Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1887
Specification Accepted, 13th Dec., 1887
I, WILLIAM HENRY PAINE of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings and State of
New York, in the United States of America, 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:-
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1, is a view of the upper side of the grip looking in the direction of the
arrow 1, figure 11, showing the jaws closed.
Figure 2, is an end view of the grip in which some of the parts are omitted, those
shown, being in elevation or vertical transverse section.
Figure 3, is a vertical transverse section on the line 3-3, Figure 1, showing the
relative positions of the grip, the track-rails and the carrying sheaves for the cable.
Figure 4, is a view looking from the outside, of the main frame of one of the jaws
of the grip, showing some of the parts attached thereto and in elevation or vertical
section.
Figure 5, is an elevation of the opposite side of said frame.
Figure 6, is a detail view of a portion of the take-up mechanism.
The grip is of the kind known as "combined roller and positive grip" in which, as
is well understood, the roller is brought into action slightly in advance of the positive
grip. Each of the jaws of the grip is constructed upon a frame of malleable cast
steel or other suitable material which depends from the floor of the car. Said frames
are hung from a common centre, but one of said frames is held from swinging and
out of the position in which it would naturally hang, by an adjustable connection
with the floor of the car. By this means, the grasp the cable and the swinging jaw
must be moved up to the stationary jaw and in so doing it passes the position in
which it would naturally hang. Hence, when the pressure which holds the jaws of
the grip closed is removed gravity will cause the swinging jaw to fall away from the
fixed jaw and permit the cable to drop.
Gravity is thus utilized for opening the jaws of the grip. The fixed jaw is
provided with a depression-bar or guard-bar which extends from end to end of the
grip and farther if desired-and has its extremities up-turned for engaging an anti-
friction sheave and depressing it altogether with the cable-supporting sheave. This

page_text: fixed jaw is also provided at each end with a horizontally journaled sheave or roller
which sheaves project over the cable and occupy such positions relatively to the grip-
shoes that the cable cannot rise between the jaws of the grip to a plane above said
shoes. Each jaw of the grip is provided about its mid-length with a rigid grip-
shoe. The roller grip consists of four sheaves journaled at the respective ends of the
two frames of the grip in such a manner that the pair of rollers at each end of the
grip will bear upon opposite sides of the cable.
These sheaves are not journaled directly in the frames of the grip but each is
carried by a swinging frame, a description of one of which will suffice, all being
alike. The swinging frame is hinged vertically near the end of the grip frame and
extends to or beyond said end, the extremities of said swinging frame and grip frame
being connected as follows.
A rod is pivotally connected at one extremity to the end of the main frame passed
through an eye in the swinging frame and provided at its other extremity with a
screw-thread, a washer and a nut, hetween which washer and the swinging frame is
interposed a compression spring. One side of this rod is provided with ratchet teeth
which are engaged by corresponding teeth on the face of a dog which is placed and
has a limited sliding motion within the eye in the swinging frame. The teeth are for
taking up wear in the surface of the shoe used for retarding the rotation of the grip
sheaves, as will be hereinafter described. Excluding for the time being the question
of wear, this rod and dog may be considered practically as one member. The dog is
provided with a longitudinal slot through which passes a pin which holds it to place
and also limits its motion. The compression spring before referred to will tend to
draw the rod and dog through the eye in the swinging frame and does do so to the extent
permitted by the slot and pin; therefore the pressure of the carrying sheaves upon
the cable which is produced by the coil spring is exerted upon the outer end of the
swinging frame and is transmitted through said frame to the journals of the sheave
and thence to said sheave and the cable. The pressure thus produced is a yielding
one and serves to hold the carrying sheave in contact with the cable after the said
cable has been released by the grip, thereby holding said cable within the grip while
the car is at rest. To drop the cable the grip must be opened still wider, the move-
able jaw being allowed to swing completely away from the fixed one, as already
described. The wearing away of the face of the brake-shoe of the grip-rollers is
compensated for by the toothed dog and the teeth on the rod. These teeth are so
arranged as to prevent the compression spring from drawing the rod and dog any
farther than is permitted by the slot in the latter. Whereas should the surface of the
brake-shoe be so worn as not to bear upon the flange of the roller before the dog
reaches the extremity of its motion, said dog being held against further movement the
rod will be drawn through farther, thereby bringing other teeth into mesh. The
wearing away of the faces of the shoes of the positive grip is compensated for by
the devices hereinafter fully described, operating as follows: Upon the closing of the
grip, if the jaws approach beyond a certain distance asunder a bell-crank lever is
rocked on its fulcrum. The horizontal arm of this lever is held normally elevated by
a dog and is only liberated when the said dog is disturbed by the movement of the
jaws upon their approach within a certain distance asunder as above mentioned. This
horizontal arm engages with a winding mechanism whereby the connection between
the jaws of the grip, is shortened when said lever is oscillated. The other arm of
this lever projects vertically and is engaged by the frame of the grip jaw when the
grip is opened. The lever is thereby rocked and when returned to its normal position
is held by the dog until again liberated in the same manner. The levers for operating
the jaws of the grip are toggle levers drawn together by an endless wire rope or
chain passed around a drum at each end of the car and having its oppositely moving
parts connected to the extremities of the respective levers.
