In-situ fence wire strainer

Abstract

An in-situ wire strainer (10, 110, 210, 310, 410) is disclosed with a pair of arms (12, 13, 412, 413) each having a proximal end (17, 18) and a distal end (26, 27). A non-specialised tool engageable hub portion (11, 111, 211, 311, 411) has each of the proximal ends lying side-by-side to form a bobbin (20). The arms are amalgamated with the hub portion to form an integral whole with the distal ends being substantially co-planar and substantially perpendicular. There are four final positions for each 360° rotation.

Description

[0001] IN-SITU FENCE WIRE STRAINER

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to in- situ fence wire strainers.

[0004] Background Art

[0005] In relation to fencing, the term “strainers” can have three possible meanings. The first meaning is a reference to a strainer post, or a strainer post assembly. This item is located at either end of the fence and resists the strain placed on the wire from which the fence is fabricated.

[0006] The second meaning is a reference to a physical device, including for example a hoist, come along, or chain walking pawl system which enables two wires which extend in opposite directions to be drawn towards each other. When an appropriate tension is in each of the wires, the wires are joined together, for example by means of a knot or a joining device such as those sold under the Trade Mark GRIPPLE.

[0007] The third meaning is a reference to a physical device, or tightener, which is used to increase the strain of, or tension within, a wire in a fence and is left in situ so as to enable the strain or tension to be re-established at a later date. Such a device is of assistance in fence maintenance because it enables the rectification of the wear and tear caused to a fence by the presence of livestock and feral animals. It is to such a device that the present invention is directed. Such devices have a long history, being known since at least the second half of the 19thcentury.

[0008] Such in-situ strainers can be divided into various categories. A first category involves a frame, and axle rotatably mounted on the frame, and a ratchet and pawl arrangement which enables the axle to be both rotated and held against counter rotation. Australian Patent No. 2017 206 168 (Gallagher) typifies this category.

[0009] Strainers of a second category have a multiplicity of radially extending arms which therefore creates a configuration resembling that of a starfish. Each of the arms is able to engage the wire in turn as the device is rotated, thereby preventing the device unwinding. The wire is wound onto a portion of the device which constitutes a bobbin. Australian Patent No. 1985 043 226 (Hayes) and US Patent No. 636 151 (Mason) of 1899 typify this category.

[0010] A third category has a cast body of generally Y-shaped configuration, and the wire is inter-engaged with the arms of the Y so as to be initially wound in a generally figure 8- shaped flake. The stem of the Y is formed into an L shaped configuration which enables the wire to be subsequently round about the body, and the body to be hooked onto the unwound wire. This stops the wound wire from unravelling. US Patent No. 374, 668 (Flynn and Kilburn) of 1887 exemplifies this art.

[0011] A fourth category utilises one or more pieces of bent rod of circular cross-section which form both a reel or bobbin and a restraining arm. The device is engaged with a tool to permit the device to be rotated and the wire wound onto the reel or bobbin. Australian Patent No. 1976020370 (Bruce) exemplifies this art. Furthermore, novelty searches conducted after the priority have disclosed New Zealand Patent No. 573,744 (Hogg) which is a further member of this category.

[0012] Genesis of the Invention

[0013] The Genesis of the present invention is a desire to create such an in- situ wire strainer which draws on many aspects of the prior art so as to produce a strainer of both high- performance and low-cost.

[0014] Summary of the Invention

[0015] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed an in-situ wire strainer comprising a pair of arms each having a proximal end and a distal end, and a non- specialised tool engageable hub portion, each of said proximal ends lying side-by-side to form a bobbin and being amalgamated with said hub portion to form an integral whole with said distal ends being substantially co-planar and substantially perpendicular.

[0016] Preferably each of the distal ends has a hook-like tip configuration. Preferably, the hub portion has an external configuration which is able to be engaged with a spanner, hand wrench, socket wrench, or similar non- specialised tool. Alternatively, or additionally, the hub portion can have an internal configuration which is able to be engaged by an Allen key, *4 or *6 square driver for socket spanners, Phillips head screwdriver, or similar non-specialised tool.

