CA1270516A - Electric fence wire construction - Google Patents
Electric fence wire constructionInfo
- Publication number
- CA1270516A CA1270516A CA000465799A CA465799A CA1270516A CA 1270516 A CA1270516 A CA 1270516A CA 000465799 A CA000465799 A CA 000465799A CA 465799 A CA465799 A CA 465799A CA 1270516 A CA1270516 A CA 1270516A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- article
- conductor
- electric fence
- support member
- wire construction
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An electric fence wire construction is made by plying or weaving coated supporting members, preferably fiberglass coated with polyvinyl chloride, with con-ducting members preferably aluminum.
An electric fence wire construction is made by plying or weaving coated supporting members, preferably fiberglass coated with polyvinyl chloride, with con-ducting members preferably aluminum.
Description
~'7~S~L6 TITLE
IMPROVED ELECTRIC FEl,CE WIRE CONSTR~CTION
BAC~;Jl~OUND OF T~IE INVENTION
Field of the Invention This invention relates to an improved electric fence wire construction for use by cattlemen, farmers, and others.
Electric fence wire constructions carry an electric charge which shocks animals upon contact with the outer surface of the construction and tends to prevent their crossing the fence. These constructions are strung from fence posts or other convenient attachment points. They may be used as perimeter fencing to enclose animals or to keep out predators. They may also be used to subdivide pastures temporarily to insure that they are grazed uniformly, in which case the electric fence wire construction may be taken down and restrung every few days forcing animals to graze different strips of land in regular rotation.
1271:)S16 The electric fence wire construction of this invention comprises both support memDers and conductive members which should have several inter-related, special characteristics to perform well. The wire construction should be abrasion resistant, sufficiently light in weight to be portable, and flame resistant (that is to say, self-extinguishing or unable to support combustion). It should ~e reasonably flexible, yet strong, should knot without breaking, and should hold a knot without slipping. ~ecause these wire constructions may be relocated several times, they should resist wear not only while in use, but also duriny handling when they are taken down and put up for relocation to another site. The conductive members should have a high degree of conductivity and be sufficiently malleable to perform satisEactorily in spliciny. Furthermore, electric fence wire constructions should retain these properties when su~Jected to extremes oE weather and temperature over long periods. For example, the wire construction should resist fading, corrosion, and loss of strenyth in blizzards at less than -50F (-46C) and direct sunlight at above 100F
(38C), and have a low coefficient of linear expansion to resist contraction when cold and sagging when warm.
Descri~tion oE the Prior Art For several years the prior art has been typified by single component constructions of galvanized steel wire, which are sufficiently thick to serve both conducting and supporting functions simultaneously, and by a plied, rope-like combination electric fellce wire construction in which a~ olefin fiber such as polyethylene or polypropylene fiber serves as the supporting member and stainless steel wire serves as the conducting member. United States patent ~L~7~)5~6 3,291,897 (Bramley) shows an example of this latter construction.
These prior art electric fence wire constructions suffer several drawbacks, which as far as ~e know the art has not solved in the sev~nteen years since the ~ramley ~atent issued. The single component steel wire constructions, while strong, are too heavy for easy ~ortability and installation and hence are impractical in many situations.
In the conbirlations of olefin supporting members with stainless steel, the stainless steel wire construction when spliced or knotted has heated sufficiently to cause fires. To compound this problem, flames have been carried along the length of the wire construction by prior art supporting members, spreading the fire to adjacent fields or buildings. These prior art su~porting members have also been subject to loss of strength upon exposure to weather, particularly to the ultraviolet rays in sunlight Furthermore, olefin fibers do not hold a knot well; the ability to hold a knot is important, for example, when splicing the beginning of one package of electrlc fence wire to the end of another or when repairing a break.
composite electric fence wire constructions of the prior art have occasionally been made with tinned copper as the conductor, which eliininated problems of low conductivity but was too weak to withstand breakage during use, and particularly during winding ancl unwinding the wire construction during temporary installation. Hence, as far as we know tinned copper is used little if at all.
