US913775A - Grip mechanism for cable-tramways. - Google Patents

Description

R. D. SEYMOUR.

GRIP MEGHANISM FOR CABLE TRAMWAYS.

APPLIOATIQN FILED Ill-10.18, 1908.

Patent? Mar. 2,

IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS,

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFii JE,

RUGELEY D. SEYMOUR, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

GRIP MECHANISM FOR CABLE-TRAMWAYS.

No. 913,775. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 18, 1908.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Serial No. 468,159.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUGELEY D. SEYMOUR,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Grip Mechanism for Oable-Tramways, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to gripping mechanism for attaching a load or loads to the moving traction rope of an aerial or wire rope tramway,

The object of the invention is to provide a very compact, unitary mechanism which may be readily attached to the car ad'acent to the traction rope in such a way that it readily ad'usts itself to different angular positions oi the rope at different points on its course of travel.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism which will readily accommodate itself to different sizes of rope and difierent sized portions of the same rope.

The invention consists in a unitary structure capable of accomplishing the foregoing object which can be easily and cheaply made and installed WVl'llClliS positive and efiicient in operation and not readily liable to get out of order; 1 7

It i'urtherconsists in combinations and arrangement-of parts which will be hereafter more fully described'and claimed as the specification roceeds. I

Refer'ringto the d'rawmgeflagure1 shows aside-view of-the' device-with the jaw-s open to "receivethe? traction -'r'o'pe. Y Fig: 2 isga ie ar View with all the parts'dn' thesamepos1t1on .'f

Fig; '3 is-a s'eetion throug-h thecenter on the line" a shewn Fig.- 2 1 1 1g; 4 is a iront viow of'the device with-e11 arts in the same fpo's'i tion' as'i'n Fig sil andQ S- Fig; 5 sh wsa'tramway bucket 28 with 'bail 2'7 hanger za a'nd; carriage 20"c'o'mp'lete and shows theappli a tion nd lecation of theg thecomplete-tramway': l I v 'For convenience' readily-finding do sorip'tio'n's, of the paresthey 'wilrfirst be described theinnuineri'cal -order, the" numerals indicatingfas follows: 1 'af oircular frame prefe'ra'bly of cast ironor steel on 5 which"; the moving parts 'aremounted:- 2 -the upper gripping "jawfl 3the' flower gripping jaw. 4-an operating lever "con-' nectedto thelowerqjaw=3 'andto the links 5. 5'5 6 a pin, or pivot for the operating lever '49 tie -ii 7-a pin connecting the operating lever 4 and links 5. 8-cast extensions on the main frame 1 with recessed chambers therein. 9-a U shaped bolt passing through these chambers and engaging the upper jaw 2. 10-brackets upon the main frame. 1.1lugs cast upon the front face of the main frame 1 and extending to the sides thereof as shown. 12-a flange or collar at the rear of the main frame 1. 13a pin on which a spring is mounted. 14=a pin for the jaws 2 and 3 mounted in the brackets 10. 15-an extension on the main frame 1 forming a recess in which the links 5 and lower jaw 3 operate as shown in Fig. 3. 16a roller upon the end of the operating lever. 17nuts on the ends of the U shaped bolt 9. 18a coiled spring wound about the post 13 and engaging the lower jaw 3. 19coiled springs mounted upon the U shaped bolt 9. 20-an ordinary tram way carriage mounted on wheels 21 rolling on track 22. 23a hanger for the rod carried by the pin 2 upon the carriage 20. 25slots in the hanger 23 adapted to have the lugs 11 pass therethrough. 26a traction rope upon which the gripping jaws are used. 27the bail oi the bucket 28 in which the load is carried. v

Numerals bearing the prime mark indicate the same parts as those without said markbut in a (li'flerent position.

' Taking up iirstthe gripping mechanism The upper gripping jaw"2-'is'pivotccl at 14- and has its operativearm s engaged by are; cempless'ioa springs 1 9 and the U bolt"9 with the res'ult that when'viewed' as inFig 1 amt-13 the-jaw is nermally pi-essed' 'ifi a; counterclockwise direction by jean springs Y but may" when properly energized "move" in the' opp'osit'e directiOn againS't the action of saidsprings. lh'e' tension of these's rings' maybe varied byadjusting' the nut17. The opposite jaw 3 is I also pivotedupon' the same sliaftie and has'its operatitearmsr conne'e'tetl'by a link 5 to the lever l-f This" lever is adapted to swing between the dotted line and full line positionsoli' Fig? 3 area tweenop'enand closed'positions oi the gripping jaw's. The device is so mounted'th'at the roller IGupOn' thc lever 1' 1 "enga es' oneoi- -'the ordinary tripping "device's oi a wire rope"transmiss'ion' syste'into" automatically move itirom either one of these-positions to the" other as required in" the operation" of the device. When the parts are in full line position the jaws are absolutely locked because the pivotal points of connection between the lever 2 and the lever 3 are in line with each other and the pivotal point 6 of the lever 4, and therefore the jaw can only be moved by applying a force sufficient to move the lever 4 upward from its full line position. When the parts are thus gripped upon a rope any variation in the size of the rope is readily taken care of by the yielding action of the spring 19, said spring yielding to the movement of the jaw 2 when a very large rope is between the jaws and pressing said jaw hard against the rope even when a smaller rope is used and these adjustments take place automatically if it is attempted to use these jaws upon different portions of a rope having portions varying in size. It will thus be seen that the device is auto.- matically adjustable for taking care of different sized ropes this in combination with automatic locking which holds the jaws rigidly in position. In order to assist the jaws in releasing when unlocking is attempted the spring 18 is provided exerting a slight upward pressure on the arm of the lever 3.

