US1138545A - Shovel-board. - Google Patents

Description

E. W. DENNIS.

SHOVEL BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. 1913 Patented May 4:, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I ll'l 1 E-Mezzrzzls E. W. DENNIS.

SHOVEL BOARD.

APPLICATION HLED OCT. 21. 1913.

Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHUm-LITHO.. WASHING TDN. D. C

E. W. DENNIS.

SHOVEL BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED 01:121. 191.3.

Patented May 4, 1915.

SHEET 3- 3 SHEETS o v. .0 O.

l I l i l l l I l I I l l I l l 30 lwmwtoz Wanna/o THE NORRIS PETERS CO" FHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

ivrrnn STATES PATENT orrron ELBERT W. DENNIS, 0F BEATRICE, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOHN M. ANDERSON, O SWEET SPRINGS, MISSOURI.

SHOVEL-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'May 4 1915.

Application filed October 21, 1913. Serial No. 796,485.

" in which the gate, when lowered, serves as a shovel board, the object of my invention being the provision of an end gate including a gate proper, forming a shovel board when open, and wings forming a support for the gate when the latter is open, and means for locking the gate when closed.

A further object of my invention is to so construct thegate and wings that they may be detachably applied to any conventional form of wagon body without the employment of bolts, screws or other fastening devices. In this connection, I provide attaching plates applicable to the sides of a wagon body and adapted to hingedly receive the wings, which in turn support the gate.

A further object of my invention is to so construct these attaching plates that they may be applied, without structural changes, to all forms ofwagon bodies now in general use whether interiorly or eXteriorly cleated or braced. And a still further object of my invention isthe provision of an automatic lock for securing the end gate in closed position, the lock being so constructed as to be readily releasable.

\Vith these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a frag- 'mentary perspective view, showing the rear end portion of a conventional wagon with my improved end gate applied thereto, the

end gate being shown in open position; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional View, showing certain details of construction; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan View of the end gate in open position; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the wagon with the end gate in closed position; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken through the end gate, showing the automatic lock in top plan view; Fig. 6

is a perspective view ofone of the catches making .up the lock; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 5, showing the lock in side elevation; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary rear elevation, showing a modified form of lock construction; Fig. 9 is a section on the llne 99 of Fig. 8, further showing the modified form of lock; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing a modified form of support for the lower end of the end gate.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by'the same reference characters. The preferred embodiment of my improved end gate con-.

struction consists primarily of a shovel plate 10, a pair of attaching plates, indicated as a whole by the numerals 11 and 12, wings 13 and 14 and the end gate proper 15. The shovel plate 10 and attaching plates 11 and 12 form the sole attaching means for the end gate and its wings and of these, the shovel plate alone is permanently attached to the wagon body. This is no disadvantage as it does not in any way interfere with the use of the wagon with other forms of end gates or without end gates.

In order to clearly disclose the construction, the method of application and operation of my improved end gate I have illustrated the same in connection with a conventional form, of wagon body 16 including a bottom 17 and side walls 18 and 19, these side walls adjacent their rear ends being braced each with a pair of vertically dis: posed spaced cleats 20 and 21. With the ordinary form of end gate, the edges of the end gate are slipped between the adjacent cleats which then hold the end gate against displacement. In some types of wagon bodies, the body is braced exteriorly instead of interiorly as shown but it will be later apparent that the attaching plates which, .as will be described, are held in place by these cleats, may be applied to exteriorly located cleats with equal facility. The shovel plate 10, which is formed of heavy sheet metal, is firmly secured across the upper face of the bottom 17 of the wagon at the rear end thereof by screws 22. This plate is bent downwardly over the end of the bottom 17 and then outwardly to form a horizontal supporting ledge 23 in the plane of the lower face of the wagon bottom, being addltionally secured by screws 24, if found necessary.

