US3067314A - Branding iron - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 4, 1962 A. E. Hl-:LBLING BRANDING IRON 2 Sheefs-Sheet l Filed 001'.. l, 1959 INVENTOR ANTON E. HELBLING y MQW-- ATTORNEY Dec. 4, 1962 A. E. HELBLING 3,067,314

BRANDING IRON Filed OCt. l, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ANTON E. HELBLING BY @M-QML ATTORNE Y 3,067,314 Patented Dec. 4, 19h32 tice 3,067,314 BRANDING IRON Anton E. Helbling, 408 E. Main, Mandati, N. Dak. Filed Oct. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 843,757 18 Ciaims. (Cl. 219-30) This invention relates to ythe identification of commodities of various kinds including livestock and to the equipment employed for the application of identifying marks or brands. More specical-ly, the invention is concerned with electric branding irons employed in the branding of livestock and in which the heated brand face portion of the device is supported in space-d relation to :the handle.

Electric branding irons have been manufactured in the past with the branding face spaced -a substantial distance from lthe body. However, irons of this character when subjected to rough usage on a livestock range or the like have been easily distorted and otherwise damaged and the damage has been commensurate with the size of the brand and complexity of .the construction of the iron. Also in cattle raising industry each rancher adopts and uses his own brand making it necessary to individually produce each branding face at a lsubstantial cost in manufacturing and assembling.

I-t is yan object of this invention to overcome defects heretofore encountered and to provide a branding iron of simple and inexpensive construction of great strength and rigidity and durability as well as 4to provide a relatively compact iron in which the heating element and supports may be attached toa handle during the process of manufacturing with ease and rapidity.

Another object of the invention is a novel brand face support which conducts a minimum amount of heat away from the brand face, as well as ia novel support for the brand face that is tree from projections which may interfere with and obstruct the portion of the brand which contacts the -skin of the animal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing branding irons to exact specifications as to form and size from a minimum inventory of parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the electric branding device including the branding face in the form of the numeral 5, connecting arms, brand support, and connecting handle, with portions of the handle cutaway exposing the interior thereof;

FIG. 2, a section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3, a section taken along line 3 3 of FIG. l exposing the interior of ya portion of the branding face and the interior of a portion of lthe connecting arm;

FIG. 4, a cutaway along line 4 4 of FIG. 1 revealing `the claw and its manner of attachment of 'the legs of the -support to the brand heating element with the heating element shown in cross-section;

FIG. 5, a modified form of claw having a square inner diameter and a cross-sectional view of the heating ele ment to which Iit is attached;

FIG. 6, a perspective of a further modied form of leg attachment to the brand wherein the claw is in the form of a half-sleeve;

FIG. 7, a cut-away along line 7-7 of FIG. 6 showing the cross-:sectional view of the further modied form of leg attachment;

FIG. 8, a perspective view disclosing the attachment of the support to a typical two-letter brand formed to the shape BT;

FIG. 9, -a perspective view of a modified wrap-around support for the brand;

FIG. l0, another perspective of the modiied wraparound support; and

FIG. 11, a section taken along line 11--11 of FIG. 9.

Briey stated, the invention includes `a branding iron having a heating element yand handle in which the ends of the heating element are mounted and retained by a ball-screw lock to the handle and the intermediate portion of the heating element extends away from the handle and forms a brand face, supporting elements each including a U-shaped claw and rod-like extension thereto, with the U-shaped claw adapted to be attached to the brand face and the ends of the rod-like extensions adapted to be inserted into selected slots of a plurality of available slots `arranged in vspaced relation about an annular flange at the end of the handle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 discloses lthe assembled branding iron with a single letter brand formed by the heating element. A handle gripping portion 20 is provided at one end of jan elongated intermediate stem portion 21. A metallic cap or plug 22 mounted at :the other end of the stem acts to retain and support the heating element 23` in spaced relationship to the handle.

The heating element 23 includes a brand face portion 24 and connecting arms 28 and 28. The brand face portion is formed yof a casing 25 and -a coil resistance wire 26 with nonconductive powdered insulation 27 therebetween. Connecting arm portions 28 and 28 are formed integrally with 4the brand face portion 24, and each has a current-carrying electrode 29 of a substantially large diameter electrically connected to coil 26 located in the intermediate portion of the heating element. The large diameter electrodes reduce the resistance to the current and maintain the arms relatively cool when the brand is electrically heated.

