US391471A - Disteict - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. E. HOLMES 8v L. N. CHARLES.

CABLE GRIPPER AND PICK-UP.v

110.391.471. Patfpted Oct. 23, 1888.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '.2. J. E. HOLMES 8u L. N. CHARLES.

CABLE GRIPPER AND P10K-UP.

No. 391,471. Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

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JOSEPII E. HOLMES AND LEWIS N. CHARLES, OF-VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CABLE GRIPPER AND PICK-UP.

i SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patnt No 391,471, dated October 23, 1888.

Application filed March 9, 1888. Serial No. 266,685. (No model.)

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, Josnrn E. HoLMns and Lnwrs N. CHARLES, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Underground Conduits for Cable Railways and Mechanism for Gripping and Picking up Gables; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

io exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference heing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked :5 thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The invention relates to cable-conduits and to means for picking up and gripping cables for usein cable-railways and for other like pur- 2o poses, and to improvements upon matters secured to us by Letters Patent No. 386,824, dated July 31, 1888; and it consists in certain devices or combinations thereof, hereinafter iully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification, Figure 1 `represents a side elevation of the gripping and pickingup mechanism and a section of a car and of a 3o conduit, the section of the latter being made vertically in a plane passing th rough the slot and the bottom ofthe conduit. Fig. 2 embraces a side view of the picking-up device and two edge views of the same, the lower edge view showing the picking-up arm at its highest position and the upper view showing it after it has partially descended, and a detail view of a gravitating switch. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the switch or gravitating latch 4o that deects the picking'up arm in its descent. Fig. 4. is a detail of mechanism for releasing the cable from the gripping and picking-up mechanism; and Figs. 5 and 6 each represent a transverse section of the conduit, the grip- 41,5 ping-levers and a picking-up wheel being shown in the former, which section is taken at a curve in the conduit.

In the several figures like figures of reference indicate like parts.

1 indicates the conduit, and2 the usual slot, 5o or the lips of the same.

3 is a wheel for supporting the cable .tin its lowest position. It is pivoted in projections cast on the interior of the conduit and extends down into an enlargement, which is adapted to be connected with a sewer, as shown.

5 is a cam for operating a grip-releasing device by means of friction wheel or pin 6, as will hereinafter be described.

7, 8, and 9 are horizontal bars arranged in 6o pairs and bolted to vertical bars 10 10 10 11 11 on each side thereof, constituting a rigid frame which is supported from a car in any approved manner. 'It is represented in Fig. l as bolt-ed to a car-axle, 12, by means of bars 9. In practice both ends of the bars will be suitably secured to the car.

Mechanism for operating the picking-up and gripping devices is indicated by 13, 14, 15, and 16, of which 13 indicates one of the parallel 7o bars, between and to which the vertical bars 14, which support the 4pilcking-up wheel 17 and the grip-operating bar 15, are bolted. At lits lower end bar 15 is loosely connected with a bar, 16, which latter bar operates the grip jaws or levers, as indicated in Figs.. 1 and 5. These grip-levers are journaled at 51 (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1)and have a loose connection with the lower end of bar 16, the arrangement being such that the ascent of 8o bar 16 causes the levers to move about their journals 51 51, so as to grip the cable, asindicated in Fig. 5. A reverse movement of the bar and levers releases the cable, a Very slight movement of bar 16 being sufficient for 85 these purposes, as more fully described in our aforesaid patent. This bar 16 is provided with an opening or slot which receives the T- shaped head of the bar 15, which head is preferably made adjustable and is of a size to en- 9o gage shoulders formed in bar 16, as shown. The operating-rod 15 is pivotally connected with a bent lever, 1S, which lever is provided with a roller or wheel, 19, journaled at its bend. This wheel is arranged to roll on the upper end of the frame-bar 11 and between the side bars, 20, bolted to 11. on each side thereof, which form a supporting-track therefor. The upper ends of the two pairs of vertical frame-bars 10 are bolted between bars 20, which latter are preferably each formed in one with a cross-bar,.21; or the latter may be formed separately and rigidly connected to a bar, 20, in any usual way. The lever 18 moves in a vertical plane between the curved or bent bars 21.