In the drawings 1, 1", represent the malleable cast steel frames upon which the
respective jaws of the grip are constructed. These frames depend from the floor of
the car being pivoted upon one common centre as at 2. As will be seen upon
reference to Figure 2 this centre from which the jaws of the grip depend is considerably

page_text: to one side of the vertical plane of the cable, so that if unrestrained, the tendency
of the said jaws would be to hang with their gripping surfaces in the same vertical
plane thereby tending always to close by gravity and requiring some mechanism for
opening them. To avoid the necessity for this additional mechanism and furthermore,
to utilize gravity for opening the jaws, one of them, 1 for example, is drawn from
the position in which it would naturally hang and held against movement in either
direction (thereby becoming a rigid jaw)—by an adjustable link 3 or other suitable
connection with the floor of the car. By this link the jaw 1 is held in such position
that its gripping surface will be contiguous to the side of the cable opposite to the
jaw 1 while the latter will swing unrestrained from the point 2. These parts should
be so located and adjusted that when the centre of gravity of the jaw 1 falls directly
beneath the point 2 the cable will drop away from contact with the gripping surface
of the jaw 1, and the gripping surface of the jaw 1 will be out of contact with the
cable. Throughout this specification and the claims, whenever it becomes necessary
to refer to these jaws 1 and 1" they will be called the rigid or fixed and moveable or
swinging jaws respectively. Affixed to the rigid jaw 1 is a guard bar 4 which extends
from end to end of the grip in a plane parallel to but a little to one side of the cable
as represented in Figure 2. This guard bar is provided at each end with an inclined
or upturned portion 4, the foremost one of which upturned portions according to
the direction in which the car is moving, comes in contact with a loose pulley located
by the side of the depressible cable-supporting sheave and thereby depresses said
pulley and sheave, the horizontal portion 4 of said guard bar serving to hold them in
their depressed position while the grip is passing to prevent the latter from being
injured.
After the grip has passed the supporting sheave, the latter is permitted to resume
its normal position gradually and without any sudden shock by the incline 4" at the
rear end of the guard bar 4, 5 is a spool or roller, one of which is attached to each
end of the rigid jaw 1, said spool being placed over the cable and in such position
relatively to the gripping surface of the rigid jaw as to prevent said cable from rising
above said surface.
The roller grip consists of two pairs of rollers 6-6, 6-6, one roller of each pair
being carried at the respective ends of the frames 1. 1". The rollers of each pair
may bear against the cable at directly opposite points, or one may be a little in
advance of the other, as desired. These rollers are not journalled directly to the
main frame but each one is journalled in an independently swinging frame which is
connected to the main frame in substantially the following manner. The means for
connecting all of these rollers being the same, it will be sufficient to describe one of
them. 7 is the swinging frame which is of L-shape, as shown in Figure 4. The
rearwardly projecting arins 7 of this frame are provided with vertical perforations
which receive bolts passed through similar perforations in lugs 8 projecting from the
main frame. On these bolts the frames 7 have a limited swinging motion in a
horizontal plane.
The forwardly projecting arms 7 of the frame 7 are perforated and receive the
spindle 6 of the roller 6, as shown more clearly in Figure 4. 9 is a rod which is
hinged to the extremity of the main frame, and, passing through an eye formed in
the extremity of the longer or lower arm 7 of the frame 7, is screw-threaded and
receives a nut and washer 9".
