US1161695A

US1161695A - Automatic cable or track lock for suspended lines or tracks, and a cable-support.

Info

Publication number: US1161695A
Application number: US3342315A
Authority: US
Inventors: George E La Forest
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1915-06-10
Filing date: 1915-06-10
Publication date: 1915-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 1932-11-23

Description

G. E. LA FOREST. AUTOMATIC CABLE on TRACK L 0cK FOR susmmsn LINES 0R TRA'CKS, AND A CABLE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l0. I9l5.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

G. E. LA FOREST. AUTOMATIC CABLE 0R TRACK LOCK FOR SUSPENDED LINES 0R TRACKS,

AND A CABLE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. I9I5.

Patented Nov. 23. 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET-2.

Elma

GEORGE a. LA FOREST, or BovILII, gmmo.

AUTOMATIC CABLE OR TRACK LOOK FOR SUSPENDED LINES OR TRACKS, A CABLE- SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE E. LA FOREST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bovill, in the county of Latah and State of Idaho, have invented a new and useful Automatic Cable or Track Lock for Suspended Lines or Tracks, and a Cable-Support, of which invention the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to improvements in elevated carriers which are adapted to be suspended from and travel on overhead cables or tracks and more particularly to trolle s.

The main object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for preventin the trolley or carrier from leaving the cale or track and thus avoiding accidents, and this is accomplished by automatically locking the trolley or carrier to the cable during its passage thereover and across the support for the cable.

Another object is to provide a cable support so constructed that it will permit the passage of the trolleycarrier over it without releasing the lock.

With these and numerous other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a trolley constructed in accordance with this invention, the same being shown in a position ready to engage a cable support to be hereinafter described; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the trolley in engagement with the cable support; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a rearelevation of the trolley head to be hereinafter described.

In the embodiment illustrated, around ward its ends to form wedge-like noses 3 i and 4 for a purpose to be described. The arm is connected with this segment midway its ends and is here shown pivotally connected therewith to provide for the oscillation of the cable which it is designed to support without danger of breaking the arm of the connection of the segment with the arm. The straight edge 5 of this segment 2 is shown grooved longitudinally throughout to form a seat 6 for receiving the cable C which it is designed to supportand which may be connected thereto by any suitable means. laterally from the edges of the groove or seat 6 throughout the length of the straight OFFICE.

V Patented Nov. 23, 1915. Application filed June 10, 1915. Serial No. 33,423.

Flanges 7 and ,8 extend insertion in the trolley or carrier hanger as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The trolley hanger 10 here shown is arcuate or semi-circular in cross section and has an overhanging housing 11 at its upper edge and a slotted lower edge for the reception and connection therewith of the trolley pole or other support to be connected with said carrier 10, it being of course understood that it need not necessarily be used in connection with a trolley but might be employed for any form of carrier which is designed to travel on an elevated track.

The overhanging housing 11 as shown comprises a depending flange 12 spaced laterally from the inner wall of the housing and on the inner face of which is mounted laterally extending fixed cable locking plates 13 and l t spaced suitable distances apart and arranged in alinement and with which are designed to cooperate spring I pressed segmental locking plates 15 and 16,

the curved edges 17 of which are arranged 7 adjacent the fixed locking plates and are designed to contact therewith, at a point intermediate of their ends, the terminals of said plates 15 and 16 flaring or being curved away from the fixed locking plates. The fixed plates also have their ends curved so that when the two are engaged, V-shaped or substantially V-shaped months will be plates to facilitate the passage of the formed at opposite ends of the contacting.

the wedge-shaped or pointed noses 3 and 4 of said supports 2 being designed to enter between these locking plates and force the movable plates sufiiciently away from the stationary plates to permit the hanger to pass over said support without entirely unlocking said hanger from .the cable. These segmental locking plates 15 and 16 are here shown with longitudinally spaced pins 18 extending laterally from their straight edges and slidably mounted in apertures 19 formed in the upright wall of the hanger 10, said pins having their free ends extending through said hanger wall and held in operative engagement therewith by pins 20 extending transversely through said pins or they may besecured in any suitable manner. Coil springs 21 are mounted on the pins 18 between the inner faces of the upright wall of the hanger and the straight edges of the plate and exert their tension to normally force said plates 15 and 16 toward the stationary plates 13 and 14: to yieldably hold them in engagement with said plates. The inner faces of the plates 15 and 16 bear against the straight lower faces of the flange 8 and the inner faces of' the stationary plates bear against the straight lower faces of the flange 7 so that the hanger is reliably guided in its passage over said shoe, the cable C entering grooves in

pulleys

22 and 23 which are mounted in the hanger in a plane above and in alinement with the yieldable locking plates 15 and 16 when the latter are in closed position, the edges of the pulleys extending down over the cable C and engaging the inclined upper face ofthe shoe flanges whereby the hanger is reliably engaged with the cable and its support and held against all possibility ofdisengagement during its passage over said support, the coaction of the fixed and movable locking plates with the flanges of the shoe, serving to prevent all possibility of the hanger becoming disengaged from the cable or jumping the track.