The metallic cap plug 22 has a cylindrical metal core body portion 3@ having two bore holes 31 and 31 which act to receive and retain the free ends 32 and 32' of the two connecting arms 28 and 28 of the heating element 23. A radial bore 33 is provided in the core which connects to the passageways formed by the pair of bores 3i and 31. A bali bearing 34 located in the radial bore 33 abuts the connecting arms to lock the arms in the core body of the plug and a set screw 35 forcibly maintains the ball bearing against the arms.

The outer end of the plug 22 has a frusto-conical portion 36 and an annular flange 37. The annular llange of the plug 22 has a plurality of circumterentially spaced slots 38 about its outer diameter for receiving the ends of the brand rods or supports 40.

A plurality of brand supports or bracing rods 4i? each has a claw il at the other end mounted to the heating element at various locations along the back side of the brand face 23. The pointed legs 41 of claws 41 tightly grip the heating element forming the brand tace; however, they extend only partially around toward the front side Z4- of the brand face to prevent their interfering with the direct Contact of the front side of the brand face with the material, skin or surface to be branded.

The claw or fork or straddling or attaching member 41 has a limited thickness where it physically contacts the heating element casing 25 at the locations along the brand face 25 in order to minimize the heat transfer by conduction from the heating element to the claw so as to prevent the creation of dark spots on the letters or symbols of the heating element.

The modified form of claw or straddling or attaching member, illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is of a half-sleeve 44 connected to the end of the support with an insulating liner 45 for directly contacting the heating element. This `from the heating element to the claw.

A second modified form of claw 46 illustrated in FIG. 5 has a square inner diameter 47 which acts to contact the heating element only at three points and thereby reduces the amount of area of the claw contacting the heating element and accordingly reduces the amount of heat transfer from the heating element.

Where two letter brands are employed with the slotted annular flange support as illustrated in FIG. 8 the intermediate portion fZ which connects one brand letter with the next is supported by similar claws 43. Since the intermediate portion 42 of the heating element is not a part of the actual brand, it being located rearwardly from the brand face, the amount of heat transfer is generally immaterial. As a result the claws 43 may, if desired, extend entirely around the heating element or the end of the rod 40 may be wrapped around the portion 42 in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10 and 1l.

While the annular slotted fiange support structure represents the preferred form of the invention, a modified form of support for the brand is ilustrated in |`FIGS. 9, 10 and l1 wherein the rods 40 are mounted in a wraparound fashion. The claws 41 and the connecting rods rv similarly act to support the brand face with the free ends 53 of the rods 40 being wrapped around the supporting arms 28 adjacent the handle or the metal cap. The rods are mounted diagonally to one another and are spot welded at their point of intersection 54 so as to provide a maximum amount of strength and rigidity to the framework. The intermediate portion 42 does not employ the claws 43 and, in lieu thereof, the rods are wrapped around at spaced locations 55 and 56.

Attached to the free ends of the current-carrying electrodes 29 and 29 of arms 28 and 28 are the currentcarrying wires of cord 49 with attachment provided by a pair of metallic permanently deformable metallic connectors 50 with plastic tube casings 50'. Ceramic or mica washers `53 are mounted to each of the rods Z9 to electrically shield the ends of the heating element casings Z5. The cord also includes a ground wire 51 which is directly connected to the metallic core body 30 of the cap or plug 22. This core body portion 3f) may, if desired, be of nonrnetallic material. In such event, the ground wire 51 would then `be clamped to the heating element instead. A clamp 52 mounted in the handle gripping portion 20 retains the cord in a fixed position in the handle.

in manufacturing branding irons of this character, a pattern is drawn for the particular brand ordered 'by the customer. The branding heating elements are manufactured with the heating coil portion longer in some than in others and the connecting arm portion 28 normally of the same length. The lineal length of the brand letters is measured with an excess added to the measurement to provide for the connecting portions 42 between the letters and the total length then determines a particular heating element which is then selected depending upon the sum of the measurement.