Between this washer and the free end of the swinging frame 7 is interposed a
compression spring 10. 11 is a toothed dog which is placed within the eye in the
arm 7 of the swinging frame 7 and engages with corresponding ratchet teeth formed
on the contiguous side of the rod 9. This dog is held in place by a pin 12, which is
fast in the arm 7 and passes through an elongated slot 13 formed through the dog,
as represented in dotted lines in figure 1. These constitute the means for holding
the carrying sheaves 6. 6° in contact with the cable and operates as follows: When
the jaws are closed the rod 9 will bring the outer extremnity of the slot 13 in the
dog 11 in contact with the pin 12 and place the spring 10 under compression. As
the jaws are opened the rod 9 will slip through the eye in the arm 7b and carry the

page_text: dog 11 with it. Until the dog passes sufficiently far to bring the inner extremity of
the slot 13 into contact with the pin 12, the sheaves will be held in contact with the
cable by the expansive force exerted by the springs 10 and transmitted to said
sheaves through the swinging frames 7. As soon however, as the inner extremities
of the slots 13 come in contact with the pins 12, any further relative movement of
the main frames 1, 1", from each other will draw the rollers away from the cable and
permit it to drop. The sheaves are of the form shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 4
and have their peripheries lined with yielding dies 14 made up of alternate strips of
leather and rubber or other suitable yielding material. 15 are the brake-shoes for
retarding the rotation of these rollers, which are secured directly to lugs 1', projecting
downwardly from the main frame. 16, 16, are the dies of the positive grip which
are secured directly to the main frames 1 and 1" respectively and are preferably
arranged at about the centre of said frames as shown more clearly in Figure 1.
In operation, the shoes 15 which retard the rotation of the sheaves 6. 6ª will come
to their bearings upon said sheaves a little before the dies 16, 16 of the positive grip
come in contact with the cable. Pressure being continued and the limit of elasticity
of the dies 14 having been reached, the dies 16. 16", of the positive grip will come in
contact with the cable and grip it, positively, thereby compelling the car to travel at
the same velocity as said cable.
17 is a bolt which is cylindrical at an intermediate point, as at 17ª and screw-
threaded at both ends. The end 17h of this bolt is screwed into the jaw 1ª or a part
fixed thereto, as hereinafter described, while the end 17° is provided with a nut 18
which forms a bearing for a stirrup 19 which is of the shape represented in
Figures 1 and 3.
One extremity of this stirrup is provided with a circular aperture fitting upon the
cylindrical portion 17" of the bolt while the other end terminates in two parallel
arms 19 lying preferably in horizontal planes as shown in Figure 3.
These horizontal arms 19" of the stirrup do not extend to the apertured extremity
thereof but terminate some distance therefrom in a cross-head 19b, and from this
point said stirrup is continued in the form of two arms or straps 19 placed in vertical
planes so as to form a vertical aperture near the extremity of the stirrup, as shown
in Figures 1 and C. Between the extremities of the arms 19 is pivoted a lever 20
having a long arm 20ª which is connected to the endless rope or chain, by means of
which the grip is operated from the end platforms of the car, and a short arm 20°
which is pivoted near the end of a similar lever 21, the shorter arm 21" of which is
fulcrumed to the frame 1 through the medium of a bolt 22 and an arm or step 23
held thereby. This constitutes the means for opening and closing the jaws of
the grip.
24 is a lever which is fulcrumed at its extremity upon the bolt 17, as shown in
Figure 6 and held against longitudinal movement thereon by means of the nut 18
and a collar 26 keyed securely to said bolt within the vertical aperture of the stirrup 19
as shown more clearly in Figures 1 and 6. This lever is capable of a free oscillatory
motion and is provided with a spring actuated or other pawl 25 which engages with
ratchet teeth formed upon the periphery of the collar 26. When the lever 24 is
elevated the pawl 25 engages with the ratchet 26 and thereby turns the bolt 17,
causing it to be screwed farther into its seat in the opposite jaw 1", which draws the
two jaws closer together for compensating for wear in the faces of the gripping dies.
This bolt is secured to the jaw 1 by means of a nut 27 which may be of any desired
shape and held against rotation by any suitable means; for example, it may be
provided with radial holes 28, for the reception of the ends of bolts 29 tapped into a
part of the frame or a collar 30 attached thereto. Or, it may be of quadrangular,
polygonal or other non-circular shape and held against rotation by the collar 30
correspondingly formed. The bolts 29 or some other means will however be necessary
in order to hold the nut to its place within the collar. When the dies of the grip
have been worn away so as to be of no further use the bolt 17 will have been driven
so far through the nut 27 that the latter will be close up to the cylindrical portion 17",
whereas when the dies are new it is necessary that said nut should be near the outer
1. .
.....

page_text: extremity of said bolt. The mechanism last described constitutes a simple and
effective means whereby the nut may be quickly turned out to its proper place on the
bolt whenever the old dies are to be replaced by new ones. This is accomplished by
first retracting the bolts 29, then sliding the bolt 17 endwise until the nut 27 comes
outside of the collar 30; then turning said nut by hand to the desired position and
then replacing it within the collar and screwing in the bolts 29.