From the above description it willbe .obvious that when thehanger 10 which is being propelled over the cable or track C (reaches one of the cable supporting shoes 2,

the beveled nose of said shoe which is disposed in the path of'said hanger will enter between the fixed and movable locking plates and the continued movement of the hanger over said shoe will cause the movable plates to be forced away from the stationary plates a suflicient distance to permit the hanger to pass freely thereover, while at the same time being held in locked engagement therewith by' means of cooperation of the looking plates with the flanges of the shoe as above described. After the hanger passes one of the cablesupporting shoes 2, the movable locking plates 15 and 16 will automatically move into engagement with the stationary locking plates and thus securely lock the hanger to the cable.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a carrier of the class described, the combination of a hanger having a track lock comprising fixed and spring pressed plates normally held in yielding contact, said plates being arranged in the same horizontal plane and having outwardly curved ends forming flared mouths at their opposite ends to provide for the entrance between them of a track support.

2. In a carrier of the class described the combination of a hanger having a track lock comprising a fixed plate and a spring pressed movable plate normally held in yielding contact with said fixed plate, said plates having flared mouths at their opposite ends, and a track support having a wedge-shaped nose for entrance into said flared mouths.

3. In a carrier of the class described the combination of a hanger having a track lock comprising a fixed plate and a spring pressed movable plate normally held in yielding contact with said fixed plate, said plates having flared mouths at their opposite ends, a track support having a wedgeshaped nose for entrance into said flared mouths, and means for locking said track support in engagement with said hanger during the passage of the hanger thereover.

4. In a device of the class described the combination of a hanger having an upright wall, a housing extending laterally from one side thereof and open throughout its bottom, pulleys revolubly mountedin the top of said housing, and cooperating track lockin plates mounted in said housing below sai pulleys, one of said plates being fixed and the other movable laterally relative thereto.

5. In a device of the class described the combination of a hanger having an upright wall, a housing extending laterally from one side thereof and open throughout its bottom, pulleys revolubly mounted in the top of said housing, cooperating track locking plates mounted in said housing below said pulleys, one of said plates being fixed and the other movable, laterally relative thereto, and springs mounted to normally force said movable plates toward said fixed plates.

6. In a device of the class described the combination of ahanger having an upright wall, a housing extending laterally from one side thereof and openthroughout its bottom, pulleys revolubly mounted in the top of said housing, cooperating track locking plates mounted in said housing below said pulleys, one of said plates being fixed and the other movable laterally relative thereto, said movable plates being in the form of segments having their curved edges disposed toward the fixed plates, pins extending laterally from the straight edge of each of said movable plates andoslidably mounted in the upright wall of said hanger, and springs mounted on said pins between the straight .edge of said plates and the inner face of the upright wall of. the hangerwhereby said movable plates are yieldably held in contact with said fixed plates.

7. In a device of the class described the combination of a hanger havingan upright Wall, a housin extending laterally from one side thereof, rid open throughout its bottom,pulleys revolubly mounted in the top of said housing, cooperating track locking plates mounted in said housing below said pulleys, one of said plates being fixed and the other movable laterally relative thereto,

said movable plates being in the form of segments having their curved edges disposed toward the fixed -plates, pins extending laterally from the straight edge of each of said.

movable plates and slidably mounted in the upright wall of said hanger, and springs mounted on said pins between the straight edge of said plates and the inner face of the upright wall of the hanger whereby said movable plates are yieldably held in contact with said fixed plates, the opposite ends of said fixedvplates being flared to form in connection with the flared ends of the movable plates, V-shap'ed mouths.

8. In a device of the class described a hanger including an upright wall with an overhanging housing on oneside thereof at itsupper edge, said housing being open throughout its lower face, vpulleys revolubly mounted in said housing, laterallyextending fixed locking plates mounted on the inner wall of said housing, a laterally extending shoulder on the other wall of said housing r in a plane above said fixed plates, and spring pressed locking plates mounted in said housin'g opposite said fixed plates and adapted to yieldably engage'said fixed plates, and means for facilitating the entrance of a cable support between the fixed and movable a seat formed in the straight edge of said shoe and adapted tobe connected. with the cable or track to be supported.

10. The combination with a hanger havin being yieldably held in contact with the fixed plate, a cable support comprising a segmental shoe having its grooved edge beveled on both faces to provide entrance noses at its opposite ends for insertion between the' fixed and movable plates of the hanger, a seat formed in the straight edge of said shoe and adapted to be connected with the cable or track to be supported, said shoe having. laterally extending flanges on 7 its straight edge and said hanger havingvcooperating means for engaging said flanges to lock the hanger in engagement with the shoe during its passage thereover.

GEORGE E. LA FOREST. Witnesses: A C. T. Kmem, Z ALLAN LAMPHERE.

cooperating plates, the movable plate.