US1807229A - Cableway - Google Patents

Description

y 1931. L. s. THORNESS 1,807,229

CABLEWAY Filed Nov. 11. 1 29 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 26, 1931.

L. s. THORNESS CABLEWAY F iled Nov, 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney Patented May 26, 1931 UNIT-En STATES PATENT 0mm:

LOUIIlS S. THORNESS, OF BENTON, -WASHINGTON CABLEWAY Application filedNovember 11, 1929. Serial No. 406,178.

My invention-relatesto overhead cableways and consists -of an improvement in pendent supportssustained on upright standardsintermediate the head and tail end standards'supporting the carrying cable of the cableway. .It' is more particularly designed for application to cableways con structed for logging operations where the strain onthe carryingcable is greatly varied '10 by the dilferent weights of the loads carried thereon, although it is equally useful employed in other cableways where the loads carried are more uniform. My invention is also designed'to-take a side strain aswell as '15 a vertical strain and thus pull logs from either side of the cableway before lifting them to be carried'to landing place at the head end of the cableway.

The object of' my invention is to provide an '20 intermediate support and carriage whereby by the heavy the loadtraveling on'the cableway'may be carriedon and over the-intermediate support with ease, though-there may be some slack or droop in the carrying cable caused strain thereon. By means of my improvementit-is possible-to greatly extend the length of a cableway without increasing the size of the carrying cable.

a My invention comprises certain improve- '30 ments of construction which will be hereinafter described and then pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in the forms-of construction which are now most preferred by me and show the noveltyof the operative parts.

Figure 1 is a partial side View of a cableway in miniature showing three intermediate standards with my improvements applied thereon; Fig.2 is a-fron't side view of my improved support with the carriage at the point of going onto'and over-the support; ig. 3 is'an endviewof Fig. 2; Fig. 4; is an enlarged end view of the supporting sheave, and Fig. 5'is'a side'view of'the same;-Fig. 6 is'a vertical cross section of the carrying cable and the supporting member on the line 66 of Fig. 7 with an end view of the carriage sheave; Fig. 7 is a front side view of that partof the support at the left of line-66;

drawings.

be supported between in such a waythat it can be'd fig. '8 is-an enlarged cross section 'of the cable supporting-member at line 88 of Fig. 7 showing the thin metal strip designed to hold the 'carrying cable fixedin the saddle thereon; "Fig. 9is an enlarged side view o f the traveling carriage on which-the load is to be suspended; Fig. 10is an-endview of Fig. 9; Fig. '11 is a vertical section on the line 1111 of Fig. 9; Fig. 12 is'ahorizontal cross section on the line'12'12' of-Fig. "9 l0okmg down; Fig. '13 is a horizontal 'cro'ss'se'ction on-the line 1313 of Fig. 9 looking down ;and Fig. 14 is 'apartial'si'de view of a log and the means'of suspension ina horizontal position from the carriage.

Like numerals of referencedesignate corresponding parts in each of the figures on the In logging operations, particularly-in the 7 Northwestern States, temporary cableways are constructed to pull out the logs andearr them to a landing place for loading ontrai way'cars or other conveyances-Tlhc standards for these cableways are;provided by selecting trees o'fsuitablestrength and,fafteitrimming and topping them, to "attach the log carrying cableway supports thereto. T By selecting trees that'are in line, a cab-leway can be constructed any length desired-for practical operation. Where trees cannot'be selected in alineme lt, two trees can beselected near each other, each being on opposite sides of thecableway; and the carrying cable them.

In the logging industry there is a great difi'eren'ce in the weight of the logs'to be carried. In carrying logs that weigh several tons, more or less difliculty is experienced in pulling the log carrying carriageover the provide an intermediate support that undulates or yields to the approaching carriage rawn'over the support without undue-strainon the pulling line. in!

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 inclicates a part of a logging cableway supported on some of the intermediate standards 1-1 and a log 2 being carried thereon. The head and tail end supports and the operative power machinery are not shown. They are so well known and understood that an exhibit of them is not required.

My newly improved support is shown suspended from a bracket 3 fixed on one of the intermediate standards 1. This or any other means for suspending the support may be of size and form to meet the strain thereon and to allow the load 2 to pass clear of the standard 1. i

- My invention comprises a steel or iron rail 4 of proper strength and ofsuitable length and so formed as to curve downward in the middle and ateach end as shown in Fig. 2. The rail shown is madeofan inverted T-bar with a coved saddle seat 5 brazed on its upper edge as more-clearly shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. This rail may be made of any other stock material, such as angle iron or of rail way rails withthe cove saddle milled in the head of the rail. 7. This curved rail is supported at the two high points 6-6 by one sided link-like stirrups 77, the lower ends being pivotally'fixed into sockets brazed on the under side of the rail and the upper ends attached to the opposite ends of a short wire .rope sling 9 which is carried on the sheave 10 suspended from the bracket 3. The carryingcable 11 rests in the cove saddle 5 and is held in place by a thin metal strap 12 bolted or brazed to the rail 4. This strap is sufficiently loose to allow the carrying cable 11 to slip to the right or left as may be caused by thestr'ain thereon. These straps are at the summit of therail curves where the cable 11 will be constantly resting .in the cove saddle '5.

