Patent ID: 7699259

Claim:
An apparatus for dispensing and tensioning wire from a coil, the apparatus comprising: a frame ( 1 ) for attaching to a vehicle; mounting means ( 19 ), for mounting at least one coil of wire for rotation; a lever arm member ( 21 ) pivotally mounted with respect to the frame and having a guide ( 27 ) co-operable with the wire in use; a play-out path of the wire defined between an abutment ( 13 ) of the frame and an abutment ( 33 ) carried by the lever arm member, said guide ( 27 ) and abutment ( 33 ) of the lever arm member being disposed in spaced apart relation; the lever arm member having a first operative position in which the respective abutments are spaced apart to allow play-out of the wire around said guide, and the lever arm member having a second operative position in which it is moveable pivotably about a pivot point to cause the wire to be trapped between the respective abutments; a third abutment, wherein the lever arm member has a third operative position in which the lever arm member is pivotally moveable about said pivot point such that the wire is trapped between the abutment ( 33 ) and the third abutment; wherein when the apparatus is connected to the vehicle, the wire is played-out regardless of whether the movement of the vehicle is in a forwards or reverse direction; and wherein the abutment is located between the other two abutments.