Wire tie system for twisting drop wires for suspended grid ceilings

Abstract

A wire tie system for suspended ceilings utilizing a twisting hand tool having a power driven spindle located in a casing including means for gripping a wire and twisting same and a wire tie vise for securing and tying a free end of wire to a clip. The wire tie vise comprises a frame with a clamping device for holding a free end of a wire and a chuck designed to hold a clip and wire inserted therethrough forming a loop and twisting same to secure the clip on the loop. The twisting hand tool device includes a housing and an adapter mountable to an electric drill or an integral drill unit There is a slot in the spindle that extends from an outer periphery thereof in a direction toward the spindles axis of rotation. A first wire length can be placed in the slot with the tool being located intermediate opposite terminal ends of the wire. A second wire length is insertable into and through a hole in the spindle that is spaced radially from the spindle rotational axis. A cordless electric drill mounts on the housing and drives the spindle to thereby twist the wire piece through the hole around the wire in the slot.

1 . A wire twisting tool comprising
 a housing;   a wire twisting spindle mounted on said housing for rotation about a predetermined axis of rotation, said spindle having first and second spaced apart openings there through for receiving therein respective first and second wire lengths; and   driving means mounted on said housing and connected to said spindle for use in rotating the same and thereby twist together wires extending through said first and second openings.   
     
     
         2 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 1  wherein said first opening in said spindle comprises a slot extending, inwardly from an outer peripheral edge thereof in a direction toward said axis of rotation. 
     
     
         3 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 2  wherein said spindle comprises a first disc like member, wherein said driving means comprises a second disc like member and means interconnecting said disc like members causing the same to rotate in unison. 
     
     
         4 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 3  wherein said means interconnecting said disc like members comprises gear teeth around the outer periphery of the disc like members with such gear teeth disposed in inter-meshing relation. 
     
     
         5 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 1  wherein said driving means comprises a drive train having a spindle gripingly engagable by the chuck of an electric drill. 
     
     
         6 . A tool for use in twisting a wire end piece, extending through a suspended ceiling frame piece, around a stationary portion of such wire depending downwardly from overhead components of a building, said tool comprising a housing, a wire twisting spindle, means mounting said spindle on said housing for rotation about a first axis, slot means in said spindle extending inwardly from an outer periphery thereof in a direction toward said first axis for receiving therein said stationary wire, an opening extending through said spindle for inserting therein said wire tail piece and means operatively engaging said spindle for use in driving the same about said first axis. 
     
     
         7 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 6  wherein said spindle comprises a first disc like member having gear teeth around the outer periphery thereof and wherein said means operatively engaging the same comprises a second gear. 
     
     
         8 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 7  wherein said second gear is a disc like member rotatably mounted on said housing for rotation about a second axis disposed parallel to said first axis. 
     
     
         9 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 8  wherein said housing comprises a casing enclosing said disc like members and including a slot in said casing, said casing slot located to align with said slot means in said spindle when the latter is in a predetermined rotational position. 
     
     
         10 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 9  including power means drivingly connected to said spindle. 
     
     
         11 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 10  wherein said power means is detachably mounted on said casing. 
     
     
         12 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 9  including means causing alignment of said slots to occur upon simultaneously with said spindle coming to an at rest stationary state. 
     
     
         13 . A wire twisting tool comprising: a housing, first and second gears jounalled on said housing and inter-meshing for respectively a driven and drive relation, a slot in said first gear for receiving a first wire, said slot extending from an outer periphery of said first gear in a direction toward its axis of rotation, a first opening through said first gear for inserting a second wire, said slot and first opening being disposed in selected spaced apart relation, and motor drive means mounted on said housing and drivingly connected to said second gear for twisting together wires extending through said slot and first opening in said first gear. 
     
     
         14 . A wire twisting tool as defined in  claim 13  wherein said motor drive means is detachably mounted on said housing 
     
     
         15 . A wire tie system for suspended ceilings, comprising:
 a hand held electric drill hand tool having a chuck for cooperatively engaging a spindle;   an adapter including a power driven spindle located in a casing including means for gripping a wire and twisting same and a wire tie vise for securing and tying a free end of wire to a clip;   said housing of said adapter including a slot in the extending from an outer periphery thereof in a direction toward the spindles axis of rotation;   a gear disposed within said housing and driven by said spindle, said gear including a slot extending from a central bore to its outer periphery and said gear including at least one bore hole through said a face;   said slot in said housing and said slot in said gear being alignable one with another;   a stationary wire extending through said slot in said housing and said gear into said central bore;   a free distal end of said wire forming a loop and extending through at least one hole in said face of said gear;   whereby actuating rotation of said drill twists said free end of said wire around a stationary portion of said wire.