AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR STRAINING WIRE
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN REID of Dunedin, in the provincial District of Otago, in the Colony of
New Zealand, Solicitor, temporarily residing at Melbourne, in the Colony of
Victoria do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR STRAINING WIRE" and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has been designed for the purpose of producing a cheap, simple
and effective machine for straining wire. It consists of three main parts, and
hence I intend to call it "Reid's patent triplex wire strainer." These parts
are 1, a double ratchet windlass. 2 a framing to support it-and 3 a lever to
revolve it.
In my drawings,
Figure 1 shews a side elevation of parts 1 and 2, and
Figure 2 a plan of same.
Figure 3 shews a plan of part 3, and
Figure 4 a side view of same.
A, is the framing made preferably of hoop iron bent upon itself, as shewn in
Figure 2. B B are holes through it to which one end of the wire is permanently
secured. D D are larger holes at its other end to receive the axes G, of the
windlass which has ratchet toothed flanges E. F is a hole passing quite through
the drum of the windlass, through which the other end of the wire to be strained
is passed. H is the lever having a bifurcated end I, the cheeks of which are
provided with the open ended slots I. P is a fixed transverse pin, and K is a
loose transverse pin, which latter works up and down the oblique slots C, formed
opposite each other in the sides of the frame. The pin K has turned down ends,
as shewn, which serve the double purpose of preserving the pin in its place and
preventing the expansion of the frame. L is a hand of india-rubber or other
elastic material which is only desirable when the lever is working in a horizontal
plane as it then brings the pin sharply back to its retaining position after the
ratchet teeth have passed under it.
The mode of operation as follows-Supposing the wires of the fence to be
secured at their further ends to the straining posts, then at a convenient point
between them I make or select a break. One of the ends formed by such break
I pass through the hole F of the windlass and wind up a turn or two using
the framing A and the pin K as a ratchet handle. The other end I pass through

page_text: the hole B of the frame A and permanently secure it there. I then place the
straining lever in position on the axes of the windlass and move it to and fro,
when the pin P,will engage with the ratchet teeth and so revolve the windlass and
wind up the wire, the transverse retaining pin K meanwhile being worked up
its slots by each of the ratchet teeth and falling back again to its normal position
as each tooth passes over it, the clastic band L assisting to bring it back again to
its normal position. By this means the strain is retained upon the wire as said
pin prevents the windlass returning when released by the lever. It will be
noticed that parts 1 and 2 of my machine-that is to say, the framing with its
attached windlass and ratchets remain permanently affixed to the wire, so that by
the application of my lever-the strain can be increased or decreased at will.
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
First. The combination of a double ratchet windlass with the framing to support
it and the transverse retaining pin therein (which parts I have herein called parts 1
and 2) substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained.
Second. The combination of my lever H (which I have herein called part 3)
with parts 1 and 2 substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
explained.
Dated this twenty-fourth day of July One thousand eight hundred and