Improvements in and in connection with Certain Descriptions of Wire Strainers.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Certain Descriptions of
Wire Strainers.
We, WILLIAM MERTON, of Redfern, near Sydney, in the Colony of New
South Wales, Watchmaker, and BENJAMIN CULLEY, of Urana, in the said
Colony, Storekeeper, 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 :-
This invention relates to those descriptions of wire strainers which have a crank
spindle for operating a male screw on which is a travelling gripper and which are
convertible for other uses. This invention has been specially devised so that such
descriptions of wire strainers may be used at a straining post and between posts as
may be desired and that they may be more effective as portable fence erecting and
repairing tools than those heretofore constructed.
An instrument or tool constructed according to this invention consists of a crank
handle having bosses with square or angular apertures orifices or sockets therein.
In one use of this instrument (as a wire strainer at a straining post) one of the
square or angular sockets of the bosses takes a corresponding end of a male screw
while the other socket takes a corresponding stud of a breast plate or knob. The
male screw is affixed to or in a peculiar breast or arch for taking against the
straining post and has upon it a peculiarly constructed travelling nut carrying a
gripper. In this use of the instrument there is combined with it a block or holder
having a gripper for the fence wire being strained and a lug from which passes a
wire to the gripper upon the travelling nut. In a further use of the instrument
there might be inserted in one socket of the bosses of the crank the male screw as
before mentioned and in the other or "second" socket a corresponding stud of a
gripper so that between posts one end of a wire to be joined would be gripped by
the latter and the other end of the wire taken by the travelling nut gripper upon
said male screw. Instead of a fixed gripper a second male screw of opposite
angular set or pitch to the first one but with a similar travelling nut gripper might
be inserted in the other or second socket. In a further use of the instrument it
may be converted into an auger by replacing the male screw by a boring bit or
auger and having a breast plate or knob at the other end of the crank. The
grippers are serrated faced eccentrics set opposite a fixed plain or serrated faced
straight or concavity and having a handle or handles for fastening the wire between
said eccentric and said straight or concavity said handle also forming if desired a
preventive to the rotation of the whole instrument in certain cases. The travelling
nut on the male screw has two guide rods between the head of said screw and the
tail of same and is formed in two pieces hinged to one of said guide rods and
closing over the other and by this means allowing the travelling nut to be moved
from end to end of the screw without being geared thereto. The guide rods are
bolted to the breast or arch and to a yoke at the brace end. The screw is held to
said yoke and revolves in it and has a taper centre resting in a taper hole or recess
in the back of the breast or arch. This breast or arch has within its jaw a gripper
or holder with eccentric cam and handle.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now be
made to the drawings in which
Figures 1 and 2 are plan and elevation respectively of a wire strainer constructed
according to our improvements.
Figures 3 and 4 are details of gripper and screw end respectively.
Figure 5 is an enlarged end view of travelling nut.

page_text: Figure 7 is a view of the strainer when in use at a straining post and
Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the straining block.
To the boss A' of brace or crank handle A a male screw B is secured by nut B¹
on the square end B2 thereof after it passes through bearing in the yoke C while
the other and diminished end of said male screw centres in a socket or recess in the
breast or arch D and is held therein by pin C passing through yoke C and taking
in groove B cut around the screw B. The guide or yoke rods C¹ connect said
breast or arch D to the yoke C. Upon the male screw B is a female screw or
nut E made in two halves and hinged at E' upon one of the two guide or yoke
rods (the halves being held together by a thumb screw E2 upon a swivel bolt E³
pivotted in one half of the female screw E and taking in a slot E in the other
half against the sides of which the thumb screw E² abuts and holds the halves
tightly together over and around the screw B and guide rods C'. Upon the upper
side of nut E is pivotted at E' a key or gripper E' having handle E' with an
extension E hinged thereto and having a serrated head adapted to grip the wire
which is being strained or causing the strain against a shoulder E' on the nut E.
