Improvements in and relating to Gripping Devices for Cable Railways.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE VOGEL CABLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY,
of 15, Broad Street, New York City, New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in and relating to Gripping Devices for Cable
Railways.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to he
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction and operation of the
cable railway grips.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the grip adapted for a single
cable shown detached from its car.
Figure 2 is a transverse section taken upon the centre line of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of the carrying beam one end being broken away.
Figure 4 is a plan of one of the parts of the grip franie.
Figure 5 is an end view of grip jaws the head being removed.
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively an end and side elevation with one half in
section, of one of the toggle levers.
Figure 8 is an elevation partly in section of the grip in the form adapted for
two cables.
Figure 9 is a vertical section of the same through the line cx of Figure 8.
Figures 10 and 11 are a plan and end view of the left hand jaw detached.
Figures 12 and 13 show a plan partly in section and end view respectively of
what I have termed a bridge piece, detached.
Figures 14 and 15 show a plan and end view respectively of the right hand jaw
detached.
Figure 16 is an outside end view of one of the end pieces or heads detached.
Figure 17 is an inside end view of the same.
Figure 18 is a vertical section of the same on the line y y of Figure 16.
Figure 19 is a horizontal section of the same on the line zz of Figure 16.
Figure 20 is a cross section of the jaws drawn to an enlarged scale.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
The construction for a single cable will first be described. 1 is the carrying
beam which supports the grip and all its parts; it rests upon timbers 2, of say the
truck frame, if the car body rests on trucks, or on some timbers solidly supported
on the wheel axles and unaffected by the rise and fall of the car body upon its
springs. It is not required to fasten this beam to the timbers saving that it may
be checked into them or otherwise prevented from moving sidewise.
In this beam there are screwed through the sockets 3, two upright columns 4
closed at the top and open at the bottom check nuts or collars 5 being provided to
lock them in place and prevent them from turning. 6 are two similar pipe like
columns which slide over the columns 4 and screw into the socket pieces 7 which
Check nuts 9
are bolted or rivetted to and project inwardly from the side bars 8.
are supplied as for the columns 4. These socket pieces which are shown in plan
Figure 4, have side lugs 10 through which long bolts 11 pass having pipe like
sockets 12 between lugs, so that the opposing socket pieces may be firmly braced
together. Each socket piece has also parallel flanges 13 which receive between

page_text: them the upright bars 8. 14 indicates the rivets fastening the bars 8 and sockets
together. Small flanges 15 enclose the edges of the vertically moving grip shank
acting as guides therefor.
The side bars 8 pass through the slots 16 (Figure 3) in the carrying beam and
are bolted to and between the upright flanges 17 of the grip heads 18. 19 is an
arch piece upon which the notched quadrant 146 is fastened and which has
sockets 20, 20 at each end into which the columns 6, 6 are screwed, check
nuts 21, 21 again being provided as before.
In the centre of the arch piece is the fulcrum bolt 22 of the operating lever 23
which also forms the fulcrum bolt for the foot lever 24. As shown in Figure 1,
bolts 25 connect the head of each column 4 with the head of the sockets in the
arch piece, a spiral spring 26 being introduced between the expansion of which
forces the entire grip up as far as the bolts 25 will permit and no further, which
will be the normal height of the grip, though the grip may be depressed by the
action of the foot lever. The bolts 25 should fit into square holes in the head of
the columns 4 to prevent them from turning when being screwed up in the act of
adjusting the height of the grip by manipulating the nuts 27.
The operating lever 23 is bifurcated to straddle the quadrant and arch piece
but is formed of a single piece at the handle end, the usual spring pawl 28 with its
rod 29 and latch 30 is provided. The lower part of the lever 23 is connected by
a couple of links 31 to the journals of the cross head 32 which is carried in the
fork of the head piece 33 of the draw bar or grip shank. The grip shank is
composed of the cast metal head 33, sheet metal plate 34, and cast metal hinge
piece 35 which connects by a pivot 36 with the toggle levers 37,
The cast head piece 33 and hinge piece 35 are bolted to the plate 34 by the
bolts 38, 38. The lower ends of the head piece 33 at 39 overlap and clasp the
side bars and are thus prevented from moving sidewise.