[0017] Preferably, the hub portion and proximal ends are amalgamated by a process selected from the group of processes consisting of welding, brazing, forging, and pressing.

[0018] Preferably, the hub portion has an annular shoulder or a pair of shoulders.

[0019] Preferably, the strainer is fabricated from steel rod, the proximal ends of the arms are connected and formed into a loop which forms the hub.

[0020] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] Some embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0022] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the in- situ strainer of a first embodiment looking in a first direction aligned with its hub,

[0023] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the strainer of Fig. 1 looking in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction,

[0024] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the strainer of Fig. 1 looking in a third direction substantially opposite to the first direction,

[0025] Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the strainer of Fig. 1,

[0026] Fig. 5 is a plan view of the strainer of Fig. 1,

[0027] Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the strainer of Fig. 1,

[0028] Fig. 7 is a perspective view similar to that of Fig. 3 and showing the initial step in the straining process,

[0029] Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 and showing a subsequent stage of the straining process,

[0030] Fig. 9 is a view similar to Figs. 7 and 8 and showing the final stage of the straining process, Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a strainer of a second embodiment,

[0031] Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but illustrating a strainer of a third embodiment,

[0032] Fig. 12 is another view similar to Fig.10 but illustrating a strainer of a fourth embodiment,

[0033] Fig. 13 is a first perspective view of a strainer of fifth embodiment, Fig. 14 is a second perspective view of the strainer of Fig. 13, Fig. 15 is a plan view of the strainer of Fig. 13,

[0034] Fig. 16 is an inverted plan view of the strainer of Fig. 13, Fig. 17 is one side elevation of the strainer of Fig. 13, and Fig. 18 is the other side elevation of the strainer of Fig. 13.

[0035] Detailed Description

[0036] As seen in Figs. 1-6, the in-situ strainer 10 of the first embodiment takes the form of a hub 11 from which a pair of arms 12, 13 extend. The hub 11 has a hexagon configuration resembling that of a conventional nut or bolt which is thus able to be engaged by a non- specialised tool such as a spanner, hand wrench, or socket wrench. The hub 11 preferably has an annular shoulder 15.

[0037] Each of the arms 12, 13 have corresponding proximal ends 17, 18 which lie alongside each other and thereby form a bobbin 20 having a cleft 21 at one end. The proximal ends 17, 18 are amalgamated within the hub 11 by any one of various processes including welding, brazing, forging, and pressing. In particular, a conventional bolt with a negligible shaft, or a nut, can be used in the manufacturing process.

[0038] Adjacent the cleft 21, the arms 12, 13 have a substantially right angle bend which leads to a substantially straight central portion 23, 24 which terminates in a tip 26, 27 having a substantially semicircular hook-like configuration. As best seen from Fig. 4, the central portions 23, 24 of the arms are substantially co-planar. As best seen from Fig. 6, the central portions 23, 24 of the arms are also substantially perpendicular. Turning now to Figs. 7-9, the strainer 10 is engaged with a fence wire 30 (which can be either a plain wire as illustrated or a barbed wire or one of several parallel mesh wires). The fence wire 30 is pushed through the cleft 21 so as to lie between the proximal ends 17, 18. The non- specialised tool (not illustrated) is then used to rotate the hub 11 anticlockwise as seen in Fig. 8 so as to begin winding the wire 30 onto the bobbin 20, an action which increases the tension in the wire 30. During this winding action, the tips 26 or 27 are moved in turn past the wire 30. However, if for any reason the winding has to stop, then the strainer 10 will rotate backwards until either one of the tips 26 or 27 engages the wire 30 as illustrated in Fig. 8. Normally the winding action will continue for several revolutions until sufficient wire 30 is wound onto the bobbin 20, as illustrated in Fig. 9, to give the desired tension in the wire 30. When the correct tension is achieved, the strainer 10 is rotated backwards by less than a quarter of a revolution, until the tip 26 or 27 adjacent the wire 30 engages the wire 30. At this stage the spanner or other nonspecialised tool can be disengaged from the hub 11.

