AU618564B2

AU618564B2 - A device and method for tightening an elongate strand

Info

Publication number: AU618564B2
Application number: AU26304/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Charles Brian Hillyar
Original assignee: SUNGOLD DISTRIBUTORS
Current assignee: Dusting Pamela Joy
Priority date: 1987-11-27
Filing date: 1988-11-28
Publication date: 1992-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-28
Also published as: AU2630488A

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 0o 5 6 COMPT.ETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: ''"Priority: ,Related Art: .9,4 4 4 4 TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT ':'Name of Applicant: "Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: i 1 S.'",Address for Service: 9 9 o *a 9* SUNGOLD DISTRIBUTORS Nardoo Road, Peats Ridge, New South Wales, Australia ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 10 Barrack Street SYDNEY N.S.W. 2000

AUSTRALIA

I ,*#Complete Specification for the invention entitled A DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TIGHTENING AN ELONGATE STRAND.

The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- -1- 1 ASC 49 ;I i i i I A DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TIGHTENING AN ELONGATE STRAND The present invention relates to devices and methods for tightening elongate strands and, more particularly, to a device and method for specific use in tightening wire for fencing and agricultural applications.

Wire fencing is commonly used on the land to separate livestock, pastures, etc., and also as a means of supporting fruit bearing vines.

Unfortunately, the malleable characteristics of wire allow 10 plastic creep and wire strain to take place over an extended 4tr period of time. The result is a slackening of the wire strands and basic failure of the fence or, of more particular concern, the supporting strands of fruit bearing vines.

.f g o Consideration was given to the prior art for overcoming and/or preventing the failure of fencing and vine support o stands. As a result, many devices and methods were uncovered which are bulky, elaborate and usually of a cumbersome mass, such as the usefulness of these devices is extremely limited with respect to the application by farmers or the like.

One particular Australian Patent Application No. 20121/83 did, however, address the need for a lightweight, portable, yet effective method of tightening wire strands.

Unfortunately, the invention of Australian Patent Application No. 20121/83 was costly to manufacture, difficult to operate, and caused high stress failure in the wire strands to which it was applied. Subsequently, the invention of 20121/83 failed to fulfil the requirements of a fence tightening device as perceived by the invention of the present invention.

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I

4 0512k/SC i 3 0000 0 0 0 000 o 0 *0 0 0 0000 00 0 0 00 0 1 OOoooo 00 0 0 04 e 0 r 1 0 0i Thus, in an attempt to overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate the problems of the prior art inventions, the present invention, in one broad aspect, provides a device for tensioning an elongate strand, said device comprised of a single piece of bar in the form of an and having, sequentially, six sections, the first to fifth sections inclusive lying in a common plane said sections comprising: a first, substantially straight, elongate section; a second section forming a bend greater than 180; a third section extending toward and welded at or adjacent its junction with the fourth section to said first section intermediate the ends of the first section; a fourth section extending away from the first section and thereby defining a groove between itself and the first section; a fifth, elongate section, extending from the fourth section and away from the first section at an included angle less than 90*; and a sixth section at the end of the fifth section extending out of the common plane of said first to fifth sections inclusive; wherein in use a strand to be tensioned is placed in the groove and the device rotated about an axis substantially parallel to the first section, thereby wrapping the strand about the device and tensioning the strand.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a bottom view of a strand engaging device; Figure 2 shows a font view of a strand engaging device; Figure 3 shows a top view of a torqueing device; Figure 4 shows a front view of a torqueing device; Figure 5 shows a bottom view of an alternative of a strand engaging device; and Figure 6 shows a front view of the device of Figure 'u 1~7J rid PhT Q~ L. ;i 0512k/SC 4 By referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the preferred embodiment of the strand engaging means 1 substantially describes an when viewed from underneath.

Although other configurations may be used, the "R" configuration has been found to be most effective, both with respect to the cost of manufacture and application in use.

The strand engaging means 1 is preferably produced by bending and welding a metal bar of adequate length, although other materials of suitable strength and formability may be used, as may other methods of production.

After production, the strand engaging means 1 is described by a leg 3, loop 6 and arm 5, such that a wire 2 may be caught between the leg 3 and first end 4 of the arm as shown in Figure 1.

By engaging the wire 2 in this fashion and causing the Cooo' strand eng -ing means 1 to rotate about an axis perpendicularly orientated to the longitudinal axis of the wire 2 described by °ooo 00 Q o o 000O0 0 0 00 0 9 0 00 the longitudinal axis of the leg 3, wire 2 is caused to wrap around the neck 7.

The direction of rotation of the strand engaging means 1 is opposite to the direction in which the second end 8 of the arm 5 points, as best seen in Figure 2.

Upon tightening of the wire 2 to a sufficient tension, the second end 8 of the arm 5 is allowed to hook over the wire 2, thus preventing the tensioned wire 2 from causing the strand engaging means 1 to rotate in an opposite direction to the direction of rotation required to tighten the wire 2. By hooking the second end 8 of the arm 5 over the wire 2 in this manner, the wire tension achieved will be maintained.

