Fence Stretcher
A fence stretcher for use in building fences that can be used by one person and is able to stretch fence wire under a constant tension. The fence stretcher has a winch assembly to which a tensioning cable is connected. A wire grabber is attached to the tensioning cable and is used to securely hold the fence wire. The winch assembly is used to stretch the fence wire such that the fence wire is tensioned, at which point a brake assembly is engaged. The brake assembly allows the fence wire to be fed to the user at the user's desired tension level. A mount assembly allows the present invention to be attached to a brace structure at the desired height for laying the fence. The fence stretcher is able to automatically feed any type of wire or cable across any type of terrain while following the contours of the terrain.
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/684,483 filed on Aug. 17, 2012.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to an apparatus for laying fences. More specifically, the present invention is an apparatus for use in building fences which is able to stretch fence wire at a user's desired tension level and is able to automatically feed any type of wire or cable across any type of terrain while following the contours of the terrain.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCurrent products on the market may provide an apparatus for laying fence over uneven terrain, however, these devices require two people to lay the fence in an efficient manner. One individual is needed to operate the device and keep the fence wire stretched at the desired tension, while a second individual is needed to attach the fence wire to tee posts or similar structures. As the device itself only requires one person to operate, it is possible for a single person to lay the fence by themselves. This process is tedious and time consuming though, as the single individual must constantly walk back and forth between the device and the tee post to which they are securing the fence wire. Even when two individuals are laying fence it is difficult to ensure that the tension in the fence wire is constant between tee posts. Inconsistent tension in the fence wire can result in premature failure of the fence, thus it is critical to the stability of the fence for the fence wire to be stretched evenly along the length of the fence.
Therefore it is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for use in building fences that can be used by one person and is able to stretch fence wire under a constant tension. The present invention includes a winch assembly to which a tensioning cable is connected. A wire grabber is attached to the tensioning cable and is used to securely hold the fence wire. The winch assembly is used to stretch the fence wire such that the fence wire is tensioned, at which point a brake assembly is engaged. The brake assembly allows the fence wire to be fed to the user at the user's desired tension level. A mount assembly allows the present invention to be attached to a brace structure at the desired height for laying the fence. The present invention is able to automatically feed any type of wire or cable across any type of terrain while following the contours of the terrain.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is a fence stretcher that is used to lay fence over any type of terrain. In reference to
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In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the winch assembly 1 further comprises a first roller and a second roller. Both the first roller and second roller are attached to the winch frame 11 in front of the ratchet drum 12. The first roller is positioned across the top of the winch frame 11 and the second roller is positioned across the bottom of the winch frame 11, with the tensioning cable 4 passing in between the first roller and the second roller. The first roller and the second roller assist in the alignment of the tensioning cable 4 and fence wire and also assist in the tensioning cable 4 being fed from the ratchet drum 12.
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In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the actuating mechanism 23 comprises a caliper lever 231, a break-over-center lever 233, and a link member 234, as shown in
Depending on the type of fence, terrain, user's preference, etc., it may be necessary to adjust the tension at which the fence wire is stretched. In order to adjust this tension, the force with which the pair of brake pads 24 clamps the brake disc 21 must be adjusted by either moving the pair of brake pads 24 closer to or farther away from the brake disc 21. The position of the pair of brake pads 24 is adjusted through the use of a lock nut and a set bolt. The set bolt traverses through the lock nut into the caliper bracket 22 and is mechanically coupled to the pair of brake pads 24. In this way, the position of the set bolt determines the position of the pair of brake pads 24. In order to adjust the position of the set bolt, the lock nut must first be loosened. The set bolt can then be turned clockwise for a higher tension or turned counterclockwise for a lower tension. Once the pair of brake pads 24 is the desired distance from the brake disc 21, the lock nut can then be tightened in order to secure the set bolt in the desired position.
