US3804372A

US3804372A - Cable guide

Info

Publication number: US3804372A
Application number: US00228501A
Authority: US
Inventors: F Fuchs
Original assignee: WERNER ROHRS KG
Current assignee: WERNER ROHRS KG
Priority date: 1972-02-23
Filing date: 1972-02-23
Publication date: 1974-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1991-04-16

Abstract

A guide for a moving cable or rope, e.g., on a ski tow, includes a generally elliptical track for an endless belt provided with roller pairs riding that track, or for a chain of separate or loosely interconnected roller-supported bodies. The axes of each roller pair may include an obtuse angle with each other, the track being then split into two halves formed with respective rails which are correspondingly inclined and whose mutual distance may be changed to vary the tension of the belt or chain of interconnected bodies.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Fuchs CABLE GUIDE [75] Inventor: Franz Fuchs, lmmenstadt/Allgau,

Germany [73] Assignee: Dr. Werner Rohrs KG,

Sonthofen/Allgau, Germany 22 Filed: Feb. 23, 1972 21 App]. No.: 228,501

[52] US. Cl. 254/190 [51] Int. Cl B66d l/36 [58] Field of Search 254/190, 191, 192, 193, 254/194; 198/203 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 386,826 7/1888 Howard 254/190R 802,047 10/1905 Krell 198/203 1,817,970 8/1931 Da Costa .L 198/203 X [451 Apr. 16, 1974 5/1932 Naylor 198/203 X 5/1962 Burnett et al 198/203 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Assistant ExaminerH. S. Lane Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Karl F. Ross; Herbert Dubno [57] ABSTRACT A guide for a moving cable or rope, e.g., on a ski tow, includes a generally elliptical track for an endless belt provided with roller pairs riding that track, or for a chain of separate or loosely interconnected rollersupported bodies. The axes of each roller pair may include an obtuse angle with each other, the track being then split into two halves formed with respective rails which are correspondingly inclined and whose mutual distance may be changed to vary the tension of the belt or chain of interconnected bodies.

7 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures CABLE GUIDE My present invention relates to a guide structure. e.g., as used in ski tows, designed to support a moving cable or rope.

conventionally a cable of this type is guided over rol lers disposed at spaced-apart locations along its path. A disadvantage of such arrangements is that the weight of the cable is concentrated at a few points and exerts a high bearing pressure upon the supporting rollers.

It has already been proposed to remedy this inconvenience by replacing the rollers with endless chains mounted on blocks or belts led around rollers in generally elliptical vertical loops; see, for example, Swiss Pat. No. 444,213, French Pat. No. 1,423,056 and .German Pat. Nos. 840,850 and 912,225. These earlier proposals, however, solve the problem only partially. Thus, the chain-supporting slide blocks may freeze to their guide surface under the climatic conditions in which such cables are frequently used, whereas the belts are subjected to severe frictional stress at their points of contact with the rollers and tend to deteriorate rapidly. These solutions, therefore, have not found practical application as far as I am aware.

The general object of my present invention is to provide an improved cable guide for the purpose set forth which avoids the above-discussed drawbacks and operates satisfactorily, even in inclement weather, with virtually no maintenance.

This object is realized, pursuant to the present invention. by the provision of an endless track of generally elliptical shape, lying in a substantially vertical plane, in combination with endless cable-support means looped about the track and provided with a multiplicity of rollers riding thereon.

The cable-support means may be a continuous flexible band. such. as a belt or a chain composed of rollerequipped links. or may be constituted by an array of separate bodies in the form of miniature carriages each preferably having two pairs of rollers. Especially in the former case, my invention also aims at providing means for facilitating the adjustment of the tension of the endless bandi for this purpose I prefer to split the track mounting into two axially separated halves carrying two relatively inclined rails for the support of roller pairs whose axes include an obtuse angle with each other, the rollers being either toed in or toed out in the radial direction so that a change in the axial spacing of the rails increases or decreases the length of their path. Thus, the band may be tensioned by relatively displacing the two mounting halves in the proper sense, depending on the direction of convergence of the roller planes; the toeing of the rollers also helps center the cable support on its track, aside from the possibility of tension adjustment, so as to be useful even in the case of disconnected supporting carriages in which tension is not a factor.

In order to insure the engagement of individual carriages with the track, they may be provided with extra rollers between the main rails bearing upon a cantileveredancillary rail from within or engaging a common endless belt wound around them.

