Pulley block with brake

Claim 2

In a pulley-block assembly, support means, a pin carried by said support means, at least one pulley supported for rotary movement by said pin, said pulley having an outer periphery surrounding said pin and said outer periphery of said pulley having at least one portion situated at a greater radial distance from said pin than other portions of said outer periphery of said pulley, an elongated flexible member, such as a rope or cable, extending around said pulley and adapted to carry a load, and wedge means carried by said support means in a position frictionally engaging said flexible member during raising of a load and coacting with said one portion of said outer periphery of said pulley for automatically gripping said flexible member between said one portion of said outer periphery of said pulley and said wedge means when a load is released and said pulley rotates in one direction while said wedge means coacts with said pulley for releasing said flexible member for movement around said pin with said pulley while sliding along said wedge means when said flexible member is acted upon to raise a load and rotate said pulley in a direction opposite to said one direction.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said flexible member has a portion extending between said outer periphery of said pulley and said wedge means, and the latter including at least one wedge member having a smooth wedging surface directed toward said pulley and defining with the latter a gap through which said flexible member extends so that when said wedge means grips said flexible member to compress the latter between said wedge means and pulley said flexible member will not be damaged.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 2 and wherein said surface of said wedge means is flat.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1 and wherein a manually operable means is carried by said support means for coacting with said wedge means to displace the latter in a direction extending away from said flexible member for releasing said flexible member.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said periphery of said pulley is circular and said pulley is eccentrically mounted on said pin.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said wedge means includes at least one wedge member and a spring connecting said wedge member to said support means for urging said wedge member in a direction which will automatically grip said flexible member between said pulley and wedge member when a load is released and said pulley rotates in said one direction.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said support means includes a plate and at least one flange extending perpendicularly from said plate, said pin extending perpendicularly with respect to said plate and said pulley being supported for rotary movement on said pin with the periphery of said pulley directed toward said flange, said wedge means including an elongated wedge member slideably engaging said flange and situated between the latter and said pulley, and said flexible member extending between said pulley and said wedge member, the latter having an inclined surface directed toward said flexible member and pulley for coacting with said flexible member to grip the latter between said pulley and wedge member when a load is released while said wedge member is freely slideable along said flange.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 7 and wherein a spring is connected to said support means and one end of said wedge member for urging the latter in a wedging direction along said flange.

Claim 10

In a pulley-block assembly, support means, a pin carried by said support means, at least one pulley supported for rotary movement by said pin, said pulley having an outer periphery surrounding said pin and said outer periphery of said pulley having at least one portion situated at a greater radial distance from said pin than other portions of said outer periphery of said pulley, an elongated flexible member, such as a rope or cable, extending around said pulley and adapted to carry a load, and wedge means carried by said support means and coacting with said one portion of said outer periphery of said pulley for automatically gripping said flexible member between said one portion of said outer periphery of said pulley and said wedge means when a load is released while said wedge means coacts with said pulley for releasing said flexible member for movement around said pin with said pulley when said flexible member is acted upon to raise a load, said support means including a plate and at least one flange extending perpendicularly from said plate, said pin extending peripendicularly with respect to said plate and said pulley being supported for rotary movement on said pin with the periphery of said pulley directed toward said flange, said wedge means including an elongated wedge member slideably engaging said flange and situated between the latter and said pulley, and said flexible member extending between said pulley and said wedge member, the latter having an inclined surface directed toward said flexible member and pulley for coacting with said flexible member to grip the latter between said pulley and wedge member when a load is released while said wedge member is freely slidable along said flange, a spring connected to said support means and one end of said wedge member for urging the latter in a wedging direction along said flange, said plate being formed with a slot extending parallel to said flange, a release pin fixed to said wedge member and extending through said slot, and a release lever turnably carried by said pin at the side of said plate opposite from said pulley and adapted to engage said release pin when said lever is swung for displacing said wedge member in a direction which will release said flexible member.

Claim 11

In a pulley-block assembly, support means, a pin carried by said support means, at least one pulley supported for rotary movement by said pin, said pulley having an outer periphery surrounding said pin and said outer periphery of said pulley having at least one portion situated at a greater radial distance from said pin than other portions of said outer periphery of said pulley, an elongated flexible member, such as a rope or cable, extending around said pulley and adapted to carry a load, and wedge means carried by said support means and coacting with said one portion of said outer periphery of said pulley for automatically gripping said flexible member between said one portion of said outer periphery of said pulley and said wedge means when a load is released while said wedge means coacts with said pulley for releasing said flexible member for movement around said pin with said pulley when said flexible member is acted upon to raise a load, said support means including a plate and at least one flange extending perpendicularly from said plate, said pin extending peripendicularly with respect to said plate and said pulley being supported for rotary movement on said pin with the periphery of said pulley directed toward said flange, said wedge means including an elongated wedge member slideably engaging said flange and situated between the latter and said pulley, and said flexible member extending between said pulley and said wedge member, the latter having an inclined surface directed toward said flexible member and pulley for coacting with said flexible member to grip the latter between said pulley and wedge member when a load is released while said wedge member is freely slidable along said flange, a spring connected to said support means and one end of said wedge member for urging the latter in a wedging direction along said flange, said plate being formed with a slot extending parallel to said flange, a release pin fixed to said wedge member and extending through said slot, and a release lever turnably carried by said pin at the side of said plate opposite from said pulley and adapted to engage said release pin when said lever is swung for displacing said wedge member in a direction which will release said flexible member.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 9 and wherein said plate has a pair of said flanges and a pair of oppositely directed wedge members between which said pulley and flexible member are located with said wedge members respectively being slideable along said flanges, said plate having a pair of slots and both of said wedge members carrying release pins which respectively extend through said slots with said one lever being situated between said release pins for engaging them simultaneously for simultaneously releasing both wedge members.