Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1887:
Specification Accepted, 14th Oct., 1887.
We JOHN FLYNN of Macedon in the Colony of Victoria State School Teacher and
JAMES FREDERICK KILBURN of No. 15 Howitt Street South Yarra near Melbourne
in the said Colony Engineer 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 strain the wire
at any point between the posts and are then left permanently on the wire so that they
may again be used for straining the wire when it sags or becomes slack.
The body of this wire-strainer consists of a barrel which may be cylindrical as
ordinarily or polygonal at one end of which a strain-retaining finger is formed standing
out at right angles to the barrel. The extremity of the said finger is provided with a
hook or bent point to retain and prevent the wire slipping off.
The strain-retaining finger is the principal feature of this invention as by its use all
descriptions of loose strain-retaining pins or pawls are dispensed with.
of
At the other end of the barrel, two projecting claws or hooks are formed for the
purpose gripping the wire to enable it to be wound upon the barrel as the strainer
is rotated. The relative position and form of the said claws or hooks may be varied.
In the first and most preferable arrangement the claws or hooks project outwardly
from the end of the barrel and are formed parallel to each other having their
extremities pointing in opposite directions. A second and alternative arrangement
of the claws consists in placing them at one end of the barrel but at about right angles
to each other. A third and other alternative arrangement consists in making the
claws project from the periphery of the barrel near one end-one of such claws being
in the form of a tapered stud perpendicular to the barrel, the other being curved in
the form of a helix so as to lead the wire on to the barrel when the strainer is rotated.
To rotate the wire strainer a key is provided having a slot formed at one end to fit
the flattened part of the retaining finger where it joins the barrel. A thumb-screw is
fitted to the key for the purpose of securing to the strainer whilst the operation of
straining is being performed. An eye is formed at the other extremity of the key to
receive a handle.

page_text: If preferred two or more retaining fingers may be formed at the end of the barrel
instead of one only and when two or more fingers are used a suitable projection is
made beyond them to ongage with the key.
The drawings hereto attached illustrate the varied forms of this improved wire-
strainer.
Figure 1 is a front view of the best form of this strainer showing it with a single
retaining finger and with the wire coiled upon the barrel.
Figure 2 is a view thereof at right angles to Figure 1 but without the wire.
Figure 3 is an end view showing the arrangement of the gripping claws or hooks
and the manner in which they engage with or grip the wires at the commencement of
the operation of straining one of the hooks, passing over and the other under the
wire.
Figure 4 is a front view of this strainer illustrating the second and alternative
arrangement of gripping hooks or claws.
Figure 5 is an end view of its claw end..
Figure 6 is an opposite end view shewing its retaining finger while
Figure 7 is a view at right angles to Figure 4 shewing also the key attached to the
strainer.
Figure 8 is a view of the key at right angles to Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a front view of the strainer illustrating the third and other alternative
arrangement of claws and also shewing the strainer provided with two retaining
fingers instead of one only. The multiple retaining-finger arrangement may be
applied to and used in combination with the strainer when either the first, second, or
third arrangements of gripping claws are employed.
Figure 10 is a view of the claw end of Figure 9 and
Figure 11 is an end view shewing the retaining fingers.
A is the barrel of the wire-strainer having at one end the retaining finger or
fingers B which are constructed with a bent or hooked point B¹. The sides of the
retaining finger are flattened at its junction with the barrel and in one of the flat
sides a groove B³ is formed to fit a corresponding projection in the jaws or slot C¹ of
the key C which key has an eye at the outer end of its stem to receive a wooden or
iron handle C. C³ is a thumb-screw attached to the key for securing it to the strainer
during the operation of straining.
In the first form of claw arrangement, D, D, Figure 1 are the claws or hooks which
spring outwards from the end of the barrel and have their points turned in opposite
directions.
In the second form of claw arrangement (shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7) E is the
long claw or hook turned across the end of the barrel at right angles thereto and E¹
is the other and shorter claw springing from the end of the barrel like the first-named
claw but having its point turned perpendicularly to the latter E³ is an opening
between the two claws to receive the wire.
In the third form of claw arrangement shewn in Figures 9 and 10 the tapered
stud or claw F and the curved wing or claw F¹ spring from the periphery or side of
the barrel near one end. F is an opening between the claws to receive the wire the
claw F curving therefrom in the form of a helix and having its point turned
outwardly from and at any convenient angle to the stud F.
In Figure 3 the wire G is shewn gripped by the hooks as at the commencement of
the straining operation.
In Figure 1 the wire G is shewn as being strained and wound upon the barrel and
caught or engaged by the retaining finger H. Figure 9 is a flattened projection
upon which the key may be fastened.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The wire strainer is first secured to the key
in the manner described, then it is placed upon the wire to be strained in such a
position that the wire lies across and within the reversed points of the claws or
hooks D, D, Figure 3. One of the said claws passes over and the other under the
wire. The strainer is then rotated and by reason of the curved form of the claws the
wire is led on to the barrel. By continuing such rotation the wire is wound upon

page_text: the barrel until it is sufficiently strained, when, by slightly canting the strainer, the
hooked extremity of the retaining finger is made to catch or engage the strained wire.
The strainer is thus prevented from revolving in the reverse direction and therefore it
is impossible for the wire to unwind itself. Should the wire afterwards become slack,
all that is necessary is to unhook the retaining finger and rotate the barrel as before
until the wire is again sufficiently strained, when the retaining finger is again
made to catch or engage with the wire so as to again retain the fresh strain
put upon it.
The mode of operation for the alternative forms of wire strainer is similar to that
just described, as in each case the strainer is placed against the wire with the claws
at its opposite sides when by rotating the strainer the wire is led to and wound upon
the barrel and then secured by the retaining finger as before.
It is to be understood that this invention is not confined to the precise construction
of the retaining finger herein described and shewn, inasmuch as any description of
hooked finger projecting from and formed or connected with the barrel will answer
the purpose; and further although the before described three forms of claws are the.
best known up to the present time, it must be understood that many other inferior
forms might be readily constructed without departing from this invention as all that
is necessary is that they should grasp the wire during their rotation and lead it on
to the barrel.
--
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
First In barrel wire-strainers the combination or addition of one or more strain-
retaining fingers to the barrel substantially as herein described and explained and as
illustrated in the drawings.
Second In barrel wire strainers the combination of claws with the retaining
finger or fingers substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in
the drawings.
Third The combination of parts forming the straining key for wire strainers
substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this Thirtieth day of July 1001.
JOHN FLYNN.
JAMES FREDERICK KILBURN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicants.