TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a wire tie off tool and related procedures and uses.

BACKGROUND ART

A traditional fencing operation requires a wire to be tied off at a strainer or post or to be tied off as a feature of a join between looped ends. Traditional wire tie off tools have been heavy or overly relied upon the expertise of the fencer. One form of wire tie off tool hitherto used is a simple bar that a user hold against and rotates about the wire but requires the wire tie off region to have been cut sufficiently close to its final tie off length so that it can be threaded through an aperture as a wire engagement feature. Sucli apparatus however we believe does not provide the speed and flexibility of usage that a fencer requires. Moreover it does not have provision for locating a fulcrum relative to the circumscribed wire. Whilst reference herein to fencing refers to wire tie off situations associated with fencing, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that wire tie off procedures are required in other situations and therefore the tool is not simply for fencing purposes. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tool which offers a tie off procedure having features of simplicity and/or ease of use.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In one aspect the present invention is a wire tie off tool in the form of a component or an assembly to provide a first-order (or alternatively second-order) lever system using the component or assembly on a wire as the fulcrum about which the wire tie off as the load is to be wound, wherein there is at least one of (a) an engagement provision for the wire tie off region that does not require threading through an aperture, (b) there is provision to locate the wire as the fulcrum against component or assembly without sliding towards the load even as the fulcrum point migrates about the wire, and/or (c) there is provision to locate the component or assembly to the wire as it rotates thereon. In another aspect the present invention consists in a wire tie off tool comprising or including interrelated components adapted to sandwich or clasp (hereafter "sandwich") a wire ("the wire") about which a tie off wire is to be wound to define a lever adapted to define one or more predetermined lever fulcrum at the wire in such sandwiching mode, and a wire engagement feature spaced from any such lever fulcrum adapted, upon rotation of the tool on such wire, thereby to migrate the fulcrum about the wire,, of carrying a wire tie off region about the wire, the arrangement being such that the interrelated components can be fulcrum associated with a said wire and the tie off wire region can be associated with said wire engagement feature whereby, with rotation of the tool on such wire, the wire tie off region can be wound about the wire. It is envisaged that the wire tie off region usually will be an end region of the same length of wire part of which is said wire about which the wire tie off region is to be wound. Preferably said interrelated components are components that articulate one with the other. Preferably said articulation is a hinging or pivot relationship and such hinging or pivot axis is parallel to the intended lever fulcrum axis. Preferably one or both component includes a feature to locate the wire upon sandwiching of the wire by the interrelated components. In one aspect a groove or grooves or other profiling features to a like end can be provided so as to provide location of a wire for the purpose of rotation of the sandwiching components thereabout thereby to use the wire engagement feature to force the wire tie off region about the wire. If desired, the tool with its defined with respect to its lever or length and despite the rotational axis provided by the lever fulcrum axis and/or the wire which the interrelated components are to sandwich migrating about the wire has the wire engagement feature as an extension of a hinging or pivot axis feature of the interrelated components. Whilst preferably the arrangement is such that the wire engagement feature and the lever fulcrum axis to be provided by a wire/interrelated component interaction is a first order lever system, a second order lever system can instead be utilised i.e. in the later case the interrelated components has the wire engagement feature closer to the handling region of the components during tie off than the rotational axis. In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a wire tie off tool, adapted to operate as a lever of a first order system when on a wire (as the fulcrum.) about which (e.g. under the action of a wire tie off feature) a wire tie off region (as the load) of the wire is to be wound, the apparatus enabling, at one or more predetermined location(s) (with respect to the lever of or the tool) a lever fulcrum axis, albeit optionally immigratable about the wire, to be defined on the wire and having spaced from that axis at any time a wire engagement feature. Preferably the apparatus involves interrelated components to define the sufficiently stable axis for the wire to lie as the fulcrum with its periphery. Preferably the wire tie off feature is a projection. Preferably said projection is a hinging pin between the interrelated or mutually hinged