The foot lever 24 or rather pair of foot levers, there being one on each side of
the arch piece which are connected by transverse socket bolts 40 which serve as
a foot tread, is fulcrumed on the bolt 22 and is connected by the rods 41 with the
bolt 42, running through the centre of the carrying beam and the slotted hole 43
in the head of the grip shank.
With the same bolts that fasten the plate 33 to the hinge piece 35, there are
fastened two brake shoes 44 designed to be pushed down between the slot
irons 45, 45 when it is desired to stop the car.
The jaws 46 are formed of two segments cut as it were from a solid round bar
hinged together in the centre and vibrated around this centre and within their
own circumference, spaces being left between their radial edges to permit the
movement.
In the lower space so left the cable is received and in the upper space the
operating toggle levers which connect above with the grip shank. When the grip
shank is pressed down the toggle levers open apart acting against the jaws and
causing them to tightly grip the cable 47. When the grip shank is drawn up the
toggle levers draw together and the two pins 48 which, passing through the
wearing plates 49 and tap into the toggle levers, operate to open the jaws and
release the cable. 140 are dies fitted by dovetailing them into the grip jaws,
they may be replaced when worn.
The wearing plates 49 can be "set up" from time to time as they become worn
by loosening the bolts and putting a shim of metal between each plate and the
grip jaw also when much worn they can be entirely replaced whilst the grip jaws
are saved for use indefinitely.
To prevent the dust and dirt getting in the joint between the heads of the grip
and the face of the wearing plate 49 there is provided on the heads small pro-
jecting flanges 141, 141 which cover the joints at this point.
144 is an adjusting screw which passing through the cap 145 of the cast head 33
and the cross bead 32 serves to raise and lower this cross head and thus regulate
the opening of the grip jaws independent of the movement of the hand lever 23

page_text: so that when the grip jaws become worn the slack may be taken up by manipulating
this adjusting screw.
Adjusting screws of this character are commonly used for the purpose but the
method of application somewhat varies in the present case from what has here-
tofore been practiced.
The movable cross head which the screw raises. and lowers in the act of adjusting,
being accommodated in a recess in the grip shank instead of a similar recess in the
hand lever, a change which greatly simplifies construction in the present instance.
The spindle 142 upon which the grip jaws are hinged is of steel. It passes
entirely through the interlocked hinges of the jaws and the conical heads as
shown, a nut 143 being provided on each end to be screwed up tightly and thus
prevent the heads 18 from spreading apart.
The operation is as follows: The grip being placed upon its supporting
timbers, a final accurate adjustment of the height of the jaws with relation to the
cable is effected by screwing the nuts 27 of the bolts 25 up or down.
The proper position for the operating hand lever to occupy when the gripping
jaws are fully opened or fully closed is varied or adjusted by manipulating the
screw 144.
The grip jaws are opened or closed upon the cable by swinging the lever 23 back
and forth similarly as other grips of the kind are operated.
When in the act of closing the jaws upon the cable the cable is found to have.
sagged down below its normal height so that the jaws do not grasp it, then the
operator puts his foot on the tread of the lever 24 and thus depresses the whole
grip until the cable is caught up when the operator releases his foot and the grip
resumes its position.
When it is desired to stop the car the jaws are first thrown open to release the
cable from the grip and then the operator bears his weight upon the tread of the
foot lever 24, until the brake shoes 44 are driven more or less tightly between
the slot irons.
51 is a horizontal iron frame which is supported by or secured to the running
gear of the car. 52 and 53 are plungers extending upwardly from the opposite
ends of the frame 51, and between these two plungers the frame 51 is provided with
vertical openings for the passage of the hangers and connecting rods hereinafter
referred to. 54, 55, 56, 57 is a vertical rectangular frame to which are attached on
either side the spring sockets 58, 59 adapted to fit over the plungers 52 and 53. A
coil spring as 60 is interposed between the top of each plunger and the top of
each socket so that the weight of the frame 54, 55, 56, 57 and the mechanism
carried by it is supported through the coil springs upon the plungers of the frame 51.
