US1077561A - Car-door spreader. - Google Patents

Description

R. V. SAGE.

GAR DOOR SPRBADER. n APPLICATION FILED JUNI; 7, 191s.

1,077,561, Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

9( gyn?.

il., glia .eateries earners ernten V. SAGE, 0F WEST'MONT BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAPwDOOB SPREADER.

Snecication of Letters Batent.

27o-@ZZ whom t may concer/t Be it known that I, RALPH V. SAGE, a citizen oi the United States, residing in the borough of Viestmont, in the county of Y Cambria and State of Pennsylavnia, have operating mechanism thereof, and to giveto such bar a special forni which will have greatst-rength and rigidity relative'to the amount of metal thereof.

My invention is particularly adapted for use with hopper bottom cars, either of the regular hopper type, or of the hopper bottom gondola type in which the 4doors extend below the center sills' ot the car on each side thereorn and are connected together in pairs by means of a spreader-bar, the ends of which are secured to the doors on each side ot' the center sills; the central portion 'of said spreader-bar being adapted to pass under the center sills of the car, at which. point a linlr or other connection to the' door operating mechanism 'is secured. y

Where a flange extends around the outer edge of the car door, which is usually the case, itis preferable to arch or oitset the central portion of the spreader-bar so the said ilanges of the door remain whole and not cut away, thereby preserving its strength and stiffness.

Heretot'ore spreader-bars have been con.- structed either of a. sheet of metal pressed into the regular fornnor of a rolled bar of beam or channel cross sect-ion cut into suit not been found to be altogether satisfactory',

either on account of their not being suii c iently rigid, and coiisequently liable' tobcome twisted, or on account ot the fact that i their' construction is such that they cannot be provided with proper attachments to, and

bracing facilities for, the door, aindllliyfin- Patented Nov. le 1913.

Application led .Tune 7, 1913. Serial No. 772,233. i

vention is designed to obviate these'diiiiv culties.

I 'construct my spreader-bar of castl metalI of substantially U-shape in cross section, the

bar being arched or loffset at its center' to thereby pass or` clear the anges of each door, and l maire my spreader-bar of the fish-belliedtype,`-that is, of greater depth at its center and tapering gradually toward each end. The ends of my spreader-bar are attached to the swingingdoors, the legs of said spreader-bar extending outwardly therefrom.: ',ntegral lstiiieni-ng brackets project rearwardly from the spreader-bar toward the-hinged' edges of the doors near the inner side of each door and are riveted thereto, thereby forming'a rigid'connection between the door and the spreader-bar, at the same timel bracing these parts 4together and preventing twisting or distortion-'of the spreader-bar and the doors. To stillen the spreader-bar I -cast transverse webs integral with the bar connecting the legs at intermediate points and at the ends thereof, and alon the longitudinal outer edges, the ends of t e legs of the bar vare thickened or flanged, which flanges may extend the entire length of the bar, or nearly to the endsof the bar, as shown in the' drawings.v The central part of the spreader-bar is formed as a 'substantially box-shaped structure with a perforation in its top and bottom 'walh" whereby an eye bolt, or other connection, may be secured, to which a link or other at tachment to the door operating mechanism maybe made. Y

The construction of a spreader-bar of cast metal in accordance with my invention enables meto distribute the metal to the best possible advantage, to meet the stresses-to which it is subjected, and the bar is of great strength and rigidity, and one which can be easily attached to the doors. The integral bracket flange connection, 'near the. inner edge of each door, forms a reinforcement at-the weakest point of attachment and also braces the door' while the central perforated box-shaped structure provides an easy means for attachment thereto of the link or other connection from the door opera-ting mechanism.

ldavin'g thus given a general description of my invention, I will now, in order to malte" the same'more clear, refer to the accompanying one sheet of drawings forming part of this specification, in which of the spreader-bar taken on the line 'VL-VI of Fig. 4 through the central box- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation on an enlarged scale taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2, through the lower hopperportion of a car showing a pair of oppositely swinging doors in closedy pos1- tion, and ,my spreader-bar in section, at-

tached to the forward edge of each, and also showing enough of the adjoiningcar structure to clearly illustrate the application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional elevation -takenon the line Il-II of Fig. 1,l showing they lower portion of a car, the hoppers of which extend downwardly on each side of the center sills, and a pair of similar swinging doors adapted to close the bottom thereof,- together with my improved spreader-bar connecting and supporting the doors in cooperationl with the door operating mechanism. Fig. 3is a detached'top plan viewof my improved spreader-bar; Fig. 4 is a' side elevation-thereof,and Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view 'of the spreader-bar. Fig. 6

is a vertical transverse sectional elevation shaped portion of the bar, and Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional elevation taken on the li'ne Vil-VII of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows. i

Referring now to the numbers of refer-v ence on the drawings z--l indicates the center lsills of the carl and 2' the sides` thereof. Hopper sheets 3-are attached to, and eX- tend downwardly below, the bottom edges ofthe car sides, and also extend below the center sills of the car, while the .doors 4 are hinged at 5 to the bottom edges of the hopperv mouths and form the closures 'for the same.

To complete thel illustration, two hoppers are shown on the drawings, each hopper together by my improved spreader-bar1 6,

although it will be understood that-the doors' having a pair of swinging doors connected may be differently disposed, either transversely or longitudinally of the car, without ldeparting from the spirit of my invention. 1

My spreader-bar 6 .is substantially U- shaped in cross-section, the legs thereof being of greater depth in the central portion, while the bar is arched o r oifset as at.