We have noticed an additional problem in ~rior art combination electric fence wire construction when made for ~ 7~5~L~
example from stainless steel supported by a conventional olefirl. When stretcne~ during installation or use, the conducting memo~r may brealc while the supporting member remains intact. It is then difficult to locate the particular section oi the electric fence wire construction whicn needs replacing.
Summary of the Invention Our invention can solve or mitigate these problems and provides additional advantages. It makes possible the use of low-stretch, light-weight support members, conductors Witll suuerior conductivity, and provides electric fence wire constructions with superior flame resistance, superior strength, superior resistance to wear and weatheriny, and superior knotting characteristics. In particular, the use of low stretc~l supporting materials is effective in preventing fracture of the conductor sign1Licantly before breaking of the entire fence wire construction.
In one as~ect the present invention comprises (a) an elongated support member which comprises a core material and a coating and (b) an elongated conductive member. The core material of the support member provides a significant a~nount of strength to the support member. By braiding or twisting and plying we assemble the coated support member and the conductive member with a substantial portion of the conductive member exposed to the outer surface of the construction. One or a number of supporting filaments or strands may be assembled with one or a number of filaments or strands oE conductor to make the electric fence wire construction. We use "filament" to identify a single fiber; groups of filaments make up a "strandn; and one or more strands make up a "yarn".
~27~)5~6 A single coating may be applied around each strand of supportin~3 material. Alternatively, strands may be coated or impregnated with a material of low viscosity such that each individual filarnent as well as the entire yroup is encapsulated, for example using a reslnous solution or latex.
By selecting a coating material which is characteri~ed by substantially greater abrasion resistance, or fracture resistance when knotted, than the core material, we have found that high-strength, low stretch core materials such as fiberylass, which would be expected to break when used in electric fence wire constructions, can in fact be adapted for such use and the cost of such coatings is more than offset by the resulting combination of strength, durability, flexibility and other improved properties which are obtained. For example, the application of such coatinys yives abrasion resistance to each oE the individual ~ilaments and results in improved properties ir,so$ar as resistance to breakage due to knottinc~ is concerned.
In addition, by selecting and applying a coating material which is resistant to weathering (for example, exposure to chemicals, rnoisture, and the effects of ultra-violet radiation), to a substantially greater degree than the core material, one is able to use core materials which would not otherwise be satisfactory in electric fence wire constructions. Moreover, not only are the properties obtained by using a coating material and a core material in the support member improved over the use of either material alone, but the improvements are sufficiently great to justify the added step of applying the materials.
The coating may be applied using any one of various methods, including e~trusion and crosshead extrusion, or it may be applied as a liquid using polyvinyl chloride in the form of a plastisol, organosol, latex or other solution or dispersion, by dip-coating, curtain coating, or other method, metering off any excess if necessary, and then drying, fusiny or curing, depending upon the re~uirements of the solution or dispersion. The resulting coated strand preferably has a total diameter of about 20 r,lils (50~ microns).
~ther possi~le coatings include plastics or rubDers such as polyurethanes, acrylics and polyesters chosen for their good weather resistar,ce, flame retar~ance, ability to receive color and color fastness, ability to impart good knot holdiny characteristics (l.e., not slippery), or abrasion or fracture resistance. These coatings may be solid or plastic foams.
We prefer to combine filaments of a support material into strands and apply coating to the strands. We then prefer to ply one or several of these strands with strands or individual filaments of conductive material into yarns containiny support material and conductive material, and to ply these yarns to make the final electric fence wire constructiorl. Braiding may also be used to make these constructions and has the advantage of unraveling less than plied constructions.
The support me~ er we prefer to use is fiberglass coated with a polyvinyl chloride which includes flar.le inhibitors of the kind known for use with polyvinyl chloride. ~le have found this composite is flame resistant, strong, low-stretch, and capable of holding a knot well. It also has reduced problems of abrasion and loss of strength in o~6 knotting due to stress fracture, which fiberglass alone would exhibit. ~uch composites have be~n proven in outdoor use as insect screens to have superior c~aracterl~tics or resistance to weathering an~ fading, but ue are aware of no previous use in electric fence wir~
construction or under the full range of conàitions to which electric ~ence wire constructions are su~ject.
