GRIPS FOR CABLE-RAILWAY CARS
Year: 1886

page_text: 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 GRIPS FOR 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 object of the present invention, is the production of a grip for cable-road cars
that shall have advantages of simple and compact structure, easy and effective
operation, and be less wearing upon the cable than the common forms of grips.
And the invention consists of two gripping jaws, which are arranged side by side
and have long gripping surfaces, and are moved at right-angles to and from each
other by separate or independent operating mechanisms arranged at their ends, and
provided with connectious whereby they may be simultaneously operated.
In the drawings accompanying this description, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a
gripping mechanism embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation or side view
of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of one of the jaws of the grip; Fig. 4 is
an end view of the gripping mechanism in the position it occupies when grasping
the cable; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views of a toggle arm and one of the
toggles; and Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a side and an end elevation of a
modified form.
'
Referring to these views in detail, A A are the cross beams or other part of a car
truck to which the gripping mechanism is attached. B is the body or frame part
of the mechanism, that is, the part directly connected to the cross beams A A and
upon which the jaws move. CO are beveled ways on the underside of the body B
and upon which slide the gripping jaws D. E are lugs on the body B, to which
are pivoted the toggle arins F by bolts G. H represents the toggles, they being
curved as shown so as to work compactly around each other and the ends of the
toggle arms, and being bolted at I to the toggle arms and at J to the ends of the
gripping jaws D. K is a rod connecting the outer ends of the toggle arms, and
extending to any place on the car from which it may be desired to operate
the grip.
It will now be plain, that upon causing the toggle arms to be swung one way the
gripping jaws will be moved at right-angles from each other, and upon swinging
these arms in the other direction the jaws will be moved toward each other and
caused to grip the cable if between them. The cable may be lifted, so as to be
caught by the jaws, in any suitable way.

page_text: By these means I am enabled to use long gripping jaws, which is an important
consideration, as they can be made to take better and surer hold upon the cable,
and with less wear of the cable than is common with short grips, and the cable will
not be bent or indented to the extent that a grip of less gripping surface would
necessarily bend or indent it. So, too, this form permits of bringing the grip close
to the normal or running position of the cable, and hence the cable need be lifted
but a short distance to bring it between the jaws of the grip. This also is
important, as the less the cable is lifted from its normal position on its pulleys, the
shorter will be the bend in it, and the less will be the weight and vertical strain
upon the gripping mechanism, and therefore the easier and freer the car will run
to which the grip is attached. This grip, too, is particularly compact, and can be
used in places where there is but little room, and so it does not require special
changes in the construction of the cars or trucks.
In Figs. 8 and 9, I show a modification of my gripping mechanism. Here the
grip is arranged vertically and has its upper jaw fixed, the lower jaw moving to
and from it. So, too, the levers F and links or toggles H are of a somewhat
different form though operating substantially the same as those of the other figures
of drawing; it being understood, however, that in this latter case the links are
pivoted to the ends of the movable jaw and not to the fixed gripping surface
or jaw.
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, in a cable-car grip, a cable-gripping jaw moving at right
angles to and from a second gripping jaw or gripping, surface, and separate
mechanisms arranged at each end of said movable jaw for operating the same, sub-
stantially as described.
2. In combination, in a cable-car grip, a cable-gripping jaw moving at right-
angles to and from a second gripping jaw or gripping surface, and means for
operating the movable jaw consisting of levers arranged at each end thereof and
connected thereto by links or toggles, substantially as described.
3. In combination, in a cable-car grip, two movable cable-gripping jaws arranged
side by side, and independent mechanisms arranged one at each end of the jaws
for moving said jaws to and from each other, substantially as described.
4. In combination in a cable-car grip, two movable cable-gripping jaws arranged
side by side, and independent mechanisms for moving the ends of the jaws to and
from each other each consisting of a lever and a link connecting the ends of the
jaws to said lever, substantially as described.
5. In combination, in a cable-car grip, the body B having ways C, the jaws D,
the levers F, and the links H, arranged substantially as described and shown.
6. In combination, in a-cable-car grip, the body B having ways C, the jaws D,
the levers F, the links H, and the rod K connecting said levers and for simul-
taneously operating the same, substantially as described and shown,
Dated this 10th day of August 1886.