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The following provides an example method of use for the present invention. A user wishes to lay fence from point A to point B with tee posts spaced every twenty feet. The user first attaches the fence stretcher at a desired height to a brace structure at point A. With the first hinge plate 33 and the second hinge plate 34 pressed against the brace structure, the mounting strap 35 is pulled tight around the opposite side of the brace structure and clamped into place. Fence wire is first attached to the last tee post at point B and then attached to the wire grabber 5. Once the fence wire is attached, the user can then turn the winch crank 13 in order to rotate the ratchet drum 12 and coil the tensioning wire. When the fence wire is over tensioned, the user then engages the pair of brake pads 24 to the brake disc 21 by pulling up on the break-over-center lever 233. The winch crank 13 is then detached from the winch frame 11 in order to prevent the winch crank 13 from getting tangled in the tensioning cable 4 or fence wire, or from otherwise interfering with the operation of the fence stretcher. With the brake assembly 2 engaged and the winch crank 13 detached, the user can then disengage the pawl 15 from the gear end 121 of the ratchet drum 12. This allows the ratchet drum 12 to rotate in an opposite direction, providing some slack to the tensioning cable 4 and fence wire until the predetermined tension is reached. The user can then go from tee post to tee post attaching the fence wire. As the fence wire is pulled and attached to the tee posts, the tensioning cable 4 is fed from the ratchet drum 12, thus maintaining the desired tension in the fence wire. Excess fence wire should be mounted behind the fence stretcher such that it can be fed to the user. Once the fence wire has been tied of at point A at the desired height, the user can simply adjust the height of the fence stretcher and repeat the above process for the remaining levels of fence to be placed.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
1. A fence stretcher comprises:
- a winch assembly;
- a brake assembly;
- a mount assembly;
- a tensioning cable;
- a wire grabber;
- the winch assembly comprises a winch frame, a ratchet drum, a pawl, a winch crank, and a winch shaft;
- the brake assembly comprises a brake disc, a caliper bracket, an actuating mechanism, and a pair of brake pads;
- the ratchet drum being positioned within the winch frame;
- the winch shaft traversing through the winch frame and the ratchet drum;
- the winch shaft being permanently connected to the ratchet drum;
- the winch shaft being rotatably connected to the winch frame;
- the brake disc being axially connected to the winch shaft;
- the brake disc being positioned into the caliper bracket;
- the caliper bracket being adjacently connected to the winch frame;
- the mounting assembly being adjacently positioned to the winch frame opposite the ratchet drum;
- the tensioning cable being connected to the ratchet drum;
- the tensioning cable being coiled around the ratchet drum; and
- the wire grabber being attached to the tensioning cable opposite the ratchet drum.
2. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the pair of brake pads and the actuating mechanism being positioned within the caliper bracket;
- the disc brake being positioned in between the pair of brake pads; and
- the actuating mechanism being operatively coupled to the pair of brake pads, wherein activating the actuating mechanism forces the pair of brake pads to clamp around the brake disc.
3. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the pair of brake pads frictionally engaging the brake disc.
4. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the actuating mechanism comprises a caliper lever, a break-over-center lever, and a link member;
- the break-over-center lever being pivotally connected to the caliper bracket;
- the link member being pivotally connected to both the break-over-center lever and the caliper lever; and
- the caliper lever being operatively coupled to the pair of brake pads, wherein pulling on the break-over-center lever forces the pair of brake pads to clamp around the brake disc.
5. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the ratchet drum comprises a gear end;
- the gear end being positioned adjacent to the winch crank; and
- the pawl being pivotally connected to the winch frame around the gear end.
6. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 5 comprises:
- the pawl engaging the gear end, wherein the ratchet drum may only rotate about the winch shaft in one direction.
7. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the mounting assembly comprises a mounting bracket, a bracket shaft, a first hinge plate, a second hinge plate, and a mounting strap;
- the mounting bracket being adjacently connected to the winch frame;
- the bracket shaft being connected along the mounting bracket;
- the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate being pivotally connected to the bracket shaft; and
- the mounting strap being attached to both the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate.
8. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the winch assembly further comprises an adjoining gear;
- the ratchet drum comprises a gear end;
- the adjoining gear being rotatably mounted to the winch frame;
- the adjoining gear engaging the gear end;
- the winch crank axially engaging the adjoining gear; and
- the winch crank being positioned adjacent to the winch frame opposite the caliper bracket.
9. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the winch crank being axially attached to the winch shaft; and
- the winch crank being positioned adjacent to the winch frame opposite the caliper bracket.
10. A fence stretcher comprises:
- a winch assembly;
- a brake assembly;
- a mount assembly;
- a tensioning cable;
- a wire grabber;
- the winch assembly comprises a winch frame, a ratchet drum, a pawl, a winch crank, and a winch shaft;
- the brake assembly comprises a brake disc, a caliper bracket, an actuating mechanism, and a pair of brake pads;
- the actuating mechanism comprises a caliper lever, a break-over-center lever, and a link member;
- the ratchet drum being positioned within the winch frame;
- the winch shaft traversing through the winch frame and the ratchet drum;
- the winch shaft being permanently connected to the ratchet drum;
- the winch shaft being rotatably connected to the winch frame;
- the brake disc being axially connected to the winch shaft;
- the brake disc being positioned into the caliper bracket;
- the caliper bracket being adjacently connected to the winch frame;
- the mounting assembly being adjacently positioned to the winch frame opposite the ratchet drum;
- the tensioning cable being connected to the ratchet drum;
- the tensioning cable being coiled around the ratchet drum; and
- the wire grabber being attached to the tensioning cable opposite the ratchet drum.
11. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 10 comprises:
- the pair of brake pads and the actuating mechanism being positioned within the caliper bracket;
- the brake disc being positioned in between the pair of brake pads;
- the break-over-center lever being pivotally connected to the caliper bracket;
- the link member being pivotally connected to both the break-over-center lever and the caliper lever; and
- the caliper lever being operatively coupled to the pair of brake pads, wherein pulling on the break-over-center lever forces the pair of brake pads to clamp around the brake disc.
12. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 10 comprises:
- the pair of brake pads frictionally engaging the brake disc.
13. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 10 comprises:
- the mounting assembly comprises a mounting bracket, a bracket shaft, a first hinge plate, a second hinge plate, and a mounting strap;
- the mounting bracket being adjacently connected to the winch frame;
- the bracket shaft being connected along the mounting bracket;
- the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate being pivotally connected to the bracket shaft; and
- the mounting strap being attached to both the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate.
14. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 10 comprises:
- the winch assembly further comprises an adjoining gear;
- the ratchet drum comprises a gear end;
- the adjoining gear being rotatably mounted to the winch frame;
- the adjoining gear engaging the gear end;
- the winch crank axially engaging the adjoining gear;
- the winch crank being positioned adjacent to the winch frame opposite the caliper bracket;
- the gear end being positioned adjacent to the winch crank; and
- the pawl being pivotally connected to the winch frame around the gear end.
15. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 14 comprises:
- the pawl engaging the gear end, wherein the ratchet drum may only rotate about the winch shaft in one direction.
16. A fence stretcher comprises:
- a winch assembly;
- a brake assembly;
- a mount assembly;
- a tensioning cable;
- a wire grabber;
- the winch assembly comprises a winch frame, a ratchet drum, a pawl, a winch crank, and a winch shaft;
- the brake assembly comprises a brake disc, a caliper bracket, an actuating mechanism, and a pair of brake pads;
- the mounting assembly comprises a mounting bracket, a bracket shaft, a first hinge plate, a second hinge plate, and a mounting strap;
- the actuating mechanism comprises a caliper lever, a break-over-center lever, and a link member;
- the ratchet drum being positioned within the winch frame;
- the winch shaft traversing through the winch frame and the ratchet drum;
- the winch shaft being permanently connected to the ratchet drum;
- the winch shaft being rotatably connected to the winch frame;
- the brake disc being axially connected to the winch shaft;
- the brake disc being positioned into the caliper bracket;
- the caliper bracket being adjacently connected to the winch frame;
- the mounting assembly being adjacently positioned to the winch frame opposite the ratchet drum;
- the mounting bracket being adjacently connected to the winch frame;
- the bracket shaft being connected along the mounting bracket;
- the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate being pivotally connected to the bracket shaft;
- the mounting strap being attached to both the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate;
- the tensioning cable being connected to the ratchet drum;
- the tensioning cable being coiled around the ratchet drum; and
- the wire grabber being attached to the tensioning cable opposite the ratchet drum.
17. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 16 comprises:
- the pair of brake pads and the actuating mechanism being positioned within the caliper bracket;
- the brake disc being positioned in between the pair of brake pads;
- the break-over-center lever being pivotally connected to the caliper bracket;
- the link member being pivotally connected to both the break-over-center lever and the caliper lever; and
- the caliper lever being operatively coupled to the pair of brake pads, wherein pulling on the break-over-center lever forces the pair of brake pads to clamp around the brake disc.
18. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 16 comprises:
- the pair of brake pads frictionally engaging the brake disc.
19. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 16 comprises:
- the winch assembly further comprises an adjoining gear;
- the ratchet drum comprises a gear end;
- the adjoining gear being rotatably mounted to the winch frame;
- the adjoining gear engaging the gear end;
- the winch crank axially engaging the adjoining gear;
- the winch crank being positioned adjacent to the winch frame opposite the caliper bracket;
- the gear end being positioned adjacent to the winch crank; and
- the pawl being pivotally connected to the winch frame around the gear end.
20. The fence stretcher as claimed in claim 19 comprises:
- the pawl engaging the gear end, wherein the ratchet drum may only rotate about the winch shaft in one direction.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 16, 2013
Publication Date: Feb 20, 2014
Inventor: Ryan Kristian Oland (Salome, AZ)
Application Number: 13/968,747
International Classification: E04H 17/26 (20060101);