The heating element is then placed upon the brand pattern and bending tools are used to form the letters and bending the connecting arm portions upwardly into spaced parallel relation.

Thereafter the metallic cap or plug Z2 is inserted over the free end 43 of the connecting arms and the ball bearing 3d is inserted into bore 33, a set screw 35 is then screwed into the bore locking the upper portions 48 and 43 of the ar-ms 28 and 2S to the metallic plug. The use of the ball bearing 34 prevents the immediate contact of the set screw with the two connecting arms. if the ball bearing were not used there is a tendency for the set screw in its engagement against the two arms to simultaneously move one arm upwardly and the other arm downwardly as the screw is turned or rotated during the tightening operation. This ball bearing insertion creates a fastening means which obviates this difficulty.

The branding iron is then set upright and electric current is attached to the free ends of the rods 29 and 29 to heat test the brand. This procedure is advisable at this stage as it sets the deformation of the electrode and removes any moisture which may be present as well as tests the heating element for any defects.

Thereafter the handle and stem 2t) and 2l are connected together and the plug 57 is inserted into the stem. The leads from the electric cord 49 are attached to the ends of the current carrying electrodes 29 and 29 and the stem 21 is then inserted over the core portion 3G or' the metallic plug. A second set screw also may be used to retain the plug 3f? to the stem Ztl. The assembly of the electric iron being shown partially complete in FIQS. 9 and 1G or alternatively as assembled in FiGS. l and 2.

The supports 4) may at this time be mounted onto the arm by individually taking one of the supper... f* i ing the claw portion 4i over a portion of t ment as illustrated in FIGS. l and 2. The A is then inserted into slot 3S, welded, and the excess end portion cut off. This operati-on is repeated for the other additional supports considered necessary.

By providing a considerable number of spaced slots 33 spaced about the entire circumference of the annular fiange practically any particular type of brand may be readily supported regardless of its configuration.

The modified form ofthe claws as illustrated in FGS. 5 and 6 employ an insulating material 47 may be used, if desired., in place of claw di.

The modified form of wrap-around support illustrated in FiG. 9 may be used if desired by placing the claws 4i against the rear of the brand and wrapping the free end of the rod 4t)` around the heating element at wrap-around locations 53. The supports for the intermediate portion of the brand may thereafter be wrapped around at their opposing ends and the rods will then be spot Welded at their point of intersection 54.

From the above description it is believed that the construction, method of manufacture and use of the invention should be clearly understood.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An electric branding iron comprising elongated handle means, said handle means having a forward end portion, a tubular electrical heating element having its remote tubular ends mounted to said forward end portion of said handle means, said heating element having its intermediate tubular portion forming the configuration of a brand and having resistor means therein, said brand of said intermediate tubular portion lying in a piane transversely across said forward end portion of the handle means and spaced forwardly therefrom, a plurality of brand configuration supports, said brand configuration supports each comprising attaching means straddling the rearward portion of said intermediate contigurated portion, each of said brand configuration supports further including slender elongated bracing means mounted at their forward ends to said attaching means and projecting rearwardly toward said handle means, mounting means attached to the forward end portion of said handle means, said mounting means being provided with a plurality of apertures disposed at spaced intervals upon said mounting means, said bracing means at their rearward ends being mounted to said mounting means by being selectively received and retained within said spaced apertures of said mounting means.

2. An electric branding iron according to claim 1 wherein said attaching means each comprise fork n f:ans wit said fork means each having legs arranged astri-de opposite sides of said intermediate tubular portion.

3. An electric branding iron according to claim 2 wherein the legs of each of said fork means have surfaces which contact said tubular elements only at locations separately spaced relative to one another along said surfaces for bracing said heating element with a minimum of' conduction from the heating element to the fork means. i

4. An electric branding iron according to claim 1 wherein the said forward end of the handle means of the branding iron comprises a plug having a pair of generally longitudinal bores for receiving the remote tubular ends of the said heating element, said plug also having a lateral bore communicating simultaneously with both longitudinal bores, said plug being internally threaded along said lateral bore, wedge means within the lateral bore wedging against both of the remote ends of said heating element, and a threaded screw threaded into the lateral bore to retain said wedge against the heating element and thereby retain the ends of the heating element in the plug.