The conductive me~nber we pref~r to use is aluminum wire, and we find most preferable wire drawn from an alloy which has on its surface a metallurgically bon~ed aluminum alloy coating that is anodic to the core and thus electrolytcally protects the core against corrosion, such as known at present in the industry as Alclad 5056 (Trademark).
Alclad 5056 has provel its corrosion resistance through use in Draided cable armor wire, insect screen cloth, and chain llnK fence, but we are aware of no previous use in electric f~nce wire construction or under the full range of con~itions to wilich electric fenc~ wire constructions are subject.
~rief Description ~f The Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a twiste~ and plied electric fence wire construction;
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 2-2 of Figure l;
Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one stran~
of a support mem~er of Figure l;
~7~35~6 Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a braided electric fence wire construction;
Figure 5 is the top elevational view of one embodiment of a ri~bon electric fence ~ire construction according to the present invention;
Figure 6 i5 a tnree-quarter viewfof the embodiment of Fiyure 5.
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 7-7 of Figure ~. These figures are not drawn to scale.
etdlled Descri~t on_of the Preferred bodir,lents Reterring to the Figures 1 to 3, an electric fence wire construction 1 comprises yarns 2 which are plied together. Eacn yarn 2 is made up o~ coated sul~port members 3 and conductive members 4 which are twisted togetner. The sùpport members comprise filaments S, which may be fiberglass, and a coating 6, which may be polyvinyl chloride. In Fiyure 4, the coate~ support members 3 and the conductive members 4 are braided together. Figures 5 to 7 show~ one embodir,lent of a ribborl electric fence wire construction. :The ribbon 7 is made up of coated support members 3 and conductive members 4 which are woven in a conventional ribbon construction.
We pre~-er to ply two strands of fiberglass supporting material coated with polyvinyl chloride and two filaments of aluminum conductor together at about 3 1/2 turns per inch ("TPI~) in the nZ~ direction, and to ply three of these yarns together at 1 1/2 TPI "S" twist to provide the ~271~S~6 finished product, which is therefore composed of six strands of a coated fiberglass and six filaments of aluminum conductor. The individual yarns in our invention may preferably be twisted from about one to about si~
turns per inch and the final yarns plied in a yarn from a~out one-half to six turns per inch. The electric fence wire construction of the present invention may be braided or twisted and plied on conventional machines such as those used for twine or rope.
In ribbon embodil,lents we prefer to use support members comyrising a fiberglass core coated with polyvinyl chloride, althou~h other suyport mem~er constructions may be used. We also prefer to use in ribbon embodimellts a con~uctive member of aluminuln, most preferably haviny a core of alu.~inum and a cladding of aluminurn alloy such as Alclad 5~56. The conductive member may be woven, including forms of interlacing, (i) lengthwise along the ribbon (that is, in the warp direction), (ii) across the ribbon, or (iii) in both directions. The conductive filaments may com~rise from zero to all of the filaments or stands in either the lengthwise or crosswise direction. Figures 5 to 7 shown an embodiment in which about one conductive filament is used for every five to ten of other suyporting lengthwise strands.
We prefer to use low-twist fiberglass strands known in the illdUStry dS 37 1/~. The designation 37 indicates that 3700 yards of the fiberglass weigh one pound. The 1/0 indicates that tne number of twisted strands plied together is one and the number of single strands twisted in continuous filaments is zero. The individual filaments making up a single strand of 37 1/0 may number between 800 and 1600 and may be either G (9 micrometers diameter) or ~ ~7~S~
DE (6 micrometers diamete~). The tiberglass we use is ty~ically continuous filamer3t made from electrical gr~de glass~ Fiberglass weights may range from about 18 1/3 (or 15~0 tex) to about 150 1/0 (or 33 tex), where tex indicates the number of grams per thousand meters of the particular fiber.
