CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GRIPS FOR CABLE RAILWAYS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills of the firm of Harris
and Mills of 23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent for an Invention of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GRIPS FOR CABLE
RAILWAYS communicated to him from abroad by William Henry Paine, Civil
Engineer of Brooklyn, New York in the United States of America
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th October
1883.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of 23
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN GRIPS FOR CABLE RAILWAYS A communication to me from
abroad by William Henry Paine, Civil Engineer of Brooklyn, New York in the
United States of America
The Invention relates primarily to a mechanism adapted to grip a moving rope,
cable, band or chain in such a manner that the wear and tear to which the grip is
ordinarily subjected and the scraping, wearing and untwisting of the cables which
prove so disastrous in the Cable Railways in present use, will be entirely dispensed
with.
The invention is applicable to the carriage or transmission of cars on bridges,
elevated railways and surface lines and may be employed to advantage wherever a
continuously moving rope, cable, band or chain is used for transferring conveyances
from place to place.
The gripping mechanism is arranged beneath the car at any suitable location, and
is operated from a hand wheel and shaft at either end through the medium of an
endless rope or chain connected with the gripping levers. The endless rope or
chain passes at each end of the car around a drum which is driven by a pinion on
the hand shaft and this shaft is adjustable vertically so that after releasing the
grip it may, by a downward movement, engage with a clutch pulley on which an

page_text: ordinary brake chain is coiled. A suitable indicator may be employed to show the
connection of the shaft with the grip and brake mechanism respectively, or its
disconnection from both.
The gripping device consists of a system of sheaves or rollers which when
brought in contact with the cable, run thereon without friction and are gradually
locked to start the car, the grip rollers continuing to turn until the car is in full
motion at the same speed as the cables. By this means the car is started gradually
and without jerking, the sliding friction between the rope and grip being avoided.
These gripping sheaves or rollers are journalled between a pair of levers and
Buitably fulcrummed to the bottom of a car. The levers are connected to each
other by means of cross levers and sliding blocks arranged to draw the sheaves
together so as to grip the rope or cable. Suitable adjusting mechanism, consisting
of screws, also connect the levers for regulating the same, and setting the sheaves
at the proper distance asunder.
Fulcrummed to and arranged inside and parallel with, the levers for holding the
sheaves, are jointed locking beams carrying braking shoes bearing outward against
the inner rims or peripheries of the gripping sheaves.
Fulcrummed to the locking beams are levers so pivotted and arranged that by
drawing them together the locking beams with their braking shoes are pressed
against the wheels and the hold of the gripping sheaves upon the cable gradually
tightened. A suitable adjusting mechanism is also placed upon these levers and
provides means for regulating the pressure of the brake shoes upon the sheaves.
The cable may also be positively gripped by means of a pair of jaws suspended
from the bottom of the car. These jaws are connected to each other by means of a
link and are provided with levers fulcrummed and connected in such a manner that
the first movement of the said levers applies a direct pull to draw the gripping
jaws into contact with the cable by a quick movement, after which it is gripped by
a more forcible movement.
A combination of the above two forms of grips may also be used by arranging
upon one side of said grip one or more of the revolving sheaves and upon the other
a gripping jaw or other suitable opposing surface or surfaces.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Patent Office on the 19th
April 1884.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of 23
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent " CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN GRIPS FOR CABLE RAILWAYS" (A communication to me from
abroad by William Henry Paine, Civil Engineer of Brooklyn New York in the
United States of America)
The invention relates primarily to a mechanism adapted to grip a moving rope,
cable, band or chain in such a manner that the wear and tear to which the grip is
ordinarily subjected and the scraping wearing and untwisting of the cables which
prove so disastrous in the cable railways in present use will be entirely dispensed
with.
The invention is applicable to the carriage or transmission of cars on bridges,
elevated railways and surface lines and may be employed to advantage wherever a
continuously moving rope cable band or chain is used for transferring conveyances
from place to place.
The gripping mechanism is arranged beneath the car at any suitable location and
is operated from a hand wheel and shaft at either end through the medium of an
endless rope or chain connected with the gripping levers. The endless rope or
chain passes at each end of the car around a drum which is driven by a pinion on
the hand shaft and this shaft is adjustable vertically so that after releasing the grip
it may by a downward movement engage with a clutch pulley on which an
ordinary brake chain is coiled. A suitable indicator may be employed to show the
connection of the shaft with the grip and brake mechanism respectively or its
disconnection from both.
The gripping device consists of a system of sheaves or rollers which when
brought in contact with the cable run thereon without friction and are gradually
locked to start the car the grip rollers continuing to turn until the car is in full
motion at the same speed as the cables. By this means the car is started gradually
and without jerking, the sliding friction between the rope and grip being avoided.