I Should the wire 2 again become slack due to creep or strain, the strand engaging means 1 may again be manipulated to tighten the wire 2.

II Should the wire 2 fail, the strand engaging means 1 can be easily removed from the wire 2 and re-used.

Manipulation of strand engaging means 1 is achieved using the torquing device 9, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

To tighten the wire 2, the strand engaging means 1 is placed in engagement with the wire, as described above, and the second end 8 of the arm 5 rested over the wire 2.

By then placing the torquing device 9 over the strand engaging means i, by sliding the leg engaging tube 10 over the leg 3 and causing the torquing tab 11 and withdrawal prevention tab 12 to engage with the arm 5 of the strand engaging means i, the strand engaging means 1 may be rotated by the handle 13 to tighten the wire 2.

0809E L _J As the strand engaging means 1 is rotated about a substantially neutral axis, a high torque may be applied to the strand engaging means 1 by the torquing device 9 and achieve a greater tension in the wire 2 then could be achieved using the prior art device.

Further, as the strand engaging means 1 preferably is not configured with rectangular corners, stress raising in the wire 2 and the resulting chance of failure thereof is reduced.

After tightening the wire 2 in manner described above, the torquing device 9 may then be easily removed by simply counter-rotating the torquing device 9 until the torquing tab 11 and withdrawal prevention tab 12 are caused to disengage the arm 5 of the strand engaging means i. When the tabs 11 and 12 have disengaged from the arm 5, the torquing device 9 may then be totally disengaged from the strand engaging means 1 by retracting the torquing device 9 from its locacion over the leg 3 of the strand engaging means i.

Having removed the torquing device 9 from the strand engaging means i, the torquing device 9 may then be used to manipulate other stand engaging means i.

The torquing device 9 is preferably of metal construction, although any material and method of manufacture bay me used which would result in a device of sufficient strength to withstand the loads applied in tightening wire or the like.

An alternative form of the invention is shown in Figs. and 6.

The strand engaging means 20 comprises a circular plane disc 21 from which two arms 22, 23 extend in diverging 6 0809E A ow directions from the disc 21 in a plane perpendicular to the disc plane. The first arm 22 diverges from a perpendicular axis 24 and then becomes parallel with it. Alternatively the first arm may be parallel to this axis 24. The second arm 23 also diverges away from the axis 24. The two arms 22. 23 thereby define a space 25 therebetween in which a strand of wire 26 may be engaged.

The free end 28 of the second arm 23 has a third arm 27 attached thereto which extends generally parallel to the strand 110 26. At the free end 29 of the third arm 27 is a catch 30 which may engage the strand once it has been tightened.

In use the strand engager is rotated in the direction of S arrow 31 about an axis of rotation generally parallel to the S axis 24 thereby wrapping the strand about the arms 22, 23. The disc 21 prevents the strand from coming off the arms.

The torque applicator 9, previously described may be used with this embodiment, as previously described. In this tembodiment the engaging tube 10 is slipped over the end 32 of 4.

It.144 the first arm 22 and the torqueing tube engaged with the second arm 23.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit thereof. As such, those modifications are intended to be incorporated herein by reference.

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Claims

1. A device for tensioning an elongate strand, said device comprised of a single piece of bar in the form of an and having, sequentially, six sections, the first to fifth sections inclusive lying in a common plane said sections comprising: a first, substantially straight, elongate section; a second section forming a bend greater than 1800; a third section extending toward and welded at or adjacent its junction with the fourth section to said first section intermediate the ends of the first section; a fourth section extending away from the first section and thereby defining a groove between itself and the first oft* section; a 0OR a fifth, elongate section, extending from the fourth 006 section and away from the first section at an included angle o less than 90*; and a sixth section at the end of the fifth section 0000 0 a extending out of the common plane of said first to fifth Ssections inclusive; wherein in use a strand to be tensioned is placed in the groove and o the device rotated about an axis substantially parallel to 0 the first section, thereby wrapping the strand about the 0 0 06 0 device and tensioning the strand.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said third section is 00 S curved.

3. The device of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the fourth section is curved.

4. The device of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the fifth section is substantially straight.

The combination of a tightening device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 and a torqueing device, whereby, in use, said torqueing device applies a torque to said tightening device, thereby rotating said device and tightening said strand. 0512k/SC 9

6. The combination as claimed in claim 5 wherein said torqueing device has first means to engage the free end of said first section and second means to engage the fourth and/or fifth section.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first means is a hollow tube adapted to pass over the free end of said first section and said second means is a first transversely extending tab.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 7 wherein said second means includes a second tab at the free end of said first tab, extending transversely to both said first tab and said hollow tube, and adapted to engage said fourth and/or fifth section such that the torqueing device cannot be removed from said tightening device with only axial movement.

9. A tightening device, substantially as herein described aa with reference to the drawings.

10. A combination, substantially as herein described with S0o reference to the drawings. os DATED this 17th day of June, 1991. SUNGOLD DISTRIBUTORS By Its Patent Attorneys C ARTHUR S. CAVE CO. 0 0 ,I rIVS cc€