Rods 61, and 62 extend vertically and loosely through the sockets 58, 59 and the
plungers 52, 53 so as to admit of the compression of the spring but these rods are
provided at top and bottom with nuts 63, 64, 65 and 66 which act as stops to
limit the upward movement of the spring sockets. The branches 67, 68 of the
foot lever 69 are pivoted on opposite sides of the cross piece 54 in the middle,
and to the extremities of these branches are pivoted the rods 70, 71 which, at their
opposite ends are pivoted each side to the frame 51 at the middle thereof. The
pivotal connections with the rods 70 and 71 serve as a fulcrum for the forked foot-
lever 69 so that the depression of the saine causes a corresponding depression of the
frame 54, 55, 56, 57 in antagonism to the coil springs 60.
From near each end of this frame extend downwardly the hangers 72, 73 to
the lower end of each of which is secured the part or head shown in Figure 16
(outside end view) Figure 17 (inside end view) Figure 18 (vertical section), and
Figure 19 (horizontal section). This part or head is a casting presenting a flat
inner surface 74, and twin cones 75, 76 on the outside. From the junction of these
two cones extend upward at each side of the hanger 72, an arm of L-section
composed of a longitudinal web 77* (bolted one onto each side of the hanger) and.
a transverse web 78. From the junction of the two cones extend downwardly, the

page_text: transverse flange 79, perforated so as to receive the rod 80. The longitudinal
recesses 81, 82 are cut one in the bottom of each cone, through which, when in use,
the cable extends.
Between the two end twin cone pieces extends the stationary piece shown in
Figures 12 and 13, consisting of the bridge portion 83 bored longitudinally at the
middle to receive the bar 80 and the two series of lugs 84, 84, 84 and 85, 85, 85,
one series at each extremity of the bridge, bored longitudinally to receive the
shafts 77, 77. Each cone is bored longitudinally, as shown at 86, Figures 18 and 19
to receive an end of one of these shafts. When the two end twin cones with the
bridge piece between them are combined by the rod 80 and the shafts 77, 77 and
are respectively secured to the hangers 72, 73, the whole constitutes a firm frame
for carrying the movable jaws which are of the forms shown in Figures 10, 11
and 14, 15. Each of these movable jaws consists of bosses 87 bored longitudinally
to receive the shafts 77 and from each end of each jaw projects a circular flange 88
adapted to enter the counterbore 89* in the end twin cone piece, and thus act as a
journal for the oscillating jaw. Lugs 89 project from each jaw between the bosses
leaving sufficient space between to receive the lugs 84 and 85 respectively and the
lugs 89 are bored to admit the shafts 77. The left hand jaw shown in Figures 10
and 11 is provided with the arms 90, projecting one from each boss, and the right hand
jaw is provided with the arms 91. The arms 90 are bored to receive the pivots 92
and the arms 91 are bored to receive the pivots 93. On the opposite side of the
centre of each shaft 77 from the arms 90 and 91 are the jaws proper 94 and 95
which are respectively faced by die pieces 96 and 97. The stationary jaws are
formed on the bridge piece at 98 and 99 and are also provided with the die
pieces 100 and 101, as shown. The latter die pieces project beyond the ends of the
bridge piece and are dovetailed into the end conical pieces and thereby add further
solidity to the structure. When the movable jaws are combined with the bridge
and end conical pieces as shown in Figures 8 and 9, by moving the arms 90
or 91 up or down, either movable jaws may be made to oscillate around its
shaft 77 to or from its stationary jaw and since it is necessary to grasp one
cable 102 after releasing the other 103, it is necessary that the movable jaws
should oscillate inversely and it remains to provide the necessary mechanism for
that purpose.
104 is a vertically reciprocating connecting plate which is connected with
links 105 by the pivot 106 and these links are in turn connected with the arms 91
of the right hand jaw by the pivot 93. 107 is a vertically reciprocating plate
which is connected with links 108 by the pivot 109 and these links are in turn
connected with one of the arms 90 of the left hand jaw. The other arm 90
is connected by a similar arrangement with the vertically reciprocating plate 110.
