Improvements in Stoppers for holding and controlling the running out of Ropes & Chains.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov.,
1888
THOMAS ARCHER junr. Park Terrace, Gateshead on Tyne County of Durham Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Improvements in Stoppers for holding and controlling the running out of Ropes
& Chains.
To the deck of a ship, for instance, I bolt or otherwise attach a holding-down
bed which may be made of metal or other suitable material, on the surface of which
near to the centre I place two longitudinal bars between which the Rope or Chain is
to pass.
By means of short toggle links I join the bars one to the right side of the bed, and
one to the left side of the bed, by this means when the bars are moved longitudinally
forward or backward, the toggle link attachment causes them to close or open and
thus grip or release the rope or chain.
The movement of the bars may be obtained by means of a screw, lover, or toothed
gear.
01
T
1
f December 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
•
.
Improvements in Stoppers for Holding and Controlling the Running
out of Ropes and Chains.
I, THOMAS ARCHER Junior of Park Terrace Gateshead-on-Tyne in the County of
Durham, 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 :-
My Invention has for its object to provide stoppers for holding and controlling
the running out of ropes and chains which stoppers are very efficient in operation
and simple in construction and are not liable to cause injury to the rope or chain.
They will also hold a rope or chain against strain from either end.
According to my Invention I provide a bed or foundation plate on the upper part
of which I mount two longitudinal bars one on either side of the longitudinal centre
line and between these bars the rope or chain is passed the inner sides of the said
bars constituting the jaws between which the rope or chain is gripped.
By means of short toggle links or their equivalent I joint the bars or jaws one to
the right hand side and one to the left side of the bed plate so that when the bars are
simultaneously moved longitudinally forward and backward the toggle link attachment
or its equivalent causes the bars or jaws to move nearer to or further from each other
and thus either grip or release the rope or chain. The movement of the bars
may be obtained by means of any suitable device such for example as a screw, lever,
or toothed gear.
And in order that my Invention may be well understood I will proceed to describe
the manner in which the same may be performed and for this purpose I describe the
simple form of apparatus illustrated in the drawing, Figure 1 being a plan of the
stopper and Figure 2 an elevation of the device by which the longitudinal movement
to actuate the bars or gripping jaws is simultaneously applied to both bars or jaws.
A is the bed plate; B and Jare the bars or gripping jaws; CC are toggle links
and Dabutments on the bed plate against which the said toggle links work; E are
horns on the bed plate at each end which horns are in a plane such that they serve
as abutments for side strain on the rope or chain and also as guides to lead the rope
or chain into the jaws of the stopper. The dotted lines shew the interlocking arrange-
ments by means of which the equal movement of the jaws is obtained-the projecting
parts of one jaw are marked and the projecting parts of the other jaw are marked z
the projecting parts of the one jaw engaging between the projecting parts of the other
jaw. As the jaws Band J are moved longitudinally the said projecting pieces and j
slide transversely in the recesses between the adjacent projecting pieces so that in
proportion to the accuracy of the fit of the sliding pieces the position of the jaws in
relation to each other in the direction of the length of the rope or chain is maintained.
The movement of the jaws to hold or release the rope or chain I prefer to apply
directly to one jaw only (it being conveyed to the other jaw as hereinbefore described)
and to apply it by means of a lever the fulcrum pin of which is marked F the said
fulcrum pin being supported in the bracket f on the bed plate.

page_text: The said lever is provided with a toothed segment engaging with the teeth of the
rack G fixed to the jaw B. I do not confine myself to this precise arrangement as I
may for instance secure equal movement of the jaws by attaching the jaws to a sliding
nut on a screw by means of links so as to ensure the desired equality of movement
of the jaws or I may use racks on the under side of each jaw and pinions or
segments of pinions on a weigh bar. Also I do not limit myself to the arrangement
of toggle links as that may be varied for example by the use of slots or cams and
rollers or eccentrics.
I am aware that in rope and chain stoppers toggles have been used and also that
stoppers have been made wherein pressure is applied to some extent by the pull of
the rope and therefore I do not claim under this present application such features in
themselves alone.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The construction of rope or chain stoppers wherein both jaws are moved
simultaneously and to an equal degree in the direction of the length of the rope sub-
stantially as herein before described.
2. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting a rope or chain stopper
as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.