31 is a bell-crank lever fulcrumed upon the top of the stirrup 19 and having one
of its arms projecting vertically and the other horizontally or thereabouts its extremity
being at all times beneath the lover 24. The horizontal arm of this lever is provided
with a tooth or lug 32 which is engaged by a toothed dog 33 also pivoted to the
stirrup 19 and held out into engagement with said lug by means of a spring. This
dog 33 holds the horizontal arm of the lever 31 normally elevated or in the position
shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. 34 is a bar secured between the two upright
portions 1 of the frame 1 for the purpose of rocking the bell crank lever 31 in the
manner presently to be described. The bell crank lever 3.1 and dog 33 being in the
position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, which is their normal position, the operation
of the device is as follows: It will be seen that in closing the jaws the more the
faces of the dies are worn away the closer the heel or lower end of the dog 33 will
come to the bolt 22, said parts being secured to the said jaws 10 and I respectively.
Hence when they are so worn that the heel of said dog comes into contact with said
bolt, or other trip secured in the same relation, the top end thereof will be moved
away from engagement with the lug or tooth 32, thereby permitting the horizontal
arm of the bell crank lever to fall by gravity to the position shown in full lines.
This movement takes place on the closing of the jaws. When the levers 20, 21 are
opened the jaw 1ª will swing away from the jaw 1-(the latter being held immoveably,
as described) carrying with it the stirrup 19 and consequently the bell crank
lever 31 and other parts which are secured to it. This relative movement between
the two jaws brings the vertical arm of the bell crank lever 31 into contact with the
bar 34, whereby said lever is rocked, causing the horizontal arm thereof to rise and
by engaging with the underside of the lever 24 elevate it and turn the bolt 17 as
already described. This brings the parts 31, 32 into the position shown in dotted
lines where they are held by the dog 33 until the latter is again tripped by the
approach of the jaws within a certain distance asunder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The combination with the positive grip, of a roller grip consisting of rollers
arranged in pairs upon opposite sides of the cable so as to embrace it between their
peripheries, and braking devices for retarding the rotation of said rollers, substantially
as set forth.
2. The combination with a positive grip, of a roller grip, consisting of rollers,
arranged in pairs upon opposite sides of the cable, braking devices adapted to engage
said rollers when moved toward the cable, and mechanism for bringing said braking
devices to bear upon the rollers, whereby the latter are made to bite the cable and
their rotation simultaneously checked, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a roller grip consisting of rollers arranged in pairs upon
opposite sides of the cable and braking devices for simultaneously pressing them into
contact with the cable and retarding their rotation of a positive grip adapted
to be moved to and from the cable independently of the roller grip for the purpose
set forth.
4. The combination with the dies of a positive grip and the rollers of a roller grip,
said dies and rollers being capable of limited movement independently of each other,
of brake shoes for retarding the rotation of said rollers and a pair of frames to
which the opposing members of both grips are respectively secured, for the purpose
set forth.
5. In a grip, the combination of a moveable jaw and a hinge from which it

page_text: depends, located to one side of the vertical plane of the cable, whereby the said jaw
is adapted to swing away from the cable by gravity, as explained.
6. The combination with a jaw held in an inclined position, of a moveable jaw
swinging in the plane of the fixed jaw, substantially as set forth."
7. The combination with the two jaws of a grip suspended from a common
centre and to one side of the vertical plane of the cable, of a link or other
connection for holding one of said jaws with its dies or gripping surface contiguous
to the side of the cable opposite to the common centre from which said jaws are
suspended as explained.
8. The combination with the fixed or rigid jaw of a grip, of a guard-bar extending
along the under side thereof from end to end and having upturned or inclined end,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9. The combination with a pair of frames, of the dies constituting the positive grip
secured to the respective frames at an intermediate point and the roller grip consisting
of rollers for embracing the cable and braking devices for retarding the rotation of
said rollers secured to the extremities of said frames, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
10. The combination of a swinging frame hinged to the main frame of a grip,
a sheave or rollerjournalled to and carried by said swinging frame, and a spring
for holding the sheaves of the two jaws in contact with the cable after the cable has
been released by the grip, substantially as set forth.
11. The combination with the jaws of a grip, of a pair of sheaves or rollers carried
by the respective jaws, springs for holding said sheaves in contact with the cable
when the cable is released by the gripping dies, and brake shoes for retarding the
rotation of said sheaves or rollers as the jaws of the grip are closed, substantially
as set forth.
