Improvements in Rope or Cable Grips
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rope or Cable Grips
I, JAMES WHITALL, of 605, 46th Street Chicago, in the County of Cook and
State of Illinois, United States of America, Bricklayer, 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 object of the present invention is to provide a rope or cable grip of such
construction that when brought into contact with the cable the movement of the
latter relatively to the grip, acting upon a movable Jaw or jaws, causes the grip to
automatically take hold.
In accomplishing this object I construct the grip of a suitable frame carrying a
cam or cams, and I confine within this frame, by some suitable means, à jaw (or
a pair of jaws) which is movable relatively to the cam in the direction of the length
of the cable.
The grip
which forms the subject of the present invention may be used where
the cable is either vertical or horizontal, or in any other position, and is intended
more especially for carrying light loads, being particularly adapted for use in cash
or bundle carrying systems, and for lifting building and other materials
The invention consists in the features of novelty hereinafter set forth and in
order that it may be fully understood I will describo it with reference to the
accompanying diawing, in which
Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a front and a rear elevation, partly in section of
a cable grip embodying my invention
Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal and vertical sections thereof on the lines 2-2
and 4-4, respectively and
Figure
is a front elevation of a portion of a grip embodying the invention
under a slight modification.
In describing the improved cable grip, this Specification, conformable to the law
and practice, will be confined to the identical construction shown in the diawing,
but I desne to have it understood that many of the details that are shown and
hereinafter descubed are not essential features. The construction shown 18 simple
and has been proved effective, but in many respects it may be altered without
departing from the spirit and essence of the invention, this being essentially so as
to the frame or support, which will necessarily vary according to the particular
purpose for which the grip is designed.
open
In the diawing A represents a heavy block or casting, which is hollow, and
at the back, it is provided in front with a longitudinal slot or opening a, and has
heavy end walls a, notched opposite the opening a for the admission of the cable B.
C, C are oppositely located cams or cam surfaces which are preferably formed
upon the side walls a² of the block A and each of which, preferably, has two
slopes. D, D are a pair of heavy plates placed against the opposite sides of the
block A and secured in place thereon by tie-bolts E, E the block being provided
on its ends with notched lugs e which engage said bolts and prevent their lateral
movement relatively to the block.
Within the block are confined a pair of gripping jaws, which are so located that
each of them may have contact with one of the cams C, said Jaws being capable
of moving relatively to the cams in the direction of the length of the cable.
The invention is not limited to jaws of any particular construction, albeit, the
construction shown in the drawing is preferable because of its simplicity and
effectiveness. As shown, each of these jaws consists of a housing F, in which is
journalled a pair of rollers F', and in which is secured a friction pad F³, preferably

page_text: made of soft rubber. Each of the housings has a flange which bears against
the rear edge of the side wall a* of the block, a flange which occupies a groove
in said side wall, and a flange f' which occupies a groove in the inner face of the
front of the block, these several flanges and grooves being provided for the purpose
of guiding the jaw in its eud wise movement. The two jaws are loosely connected
by means of a metallic strap or link G, pivotally connected at one end to one end
of one of the jawe, and at the other end to the opposite end of the other jaw, so
that it will permit the jaws to move freely toward or from each other and at the
same time hold them against any considerable relative end wise movement.
The meeting faces of the friction pads F' preferably flare outward, so that a
cable inserted between them will eventually come in contact with them, and when
once in contact the friction will be sufficient to cause the jaws to partake of the
movement of the cable and in so doing move relatively to the cam C, and since
the cams converge, or approach each other in the duection in which the cable 1s
moving, it follows that the jaws will be forced toward each other and grip the cable.
It will be seen also that the force with which the cable is gripped will be directly
proportional to the load, or the resistance to the movement of the frame. This
being so, the grip is entely automatic not only in that it closes automatically, but
also in that it grips the cable with only so much foice as is necessary in order to
enable it to carry the load. When the friction pads F' are made of soft rubber
they will yield and permit the rollers to come in contact with and grip the cable,
but if they are made of a hard material the gripping can be done by them instead
of by the rollers, the rollers acting simply as anti-friction devices through which
the Jaws bear upon the cams.
