Wire twisting tool

Abstract

An improved wire twisting tool for use in the assembly of fences.

1 . A wire twisting tool comprising: 
 at least one housing element;    a ratchet wheel including a toothed edge and a fence wire receiving slot, seated within said at least one housing element;    a wire engagement portion, fixed with respect to said ratchet wheel, for rotation together therewith, operative to slidably receive and engage a fence attachment wire; and    a lever which is pivotably mounted onto said at least one housing element and which is operative to engage said ratchet wheel and prevent movement thereof in a first rotational direction.    
   
   
       2 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 1 , and wherein said at least one housing element also comprises a handle portion.  
   
   
       3 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 1  and wherein said at least one housing element comprises at least one retaining portion, wherein said ratchet wheel is seated within said at least one retaining portion.  
   
   
       4 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 3 , and wherein said at least one retaining portion also comprises at least one generally circular protrusion, and said ratchet wheel includes at least one generally circular positioning protrusion, such that said generally circular positioning protrusion is seated within said at least one generally circular protrusion of said at least one retaining portion.  
   
   
       5 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 1  and wherein said fence wire receiving slot extends to a fence wire receiving location which is generally at the center of said ratchet wheel.  
   
   
       6 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 1  and wherein said lever comprises a tooth engaging surface which is operative to engage said toothed edge of said ratchet wheel.  
   
   
       7 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 6 , and wherein said tooth engaging surface is urged by a spring into engagement with said toothed edge of said ratchet wheel.  
   
   
       8 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 7  and wherein said spring biases said lever.  
   
   
       9 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 1  and wherein said lever is operative to permit movement of said ratchet wheel in a second rotational direction.  
   
   
       10 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 1  and wherein said at least one housing element comprises two housing elements.  
   
   
       11 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 10 , and wherein said two housing elements are held together by a plurality of fasteners, thus retaining said ratchet wheel and said lever between said two housing elements.  
   
   
       12 . A wire twisting tool according to  claim 1  and wherein said wire engagement portion is fixed with respect to said ratchet wheel for rotation therewith about a rotation axis intersecting said fence wire receiving slot.  
   
   
       13 . A method for assembling a fence, comprising: 
 positioning a wire twisting tool such that a fence wire extends through a fence wire receiving slot of said wire twisting tool;    inserting an attachment wire to extend through a wire engagement portion formed on a ratchet wheel of said wire twisting tool;    rotating said wire twisting tool in a first rotational direction about said fence wire, producing corresponding rotation of said ratchet wheel, the wire engagement portion and the attachment wire inserted therethrough;    rotating said wire twisting tool in a second rotational direction, without producing rotation of the ratchet wheel; and    repeating the foregoing rotating in a first rotational direction and rotating in a second rotational direction steps, until desired winding of the attachment wire about said fence wire is achieved.    
   
   
       14 . A method for assembling a fence according to  claim 13 , and wherein said fence wire extends transversely to said wire twisting tool.  
   
   
       15 . A method for assembling a fence according to  claim 13 , and wherein said rotating said wire twisting tool in a first rotational direction comprises counterclockwise motion.  
   
   
       16 . A method for assembling a fence according to  claim 13  and wherein said rotating said wire twisting tool in a first rotational direction results in twisting said attachment wire about one-quarter turn.  
   
   
       17 . A method for assembling a fence according to  claim 13 , and wherein said rotating said wire twisting tool in a second rotational direction comprises clockwise motion.