ously mentioned but not shown.

in a loadingbar v The load carrylng. carriage is more of a suggestion than a fixed form of construction. The two carrying sheaves 8-8 are to be spaced apart to correspond with the length of. the rail 4. The sheaves indicated are designed to vbe mounted in boiler iron hangers 13 of sufficient strengthand properly reinforced. to resist the strain thereon; The

hangers are curved. outwardly as shown in Figs. 3 and lOto pass clear of the rail '4.

They are fixed together by horizontalbars 14 These bars made .of the same material. have extending ends spread apart to enclose Over these sheaves are 16-16 operated from. the power machinery previ- V The lines pass under and around the sheaves 17 -17 18,-constructed similarly to bar 14, andhave their stable ends fixed at the points 16a. The sheaves 17 are provided with ajclevis 19 designed to receive or attach the lines 20-20 by which the log or load is ing the landing place the bar 18 is again lifted clear of the hooks'21 which are a ain pulled aside and the bar and its load is Towered to the ground.

By using the mechanism herein shown and described, it is possible to pass the loaded carriage onto andover an intermediate cableway support with comparative ease. I Asthe car riage approaches myimproved support, it is obvious that the near end of the rail'.4 will be. drawn to incline downward to meet the incline of the loaded cableway while the tautness on the opposite end will hold the rail 4 from inclining too abruptly. The first sheave 8 will roll onto the rail support with ease and after passing the first summit of the support, will roll onto the downward incline of the center and thus impart an upward lift to the cable and cause the second sheave to pass onto supporting rail with less strain than if the rail 4 did not have the downward bend at its center. In passing oifthe support the action will be reversed with the load moving under perfect control. v

It appears evident that the movement described will not be limited .to the form of carriage'shown, but willoperate equally as eifective withany other form of carriage in which the sheaves are spaced to comply with the length of the rail 4.

It is to be observed that the wire rope sling v9 suspended on the sheave 10 allows the rail 4 to undulate more effectively than if hung to a fixed pivot. It is to be further observed that the supporting bolt of the sheave 10 has a semicylindrical head which will let the sheaveswing to either side when pulling logs from either side of the cableway to be loaded thereon. i j L v I am aware that other forms of intermediate cableway supports have been devisedand used, but none to'my knowledge have a rope sling support and a curvedrail support with two summits.

My invention is not limited to logging operations, but is applicable to any cableway where either varied or uniform loads are carried. It is to be noted that my invention can be largely made of. stock materials and can be constructed at a minimum expense. It can be taken apart for taking down and 'setting'up in new fields as is required. in the logging industry. 1

Having described my invention, what I claimis: xi 1. In combination,a cableWay,-an intermediate supporting standard for said cableway, and means for suspending said cableway from said standard, said means comprising a suspended sheave, a triangular sling on said sheave, and a cable carrying rail attached to said sling.

2. In combination, a cableway, an intermediate supporting standard for said cable- Way, means for suspending said cableway from said standard, said means comprising a suspended sheave, a triangular sling on said sheave, a cable carrying rail attached to said sling, and said carrying rail so formed as to curve downward at its middle and at each end.

3. In combination, a cableway, an intermediate supporting standard for said cableway, means for suspending said cableway from said standard, said means comprising a suspended sheave, a triangular sling on said sheave, a cable carrying rail attached to said sling, said carrying rail so formed as to curve downward at its middle and at each end, and a cove saddle in the top of said rail for the carrying cable of said cableway and means for holding said carrying cable within said saddle at rail.

4. In combination, a cableway, an intermediate supporting standard for said cableway, means for supporting said cableway from said standard, said means comprising a suspended sheave, a triangular sling on said sheave, a cable carrying rail attached to said sling, said carrying rail so formed as to curve downward at its middle and at each end, and said sling attached to said rail at the two upper curves of said rail to allow an undulating movement thereof.

5. In combination, a cableway, an intermediate supporting standard for said cableway, means for supporting said" cableway from said standard, said means comprising a sheave, a triangular sling on said sheave, a cable carrying rail attached to said sling, said carrying rail so formed as to curve downward at its middle and at each end, and said cableway having load carrying sheaves mounted thereon, and said sheaves so spaced and fixed apart as to be most easily operated onto and over said suspended cableway support.

LOUIS S. THORNESS.

the upper curves of said carrying-

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