WIRE-STRETCHING DEVICE

DESCRIPTION

The present invention refers to a wire-stretching device, in particular for stretching wires of framework structures intended to support vine- shoots or branches of plants in general, e.g. in the case of fruit trees.

In agricultural applications in general, and in the vineyard sector, i.e. viniculture in particular, it is a generally known practice to provide and set up proper support structures for the plants, said structures being in general comprised of rows of poles stuck into the ground so as to form corresponding rows of vines or fruit plants in general. The poles themselves are spaced from each other and are interconnected at the portions thereof protruding from the ground by means of one or more horizontal wires, generally termed tie-wires or scaffold wires in the art, which act as a support for the vine-shoots or the branches of the plants, depending on the actual kind of plantation.

A largely known method used to firmly fix such poles in position is based on introducing an end portion of each wire in appropriate through- bores provided in each pole in the portion thereof that protrudes from the ground. The wire is then locked in place at the first pole in the row by means of a clasp and is stretched out tightly by means of a wire-stretching

device placed at the opposite end portion of the wire, i.e. at the last pole in the row.

A prior-art wire-stretching device of the above-noted kind comprises a solid cylindrical member that is provided with two through-bores extending transversally to the longitudinal axis thereof, of which one is intended to receive and accommodate an end portion of the wire to be stretched and the other one to enable a clasp to be inserted therein in view of holding the cylindrical member firmly against the pole. The end portions of this kind of wire-stretching device include facets for a proper tool, such as for instance a box or socket wrench, to be able to engage them in view of rotatably driving the wire-stretching device and causing the wire to be stretched to wind up round the body of the device.

A major drawback encountered with the wire-stretching device of the above-described kind lies in the fact that, after it has been introduced in the proper through-bore, the wire to be wound round the cylindrical body protrudes from the same cylindrical body, thereby causing the wire support pole to undergo scratches and similar damages, as well as the operator to suffer injuries when winding and stretching the wire. The scratches, which a pole may undergo under the circumstances, are particularly undesired when the pole is made of a zinc-plated metal material, since such scratches cause the anti-corrosion coating layer to be removed and, as a result, rusting processes to be quickly triggered there.

A further drawback encountered with the wire-stretching device of the above-described kind lies in the fact that, owing to a single through-bore being provided to accommodate the locking clasp, the number of the positions in which the wire-stretching device may be locked in place against a support member, such as for instance a pole, is reduced to just two. The clasp will not in fact be able to be accommodated in the through- bore if - upon the wire wound about the body of the device having eventually reached the desired stretching or tensioning - such through-

bore ends up by being oriented towards the support member, instead of lying in a parallel arrangement relative thereto.

With a device such as the above-described one, it therefore turns out as being rather awkward and difficult for a wire to be stretched to a correct tensioning level by adequately and correspondingly rotating the cylindrical body of the device.

It therefore is the object of the present invention to provide a wire stretching device, which is effective in doing away with the drawbacks and disadvantages of prior-art wire stretching or tensioning devices.

Within this object, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide a wire stretching device that is capable of being associated to the end portion of a wire in a manner that the latter does not impart any physical damage or injury to either the operator or the members used to support the wire to be stretched.

It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide a wire stretching device that enables the tensioning degree of the wire being stretched to be accurately and finely adjusted, wherein the same wire stretching device allows for tools of a number different kinds to be used in view of operating it.

According to the present invention, these aims as set forth above are reached in a wire stretching device that incorporates the features and characteristics as recited in the appended claim 1. Features and advantages of the present invention will anyway be more readily understood from the description that is given below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire stretching device according to the present invention, as viewed with the related detent removed;

- Figure 2 is a perspective view of a wire stretching device, on which there is wound a wire;

- Figure 3 is a side view of the wire stretching device shown in Figure 2, as viewed in an arrangement in which it is mounted to a wire support member.

