US1511424A - Ballast car - Google Patents

Description

J. H. RICHARDS BALLAST CAR Filed Marh 26. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I t* imm I mvr-:NToR @e S3 www WITNESS: ATTORNEY Oct. 14 1924. 1,511,424

, J. H. RICHARDS BALLAST CAR Filed March 26. 1923 5 Sheets-Shea?l 2 J A7. Ev'cardy INVENTOR ATTORN EY WITNESS:

oct. 14, 1924. 1,511,424

J. H. RICHARDS BALLAS T CAR Filed March 26. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESS: ATTORNEY J. H. RICHARDS BALLAST GAR Filed March 26. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 el HRM;-

AITORNEY WITNESS:

Patented ct. i4, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN H. RICHARDS, OF POCATEL'LO, IDAHO.

BALLAST CAR.

Application led March 26, 1923.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, J oHN H. RioHARDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pocatello, in the county of Bannock and State of Idaho, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ballast Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dumping cars and aims to provide a car divided longitudinally into two car sections mounted for independent pivotal movement, means being provided whereby said sections can be conveniently dumped with a minimum of effort.

In carrying out the invention, I make use of a drum having a chain connected therewith and adapted to be wound about and unwound therefrom to control the movements of the car body sections, with the free ends of said chains having an adjustable connection with the car truck, in a manner to vary the degree of movement of the body sections necessary to offset the center of gravity, which causes said body sections to gravitate to their full dumped positions.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a brake mechanism for allowing the car body sections to gradually assume their dumped positions, and means for holding the sections in any given position.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when the following detailed description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this application, like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a similar view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view, showing the pivotal connection between the body sections and the truck.

line

Serial No. 627,764.

mounted thereon.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates the truck of the car, while the body is longitudinally divided to provide two identically constructed sections indicated at l and C respectively. The truck includes al plurality of cross sills preferably constructed of metal and of inverted U-shaped formation in cross section clearly indicated at 10 in Figures 1 and 6. These sills have horizontally disposed attaching portions 11 which are secured in any suitable manner to the truck A. Also secured to the sides of the truck for each of said sills is a plate 12 pro vided with a reinforcing rib 13 and an additional projecting portion 14, which constitutes a core received by the sill 1() to strengthen the latter. These sills are arranged between the spaced flanges 15 arranged vertically on the outer side of each car body section, there being a pair of such flanges for each sill as illustrated in Figure l. A pivot rod 16, passes through the lower extremities of these flanges, which project below the bottom of the car body, also passing through the cross sill and core above referred to. In this manner, the car body sections B and C are mounted for independent pivotal movement, so that either can be swung outwardly to a dumped position as illustrated in Figure 5.

For the purpose of elevating the car body sections to a point which will allow them to gravitate to their dumped positions, I make use of a drum 17 mounted upon the shaft 18, which is journaled in a supporting structure indicated generally at D and arranged at one end of the truck A. The shaft 1S supports a wheel 19 over which is trained a chain 20, this chain being also trained over a similar wheel 21 fixed upon a shaft 22 arranged beneath and in parallelism with the shaft 18. A larger wheel 23 is fixed upon the shaft and over which is trained a chain 24, the latte being also passed over a wheel 25 fixed upon a shaft 26, which is journaled in the supporting structure D beneath and in parallelism with the shaft 22. The shaft 26 is adapted to be manually rotated by means of av hand wheel or the like 27, and

motion is transmitted from this shaft to the shaft 18 by reason of the connection between the shafts as just described. By reason of the construction, shown and described, the shaft 18 may be rotated with a minimum of effort in order to elevate the car body sec tions. Associated with the drum 17 are chains 28 which are adapted to be wound about and unwound from the drum, depending of course, upon the direction of rotation of the shaft .18. The free end of each `of these chains is provided with a snaphook 29 which is adapted to be coupled to the adjacent end of the chains 30 associated with the car bodysections. It is of course tobe understood that each body section B and C isprovided with one of the chains 30, which `is arranged tovextend across the bottom of the particular section of the car and thence vupwardly Valong one side thereof, being terminally provided with a ring 21 to accomH modatethe snap hool; 29 above referred to. Each chain y,30 passesfbetweenspaced rollers 32 mounted on a lcorner extension 33 in a manner clearly illustrated in Figures 5 and 8. `vrPhe ring 31 normally receives a projection 34 carried-by the car body to normally holdrthe chainin a position shown in Figure 5 at theleft hand `side ofthe figure, while the other end of this chain is provided with a snap'lioolr 35 adapted to be interchangeably yassociated with vthe spaced eye members 36 supported-'by the car truck A. rlhe purpose `for this adjustable connection will be presently described.

From the structure thus far described, it is manifest that .either of the car body sections can be swung upon its pivots to a dumped position by simply connecting one `of the chains-28 with the rings 31 offone of the chains V30 associated with said body section.r l-Then by turning the shaft 26 in a manner described, the connecting chains 28 and 30 are wound about the drum, thereby elevating .the particular body section to a point where the said section is gravitated to its dumped position.` In order tojpermit the carbody togradually assume this position after the said body has passed beyond the center of gravity, I provide abrake drum 88. which is mounted uponthe shaft-26, and connect the free endsof the brake element 39 with a manually operable lever 40, so thatby manipulating the leverthe car body will l.be allowed to gradually assume its dumped position. lIn order to hold the car body in any vdesired position, 1 provide a ratchet wheel 41, which is mounted on the sha-ft22, and cooperating with this ratchet wheel are the pawls 42 clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The degree of elevation necessary tooffset the center oflgravity,\va ries 1n accordance with the particular character of the'load contained in the body sectionsB .and C, and in order to facilitate the ticular feature, wherein it will be noted that with a high load, it is necessary to slightly tilt the body section to the position illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 5, and in which instance, the lower Vendjof the chain 8() is connected to the innermosteyeG. On the contrary however, when the body section contains a .low load, it is only necessary to tilt the body to a greater extent iniorder to offset the center of gravity for the purpose above mentioned, and in this instance, the lower end of the chain 3() is connected to-the outermost eye 36 as `shown by full linesjin Figure 5.

