US303535A

US303535A - Traction-cable grip

Info

Publication number: US303535A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1884-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 1901-08-12

Description

W. MARTIN.

TRACTION CABLE GRIP.

(No ModeL) Patented Aug. 12, 1884..

aka 5 Z INVENTOR w BY W i WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT triers.

XVILLIAM MARTIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TRACTION-CABLE GR'IP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,535, dated August 12, 1884.

Application filed May To all who/12, it n/ay col cernm Be it known that I, \VILLIAM MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Traction-Cable Grips, of which the follow ing is a description.

This invention relates to that class of devices used to connect cars withtracti on cables, which are kept running along the line of the road as endless belts by means independent of the car.

The obj cct of the invention is to take hold of a running cable gradually without wear thereto and without shock on the car; also, to let go the cable gradually by a simple action of the car-driver.

To this end'my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a traction-cable grip, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of my invention, parts being broken away to show the interior. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same at at 00, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in the plane of the traction-rope.

A represents the frame or body of my de vice, which is to be attached very firmly to the car in any suitable mannnersuch as by bolting it to the timbers of the car-bottom-so that the car may be drawn along thereby.

13 represents acable in position to draw the car.

0 represents a series of grooved rollers journaled in a frame consisting of the plank D, which is fitted to slide in vertical grooves a in the frame A, and a cross-bar, E, which slides vertically against the face of the frame A.

F represents another series of rollers journaled in a plank, G, similar to and sliding in the same grooves as plank D, and in a bar, H, similar to bar E. The end pieces, I), of frame A are notched at one side to receive the traction-cable B, which runs freely between the two sets of rollers G and F so long as the same are kept separated. This separation is effected by springs I I, acting between the planks D and G.

J is a brake, consisting of a plank having a series of arches in its edge to fit upon the series of rollers O. K is a similar brake acting on the 15,1884. (No model.)

series of rollers F. These brakes are fitted to slide an inch or so in the frame A, in'order that they may press the rollers upon the cable, and by continued pressure stop the rollers from revolving, thus gripping them hard upon the cable, to be pulled along thereby. Force is applied by the driver to produce the said pressure by means of the lever L, which is armed with a flat lug, d, which acts as a pry between the brake J and the bar M, which latter is connected with the brake K by means'of screwbolts 0. Thus the two brakes will be pressed upon their respective sets of rollers by one act of the driver, and tipping the lever L, either forward or backward, will cause the pressure.

P represents staples fastened to the planks, D and G, -to serve as bases, against which the springs Q may act at one end, while their other ends act against the brakes. Thus, when the lever L is ripped either way from a vertical position, the first action will be to draw the brakes toward each other, and as the springs Q transfer this motion to the planks D and G, which carry the rollers, the rollers will first be pressed upon the cable, and, as the movement of the lever is continued, more and more force will be applied to close the rollers on the cable until the springs Q close sufficiently to permit the brakes to begin to bear on the rollers. Then the gradual arresting of the motion of the rollers while gripping them tightly on the running cable will easily start the car in motion. The

revolving of the rollers prevents wearing the cable, and the combined action of the brakes andsprings' prevents any shock either upon the ear or upon the cable-driving mechanism. The nuts R on the screw-bolts 0 permit the length of the boltsto be so adjusted as to permit the brakes to bear upon the rollers sooner or later relatively to the time of the rollers bearing 011 the cable. The lower edge of the frame is wedge-shaped, to guide the cable over into its groove in the grip, and the bar -H serves to guide the cable over the rollers.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a frame, A, having grooves a, of the planks D and G, fitted to slide therein, the series of rollers G and F, mounted on said planks, brakes for the said rollers, and means, substantially as described,

for forcing the rollers upon a cable and the brakes upon the rollers, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the grooved frame A, the planksD and G, fitted to slide therein, and the series of rollers O and F, mounted on said planks, of the brakes J and K, the bar M, connected with brake K, and the lever L, having the lug d to act between the brake J and the bar M, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the grooved frame A, the planks D and G, fitted to slide therein, the series of rollers G and F, mounted on said planks, the brakes J and K, the bar M, connected with the brake K, and the lever L, having lug d to act between the brake J and the bar M, of the staples P, secured to planks D andG, and the springs Q, acting between the brakes and the said staples to move the planks D-and G ahead of the brakes, as shown and described 4. The combination, with thegrooved frame A, the planks D and G, fitted to slide therein, the series of rollers G and F, mounted on said planks, the brakes J and K, the bar M, connected with brake K, the lever L, having lug d to act between the brake J and the bar M, the staples P, secured to planks D and G, and the springs Q, acting between the brakes and the said staples, of the springs I, acting to press the planks D and G away from the cable, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with the grooved frame A, the planks D and G, fitted to slide therein, the series of rollers O and F, mounted on said planks, the brakes J and K, the bar M, the lever L, having the lug cl, and the staples P, secured to planks D and G, and the springs Q, acting between the brakes and the said 0 staples, of the screw-bolts 0, connecting the brake K with the bar M adjustably, whereby the relation between the rollers, brakes, and cable may be regulated at will, for the purpose specified, as shown and described.

. \VILLTAM MARTIN.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. MARTIN, JAMES O. J OIINSTON.