The connecting plates 107 and 110 move in unison and inversely to "the
plate 104.
The connecting plates 107 and 110 are secured to the head 111 which is slotted
between their points of attachment to admit of the passage of the connecting
plate 104 and which head 111 is above the level of the slot irons 112, 113 of the
conduit. This head 111 forms the lower cross piece of a rectangular frame also
containing the side pieces 114, 115 and the upper cross piece 116.
The connecting plate 104 is connected above the head 111 with a head 117 which
forms the lower cross piece of a rectangular frame also containing the side pieces 118,
119 and the upper cross piece 120. 121 are guideways on the inner sides of the
side pieces 114 and 115 on which the cross pieces 117 and 120 run.
129 and 130 are pieces secured by holts between the flanges 78 leaving a slotted
space between them for the passage of the heads, as 133, at the lower ends of the
connecting plates which heads are thus guided and steadied.
122 is a vertical shaft provided at the top with a hand device 123, steadied near
its top by a frame 124 mounted on the cross piece 116 and having a bearing in the
cross piece 54 wherein it is prevented from longitudinal movement by the collars 125

page_text: and 126. This shaft extends through the cross pieces 116 and 120, with one of
which it engages by a right hand screw thread 127 and with the other of which it
engages by a left hand screw thread 128.
The operation is as follows;-
Suppose the right hand jaws to be gripping the cable as shown in Figure 9. If
it be desired to release from both cables the shaft 122 will be turned so as to open
the right hand movable jaw. This will necessarily partially close the left hand
movable jaw but by stopping the movement about midway neither jaw will grip its
cable. By continuing the movement the left hand jaw may be made to grip.
These are all the motions necessary when the operation is performed where the
cable rests upon the supporting pulleys, but between the pulleys an additional
operation is necessary. This consists in thrusting the jaw carrying frame 54, 56, 57
downward by the foot lever 69 in antagonism to the springs 60, to the extent
required; the spring returning the frame to its normal position upon the release
of the foot lever. It is stopped from further upward movement by the bolts 61
and 62.
By this arrangement both pairs of jaws are always substantially in position, by
simply closing, to grip either cable desired; neither pair can possibly grip its cable
until the other pair has released its grip, and it is always within the power of the
operator to thrust the jaws downward for the purpose of gripping a sagging cable
or for any other purpose without affecting the operation of the mechanism for
opening or closing the grips.
The two pairs of twin cones, one pair at each end of the jaws, by their inclined.
surfaces prevent any abrupt collision such as might result if the square ends of the
jaws were to come in contact with an obstruction.
The normal level of the jaws with respect to the cable pulley supports 135
and 136 is shown in Figure 9 and it will be observed that as the cable 103 rests in
the groove on the periphery of the pulley the edges or lips of the jaw die pieces
protrude in a downwardly inclined position and the edge of the movable jaw is
slightly further from the centre of the shaft 77 than is the end of the horizontal
diameter of the cable. The acting surface of the movable jaw moreover, is concave
so that as soon as it strikes the lower part of the cable the circular form of the
cable and the circular concave form of the jaw co-operate as two inclines to lift the.
cable. When the jaws have closed therefore, the cable will be lifted clear of
the pulley support as shown in Figure 9.
In the above description and the drawing, the form of construction has one
member of each pair of jaws stationary, but I do not desire to limit myself to this
construction because I have embodied the invention in another form in which this
feature is absent and which I desire to be comprehended within the scope of
this application.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a railway vehicle in combination, grip jaws, mechanism whereby the same
are mounted, a frame in which said mechanism and said grip jaws are mounted and
mechanism whereby said frame is moved vertically; all of said parts being mounted
upon the running gear of the vehicle, substantially as described.
2. In a railway vehicle, in combination the jaws, mechanism whereby the same
are actuated, a frame supporting said jaws and said mechanism; said frame being
supported upon the running gear of the vehicle substantially as described.
