IMPROVEMENTS IN STRAINING THE WIRES OF WIRE FENCES AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE TO STRAINING TELEGRAph Wires
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Robson, of Lude, Blair Athole, in the
County of Perth, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STRAINING THE WIRES OF WIRE FENCES AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE TO STRAINING TELEGRAph Wires.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Robson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th January 1872.
I, ALEXANDER ROBSON, of Lude, Blair Athole, in the County of
Perth, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STRAINING THE WIRES OF WIRE FENCES AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE TO STRAINING TELEGRAPH WIRES,"
to be as follows, that is to say :-

page_text: dispense with the ordinary straining posts at present used, and to effect
the straining by employing the apparatus which constitutes this Inven-
tion at places where the wires are joined.
In preparing to strain the wire at the joint of any continuous line of
wires one of the wires is at first twisted round the other wire, the over-
twisted wire thus forms a shoulder on the straight wire, against which
the straining apparatus bears. This apparatus consists of a rectangular
frame, in the end whereof furthest from the opening through which the
straight wire passes a roller provided with a ratchet and pall is situated..
The end of the straight wire is passed into a hole in the roller, and a
handle or wrench being applied thereto it is turned round, thus coiling
the wire on itself until strained to the required degree, the ratchet wheel
and pall preventing it from becoming again uncoiled.
When the straining is finished the apparatus is partially inverted,
causing a partial turn of the wires again, after which the wire is cut, the
straining apparatus removed, and the joint finished.
It is obvious that in straining lines of telegraph wires the apparatus is
applied to them in the same manner as that herein-before described for
straining wire fences.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Alexander Robson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
ROBSON, of Lude, Blair Athole, in the County of Perth, North Britain,
send greeting.
2
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
35th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Robson, Her special 3
license that I, the said Alexander Robson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Robson, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,

page_text: "",
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STRAINING THE WIRES OF WIRE FENCES AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE TO STRAINING TELEGRAPH WIRES,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Robson,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Robson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
bo performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
My said Invention, which relates to improvements in straining tho,
wires of wire fences and in apparatus employed therefor, has for its
object to dispense with the expensive straining posts at present used, and
to effect economy in crecting or repairing wire fences by employing the
straining apparatus which constitutes this Invention at places where tho
wires are to be joined.
In preparing to strain the wire at the joint of any continuous line of
wires, one of the wires is at first twisted round the other wire, the over-'
twisted wire thus forms a shoulder on the straight wire, against which
the straining apparatus bears. This apparatus consists of a rectangular
frame, in the end whereof furthest from the opening through which the
straight wire passes a roller provided with a ratchet and pall is situated.
The end of the straight wire is passed into a hole in the roller, and a
handle or wrench being applied thereto it is turned round, thus coiling
the wire on itself until strained to the required degree, the ratchet wheel
and pall preventing it from becoming again uncoiled.
When the straining is finished the apparatus may be partially inverted,
causing a partial turn of the wires again, after which the wire is cut, the
straining apparatus removed, and the joint finished; or previous to

page_text: removing the straining apparatus, and in lieu of inverting it, a gripping
apparatus may be fixed to the ends of both wires, by which the wires are
retained at the proper strain until the joint or tie is effected.
It is obvious that in straining lines of telegraph wires the apparatus is
applied to them in the same manner as that herein-before described for
straining wire fences.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say:
-
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 is a side
elevation, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 an elevation of the cnd
marked A, Figure 1, of the wire-straining apparatus constructed in
accordance with this Invention.
The mechanism consists of a rectangular frame B, at one end of which
a roller C is situate, the said roller being passed through holes or
openings formed in the sides of the frame B, as shewn. On one
extremity of the roller C a ratchet wheel D is situate, which is provided
with a pall E, centred on a pin or stud a, tapped or otherwise let into
the side of the frame B, as shewn. In preparing to strain the wire at
the joint of any continuous line of wires one of the wires F is first
twisted round the other wire G, and the overtwisted wire F thus forms a
shoulder on the straight wire G, against which the forward end of the
frame B bears when the straining apparatus is in operation. After the
apparatus has been adjusted in position on the wire F the end of the a
wire G is passed through a hole in the roller C formed at that part of
the roller situated immediately inside the frame B, at the outer side of
which the ratchet wheel D is placed, as shewn more particularly in plan
at Figure 2. A wrench or handle is thereafter applied to the key head H
projecting from the side of the ratchet wheel D, by which means the
roller C is turned round in the direction of the arrow on Figure 1 and
the straight wire G is coiled round the roller C until strained to the
required degree, the ratchet wheel D and pall E preventing the roller C
from turning backwards and the wire G from becoming uncoiled, and at
the same time that part of the wire G which is passed through the hole a
in the roller C keeps the roller in its proper position relatively with the
frame B. The action of the roller C in coiling up the wire G pushes the

page_text: apparatus forwards against the shoulder on the wire F, so that by this
means both of the wires are equally strained at the same time.
When the straining of the wires F and G has been completed the
straining apparatus may be partially inverted, thereby causing a partial
turn or twist of the wire G round the wire F, after which the wire G
may be cut, the straining apparatus removed, and the joint or tic
finished by twisting the wire G round the wire F in a direction contrary
to that shewn at Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings; or the apparatus
illustrated in side elevation at Figure 4 and in end elevation at Figure 5
of the Drawings may be advantageously employed to effectually retain
the wire in its strained condition after being strained and cut and before
the joint or tie is properly effected.
The cutting of the wire is effected by relieving the pall E from the
ratchet D and turning the roller C backwards until the wire breaks at
the hole in the roller, or it may be effected by means of a cutting chisel.
The apparatus shewn at Figures 4 and 5 consists of a bar A bent
upwards at both ends, and to each of these ends a gripping jaw B is
attached loosely by a pin or stud fixed in the jaws B and passed through
slots in the bent arms, as shewn at C, Figure 5. The jaws B are pro-
vided with adjusting screws D, and after the straining of the wire has
been effected in the manner herein-before described by the apparatus
illus at Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings, the apparatus shewn
at Figures 4 and 5 is so adjusted that the strained wire G is caught or
gripped between one jaw B and the upturned end H of the bar A, and
the wire F is caught or gripped between the other jaw B and upturned
end I of the bar A, after which the strained wire G is cut to the proper
length and the straining apparatus removed, the wire G being kept
strained to the required degree until the joint or tie is finished by the
apparatus shewn at Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings.
In straining telegraph wires the wire having the shoulder formed.
thereon, against which the straining apparatus bears, in lieu of being
twisted round the other wire as herein-before described and shewn at
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings, is doubled at the end and twisted back
upon itself so as to form the shoulder, as shewn at a, Figure 6, and the
end of this wire is turned under the other wire so as to keep both wires
together whilst the straining is being effected, after which the joint is
completed with metal in the usual manner.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part reoited
Letters Patent is, the arrangement and construction of mechanism for
straining wires, such as fence and telegraph wires, as herein-before
described and shewn on the appended Sheet of Drawings.
-
In witness whereof; I, the said Alexander Robson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-two.