Arranged at the other end of the car.y

that is the end opposite the supporting sections .are adapted to rest when vthe see-v` tions are in their normal positions as illus trated in Figure 3. The sections aremain-v tained in this position by means ofva substantially U-shaped clamp 45, which `embraces the adjacent sides of thecar body sections as shown in the Asaine figure, .and

also by means of va bolt 46 which slides in,

suitable guides 47 mounted on the supporting structure E. The bolt is provided with an opening to provide a locking' pin 4S shown in Figure 1. The shaft 18 is .j0ur nalled in the adjacent post 44'as-shown.

To prevent endwise movement ofthe car body sections, 1 provide cross bars 49, which are arranged in end toend relation as sho-wn in Figure, and pivotally mounted on the adjacent post 44. Thenormal position of these cross barsis indicated by dotted lines 50 in .Figure 3, extending across the ,end of the car body sections and supported vin this position by ribs 51, which pro-ject from` the free ends of said bars land repose upon the upper-,edge of the `car body sections. `When it is desired to move either of thesaid sections to a dumped position, the bar `49 provided for the particular section `isole vated, and supported in an elevated position in a manner shown in Figure 3. 1t willlbe noted in this connection 'that ,1 A`hav-eeniplojfed a pair of L-shaped vsupporting :elements'40, each of which is provided with a `pivot 41 journalled inza suitable Ybracket as clearly shown in Figure 2, Villien the bars 29 are swung upwardly ;to inactive positions, they contact the adjacent ends of the elements 40, whichfmove upon their pivots to allow the bars 49 to be :angularly disposed as shown by dottedlines inFigure When thus arranged, the bars 40 are returned to their normal positions engaging the underside of the bars 49 to suppo-rtthem in the positions shown in Figure 3. The supporting structures D and E each include a plate 53, and one of these plates is designed to provide curved edges 54, Figure 4 which project beyond the opposite sides of the drum 17, so that the contents of the ear body sections will not in any Way interfere with the o-peration of the drumor the chains associated therewith.

I/Vhat I claim is l. In a dump car, a truck, car body sections mounted for independent pivotal movement, a drum, chains associated with said drum and adapted to be wound about and unwound therefrom, said chains being connected with said body sections, and means for adjustably connecting the lowei ends of the chains with said truck to vary the degree of elevation necessary to offset the center of gravity of each body section, and means for rotating the drum.

2. In a dump car, a truck, ear body sections mounted for independent pivotal movement, means for elevating said sections to offset the center of gravity and allowing said section to gravitate to a dumped position, a manually operalble brake for checking the fall of said section, and means for holding said section in any given position.

3. In a dump car, a truck, car body sections mounted for independent pivotal movement, means for elevating said sections to offset the center of gravity and allow said section to gravitate to a dumped position, said means including a drum, chains associated with said sections and connected with the drum to be wound about or unwound therefrom, means for rotating said drum, means for connecting the lower ends of said chains to different points oir' the truck for the purpose specified, and inanually operable means for controlling the tall of said section as it assumes its dumped position.

4. In a dump car, a truck, car body sections mounted for independent movement, a corner extension projecting from each body section, means for elevating said sections to offset the center of gravity and allow said sections to gravitate to a dumped position, said means including a drum,

chains connected with said drum and adapted tobe wound about and unwound therefrom, spaced rollers on each extension, and between which said chains pass, the chains for the respective sections being normally arranged at one side and extended across the bottoms thereof, .means for adjustably connecting the lower ends of said chains with said truck for the purpose specified, and means for rotating said drum.

5. In a dump car, a truck including a plurality of cross sills of lJ-shaped formation in cross section, a core for each sill, car body sections mounted 'for inde-pendent pivotal movement, spaced flanges arranged on each car section and receiving said sills, a pivot for each car section passed through the sills and said flanges, and means for elevating the said sections to offset the center of gravity and allow said sections to gravitate to dumped positions.

6. In a dump car, a truck, car body sections mounted tor independent pivotal .movement toward and away from each othor, means for holding said sections side by side normally, means for preventing endwise movement of said sections, means for elevating said sections to odset the center of gravity and allow the section to gravitate to a dumped position, a manually operable brake tor checking the fall of either section, and means for holding either of said sections in any given position.

7. In a dump car, a truck, car body sections mounted for independent pivotal movement, means for elevating said sections to oiiset the center of gravity and to allow said sections to gravitate to a dumping position, said means including a drum, chains associated with each section, chains associated with said drums and adapted to be connected with the chains of said sections, and further adapted to be wound about and unwound from said drum, means tor rotating said drum, means for connecting the lower ends of the first mentioned chains to different points on the truck for the purpose specied, and means for controlling the fall.

of said sections as it assumes its dumping' position.

In testimony whereof l. ailiX my signature.

JOI-IN H. RICHARDS.

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