3. In a railway vehicle, in combination the jaws, the mechanism whereby the
same are actuated, a frame wherein said jaws and said mechanism are mounted and
a spring whereby said frame is supported upon the running gear of the vehicle
substantially as described.
4. In combination with the running gear of a railway vehicle the jaws, mechanism
whereby said jaws are actuated a frame combining said jaws and said mechanism, a

page_text: spring supporting said frame upon said running gear and a lever fulcrumed on
sid running gear whereby said frame may be thrust downward, substantially as
described.
5. In a railway vehicle in combination, the jaws, a frame carrying the jaws and
movable vertically, a spring supporting each side of said frame, a lever having its
bearing upon said frame equidistant from said springs and also having its fulcrum
connected with the car equidistant from said springs, substantially as described.
6. In a railway vehicle an inverted U-shaped frame provided with the gripping
jaws supported between the extremities of said frame, spring sockets provided on
opposite sides of said frame and a bearing for the jaw actuating mechanism provided
at the cross piece of said frame, substantially as described.
7. In a railway vehicle in combination, the horizontal piece bearing upon the
vehicle, the inverted U-shaped or arch frame, the gripping jaws mounted between
the extremities of said frame, the spring support interposed between said frame and
said piece, a bearing for the jaw actuating mechanism at the cross piece of said
frame and means whereby power may be applied at the cross piece of said frame to
force the same downward in antagonism to said spring support, substantially as
described.
8. In a railway vehicle, in combination, the cross piece formed with an opening
for portions of the grip-supporting frame, and also for the grip-shank, upright posts
supported upon said cross piece, and having a portion of the grip-supporting frame
moving thereon, and actuating levers carried by said grip-supporting frame,
substantially as described.
9. In a railway vehicle, in combination, the upright posts supported upon a
stationary cross piece, upright portion of a movable grip supporting frame sliding
upon said upright posts, springs interposed between the upright posts and the sliding
portions of the grip-supporting frame, and means connecting the opposite upright
sliding portions of the grip supporting frame, substantially as described.
10. In a railway car, in combination, the cross piece having openings for the
passage of a portion of the grip supporting frame and also for the grip-shank,
upright posts supported upon said cross piece, sliding collars encircling said upright
posts and formed on one side with flanges to form guideways for the grip-shank
and on the other side with flanges to have secured thereto portions of the grip-
supporting frame, and a grip-shank moving between the flanges constituting a guide
therefor, substantially as described.
11. In a railway vehicle in combination, the cross piece having openings for
portions of the grip supporting frame and also for the grip-shank, upright posts
supported upon said cross piece, sliding collars encircling said upright posts and
constituting a portion of the grip-supporting frame, and transverse bars connecting.
one of said collars with the other to brace the same, substantially as described.
12. In a railway vehicle in combination, the transverse piece having openings for
the
passage of the grip-shank and portions of the grip-supporting frame, upright
posts fitting into sockets of said cross piece and locked therein, columns sliding
upon said upright posts, collars or socket pieces having said columns secured
thereto, upright portions of the grip-supporting frame secured to flanges projecting
from said collars, and a grip-shank moving with said grip-supporting frame,
substantially as described.
13. In a railway vehicle in combination, the movable grip-supporting frame, and
springs located above the vehicle truck timbers for sustaining said grip-supporting.
frame, substantially as described.
14. In a railway vehicle in combination, the grip-shank, and the grip supporting
frame affording guides for the grip-shank both above and below the vehicle truck
timbers, substantially as described.
15. In a railway vehicle in combination, the grip-supporting frame, and actuating
mechanism for said frame having its fulcrum connected with a part secured to the
vehicle truck timbers, substantially as described.
16. In a railway vehicle in combination, the grip-shank the cross piece formed

page_text: with a guide for the grip shank, and the grip supporting frame provided with
guideways for the grip-shank, substantially as described.
17. A grip for cable railways consisting essentially of two side by side pairs of
gripping jaws having pivotal opening and closing movements, said jaws being at a
level which will permit them to grasp the cable as it rests upon its pulley supports,
substantially as described.
