1991-03-25
1992-04-28
Oberleitner, Robert J.
Railways
Traction
Cable
104218, B61B 1212
Patent
active
051077698
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a grip comprising a body with an abutment and a suitably spring-loaded clamping jaw which is movable relative to the body and which serves to clamp a rope against the abutment so as to fix said grip in the desired position along the rope.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In prior art grips of the type described above, the abutment consists of a hook member of substantially crescent-shaped cross-section, whose two opposite ends are integrally formed with two separate arms which are, in turn, integrally formed with the body proper and between which the clamping jaw is positioned to press the rope against the concave inner side of the hook member. On application of the grip to the rope, the clamping jaw is moved back to an end position which is maximally spaced from the hook member and in which the distance between the clamping jaw and the hook member is slightly greater than the diameter of the rope, such that the grip can be laterally hooked on to the rope, whereupon a concavely formed front surface of the clamping jaw is pressed against the rope, for example by means of a spring in the body, thereby clamping the rope in the nip between said front surface and the concave inner side of the hook member. To be reliable, this grip must be provided with an amply dimensioned hook member serving as an abutment. In practice, the hook member thus is of a thickness which is considerably greater than half the rope diameter. However, this results in the hook member projecting from the rope to a disproportionately great extent so that it strikes against different types of guide wheels included in, for example, ski-lifts and similar ropeways, whereby the guide wheels regularly cause inconvenient rattling noises, in addition to being subjected to wear themselves.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIVE IDEA
The present invention aims at eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks of prior art grips and at providing a grip which operates silently when driving a ropeway, for example a ski-lift, without the demands for reliability being neglected. According to the invention, this is achieved in that the abutment consists of two thin bands of metal which in their mounted state are spaced apart and are separately applicable to the rope, each of said bands having two opposite end portions which are conjointly inserted in a slit formed in the body and which are secured in said slit by a locking means, the two bands being positioned each on one side of the clamping jaw which is movable relative to said body, and at the same time completely surrounding the rope.
Since the two bands, in contrast to the hook member in prior art grips, which is open in one direction, completely surround the rope, they can be made of a comparatively very thin material, without the capability of the bands of resisting the compressive force of the clamping jaw being lost. For comparison, it may be mentioned that when tested, steel bands having a thickness of 1.0-1.5 mm appeared to yield a strength which is even higher than the corresponding strength of a hook member of about 8 mm thickness.
FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
U.S. Pat. No. 660,395 discloses a grip which per se comprises two band-shaped members which are spaced apart and partly surround the rope. In this grip--which has no kind of movable clamping jaw whatsoever--the individual band member is, however, clamped against the rope by means of a pair of nuts which are screwed to threaded, specially designed end portions of the band member and are tightened against the actual body of the grip. However, such clamping nuts can readily, even after a short period of use in the difficult surroundings of a ski-lift, inadvert-loosen from their tightened state, and this can be disastrous in particular ski-lifts. In contrast hereto, the inventive grip provides an absolutely reliable connection with the rope for a long time, in that the suitably spring-loaded clamping jaw which is disposed between the two bands, never runs the risk of coming l
REFERENCES:
patent: 738306 (1903-09-01), Finlayson
patent: 2616646 (1952-11-01), Matthysse
patent: 3420189 (1969-01-01), Wallmannsberger
patent: 3605491 (1971-09-01), Senn
patent: 4573414 (1986-03-01), Cantin et al.
Liftbyggarna AB
Oberleitner Robert J.
Rutherford Kevin D.
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