5. An electric branding iron according to claim 1, wherein said mounting means and its spaced apertures are disposed transversely about the elongated handle means, at said forward end portion of the handle means.

6. An electric branding iron according to claim l, wherein said mounting means comprises peripheral projecting means disposed transversely around the elongated handle means, at said forward end of said handle means, and said spaced apertures are disposed at intervals along said peripheral projecting means of said mounting means.

7. An electric branding iron according to claim l, wherein said forward end of the handle means comprises a plug for receiving the remote ends of the heating element, and said mounting means comprises an enlarged radial ange fixed to said plug and extending annularly about said plug, with said spaced apartures forming circumferentially spacedopenings in said radial iiange.

8. An electric branding iron comprising handle means, said handle means including a longitudinally extending forward end portion, an electrically heated tubular brand face having remote tubular ends mounted to said forward end portion `of said handle means, said tubular brand face beingdisposed. transversely of the longitudinal axis of saidforward end portion and spaced forwardly thereof and including the combination of brand support structure, said brand support structure comprising radial flange means mounted to said iron adjacent said forward end portion thereof, said radial flange means having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures, a plurality of attaching means mounted to portions of said tubular brand face, slender elongated bracing means connecting each of said attaching means to Said radial flange means with said bracing means having rearward projecting portions received within the apertures of said radial flange means and retained therein in a manner to be xed to said ange means.

9. An electric branding iron comprising an elong"ted handle means, an elongated tubular electric heating element with intermediate portions forming the configuration of a brand and with its remote tubular end portions mounted t-o said handle means, said intermediate portion being spaced forwardly from said handle and being of substantial breadth with the front face of the intermediate portions lying in a plane transversely of the length of the handle, brand configuration supports, said brand configuration supports each comprising fork means, said fork means each comprising a pair of legs, said legs having portions disposed in a plane transversely to the plane of the front face of the intermediate portion of the tubular heating element and astride said intermediate portion, said legs of each of said fork means having inner surfaces arranged in generally minimized contact with the exterior surface of the heating element, said legs having their remote free ends terminating short of the front face of the intermediate coniigurated portion so as to maintain the front face of the intermediate configurated portion free and unobstructed whereby its front face may entirely be able to physically engage the surfaces being branded, said brand configuration supports further comprising Islender elongated bracing means mounted at their one end to each of said fork means and projecting rearwardly from the plane of the front face and toward said elongated handle means, and means to connect the other ends of said bracing means to said branding iron adjacent the forward end of the handle means of the branding iron.

10. An electric branding iron according to claim 9, wherein each pair of legs of said fork means engage said heating element only at `locations spaced relative to one another along their inner surfaces to minimize the conduction of heat from the element to the fork means.

11. An electric branding iron according to claim 9, wherein said fork means including said legs are formed of a generally flat Iplate, with flat spaced forked portions forming said legs and straddlng said heating element edgewise, said spaced forked portions having their inner edge surfaces forming the inner surfaces for contacting the heating element, and wherein said inner edge surfaces are recessed away from said heating element along intermediate portions thereof to minimize the conduction of heat from the heating element to the fork means.

12. An electrical branding iron comprising handle means having forward and rearward portions, said iron further comprising an electrical tubular heating element having an intermediate tubular portion forming a tubular brand face with said brand face being spaced forwardly and disposed transversely across the said forward portion of said handle means yand with the remote tubular ends of the heating element projecting rearwardly into said handle means, and including the cornbination of a plurality of brand supports, each of said brand supports including an elongated rod means, said rod means having straddlng means at the forward ends thereof, said straddlng means being attached to the rearward portion of the tubular brand face, peripheral mounting means attached to said forward portion of said handle means, said rod means having rearwardly extending portions, means fixing said rearward extending portions of said rod means to said mounting means in generally spaced locations along said peripheral mounting means, for bracing the tubular brand face relative to the handle means.

