US237813A - Gripe for cable-railroads - Google Patents

Description

(Model.) l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H.v OASEBOLT. Gripe for Gable Railroads. No. 237,813. Patented Feb. 15,1881.

N. PETERS. FHOYO-LITHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n C.

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

HENRY CASEBOLT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GRIPE FOR CABLE-RAILR'OADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,813, dated February 15, 1881.

Application Iled December 11, 1880.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GAsEBoLT, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Gripes for Cable-Railroads; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description thereof.

My invention relates to certain improvements in that class of gripes which are used for cable-railroads, for the purpose of connecting and disconnecting the car to which the gripe is attached with a movin gcable, said gripe extending through a slot into a tunnel or tube in which the cable runs and gripes or releases the cable to move or stop the car.

My invention consists in such improvements in the gripe as will enable the cable to be dropped for any purpose, as when crossing another cable line or when it is desired to switch the car from one track to another, and also in a means for picking it up again after being so dropped.

It consists, further, in a novel mechanism for operating the gripe, whereby it is caused to grasp the cable tightly, or release it, so that the cable can run .freely upon the gripe and the car be stopped, all of which will hereinafter more particularly appear.

It further consists in a mechanism to throw the cable, by a positive thrust, out from between the griping-shoes:

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation ot' one side of the griper, Fig. 2 isa vertical section of Fig. l, through :v of Fig. 1. Fi g..3 is an elevation on the side opposite Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line y y'of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows side elevations illustrating the movement ot' the lower jaw. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section, looking upward, beneath the truck, to illustrate the mode of fastening to the truck.

Let A represent the outside plates or strips of the gripe, formed in one entire piece, to have the upper segment or lever-guide, X, or it may be formed in separate parts, the segment X being attached to the strips A in any practicable manner. t

Across the strips A, about midway of their length, extends the cross-bar B for securing the gripe to the car, which is done by means `or plate bolted thereto.

(Model.)

of the plates c, movably secured to the under side of the floor-beams by the staples 2 2 and receiving upon and through them the lugs a, the clasps b b preventing the frame from jumping upward from any cause. The plates c are attached loosely to the car by means of staples 2 2 in such a man'ner as to allow the gripe sufticient play to be free of the jar of the car and prevent it from being knocked against the slot through which it passes.

To the lower part of the strip A, I attach the upperjaw or. clamp, D, of the griping device. This jaw may be constructed ot'one solid piece, but l prefer to construct it of a base or solid piece, to which is titted a shoe, E, having a groove in it to lit over the upper part of the cable C, the shoe being secured in place in any suitable manner, as by another covering This is for the purposeofremoving the shoe when,from any cause,

it becomes worn.

Between the strips A are the sliding strips F, formed in two sections, which are hinged together, as shown at G, the lower section being made of one piece, caused by the strips F coming-togetherbelowthehingeG. Thelower section is extended transversely to form the arms-H, or the said arms might be made separate and attached to the lower sections of the strips F. rllhe ends of the arms H carry the horizontal rollers L for the cable to pass over. Vertical rollers M are supported by braces attached to the lower section of thestrips F, and move up and down with it.l These vertical rollers M serve to diminish the friction of the cable C when running loosely within thejaws, and prevent it from chafing against the gripebars A.

To the transverse arms H, on the lower section ot' the piece F, is secured the lower jaw or clamp, J, directly under the upper jaw, D, and constructed in a similar manner to the said jaw D, having a base-piece and a die, K, above it, with a similar groove in it to lit the lower part of' the cable, forming, together with the upper jaw, a complete gripe for the cable. When the jaws D and J are drawn close to each other, the arms H are drawn up; but when separating, the lower portion, consisting ot' the arms H and lower jaw, J, are free to swing to one side, being permitted thus to do IOO by the hinge at G. This enables me to pick up the cable after having let it go entirely. If the gripe were not thus hinged, so that it could swing to one side, it would, when low ered upon the cable running loose beneath it, strike against it with its lower part, instead of passing a little to one side, so that the cable might be drawn within the jaws; but when my gripe is lowered thejaws, in opening, cause the lower portion to swing to one side of the cable; but in being raised, it will come up under the cable and secure it. To assist the cable in ndingits place Iprovide the lower jaw, J, and transverse arm H with the inclined surface or rollers e, which direct the cable up beside the lower jaw, J.

