US3620503A - Fence stretcher - Google Patents

Abstract

A fence stretcher comprising an elongated tube, abutment means slidable on said tube, clamping means pivotally attached to the abutment means, a hook also slidable on the tube, and means employing a mechanical advantage for moving said hook or said abutment along the tube.

Description

United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,273,889 7/1918 Logan 254/83 X 1,999,174 4/1935 Jackson.. 254/30 X 2,646,963 7/1953 Usher 254/83 2,997,292 8/1961 Lucker 254/134 X 3,036,817 5/1962 Morici.... 254/134 Primary Examiner-Robert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-David R. Melton Attorney-Holcombe, Wetherill & Brisebois ABSTRACT: A fence stretcher comprising an elongated tube, abutment means slidable on said tube, clamping means pivotally attached to the abutment means, a hook also slidable on the tube, and means employing a mechanical advantage for moving said hook or said abutment along the tube.

PATENTEDuuv 16 ml SHEET 1 OF 3 FIG,1

FENCE STRETCHER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention place to a new fence stretcher, which may be used for two purposes. In the first place, it may be used to stretch the smooth wire, barbed wire, or wire mesh of the fence. In the second place it may be used to pullout the fence posts to which the wire is attached. This feature is especially valuable in case the fence is intended for seasonal use.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a new article of manufacture which consists of a device for stretching fences and is characterized by the fact that it comprises in combination an elongated member on which a movable abutment is slidably mounted, said abutment comprising a device which is mounted to swing about a pivot perpendicular to the axis of the elongated member and by means of which said abutment may be fastened to a post. One end of the elongated member carries a hook which is preferably capable of swinging through an arc of at least 180 about the longitudinal axis of the elongated member. The elongated member also has a base at one end.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the elongated member comprises a threaded screw which is adapted to be rotated therein and on which a nut fixed to the hook member is mounted. The abutment is slidable along the elongated member between a fixed abutment and the hook member.

In a second embodiment of the invention the slidable abutment is slidable along a bar like a jack handle. The hook member is fixed to one end ofthis bar.

In order that the invention may be better understood two embodiments thereof will now be described, purely by way of illustration, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially in section, showing a first embodiment of the invention in use to pull out a post.

FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1, partially in section, in use to stretch a fence wire.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the invention, used as the first embodiment is used in FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the elongated member 1 consists of a steel tube provided with a longitudinal slot 2. This steel tube carries at its lower end a base 3. A threaded rod 4 extends axially therethrough and is rotated by a crank 5 which turns a shaft 6 which drives the threaded rod 4 through two bevel gears 7.

A nut 8 mounted on the threaded rod 4 comprises a portion which projects out through the slot 2 of the tube and is slidable along the tube when the threaded rod 4 is rotated by the crank 5.

A hook 9 provided with a tip 10 encircles the tube 1 and bears on the projecting part of the nut 8. A block 11 which is slidable within the tube 1 and encircles the threaded rod 4 has a part which projects out of the slot 2 and supports a device which is pivoted about a pin 12 and adapted to be fastened to the post 13. This device consists of a V-shaped cradle 14 to which the end of a clamp 16 is pivotally attached at 15. The other end of the clamp may be fastened to the other side of the cradle by means of a pin 17. An abutment 18 is mounted on a threaded rod 19 screwed into a nut 20 in the clamp 16 and equipped with a transverse handle 21 by which it may be turned to clamp the tubular post 13, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 shows the tubular post 13 being pulled out. The hook member 9 is brought near the-base 3 by moving the nut 8 downward by means of the crank 5. The block 11 is permitted to slide until it rests on the member 9, after which the clamp 16 is positioned around the post and clamped thereto by turning the handle 21. It will be noted that in this position the tip 10 of the member 9 is swung in a direction away from the clamp.

It then suffices to turn the handle 5 in the direction which raises the nut 8 (as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1) in order to pull out the post, which is thus removed in a simple and rapid manner.

