Apparatus for dispensing and tensioning wire

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the guide (27) is disposed to one side of the pivot point (35) and the abutment (33) of the lever arm member is disposed to the opposite side of the pivot point of the lever arm member.

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the guide (27) and abutments (13,33) extend upwardly from a lower frame member (5, 25) of the frame or the lever arm.

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the lever arm (21) comprises two substantially parallel arm members (23, 25) connected by the at least one abutment (33) and the guide (27).

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the guide (27) is of circular cross section.

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a lower guide (29) extending beyond the aforesaid guide (27) to prevent wire from slipping off the guide.

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the pivot axis (35) for the lever arm (21) is in a vertical plane.

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the abutments (13, 33) and guide or guides (27) are parallel to the pivot axis (35).

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the frame (1) comprises upper and lower members (3, 5) connected by inter-connecting members (7, 9, 11, 13) at least one of which comprises the frame abutment (13).

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein, in use, the lever arm (21) is arranged to extend to one side of the frame so as to position the play-out guide to one side of the vehicle to which the apparatus is attached.

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the pivot connection between the lever arm member (21) and the frame (1) is readily releasable to allow the lever arm member to be re-positioned into a non-operative transport position.

A method of installing wire fencing using an apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising mounting the apparatus on a vehicle, mounting at least one coil of wire on the apparatus and threading the wire through the play-out path with the lever arm locked in its first operative position, the free end of the wire being secured to a post, the method further comprising moving the vehicle in a desired direction and a desired distance causing wire to play-out from the coil and then causing the lever arm member to adopt its second operative position and moving the vehicle further in the chosen direction by sufficient distance to actuate the clamp action of the lever arm to inhibit play-out of wire from the coil, and thereafter continuing to move the vehicle to tension the length of wire to a sufficient degree, providing one or more securing posts for the wire and securing the wire to the one or more of the posts to maintain the tension therein.