22 is a spring, which may be made of rub ber. It is detachably secured at one end to the lever, as by a hook. Its opposite end may be secured in similar manner to the frame.

` 23 is a releasing device, more fully illus,4 trated in Fig. 4. This device consists of a lever, 23, connected with the frame-bar 21 by a headed pin or bolt, 24, which bolt passes through an elongated slot in the lever 23, whereby the curved lever is permitted to rock on pin 24 in the direction of the length of the lever.

25 is a pawl rigidlysecured to the lever and passing freely through the bar 2l and normally engaging with a rack, 26, formed transversely on the lever 18, which lever' is shown in section in Fig. 4, the section passing through the rack.

27 is a pin secured to lever 23 and passing freely through side har, 2l. This pin is arranged to normally extend nearly across the space between side bars, 21, and in the path of the bar 28, having a beveled end, as shown. The lever 23 is usually held, as represented in Fig. 4, by spring 29, so that pawl 25 engages a tooth of the rack, and pin 27 liesl in the ascending path of the beveled bar 28. The ascent of the bar 28 moves the pin 27, pawl 25, and the lower end of bar 23 outward, disen gaging the ratchet-teeth and compressing the spring. The bar 28 is caused to ascend by means of the pin 6 on its lower end being brought in engagement, when the car is in motion, with the cam 5, located in the path of the pin 6 and a little below the conduit-slot.

The parts being in position represented in Fig. 1, in which the cable is securely gripped and the picking-up wheel is in close contact with the under side ofthe cable and the car or the gripping and picking-up mechanism being supposed to be moving toward the right, the operation will be as follows: As soon as pin 6 engages the inclined surface of cam 5 and is carried up thereon the bar 28 is caused to move up and release the lever 18 by disengaging the pawl 25. The weight of the cable, pressing upon the pivoted gripping-levers and upon the picking-up wheels,will at once open the gripping-levers, releasing the cable, and will depress the short end of the bent lever 18 and throw its long arm to the posit-ion indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This et'tect of the descending cable operates through bars 14, 13, and 15, which are rigidly secured together. This movement elongates the spring 22,which need not necessarily be normally taut, as shown in connection with the lower position of lever 18, but which is made of such tensile force that it will arrest the upward movement of the long arm of the lever and the downA ward movement of the picking-up mechanism as soon as the cable is released. If desired, spring 22 may have sufficient tension to raise the picking-u p wheel after the cable is dropped. To drop the picking-up wheel to a position below the dropped cable, the spring 22 is re leased, whereupon the weight of the partsimmediately depresses the pickinglup mechanism, provided,of course,that lever 18 has been released from pawl 25, either automatically, by bar 28, or by manipulation of lever 23. It is obvious that other means for releasingthe pawl can be employed-as for example, the well-known thumboperated device located on the reversing-lever of a locomotive engine acting in connection with the throttle valve. Such a construction would enable the several operations to be effected by one hand grasping lever 18.

The cable is released from the picking-up wheels by the following described means:

Each bar 14 is composed of two members hinged together at a point, 30, in any suitable manner to permit lateral motion only.

31 is a pin secured in the lower' member of bar 14,and arranged to travel in a cam-groove, 32, formed in the face of the adjacent framebar 11, near to and partly in the enlarged lower end, 33, of said bar, and made a little longer than the normal path of the pin, as indicated in the lower view of Fig. 2. If desired, a pin may be provided to engagea cam or groove in the frame-bar 10 on the opposite side.

