Device for the automatic connection of a vehicle to the cable or to each of the two cables of a continuously moving cableway

Claim 1

A device for the automatic connection of a vehicle having a suspension system to a cable or to each of two cables of a continuously moving cableway, of the type comprising a clamp constituted by inner and outer movable jaws carried by the upper end of the vehicle suspension system, resilient means for closing the clamp so that it automatically engages the cable, and cam means located at each station of the cableway for automatically opening the clamp and simultaneously loading the resilient means, so as to cause the temporary unhooking of the vehicle from the cable on its arrival at a said station and the closure of the clamp on the departure of the vehicle from the station, wherein the device further includes: an operating lever which carries the outer movable jaw and defines an axial slot, the lever being operated directly by the cam means located at the station; a support member to which the operating lever is pivoted and which includes two parallel plates defining cam slots and fixable to the vehicle structure; a pin on which the operating lever is pivoted to the support member; a cylindrical shank carried by the end of the operating lever opposite that carrying the outer movable jaw; a helical spring carried by said shank; a fixed plate against which one end of the spring reacts; a movable plate slidable on the shank and against which the other end of the spring reacts; a fork fixed to the movable plate; a pin supported by the fork and slidable in the axial slot in the operating lever so that the pivoting of the operating lever in the sense corresponding to opening of the clamp, which is driven by the cam means at the station, causes the simultaneous outward pivoting of the respective jaw and loading of the spring, respective ends of the pin supported by the fork engaging in the cam slots defined by the two parallel plates of the support member; two aligned half-jaws constituting the inner movable jaw; an intermediate rocker arm including two plates which carry the half-jaws, the rocker arm being pivoted to the support member on the same pin as the operating lever and being located between the operating lever and the two plates of the support member, and respective cam slots defined by the plates of the intermediate rocker arm and having shapes concordant with those of the slots of the support member, the cam slots being passed through by the pin supported by the fork.

Claim 2

A device for the automatic connection of a vehicle having a suspension system to a cable or to each of two cables of a continuously moving cableway, of the type comprising a clamp constituted by inner and outer movable jaws carried by the upper end of the vehicle suspension system, resilient means for closing the clamp so that it automatically engages the cable, and cam means located at each station of the cableway for automatically opening the clamp and simultaneously loading the resilient means, so as to cause the temporary unhooking of the vehicle from the cable on its arrival at a said station and the closure of the clamp on the departure of the vehicle from the station, wherein the device further includes: an operating lever which carries the outer movable jaw and defines an axial slot, the lever being operated directly by the cam means located at the station; a support member to which the operating lever is pivoted and which includes two parallel plates defining cam slots and fixable to the vehicle structure; a pin on which the operating lever is pivoted to the support member; a cylindrical shank carried by the end of the operating lever opposite that carrying the outer movable jaw; a helical spring carried by said shank; a fixed plate against which one end of the spring reacts; a movable plate slidable on the shank and against which the other end of the spring reacts; a fork fixed to the movable plate; a pin supported by the fork and slidable in the axial slot in the operating lever so that the pivoting of the operating lever in the sense corresponding to opening of the clamp, which is driven by the cam means at the station, causes the simultaneous outward pivoting of the respective jaw and loading of the spring, respective ends of the pin supported by the fork engaging in the cam slots defined by the two parallel plates of the support member; two aligned half-jaws constituting the inner movable jaw; an intermediate rocker arm including two plates which carry the half-jaws, the rocker arm being pivoted to the support member on the same pin as the operating lever and being located between the operating lever and the two plates of the support member, and respective cam slots defined by the plates of the intermediate rocker arm and having shapes concordant with those of the slots of the support member, the cam slots being passed through by the pin supported by the fork.