These gripping sheaves or rollers are journalled between a pair of levers and
suitably fulcrummed to the bottom of a car. The levers are connected to each
other by means of cross levers and sliding blocks arranged to draw the sheaves
together so as to grip the rope or cable. Suitable adjusting mechanism consisting
of screws also connect the levers for regulating the same and setting the sheaves at
the proper distance asunder.
Fulcrummed to and arranged inside and parallel with the levers for holding the
sheaves are jointed locking beams carrying braking shoes bearing outward against
the inner rims or peripheries of the gripping sheaves. Fulcrummed to the locking
beams are levers so pivotted and arranged that by drawing them together the
locking beams with their braking shoes are pressed against the wheels and the
hold of the gripping sheaves upon the cable gradually tightened. A suitable
adjusting mechanism is also placed upon these levers and provides means for
regulating the pressure of the brake shoes upon the sheaves.
The cable may also be positively gripped by means of a pair of jaws suspended
from the bottom of the car. These jaws are connected to each other by means of a
link and are provided with levers fulcrummed and connected in such a manner
that the first movement of the said levers applies a direct pull to draw the gripping
jaws into contact with the cable by a quick movement after which it is gripped by
a more forcible movement.

page_text: A combination of the above two forms of grips may also be used by arranging
upon one side of said grip one or more of the revolving sheaves and upon the other
a gripping jaw or other suitable opposing surface or surfaces.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying Drawings
more fully to describe the same
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the roller grip. Figure 2 is an
end elevation. Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 Figure 4.
Figure 4 is a plan view showing the roller grip running between the sheaves.
Figure 5 is a side view of the operating mechanism. Figure 6 is a plan of the
same. Figure 7 is a plan view of the car body showing a grip in the centre
thereof and operating mechanisms at both ends. Figure 8 is a side elevation of
the same. Figure 9 is a plan view of the gripping jaws.-Figure 10 is an
elevation of one of the bent levers detached employed for operating the gripping
jaws. Figure 11 is a plan of the holding links or straps. Figure 12 is an end
view thereof. Figure 13 is an end view of the gripping mechanism showing the
grip shoes and cable in transverse section. Figure 14 is an end view of the car
platform showing hand brake windlass and other parts.
1 represents the main rope or cable of the railway.
Horizontal gripping rollers 1 a. 1 b. with flanged or concaved peripheries are each
journalled between a pair of levers 2, 2 a. suspended from the bottom of the car in
position to engage the cable 1. Fulcrummed to the ends of the levers 2 is a lever 4
pivoted at 5 to a block 6 sliding on a connecting bar 7 which is bolted to the ends
of the levers 2 a. The sliding block 6 is formed with an internally screw threaded
lug 6 a. through which passes an adjusting screw 8 whose inner end revolves
freely in a lag 7 a. formed on the bar 7. The levers 2, 2 a carrying the grip
rollers are by this means held at the proper distance asunder to engage or retain
the rope, any wear being taken up by the adjustment of the screw 8. The end of
the operating lever 4 is connected to an endless rope 17 passing over the drums 12'
at either end of the car operated by the hand brake windlass 131 14¹ 15¹. 9. 9 a. are
jointed locking levers fulcrummed to the levers 2. 2 a. at 10. 10 a. respectively and
carrying shoes 9 b. 9 c. bearing outward against the inside of the rims of the grip
rollers 1 a. 1 b. which are made dish-shaped or with spokes on one face only so as
to permit the bent lever 9. 9 a. and the shoes 9 b. 9 c. to work within them as
illustrated in Figure 2. Bolted to the locking lever 9 a. is a connecting bar 11.
which carries a sliding block 12 having a lug 13 through which passes an adjusting
screw 14 whose other end revolves in a lug 11 a. on the lever 11. similarly to the
adjusting screw 8 already described in connection with the main levers 2. 2 a.
Pivoted to the block 12 at 15 a. is a bent lever 15 whose shorter end is
fulcrummed at 16 a. to a similar bent lever 16 whose shorter end is fulcrummed
at 16 b. to the other locking lever 9. The longer ends of the levers 15, 16, are
connected to the opposite by moving portions of an endless rope 17.
