Improvements relating to Line Reels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1896-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Line Reels.
I, GEORG KARL SPITZENBERG of Eisenach, in the Empire of Germany,
Forestry Expert, 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:-
In using the usual marking cords, in forestry, agricultural and horticultural, the
cord easily loses its tension in consequence of the influence of the weather or other
cause and requires to be again stretched and when it is required to be used at
different heights it must be loosened and again fastened. If the cord as hitherto
used is wound on the sticks, the latter of course can only be put into the ground so
far as the cord allows. But as the ground is never equally hard and not always
even, it happens for instance that the sticks at one place cannot be put so deep into
the ground, as it was supposed when the cord was wound round the sticks. The
cord is then either too high, or the sticks must be pushed with force and by loss
of time so far into the ground until the cord is at the desired height. As in this
manipulation the cord easily loses its tension, it must generally be stretched again,
whereby a further loss of time is occasioned. If the ground however is loosened
to a greater depth than the length of the point of the stick left free to be put
into the ground, the sticks are not sufficiently fastened, as they cannot penetrate
sufficiently deep into the ground on account of the too low fastening of the cord.
In order to avoid this inconvenience, the cord must then be taken off and again
be fixed at the desired height upon the sticks. This time wasting manipulation
is also necessary when the level of the ground is uneven, and in cases where the
cord is to be used either close upon the ground for instance when making a groove
or trench or at a certain height above the ground, for instance in order to arrange
higher plants.
These inconveniences are avoided by this invention, according to which the cord
provided with a stretching device can be displaced easily and quickly to any height
on the sticks.
As the annexed drawing shows, the sticks are driven in the usual way into the
ground to the depth desired, the one stick a being provided with a movable
socket c, which may be fixed at any height by means of a screw b and on which is
fixed the stretching device. The latter consists of a rod d which under the effect
of a spiral spring is encased in the socket e and receives the one end of the cord g.
The cord is fixed with its other end to the second stick h in such a manner that it is
not wound directly round the stick, but upon a reel i which may be moved up and
down on the stick h and fixed automatically by two springs 1 engaging in a groove k
of the stick h.
If the cord g is moved by any cause from its straight position it always returns
to it under the effect of the spring of whilst it may be displaced to any height
both on the stick a and on the stick h without being loosened and again fixed as
may be seen from the two positions of the cord shown in full and dotted lines
respectively in the drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a marking cord with sticks a h and reels ci which can
be displaced and fixed at any height upon the sticks a h

page_text: 2. The combination of a marking cord g with sticks a h, reels ci which can be
displaced and fixed at any height upon the sticks, and the stretching device
comprising a spring operated hook d for attachment of the cord g.
3. The construction of the marking device consisting of cord, sticks, reels, and
stretcher substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 1st day of June 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agents for Applicant.