US1241537A - Carriage for overhead tracks. - Google Patents

Description

J. MATTHEWS, CARRIAGE FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS. APPLlCATlON FILED OCT. $7. 19l6.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR J. MATTHEWS. CARRIAGE FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS.

2 SHEETS-5HEET 2.

INVENTOR Jame Mafiizem Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

APPLlCATlON FILED OCT-17.19%.

CARRIAGE FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application am October 17, 1916. Serial No. 12e,1o9.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES MA'rrHEws, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriages for Overhead Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a load transport-- ing carriage of that class which is drawn by a hauling line along a track elevated above the surface of theground, which hauling line also eflects the lifting and lowering of the load to and from the carriage.

My invention consists of improvements directed to the-means whereby the several operations of securing the carriage against endwise movement on the track at any predetermined positions where it may be desired to take up or deposit a load, the elevation of the load to the carriage and securing it thereto, the release of the carriage from the track stop and the transference of the carriage and its load to the place of deposit toward the other end of the track line, the securing of the carriage to the track stop at that end against backward movement, the release of the load from the carriage and the lowering of it therefrom, the elevation of the lifting tackle to the carriage and the attachment of it thereto, and the release of the carriage from the track for the return journey, are all automatically performed in proper sequence by the manipulation of the hauling rope.

The means by which these results are accomplished is fully described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view to a small scale showing the application of the carriage on its overhead track.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the carriage with its nearer side plate removed, and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are side elevations of the hook securing and release means, showing the same in difi'erent stages of the operation of the carriage.

In these drawings the overhead track, in this case a single wire rope, is represented by 2; 3 represents the terminal support of this track rope adjacent the donkey engine 4: or other hauling means and 5 the support at the outer end of the line toward which the carrier is designed to move on the track.

The carriage comprises a'frame 6 of suitable design having sheaves 7 grooved to run on the track rope 2.

To the lower part of this frame is con-- nected at 8 the hauling rope 9, which passes around-the sheave of a load block 10 and around a sheave 11 mounted in the frame 6 and therefrom to the drum of the hauling engine t, passing thereto over a sheave 12 supported from the underside of a stop member 28 to be described later as secured to the track line.

The load is carried from theblock 10 in the hook 13, and in vertical alinement with the hook connection a pin 14: is supported above the sheave of the block, WlllCl'l pin, when the block 10 is drawn up to the carriage 6, enters into a notched recess 15 in the sides of the carriage and may be secured therein by a hook member 16 mounted on a pin adjacent the notch. This hook member normally presents an angled shank 17 against entrance of the pin 14 into the notch engagement with which angled shank will rotate the hook member on its pin to bring the hook 16 under the entered pin it which effected its'rotation.

The hook member 16 may be locked in this retaining position by a bolt 37 which is endwise movable between flanged rollers 36 rotatably mounted in the side frames 6 of the carriage. The operative end of this bolt is shaped to conform to a concentric curve 39 of the hook member 16 when the hook member is in the normal position with its shank 17 inclined across the notch. 15 of the side frames, and to prevent the shank 17 falling below that position a projection 45 engages the underside of the bolt; but when the hook member is rotated in the manner described to the sustaining position, the end of the hook member is. opposite the end of the bolt, stepped in with a shoulder 40 opposite the underside of the bolt 37, which, if the bolt is projected toward the pivot of the hook, will engage the underside of the bolt and prevent the hook rotating to release the load block. This bolt 37 is endwise moved to lock thehook member in the sustaining position, as shown in Fig. 3, or withdrawn Patented oats, 1917. I

to permit it to rotate from that position by the following means.

Pivoted at 26 to the front end of the carriage above the track rope 2 is a track-stop catch 27 shaped to automatically engage a projection 28 on a stop secured to the track rope 2 at any desired position where it may be required to lift or deposit the load, and at the after end of the carriage, but below the track rope, is pivoted at 30 a simllar catch 29 which is counterweighted to fall away from the track rope. This catch member is designed to engage a collared projection 32 which, as in the other stop, is se cured to the track rope at any position where it may be desired to lift or deposit the load.

These catch members 27 and 29 are connected to be cooperative one with the other by a bar 33 connected on each side and preferably outside the side frames 6 to the'catch members at 34 and 35 below their pivots.