This construction is such that when the levers 15. 16. are separated as represented
by dotted lines in Figure 4 and the lever 4 in the position shown in full lines the
cable 3 will be held between the rollers 1 a, 1 b. while the latter run freely thereon
so as not to impart motion to the car. The first movement of the levers 15. 16.
toward one another will cause the locking beams 9.9 a. to be quickly drawn
together thus placing the shoes 9 b. 9 c. in contact with the gripping rollers 1 a. 1 b.
and a continuation of such movement, the fulcrum points 15 a. 16 a. and 166.
having been brought nearer in line will cause the ends of said levers to press the
locking shoes in contact with the rollers with any necessary force.
The levers 2, 2 a. and locking beams 9.9 a. may be so adjusted by the screws
8. 14. respectively that the foregoing result may be accomplished by very slight
movements of the operating levers.

page_text: In practice the levers 2. 2 a. are extended as indicated at 2x. and 2 am to carry
a second pair of gripping rollers similar to those shown at 1 a. 1 b. the other
extremities of the said levers being suspended from the car body by lugs similar to
those shown at 18 on the levers 1 a. 1 b. and connected by similar bar 7 lever 4 and
their described accessories or being pivoted to the body as preferred. The
members 2 a. and 2 a z. are connected by a knuckle joint bending freely outward
but inflexible in the other direction so that the bar 7 lever 4 and their connections
may draw the entire lever 2 a. 2 aa. toward the lever 2. 2 a. as one rigid member
but on the release of the connections 4. 7. will instantly relieve the pressure of the
rollers 1 a. 1 b. on the cable and the lever 2 a. turning on the joint and carrying
with it the fulcrum 10 a. with the locking lever 9 a. The locking shoes of the
second pair of rollers are connected to duplicate locking levers 9. and 9ax.
the levers 9 and 9 x. being jointed together at 16 b. to the lever 16 and the levers
9 a. and 9 a a. being jointed together to a connecting bar 11 common to both as
clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.
In Figures 7 to 13 inclusive are shown gripping jaws in lieu of the sheaves. for
grasping the rope or cable.
21. 3. are the gripping jaws suspended from the bottom of the car and
connected by a link 41 fixed at one end to the jaw 21 and pivoted at the other
end at 5¹ to the extremity of the bent lever 6'. The lever is fulcrumed at 7¹ to
the lower extremity of a similar bent lever 8' and fulcrummed at 91 to the second
jaw 3. This construction is such that in the first movement of the bent
levers 61. 91. on their fulcrums the jaws 31 and 21 will be quickly brought into
contact with the cable. After the shorter end of the bent lever 6¹ has passed
beyond a position at right angles to the shorter end of the lever 8¹ and approaches
a position nearly in line therewith it imparts a very forcible compressive movement
to the jaws.
'
4
The construction and operation of the levers are more fully illustrated in the
views Figures 7. 8. 9. 10 and 18. The jaws 2' 3¹ are made in the form of brake
shoes for receiving blocks or rubbers 10¹ which are preferably made of wood with
the end of the fibre presented outward toward the rope or cable.
The movement of the levers 6181 are effected by the endless wire rope or
chain 17 the two parts of which are connected to the extremities of the respective
levers and which passes around toothed drums 121 at the ends of the car. (See
Figures. 5. 6 and 14). Each of these drums is driven by a pinion 131 on a
vertical shaft 14¹ furnished with a hand wheel 15¹. By this means the grip may
be operated at will from either end of the car. The movement of the endless
rope in one direction draws the ends of the levers toward or past one another to
close the grip and its movement in the other direction draws them apart to open
the grip. The gripping sheaves or jaws or their levers may be provided with
springs of any usual form to retract them when the hand shaft is disconnected
therefrom. The shaft 14' is adjustable vertically so that by a downward movement
its pinion may be disengaged from the toothed drum 12' thus retracting the
gripping sheaves or jaws and freeing the cable. The shaft is further provided with
a clutch disc 16¹ having corrugations or teeth to engage with similar teeth on the
top of a drum or cylinder 17' which otherwise runs loosely on the shaft but is by
this means revolved. The said drum 17 operates a brake-chain 181 which is
wound thereon and connected with brake levers in any customary manner. The
brakes are applied simultaneously by the operation of the hand shaft at either
end through the medium of the usual connections or when the hand shaft is in its
intermediate position by an ordinary air brake. The vertical adjustment of the
shaft 14' to place it in gear with the grip mechanism or brake mechanism at will,
may be effected by a lever 19' engaging with a notched plate on the frame of the
car or held by a catch operated by the foot or in any suitable manner. When the
shaft is raised to the highest point it will be in gear with the grip mechanism or
when it is placed at the lowest point it will be in gear with the brake mechanism

page_text: `and when placed in an intermediate position it will be out of gear with either so
as to leave both free.