34 is a gravitating switch journaled in the frame and arranged to lie in the groove of the cam in the path of pin 31. It is cut away ou its face adjacent to itsjournal 54, so as not to obstruct the passage of pin 3l. It assumes by gravity the position indicated in Fig. 2. When bar 14 begins to descend and has carried pin 31 into contact with the upper inclined surface of the switch, its lower member is moved to one side, being turned on its hinge 30, as indicated in the upper view of Fig. 2. The continuance of this movement releases the cable from wheel 17 and allows the cable to drop to its lowest position on supporting-wheels 3. To cause the picking-up wheels to descend to piek up the cable, it will be necessary to releasev the spring by unhooking it to allow thelever 18 to be moved to another position. As soon as pin 3l has been carried near the lower end of the groove during this upward movement of lever 18, it strikes an inclined portion of the same arranged to throw the bar back to a vertical position, which movement is aided by gravity. This brings the picking-up wheel under the cable and in readiness to lift the same. By a reverse movement of operating-lever 18 (toward the right in Fig. 1) bar 14 and the cable are raised. During this movement pin 3l passes freely up through the long vertical portion of the camgroove and under the gravitating switch, lifting the same to permit the ICC log,

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upward passage of the pin, said switch dropping immediately back toits normal position, in readiness to deflect the lower member of the picking-up bar when it descends, as above described.

While we prefer to use a switch substantially as above described, its use is not indispensable, since the groove could be so shaped aste insure the required lateral movements of the lower member of bar 14 without the aid of a switch; and, further, the particular form of this device can be easily varied by ordinary skill without materially changing its function. A similar gravitating switch may be used, if desired, to insure the ascent of pin 31 in the vertical groove of the cam.

At the commencement of the descent of bar 15, the bar 16, being relieved of its support on the shoulders or T-head of said bar 15, is free to descend until arrested by the engagement of a projection on said bar with the frame. The weight of the cable releases the gripping levers orjaws by turning them on their journals, 51. In the further downward movement of the bar 15 it descends freely in the slot 52 in bar 16. The latter is lifted by the former near the end of its upward movement te close the grip. The same movement, therefore, A of the lever 18 which lifts the cable and forces it against the grippingjaws, tending to close them, also operates near the end of the movement to raise bar 16, which bar is directly connected to the gripping lever. This movement of the bar 16 is comparatively small, and in' order to adjust the parts to produce an exactand timely effect on the grip an adjustable connection between bars 15 and 16 is desirable. For this purpose the lower end of bar 15 may be screw-threaded and a nut screwed thereon to constitute the before described T- head. Other known means of adjustment of the parts may be employed to compensate for wear with a view to the closing of the grip positively at the moment the cable is lifted to its highest position. rIwo picking up bars with the lower members hinged and arranged to swing their wheels away from the cable on opposite directions are preferably used, though a single bar and wheel could be employed, arranged, if desired, between two gripping devices. These various movements above described may be timed and controlled by the gripman manipulating the lever 18. The release of the cable from the grigiT by cam 5 is, however, automatically efi'ected while the fall of the picking-up wheels is arrested by the spring 22. This cam 5 will in practice be made of such length that the releasing-bar will be held up and the pawl 25 disengaged sufficiently long to allow the lever to be moved up entirely out of the path of said pawl. If desirable, a small portion of the upn per part of cam 5 can be made horizontal to sustain the releasingbar for an instant at a desired height.

1n, the operation of gripping the lever 18 is forced downwardly until the rack on it is contiguous to the pawl 25, over which the rackteeth slide until that position of the lever is reached which insures the strongest possible grip of the cable. secured in this position and held by the engagement of the pawl with the rack, the pawl being always caused to engage by 'the action of the spring 29,andnever released, except by the automatic arrangement described or by an intentional movement of the lever 23. It is obvious that lever 23 could be made to automatically cause the pawl to engage the rack by gravity and spring 29 be dispensed with.

37 represents awheel journaled in a bracket supported by the frame-bars 11, and arranged to act in direct opposition to the downwardly and outwardly acting pull of the cable passing through a curved conduit. It supports the grip and pickingup mechanism against this pull of the cable at or near their lower extremity, where it acts more efficiently, both by reason of its position and because of its inclined direction, which enables it to directly oppose the direction of the pull to be overcome. This so called pull is the resultant ofthe weightof the cable and the tendency of the cable to be drawn toward the inner side of a curve in the conduit.

The gripping-levers, more fully described in the before-named patent, resemble atoggle joint or lever in their action, and could be caused to effcctually grip the cable by lifting it against the grip jaws, though our construction provides for the co-operation of a direct action of the gripping-lever.