The attaching plates 11 and 12, with the exception that they are formed in rights and lofts, are identical in construction, for which reason a description of one will suliice for both. Each attaching plate is formed from heavy sheet metal, preferably pressed steel, a single piece equal in length to the height of-the wagon body being employed. The edge portions of the sheet of metal are bent longitudinally and oppositely at right angles to the body portion to fit about the inner edge of that side of the wagon body to which it is to be applied, as shown at 25,

and to furnish a rearward extension in the plane of the outer face of said side. This extension is rebent upon itself to form a wing supporting and gate centering member 26 of double thickness. The remaining edge portion, namely, that one extending Within the wagon body, is oppositely fluted to provide a longitudinal offset 27 to accommodate the inside iron brace so common in Wagon body construction and to further provide a locking offset 29 adapted to seat between the cleats 20 and 21 to hold the attaching plate against rearward movement.

In order to hold the attaching plate against inward movement, bars of metal 30 and 31 are riveted or otherwise secured to the double extension and project by their free ends to bear against the outer face of the side of the wagon body. The outer ends of these metal bars or stripsare extended beyond the free edge of the wing supporting member 26 and bent to form eyes 32 and 33 to receive the pins of the hinges supporting the wings, as will be later set forth. In order to hold the attaching member against swinging or turning movement, a bar or strip of metal 34 is secured by one end to the intermediate portion of the bar 31, which is the upper bar, and which extends a considerable distance farther than the lower bar, and this bar 34 extended upwardly and bent inwardly and then downwardly being secured by its downwardly directed terminal to the fluted portion 29. The lower outer corner of the portion 26 of the attaching device is cut away as shown at 35 for a reason which will be hereinafter explained. The bar 30, which in effect forms a hinge plate, as well as a brace for the attaching member, is made shorter than the bar 31 in order to permit application of the attaching plate to a wagon body having outside irons.

The wings 13 and 14 are formed of heavy sheet metal similar to that from which the attaching plates are formed and secured to the outer faces of these wings by rivets or other suitable fastening devices are hinge bars 36 and 37 having hinge pins 38 and 39 adapted to seat in the eyes 32 and 33, re-

spectively, by which means the wings are hingedly secured to the attaching plates.

. At this point it should be noted that the hinge pin 38 is extended to a level with the bottom of the wagon body. The reason for this extension will be more fully explained in connection with the operation of the end gate. The hinge bars 36 extend across the entire width of the wings and the narrower ends of the wings are cut-away or notched as shown at 40 to co-act with the terminals of the bars to provide seats 41. Openings 42 are formed through the hinge bars 36 and wings for a'purpose which will be later explained.

The end gate proper may be constructed of wood or metal as preferred, that in the drawings being formed of wood and being properly braced by a plurality of transversely extending braces 43, these braces in effect, together with longitudinal braces 44, forming a frame to receive the boards 45 from which the gate is made. This end gate is proportioned to fit snugly between the wing supporting and centering members 26 of the attaching plates when in raised position, seating by its lower edge upon the ledge 23 of the shovel plate. U-shaped guides 46 are secured by their ends to the braces 43 in such a manner that their bight portions are spaced slightly from the sides of the gate, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, allowing for the reception of the wings 13 and 14.

The upper face of the lowermost brace 43 is, when the gate is closed, substantially on a level with the lower edges of the hinge plates 36. An -L-shaped hinge bracket 47 is secured by one arm to the outer face of this lowermost brace 43 with its other arm bearing against the outer face of the gate and in spaced relation above the brace. That portion of the hinge bracket 47 above the brace, is circular in cross section, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 7 and mounted for swinging movement, in a horizontal plane, upon this hinge bracket, are the latch plates 48 and 49. Each of these latch plates includes a substantially sector-shaped body portion 50 provided along one radial edge with a perforated extension 51 through which the hinge bracket passes and at its other radial edge with a triangular extension 52 which forms the locking shoulder of the latch plate. The body member is further provided with a substantially rectangular extension 53. A helical spring 54 surrounds the horizontal portion of the hinge bracket engaging at its ends against the hinge plates and gate to normally hold the hinge plates in the position shown in Fig. 5 with their extensions 53 directed toward the gate. It will be apparent that force directed against the inclined edge 54 of the locking shoulder of either plate will cause swinging wings and lock the wings in closed position,

the spring 5 forcing the latch plates away from each other to move their locking shoulders '54 into engagement with the outer wing. w Instead of this automatic form of lock a simple form, such as that shown in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, may be employed. This form of lock includes a substantially rectangular locking plate 55 secured to the upper edge of the lowermost brace 43 and extending from the gate at right angles, the free end portion of the plate being provided with a slot to receive a locking pin 56 having a stop shoulder 57 With this form of lock, the wings are swung to closed position, causing the locking plate 55 to project through the slots 42. The pin 56 is then inserted in the slot of the locking plate until its further downward movement is limited by its stop shoulder 57. The pin 56, when not in use, is held against loss by a chain 58 secured by one end to thepin and by its other end to the gate.