12. The combination of a swinging frame hinged to the main grip frame and
having the cable-supporting roller journaled therein; a rod hinged to the main frame
and extending outward past the swinging frame; a flange or washer on said rod and
a spring interposed between said washer and the swinging frame, substantially as set
forth.
13. The combination of a swinging frame hinged to the main grip frame and
having the cable-supporting sheave or roller journaled therein; a spring incorporated
in the connection between the main frame and the swinging frame and a screw
nut for adjusting the tension of the said spring substantially as set forth.
14. The combination with the main frame of the grip, of a swinging, roller-
supporting frame hinged thereto; a rod connecting said frames; a spring surrounding
said rod and serving to hold the sheaves in contact with the cable when the jaws
are open; and a stop for limiting the movement of the sheave by said spring, as set
forth.
15. The combination with the jaws of a grip of swinging frames hinged to the main
frames and having the cable-supporting sheaves or rollers journaled therein toothed
rods hinged to the main frame and projecting through slots in the swinging frames;
toothed dogs secured to the swinging frames by means of longitudinal slots and pins
passing therethrough; springs exerting a strain in opposite directions against said
frames, and shoes secured to the main frames for retarding the rotation of the sheaves,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
16. The combination with the main frame, of the swinging frame 7 hinged thereto;
the toothed rod 9 attached to the main frame; the dog 11 having longitudinal slot 13,
and teeth engaging with those on the rod 9; the pin 12 secured in the frame 7 and
extending through the slot 13 the spring 10 exerting a force upon the main frame
and the swinging frame in opposite directions; and the shoe 15 secured to the main
frame; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
17. The combination with the two jaws of a grip having a connection between
them, of a take-up mechanism operated by the movement of the said jaws relatively
to each other, for shortening said connection and thereby compensating for the
wearing away of the gripping dies as explained.

page_text: 18. The combination with the two jaws of a grip connected by a screw bolt, of a
lever rocked or oscillated by a relative movement between said jaws for turning said
screw-bolt, as and for the purpose set forth.
19. The combination with the two jaws of a grip, a screw-bolt connecting them
and a circular ratchet secured to said bolt; of an oscillating lever fulcrumed upon
said bolt and having a pawl for engaging with said ratchet and a lever rocked by a
relative movement between the said jaws for moving said oscillating lever, substantially
as set forth.
20. The combination with the two jaws of a grip having a connection between
them and an automatic take up; of a dog for bolding said take-up in an operative
position until liberated by the approach of the jaws within a given distance asunder,
substantially as set forth.
21. The combination with the two jaws of a grip having a connection between
them; of an automatic take-up operated by the opening of the jaws, and a dog for
holding said take-up normally in an inoperative position, tripped by the closing
together of the jaws for permitting the take-up to act, substantially as set forth.
22. The combination with the two jaws of a grip, and connection between them;
of a screw bolt incorporated in the said connection; a circular ratchet secured to
said bolt; an oscillating lever fulcrumed upon said bolt and provided with a pawl for
engagement with said ratchet; a bell-crank lever fulcrumed to a part of said
connection and engaging with said oscillating lever as described, rocked by a relative
movement between the jaws, substantially as set forth.
23. The combination with the two jaws of a grip, of a screw-holt incorporated in
the connection between them and a nut through which said bolt screws, removably
secured to one of the jaws and held against rotation, substantially as set forth.
24. The combination with the two jaws of a grip, of a screw-bolt incorporated in
the connection between them; a nut through which said bolt screws, a collar within
which said nut is removably fitted and bolts for holding said nut in place in said
collar, substantially as set forth.
25. The combination of the fixed jaw of a grip, the swinging frame or hanger
having a jaw secured thereto, constituting the movable jaw, the connection between
said jaws, and the operating toggle arms, substantially as set forth.
26. The combination with the jaw of a grip having recessed faces as described, of
rubber or similar material inserted therein and forming a gripping surface, substantially
as set forth.
27. The combination with the jaw of a grip, of a die formed of strips or blocks of
rubber and some other inaterial substantially as set forth.
28. The combination with the jaw of a grip, of a die, formed of alternate strips of
rubber and leather, substantially as set forth.
29. The combination with the two jaws of a grip of a take-up operated by a
relative movement of the jaws for compensating for the wearing away of the gripping
surfaces.
30. The combination with the two jaws of a grip and an automatic take-up operated
by a relative movement of the jaws, of a dog for holding said take-up in an operative
position until liberated by the approach of the jaws within a given distance asunder,
substantially as set forth.
Dail this 00th day of Canisation 1007
WILLIAM HENRY PAINE.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.