The central bars, F, and lower jaw, J, are

opened in the following manner: Across the bars F, I attach transverse bars or plates XV, having a lug or pin,V, in the center. To the transverse bar B, I fasten the brace or supporting-piece I, to which I pivot the segment gearing U, having' a cam-slot, m, in its lower portion in which the lug V fits. To the transverse bar B, a little above and to one side, is pivoted the segment-gear T, meshing with the segment U, and having attached to its upper end, or being extended into, the operating-lever S, which passes beside the guide-segment X to within reach of the driver being provided with a ratchet-lever, g, and ratchet f, fitting into teethon the segment X, as shown, whereby the lever S is adjusted. A bar, R', connects the pivot-points of the two segments T and U, and prevents them from being forced apart.

The operation of the gripe, as thus far described, is as follows The cable is conducted within and between the open jaws D and J. To raise the lower jaw, J, so as to gripe the cable, I pull up the lever S which operates the segments T and U, the cam-slot in the segment U raising the lug or pin V, which raises the bars F and the arms H with the lower jaw, J. Thus the cable is griped and carries the car with it. When the car has to stop the lever S is reversed and the jaws opened sufciently to allow the cable to pass along over the rollers L, past the rollers M, and through the grooves in the jaws; but sometimes the cable C has to be dropped entirely, as when another cable-line has to be crossed or the car to be switched off onto another track or into the car-house. To provide for this I have further constructed the gripe as follows: Between the bars F, I put the bar Q, extending upward through or past the transverse bar B, and is provided on its reverse side with a projecting lug or pin, n, which ts through a slot, o, in the lever It, which is pivoted to the reverse side of the transverse bar B, as shown. The bar Q, extends downward, and has a joint or hinge formed at G. It is bent backward or otherwise formed to pass behind the solid piece forming the lower section of bars F, and terminates in an inclined or wedge-shaped piece, I. Resting on this piece I are theinner ends of the two levers 0, pivoted as shown, and curving about the vertical rollers M. The outer ends of these levers are provided with pulleys N. In the present case I have shown them as semi-globular or what I would term boss7 pulleys.

Now, when the cable is to be dropped the lower jaw, J is forced down so as to release the cable. To push it off completely I press down the lever It, which raises the bar Q and the inclined pieces P, and this raises the ends of the levers O and throws the pulleys N forward against the cable, which action pushes it oil from the lower jaw, J, s0 that it can drop below the gripe.

The bar Q is hinged coincident with hinge G, to allow the device to conform itself` to the movement of the lower jaw, J, and arm II. When the lever R is raised the pulleys N rcsume their original position, and will then be out of the Way of the cable when it is returned to the gripe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a cable-gripe, a griping-jaw, A D E, fixed against either lateral or vertical movement, in combination with a vertically-movin g jaw provided with a hinged section adapted to swing in and out of the line of the vertical movement as thejaws are closed and opened, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cable-gripe, in combination with the lower swinging jaw, the inclined guide-rollers e e, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The stationary jaw-bearing bars A A, and the movable jaw-bearin g bar F, provided with lug V, the cross-bar W', brace I, and shackle It', in combination with the toothed segmental cam U, provided with cam-slot m, and lever S, provided with toothed segment T, meshing with segment U, all constructed, arranged, and operated, as set forth.

4. The lever It, vertically-moving bar Q, and wedge-piece l), in combination with rocking-levers o o, moving in a horizontal plane and carrying pulleys N, and the lower jaw of the gripe, substantially as described.

5. The cable-gripe provided with the downwardly-projecting pins a, in combination with the perforated plates cc, staples 2 2, and latches b b, for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY CASEBOLT.

Witnesses:

FRANK H. BRooKs, S. H. N oURsE.

ICO

IIO

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