18. A grip for cable railways consisting essentially of two side by side pairs of
gripping jaws, having pivotal opening and closing movements, said jaws being set
at a level which will permit them to grasp the cable as it rests upon its pulley
supports, and the acting faces of said jaws being constructed substantially as
described whereby the closing of the grip lifts the cable slightly above its pulley
support, substantially as described.
19. A grip for cable railways consisting essentially of two side by side pairs of
gripping jaws, having pivotal opening and closing movements, said jaws being set at
a level which will permit the lower edge of each movable jaw to strike the
periphery of the cable below its horizontal diameter whereby the act of closing
the jaw lifts the cable slightly from its support, substantially as described.
20. In combination, two side by side pulley cable supports the periphery of each
of which is depressed toward the middle and two pairs of gripping jaws having
pivotal opening and closing movements and the edges of each pair of jaws pro-
truding downward to facilitate the gripping of the cable as it lies in the depression
of the pulley periphery, substantially as described.
21. In combination, two pairs of jaws, and two cables arranged substantially as
described, whereby when either pair of jaws grip its cable the other pair is at such
a level as will permit it to grip its cable as the cable rests upon the pulley supports,
substantially as described.
22. In combination, the two pairs of gripping jaws side by side and having a circum-
ferential opening and closing movement, and two pairs of twin cones located one
pair at each end of the jaws whereby the jaws are guided by obstructions, substan-
tially as described.
23. In combination, a vertically reciprocating connecting plate, two jaw shafts
located one on either side of the line of movement of the same, the two pairs of
jaws and means whereby said jaw shafts are supported, substantially as described.
24. In combination, two pairs of gripping jaws arranged side by side, two end
pieces one extending across both jaws at each end, two shafts extending from one
end piece to the other upon which the movable jaws are mounted, two connecting
plates for operating said jaws and a guide connected with said end pieces below the
level of the slot irons, whereby the alignment of said connecting plates in the slot
is maintained, substantially as described.
25. In combination two pairs of gripping jaws, two vertically reciprocating con-
necting plates and two links whereby the said connecting plates are secured to the
arms of the jaws respectively, substantially as described.
26. In combination, two stationary jaws arranged back to back, two oscillating
jaws one of which co-operates with each stationary jaw and meats whereby the
same are oscillated to close one pair of jaws as the other is opened, substantially as
described.
27. In combination two side by side pairs of gripping jaws, two vertically
reciprocating plates arranged in a plane extending between said pairs of jaws and
connections between each plate, and the movable jaw of one pair, substantially as
described.
28. In combination two jaw shafts, a support for the same at each end, a bridge
piece embracing both of said shafts, a rod engaging said bridge piece at its middle
and end pieces whereby the ends of said rod are connected with the shaft supports,
substantially as described.
29. In combination two side by side pairs of jaws, a connecting plate for each
arranged in a plane extending between said jaws and mechanism whereby said con-
necting plates are operated inversely, substantially as described.

page_text: 30. In combination, two side by side pairs of jaws, means whereby the inner
member of each pair is secured in a fixed position, means whereby the outer member
of each pair is pivotally secured, two vertically reciprocating plates and means
whereby one of said plates is secured to each of said pivoted jaw members, substan-
tially as described.
31. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a spring mounted frame, two pairs of
jaws carried by said frame, two moving frames mounted upon said first named
frame and mechanism whereby the motions of said moving frames are respectively
communicated to said jaws, substantially as described.
32. In a railway vehicle, a spring mounted frame, two pairs of jaws carried by
the same, two moving frames mounted upon said first named frame, mechanism
whereby the motions of said moving frames are respectively communicated to said
jaws and mechanism whereby said first named frame may be thrust downward
in antagonism to its spring support, substantially as described.
33. In a railway vehicle, a frame supported on the vehicle two pairs of jaws
carried by said frame, two moving frames carried by said first named frame,
mechanism whereby the motions of said moving frames are communicated to the
jaws, and mechanism having a bearing on said first named frame whereby said
moving frames are moved inversely, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of October 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.