96 see portions of such vees open to opposite ends of the rectangular piece. The apex of each vee is truncated. Each aperture is of 1 :approximate equal size. Each apex opposes the other and is distant therefrom as is convenient for winding wire around the portion of the rectangular piece that separates each apex. A third aperture opens to a long side of the rectangular piece. Such aperture is in the form of a slot formed along the short axis of the rectangular piece. Such slot is closed at the inner end which is approximately equidistant from each of the long sides of the rectangular piece.

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Such slot is broad at the outer and to receive the end of a retaining rod when the reel is fitted to the device. It will be seen that the design of the reel is simple and therefore able to be produced at minimal cost.

The device comprises a body with mounting means for two grips which can hold the reel loosely and releasably. The grips are each in the form of a head attached to separate shafts. Such heads oppose each other. The shafts extend through the body in opposite directions with their longitudinal axes in prolongation one to the other. Each Ce Cf head comprises a block generally rectangular with a groove formed on c the long axis. The ends of the grooves are open. The shaft of one grip has fixedly attached a means by which such shaft and hence the grip can be rotated.

The second grip is independent of the first grip until the reel is located with its long edges in the grooves of both grips. The second grip then rotates with the first grip.

C IThe first grip will hereinafter be referred to as the "driving head" and the second grip as the "driven head".

CC tC C c i CThe means by which the driving head is rotated comprises a toothed ratchet wheel mounted fixedly to the driving head shaft. A spring loaded pawl mounted on a lever engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel and backwards and forwards movement of the lever rotates the driving head.

44 The drivingj head is prevented from counter rotation by a second spring loaded pawl. mounted on the body. Such paw. has a means whereby it can be released from engagement with the ratchet wheel.

The shaft to which the second head is attached is tubular and extends into a tube mounted on the body. Such second tube provides a housing for a means whereby the reel can be prevented from moving endwise in the grooves formed in both driving and driven heads.

Such tube also serves as a handle to assist in maintaining the device in alignment with the fence line.

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o The means of preventing endwise movement of the reel in the grooves of thCed4opie rd eenfe eme h rtiigrd C C C which extends through both the tubular shaft upon which the driven head is mounted and the tubular housing, from a position where one end is flush with the inner face of the driven head while the other C C C C C r protruding end of the retaining rod is fitted with a flat piece eftC C hereinafter termed "a butterfly" which forms a finger grip.

Such butterfly can be located either across the end of the tubular CCC CChousing or with the inner edge positioned in two slots formed in the walls at the end of the tubular housing.

The retaining rod is spring loaded to retain it in whichever position is selected. When the butterfly is located within thei slots the opposite end of the retaining rod is flush with the inner 110. face of the driven head and when positioned across the end of the tubular housing the opposite end of the retaining rod is retracted to a position flush with the bottom of the groove in the driven head. Mounted on the body and extending therefrom in one of the directions from which wire is received to be wound onto the reel is a guide to maintain the wire approximately along the lonuitudinal axis of the reel. A second function of such guide is to prevent the device from rotating when the reel is rotated. The guide is provided with a means whereby the wire can be held and released 120. readily. While so held, the wire can move freely longitudinally.

00 0 f The method by which the reel is prevented from counter rotation 0o e D o0 after wire has been wound on so to achieve the desired tension and oo do 0 0 4 o oo 0. 0 after the reel has been released from the device is to pass a short O 0 0 0 00o length of wire endwise through the transverse aperture of the reel o 0 0 a between the wire windings and the adjacent face of the driven head.

00oo The ends of such short wire are positioned approximately equidistant 0 0 a 0 oo from the aperture. Such ends are bent in opposite directions so 0 oo 0 00 that each lies along the tensioned wire. They are then twisted 0 0a o0 130. around the adjacent section of the tensioned wire.

So,,i Tension is transferred from the device to the fence line by releasing the retaining ratchet pawl. The butterfly of the retaining rod is positioned across the end of the tubular housing so that the reel can be freed from the driving and driven heads. The fence line is released from the guide and the device removed from the fence line.

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fi, In order to enable a clear understanding of: the invention drawings 140. illustrating the reel and the manner in which such reel receives wire or other flexible elongate materia! and the innner of retaining tension on remove3 of the tonsioning device are attached.

In these drawings Figure I. is a schematic view of the reel, Figure 2 of the reel with a continuous wire receive by such reel, Figure 3 of the reel with the ends of two wires received by such reel and Figure 4 of the reel with wire wound thereon and the means of retaining tension in such wire.

00 00 0 0 00 0000 150. Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a flat 00 0 o 00 rectangular piece of material 1, apertures to receive windings of go 00 o wire 2. and 3. an aperture to receive wire preparatory to tensioning 0 0 o000~ Referring to Figure 2, 'there is shown a reel as depicted in Figure 1 with a continuous wire 5 received prior to tensioning.