It may be noted that our pickingnp device enables us to use endless cables in serics,since it provides means for dropping and picking up the cable with certainty at the will of the gripman, and also of dropping the cable automaticall y whenever a car approaches a drum, cross-cable, or other permanent obstruction by means of cams 5, suitably located in the conduit.

The bent lever 18 is provided with a wheel, 19, which constitutes a movable fulcrum. lt is not essential that this wheel bear on. the top of bar 11,01' that the particular bars 20` be used to guide it laterally. A wider bearing and other guides may be substituted, if desired. The main function of the device, however, is important, for the reason that it provides for raising bar 15 perpendicularly,and atthe same time provides that the fulcrum shall be the nearest to the load at the time the greatest work is to be done. Thus, instead of thelever pulling bar 15 to one side, the fulcrum 19 moves toward the bar, which is therefore permitted to move freely in a direct line upward, and as the cable is lifted thereby andthe grip is closing, and when the greatest power is y needed, said fulcrum is closely adjacent to the bar and the leverage is most powerful. Our

other improvements are not, however, limited to the particular arrangement uof operating The lever is automatically IOO lever shown. In some cases we propose to use a series of levers, such as described in our patent aforesaid, by connecting them with the picking-up and grippingvbars ata convenient point, as at line y y of Fig. 1, below a carlloor.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a construction for picking up cables, an operating-bar composed oi' two members having a hinged connection,the lower member being provided with a projection and carrying acable supporting device, in combination with a relatively iiXed part provided with a cam being provided with a projection and carrying amable-supporting device, in combination with a frame provided with a cam to guide the projection and cause a lateral movement of said lower member during the vertical movement of the bar, and a switch to insure said lateral movement, substantially as specified.

3.1m a cable-gripping mechanism, the combination of a frame, gripping-levers snpl ported in said frame, an operating-bar composed of two members connected by means of an enlarged part or head on one and a shouldered slot in the other, an operating-bar for a picking-up device, and a lever, substantially as specified, whereby the same lever can be used to pick up the cable and close the grip.

4. In a cable-supporting device, thecombination of an operating bar or rod held to move in a straight line, with a lever having its short arm connected directly to the bar and provided with a fnlcrum movable in operation to and from the said bar,whereby,without detlecting the bar from a straight line the relative effective lengths of the long and short arms may be varied to vary the velocity and powe1,substantially as set forth.

5. In a cable-supporting device, an operating bar or rod combined with a lever having a pivotal or hinge connection therewith, said lever being provided with a fulcrum supported to move whenever power is applied to the power-arm of the lever to or from the operating-rod, whereby the relative distance of the power and the load from the fnlcrum is varied whenever the lever is operated to move the bar, substantially as set forth.

6. In a cable-gripping mechanism, the combination of a frame, a bar to operate the grip, an operating-lever to move the bar, having a rack, and a pawl to engage the rack supported in an automatically-actuated lever, substantially as specified, whereby the parts are automatically locked when the cable is gripped.

7. In a cable-gripping mechanism, an automatic releasing device consisting of a vertically-moving bar,a rack on the grip-operating lever, a pawl supported in a movable lever having a part thereof normally situated in the path of the releasing device, and a cam in the conduit to engage a projection on the vertically-moving bar, substantially as specified, whereby the releasingbar may be raised, the pawl moved away from the rack and the lever released.

8. The combination of the frame, bars for operating the picking'up and gripping mechanism, the operating-lcv er connected with said bars,and the spring attached to the frame and to thelever, substantially as specified, whereby when the cable is dropped the descent of the picking-up mechanism is arrested.

9. A cable-conduit having a curved section and a brace or web having a bearing-face inclined to a horizontal plane cast in the side ot' t-he conduit, in combination with a fenderwheel supported in the grip-frame at or near the level of the grippinglevers, said wheel being situated at an inclination to a horizontal plane, substantially as specied, whereby the cable may be sustained in the direction of the strain resulting from the curvature of the conduit and the weight of the cable, and' near the point where such strain is applied to the grip.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH E. HOLMES. LEWIS N. CHARLES. Witnesses:

JNO. J. (300K, CHAs. E. BAILEY.

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