The connection of the track-stop catches 27 and 29 to the lock bolt 37 by means of the bar 33 and pin 38 serves a double purpose. It enables movement of either one or other of the catches 27 or 29 to lock the hook member 16 at itssustaining position or release it therefrom, but it also supports the hook member in the normal position to which it moves when the load block is lowered from it and in which the preponderating weight of the shank 17 tends to retain it, and it prevents movement of either catch 27 or 29 to free itself from the position of engagement on its track-stop. These features will be better understood from the description of the operation of the carriage which will be given later.

Secured on a pin 21 between the side frames 6 of the carriage is a check pawl 20, the position and length of which are such that it may be moved to engage a shoulder 18 on the end of the shank 17 of the hook member when the hook 16 is in the position sustaining the load block 10,-and to support it in that position. This pawl 20 is counterweighted at 22 to normally rest clear of the path of the shank 17 of the hook memer on a stop pin 46 secured between the side frames. Pivoted at 24 above the level of the pivot 21 of the pawl 20 is a pawl guard 25 which is counterweighted to maintain the guard against the acting face of the sustaining pawl 20. The counterweight of, this pawl guard is prevented from overturning by one of the stay bolts 50 which secure the side frames of the carriage together. Owing to the proximity of this guard 25 to the track rope 2 the shank of 1t projects from one side only of its pivot ub as no sensible strain is imposed on it. Similarly the counterweight 22 is opened out to clear the track rope.

Pivotally mounted at 41 on the catch member 27 adjacent the connection 34 of the rod 33 is a trigger member 42, which is angled forward from its pivot beyond the inner face of the catch and is designed to bear against that face when it contacts with the track rope stop projection 28. This trigger member is stirrup-shaped to clear the track rope 2 and on one side is'produced downward as at 43, which produced end hangs substantially perpendicular. The produced end 43 is connected by a flexible line 19 to the end of a lever 23 secured on and projecting downward from the pin 21 of the sustaining pawl 20, a lightcoil spring 24 being introduced in the connection. No tension is on this spring 24 until the trigger 42 is pressed home when the tension is sufficient to bring the retaining pawl 20 into a position that will engage the end 18 of the hook member shank.

In describing the operation of the. carriage it is assumed to be at the farther end of the track rope 2 and secured against endwise movement thereon by engagement of the. counterweighted catch 29 with the collar projection 32 of the stop secured on the track rope, the catch member 29 being held up to its work by engagement of the end of the bolt 37 with the concentric portion 39 of the hook member, which is in its normal or release position with its shank l7 angled across the notch 15, the load carrying block 10 with its load connected ready for elevation and transference to the other end of the line. When a hauling effort is imposed on the hauling rope 9, which eiiort is doubled to lift the load, the block 10v with its load is lifted toward the carriage andthe pin 14 of the block 10 enters the notch 15 of the side plates and in so doing engages the face 17 of the shank of the hook member 16 and rotates that hook to secure the pin to the carriage. Rotation of the hook member carries the concentric portion 39 of it past the end of the bolt 37 until the shouldere'd face 40 is below the level of the underside of the bolt, when the catch member being'unsupported by the bolt will, under the pull of the hauling rope and because the engaging face of the catch is above the level of the pivot of the same, move down and free itself from engagement with the collared projection 32 of the track stop and the downward movement of this catch 29 to its normal position away from the track rope, edects the locking of the hook member 16 in the position that the load block 10 is sustained directly by the hook to the carriage instead of depending from the hauling rope. This bar 33 does not effect any change in the position of the pawl 20, as the slight movement lmposed on the trigger pin 41 is permitted within the slack of the connection between 43 and 23.

The'hauling effort on the rope 9 which has effected the lift of the load to the carriage and the consequent release of the carriage from the stop collar 32 is now free to draw the carriage along the track rope 2 toward the other end. As it approaches the stop projection 28 adjacent this end of the line,

movement of the connecting the front end of the catch 27 being lifted clear of the stop, the trigger 42 engages the outer face of the stop 28 and presses that trigger against the inner face of the catch, which engagement imposes a tension on the spring 24 sufiicient to throw the pawl 20 into a position where it would engage the end 18 of the hook member shank but for the intervention of the guard 25. Simultaneously the front end of the catch 27 is pulled down to engage the stop 28 and secure the carriage to it against endwise movement on the track line and moves the connecting bar 33 to withdraw the end of the bolt 37 from engagement with the shoulder 40 of the hook member, which being no longer retained, is free to turn and release the pin 14: of the load block 10.