Most fiberglass fioers in uncoated condition come wlth chemical sizes (surface finishes containing some chemical constituents other than water) applied by the manufacturer. These may be starch sizes or preferably lubricating hydrophobic sizes which keep water from the glass and lubricate the individual filaments to reduce aDrasion.
Glass is also desira~le for its low coefficietlt of linear expansion, for example, typicalLy about 5 x 10 6 centilneters per centimeter per degree centigracle. ~y way of comparison, steel has a factor of about 10 x 10 6, aluminum a factor of about 20 x 10 6, and polypropylene about ~0 x 10 6 centimeters per centimeter per degree centigrade.
Our most preferred support members llave very low stretch, less than about four to five percent elongation of single filaments before breaking. Materials for such members include fiberglass. ~igh modulus, high tenacity poly (p-phenylene terephthalarnide) fiber such as Kevlar-type (trademark) aramid fibers, and high tenacity rayon fibers may also be used. ~upportiny materials with up to about ten percent elongation of single filaments at break are also desirable, and sup~ortiny materials of up to about thirty percent elongation of single filaments at break may be used. ~u~port Menlber core fibers rnay include polyester, ~L~7(~5~L6 nylon, and other materials, particularly ~here their stretch properties are kept below thirty percent.
While materials such as the present Alclad 5056 (trademark) aluminum is the most preferre~ conducting mem~er, other alurninum alloys are ~referred and other conductors may be used islcluding stainless steel and tinned copper. Aluminurn used in our invention is preferra~ly about 0.010 inches (U.0254 cln.) in diallleter but may ranye in diameter from about .005 inches (0.0127 cln.) to about .020 inches (0.050~ cm.).
The construction of this invention nas superior properties in that it resists weathering and has superior conductivity. ~y way of comparison, electric fence wire constructlon in the urior art using uncoated olefins lost its strength after two years oE outdoor use, whereas Eence wire construction of the present invention should not.
Electric fence wire construction of this invention is resistant to stretching, and particularly the supportiny fibers are resistant to stretching, so that the conductor and the supporting fibers in our tests break at substantially the same time, which makes broken conductors easy to locate. The wire construction of this invention has also been found in our testiny to knot well, and to resist stress fracture, abrasion, and flames. The conductor is sufficiently malleable to ~erforr~l well in splicing.
In the prior art, stainless steel wire construction was typically plied as four strands polyethylene to one strand of stainless steel wire construction to Inake up a yarn.
Three of these yarns were then plied together to make the final electric fence wire construction, which therefore contained a total of three ends of stainless steel 7~
conductor and twelve ends of supporting fiber of polyethylene or polypropylelle. In some of this prior art, the stainless steel wire construction had been over-fed to make it lie loosely in the polyetnylene supporting fibers.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail for purposes of illustration.
Modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the preferred embodiment of electric fence wire constructions described above in order to adapt them to particular applications.
IMPROVED ELECTRIC FEl,CE WIRE CONSTR~CTION
BAC~;Jl~OUND OF T~IE INVENTION
Field of the Invention This invention relates to an improved electric fence wire construction for use by cattlemen, farmers, and others.
Electric fence wire constructions carry an electric charge which shocks animals upon contact with the outer surface of the construction and tends to prevent their crossing the fence. These constructions are strung from fence posts or other convenient attachment points. They may be used as perimeter fencing to enclose animals or to keep out predators. They may also be used to subdivide pastures temporarily to insure that they are grazed uniformly, in which case the electric fence wire construction may be taken down and restrung every few days forcing animals to graze different strips of land in regular rotation.
1271:)S16 The electric fence wire construction of this invention comprises both support memDers and conductive members which should have several inter-related, special characteristics to perform well. The wire construction should be abrasion resistant, sufficiently light in weight to be portable, and flame resistant (that is to say, self-extinguishing or unable to support combustion). It should ~e reasonably flexible, yet strong, should knot without breaking, and should hold a knot without slipping. ~ecause these wire constructions may be relocated several times, they should resist wear not only while in use, but also duriny handling when they are taken down and put up for relocation to another site. The conductive members should have a high degree of conductivity and be sufficiently malleable to perform satisEactorily in spliciny. Furthermore, electric fence wire constructions should retain these properties when su~Jected to extremes oE weather and temperature over long periods. For example, the wire construction should resist fading, corrosion, and loss of strenyth in blizzards at less than -50F (-46C) and direct sunlight at above 100F
(38C), and have a low coefficient of linear expansion to resist contraction when cold and sagging when warm.
