improvements in Wire-guy Grippers.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
improvements in Wire-guy Grippers.
I, JAMES GIBSON, of St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America, Stone
Mason, 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 has for its object to enable the operating-levers to the grip-jaws to
yield in such a manner that the pull upon the guy-rope may be maintained at an
angle thereto, thus preventing weakening or bending of the rope at the point held
by the gripping-jaws.
My invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, which
will be fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete gripping apparatus, showing the position
of the levers when extended, and the chain connecting the ends of said levers and
a portion of a wire guy-rope between the jaws.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal side view of the apparatus as seen in Figure 1, showing
the position of the lever at an angle to the jaws of the grip.
Figure 3 is an end view of the gripping cam-jaws, showing the groove to receive
the cable and the hasp on the pivot-bolts of the cam.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
In the construction of my gripping apparatus, A represents the base or pivot
plate, which consists of a flat bar narrow in width and of the proper length,
through the opposite ends of bar A. and at a corresponding distance from each end
are made the transverse perforations a a'..
The grip-jaws of the apparatus consist of two flat circular cams B B¹, equal in
diameter and in size proportionate to the length of the plate A, so as to engage
between the cams the wire rope, as hereinafter described. Through cach cam B B₁
is made a transverse perforation b, eccentric to the line of circumference of said
circular cams and so far removed from the centre of said cams as to permit the
approach of said cams within the proper grasping distance. The size of said
perforations is equal to that of the perforations a a¹ in the plate A.
Extending around a portion of the cams B B', and in the edges which are
opposite to each other, are made the grooves 2. The cams are placed in line and
secured upon one side of the plate A. by means of pivot-bolts C C¹, which bolts are
made to fit the perforations a a' in the respective plate A and cams B B.
Upon one end of bolt C is made a screw-thread c. The bolt C is inserted through
the perforation in cam B, and also through the perforation in plate A, and upon
said screw-threaded end e of bolt C, beneath plate A, is fitted a nut c'. The
opposite end of the bolt C extends through and a short distance above the cam B,
and is made with the bolt-head ex, which rests on the cam B, and connected with
and extending above the head c* is a contracted end portion c² of the said bolt, for
the purpose hereinafter described. The pivot-bolt C for the cam B¹ is made with
a flat head or plate upon one end not exceeding in width the plate A. The
opposite end of bolt C is screw-threaded at c', and this end of bolt C' is inserted
through the perforation 68 in cam B', then through the perforation a' in the plate A,
and to said end beneath plate is fitted a nut c. To the plate e³, forming the head
of the bolt C¹ upon the portion directed toward the head of the bolt C, is hinged,
by means of a hinge joint d, one end of a hasp D. The opposite end d' of the
hasp D is bent near the bolt head c* at right angles to form a depression d* of
equal depth to receive the said bolt-head c. Through the end portion d' of
hasp D is made a transverse perforation of the proper size and in a position to

page_text: receive the end c² of the bolt C. Through this end portion c² of bolt C is made a
transverse opening c, which, when the end portion d' of the hasp D is upon the
head c, will pass in line with the upper and outer side of the said portion d', and
in said opening is fitted a wedge c'.
To operate the cam, two separate levers E E¹ are employed, attached,
respectively, to the circular edge portions of said cams B B' by the stop-hinges
In the ends of the levers E E', opposite to those hinged to the cams, are made the
transverse perforations e e¹. To the perforated end of the lever E is connected one
link of a series of links F, and to the opposite perforated end of the lever E' is
connected one link f' of links F¹. The links in both series F F are then con-
nected to an intermediate ring F³, to which ring is attached the block and
tackle G.
In the operation of my improved wire-rope grip the levers E E' are spread apart
or thrown into the position seen in dotted lines, Figure 1, and by this means the
cams B B are turned upon the pivot-bolts C C', so as to increase the distance
between the opposite gripping portions of the jaws or cams. In this position the
wedge is removed from the bolt C, and the hasp D turned back upon the
portion of the bolt C¹. The cable His inserted between the cams B B', and
the levers E E¹ are drawn toward each other, thus enclosing the wire cable within
the grooves b³. The hasp D is then closed and keyed to the bolt C. It is then
observed that as the resistance to the grasp of the cams B B upon the cable
increases the cams are drawn more closely together and the grip upon the wire rope
is increased in proportion and a double purchase is attained. In the pull upon the
wire rope, when several grippers are applied to the same rope, the hinged arms are
especially serviceable, in that the combined drafts may be exerted upon the wire
rope without twisting the strands or weakening the rope at any point.
The movement of the hinged levers E E¹, to retain the proper purchase at an
angle to the cams, is controlled by the stop-hinges 6. Whenever it is desired to
tighten the nut upon the bolt C, a wrench is applied to the rectangular head c× of
the said bolt and said nut, the hasp controlling the movement of the opposite
bolt C¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a gripping apparatus for wire rope having a base-plate, the combination
therewith of cam-jaws consisting of opposite eccentrically-pivoted circular plates
and operating-levers rigidly connected laterally with said cam-plates, and hinged
and arranged to yield in a transverse relation thereto, for the purpose described.
2. In a grip apparatus for wire rope having a suitable base-plate, the combination
therewith of opposite eccentrically-pivoted grasping cam-plates having pivot-bolts
on said base-plates and a hasp connected with one of said bolts and adapted to be
removably secured to the other bolt, substantially as described.
3. In a grip apparatus for wire rope having a suitable base-plate, the combination
therewith of opposite eccentrically-pivoted grasping cam-plates having pivot-bolts
on said base-plate, (one of said bolts having a flat head or plate and the other bolt
a contracted head) and a hasp hinged to the said plate on the head of one of said
bolts at one end, and having its opposite end provided with a suitable opening
adapted to receive said contracted bolt-head and keyed thereto, for the purpose
described.
DATES thay of January 1091.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant. •