It is during this movement that the guard exercises its most important and essential function as the shank of the hook before the bolt is withdrawn is in a position where the pawl 20 might be thrown into sustaining engagement with the hook shank end 18, but the guard 25 is interposed between the shank end 18 and the end of the pawl 20 to prevent such engagement at this time, and being interposed, when the bolt is withdrawn, the hook is free to overturn. The load may then be lowered to the ground by unwinding the hauling rope 9 from its drum.

During this lowering of the load the carriage is retained against backward move ment down the track rope 2 by the outer engaging face of the catch member 27 which is held up to its work by the lock bolt 37 against the end of which the concentric face 39 of the released hook member is opposite.

It will be noted that while the hook mem her is in the inverted or release position at this stage of the operation, as shown in Fig. 4, and its shank end 18 is clear of the pawl guard 25 and pawl 20, the pawl 20 under the tension imposed on the spring 24, as before described. will move to a position where it will engage and retain the shoulder 18 of the shank end when the same is lifted up to hook the pin 14 of the load block to the carriage. In moving to this engaging position the end of the pawl 20 will carry the lower end of the guard 25 away from the adjacent or engaging face of the pawl 20, as shown in Fig. 4.

WVhen it is required to return the carriage to the other end of the line either as a return empty or with a load for the other end, the rotation of the hauling drum 9 is reversed to haul in the line 9 by which the block 10 with or without a load is lifted up to the carriage, and the pin 14 on entering the notch 15 engages the inclined face 17 of the shank of the hook member and moves it up to a position where the end of the pawl 20 will engage and hold the shoulder 18 on the end of the shank, as shown in Fig. 5. advance of the shoulder during this movement, has a rounded projection 48 that is designed to enter under the outer end of the guard 25 and vance of the shank that it may not interfere with the engagement of the pawl 20 with it, shown by dot and dash lines in Fig. 4.

The load block 10 is now sustained by the hook 16 direct to the carriage 6 and is ready for movement to the other end of the track. If the incline of the track is such that the carriage will return by gravity to the other end the hauling rope will simply require to be paid out from its winding drum, but if, as is frequently the case, the track'line has not suflicient declination, or is of such length that it has considerable sag that will require to be surmounted at the other end, then the carriage may require to be drawn back by a haul-back line connected to the after end of the carriage. This feature is, however, of no material moment to the operation. It will be assumed in this case that the car will fall to the other end of the track by gravity.

The rotation. of the hook member which secured the load block has brought the engaging shoulder 40 below the level of the underside of the bolt 37, so that no obstruction is imposed to endwise locking movement of the bolt when any strain is imposed that tends to move the bolt, for it will be noted that the hook member is now sustained by the pawl 20 and not by the shoulder 4:0, as in the ingoing movement of the carriage. When the tension on the hauling rope is' relaxed to permit the carriage to run back along the track the outer engaging end of the catch member 27 on the stop member 28 below the pivot 26 of that catch, the catch moves up being unsupported by the latch bolt 37 as explained, and as it moves up it draws the latch bolt 37 into a position where it will engage the shoulder 40, and simultaneously a pin 49 secured between the connecting bars 33 engages the counterweight 22 and draws the pawl 20 from engagement with the end 18 of the hook member shank, depriving it of the support of the pawl after substituting the shoulder 40 for this support.

