improvements in Grip Carriages for Cable Railways.
Year: 1887

page_text: improvements in Grip Carriages for Cable Railways.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
:
The object of this invention is to construct a grip" carriage that will obviate
the shock incident to the sudden closure of the grip upon a moving cable and yet
permit of the grip being suddenly closed so as to prevent the slipping and consequent
wear of the cable; also to allow of lateral or side sway of the car when rounding
curves and permit of the grip body being raised or lowered as may be necessary to
enable the gripping apparatus to pick up the cable.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of the carriage
upon which the gripping apparatus is mounted. Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a cross section on line x of Figure 1 and Figure a sectional detail of
the pulleys upon which the grip frames slide.
The carriage consists of a rectangular frame A of suitable material supported on
wheels. A rectangular frame B of metal or other suitable material is constructed
with flanges b which rest on wheels mounted on axis k fixed to the side frames A.
At a point central between the wheel brackets on each side piece springs L are secured.
These springs are slotted at their free ends so as to permit the bifurcated ends to pass
over the axis & and press against the rear faces of the wheels and force them outwards
upon their axes, washers M being introduced between the ends of the spring and the
wheels to diminish friction.
The frame supporting wheels 6' are normally held by the springs L in running
contact with the collars that are formed on the outer ends of the journals or axes

page_text: these axes being made of sufficient length to allow a lateral movement thereon of the
wheels when the sway of the grip carriage causes this movement and consequent
compression of the springs L the strength of the latter being sufficient to cause the
grip carriage to assume a normal position when the strain is removed. Through each
end of the frame B pass vertically depending guide bars B' fixed at the centre of the
ends of horizontal arms C which are attached at right angles to the grip body C¹ and
are intended to hold the same vertically and permit variation in the height thereof.
Upon the inner faces of the frame B the upper arms D of toggle levers are pivoted
the lower arms D' being pivoted to the sides of the horizontal arms C. The two
sets of toggle levers are connected by longitudinal bars D2 and can be caused to
oscillate by means of a bar D³ pivoted to the fulcrum pin d and connecting the front
set of toggle levers with a lever E in connection with a quadrant E¹. By varying
the angle of the levers D D¹ the grip body.C¹ may be adjusted to and secured at any
desired height within the range of the appliances.
Behind the quadrant E a cylinder F is mounted divided into two compartments by
means of a partition in the lower part of which is a plunger G packed so as to fit
the bore of the cylinder. A rod G¹ is pivoted to the plunger and to one of the arms
of a two throw bell crank lever H which is fulcrummed at h. The lower arm of the
lever H is jointed to a connecting rod H¹ the opposite end of this rod being slotted
the slotted end passing over a projecting stud c that is secured to the lower side of
the arm C. To the upper arm of the bell. crank lever are jointed a connecting bolt J
and slotted rod H².
In the dividing partition of the cylinder F are formed two apertures one of which
has a valve seat formed on its lower edge into which fits a valve F¹ kept in contact
with the seat by means of spring. The other aperture is formed with a valve seat
on its upper edge and is closed by valve F the pressure thereon being regulated by
hand wheel F3 and spring F.
The chamber F has a sufficient amount of glycerine or other non congealing
liquid introduced therein to fill the vacant space in the lower chamber F.
In operation the normal position of the gripping jaws of the cable grip is above
the horizontal plane of the running cable and in order to depress the body C¹ of the
grip apparatus and permit its pick up device to operate upon the cable the supporting
arins are lowered by means of the lever E and toggle levers D.
"
When the cable has been gripped by the clamping jaws of the grip apparatus the
sudden progressive motion communicated to the carriage B will cause it to move
forward upon the wheels b in the direction of the cable travel the connecting bar H¹
will receive and communicate motion to the bell crank lever H which will cause the
plunger to rise in its cylinder and the liquid in the chamber Fe will be forced through
the orifice closed by the valve F2. The pressure on the valve F² will retard the
flow of the liquid and thus afford an adequate "cushion to neutralize the shock or
jar incident to the sudden attachment of the jaws to the running cable. The position
of the relative parts as just described is maintained until the car is stopped by the
release of the cable when the spring J¹ by its retractile force causes the plunger G to
descend in the cylinder and create a vacuum which will be filled by the liquid in the
upper chamber passing downwards through the valve F¹ thus restoring all the parts
to a normal position.
When the car is to be run in an opposite direction the rod H³ attached to the upper
arm of the bell crank lever and passing over the stud c will come into operation and
effect the same result as the rod H¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the same
is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a grip carriage for cable railways the combination of a sliding carriage such
as B with wheels such as 'adapted to rotate in supported connection with the car
frame A substantially as described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.

page_text: 2. In a grip carriage for cable railways the combination with a sliding carriage such
as B and grip body of vertical guides B¹ substantially as described and illustrated
in the annexed drawings.
3. In a grip carriage for cable railways the combination of parts consisting of a
sliding carriage such as B guide B₁ and grip body C toggle levers D D1 and
mechanism for operating the same substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. In a grip carriage for cable railways such as is herein before described the
combination therewith of a cylinder such as F divided into two chambers communi-
cating through valve openings and piston G connected with the grip body C¹ so as to
afford a cushion therefor substantially as specified.
5. In a grip carriage for cable railways the combination with a flanged frame or
carriage such as B having wheel supports on a car frame of springs adapted to bear
against the rear faces of the wheel hubs substantially as specified.
Dated this 7th law of Iun 1007