IMPROVEMENTS IN TOOLS OR APPARATUS FOR STRAINING FENCE WIRES OR ROPES, AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN DICK of Glasgow in the County of Lanark, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOOLS OR
APPARATUS FOR STRAINING FENCE WIRES OR ROPES, AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS
PURPOSES to be as follows:-
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in portable tools or apparatus for
straining the wires or ropes of fences and for other analogous purposes and it'
more particularly relates to the locking and holding devices in such tools or
apparatus.
The improved tool consists of an elongated frame having a longitudinal trough
or channel constituting a guide for the head or bolding part of the tool, and
which head or holding part is constructed with an angled, dovetailed, or other
recess in its upper or other side. Into this recess is fitted a wedge piece, or
locking part so arranged and guided by a pin and slot, or by a cover plate
or other equivalent, in relation to the angled side of the recess, that on being
moved towards the narrow end of the recess the space between the parallel faces
of the locking piece and of the recess is gradually decreased till they come in
contact The end of the wire or rope to be strained is introduced into this variable
space and the locking piece is pressed forward by the thumb of the operator or by
a spring or its equivalent, till the wire or rope is gripped which being effected the
head or holding end is drawn back by the action of a screw, one end of which is
formed on or fixed to the head whilst its other end passes through the rear end of
the frame and is there acted on by a handle, wheel, or its equivalent.
As the head moves back the locking tendency on the wire or rope increases and
becomes more,
the greater the strain exerted by the screw.
In this apparatus the whole of the stress of gripping and holding the wire is
borne by the solid cheeks of the angled, dovetailed, or other slot instead of being
thrown on a bolt or rivet as in the usual arrangements and a source of weakness
is thus overcome.
To provide for a greater length of slack wire or rope being taken up than with
tools of ordinary construction the improved tool is formed near one end of the

page_text: frame with a projection having a slot in one side of it to receive the end of the
wire or rope where it is held by a screwed pin whilst the locking piece is disengaged
and the head run back to take another hold upon the wire or rope as hereinbefore
described which being effected the screwed pin is moved back and the straining
proceeded with. By repeating this operation any length of wire or rope may be
taken up.

page_text: I, JOHN DICK of Glasgow in the County of Lanark, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOOLS OR
APPARATUS FOR STRAINING FENCE WIRES OR ROPES, AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS
PURPOSES 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 for its object improvements in portable tools or apparatus for
straining the wires or ropes of fencing and for other analogous purposes and the
Invention more particularly relates to devices for locking and holding the wire or
rope in such tools during the straining operation.
On the sheet of drawings hereunto appended Figure 1, is a plan and figure 2, a
side elevation of the improved tool. Figure 3, is an elevation of the end of it
marked A, figures 1, and 2. Figure 4, is a transverse section on the line x, x,
figure 2, and figure 5, is a transverse section of an alternative mode of constructing
the part of the apparatus illustrated by figure 4.
As shown by figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the improved tool consists of an elongated
frame B, open at top but closed at the lower side. In the longitudinal guide
trough or channel so made, the gripping and locking part of the tool is so situated.
as to be capable of movement longitudinally This gripping part consists of a
block C, the breadth of which corresponds with the breadth of the trough 'made
in the frame B. The block is constructed with two cheeks y, y¹, forming a recess
on its upper face. One cheek of this recess is inclined as indicated at y¹, figure 1,.
and into the recess is fitted a wedge piece D, which has also a correspondingly
inclined side bearing against the inclined side y¹. In the bottom of the recess a
slot E, is made parallel with the inclined side and through the said slot a pin F,
having a countersunk head passes into the wedge piece D, as shown. The said
wedge piece D, which constitutes the locking part, has or may have a thumb-
piece D¹, projecting from its upper side as seen at figure 4, and on being moved or
pushed towards the narrow end of the recess it is so guided by the pin F, and
slot E, that the space between its straight side and the straight side of the recess is
gradually decreased.
The end of the wire or rope to be strained is introduced into or passes through
this variable space and is gripped, on the wedge piece D, being pushed forward
either by the operator or by a spring or equivalent means. A hold being thus
obtained the block C, is drawn back by the action of a screw G, one end of which
is made on or secured to the block whilst its other end passes freely through the
rear end of the frame B, and has there a handle, wheel, nut or its equivalent H,
placed upon it and by turning which the rearward straining movement is effected.
By this arrangement it will be seen that the locking or gripping tendency of the
wedge D, on the wire or rope becomes more the greater the strain exerted by the
screw that is to say the further the block C, is drawn rearwards.
It will also be seen that in this improved tool the whole strain incident on
gripping and holding the wire or rope whilst it is being strained is borne by the
solid. cheeks or sides y, y¹, of the recess in the block C, instead of being thrown
on a bolt or rivet as ordinarily and a source of weakness in the tool is thus
overcome.
Under the modification of the gripping or locking arrangement shown at figure 5,
a cover plate w, is substituted for the slot E, and pin F, to guide the wedge piece D,
the said plate being fitted and secured to or formed on the inclined cheek y¹, of the
Wal

page_text: To provide for a greater length of slack wire or rope being taken up than with
tools as ordinarily made, in the improved tool a bracket or projection I, is formed
at or near the rearward end of the frame B, and through the side of the said
projection a slot v, is cut or formed to permit of the wire or rope being passed into
a recess u, figures 1 and 3, where. it is gripped and held fast by the point of a
screwed pin t, tapped through the upper part of the bracket I.
The screwed pin t, holds the wire or rope whilst the straining mechanism is
disengaged and the block C, run back to take another hold on the wire or rope as
herein before set forth which being effected the screwed pin t, is eased or moved up
and the straining proceeded with.
By repeating this operation any length of slack wire or rope may be taken up
the attachment being specially serviceable where. in straining wire fences there is
a greater than usual distance between the straining posts.
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,.
'b'
'
First The general combination of parts constituting the improved straining
tool or apparatus arranged and operating substantially as herein before described
with reference to figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, of the appended drawings or any merė
modification thereof.
.
Second-In tools or apparatus for straining fence wires or ropes and for analogous
purposes an adjustable wedge piece operating substantially as and for the purposes
set forth with reference to the piece marked D, on the drawings annexed.
Third-In tools or apparatus for the purposes set forth and for analogous
purposes the combination of the block C, adjustable wedge piece D, screw E, and
nut H, substantially as described with reference to the drawings appended hereto.
Fourth In tools for the purposes set forth and for analogous purposes the
holding apparatus consisting of the bracket I, slot r, recess u, and screwed pin t,
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Sixth day of November 1884.