Cable grip grapple

Claim 2

In a grapple having a pair of pivotally interconnected gripping jaws, a flexible member extending between said jaws inwardly of the free ends thereof for supplemental gripping engagement with material being gripped between the jaws, means anchoring spaced portions of the flexible member to one of the jaws, the length of said flexible member between the anchor means being substantially non-extendable, means movably connecting the portion of the flexible member between the anchor means to the other jaw in a manner whereby the flexible member will be substantially taut when the jaws are fully open.

Claim 3

The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said flexible member is a cable, one end of said cable being anchored to said one jaw for detachable connection therewith.

Claim 4

The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means connecting the flexible member to the other jaw includes a sheave rotatably supported on said other jaw, said flexible member being a cable entrained over said sheave, and means retaining the cable on the sheave during movement of the jaws.

Claim 5

The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said anchor means includes means detachably connecting one end of the cable to said one jaw, said detachable connecting means and said sheave being substantially equally spaced inwardly from the free ends of the jaws.

Claim 6

The structure as defined in claim 4 wherein said one end of the cable includes an enlargement, said means detachably connecting one end of the cable to said one jaw including a bracket rigidly mounted on the jaw, said bracket having an aperture therein of a size to permit movement of the enlargement there-through, a retainer plate movably connected to the bracket and having slot means therein extending laterally from the peripheral edge thereof, said slot means receiving said cable adjacent the enlargement and being of less size than the enlargement thereby preventing the enlargement from passing through the bracket when the slot means is in registry with the aperture in the bracket.

Claim 7

In combination, a grapple comprising a pair of crossed and pivotally interconnected jaws having inturned gripping ends, the other end of each jaw having means providing for support of the grapple, means associated with the pivotal connection between the jaws to vary the relative position between the pivotal connection between the jaws and the means providing for support of the grapple to vary the pivotal relationship of the jaws, and a fixed-length flexible member extending between the jaws inwardly of the gripping ends thereof for gripping engagement with surface portions of an article or articles in supplemental relation to the gripping engagement between the inturned gripping ends of the jaws and the article or articles.

Claim 8

In combination, a grapple comprising a pair of crossed and pivotally interconnected jaws having inturned gripping ends, the other end of each jaw having means providing for support of the grapple, means associated with the pivotal connection between the jaws to vary the relative position between the pivotal connection between the jaws and the means providing for support of the grapple to vary the pivotal relationship of the jaws, and a fixed-length flexible member extending between the jaws inwardly of the gripping ends thereof for gripping engagement with surface portions of an article or articles in supplemental relation to the gripping engagement between the inturned gripping ends of the jaws and the article or articles.

Claim 9

The structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said flexible member is a cable of predetermined length, bracket means releasably securing one end of said cable to one of said jaws, means securing the other end of the cable to the same jaw adjacent the other end thereof, and cable guide means mounted on the other of said jaws and movably connecting the cable thereto.

Claim 10

The structure as defined in claim 7 wherein said cable guide means includes a rotatable pulley sheave, said pulley sheave and bracket being substantially in alignment.

Claim 11

The structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said means providing support for the grapple including a pair of links with one end of each link being pivotally connected to the other end of each jaw and the other ends of said links being pivotally interconnected in substantially vertical alignment with the pivotal connection between the jaws, said fixed-length flexible member having one end thereof anchored to one of said jaws between the pivotal connection between the jaws and the gripping end thereof, the other end of said flexible member being anchored to the link pivotally connected to the other end of the same jaw in a manner whereby the two ends of the flexible member are longitudinally immovable in relation to the jaw and link connected thereto, said flexible member having a free intermediate portion, the other of said jaws including means thereon receiving the intermediate portion of the flexible member, said means being disposed between the pivotal connection between the jaws and the gripping end of the other jaw whereby movement of the gripping ends of the jaws away from each other will tighten the fixed-length flexible member so that the portion thereof interconnecting the jaws between the pivotal interconnection and the gripping ends will be substantially straight and taut when the jaws are fully opened.

Claim 12

The structure as defined in claim 9 wherein said means on the other jaw engaging the intermediate portion of the flexible member including a rotatable pulley over which the intermediate portion of the flexible member is entrained, means retaining the flexible member on the pulley when the flexible member is not taut, said means anchoring the end of the flexible member to the jaw between the pivotal interconnection between the jaws and the gripping end thereof including means enabling detachable connection of the flexible member to the jaw.