[0039] Clearly, the strainer 10 can be left in situ at this stage and is thus ready to permit the strain in the wire 30 to be re-established in the event that, for example, an animal or falling tree collides with the fence of which the wire 30 is part.

[0040] Turning now to Fig. 10, a strainer 110 of a second embodiment is illustrated which differs from the strainer 10 of the first embodiment only in that the hub 111 is provided with a socket 114 which is shaped to receive an Allen key, socket driver, or similar conventional tool.

[0041] Referring now to Fig. 11, a strainer 210 of a third embodiment is illustrated which differs from the strainer 10 of the first embodiment only in that the hub 211 is provided with a square socket 214 which is shaped to receive a conventional quarter inch or half inch square ratchet driver of the type used in sets of socket spanners to allow one driver to rotate any one of the socket spanners.

[0042] As seen in Fig. 12, a strainer 310 of a fourth embodiment is illustrated in which the hub 311 has a square exterior and a square socket 314. The square exterior can be engaged by a conventional spanner. The square socket 314 can be engaged by a conventional square ratchet driver. Often such square ratchet drivers have a detent ball which engages with an interior groove in the socket spanner. The square socket 314 has a through aperture 16 which has two purposes. The first purpose is to engage with such a detent ball. The second purpose is to enable a Phillips head screwdriver, or similar bar like projection, to engage externally with the aperture 16 and thereby enable the hub 311 to be rotated in lieu of the spanner.

[0043] Turning now to Figs. 13-18, the strainer 410 of a fifth embodiment is fabricated from a single rod or bar from which both the arms 412, 413 and the hub 411 are fashioned. The arms 412, 413 are substantially similar to the arms 12, 13 of the first - fourth embodiments. However, the hub 411 is fabricated as a loop which joins the proximal ends 417, 418 of the arms 412, 413. An advantage of the loop 411 is that it utilises less material than the hubs 11, 111, 211, and 311. A further advantage is that the loop hub 411 can be rotated by a tool such as a Phillips head screwdriver, a tent peg, a marlin spike, or similar. That is, the advantage of the first four embodiments in being able to be rotated by a non-specialist tool, is also conferred on the fifth embodiment.

[0044] It will be apparent to those skilled in the fencing arts that the above-described arrangement provides a number of useful advantages. Firstly, the annular shoulder 15 provides one end of the bobbin 20, the other end being formed by the central portions 23, 24 of the arms 12, 13. In addition, the annular shoulder 15 prevents the spanner moving towards the wire 30 during the winding operation. In the fifth embodiment, these advantages are provided by the shoulders of the loop 411.

[0045] The two arms 12, 13 ensure that when maximum tension is achieved during winding, the final position with a tip 26 or 27 engaged with the wire 30 can be achieved with only having to unwind the strainer 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 slightly through a maximum of 90°. This is to be contrasted with the prior art arrangement illustrated in Australian Patent No. 1976020370 (Bruce) and New Zealand Patent No. 574,744 (Hogg) where it may be necessary to unwind the strainer slightly through a maximum of 360° and 180° respectively. The ability to use a non-specialised tool makes the strainer device 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 cheaper than a GRIPPLE device to join two wires. This joining action is achieved by overlapping the wires and placing the overlapped wires in bobbin 20 via the cleft 21. Rotation of the hub 11, 111, 211, 311, 411 ensures that the inter-engaged wires are securely joined as well as being tensioned. The equivalent action can only be achieved with a GRIPPLE device using the expensive specialised tension tool required for such GRIPPLE devices.

[0046] In addition, a specialised tool suffers from a number of disadvantages. Firstly, there is the initial capital cost. Secondly, the tool needs to be carried in a farm vehicle, for example, in order to be on hand when required to be used. This increases the fuel or energy consumption of the farm vehicle. If the tool is not carried in the farm vehicle then it is not on hand when it may be required, thereby requiring an extra return trip from the damaged fence back to the farm shed in order that the specialised tool can be brought into action.