It should be understood that the pawl 20 is a temporary means to secure the hook 16 while the hauling line is being relaxed to effect release of the catch 27 and backward movement of the carriage with the consequent movement of the lock bolt 37 to lock the hook; for while tension must be maintained on the hauling rope to hold the load block 10 in position in the notch 15 of the carriage to which it has been lifted and with the hook 16 inverted to retain it there, the bolt 37 cannot be moved to lock the hook The end of the shank which is in I move that guard in adber 16, as the in this position unless the tension on the hauling line is relaxed, and if relaxed before the hook is locked the load block will again fall away from the carriage and its hook, so that the pawl 20 is used to temporarily lock the hook while the hauling bus is relaxed to release the carriage from the stop 28 and permit it to return, by which release the hook is locked by the bolt 37. At the other end of the line this condition necessitating the use of the pawl 20 does not exist as the lifting of the load, the release of the carriage from its stop 32, and the movement of the carriage along the track are all performed with a taut hauling line.

It must be noted that the outer end of the catch member 29 was withdrawn from the track rope simultaneously with the lifting of the outer end of the catch member 27, the catch members being connected together by the bar 33; so that when the carriage reaches the stop 32 at the farther end of the track that stop engages the inner face of the catch member 29 and moves it up against the bum per stop pin 47 which receives the inertia oi the carriage and relieves the mechanism of the shock, while the catch member 29 is moved into retaining engagement with the stop This movement of the catch 29 simultaneously withdraws the bolt 37 from engagement with the shoulder 40 of the hook member and leaves the load block 10 free to be lowered to the ground to deposit or to receive a load.

As the hook member 16 turns to bring its shank face 17 to its normal position the guard 25 is free to automatically resume its normal position in engagement with the face of the pawl 20.

This completes the cycle of operation which though somewhat complicated in de scription and apparently involved beyond what might be thought necessary will on investigation be found to be a simple and etfcc tive in accomplishing the several objects desired.

I am aware that prior to this invention numerous devices have been provided having cooperative action between the means or securing the carriage against endwise movement on the track whereby when the load is released from the carriage, the carriage is released from the track securing means so that it is free to move endwise.

It will be noted that in the invention which is the subject of this application, release of the carriage from either track stop is controlled by movement of the hook memsame is rotated by movement of the load block into the position of attachment; the concentric portion 39 of the hook member preventing movement of the bolt 37 inward and therefore movement of the catch members 27 and 29 to effect release of the carriage until the load is lifted to rotate the hook member; but when the hook is rotated by movement 01' the load into the position of suspension the shoulder the carriage securing catches from their track attachments; and conversely the carriage securing catches are free to release only when the my knowledge new, as also is the supplementary pawl and its'guard and operative connection by which I am enabled to automaticall y release the carriage from the track at one end without releasing the load.

Nor am I aware of any carriage of this class that will automatically perform the cycle of operation set forth in the preamble of this specification.

Having now particularly described my invcntion, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

1. A carriage for an elevated track, comprising the combination with a suitable frame provided with sheaves to run on the track and a hauling rope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriage drawn along the track in one direction, of means at each end of the carriage for securing it to a stop at any predetermined positions on. the track, means for directly connecting the load bearing block to the carriage when lifted into engagement therewith, means cooperative with the securing means of the carriage to either track stop for securing the said load connecting means, supplementary means cooperative with engagement of the carriage with the track stop at one end of the track for securing said lead conncctingmeans, and means cooperative with release of the carriage from the same end of the track for releasing said supplementary securing means.

2. A carriage for an elevated track, comprising the combination with a suitable frame provided with sheaves to run on the track and a hauling rope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriage drawn along the track in one direc tion, of means at each end of the carriage for securing it to a stop on the track at any predetermined positions. means for directly connecting the load bearing block to the carriage when lifted into engagement therewith, means cooperative with the securing means of the carriage to for securing the said load connecting means, supplementary means cooperative with enload is secured, are Within either track stop mains? gagement of the carriage with the track stop at one end of the track for securing said load connecting means, means preventing engagement of said supplementary securing means, means cooperative with the contact of the carriage with the track stop at one end of the track for moving said preventing means to a position whereby the lifting of the load may withdraw the prevention and permit the supplementary securing means to perform its function, and means cooperative with release of the car riage from the track stop at one end of the track for withdrawing the supplementary securing means.

3. A carriage for an elevated track, comprising the combination with a suitable frame provided with sheaves to run on the track and a hauling rope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriage drawn in one direction along the track, of means at each end of the carriage for securing it to the track at any predetermined positions, a hook member pivotally' mounted on the carriage to retain the load bearing hook thereto when the same is drawn up into engagement with it but unstable in such position until locked, a lock bolt by which the hook member may be sceured to sustain the load bearing hook, means directly connecting together the track securing means at each end of the carriage that they may be cooperative, and means connecting the track seeuring connection to the hook lock that the hook may be looked as the carriage is released from the track stop.

