US1909332A

US1909332A - Guard rail fitting

Info

Publication number: US1909332A
Application number: US572597A
Authority: US
Inventors: Blackburn Jasper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-11-02
Filing date: 1931-11-02
Publication date: 1933-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 1950-05-16

Description

May '16, 1933. J. BLACKBURN GUARD RAIL FITTING Filed NOV. 2, 1951 PIC-3.1

ways or the like, the production of such devices which shall Patented May 16, 1933 JASPER BLACKBURN, or WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI GUARDRAIL FITTING Applicationflled November 2, 1931. Serial No. 572,597. g

This invention relates to improvements in guard rail fittings, and more particularly to those fittings for engaging the ends of the cable forming the, guard and has among its objects,

be neat and attractive in appearance, simple and sturdy in construction, compact, reliable, and eflicient and satisfactory for use whereever found applicable. I

Another object of my invention is to provide a fitting for engaging the end of a strand cable, so as to form a strong and lasting connection therewith without weakening said cable, and Without danger of accidental displacement of the parts. 1

Further objects of my invention are to provide a device for the purpose set forth,-and

in which the parts may be made at a minimum of cost and With a maximum of strength, and which may be either assembled or taken apart rapidly.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described, will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, from the disclosures herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described,- and the uses mentioned, and more particularly pointed out in the claims. c

In the drawing, wherein I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, and in which like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through one form of fitting, as applied to the cable; 1

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the wedge member; and c Figure 4'is a cross-sectional view of said Wedge member, taken substantially along the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 indicates one end of a strand cable forming part of a fence or rail, generally positioned along the side of a road or highfence along highway to resist the impact of an automobile thereagainst and prevent the same from running off the road and falling down an embankment, cliff, or other dangerous place adjacent the road.

These cables are quite strong, and at various places along the length of the guard fence, must be anchored, spliced, provided with a take-up, or with other manner of fittings, and it is highly important that these fittings be such that they may be easily and quickly applied without wasting an undue length of cable, but they must oo-act with the cable so as not to crimp or otherwise injure the same to cause itto lose strength.

The fitting illustrated in the drawing, and indicated generally as A, is in this instance in the form of a take-up, although as will be obvious from the description to be set forth more fully hereinafteiy other fittings designed to accomplish other functions, may be employed, but the same principle of constructionwillbe found in all of these fittings. The fitting A is preferably made of metal, and the body portion 2 is provided with opposed and alined end openings axially therethrough, as at 3 and 4, and in this particular instance the length of the opening 4 is less than that of the opening 3, the transversely extending innermost walls at the ends of said openings being indicated at 5 and 6, respectively. A chamber or opening 7 extends the full length of the fitting between 'the' end openings;

The bore throughthe opening 4 is smooth, but the bounding wall'of the opening 3 is provided with longitudinally extending grooves therein, the number of grooves depending upon the numberof strands in the cable to which the fitting is to be secured,

and in this instance is shown as provided with three grooves, because the cable has three main strands. Further, the opening 3 is tapered, the diameter of the same being smallest toward the outermost end, as shown.

The wedge member B is also tapered in cross-section, and is provided with grooves extending longitudinally of the same and adapted to receive the strands of the cable 1 when the wedge ism operative position'within the tapered opening 3 of the member A, said grooves being indicated at 8.

In order to secure the end of the cable in place within the fitting, the cable end is first inserted through the opening 3 from the outermost end, and the strands then slightly spread. The wedge member isthen inserted within said opening 8, with its small end directed outermost, and with the grooves receiving the main strands of the cable. The wedge member is then forced outwardly of the opening 3, by any suitable tool to apply the desired pressure thereto, and firmly clamps the strands of the cable between the opposed longitudinally extending grooves of the members A and B. The end of the cable within the fitting will be rigidly locked in place, and the more pull on the cable, the tighter the wedging action.

If it is desired to lock the wedge member in place clamped against the cable, a set screw 9 may be adjustably mounted in said member A so as to engage with the inner most end or head of the wedge member. Its threaded engagement in the member A will prevent its accidental movement away from said Wedge, and the outer end of the screw may be formed with a socket to receive a suitable operating tool.

As previously mentioned, the opening 4 through one end of the member A may be of less length than the other opening and is preferably smooth or unthreaded, and slightly outwardly flared at either or both its ends, the bore being sufliciently larger than the diameter of the bolt l1 which it is to receive to permit of slight lateral play there between. In this way, there is no interlockingof the through bolt 11 within the opening 4, the same being held against withdrawal in the manner to be now described.

That portion of the bolt that projects axially into the chamber 7 past the inner end of the transverse wall 6 of the member A, is

, threaded to receive a nut 12, or other suitable fastening means for preventing accidental withdrawal of the bolt from the member A. It will be noted that this nut, and bolt also, are preferably of much stronger material than that of the member A, of suflicient thickness to easily withstand the shearing strain on its threads and which occurs when the fitting is in use upon the cable, said nut being of less width than the width of the chamber 7, but non-rotatable therein.

The nut is adjusted to the desired amount of take-up, and when pull is exerted upon the bolt and the member A, said nut will abut its full face area against the adjacent surface of the transverse wall 6, to effectually prevent withdrawal of the bolt from the member A, this pull being taken up by the direct metal-to-metal contact between these co-operating elements. It will also be noted that the threaded interengagement between the bolt and nut is for a considerable length and hence is extremely strong, especially as compared to a similar threaded interengagement between the end wall 4 and this bolt, both on account of the extra thickness of the bolt, but due to the difference in strength of material.

The use of nuts is much more economical than the threading of special-shaped parts, such as the members A, as special jigs are necessary'to hold such members A in place while the various threading operations are performed. Further, these parts are quite expensive as compared with nuts, and a spoilage of one of them would entail much greater financial loss than a similar spoilage of a nut.

The bolt, although secured in place against withdrawal outwardly of the member A, has sufiicient clearance laterally of the opening 4 to permit slight lateral movement therebetween or displacement from axial alinement, so that the guard rail will have. more give to it and thus minimize permanentinjury to the bolt when such axial mis-alinement occurs for any reason.

Having thus describedmy invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, arrangement, construction, or combination of parts herein shown and described, or the uses mentioned, except as limited by the state of the art to which this invention appertains, or the claims hereto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fitting for a cable, comprising a tub-ular member open at the opposite ends, one of said openings receiving an anchor bolt;

the other opening having longitudinally eX-,

tending grooves therein; a tapered wedge member insertable into said grooved opening and provided with longitudinally extending grooves so as to Wedge the strands of an end of said cable between its grooves and those in said opening; and means on said tubular member independent of said anchor bolt and adjustably movably engageable with said wedge member to hold the latter in operative position.

2. A fittingfor a highway guard cable, comprising a member having openings through both ends, one of said openings to receive said cable; a bolt loosely insertable intothe other opening and free of securement therewith, the outermostend of said opening being outwardly flared to permit shifting said bolt in said opening angularly relatively of said member; and means engaging said bolt to prevent withdrawal of the latter outwardly through said opening.

A fitting for a cable, comprising a member having axially alined end openings, one

of said openings receiving said cable; a bolt of smaller diameter than said other opening of said first-mentioned member so'to have lateral play therebetween; and a nut threadedly engageable With the innermost end of said bolt and having lateral play in said member, whereby Withdrawal of the bolt from the member is prevented, but permitting of relative movement of said bolt and member out of axial alinement.

In testimony whereof he has affixed his signature.

JASPER BLACKBURN.