0 00 00 0 0o C, 000 0 Referring to Figure 3 there is shown a reel as depicted in Figure 1 ooooo with the ends of two wires 6 and 7 received preparatory to 0 0 150. tensioning.

Ref errinc to Figure 4 there is shown a reel as depicted in Figure 1 with a continuous wire 5 under tension and such tension retained by a short wire f I 170.

Drawings are also attached of the device and components of such- Figure 5 is a view of the device. Figure 6 is a view of the means, by which the reel, is retained within the rgrooves,- forrmprin 1',P w the driving and driven heads.

Ref erri ny to Y!i quro B 1,11re I! s howrl the boOdy oT the Oeevi co I. thejn driving head 2, Hixe driven head 3, the ratchet wh .eel, 4, tbhe opern t ig lovev 5, the housing~ for a spring loaded operating Dawl 63, a housing for an extension lever handle 7, a housingt for a spril-I :loaded pawl to prevent counter rotation 8, such -pawl. 9 a neaps of releasing such pawl 10, a housing for the retaining rod III, the endu of such retaining rod 12, fa butterfly finger grip 13, a guide arm 14, a guide 15, a lift up gate 16.

a, aa a a a o a a, a a o a,, a aa a a a a a, a, aa a a a a a a, 0~ a a o a a a a a~a a a tfl a a C a oc a cc a C C CCC C ccc a C C C C 100. Referring to Figure 6 there is shown a section of the body of the device 1, a housing for the retaining rod 11, the driven head 3, the retaining rod shown in the position where it is out of engagement with the reel being flush with the bottom of the groove formed in the driven head 12, the butterfly finger grip 13, the operating spring 17, a spring stop fixed to the retaining rod 18, a spring stop fixed to the retaining rod housing 19, one of two slots which receive the inner edge of the butterfly

Claims (2)

1. 8. CLAIMS
2. 290. The clai.s deftninqg the invention are as follows: Claim 1. An apparatus for applying tension to wire or other flexible ,zonrate ia'ter'rial comprising a reel to receive windings of wire or othr flexible elongate material being a plate like member with Uenora ,y paralel faces and generally rectangular shape with two apertureo in the form of truncated vees with the broad Portion of each aperture opening to opposite ends of the reel and the narrow portions of each aperture opposing each other and distant from each other as is convenient for receiving winding of wire or other 0o 00 0 0 0 o flexible elongate material with a third aperture formed generally 00 .9 o 200. along the transverse axis of the reel closed at one end which is a mo o0 0o generally at the centre of the transverse axis and opening to one of So 0 .o o0 the long edges of the reel, this aperture being formed to receive 0 O 0 0 0 wire or other flexible elongate material preparatory to receiving 000, windings on the reel during the process of applying tension, such o oo09 third aperture being also formed to receive a means of retaining the 0 00 0 00 reel in position while receiving windings or of releasing the reel, 000 0 a means of rotating the reel around its transverse axis to receive windings comprising a mounting means for two grooved heads positioned to oppose each other and distant one from the other as is 210. required to receive the long edges of the reel in the grooves formed in such heads a means of rotating one of such heads comprising a toothed wheel, a spring loaded pawl and an operating lever to which such pawl is attached such means resulting in the rotation of the reel and second head when a reel is in position in the grooves of Iy r, t! I rau~; :1 Ij I or r r C 0 Cd (0 or 0 00 01 0 0 r. Cr 0 O r CC, C Ccc C( C c both heads, a 1eans of preventi.ng counter rotation of the rep' comprising a spring loaded pawl, attached to the body in contact with the toothed wheel, means of releasing such spring loaded pawl from contact with such wheel, a means of retaining the reel in position in the grooves of both heads and of releasing such reel, comprising 220. a spring loaded rod passing through a tubular shaft to which the second head is attached and through a tubular housing for both such shaft and such rod, a means of engaging the end of such rod in the aperture formed along the transverse axis of the reel and a means of disengaging such rod from such aperture, a means both of preventing the tensioning device from rotating when the reel is rotated and of maintaining the wire or other flexible elongate material in prolongation of the longitudinal axis of the reel comprising a guide arm and guide provided with a lift up gate to allow the material being placed under tension to le located in 230. such guide or removed from such guide, a means of preventing counter rotation of the reel when such reel is removed from the tensioning device after the required tension has been attained comprising a short piece of wire or other material paszed endwise through the aperture formed along the transverse axis of the reel between the windings and the face of the adjacent grooved head the halves of such wire or other material being then directed in opposite directions to lie along the material under tension and twisted around or otherwise tied to the adjacent material under tension. 240. I A i4 The claims defining the invention are as 0 I. O. 0 0 0 11. 1. 0 0, 0. 0 1 I ~7 2 AV4OVNAME OF APPLICANT jT)i~O VD01oN (BLOCK LETTERS) *Note: If there is insufficient space above to type the statement of claim, do not use this sheet, but use separate sheets of paper beginning with the words 'The claims defining the invention are as follows and ending with the date and the name of the applicant in block letters.