[0047] Furthermore, where prefabricated mesh is used, one of the strainers 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 can be used in each horizontal wire to reach the desired tension required for that particular wire. This is important where the ground undulates and thus more turns of the strainer 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 are required on the upper horizontal wires of a dip than are required for the lower horizontal wires, and vice versa in relation to a crest.

[0048] In addition, the strainer 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 can be used with netting such as used with rabbit proof or chicken proof fences. These can be re-strained by snipping away the vertically extending wires either side of a preselected horizontal strand, and then treating that strand as if it were a horizontally extending wire such as wire 30 of Figs. 7-9. In this way by using several such strands spaced vertically apart and each having a corresponding strainer 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 the entire netting surface can be retensioned.

[0049] Similarly, when erecting multistranded prefabricated meshes, such as used for exclusion fences, instead of using GRIPPLE T-CLIPS, the horizontal wires can be tied off on the end posts with the horizontal wires exhibiting a certain slackness, and the desired tension can be achieved by a single strainer 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 for each horizontal wire. This is then rotated so as to bring up the tension in the corresponding horizontal strand. Normally this requires a (short) length of wire to be wound on the bobbin 20 that is less than the horizontal length of wire available between adjacent vertical wire pickets.

[0050] The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the fencing arts, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the features and advantages disclosed in one facet of the invention may be utilised, mutatis mutandis, in other facets of the invention. For example, the extremities of the arms 12, 13 can be provided with tips of various configurations. In addition, by reversing the direction of curvature of the distal ends of the arms 12, 13, the direction of rotation of the hub 11, 111, 211, 311, 411 required to tighten a wire can be reversed. It is generally desirable that the hub be rotated clockwise in order to increase the tension in the wire.

[0051] The term “comprising” (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of “including” or “having” and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of’.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An in-situ wire strainer comprising a pair of arms each having a proximal end and a distal end, and a tool engagable hub portion, each of said proximal ends lying side-by-side to form a bobbin and forming an integral whole with said distal ends being substantially co-planar and substantially perpendicular.

2. The wire strainer as defined in claim 1 wherein said proximal ends are joined together.

3. The wire strainer as defined in claim 2 wherein said proximal ends form a loop with which said tool can engage.

4. The wire strainer as defined in any one of claims 1-3 wherein said arms are integrally formed.

5. The wire strainer as defined in claim 4 wherein both said arms are formed from a single rod.

6. The wire strainer as defined in claim 1 wherein the proximal ends of said arms are amalgamated to form said hub portion.

7. The wire strainer as defined in claim 6 wherein said hub portion has a configuration engageable with a nonspecialised tool.

8. The wire strainer as defined in claim 7 wherein said hub portion has a configuration which is able to be engaged with a spanner, hand wrench, socket wrench, Allen key, socket spanner driver or similar nonspecialised tool.

9. The wire strainer as defined in claim 8 wherein said configuration is hexagonal.

10. The wire strainer as defined in claim 9 wherein said configuration is an external configuration resembling the head of a bolt.

11. The wire strainer as defined in claim 8 wherein said configuration is an internal configuration and comprises a socket.

12. The wire strainer as defined in claim 11 wherein said socket has a square or hexagonal configuration.

13. The wire strainer as defined in claim 11 wherein said hub has an aperture therein able to be engaged by a Phillips head screwdriver or similar projection.

14. The wire strainer as defined in any one of claims 6-13 wherein said hub portion and proximal ends are amalgamated by a process selected from the group of processes consisting of welding, brazing, forging, and pressing.

15. The wire strainer as defined in any one of claims 6-14 wherein said hub portion has an annular shoulder.

16. The wire strainer as defined in any one of claims 1-15 wherein each of said distal ends has a hook like tip configuration.

17. The wire strainer as defined in any one of claims 1-16 and fabricated from steel.

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