1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wire twisting apparatus and, particularly, to hand held apparatus which can be applied to a working section of an elongated electric harness, operated to twist the harness to the desired extent, then be removed after the twist has been secured in the harness, all with minimal effort.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical of known apparatus for imparting twist to a plurality of wire strands generally about their longitudinal axes is the disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,599 to Clark. In the instance of the patented construction, the wire twister is said to find particular usefulness for tensioning multi-strand wires to secure a load to a truck or other vehicle.
Also known is the construction related in U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,391 which discloses a three-handled hand twister that opens and closes to engage and disengage the wire. The manipulation of the twisting devise therein disclosed is cumbersome and is further handicapped because the wire tension obtainable is dependent upon the strength of the user.
There are numerous examples of wire twisting devices for effectively tightening wire used in connection with concrete molding forms. Typical of these are the U.S. patents, U.S. Pat. No. 1,822,833 to Wilkins, U.S. Pat. No. 1,736,781 to Drews, U.S. Pat. No. 1,714,387 to Martinet, U.S. Pat. No. 1,511,237 to Shreckengast, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,438,650 to Johnson. Once again, the tension obtainable in each of these instances is dependent upon the strength of the user.
To maintain flexibility in an electrical harness it is customarily twisted along its length. The twisting process requires twisting the harness in a clockwise direction for a certain length, then twisting it in the counterclockwise direction for another certain length. This process is then repeated throughout the entire length of the electrical harness.
Presently, in customary fashion, assemblers manually twist the wires of an electrical harness progressively along its length in one direction at a time, beginning at a free end. This long and tedious process can be shortened drastically by inserting the tool at a transition area, that is, intermediate the ends of the harness being operated upon. Once the head of a twisting tool begins turning, it will operate to twist the harness in a clockwise direction on one side of the tool and in a counterclockwise direction on the other side.
It was in light of the state of the technology as just discussed that the present invention was conceived and has now been reduced to practice.