Improvements in Rope-grips or Selvagee-strop.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL DICITIVATION.
Improvements in Rope-grips or Selvagee-strop.
I, ARTHUR KELLY EVANS, of the City of Toronto, in the County of York, in
the Province of Ontario, Canada, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to rope-grips or selvagee-strop and the object of the
invention is to provide a simple and cheaply constructed device whereby a sure grip
may be obtained on a rope, wire or bar, so that any desired strain may be imparted
to it. The said device consists essentially of a metal plate provided with laterally
extending hooks with holes made in the body of the plate and preferably also with
end books extending out from the top and bottom of the plate at right angles to it,
the plate being shaped and the hooks arranged to co-act with the gripping rope or
ropes to which the power is applied.
The top end hook is a retaining hook, which is placed upon the rope, wire or rod
as the case may be at the end nearest the portion of the rope to which the strain is
to be applied.
The bottom end hook is a retaining hook situated at the opposite end of the body
of the plate, and designed to grip the rope at the portion farthest away from the
portion of the rope where the strain is to be applied, a guiding hook is also provided
for the gripping rope, which is formed in the shape of a loop. The gripping rope
is spliced together and one end of the loop is always held to the plate by passing
through the holes therein.
In order to grip the rope, wire or bar the looped gripping rope, is first passed
over the rope, wire or bar, then under and over again and then down against the
top of the lateral hooks, against which it is drawn tight and then passed down
within the guiding hook. To the lower portion of the loop is secured a block and
tackle, by which the desired power is to be imparted to the gripping rope, so as to
impart the desired strain to the rope, wire or bar.
The gripping rope may be passed more than twice over the rope if desired to
make the grip more sure. I find, however, in practice that twice or three times is
quite sufficient.
When applying my device to a rod, however, I find it advantageous to make it
longer than when applying it to a rope and provide four laterally extending hooks,
two gripping ropes being preferably passed twice over the rod. By this means I
am enabled to more securely grip the rod which it is much more difficult to do
than to grip a rope. To the bottom of the loops is suitably secured the block and
tackle by which the power is applied for imparting the desired strain to the rod.
By means of the upper retaining hook used in connection with the laterally
extending hooks, and gripping rope, the rope, wire or rod and the gripping rope
are practically in alignment, which is very important in putting a strain upon the
former as by providing this means any possibility of the grip being released from
the rope, wire or rod is avoided. To further ensure the alignment of the gripping
rope the guiding hook is provided within which the gripping rope is passed. The
lower retaining hook might be dispensed with except in the case of putting a strain
upon rods.
Although I have described one manner of applying the gripping rope it will be
understood that there are other various alternative ways in which the gripping rope
might be applied to the rope upon which it is desired to impart the strain and yet
accomplish the obiect which I attain by my invention.

page_text: It will be seen from this description that my device will be particularly useful for
taking up the slack of electric light wires and standing rigging, and for various
other purposes in which it is desired to tighten, or impart a strain upon, ropes,
wires or rods.
Dated the 2nd day of November 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Rope-grips or Selvagee-strop.
1, ARTHUR KELLY EVANS, of Toronto Club, corner of Wellington and York
Streets, in the City of Toronto, in the County of York, in the Province of Ontario,
Canada, Civil Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to rope-grips or selvagee-strop and the object of the
invention is to provide a simple and cheaply constructed device whereby a sure grip
may be obtained on a rope, wire or bar, so that any desired strain may be imparted
to it. The said device consists essentially of a metal plate provided with laterally
extending hooks with holes made in the body of the plate and preferably also with
end hooks extending out from the top and bottom of the plate at right angles to it,
the plate being shaped and the hooks arranged to co-act with the gripping rope or
ropes to which the power is applied.
--
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing in which :-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my rope grip applied to a heavy rope.
Figure 2 is a view of an alternative form shewing it applied to a truss rod
or bar.
Figure 3 is a detail of the rope grip shewn in Figure 1 before being attached.
Figure 4 is a view of another alternative form.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the
figures.
A is the body of the plate, B the laterally extending hooks and C the holes made
in the body of the plate. D is the top end hook which is a retaining hook, placed
upon the rope, wire or bar as the case may be at the end nearest the portion of the
rope to which the strain is to be applied.
E is the bottom end hook which is a retaining hook situated at the opposite end
of the body of the plate A, and designed to grip the rope at the portion farthest
away from the portion of the rope where the strain is to be applied. F is a guiding
hook and G the gripping rope, which is formed in the shape of a loop. The
gripping rope G is spliced together and one end of the loop is always held to the
plate by passing through the holes C, C.
In order to grip the rope, wire or bar the looped rope G is first passed over
the rope, wire or bar H then under and over again and then down against the
top of the hooks B against which it is drawn tight and then passed down within
the guiding hook F. To the lower portion of the loop is secured a block and
tackle I, by which the desired power is to be imparted to the gripping rope, so as
to impart the desired strain to the rope, wire or bar H.
In Figure 1 of the drawing I have shown the gripping rope G passed twice over
the rope H but it will of course be understood that it may be passed several times
around if desired to make the grip more sure. I find, however, in practice that
twice or three times is quite sufficient.
In Figure 2 in which I show my device applied to a bar or rod it will be seen