In order to more securely hold the jaws against displacement, 1 arrange behind
them and in contact with the link Ga pair of bars H, and in order to lessen the
friction between said bars and link, loose sleeves I are put upon them.
I have not shown the grip constructed as above described, applied to a receptacle
or vehicle of any sort, because the manner of so applying it will be perfectly
obvious to those skilled in the art, and will vary according to the requirements of
particular cases. For example, if the gripper is used for elevating building or
other material, an L-shaped bracket K may be secured to one side of it, and
a receptacle or vehicle may be secured to the horizontal arm of this bracket.
This is, however, merely illustrative and the invention is not limited to it.
The cable may be released in one of two ways, either by seizing the grip, or the
receptacle to which it is attached, and moving it in the same direction in which
the cable is moving and at a little greater speed than the speed of the cable, or by
simply striking the cable so as to knock it from between the jaws.
With a grip constructed as above described and having a pair of movable jaws,
both jaws will have equal movement toward or from the cential line of the cable,
and while this is preferied, still, it is not necessary. In Figure 5 I have shown a
grip in which only one movable jaw is used. This jaw is constructed, arranged and
operates as already described, the cable being gripped between it and a pair of
fixed rollers F³.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my baid inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a grip, the combination with a suitable frame or support, of a cam carried
thereby, a gripping jaw engaged by the cam and capable of moving relatively
thereto in the direction of the length of the cable, said jaw having a yielding
friction pad adapted to engage the cable, and 1olleis adapted to engage and bite
the cable when the friction pad is compressed substantially as set forth.
2. In a grip, the combination with a suitable frame or support, of a cam carried
thereby, and a gripping jaw engaged by the cam and capable of moving relatively
thereto in the direction of the length of the cable, said jaw having rollers
engaging the cam, and a friction pad projecting beyond a plane which touches the

page_text: peripheries of the rollera on the side adjacent the cable, substantially as set
forth.
3. In a grip, the combination with a suitable frame or support, of a cam carried
thereby, and a gripping jaw engaged by the cam and capable of moving relatively
thereto in the direction of the length of the cable, said jaw having rollers engaging
the cam and having a yielding pad projecting beyond a plane which touches
the peripheries of the rollers on the side adjacent the cable, substantially as set
forth.
4. In a grip, the combination with a suitable frame or support, of a pair of
oppositely located cams carried thereby and a pair of gripping jaws engaged by
the cam and capable of moving relatively thereto in the direction of the length
of the cable, said jaws having anti-friction rollers engaging the cams, and adapted
to engage and bite the cable, substantially as set forth.
5. In a grip, the combination with a suitable frame or support, of a pair of
oppositely located cams carried thereby, and a pair of gupping jaws, capable of
moving relatively to the cams in the direction of the length of the cable, said Jaws
having anti-friction rollers engaging the cams, and friction pads projecting beyond
a plane which touches peripheries of the rollers, on the side adjacent the cable,
substantially as set forth.
6. In a grip, the combination with a suitable frame or support, of a pair of cams
carried thereby, and a pair of gripping jaws engaged by the cams and capable of
moving relatively thereto in the direction of the length of the cable, and means
connecting said jaws and permitting their relatively latoral movement toward or
from each other while restraining them from relative endwise movement,
substantially as set forth.
7. In a gup, the combination with a suitable frame or support, of a pair of
oppositely located cams carried thereby, and a pair of gripping jaws engaged by
the cams and capable of moving relatively thereto in the direction of the length
of the cable, and a link pivotally connected at one end to one end of one of the
Jaws and at the other end to the opposite end of the other jaw, substantially as set
forth.
8 In a grip, the combination with a suitable frame or support, of a cam carried
thereby, and a gripping jaw engaged by the cam and capable of moving relatively
thereto in the direction of the length of the cable, said jaw having a recessed
housing, anti-fiction rollers Journalled to said housing, and adapted to engage and
bite the cable, and a friction pad secured in one of the recesses of the housing and
adapted to engage the cable, substantially as set forth.
9. lu a gup, the combination with a suitable frame or support, of a cam carried
thereby, and a gripping jaw engaged by the cam and having flanges engaging
guiding shoulders upon the frame or support, substantially as set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.