The above and other features of my invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view (partly in section) of a cable guide according to the invention, together with part of a cable supported thereby;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2., showing a modification;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation, drawn to a larger scale, of the guide structure of FIGS. 1 and 2;

. ferent embodiment;

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIIIB VIIIB of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 9A is a view similar to FIG. 4 but relating to the embodiment of FIGS. 8A and 88;

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IXB IXB of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 10A is a further view similar to FIG. 1 but relating to a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XB XB of FIG. 10A;

FIG. 11A is a view like FIG. 9A but relating to the modification of FIG. 10A; and

FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIB XIB of FIG. 11A.

Reference will first be made to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 in which I have shown part of a cable 6 resting on a continuous band 4 of generally elliptical configuration, specifically a belt of rubber or other elastomeric material with internal reinforcements 15 such as glass fibers. The inner periphery of this belt is provided with longitudinally spaced recesses 5 receiving trapezoidal blocks 2 which serve as holding members for respective roller pairs 3a and 35 disposed on opposite sides of the plane of the belt. These rollers ride on respective rails la, lb formed by axially spaced halves of a mounting l defin' ing an elliptical guide track for the belt 4; mounting l is supported on a post, not illustrated, with the aid of a horizontal rod 9 traversing a sleeve 8 which is externally threaded at 13; Sleeve 8 is rigid with the mounting half or cheek forming the rail 10 and slidably supports the opposite mounting half. A nut 10 threaded onto the sleeve 8 compresses a coil spring 11 between an end flange thereof and a ring 12 which is welded or soldered to the mounting half forming the rail lb. The two cheeks are held against relative rotation by pins 7 secured to one of these checks and passing freely through the other cheek.

The roller-engaging surfaces of rails la and lb are inclined so as to diverge radially outwardly, their generatrices thus including an obtuse angle with inwardly pointed vertex corresponding to the angle included by the axes of

rollers

3a and 3b journaled on block 2. Spring 11 loads the two mounting halves in a sense tending to draw them toward each other, such a movement lengthening the path to be traveled by each roller around the track. Thus. the spring holds the belt 4 taut with a tension which can be adjusted by loosening or tightening the nut 10.

In the modification of FIG. 3 the rollerengaging surfaces of rails Ia and lb converge radially outwardly so that tension upon the belt 4 is intensified by increasing the axial separation of these rails. A modified nut 10' on sleeve 8 is held by a split ring 14 against axial displacement relative to ring 12 whereby the spacing of rails la and lb can be positively adjusted by rotation of the nut. Naturally, a coil spring similar to spring 11 of FIG. 2 could be inserted between the two mounting halves (with omission of nut 10') if automatic tensioning were desired, as in the system of FIG. 2.

In FIGS. 6A and 6B a metallic frame 18 serves as a holder for two pairs of

rollers

3a, 3b having the same orientation as in FIGS. 2 and the frame and the two roller pairs constitute a carriage, a multiplicity of such carriages being imbedded in a common belt 4 provided with reinforcing filaments 15' in an intermediate zone adjoining these frames. Belt 4' is transversely indented, between carriages, along its outer periphery to a depth less than the spacing of the filaments 15 from that periphery, as indicated at 19.

In FIGS. 7A and 78 each roller pair has an individual frame 16 received in an inner peripheral recess ofa belt 4" generally similar to belt 4 of FIGS. 4 and 5. Again, the rollers are tilted so that their planes diverge outwardly, as in FIG. 68, yet it will be evident that in both cases the inverted position of FIG. 3 could be adopted. In either case, of course, the spacing of the juxtaposed rails 1a and lb may be adjusted by fastener means of the type described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, with or without the assistance of a loading spring automatically maintaining the tension of the belt.

The system of FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A and 9B comprises a set of carriages 26 each similar to those of FIGS. 6A and 68, with metal (e.g., steel) frames 20 carrying two pairs of

rollers

30, 3b and elastomeric bodies 21 enveloping these frames.

Rollers

3a and 3b are here coaxially mounted on shafts 23 and ride on rails 1a" and lb" whose surfaces are perpendicular to the vertical plane of the cable support constituted by the carriages. The left-hand half of track mounting l" (as viewed in FIGS. 88 and 9B) has a branch forming a cantilevered ancillary rail 25 midway between the two spacedly juxtaposed rails la" and lb"; an arm 22 extends radially inwardly from the frame 20 of each carriage and has journaled thereon a central roller 24 bearing from within upon the ancillary rail 25. Thus, each carriage 26 is positively guided along its elliptical path, the rail 25 supplying the radially inwardly directed restraining force (furnished in the preceding embodiments by the belt 4 or 4') required to hold the rollers in contact with the peripheral track surface defined by the rails.

