US2577299A - Wire tightening device - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 4, 1951 OFFICE 1 WIEE TIGHTENING DEVICE Burtis William Benbow and Robert Stephen .Benbow, Benbow, Calif.

4 Application July 28, 1947-, Serial No. 764,130

2 Claims. (01. 140-117) This invention relates generally to devices for tightening wires, particularly wires or strands -A commonly experienced difiiculty with wire fences is slackening or loosening of the horizontal wires or strands. A wide variety of devices have been proposed for tightening the wires, but because of various disadvantages they have not been widely used. I In order to afford a successful solution to this problem such a device should be of extreme simplicity with respect to its construction, cost of manufacture and mode of operation. The mode of operation should be such that no particular skill is required, and whereby strands can be tightened with a minimum amount of time, without injury to the wire, and. with positive retention after obtaining a desired degree of tightness.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple wire tightening device which will afford all of the advantages outlined above.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire tightening device which will afford a practical solution to the above problem, particularly with respect to simplicity and low cost of manufacture, and simplicity and ease of operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel tool for use in carrying out a wire tightening operation. Our tool is characterized by the fact that it has means to enable positive gripping of the wire to thereby facilitate a tightening operation.

I Additional objects of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view showing a device incorporating the present invention, and looking toward the left hand side of Figure 2.

: Figure 2- is a plan view showing the same device as in Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa side view of the device lookin toward the right hand side of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view like Figure 2 after a wire tightening operation and after removal of the winding tool.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view showing a novel form of tool for use with the device of Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, and looking towardthe left side of Figure 6 as indicated by line 5.

Figure 5 is a view of the tool shown in Figure 5, looking toward the end of the tool head.

Figure '7 is a side elevational view of the tool,

the portion 14 of the winding device.

2 partly in section, and showing the device of Figures 1 to 4 applied to the same, as in the com:- rnencement of a wire tightening operation.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 88 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a view looking toward the end of the tool head and showing the positioning of the parts at the commencement of a winding operation.

Figure 10 is a view like Figure 9 but showing a rotation of the tool head counterclockwise through Figure 11 is a view like Figure 9 but showing the positioning of the parts upon rotation of the 001 head through from the position of Figure 9.

The device as illustrated in Figures 1 to l inclusive consists of a single length of material ofsuitable strength, such as galvanized steel wire of reasonable rigidity. This material is bent to provide a shank portion l0, an anchorage stud portion ll, an arm portion I2, and a hook-like portion 13. The shank and stud portions l0 and II are spaced apart to permit entrance of a wire to be tightened, and it is desirable to form stud ll .of a length substantially shorter than the length of shank I9. The bent portion i i-which connects the portions ill and I I, is adapted to be engaged by a winding tool. Arm I2 extends substantially at right angles to the shank portion l0, and the hook portion 13 on the extremity of the arm portion l2 can be formed substantially as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. As shown in these figures, portion I3 is bent in such a fashion that it is at an angle of say 15 or 20 to the plane of portions ID, II and I2. I

Figures 5 to 8 inclusive illustrate our preferred and novel winding tool for use with the device of Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. This tool consists of a head l6 provided with a slot I! for receiving A cranklike handle I8 is provided to facilitate turning the tool about the axis of the head l6. For convenience the end of the tool remote from the head I6 can be provided with a suitable handle (not shown) in alignment with the axis of the head. A metal sleeve I9 is rotatably mounted upon the head l6, and is provided with cam and wire engaging elements as will be presentlydescribed. A helicoidal wire spring 20 is provided within the sleeve, and one end of this spring is anchored to the head'and the other to the sleeve, whereby the sleeve is urged to rotate in one direction relative to the head (clockwise as viewed in Figure 6). Rotation between the sleeve and the head is limited by suitable means to an angle of movement of the order of say 90, thus as shown in Figure 8 a portion of the head is provided.

with a cut-away or flattened portion 2|, thus forming shoulders for engagement with the stop stud 22. Spring 20 is always under torsional tension, but is of such strength that an operator may manually turn the sleeve 19 against the tension of the spring.

