An Improved Spring Clip or Hook for Training Hops.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Spring Clip or Hook for Training Hops.
I ROBERT YOUNG ARDAGH of Oakland Villa Bransford Road Worcester
Timber Agent and Factor do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of an improved form and design of hook for attaching to
the wires that run from end to end of the hop yards, where the plant is grown
upon what is known and styled the "Hop wire work and string system," and from
which string, cord, or other similar material, is stretched and suspended, upon
which the hop plants are trained to grow hops, the main feature of my invention
consisting of the hook being made out of steel or iron in such a form that it has a
spring clip and can be most readily adjusted to the wires, thereby saving a great
deal of labour and time in pinching and fastening the hooks as used at present;
and its form being of special design, after the shape of an anchor, it gives a better
means of making a secure hitch or fastening with the training string than single
hooks now used for this purpose.
Dated this Eleventh day of December 1892.
ROBERT YOUNG ARDAGH.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Spring Clip or Hook for Training Hops.
I, ROBERT YOUNG ARDACH, of Oakland Villa, Bransford Road, Worcester,
Timber Agent and Factor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists of an improved form and design of hook for attaching to
the wires that run from end to end of the hop yard where the plant is grown upon
what is known as and styled the "Hop wire work and string system and from
which string, cord or other similar material is stretched and suspended, upon which
the hop plants are trained to grow hops, the main feature of my invention con-
sisting of the hook being made out of stee! or iron in such a form that it has a
spring clip and can be most readily adjusted to the wires thereby saving a great
deal of labour and time in pinching and fastening the hooks as used at present
and its form being of special design after the shape of an anchor it gives a better
means of making a secure hitch or fastening with the training string than the
single hooks now used for this purpose.
I will now proceed to further describe my invention in reference to the accom-
panying drawing. I prefer to make the hook out of tempered steel wire and to
preserve it from rust I prefer to submit it to a process of zinc coating, that is to
say to take a coil of the steel wire of which the hooks are to be made and pass
one end of the said wire through a bath containing molten zinc and wind such
wire upon a revolving block which receives it until the whole of the coil has been
passed through the bath and become coated with zinc. I prefer this process
because the ordinary process of dipping the hooks when made destroys to a certain
extent the elasticity of the hooks and makes them brittle. The wire being cut
into suitable lengths each of such lengths is made, preferably by means of
machinery, into a double hook somewhat in the form of an anchor, Fig. 1 of the
accompanying drawing which shows a front view of a double hook made according
to my invention indicating the form which I prefer to give to the hook. Although

page_text: I prefer that hooks made according to my invention should be of the form shown
in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing I do not confine myself to this one shape
as double hooks made according to my invention may be of different forms such
for instance as are illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawing,
Figs. 2, 3 and 4 being front views of double hooks made according to my invention
and Fig. 5 a side view of the double hook illustrated in Fig. 4. A double hook
made according to my invention is formed in the central part with a part or eye or
clip (a) to be clipped upon the wire to which it is to be applied and at each end with
a hook (b).
I would here point out as an important feature of my invention that in the
manufacture of the hooks in which my invention consists I make the eye (a) of
each hook specially to fit the size or gauge of the wire to which it is to be
fastened or attached as different sizes of wire are used, and consequently by reason
of the shape of the eye (a) and the nature of the material of which the hook is
formed, the hook becomes a spring clip hook and when put on the wire to which
is to be applied clips it and when clipped thereon by a tool known as a
"hook
clipper" by which it is closed or clipped up on the said wire by pressure being
applied to it at the parts (c) (c) becomes quite firm on such wire and tenaciously
clips such wire with an elastic grip.
Fig. 6 is a front. view and Fig. 7 a side view illustrating a double-hook made
according to my invention, when such hook has been clipped or secured upon the
wire (d) by which it is to be supported, the wire (d) which in this case is a twisted
wire cord, being indicated in cross section in Fig. 6.
כ,
I would point out as another important feature of my invention that the
application of the double or anchor shape of hook to "hop wire work
enables as
will be readily seen by reference to Fig. 6 in which one mode of. passing the
training string around a hook made according to my invention is indicated, a secure
hitch to be made with the training string and so enables the said string to be
prevented from "see-sawing" in the wind so as to cut itself through and from
being blown off the hook as frequently occurs with the ordinary hooks hitherto
employed. I would also point out as important features of my invention that the
shank (e) of the hook being double presents a wider bearing for the training string
than single wire hooks so that the danger of the said string being cut by the
hook is reduced and that the bearing of the hook being central, the hop bine on
reaching and growing beyond the upper end of the portion of string on which it is
trained is more certain to find and climb upon the wire by which such string is
supported than is the case when the ordinary hooks such as have hitherto been
employed are used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
- invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An improved spring clip or hook for training hops, consisting in a double
hook having a hook at each side and a central bearing and an eye or clip in its
central portion and made and employed substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein before described in reference to and. illustrated in and by the
accompanying drawing.
2. An improved spring clip or hook for training hops consisting in a double
hook formed out of steel wire and having a central bearing and an eye
or clip formed in its central part to fit the gauge of the wire to which it is
to be applied and made and employed for the purposes and substantially in
the manner herein before described and illustrated in and by the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this Thirteenth day of September 1893.
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.