The system of FIGS. A, 10B, 11A and 11B is generally similar to that just described. except that the frame 20' of carriage 26 lacks the arm 22 but is provided instead with a yoke 22' for the support of a central roller 28 journaled on a shaft 29. An endless belt 27, provided with internal reinforcements embraces the central rollers 28 of all the carriages 26' under an elastic tension sufficient to hold the

rollers

3a and 3b engaged with rails 10" and lb.

In the arrangement described with reference to FIGS. 8A 118, the two halves or cheeks of the rail mounting I" are fixedly interconnected by a sleeve 8" on a rod 9". To facilitate insertion or removal of the belt, these cheeks are made of elastically deformable sheet metal and one of them (specifically the one forming the rail lb") is provided with an outer flange 10 adapted to be flexed outwardly.

As best seen in FIGS.,5, 6B, 7B, 9B and 11B, the supporting

elements

4, 4', 4, 26, 26' may be formed with shallow grooves accommodating the cable 6.

I claim: I

l. A guide for a moving cable, comprising:

a mounting structure including a pair of juxtaposed rails forming generally elliptical closed loops in a pair of parallel vertical planes;

an endless belt disposed in a vertical plane paralleling those of said rails, said belt having a convex cablesupporting outer peripheral surface; and

a multiplicity of closely spaced bodies carried along the inner periphery of said belt, each of said bodies being provided with at least one pair of rollers respectively engaging said rails and held in contact therewith by said belt.

2. A guide as defined in claim 1 wherein said belt is provided along its inner periphery with longitudinally spaced recesses receiving said bodies.

3. A guide as defined in claim 13 wherein the axes of each roller pair include an obtuse angle with each other, said rails being correspondingly inclined with reference to their vertical planes, said mounting structure being split into two axially separated halves respectively carrying said rails, further comprising adjustable fastening means interconnecting said halves for enabling a change in their separation.

4. A guide as defined in claim 3 wherein said fastening means includes spring means axially loading said halves in a belt-tensioning sense.

5. A guide as defined in claim 1 wherein said belt is transversely indented at its outer periphery between successive groups of roller pairs.

6. A guide for a moving cable, comprising:

a mounting structure including a pair of juxtaposed rails forming closed loops in a pair of parallel vertical planes;

a continuous ancillary rail cantilevered on said mounting structure between said juxtaposed rails in a vertical plane paralleling those of the latter;

a multiplicity of carriages each provided with a multiplicity of pairs of rollers respectively engaging said juxtaposed rails, each of said carriages being further provided with an arm extending past said ancillary rail and a further roller on said arm engaging said ancillary rail from within wherby said pairs of rollers are held in contact with said juxtaposed rails, said rails jointly defining a generally elliptical track with an upwardly convex surface along which said carriages form a cable-supporting chain.

7. A guide as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said carriages is provided with a central roller positioned substantially midway between said rails, said member being an endless belt embracing the central rollers of all said carriages.

Claims

1. A guide for a moving cable, comprising: a mounting structure including a pair of juxtaposed rails forming generally elliptical closed loops in a pair of parallel vertical planes; an endless belt disposed in a vertical plane paralleling those of said rails, said belt having a convex cable-supporting outer peripheral surface; and a multiplicity of closely spaced bodies carried along the inner periphery of said belt, each of said bodies being provided with at least one pair of rollers respectively engaging said rails and held in contact therewith by said belt.

6. A guide for a moving cable, comprising: a mounting structure including a pair of juxtaposed rails forming closed loops in a pair of parallel vertical planes; a continuous ancillary rail cantilevered on said mounting structure between said juxtaposed rails in a vertical plane paralleling those of the latter; a multiplicity of carriages each provided with a multiplicity of pairs of rollers respectively engaging said juxtaposed rails, each of said carriages being further provided with an arm extending past said ancillary rail and a further roller on said arm engaging said ancillary rail from within wherby said pairs of rollers are held in contact with said juxtaposed rails, said rails jointly defining a generally elliptical track with an upwardly convex surface along which said carriages form a cable-supporting chain.