Descri~tion oE the Prior Art For several years the prior art has been typified by single component constructions of galvanized steel wire, which are sufficiently thick to serve both conducting and supporting functions simultaneously, and by a plied, rope-like combination electric fellce wire construction in which a~ olefin fiber such as polyethylene or polypropylene fiber serves as the supporting member and stainless steel wire serves as the conducting member. United States patent ~L~7~)5~6 3,291,897 (Bramley) shows an example of this latter construction.
These prior art electric fence wire constructions suffer several drawbacks, which as far as ~e know the art has not solved in the sev~nteen years since the ~ramley ~atent issued. The single component steel wire constructions, while strong, are too heavy for easy ~ortability and installation and hence are impractical in many situations.
In the conbirlations of olefin supporting members with stainless steel, the stainless steel wire construction when spliced or knotted has heated sufficiently to cause fires. To compound this problem, flames have been carried along the length of the wire construction by prior art supporting members, spreading the fire to adjacent fields or buildings. These prior art su~porting members have also been subject to loss of strength upon exposure to weather, particularly to the ultraviolet rays in sunlight Furthermore, olefin fibers do not hold a knot well; the ability to hold a knot is important, for example, when splicing the beginning of one package of electrlc fence wire to the end of another or when repairing a break.
composite electric fence wire constructions of the prior art have occasionally been made with tinned copper as the conductor, which eliininated problems of low conductivity but was too weak to withstand breakage during use, and particularly during winding ancl unwinding the wire construction during temporary installation. Hence, as far as we know tinned copper is used little if at all.
We have noticed an additional problem in ~rior art combination electric fence wire construction when made for ~ 7~5~L~
example from stainless steel supported by a conventional olefirl. When stretcne~ during installation or use, the conducting memo~r may brealc while the supporting member remains intact. It is then difficult to locate the particular section oi the electric fence wire construction whicn needs replacing.
Summary of the Invention Our invention can solve or mitigate these problems and provides additional advantages. It makes possible the use of low-stretch, light-weight support members, conductors Witll suuerior conductivity, and provides electric fence wire constructions with superior flame resistance, superior strength, superior resistance to wear and weatheriny, and superior knotting characteristics. In particular, the use of low stretc~l supporting materials is effective in preventing fracture of the conductor sign1Licantly before breaking of the entire fence wire construction.
In one as~ect the present invention comprises (a) an elongated support member which comprises a core material and a coating and (b) an elongated conductive member. The core material of the support member provides a significant a~nount of strength to the support member. By braiding or twisting and plying we assemble the coated support member and the conductive member with a substantial portion of the conductive member exposed to the outer surface of the construction. One or a number of supporting filaments or strands may be assembled with one or a number of filaments or strands oE conductor to make the electric fence wire construction. We use "filament" to identify a single fiber; groups of filaments make up a "strandn; and one or more strands make up a "yarn".
~27~)5~6 A single coating may be applied around each strand of supportin~3 material. Alternatively, strands may be coated or impregnated with a material of low viscosity such that each individual filarnent as well as the entire yroup is encapsulated, for example using a reslnous solution or latex.
By selecting a coating material which is characteri~ed by substantially greater abrasion resistance, or fracture resistance when knotted, than the core material, we have found that high-strength, low stretch core materials such as fiberylass, which would be expected to break when used in electric fence wire constructions, can in fact be adapted for such use and the cost of such coatings is more than offset by the resulting combination of strength, durability, flexibility and other improved properties which are obtained. For example, the application of such coatinys yives abrasion resistance to each oE the individual ~ilaments and results in improved properties ir,so$ar as resistance to breakage due to knottinc~ is concerned.