4. A carriage for an overhead track, comprising the combination with a suitable frame provided with sheaves to run on the track and a hauling rope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriage drawn along the track in one direc tion, of means at each end of the carriage for securing it to the track at any predetermined positions, a hook for connecting the load bearing block to the carriage when hit ed into engagement therewith, a lock bolt for securing the hook against release of the load block, amcans supplementary to the bolt for securing the hook against release, means for retaining said supplementary securing means clear of retaining engagement with the hook member, means cooperative with the carriage attaching means on the track for moving the supplementary securing means into a position where it will engage the hook member, means for connecting the carriage securing means at each end of the carriage together, and means for connecting the hook member lock bolt to said connecting means.

5. A carriage for an elevated track, comprising the eombination with a suitable frame provided with wheels to run on the track and a hauling rope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriage drawn along the track in one direclion, of a catch member pivotally mounted on each end of the carriage and adapted to secure the carriage to a stop member adjust-ably secured on the track at each limit of the desired movement thereon, said catch members being directly connected together to move in unison to and from the track, a hook member pivotally mounted to the underside of the carriage and counterweighted to be normally in the release position but adapted to be moved into position to secure the load when the same is lifted into engagement with it, a lock bolt adapted to secure the hook in position securing the load to the carriage, said lock bolt directly connected to the track catch members to lock the hook when they are disengaged from the track stops, a supplementary hook member securing means, means for normally maintaining said securing means clear of the hook member, means operative by movement of the carriage against the track stop member toward which the carriage is drawn by the hauling rope for moving the supplementary hook engaging member into a position where it will engage and secure the hook member, a guard member interposed between the supplementary hook securing member and the hook member that will prevent the hook member engaging the hook securing member when moved downward past it but adapted to be moved from such guard position when the hook member is moved upward and will permit engagement of the supplementary securing means with the hook member to secure the hook, and means cooperative with movement of the lock bolt to the locked position for withdrawing the supplementary hook securing means.

6. A carriage for an elevated track, comprising the combination with a suitable frame provided with wheels to run on the track and a hauling rope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriage drawn along the track in one direction, of means at each end of the carriage for securing it to the track at any predetern'iined positions, a hook member pivotally mounted to the underside of the carriage, said hook member having a shank that will. normally retain the hook in its disengaged position but that will be engaged by the load sustaining means when the same is lifted to the-carriage and will rotate the hook to support the load, a pawl adapted to engage and retain the hook member with the hook in the load sustaining position, means for normally sustaining that pawl clear of engagement with the hook member, means cooperative with the carriage attaching means on the track for moving the pawl into a position where it will engage the hook memher, a pawl guard interposed between the pawl and the hook member preventing engagement of the hook member with the pawl when moved downward past it but adapted to encounter the end of the hook member when the same is moved upward and be moved out of contact with the pawl to permit the pawl to engage and secure the hook member.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the track rope and the stops secured to the track rope at intervals, of a frame having sheaves for running on the track rope, a hauling rope one end of which is connected to the frame, a sheave on the frame over which said hauling rope passes, a fall block around which said hauling rope passes before it passes over said last named sheave, a latchon the rear of the carriage for engaging the other track stop, a connecting bar between said latches for effecting simultaneous movements of the same, said carriage having a front and a hack slotted opening, a pin on said bar projerted through said front slotted opening, a lock bolt mounted on the carriage, a pin connccting said lock bolt with said connecting bar and passing through saidrear slotted opening of the carriage, a counterweighted pawl pivoted on said carriage and cooperating with said first mentioned pin, a trigger member pivoted on said carriage adjacent to the front track stop catch and cooperatively connected with said check pawl, a pawl guard pivoted on said carriage and cooperating with said check pawl, said carriage having a notch, a hook member pivotedvon'said carriage adjacent to said notch and cooperative with said sheave block, said lock bar, with said check pawl and with said pawl guard all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES MATTHEWS.

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