components. In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a wire tie off tool having features or a feature substantially herein described with reference to any one or more the accompanying drawings. hi yet a further aspect the present invention consist in a wire tie off procedure substantially herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompany drawings. In still a further aspect the present invention consist in a method of tying off a wire [such as in a fencing situation (whether about a strainer post or the like or a connection between wire ends)], said method comprising or including the steps of bending the wire and presenting it so as to provide a wire tie off region adjacent to the wire about which is to be wound, and, in that condition, rotating the wire end region about the wire reliant on a Λvire tie off tool as previously defined, the wire tie off tool having a lever fulcrum axis arising from its interaction with the wire kept spaced from the wire engagement feature. In yet a further aspect the present invention consist in a wire tied off by a method in accordance with the present invention and/or using a wire tie off tool in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows in an open condition a preferred apparatus in accordance with the present invention being in the form of two components hingedly interconnected, the wire engagement feature being preferably an extension of a hinge pin, and the means by which the wire about which the apparatus (when folded to sandwieϊi the wire) is to rotate having at least one and preferably two grooves within which the wire can be located, Figure 2 is a similar view to that of Figure 1 sho-wing a wire about which a tie off wire 5 region is to be wound located in one of two grooves or profile features of one component, Figure 3 is a similar view to that of Figure 2 showing the wire closer to the sleeve components of the hinging feature, Figure 2 and 3 showing the nature of an initial engagement of a tie off wire with the wire engagement feature, which such engagement need not occur until after the further most flap of the hinge like feature is closed back so as to effect the sandwiching 0 of the wire, Figure 4 shows the interrelated or articulated or hinged components folded to provide a lever system of the first order at which condition the tie off wire region would normally be engaged or have been engaged with the wire engagement feature, Figure 5 shows the effect of rotation of the arrangement as in Figure 4 in the arrowed 5 direction shown in Figure 4 where the fulcrum axis of the top most flap located against sliding by the ridges defining the groove on the other flap prevents migration of the zone of the tool in which the wire lies so as to maintain the mechanical advantage required for the preferred first order lever system contemplated, and Figure 6 shows a tied off wire which can be cut to length if desired. ,0 In the preferred form of the present invention the apparatus is substantially as in Figure 1 having a first component 1, a second component 2 and liinging member 3 which extends to a wire engagement feature 4 not requiring the tie off wire region 5 to have been threadingly associated therewith. As can be seen, the sleeve part 6 is integral with the hinge flap 1 which carries a first ;5 channel 7 defined by ridges 8 and 9 or a second channel 10 defined by the ridge 9 and the sleeve member 6 of the flap 1 and the sleeve member 11 of the flap 2. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate how, If desired, other profiles can be used including simply projections, teeth etc. so as to define -when closed as in Figure 4 a means whereby the wire axis I-I can preferably not migrate with respect to the tool or the lever 13 0 closer to the feature, or the axis of the feature, 4 in wnich the tie off region 5 is preferably associated when the apparatus is in a condition as shown in Figure 4. Such engagement would occur not previously as shown in Figures 2 and 3 but substantially of the sandwiching but optionally can be associated at that early stage if desired. The wire 14 it can be seen, if circular, provides a circumferential surface on which a contact point (the fulcrum) with for example the underside of the flap 2 makes contact thereby to provide a migrating rotational axis for the rotation of the arrangement in the arrowed direction of Figure 4 thereby upon a number of rotations achieving a winding of the tie off region as shown in Figure 5 prior to removal of the tool by simple opening of it. hi some forms of the present invention an articulating form need not be utilised, hi such other embodiments a simple member with an appropriate profile may be engaged with appropriate cut-outs, up-stands, etc to achieve some association at a preferred axis of the wire with respect to the lever thus formed on the fulcrum defined by the wire yet to hold the wire engagement feature at a predetermined spaced distance therefrom, such wire feature preferably not requiring any threading through feature beyond, for example, a simple lifting over or the like as contemplated with the preferred apparatus. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate how a simple device such as this made of any appropriate metal or plastics material can be utilised for the purpose.