In addition, by selecting and applying a coating material which is resistant to weathering (for example, exposure to chemicals, rnoisture, and the effects of ultra-violet radiation), to a substantially greater degree than the core material, one is able to use core materials which would not otherwise be satisfactory in electric fence wire constructions. Moreover, not only are the properties obtained by using a coating material and a core material in the support member improved over the use of either material alone, but the improvements are sufficiently great to justify the added step of applying the materials.
The coating may be applied using any one of various methods, including e~trusion and crosshead extrusion, or it may be applied as a liquid using polyvinyl chloride in the form of a plastisol, organosol, latex or other solution or dispersion, by dip-coating, curtain coating, or other method, metering off any excess if necessary, and then drying, fusiny or curing, depending upon the re~uirements of the solution or dispersion. The resulting coated strand preferably has a total diameter of about 20 r,lils (50~ microns).
~ther possi~le coatings include plastics or rubDers such as polyurethanes, acrylics and polyesters chosen for their good weather resistar,ce, flame retar~ance, ability to receive color and color fastness, ability to impart good knot holdiny characteristics (l.e., not slippery), or abrasion or fracture resistance. These coatings may be solid or plastic foams.
We prefer to combine filaments of a support material into strands and apply coating to the strands. We then prefer to ply one or several of these strands with strands or individual filaments of conductive material into yarns containiny support material and conductive material, and to ply these yarns to make the final electric fence wire constructiorl. Braiding may also be used to make these constructions and has the advantage of unraveling less than plied constructions.
The support me~ er we prefer to use is fiberglass coated with a polyvinyl chloride which includes flar.le inhibitors of the kind known for use with polyvinyl chloride. ~le have found this composite is flame resistant, strong, low-stretch, and capable of holding a knot well. It also has reduced problems of abrasion and loss of strength in o~6 knotting due to stress fracture, which fiberglass alone would exhibit. ~uch composites have be~n proven in outdoor use as insect screens to have superior c~aracterl~tics or resistance to weathering an~ fading, but ue are aware of no previous use in electric fence wir~
construction or under the full range of conàitions to which electric ~ence wire constructions are su~ject.
The conductive me~nber we pref~r to use is aluminum wire, and we find most preferable wire drawn from an alloy which has on its surface a metallurgically bon~ed aluminum alloy coating that is anodic to the core and thus electrolytcally protects the core against corrosion, such as known at present in the industry as Alclad 5056 (Trademark).
Alclad 5056 has provel its corrosion resistance through use in Draided cable armor wire, insect screen cloth, and chain llnK fence, but we are aware of no previous use in electric f~nce wire construction or under the full range of con~itions to wilich electric fenc~ wire constructions are subject.
~rief Description ~f The Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a twiste~ and plied electric fence wire construction;
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 2-2 of Figure l;
Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one stran~
of a support mem~er of Figure l;
~7~35~6 Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a braided electric fence wire construction;
Figure 5 is the top elevational view of one embodiment of a ri~bon electric fence ~ire construction according to the present invention;
Figure 6 i5 a tnree-quarter viewfof the embodiment of Fiyure 5.
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 7-7 of Figure ~. These figures are not drawn to scale.
etdlled Descri~t on_of the Preferred bodir,lents Reterring to the Figures 1 to 3, an electric fence wire construction 1 comprises yarns 2 which are plied together. Eacn yarn 2 is made up o~ coated sul~port members 3 and conductive members 4 which are twisted togetner. The sùpport members comprise filaments S, which may be fiberglass, and a coating 6, which may be polyvinyl chloride. In Fiyure 4, the coate~ support members 3 and the conductive members 4 are braided together. Figures 5 to 7 show~ one embodir,lent of a ribborl electric fence wire construction. :The ribbon 7 is made up of coated support members 3 and conductive members 4 which are woven in a conventional ribbon construction.