With reference to the above-noted Figures, the wire stretching device according to the present invention comprises a substantially cylindrical body 1 , in which there is provided a first through-bore 2 extending in a transversal direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the body 1. This first through-bore 2 is intended to accommodate the end portion of a wire 3 and, to this particular purpose, the body 1 is made so as to be hollow in a region 4 all around the first through-bore 2. In this manner, the end portion of the wire can be kept enclosed within the body 1 of the device and - accordingly - be prevented from protruding therefrom and - accordingly - from getting in the way of or hampering an operator when winding the wire round the same body 1 of the wire stretching device. The wire stretching device further comprises a detent 5, which may for instance be provided in the form of a rod bent into the shape of substantially a L. This detent 5 is intended to enable the wire stretching device to be secured on to a wire support member 6, such as for instance a pole, in which there is provided a cavity 7 for the wire 3 to pass therethrough.

A plurality of second through-bores 8, which extend transversally to the longitudinal axis of the body 1 , are distributed at an angle relative to each other on the outer surface 9 of the same body. In other words, given a datum or reference on a cross section of the body 1 , the positions of the axes of said second through-bores 8 define differing angles relative to such datum or reference. Thanks to such configuration, the detent 5 may therefore be introduced in any of said second through-bores 8 as more appropriate, thereby allowing for a greater accuracy in adjusting the

tension of the wire 3, i.e. stretching the wire 3 to the desired degree of tensioning. In fact, all it takes for a wire 3 passing through the cavity 7 of a support member 6 to be stretched to the desired degree of tensioning is to insert and accommodate the end portion of the wire 3 in the first through-bore 2 and wind up the wire round the body 1 by rotatably actuating the latter about the longitudinal axis thereof. When the wire is eventually stretched to the due or desired degree of tensioning, the body 1 of the wire stretching device will lie close to, i.e. against the wire support member 6 and the detent 5 will therefore be able to be inserted in the first one of said second through-bores 8 that is not obstructed by the presence of the support member 6. Providing said second through-bores 8 in an adequately high number all along the body 1 increases the possibility for at least one of them to be in any case available to receive the detent 5 in a position that is adequate in view of preventing the wire 3 from - albeit slightly - unwinding to practically thwart to effect of the previously reached due tensioning of the same wire 3.

The second through-bores 8 may be distributed on the outer surface 9 of the body 1 according to and along a same circumference. Alternatively, the second through-bores 8 may be distributed on the outer surface 9 of the body 1 according to a helical, i.e. spiralling pattern. In other words, the axes of the through-bores 8, further to defining different angles relative to a common datum or reference established in a cross section of the body 1, lie also spaced from each other along the longitudinal extension of the body 1 itself.

To facilitate winding the wire 3 round the body 1 of the wire stretching device, the end portions 10 and 11 of the same device may be given a hexagonally shaped conformation. In this way, they may form a practical gripping surface for a spanner or wrench engaging the device to conveniently operate it. In an equally advantageous manner, the entire body 1 may be made hollow, so that even an Allen wrench, or the like, may be inserted in one of said end portions 10, 11 to rotate the body 1

when winding the wire 3.

According to a preferred embodiment thereof, the first through-bore 2 is provided in a first extremity region 12 of the body 1 , whereas the plurality of second through-bores 8 are provided in a second extremity region 13 of the same body 1 lying opposite to said first region 12. Such configuration is effective in enabling the detent 5 to be conveniently inserted and positioned to lock-up the device, without this being hampered by the presence of the turns of wound wire 3.

Fully apparent from the above description is therefore the ability of the present invention to effectively reach the aims and advantages cited afore, by providing a wire stretching device that enables the degree of tensioning to be imparted to a wire to be ajusted in a very accurate manner. The device according to the present invention is provided so as to be able to accommodate the end portion of the wire to be stretched within the body of the same device, so that it will cause neither the operator nor the wire support member, against which the wire stretching device is locked in place, to suffer physical damages or injuries.

Fully apparent from the above description is also the ability of the wire stretching device according to the present invention to be advantageously operated by means of any of a variety of tools, such as for instance an Allen wrench, a spanner, a fork wrench or face spanner, and the like.

It should be noticed that the materials used, as well as the shapes and the sizing of the individual items of the apparatus of the invention, may each time be selected so as to more appropriately meet the particular requirements or suit the particular application.