Wire-rope clamp.

Application filed January 16, 1909. Serial No. 472,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Clinton C. De Witt,! a citizen of the United States, and resident; of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain 5 new and useful Improvements in Wire-Rope (•lamps, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the ac. conipanying drawings, forming a part hereof., 1 o My invention relates to a wire rope clamp, my object being to construct a simple, inexpensive device which can be readily clamped on to a wire rope or cable, thus providing means for attaching a second rope or 15 cable, which second rope or cable is used as a stay or guy rope for the purpose of· straightening or taking up the slack in the rope or cable on which the clamping device is located.

To the above purposes my invention consists in certain features of novelty hereinafter described, claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a plan view of a clamp of my 25 improved construction; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the clamp; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3—3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4—4 of Fig. 2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the lower member of the clamp which comprises a rectangular block in tlie, top face of which is formed a longitudinally disposed groove 2, and ex35 tending downward from said groove is a recess 3; occupying the groove 2 is a clamping plate 4, the top surface of which is concave ' in cross section and said concave face being corrugated, and formed integral with this . plate 4 is a lug 5 which enters the recess 3; this lug 5 is provided with a transverse slot 6 through which passes a pin 7, which latter is seated in the sides of the block 1. This construction unites the plate 4 and *!5 block 1, and permits said plate 4 to be adjusted vertically relative to said block 1 by means of adjusting screws 8 which pass through the central portion of the block 1 and bear' against the under side of the ⁵⁰ plate 4.

Formed integral with the top of the block 1, and on one side thereof, is a pair of ears 9, and hinged thereto is the top member of the clamp which member comprises a block 10 55 in the under side of which is formed a longitudinally disposed groove 11; occupying this groove 11 is a clamping plate 12 which is practically a duplicate of the clamping plate 4, and formed integral with said plate 12 is a slotted lug 13 which enters the cor- 63 responding recess 14 formed in the under side of the block 10. A pin 15 is seated in the block 10 and passes through the slot in the lug 13, which construction holds the clamping plate 12 in the block 10 and per- 65 mits said clamping plate to move vertically under the groove 11. A pair of bolts 16 are hinged to the side of the block 1, and the upper portions of said bolts are adapted to occupy notches 17 formed in the side of the 70 block 10 opposite the side hinged to said block 1 and the upper ends of the bolts 16 receive nuts 18. This construction provides means whereby the blocks 1 and 10 are locked to one another and such construction 75 permitting said blocks to be readily swung apart when desired.

Formed through the central portion of the block 10 is a vertically disposed slot 19, and projecting therethrough is the rear end of 80 a hook 20 which is pivotally mounted on the * block 10, and the rear portion of said hook is provided with an eccentric lug 21, which normally bears against the top side of the clamping plate 12. This eccentric lug is so 85 arranged that when the outer end of the hook 20 is engaged and moved toward the rope or cable on which the clamp is located, the plate 12 will be firmly clamped against the rope or cable and as a result said rope or 90 cable will be tightly gripped between the plates 4 and 12.

When my improved clamp is applied to a wire rope or cable the nuts 18 are sufficiently loosened to permit the bolts 16 to swing out 95 of the notches 17 and this permits the three parts of the clamp to be swung open and positioned upon the wire rope or cable. The bolts 16 are now reengaged in the notches 17 after which the nuts 18 are tightened to close 100 the two parts of the clamp on the rope or cable, and the end of a guy wire or cable is now attached to the freuend of the hook 20 and as said guy wire is tightened the hook 20 is swung upon its pivot pin in such a 105 manner as that the lug 21 bears upon the rear side of the plate 12 and forces said plate against the wire rope or cable and as a result the device is very rigidly clamped upon said rope or cable. The clamping plate 4 may be adjusted in'position by manipulating the screws 8, and both the clamping

Q 928,367 plates 4 and 12 are held against longitudinal movement by the lugs 5 and 13 which engage in the recesses 3 and 14.

A clamp of my improved construction is 5 simple, inexpensive, easily applied for use and when properly positioned very tightly clamps a wire rope or cable.