Gripping Devices of Cable-railway Cars.
Year: 1886

page_text: Gripping Devices of Cable-railway Cars.
I, JOHN JACOB ENDRES, of 482 Fourth Avenue, in the City, County and State
of New York, United States of America, Engineer, do solemnly declare the nature
of this invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR OPERATING THE BRAKING
AND GRIPPING DEVICES OF CABLE-RAILWAY CARS, and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
The invention relates to mechanism adapted to operate both the braking and the
cable-gripping devices of cable-road cars. It has for its object, to put these devices
under the control of one operator, so that they may be conveniently and readily
worked from one point (usually at either or both ends of the car,) and by the same
hand-wheel, or other hand mechanism.
The invention consists in combining with the operators hand-wheel, a coupling
hub having two coupling parts or faces combined with a shifting coupling
mechanism arranged so that, at the will of the operator, the hand-wheel may be
connected with either the braking or the gripping device for the purpose of
operating the same.
The invention is illustrated in the drawings accompanying this description,
Fig. 1 being a sectional side elevation view of a cable-road car truck, showing also
an end platform of a car with the coupling mechanism of the invention attached
thereto; Fig. 2 is an end elevation view of the same mechanism; Fig. 3 is a
section on a horizontal plane through the axis of the operating gear of the same;
Figs. 4 and 5 show the opposite faces of the clutching parts; Fig. 6 shows a plan
view of one form of the gripping mechanism.
In these views, A. is the body or platform of a car to which the devices are
attached, B the track rails, C the truck wheels, and D the cable which is shown
as being held by the gripping mechanism. The gripping mechanism is represented
by E, its operating connection by F, the braking mechanism by G, and its operating
connection by H, these mechanisms may be of any suitable construction. In the
present case the braking mechanism is of a well-known form, while the grip is a
new and improved structure that forms the special subject of another application
for a patent filed by me simultaneously herewith. Briefly, this grip consists of two
movable jaws I, operated by the link connections J and lever arms K attached to
the rod F.

page_text: Lis the hand-wheel by which the braking and gripping mechanisms are
operated, the lower end of the shaft of this hand wheel is provided with a
worm M which meshes with a gear wheel N, these parts being hung in suitable
bracket or other supports, O. The hub of the gear wheel carries the clutch
halves PP, which correspond to and are adapted to engage with the clutch!
disks QQwhich turn on the shifting rod R running centrally through the gear
but are secured thereto so as to move with it longitudinally. One of these disks Q
is provided with an arm S to which is attached the operating rod F of the grip.
The other disk Q has a grooved periphery on which winds the chain connection H
which operates the brakes. This latter disk, however, might be similarly provided
with an arm, and the brake connection could be attached thereto, as in the case of
the grip connection. T is a hand lever pivotally supported on the car platform
and extending up to within the reach of the operator; it is also pivoted to one end
of the shifting rod R and its lower end extends to near the rail B.
The operation of the mechanism is this: After the cable has been lifted to
position for the gripping jaws attached to the car to close upon it, the car conductor
or other operator at the hand-wheel moves the hand-lever so as to bring that one
of the clutch disks whose arm is connected with the gripping mechanism, into
engagement with the clutch half of the gear wheel, and thus forms an operative
connection between the hand-wheel and the cable-gripping mechanism. Turning
the hand-wheel, now closes the gripping mechanism and puts the car in motion,
the grip being held closed by the worm on the hand-wheel, or if necessary by
additional means, such as a common ratchet catch on the hand-wheel or other like
means. When it is desired to open the grip, it is only necessary to release the
hand-lever, which disconnects the gripping clutch disk from the coupling and
permits the grip to open and loose the cable. When it is desired to stop the car,
the hand-lever will be first moved to ungrip the cable, and then to engage the
clutch disk of the braking mechanism, so that, upon then turning the hand-wheel,
the brakes of the car will be brought into action and the car stopped.
By these means, a very simple, sure, and effective mechanism is made to serve
for both gripping the cable and braking the car, and without imposing upon the
operator of the car (as is commonly the case) the necessity of constant attention to
the condition or operation of the mechanism controlling the car. The oporator has
but to set the hand-lever at the proper position, and then turn the hand-wheel, and
always in the same direction; and, it will be noticed, it is impossible to call into
action either mechanism operated by the hand-wheel without disconnecting the
other, and so rendering impossible the working of both devices at the same time;
also, that the operator cannot throw the load of the cars upon the cable too
suddenly, for, even with rapid operation of the hand-wheel, the action of the
gripping jaws will be to take the cable gradually.
U, Fig. 2, is an incline bar fixed to the track structure and arranged in such
position as to be in path of the lower end of the hand-lever when it is set to hold
the cable gripped. This incline will be at such place or places on the track where
the cable should be released, and its purpose is to automatically release it, if the
operator neglects so to do, by forcing the lower end of the hand-lever inward as the
car passes along, thus shifting the gripping clutch half from operative connection
with the hand-wheel.
I am aware that the invention may be embodied in mechanism differing some-
what in form from that here described, and accordingly I do not limit myself to
any specific form.
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. In combination, with the gripping and braking connections of a cable-road
car, a coupling hub provided with two coupling parts or faces, and coupling &
disks attached to the gripping and braking connections and mounted проп
shifting

page_text: supports adapted to engage either of said disks with said hub, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
2. In combination, with the gripping and braking connections of a cable-road
car, a coupling hub provided with two coupling parts or faces, coupling disks
attached to the gripping and braking connections and mounted upon shifting
supports adapted to engage either of said disks with said hub and at the same
time to disengage the other of said disks therefrom, and hand mechanisms attached
to said hub and to said shifting devices for operating the same, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
3. In combination, the connections F, H, the clutch disks Q attached to the
lever T, the gear N provided with clutch halves P, and the hand-wheel L provided
with the worm M and meshing with said gear, all substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
4. In combination, the connections F, H, the clutch disks attached to lever T,
the gear N provided with clutch halves P, the hand-wheel L provided with
worm M, and the incline bar U, all substantially as set forth.
5. In a coupling mechanism for operating the braking and gripping devices of a
cable-road car, the combination of the bracket O supporting the gear N with its
hub and clutch halves P, and the shifting rod R passing centrally through the
gear N, and its disks, substantially as described.