To attach the unitary device of this invention just described to the hanger of any car. rier such as hanger 23 attached to the frame 20 and wheels 21 a circular hole is made in that hanger adapted to receive the curved face of the casting 1 and to be engaged by the flange 12, the casting being inserted through said opening in the member 23 until the flange 12 is in contact with said member 23. When in this position the frame 1 may be rotated within the member 23, to different angular positions corresponding to the angularity of the rope to which the jaws are attached thereby allowing the rope to pull the hanger 23 through the gripping aws 1 and 3 without there being any danger of injuring the jaws due to the fact that the traction rope is not in line with the central axis of the jaws. In order to prevent the whole device dropping out of the hanger 23 any sort of a securing mechanism may be applied to the front of the casting 1, one form of which is here shown. This consists in applying two lugs 11 to opposite sides of the front of the main frame 1 and providing two corresponding sized and shaped openings 25 at the top I and bottom of the opening in the member 23 in which the main frame 1 fits. I11 applying the mechanism to the hanger the frame 1 is rotated until the lugs 11 are in line with and 1 l slip through the openings 25 after which the frame 1 is rotated to its normal position with the result that the frame 1 and attached parts can not be removed until it is again rotated through ninety degrees from its normal position shown in the figures to the position in which the lugs 11 register with the openings 25. In other words a sort of a bay 1 onet lock is provided by means of which the frame 1 may be inserted in the hanger 23 and afterward freely rotated.

In the operation of the device the operator first inserts the main frame 1 in the hanger 23 in the manner just described and moves the entire trolley with attached mechanism into approximate contact with the traveling traction rope 26 the jaws being open or in dotted line position of Fig. 3. He then moves the device along the track 22 until the roller 16 strikes the switch not shown, provided for the purpose which throws the lever 4 from the dotted line position of Fig. 3, to the full line position thereby gripping the jaws upon the rope 26 the jaws adjusting themselves against the action of the springs 19 in the manner described and the whole device adjusting itself to the angularity of the rope 26 with the hanger by rotating the entire mechanism within the hanger 23 in the manner described. I/Vhen the trolley or bucket reaches its destination roller 16 now in the full line position of Fig. 2 engages an unlocking switch not shown, of ordinary. construction which throws the lever 4 to the dotted line position of Fig. 3 thereby releasing the mechanism from the traction rope.

The claims are:

1. In a device of the class described, gripping jaws for a traction rope, a suitable supporting frame for said gripping jaws, a hanger for the object to be transported through the agency of said gripping jaws engaging said traction rope, providing journal bearings for the supporting frame engaging the hanger, and a pair of lugs on the opposite side of the supporting frame also engaging the hanger in all positions except one, in which position they are adapted to slip through openings in the hanger so that the supporting frame may be removed as described.

2. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a suitable frame, two gripping jaws mounted opposite each other and adapted to engage each other, mechanism engaging one of said jaws capable of being swung to two different positions for the purpose of moving said jaw between open and closed position of the aws, and yielding spring mechanism connected to the other jaw whereby said jaw may automatically adjust itself to varying sizes of rope.

3. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a suitable framework, two oppositely disposed jaws pivotally mounted thereon, a lever mechanism for moving one of the jaws between different positions and a coil spring mounted in a suitable housing engaging the opposite jaw for the purpose of holding it adjustably in contact with the other jaw.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of the main frame, gripping jaws normally lying inside said main frame, pivotally mounted in operative position with reference to each other, hollow extension members upon said frame having coiled springs therein engaging one of said jaws to adjustably hold it in position and a lever mechanism for operating the other jaw.

5. In mechanism of the class described the unitary mechanism comprising the combination of the cylindrical supporting frame having the opening therethrough, the hollow housings 8 extending therefrom containing the springs 19 and a U sha ed bolt therefor, the gripping jaws operative ymounted partly Within the supporting frame one jaw in operative relation with the springs 19 and the other in operative relation with a suitable operating and locking lever mechanism as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a suitable frame, a pair of gripping jaws one pivotally mounted with reference to the other, an operating lever pivoted on the frame, a connecting link between the gripping jaw and the operating lever, the ivotal points of connection between the ever, the link and the frame and between the link and the jaw being so located that they are in line with each other when the jaw is closed for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

RUGELEY D. SEYMOUR.

Vlfitnesses DWIGHT B. CnEnvER, O. J. OHRIsToFFEL.

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