US429590A - Cable-grip - Google Patents

Description

J; H-QMASTERS.

(No Model.)

CABLE GRIP;

Patented June 3, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI JOSEPH H. MASTERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CABYLIE-VG RIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,590, dated June 3, 1890.

Application filed Jannary28, 1890. Serial No. 338,343, (No model.)

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH I-I. MASTERS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Cable- Grip, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cable-grips for street-cars and similar Vehicles in which a fixed jawis opposed bya movable gripping-j aw operated by the gripman through suitable levers and crank-arm mechanism, and in which heretofore in many instances the gripping-j aw has been moved vertically, so as to release or become entirely disengaged from the cable in changing from one cable to another by a lateral movement only of the grip. A grip so operating, however, cannot be employed in a system in which the cable is disengaged from the grip by its own action prior to the lateral movement of the grip in changing from one cable to another; and it is to the production of a grip especially designed for use in connection with such a system that this invention is especially directed.

Another purpose or object of this invention is to reduce the wear and tear upon the cable by the action of the grip to the minimum.

A further object is to utilize the movement of the cable to produce the final tightening of the gripping-jaw and to have the latter so operated that the labor of gripping and releasing the cable is reduced to the minimum.

These objects are attained by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a cable-grip embodying myinvention; Fig. 2, a similar view thereof taken from the opposite side; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 4, a horizontal section on the line 4 at of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The frame for attaching and suspending the grip from the body of the car may be of any desirable construction, but preferably consists of the top bar A, attached directly to the car, the suspending-bars B, and the gripframe proper, consisting, preferably, of bent metal formed into a hollow oblong body 0 and an upright flanged portion D, attached to the supporting-bars, which bars are also preferably composed of metal, and are bent under at a right angle at their lower end, so as to form feet E, upon which the body of the grip-frame rests, the sameframe being secured in any suitable manner, by bolts or otherwise, to the suspending-bars.

To the lower portion of the flange D of the grip -frame is secured a fixed longitudinal gripping-jaw F, slightly concaved on the face thereof to receive the cable, while opposing this fixed jaw is a movable gripping-jaw G, of substantially the same length as the fixed jaw, and also slightly concaved on the face thereof opposing the fixed jaw, between which jaws the cable is gripped, the gripping-jaw moving toward and away from the fixed jaw in a horizontal plane. This action is accomplished by securing the gripping-jaw near its ends, respectively, to a pair of parallel links H, pivotally secured thereto and to the gripframe, and by pivotally connecting the grippingejaw near its center with one arm I of a double crank pivoted upon the grip-frame,

which arm lies parallel wi th the links H, while the other arm extends out frombetween the upper and lower portions of the grip-frame, and is connected at its end by a rod K with one end of a grip-lever I), pivoted at M to the flange D of the grip-frame or to any other stationary portion of said frame, with the opposite end of which lever connects a rod N, leading to the hand-lever, by which the operator controls the grip, setting or unsetting the same at will. Thus, whenever power is applied to the grip-lever the gripping-jaw will be caused to approach the fixed jaw in a position parallel therewith, so as to firmly grip the cable between the two jaws The cable is supposed to travel in the di-. rection indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, and the links and crank-arm supporting and operating the gripping-jaw extend from their pivots in the opposite direction to that in which the cable is moving, and are of such length that when the cable is between the jaws of the grip the links and crank-arm cannot reach the dead-center; but they approach sufficiently near to it under the action of the grip-lever to utilize the movement of the cable between the jaws to do the final tightening of the gripping-jaw, and thus relieve the operator of the extra exertion which 5 would be necessary to secure and maintain the hold of the grip upon the cable, and ob viously the greater'the resistance offered by a loaded car the tighter would the grip hold the cable. These parts are so arranged,howl0 ever, and the operator gains so much leverage by the construction described that he is enabled to easily release the grip with acomparatively slight effort, and, if desired, in order to facilitate the releasing of the cable and at the same time save the wear thereof and avoid a sudden jerk in starting the car, the opposing jaws of the grip may be provided with anti-friction rollers.