In FIG. 2 the hook member 9 is left near the base 3 and rotated 180 about the axis of the tube 1 so as to bring the tip 10 to the same side as the clamp.

The block 11 is then slid to the other end of the tube 1 and the clamp 16 is fastened to the post 13 as previously described. It will be noted that, in the position of FIG. 2, the tube 1 has turned 90 with respect to the clamp 16.

It then suffices to attach the wire to be stretched in any convenient manner to the hook l0 and turn the crank 5 so as to raise the nut 8 (FIG. 2) in order to tension the wire 22.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the base 3, the hook member 9 and the nut 10 as well as the different members 14-21 of the device for attachment to the post 13. The cradle 14 is connected by a shaft 12 to a block 23 which is slidable along a bar 24 and comprises conventional device for moving the block 23 to the right (FIG. 4) by oscillating the lever 24. This device which is commonly used in automobile jacks, for example, is based on the gripping phenomena which prevent the block 23 from returning to the left. These gripping phenomena may be neutralized by the lever 25.

The hook member 9 is so mounted as to be pivotable about the right end of the bar 24 (FIG. 4).

This device operates in the same way as the one described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2. The oscillations of the lever 24 raise the block 23 and remove the post 13 as in the case of FIG. 3. In the case of FIG. 4, the oscillations of the lever move the bar 24 to the left and exert traction in this direction on the wire 22.

It will be seen that the invention permits the solution of the problem posed by the tensioning of fence wires and the removal of fence posts in a particularly simple manner.

It will be appreciated that the embodiments which have just been described have been given purely by way of illustration and example and may be modified in detail without thereby departing from the basic principles of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Thus the clamping means may be connected to the post in a different manner, and the mechanism for sliding the device along the elongated member may be of a different type.

What is claimed is:

l. A combination post jack and fence stretcher which comprises in combination an elongated member having at one end a base perpendicular to said elongated member,

abutment means slidably mounted on said elongated member for longitudinal movement between two extreme positions along said elongated member,

a cradle mounted on said abutment means to rotate about an axis perpendicular to said elongated member and lying in a common plane,

clamping means mounted on said cradle to clamp a post between said cradle and clamping means,

hook means mounted on said elongated member, and

means for advancing one of the means mounted on said elongated member along that member.

2. A device as claimed in claim I in which said elongated member isa tube having astraight longitudinal slot therein and said advancing means comprises a threaded member mounted to rotate within said tubefand'anu't encircling and mating with said threaded member-and connected to "said abutment means so that said hook means may be advanced by rotating said threaded means.

3. A deviceas claimed in claim 1 in which said hook means are attached to one end of said elongated member and said advancing means act on said abutment means.

4. Device as claimed in claim 3 in which said hook means is mounted to pivot about said elongated member.

5. Device as claimed in claim 1 in which said hook means is mounted between said abutment means and said base.

6. Device as claimed in claim 1 in which said cradle defines a V-shaped notch for receiving a post.

Claims (6)

1. A combination post jack and fence stretcher which comprises in combination an elongated member having at one end a base perpendicular to said elongated member, abutment means slidably mounted on said elongated member for longitudinal movement between two extreme positions along said elongated member, a cradle mounted on said abutment means to rotate about an axis perpendicular to said elongated member and lying in a common plane, clamping means mounted on said cradle to clamp a post between said cradle and clamping means, hook means mounted on said elongated member, and means for advancing one of the means mounted on said elongated member along that member.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said elongated member is a tube having a straight longitudinAl slot therein and said advancing means comprises a threaded member mounted to rotate within said tube, and a nut encircling and mating with said threaded member and connected to said abutment means so that said hook means may be advanced by rotating said threaded means.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said hook means are attached to one end of said elongated member and said advancing means act on said abutment means.

4. Device as claimed in claim 3 in which said hook means is mounted to pivot about said elongated member.

5. Device as claimed in claim 1 in which said hook means is mounted between said abutment means and said base.

6. Device as claimed in claim 1 in which said cradle defines a V-shaped notch for receiving a post.

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