The operation of my improved end gate may best be described by first explaining the manner in which it is applied to a wagon. The shovel plate 10 is first attached to the wagon, as previously set forth, and the locking plates 11 and 12 then applied by positioning them with their lower ends above the upper edges of the Wagon body with their fluted portions 29 in alinement with the spaces between the adjacent cleats 20 and 21 and by then sliding the locking plates downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1. The end gate 15 is then placed in closed position between the centering portions 26 of the locking plates and the wings 13 and 1% applied.

When the gate is closed, the wing guides 46 extend in parallel spaced relation to the portions 26 of the locking plates and it is therefore possible, by releasing the latch or lock of the gate, to swing the wings at right angles to the gate. The gate may then be lowered to the position shown in Fig. 1 when the inturned outer ends of the wing guides engage in the seats 41 of the wings to limit further downward swinging of the gate. In this position, the inturned lower ends of the wing guides seating at the rear of the extended hinge pins 38, serve to prevent any outward movement of the end gate during unloading of the wagon. In closing the gate, the gate proper is swung to vertical position and the wings then folded against its outer face. When in closed position, the inturned lower ends of the wing guards 46 still seat behind the extended hinge pins 38 and assist the wings in holding the gate against movement away from the wagon body and also prevent upward movement of the gate. It is to accommodate these inturned ends that the lower ends of the gate centering portions 26 of the attaching plates are cut away as shown at 35.

F rcm the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided an extremely simple and durable form of end gate con struction and one which, because of the fact that it may be attached to any common form of wagon body without the use of bolts or other fastening devices, is interchangeable. Y

It will of course be understood that I do not wish in any way to limit myself to the specific details of construction, illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, as various minor changes, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made at any time without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, a few wagon boxes have a steel plate attached to the rear end of the floor and in such cases the shovel plate would be superfluous. With such a wagon, a piece of angle iron 59 is secured to the brace 60 which extends across the rear end of the wagon and flush with the end of the floor. The horizontal flange of this iron forms an effective support for the end gate, as will be readily understood. I

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an end gate construction for wagons, a shovel plate and attaching plates adapted to be detachably secured to the bottom and sides of a wagon body, wings adapted for detachable hinged connection to the attaching plates, an end gate adapted to be sup ported by the shovel plate for swinging movement between the wings, but free from attachment to the shovel plate, attaching plates or wings, and means carried by the end gate and engaging the wings to prevent tilting of the lower end of the end gate when in open position.

2. In an end gate construction, the combination with a wagon body having sides provided with spaced vertical cleats, of at-' taching plates engaging against the ends and inner faces of the sides, said attaching plates being fluted to seat between the cleats, hinge plates secured to the attaching plates and bearing by their forward ends against the outer faces of the sides of the wagon body, U-shaped members secured by theirends to certainfof the hinge plates and to the at-' taching plates and bearing by their bight portions upon the. upper edges of the sides of the wagon, wings having hinge plates operatively engaging the hinge plates of the attaching plates, and an end gate supported by the wings.

I 3. In an end gate construction, the com bination with a Wagon body, of ashovel plate extending rearwardly from the Wagon body, an end gate swingingly supported at its lower edge upon the shovel plate and movable to vertical position, Wings hingedly connected to the Wagon body and adapted to fold inwardly across the rear face of the end gate, and means for automatically locking said wings in such position.

4. In an end gate construction, the combination with a Wagon body having sides provided with vertical cleats, of attaching plates loc'kingly engaging the sides and cleats, hinge plates secured to the attaching plates and bearing against the outer faces of the sides of the wagon body, wings operatively connected to the hinge plates, and an end gate supported by and between the wings.

In testimony whereof I afiix'my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELBERT W. DENNIS. [11. s.] Witnesses:

JOHN M. ANDERSON, RICHARD L. WALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. G. a

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