13. An electric branding iron according to claim 12, wherein said straddlng means comprises a fork means, with said fork means comprising legs astride opposite sides of said tubular brand face, and with said legs only contacting said heating element at locations on said legs spaced relative to one another to provide a minimum conduction of heat from the tubular brand face to the fork means.

14. An electric branding iron comprising handle means, .said handle means having forward and rearward portions, a tubular electric heating element having an intermediate tubular portion forming a brand face with said brand face being spaced forwardly and disposed transversely across said forward end portion, said heating element having its remote tubular ends projecting rearwardly into the forward portion of the handle means, brand configuration supports, said brand configuration supports each comprising elongated sleeve means, said sleeve means having a central longitudinal portion cut away therefrom with its opposing longitudinal side portions partially surrounding and straddlng the rearward portion of the brand face, and with the outer edges of the longitudinal side portions of the sleeve means terminating short of the forward portion of the brand face, elongated bracing means having its forward portion fixed to said sleeve and its rearward portion attached to said iron adjacent the forward portion of the handle means, and said sleeve means including spacing means to minimize the conduction of heat from the heating element to the sleeve.

15. An electric branding iron comprising elongated handle means, a tubular heating element having an intermediate portion of the tubular heating element forming a brand conguration, said intermediate portion being disposed transversely and spaced forwardly of the handle means, said heating element having tubular ends forming supporting arms for the intermediate portion and projecting into the forward end of said handle means, the combination of a plurality of brand conguration supports, said supports each comprising slender elongated bracing means, said bracing means each having fork means at their forward ends, said fork means each including a pair of legs bridging generally opposing surfaces of the intermediate tubular portion of the heating element, said legs of each fork means having surface portions for engaging the surfaces of the heating element only at locations spaced relative to one another along said surface portions and so that only limited portions of the said surface portions contact the surface of the heating element to thereby minimize the conduction of heat from the heating element to the fork means, said bracing means further including end portions connected thereto and projecting rearwardly, said end portions being wrapped around said supporting arms of the heating element.

16. An electric branding iron according to claim 15, wherein said electric branding iron is provided with ground contact means adjacent the forward end portion of said handle means, ground wire connection means eX- tending from said ground contact means to be detachably connected to ground, -and wherein said forward end of said handle means comprises plug means, said plug means including a pair of longitudinal bores receiving the tubular ends of said heating element, said plug means also including a lateral bore communicating with both of said longitudinal bores, wedge means within said lateral bore engaging said tubular ends of said heating element, screw means to retain said wedge means against said tubular ends and thereby retain and lock said tubular ends of said heating element to said plug means.

17. An electric branding iron according to claim 16, wherein said plug means is formed of metal and said ground contact means is electrically attached directly to said plug means for providing a ground for the electric branding iron.

18. An electric branding iron comprising elongated handle means, a tubular electric heating element having intermedi-ate tubular portions forming a brand configuration with its remote tubular end portions mounted to said handle means, said intermediate portions being spaced forwardly from said handle means with the front face of the intermediate portions lying in a plane transversely of the length of the handle means, a plurality of brand configuration supports, said brand conguration Supports each comprising slender elongated bracing means, said bracing means each having attaching means at their forward ends, said attaching means each comprising furcated portions diverging outward from one another into spread spaced relation, said spread spaced furcated portions of each of said attaching means only partially surrounding said intermediate tubular portions with at least one of said furcated portions on each side of said intermediate tubular portions, said furcated portions of each of said attaching means having its partial surrounding surfaces engaging said intermediate tubular portions only at locations spaced relative to one another on said partial surrounding surfaces to minimize the conduction of heat from the intermediate tubular portions to the attaching means, said bracing means having rearward ends, and means to connect said rearward ends of said bracing means to said iron.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 531,784 Crosby Ian. 1, 1895 1,065,866 Fraley June 24, 1913 1,262,482 Hales Apr. 9, 1918 1,998,330 Nicholson Apr. 16, 1935 2,514,618 Ancell July 11, 1950 2,707,224 Hall Apr. 26, 1955 2,777,933 Weaver Jan. 15, 1957 2,779,854 Helbling Jan. 29, 1957 2,814,710 Schuetze Nov. 26, 1957 2,877,332 Senior Mar. 10, 1959

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