To the other boss A2 of the brace A is secured by nut F¹ the breast plate or knob F
which is constructed so as to turn on its stud F2 being attached thereto by set
screw F. Between the forks of the breast or arch D and extending from said
arch is a plate D provided with a gripper D³ for gripping the wire against
flange D. The block H has gripper H₁ flange H2 and lug H³ from which latter
passes a wire K.
In operation the forked ends D' of the breast or arch D are placed against the
post G (see Figure 7) the wire G₁ being drawn through the hole in the post is
passed through a slot D2 (which is sufficiently wide to admit of the passage of
barbs on the wire) in the breast or arch is gripped by the gripper E' against the
shoulder E on the nut E said nut being then situated at the end of the screw B
nearest the post G. Then by revolving the crank handle or brace A the screw B
turns within nut E causing said nut to travel along the screw B away from post G
and so strain the wire in gripper EE. When wire G' has been drawn as taut as the
travel of the nut E on the screw B will allow said wire is gripped in gripper D' D'
on the breast D and may then be released from gripper E E. If necessary nut E
may then be parted in halves as hereinafter described and slid down to breast D
whence gripper E' E' being closed upon wire G¹ it may be again travelled by
revolution of the crank for further straining of the wire. But if the wire be
sufficiently taut it is held by gripper D D³ until its loose end released from
gripper E E is wound or coiled upon the post and tied or otherwise fastened
when the grippers D D may be released and the strainer removed. Another
method of straining at a post is by utilising block H upon the other side of the post G
the wire G being gripped between gripper H¹ and flange H³ while the wire K
attached to lug H³ of the block H after being passed through hole G2 in post G is
secured in gripper E' E' the gripper D* De which holds wire G' releasing itself as
wire K is drawn tight. In this case the slack of wire G³ is used (either passing
through the post hole or not) to fasten to the post before the auxiliary wire K
which does the straining is released. The tool may be used for drawing the ends
of a parted wire together for joining up by removing the breast plate or knob F
from stud F2 and substituting the grip block I and the screw B also if preferred
be removed from the breast or arch D by withdrawing pin C3 and a gripper nut or
a hinged divided nut having a gripper similar to that on nut E and having similar
means for fastening the halves of said nut together may be then placed on screw B
with one end of the wire fast in the gripper the other end being held between
gripper 1' and shoulder 12 on block I so that as the screw B is revolved by crank A
the ends are drawn together and spliced the tool being kept from turning by the
extension E of the gripper handle when extended taking against the next strand of
wire or against the ground.
may
Instead of the block I a male screw J of opposite pitch (Figure 4) may be used
and this should have a gripper nut or a halved or split gripper nut similar to that

page_text: on screw B. The square end J' of this screw is secured to the boss A' of the
crank handle A the turning of which draws the nuts of both screws towards one
another and the ends of the wire together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In a wire strainer of the class set forth the combination and arrangement
with a crank handle or brace to which is attached a male screw having a travelling
gripper of a breast or arch or bifurcated or pronged end on such screw substan-
tially as herein described and explained.
Second. In a wire strainer of the class set forth the combination and arrangement
with a male screw having an actuating crank handle or brace and with or without
a breast or pronged end of a gripper nut split or divided into parts so that it may
be travelled upon said screw without gearing therewith substantially as herein
described and explained.
Third. In a wire strainer of the class set forth the combination and arrangement
with a crank handle such as A having bosses such as A' and A' of a male screw
such as B having a yoke such as C and yoke rods such as C³ a breast or arch such
as D with slot such as D2 and with or without gripper such as D' D' and a gripper
nut such as E substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in
the drawings.
Fourth. In a wire strainer of the class set forth the combination and arrangement
with a crank handle such as A and a male screw such as B of a divided or split nut
such as E having hinge such as E¹ turned bolt such as E³ slot such as E' and
winged nut such as E substantially as herein described and explained and as
illustrated in the drawings.
Fifth. The particular combinations and arrangements of mechanical parts
together forming (1) a wire strainer for use at straining posts (2) a wire strainer
for joining parted wires or (3) a brace or auger substantially as herein described
and explained and as illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this Fifth day of August One thousand eight hundred and ninety-two.
WM. MERTON.
BENJN. CULLEY.