The forward end of the sleeve 19 is formed to provide the camming and wire gripping elements 23. These elements are disposed diametrically opposite each other, and present concave forward faces 24 adapted to engage the side of a wire (Figure 9), and sloped cam surfaces 26.-'for a purpose to be presently described.

Operation of our tightening device and use of the novel tool described above, can be explained as follows: Assuming that it is desired to tighten a wire strand of a fence, portion M of the winding device is inserted in the tool recess 11, and

Ya wire strand 2'! is positioned between the proj'ecting end of the stud H and the shank 10,-substantially as shown in Figures 7 and 9. In order to permit the wire to be placed between the portions it and II, it is necessary for the operator to turn the sleeve 19 against the-tension of the spring 20, whereby after this sleeve is released elements 23 grip opposite sides of the wire '21, as illustrated in these figures. After this grip has been established the tool remains virtually attached to the wire, throughout the winding operation, and now the operator turns the tool a sufficient number of revolutions to tighten the wire to the degree desired.

Turningof the tool through approximately 90 commences the wind as illustrated in Figure 10. It will be noted that the elements 23 have followed and remained in gripping engagement with the wire. Turning the tool through 180 from the initial position of Figure 9 causes a further bending of the wire as shown in Figure 11. that the elements 23 remain in gripping engagement with the wire and that the extending lengths of the wire are now in a position to be engaged by the cam surfaces 26 during further turning of the tool.

Upon continuing turning of the tool beyond the position shown in Figure 11, cam surfaces 26 direct the extending lengths of the Wire forwardly of the head of the .tool, whereby the wire is directed to wind about the shank It in adjacent convolutions. At the end of the winding operation and assuming that the strand of the fence has been tightened, theportion I3 is enremaining side by side convolutions 29 are formed around the shank l0. "Thus the camming action of elements 23 properly guides the convolutions upon the shank 10 after completing the first loop about the end of anchoring stud I I. Also the grip of elements 23 upon the wire serves to initially retain the tool relative to the wire so that the first loop 23 is properly applied about the end Note of stud II, and serves to retain the winding device in operative position within the tool for the remainder of the winding operation. At the end of the winding operation it is a simple matter to remove the tool by manual turning of the sleeve 19 against the tension of the spring 20 for a sufficient distance to release the elements 23 from the: wire. I

The present application is a continuation in part of our co-pending application Serial No. 739,374, filed April 4, 1947 (now abandoned). Reference is also made to our co-pending application Serial No. 178,146, filed August 7, 1950, as claiming subject matter disclosed but not claimed herein.

We claim:

1. A tool for use in conjunction with a wire tightening device of the type comprising a body having a winding shank and adapted to be turned about an axis to wind up a length of wire upon the same; said tool comprising ahead having a recess adapted to receive a portion of the'winding device, crank means serving to mount the head for turning movement about the axis "of the same, a sleeve rotatively carried by the head for turning movement about the axis of the head and relative to the same, means serving to limit rotation of the sleeve relative to the head between limiting positions,'spring means acting between the sleeve and the head and serving to urge'the sleeve 'to turn in one direction relative to the head, and wire holding elements formed on one end of the sleeve and adapted to engageopposite sides of a length of wire to hold the same when the wire is placed in operating positionrelative to the winding device, said spring acting to urge the wire holding elements in a direction to engage and hold the wire.

2. A tool as in claim 1 in which said elements are formed to provide cam faces adapted to engage the wire in a winding operation to direct the convolutions of. the wire, on the Winding shank.

BURTIS WILLIAM BENBOW. v ROBERT STEPHEN BENBOW.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 134,355 7 Burch Dec. 31, 1872 400,606 Scott Apr. 2, 1889 852,216 Bowman Apr. 30, 1907 898,912 Neller Sept. 15, 1908 974,121 Case Nov. 1, 1910 1,061,367 Geils May 13, 1913 1,326,766 Moore Dec. 30, 1919 1,789,891 Alke Jan. 20, 1931 1,845,951 Worsham 1 Feb. 16, 1932 2,068,176 Hendrick Jan. 19, 1937 2,086,317 Hunt July :6, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 'Date B 515,661 Germany Jan.9, 1931 OTHER REFERENCES American Machinist, page 103, August 19, 1943.

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