page_text: that I show it longer than that shown in Figure 1, and provide four laterally
extending hooks B. In this figure I show three gripping ropes which are also
passed twice over the bar H. By this means I am enabled to more securely grip-
the rod which it is much more difficult to do than to grip a rope. To the bottom
of the loops G is suitably secured the block and tackle by which the power is.
applied for imparting the desired strain to the bar.
In order that the strain may be imparted to the gripping ropes I preferably.
provide a bar J Figure 2 with cleats j. One gripping rope G is looped on one of
the cleats and is spliced together at g, being passed over the two lower hooks B in
the same manner as the rope G in Figure 1. This will be understood on following.
the course of the dotted lines in Figure 2. On the uppermost gripping rope G I
form a turk's head g¹, and pass the rope twice over the rope H and over the top.
hook B down to the cleat ; formed at the top of the bar J. The course of the rope
is indicated in dotted lines in this figure. Upon the second gripping rope from the
top I also form a turk's head g³, and pass it over the rod H in the same manner as
the upper one and down over the second hook B shown in this figure to the lowest.
cleat of the bar J. To the eye j¹, at the lower end of the bar J I attach the
block and tackle.
Within the guiding hook F I journal a pulley F¹ over which I pass the two.
members of the lower looped gripping rope G.
In Figure 4 in which I show an alternative form of the device shown in Figure 2
it will be seen that I provide within the guiding hook F a pulley F, similar to that.
shown in Figure 2. The hooks B are provided with rollers B¹ which fit within
corresponding recesses made in the hooks. The recesses are open at the top and at
one end and the rollers are secured in position in the recess by the stop pins b.
extending through the ends of the hooks. In this form of hook the rollers being
friction rollers serve to provide for the free movement or pull of the gripping rope
over the hooks so as to obtain the firmest possible grip of the rope.
By means of the retaining hook D used in connection with the laterally
extending hooks B and gripping rope it will be seen that the rope H and the
gripping rope are practically in alignment, which is very important in putting a
strain upon the rope H as by providing this means any possibility of the grip being.
released from the rope H is avoided. To further ensure this alignment of the
gripping rope I provide the guiding hook F within which the gripping rope is.
passed. I also provide the retaining hook E but both might be dispensed with
except in the case of putting a strain upon rods.
Although I describe and show in the drawings one manner of applying the
gripping rope it will be understood that there are various other alternative ways.
in which the gripping rope might be applied, to the rope upon which it is desired
to impart the strain and yet accomplish the object which I attain by my invention.
It will be seen from this description that my device will be particularly useful
for taking up the slack of electric light wires and standing rigging, and for various
other purposes where it is desired to tighten or impart a strain upon ropes, wires
or rods.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a rope grip, the combination with a body plate having laterally extending
hooks and a corresponding number of holes and a gripping rope designed to be
passed over the rope to be gripped, over the hooks and through the holes and to.
have the power applied to it as specified, of a retaining hook extending from the
body nearest the portion of the rope to which the strain is to be applied as and for
the purpose specified.
2. In a rope grip the combination with a body plate having laterally extending
hooks and a corresponding number of holes and a gripping rope designed to be-
passed over the rope to be gripped, over the hooks and through the holes and to.

page_text: .
have the power applied to it as specified, of a hook extending from the plate to
form a guide for the gripping rope as and for the purpose hereinbefore described
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
3. In a rope grip the combination with a body plate having laterally extending
hooks and a corresponding number of holes and a gripping rope designed to be
passed over the rope to be gripped over the hooks and through the holes and to
have the power applied to it as specified of a hook having a pulley journalled within
to form a guide for the gripping rope as and for the purpose specified, and as
illustrated in Figures 2 and 4 of the accompanying drawing.
4. In a rope grip the combination with a body plate having laterally extending
hooks and a corresponding number of holes and a gripping rope designed to be
passed over the rope to be gripped, over the hooks and through the holes and to
have the power applied to it as specified of a retaining hook extending from the
body nearest the portion of the rope to which the strain is to be applied and a hook
extending from the plate so as to form a guide for the gripping rope as and for the
purpose specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing,
5. In a rope grip the combination with a body plate having laterally extending
hooks and a corresponding number of holes and a gripping rope designed to be
passed over the rope to be gripped, over the hooks and through the holes and to
have the power applied to it as specified of a retaining hook extending from the
body nearest the portion of the rope to which the strain is to applied and an
oppositely turned retaining hook situated on the opposite end of the body of the
plate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a rope grip the combination with a body plate having laterally extending
recessed hooks, revolving rollers secured within such recesses and a number of holes
corresponding in number to the hooks made in the body plate and a gripping rope
designed to be passed over the rope to be gripped, over the hooks and through the
holes, and to have the power applied to it as specified, of a retaining hook
extending from the body of the plate nearest the portion of the rope to which the
strain is to be applied substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. The improved rope grips hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
Dated the 20th day of November 1893
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.