7 and tapers gradually, or becomes ,sha1- lower, toward eachend. The legs and top. of the bar are connected together centrally, intermediately and .at the ends by transverse webs 8, 9, .and 10 res ectively, the lower face of the bar being. 'o't erwise open,

Vwith the exception of a nut bearin surface 11, which connects the centralwe y8 and the Aendsof the U-sh'apedlegs together andv and taperin forms a substantially rectangular boxshaped structure at this point.

Perforations extendthrough the nut bearing surface 11, as at 12,. and also through the top oifset ortion of the bar as at 13, with lateral stiening flanges 14 of segmental outline extending fromeither side of the face of the bar at this point, for the purpose'of reinforcing the same and forming a better bearing for the head .of the eye bolt v15. Along the ends of the legs of the bar on the outside thereof is a thickening or flan e 16 which extends nearly to the ends of the bar.

The upper surfaces 17 of the tapered ends of the spreader-bar are Hat and perforated in various places, as shownA at 18, and form the surfaces which bear against the car doors on the outside thereof. Reinforcing brackets 19, having perforated bearing surfaces, eX-

tend' from one side of, -and on the same plane as, the upper surfaces 17, and are similarly' perforated las -at Q0. These brackets 1 9 extend rearwardly and are attached to the doors near the inner side edges ings.y

While l have shown anddescribed my invention in considerable detail, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction specified, but may -use such substitutions, modifications or equivalents thereof, las are embraced within the scope of my invention. as pointed out in the'clams.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1,. In a dumpingv car, a pair of hinged doors thereon, a cast spreader-bar substantially U-shaped in cross section, secured to,

and connecting said pair of doors, the legs of said U-shaped bar being connected together .at intervals by webs formed. integral therewith.

2. In a dumping car, a plurality of hinged doors thereon, a cast spreader-bar substan-l tially-U-shaped in cross section, securedto, and connecting said hinged doors, said U- shaped bar being of greatest depth 'centrally gradually' toward 'each' end, and provide with integra'lwebs connecting .thelegs of saidrU-shaped bar.

3. In dumping car, a plurality of hinged doors thereon, a spreader-'bar substantially U-shaped in cross section, secured to, and connecting said plurality of doors, integral webs connecting the legs of the U-shaped bar, said bar having an arched r offset central portion ,and tapering end portions.

et. In a dumping car, a plurality of hinged doors thereon, a spreader-bar substantially U-shaped in cross section, integral web connections between the legs of the U-shaped bar, said spreader-bar having an otlset central portion and tapering end portions, the upper faces' of said 'tapering end portions being fiat and connected to said doors.

5. In a. dumping car, a plurality of alined hinged doors thereon, @spreader-bar substantially U-shaped in cross section, transverse web connections between' the legs o1 the U-shaped bar, said U-shaped har having an oiiset` central portion and tapering end portions, the upper` face of said tapering end portions being straight, perforations in the straight faces of the end portions and aperforated integral bracket extending laterally from said end portions, whereby said bar is connected -to said doors.

6. In a dumping car, a plurality of alined hinged doors thereon. a spreader-bar substantially' U-shaped in cross section, secured to, and connecting said hinged doors, transverse web `connections between the legs of the U-shaped bar, said bar having an offset central portion and tapering end portions, the edges of the legs of said U-shaped .bar being thickened or flanged.

7. In a dumping car, a plurality of alined hinged doors thereon, a spreader-bar substantially U-shaped in cross section, integral flanges extending from the edges of the legs of said U-shaped bar, transverse web connections between the legs thereof, said'bar having an odset central portion and taper- F ing end portions, the upper faces of the tapering end portions being plane' and perforated, a perforated integral bracket extending laterally from each of said end portions, and means for securing the spreaderb'ar to said doors through the said perforations.

8. In a dumping car, a plurality of alined doors hinged thereon, a spreader-bar substantially U-shaped in cross section, secured to, and connecting said doors, integral webs connecting the legs of the central portion of the bar, the central portion of the ends of the legs and the ends of the adjacent webs being connected integrally, forming a nut bearing surface.

9. In. a dumping car, a plurality of alined doors hinged thereon, a spreader-bar substantially U-shaped in cross section, secured to, and connecting said doors, transverse webs connecting the legs thereof adjacent to the central portion of the bar, the ends of the legs of the U-shaped bar and the ends of the adjacent webs being integrally con-.

nected, thus forming a nut bearing surface, a perforation in the nut bearing surface and in the top surface of the bar in vertical alinement, and lateral curved anges extending from the top of the bar on either side of the perforation.

10. In a dumpingy car, a plurality of alined hinged doors thereon, aspreader-bar substantially U-shaped in cross section, integral flanges extending from the outer edges of the legs of said U-shaped bar, transverse webs connecting the legs of the U-shaped bar centrally, the central portion of the edges of the legs of the bar and the edges of t-he adjacent central transverse webs being connected integrally, thereby forming a nut bearing surface, said bar having an offset central portion and tapering end portions, the upper faces of the tapering end portions being plane, perforations in the plane faces of the end portions, and a perforated bracket extending laterally from each of said end portions, its upper face being in the same plane therewith, and means for connecting said bar to the doors through said perforations.

11. A one-piece cast spreader-bar of approximately U-section, with anges extending laterally in a plane from the end portions thereof, brackets forming extensions of said flanges, the central portion of said bar being offset and provided with means for attachment to the operating mechanism.

In testimony whereof I hereto aix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RALPH v. SAGE. f

Witnesses:

ELMER SEAVEY, E. M. DAWSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by ,addressing the Commissioner of Yatents.

Washington, D. C.

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