The cars may be provided with air or vacuum brakes in addition to or instead
of, the hand brakes. In this case the cock 21' of the air or vacuum brake is
governed by a jointed handle 22' which is held in an inoperative position by the
lever 19 when the latter is raised so that the brakes cannot be applied while the
grip is "on."
In place of employing the roller and positive grip singly and by themselves,
they may be advantageously combined, one or more rollers being arranged upon
one side of the grip and the jaw or other bearing surface, upon the other. By
this arrangement the rollers or sheaves can travel upon the cable and be gradually
locked thereto by the brakes, while the opposite bearing surface will tend to
positively grip the cable from the start.
Having thus described the said Invention and the mode in which the same may
be carried into effect I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to any
one of the gripping devices described and that I contemplate employing any or
all of them singly or in combination, but what I claim is :-
First. The gripping mechanism for cable railways, substantially as hereinbefore
.described.
Second. In a cable railway, the sheave or sheaves acted upon by brakes and
arranged so as to grip a moving rope or cable between opposing sheaves, or
between one or more such sheaves and other opposing surface or surfaces.
Third. One or more sets of sheaves or rollers so arranged as to embrace a
moving rope, band or chain, and at the same time be acted upon by brakes to
retard or stop their rotations, and thus impart motion to the car, vessel, or load
to which they are attached, substantially as herein described.
Fourth. In a device for gripping a moving rope, band, or chain, one or more
brakes applied through the medium of sheaves or rollers, substantially as herein
illustrated and described, for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. The combination of two or more sheaves or rollers, and brakes applied
thereto, when the pressure of the brakes is so applied as to increase the preliminary
tractional contact of the sheaves or rollers, and thus insure the existence at all
times of a superior pressure between the latter and the rope, band or chain over
that between them and the brakes, as herein specified.
Sixth. The sheaves or rollers arranged in pairs, face to face, upon opposite sides
of the cable, each pair being adapted to grip said cable between its opposing faces
and to be acted upon by brakes to retard or stop their rotation and thus impart
motion to the car substantially as herein before described.
Seventh. In a cable railway the device for retarding and stopping the rotation
of gripping sheaves or rollers as herein before described.
Eighth. The combination with a roller grip for cable railways of locking shoes
mounted on suitable beams and bearing outward against the interior of the rim of
the grip roller substantially as described.
Ninth. In a roller-grip for cable railways, the combination of double levers,
fulcrummed one on the other and locking shoes, moved by the said levers in
opposite directions, substantially as set forth.
Tenth. In a roller-grip for cable railways, the combination with the locking
shoes, mounted on suitable levers, of a system of levers flexibly connecting said
locking levers, having means for adjustment, as described.
Eleventh. In a grip for cable railways, the combination with the gripping rolls
mounted in a pair of double levers, fulcrummed to the bottom of the car of a pair
of levers fulcrummed to the ends of the aforesaid double levers, and flexibly
connected to each other for the purposes set forth.
Twelfth. In a grip for cable railways, the combination with a pair of double
levers, carrying a pair of gripping rolls and flexibly connected together by a second
pair of levers of mechanism substantially as described for adjusting the rollers to
and from each other, for the purposes set forth.

page_text: Thirteenth. In a roller-grip for cable railways, the combination with a pair of
gripping rollers, mounted in a pair of levers, of a pair of levers fulcrummed to the
ends of the aforesaid double levers, and connected together through the medium of
a sliding block mounted on one of the levers, and carrying an adjusting screw
having a fixed bearing in a lug on said levers, as and for the purpose specified.
Fourteenth. A grip for cable railway cars, operated by double levers so as to
bring the jaws or other opposing surfaces into contact with the rope by a quick
movement and subsequently grip the rope by a more forcible movement.
Fifteenth. A grip for cable railway cars operated by double levers through the
medium of an endless chain or rope travelling in opposite directions.
Sixteenth. A grip for cable railway cars operated by double levers fulcrummed
one on the other and co-acting on the gripping jaws, substantially as set forth.
Seventeenth. A grip for cable railway cars operated by double levers through
the medium of an endless rope or chain passing over drums at either end of the
car, said drums deriving rotation from the hand-brake windlass as set forth.
Eighteenth. The combination with the grip mechanism and the brake
mechanism of a hand shaft adjustable so as to engage with either substantially
as described.
Nineteenth. The combination with the grip mechanism and brake mechanism
of a cable railway car of an operating shaft or windlass and an adjusting lever
adapted to engage with a stationary rack on the frame of the car for holding said
shaft in gear with the grip mechanism, or brake mechanism, or out of gear with
both, as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills have hereunto
set my hand and seal this nineteenth day of April in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
B. J. B. MILLS (Ls.)