We pre~-er to ply two strands of fiberglass supporting material coated with polyvinyl chloride and two filaments of aluminum conductor together at about 3 1/2 turns per inch ("TPI~) in the nZ~ direction, and to ply three of these yarns together at 1 1/2 TPI "S" twist to provide the ~271~S~6 finished product, which is therefore composed of six strands of a coated fiberglass and six filaments of aluminum conductor. The individual yarns in our invention may preferably be twisted from about one to about si~
turns per inch and the final yarns plied in a yarn from a~out one-half to six turns per inch. The electric fence wire construction of the present invention may be braided or twisted and plied on conventional machines such as those used for twine or rope.
In ribbon embodil,lents we prefer to use support members comyrising a fiberglass core coated with polyvinyl chloride, althou~h other suyport mem~er constructions may be used. We also prefer to use in ribbon embodimellts a con~uctive member of aluminuln, most preferably haviny a core of alu.~inum and a cladding of aluminurn alloy such as Alclad 5~56. The conductive member may be woven, including forms of interlacing, (i) lengthwise along the ribbon (that is, in the warp direction), (ii) across the ribbon, or (iii) in both directions. The conductive filaments may com~rise from zero to all of the filaments or stands in either the lengthwise or crosswise direction. Figures 5 to 7 shown an embodiment in which about one conductive filament is used for every five to ten of other suyporting lengthwise strands.
We prefer to use low-twist fiberglass strands known in the illdUStry dS 37 1/~. The designation 37 indicates that 3700 yards of the fiberglass weigh one pound. The 1/0 indicates that tne number of twisted strands plied together is one and the number of single strands twisted in continuous filaments is zero. The individual filaments making up a single strand of 37 1/0 may number between 800 and 1600 and may be either G (9 micrometers diameter) or ~ ~7~S~
DE (6 micrometers diamete~). The tiberglass we use is ty~ically continuous filamer3t made from electrical gr~de glass~ Fiberglass weights may range from about 18 1/3 (or 15~0 tex) to about 150 1/0 (or 33 tex), where tex indicates the number of grams per thousand meters of the particular fiber.
Most fiberglass fioers in uncoated condition come wlth chemical sizes (surface finishes containing some chemical constituents other than water) applied by the manufacturer. These may be starch sizes or preferably lubricating hydrophobic sizes which keep water from the glass and lubricate the individual filaments to reduce aDrasion.
Glass is also desira~le for its low coefficietlt of linear expansion, for example, typicalLy about 5 x 10 6 centilneters per centimeter per degree centigracle. ~y way of comparison, steel has a factor of about 10 x 10 6, aluminum a factor of about 20 x 10 6, and polypropylene about ~0 x 10 6 centimeters per centimeter per degree centigrade.
Our most preferred support members llave very low stretch, less than about four to five percent elongation of single filaments before breaking. Materials for such members include fiberglass. ~igh modulus, high tenacity poly (p-phenylene terephthalarnide) fiber such as Kevlar-type (trademark) aramid fibers, and high tenacity rayon fibers may also be used. ~upportiny materials with up to about ten percent elongation of single filaments at break are also desirable, and sup~ortiny materials of up to about thirty percent elongation of single filaments at break may be used. ~u~port Menlber core fibers rnay include polyester, ~L~7(~5~L6 nylon, and other materials, particularly ~here their stretch properties are kept below thirty percent.
While materials such as the present Alclad 5056 (trademark) aluminum is the most preferre~ conducting mem~er, other alurninum alloys are ~referred and other conductors may be used islcluding stainless steel and tinned copper. Aluminurn used in our invention is preferra~ly about 0.010 inches (U.0254 cln.) in diallleter but may ranye in diameter from about .005 inches (0.0127 cln.) to about .020 inches (0.050~ cm.).
The construction of this invention nas superior properties in that it resists weathering and has superior conductivity. ~y way of comparison, electric fence wire constructlon in the urior art using uncoated olefins lost its strength after two years oE outdoor use, whereas Eence wire construction of the present invention should not.
