US1174280A - Wire-stretcher. - Google Patents

Description

H. HAQSDALE. WIRE STRETCHER. v APPLICATION Fl-LED JUNE?. |915@ Patented Mal; 7, 1916.

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"*UiviTnn STATES PATENT onirica.

HERSCHEL RAGSDALE, OF CEDAR VALE, KANSAS, ASSIGNR OF ONE-HALF T CHARLEY HINES, 0F CEDAR VALE, KANSAS. a

Y WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, raie.y

Application filed .Tune 7. 1915. Serial No. 32,787.

of this character whereby fence wires can be stretched or wire strands can be drawn and held together for splicing easily and quickly.

A further object is to produce a device of Y this character which can be manipulated easilf.T by a single operator and which is of simple, strong, durable and inexpensive con-r struction.

Vith these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel land peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in whichl Figure 1, is a perspective view showing the application of the wire stretcher in operative position. Fig. 2, is a section on the line II-I of Fig. 3. Fig. 3, is a section on the line HI-III ofFig. 2. Fig. 4, isA

a rear view of the casing element of the stretcher. Fig. 5, is a vertical section on the line V-V of Fig. 2.

In the said drawing a rectangular casing is constructed as follows: 1 is the front member provided at its upper and lower margins with rearwardly projecting flanges 2 which flanges are bowed outwardly at 3 to provide passages for bolts hereinafter mentioned. At its ends the member 1 is provided with inwardly projecting flanges 4; which terminate short of the rear ends of flanges 2. 5 is the companion or back member of the casingfthe same fitting. a'gainstthe rear edges of the flanges 2 and provided with holes 6 in line with the passages formed by the outwardly bowed portions 3, and at its ends said member 5 is provided with forwardly projecting flanges 7 which fit between the rear portions of flanges 2 at the ends thereof and are so proportioned as to form in conjunction with the flanges 4 of member 1, longitudinally alined slots or passages 8. Bolts 9 extend through the passages formed by the bowed portions 3 and through holesl 6 and are engaged at their threaded ends by nuts 10 whereby the two members are clamped rmly together to constitute the casing.Y Y

11 indicates a pair of rack bars which .eX- tend slidingly through slots 8, with' their toothed edges adjacent andy their outer or smooth edges fitting against flanges 2 of the casing.

12 is a doubleidisk within the casing fitting against the outer sides of both rack bars, and connecting said rack bars at equal distances apart are cross pins 13 intergeared with the two rack bars, and said double disk is provided with a rounded shank 14 extendingl through a journal opening 15 in the front member 1. The vsaid shank is preferably provided with 1an angular outer portion 16 for detachable engagement by a crank `handle 17 employed to impart rotation to the disk and opposite sliding movement to the' rack bars, when both of said bars are freer to travel. When one of said barsl is anchored against movement, the rotation of the disk will impart double movement to the other rack bar owing to the fact that the pins in engagement with the stationary rack bar will constitute fulcrums whereby the moving rack bar shall travel a distance equal to the joint `travel of thel rack bars when both are free to move. Y

18 is a spring plate secured to the-back member of the casing, and pivotedto ,thefree end of said plate is a beveled latchpin 19 fitting slidingly in an opening 2O in the back member and held normally pressed by the spring against the lower rackbar in the horizontal plane of the teeth thereof, so that as the rack bar' is adjusted each-tooth shall successively engage and repress the latch pin, the said pin being pressed forward again by this .spring so as to occupy the space behind, the tooth which repressed it thereby locking the rack bar against reverse travel or movement, the intergeared relation between the rack bars of course likewise holding the companion rack bar against reverse movement.

For convenience in manually withdrawing the latch pin, an angle plate 21 is rigidly secured to it at the outer side of the spring plate, and a -cam 22 is rigidly secured tothe pin at the inner side of the spring plate.

the same, the cam 22 is caused to engage the adjacent end of the back member and force its way between the same and the spring 18.'

In such action the spring of course yields and the pin is withdrawn to inoperative position. rThis means for holding the pin inoperative is for convenience in slackening the wire or in releasing the wire preliminary to resetting the stretcher quickly and easily for further action on the wire being stretched.

For convenience in attaching the device to the end or ends of the wire to be stretched, I provide grippers located at opposite ends of the casing, one being pivotally attached to each bar. Each gripper comprises a member 23 having a jaw 24, and a member 25 pivoted to member 23 and adapted to clamp a wire against jaw 24. One of the bars is also provided with a chain or its equivalent 26.

Assuming that fence wire is being stretched, the chain 2G will be looped over an anchor post 27 of the fence and the gripper of the other bar will be engaged with the wire to be stretched. rlhe crank handle 17 will then be turned and thereby impart movement to the bar connected with the wire to be stretched, in the direction indicated by the arrow Fig. 1, the take-up in the wire being maintained through the engagement of the latch pin with the successively presented notches of said bar. If one operation of the device is insuiiicient to take up all of the slack, the free end of the wire can be temporarily secured to the anchor post. The operator can then turn handle 21 to effect the withdrawal of the latch pin and then reverse the rotation of the handle 1T to reverse the movement of the bar provided with the operative gripper so that said gripper can be engaged with the wire at a point beyond the point where it first gripped the wire. T he cam or wedge 22 is then restored to inoperative position to permit the latch pin to be readvanced and then the handle 17 Awill be operated as before, as will be readily understood.

lf it is desired to splice a broken wire, the gripper-s are engaged with the. broken ends of the wire. The handle is then operated to effect approaching movement of the grippers until the wire ends are overlapped.

rPhe latch pin will then hold the wire stretched to enable the operator to splice the said ends of the wire.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a wire stretcher embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable, and 1 wish it to be understood that while l have illustrated and described what now appears to me to be the preferred form of the same, I reserve the right to make all changes falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A wire stretcher, comprising a casing,

a pair of rack bars extending slidingly through the casing with their teeth adjacent, a rotatable element within the casing, pins intergeared with the rack bars7 means for turning said element to effect opposite lengthwise movement of said rack bar, and a spring-actuated beveled latch pin to snap behind successive teeth of one of the rack bars to prevent reverse movement of said rack ba rs.

2. A wire stretcher, comprising a casing. a pair of rack bars extending slidingly through the casing with their teeth adjacent. a rotatable element within the casing, pins intergeared with tne rack bars, means for turning said element to effect opposite lengthwise movement of said rack bar, means to lock the rack bars against reverse movement, and a movable cam or wedge to effect retraction of the locking means to inoperative position.

3. A wire stretcher, comprising a casing, a pair of rack bars extending slidingly through the casing with their teeth adjacent. a rotatable element within the casing, pins intergeared with the rack bars, means for turning said element to effect opposite lengthwise movement of said rack bar, means to lock the rack bars against reverse movement, and a rotatable cam or wedge to engage with the casing to force retraction of the locking means to inoperative position.

in testimony whereof, l affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

HERSCHEL RAGSDALE.

Witnesses J. J. VILLSON, ALICE TNEBIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C.

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