As the grip is required to pick up and carry the cable above the pulleys upon which the cable travels, to avoid wear and tear upon the cable by this action I employ the antifriction rollers O, mounted in suitable brackets P, secured in any suitable manner to the grip-frame at each end thereof, the upper carrying-surface of which rollers is in a plane suliiciently above the top of the grip-frame to cause the cable to travel clear of the frame and in proper position between the jaws of 0 the grip.

In the cable system for use in connection with which my grip is especially designed and adapted, in changing from one cable to another each of the cables at the ends of their respective travel works over vertically-arranged pulleys in a plane above the rest of the pulleys over which the cable travels, and as a result as the grip approaches the point at which one cable is dropped and the other is picked up the jaws of the grip are opened, so that the cable as it rises to pass over the end pulley will be lifted out from between the jaws, after which the grip by means of a suitable slot-between the rails through which 5 the suspending-bars work is moved to one side, so as to pass by the end pulley of both cables, and then back under the next cable, which will drop in between the jaws, to be in turn gripped as the momentum of the car carries the grip along to the proper point, such systems being now commonly employed in a number of cities in this country and their operation so well understood that illustration thereof is not believed to be neces- 5 5 sary.

Obviously any grip which depends solely upon its own movement for the changing of the grip from one cable to another could not be employed in connection with such a system, nor can any grip in which the jaws move vertically be employed, for they would prevent the initial vertical movement of the cable.

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

1. In a cable-grip, the combination, with the grip-frame and a fixed jaw secured thereto, of a horizontallymoving gripping-jaw, a crank-arm connected therewith and operating the same at its center of length, and a pair of links supporting the ends thereof and lying parallel with said crank-arm, substantially as described.

2. In a cable-grip, the combination, with the grip-frame and a fixed jaw secured thereto,

of a horizontallymoving gripping-jaw, a crank-arm connected'with and operating said jaw at its center of length, and a pair of links supporting the ends of said jaw lying parallel with said crank-arm, said arm and links extending from their pivots in the opposite direction from and oblique to the travel of the cable, substantially as described.

3. In a cable-gri p, the combination, with the grip-frame and a fixed jaw secured thereto, of a horizontally-movable gripping-jaw, a double crank-arm pivoted to said-frame, one arm of which is connected with and operates said gripping-jaw, a grip-lever also pivoted to said frame, and a rod connecting saidlever with the other arm of the double crank, substantially as described.

at. In a cable'grip, the combination, with the grip-frame and a fixed jaw secured thereto, of a horizontally-movable gripping-jaw, a double crank-arm pivoted upon said frame, one arm of which is connected with and actuates said jaw at its center of length, a pair of links parallel with said arm and supporting said jaw at the ends thereof, a grip-lever also pivoted to said frame, and a rod connecting said lever with the other arm of said double crank, substantially as described.

5. In a cable-grip, the combination, with the grip-frame, a fixed jaw secured thereto, a horizontally-moving gripping-jaw, and a crank-arm for actuating the same, of antifriction pulleys secured to said frame at each end of said jaws for carrying the cable, substantially as described.

(3. 111 a cable-grip, a grip-frame comprising the horizontal bar A, the suspending-bars B, and the grip-frame proper, consisting of the body portion C and the angular flange D, substantially as described.

7. In a cable-grip, the combination, with the grip-frame comprising the bar A, the suspending-bars B, and the grip-frame proper, consisting of the horizontal body 0 and the upright angular flange D, of a fixed jaw secured to said flange, a movable jaw opposing the same and supported and working upon the body 0, parallel links pivotally secured at their ends, respectively, with said jaw and body, and a crank-arm pivoted to said body and pivotally secured at its end to the center of said jaw, said arm lying parallel with the links, substantially as described.

JOSEPH II. MASTERS. lVitnesses:

O. V. MAsrERs, OscARQnARLEs

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