Electric fence wire construction of this invention is resistant to stretching, and particularly the supportiny fibers are resistant to stretching, so that the conductor and the supporting fibers in our tests break at substantially the same time, which makes broken conductors easy to locate. The wire construction of this invention has also been found in our testiny to knot well, and to resist stress fracture, abrasion, and flames. The conductor is sufficiently malleable to ~erforr~l well in splicing.
In the prior art, stainless steel wire construction was typically plied as four strands polyethylene to one strand of stainless steel wire construction to Inake up a yarn.
Three of these yarns were then plied together to make the final electric fence wire construction, which therefore contained a total of three ends of stainless steel 7~
conductor and twelve ends of supporting fiber of polyethylene or polypropylelle. In some of this prior art, the stainless steel wire construction had been over-fed to make it lie loosely in the polyetnylene supporting fibers.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail for purposes of illustration.
Modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the preferred embodiment of electric fence wire constructions described above in order to adapt them to particular applications.
Claims (6)
1. An article for use in an electric fence for contactably exposing electricity to the environment, said article comprising:
an elongated woven support member in the form of a ribbon having first and second sides;
an elongated electrical conductor consisting essentially of aluminum or aluminum alloy wire; said conductor being intermeshed together with the support member in the form of a ribbon with a substantial portion of the conductor being exposed.
an elongated woven support member in the form of a ribbon having first and second sides;
an elongated electrical conductor consisting essentially of aluminum or aluminum alloy wire; said conductor being intermeshed together with the support member in the form of a ribbon with a substantial portion of the conductor being exposed.
2. An article as defined in claim 1, wherein said support member comprises a core material providing a significant amount of strength to the support member, and a coating material coating the core material.
3. An article as defined in claim 2, in which the coating material is characterized by substantially greater abrasion resistance than the core material.
4. An article as defined in claim 2, in which the coating material is polyvinyl chloride.
5. An article as defined in claim 1, in which the support member is characterized by a breaking elongation which is substantially equal to or less than the breaking elongation of the conductor.
6. An article as defined in claim 1, in which the conductor consists essentially of a high strength conductive central core region and a weather resistant conductive cladding.
Priority Applications (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000465799A CA1270516A (en) | 1984-10-18 | 1984-10-18 | Electric fence wire construction |
| NZ21201685A NZ212016A (en) | 1983-11-22 | 1985-05-08 | Woven electric fence wire ribbon |
| AU43720/85A AU588235B2 (en) | 1984-10-18 | 1985-06-14 | Improved electric fence wire construction |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000465799A CA1270516A (en) | 1984-10-18 | 1984-10-18 | Electric fence wire construction |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1270516A true CA1270516A (en) | 1990-06-19 |
Family
ID=4128948
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000465799A Expired - Lifetime CA1270516A (en) | 1983-11-22 | 1984-10-18 | Electric fence wire construction |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU588235B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1270516A (en) |
Families Citing this family (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ218802A (en) * | 1987-01-06 | 1990-12-21 | Gallagher Electronics Ltd | Electric fencing tape with transverse bridging conductor |
| FR2673806B1 (en) * | 1991-03-15 | 1994-09-30 | Joubert Sa | FENCE FOR SNAILS. |
| AU645738B3 (en) * | 1992-07-30 | 1994-01-20 | Tru-Test Pty Ltd | Fencing tape |
| AU733410B2 (en) * | 1994-09-15 | 2001-05-10 | Nordberg, Fred | Electric fence device |
| SE505138C2 (en) * | 1994-09-15 | 1997-06-30 | Fred Nordberg | Device for electrical fencing |
Family Cites Families (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZA711683B (en) * | 1970-03-13 | 1971-12-29 | British Insulated Callenders | Improvements in or relating to overhead electric conductors |
| EP0104669B1 (en) * | 1983-09-13 | 1987-08-26 | Bay Mills Limited | Improved electric fence wire construction |
-
1984
- 1984-10-18 CA CA000465799A patent/CA1270516A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1985
- 1985-06-14 AU AU43720/85A patent/AU588235B2/en not_active Ceased
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU4372085A (en) | 1986-04-24 |
| AU588235B2 (en) | 1989-09-14 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |