US1546700A - Car-loading system - Google Patents

Description

July 21, 1925.

1.546.700 o. ALLEN ET AL CAR LOADING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 5, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 21, I925.

O. ALLEN ET AL CA LOADING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 5, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 afar/3% 9% Jul 21, 1925. 1,546,700

0. ALLEN ET AL CAR LOADING SYSTEM I Filed Dec. 5, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Z ihti; & i Q ii A: 1/ lIII/II/IIIlIlI/II! I fizaeizzarr:

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Patented July 21,1925.

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Application filed flecenioer To all whom it-mmyconcern:i "Be it known that We,,OnnuN Aime vlD munJ. Oltoniuimcitizens of the United States of l -America", residing, respectively, at

t-heicityj and county otDenyer and State of 1010mm and Chicago, county of Cook, and

State of Illinois, have invented a DOW and useful Ger-Loading System, of which the tollowing'is e specification.

Our invention relates to a car tein. 4 i1 i 4; it

And the objects of our invention are:. First. To provide a. system of transferring empty cars ah'ezidiot the loaded cars on one railway track in tunnels that are too niirrow to allow a switchto he put in witlr' out blasting fout a long chamber in the side "otltheitunnel for 1 the switch, endwvithout removing the loaded ears troin the track, and Without the employment of cei switch ing men. V

Second. To provide it system of transferring an empty rock muck car ahead or :1 loaded can on onetreck, which consists of ruuninge train o'f'ienrpty cars into a tunnel until the car at thehead of the trein of empty cars is under the muck loading machine, and then hile it is being loaded, uncouplinglthe rear empty; car and moving it 1 short distance down, the track, and lift ing it 0a of the track and moving it tar enough away from the track for the motor and the other cars in .the train cars to pass it,then movin'gtlie motor up to and coupling it-to thecars left in the trein, and backing them down past the cer oii' the track, and then placing the car that is off ofthe track hack onto the truck ahead of the loaded car in the train;ehdthen pushing the train 01 cars up to the loading machine until the en'iptycar is in positionto be loaded by it; and repeating-the operation until all of the cars are lilled with much; and then pulling theitrein oi? loaded cars out ot the tunnel and dumpingthe muck out of tl'ien'i and, then returning the train of empty cars into the tunnel to the much load ing machine. i v Third. To provide quickly and cesily operated, and thoroughly practical ceoperating system of empty mucl-:-car moving, loadin' and inanipuleting mechanism for trensi, itiing empty cars sliced ot loaded 1 loading sys- N, en d illll) of Figure 3, and i i 1924. Serial No. 753359.

cerjs on one track Without theuse 0t alswitcli i track -so thet they can he loadedin succes sive order until all of the empty cars in the train 01 empty cars are filled with rock muck. l it i 1 i R'Veattain these objects by the m illustrated in the accompanying in whichz s it .i Figure 11, is a diagrammatic perspective VlGW of a portion of a tunnel bore and illustrating, the manner of Jreinoving theomuck tronrthe breast endiotthe; tunnel by means of the improved cert-handling system.

Figure it, is e transverse sectional NlBW through the tunnel bore, showingthepneumatically operatingimechanism tortrsnsferringithe muckrlmndlil'ig tears. from the track to one side thereof and then back tothe tracln o .i i. a .1; Figure 3, is t! sideyiei pot oneiot' the cars showing the mechanism by which eitherbthe lotrdediorunloaded cars are litted the pn'cu metically operated lifting cylinder being omitted. t 1. it i Figure 4L, is a front View ofonezotthe adjustable props for supporting the cross bar upon which is mounted the trolley; which supports the pneumatically operated lifting cylinder. it y a i it Figure 5, ise horizontal sectional View on theline 5+5 of Figure l a 1 Figure ,6, is anenlarged vertical longitudinal ,sec-tionaliview through oneend. por-v tion of the trolley-supporting crossbar."

Figure 7, is e transverse sectional View on the line 7-7 of Figure 6. it Figure 8, is an enlarged vertical; s 'itionsl vieuythroughi one; of the trolley Wheels end the support therefor Whiclrtorms a part of c drawings,

iii. 1 .i hanism i v the uppenhead of the lifting cylinder.

Figure 9, is anendelevation oti thecasting that connects the lower ienda-o'l the pieton rod to the I-he'em that extendsecrossythe central portion oi the length olieach empty car, When moving an empty car from, and

returning it to the truck.

l iggure 10, is a sectional iiew on the line Figure 11 is aplanuyr heejd', showing the trolley supporting hreckets thereon and thetrolley,Wheelsm i Similar lettersoit reference '1' r itosimiler parts throughout the several \ieu's;

cu of a cylinder Referring to the drawings:

The numeral 1 designates a tunnel that is too narrow to lay either a double track or a switch in, and consequently only one track 2, is laid in the center of it.

In the present application of our invention, it is applied to a tunnel of about eight feet square, and our invention is now in operative use in the eight foot square preliminary, or scout tunnel, of the Moffat tunnel which is being driven through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado in advance of the main full size tunnel, which will be twenty-four feet high by sixteen feet wide.

The numeral 3 designates one of the railway tracks supporting cross ties which are laid on the floor of the tunnel to support the track 2, and in Figure 2 we illustrate in two' different positions one of the rock muck holding cars, that conveys the rock that is blasted out of the breast of the tunnel, which is called rock muck, out of the tunnel to the dump; but in Figure 1, four of these rock muck conveying cars are illustrated, and they are designated by the letters A, B, C and D, in order to describe the transferring movements of the three cars, B, C and D, as will be clearly described hereinafter, but the car shown in Figure 2 can be any one of the three cars B, C or D shown in Figure l, and consequently we have designated it B01), in Figure 2. (The car A is not transferred.)

The letter M designates an electric motor which pushes the rock muck conveying cars into the tunnel and pulls them out of it.

The numeral 5 designates the floor of the tunnel; 6 and 7 the side walls, and 8 the roof of the tunnel. 8 designates the breast of the tunnel; 8 rock muck that has been blasted out of the breast of the tunnel; 8 the rock muck loading machine; 8 the shovel of the loading machine, and 8 the endless belt conveyor onwhich the shovel deposits its contents and which discharges the rock muck into the heady car of a train of empty cars and 8 the muck loader operator.

In Figure 2, we illustrate an empty muck conveying car BOD, on the track 2, and above it a trolley supporting bar 9 is secured against the opposite sides 6 and 7 of the tunnel. Our invention contemplates, however, any form of a metal cross tunnel trolley-supporting bar. .Ve preferably, however, use a round cross bar, preferably a tubular bar, and use a double extra strong piece of steam pipe.

Our invention contemplates any way of securing the opposite ends of the trolley supporting bar against the opposite side walls 6 and 7 of the tunnel. We preferably, however, provide the opposite ends of the tubular bar with a sleeve 11, which is secured by pins 10 t0 the tube 9 against movement, and the sleeve is provided with an interior thread, in which a large-threaded short shaft 12 is threaded to turn easily. This short shaft extends a short distance through the sleeve into the tube 9, and its outer end is provided with a large nut 13, which forms an integral part of it; a short bearing 1a extends beyond the nut portion of the threaded shaft, on which a twopointed for]; 15 is loosely enough mounted to adjust itself to uneven surfaces on the opposite side walls of the tunnel; then, by turning the short-threaded shaft to screw it out of the tube, 9, at either one or at both ends moves the forks against the side walls of the tunnel and the points of the fork press tightly against and slightly into the rock. By means of these extension forks at the opposite ends of the trolley-supporting bar, the bar is secured across the tunnel against accidental displacement; and in addition to the forks, we can use, when desired, a pair of adjustable spreading props, the upper ends of the standards 16 being connected to the sides of the cross bar 9 by rings 17 that are formed on a clamping sleeve that is slidably mounted on the bar and is arranged to clamp the sleeve to the bar, and rings 20 that extend through the rings 17 and. are secured to the upper ends of the standards 16.

Upon the cross bar 9 we mount a trolley 23, which consists of a pair of sheaves 2a and a supporting frame 25. Each sheave wheel is secured to a shaft the opposite ends of which are rotatably mounted in the supporting frame. This supporting frame is illustrate-d as being made as an integral part of a cylinder head 26, and it forms the upper cylinder head of a cylinder 27, but it may be made in two or more pieces and secured together if desired.

This trolley is arranged to run back and forth on top of the crossbar 9 of the tunnel, and the cylinder 27 is secured to it, as well as the lower cylinder head 29 of the cylinder 27, by bolts 30 that extend down through the top cylinder head, and the cylinder and its lower cylinder head and these bolts. 30 clamp the upper cylinder head 26 and the cylinder 27 and the lower cylinder head 29 together.

A piston 31 and a piston rod 32 are reciprocally mounted in the cylinder 27, and the lower end of the piston rod is pivotally secured to a casting 33 by a pin 34, and the lower end of the casting is extend-ed along and made to surround an I-beam 35, and its opposite end portions are secured to the I-beam by bolts. The casting 33 is illustrated as being made in two half parts, but it may be made in a one piece casting and be cored out to allow the I-beam to be e2;- tended through it, if desired.

The I-beam is made long enough to extend lit! aeross the length of eartp its eppositeehtls 33 and B ififzthd castings *36 are seeiited to each end, and the outer 'endsf'ot the"easting are provided with a bolt 34 that exten s through them at iight angles to the length of the'l h'eain 35, tihchofn "theopposite ends of the bolts, \vef'h'iount tinthl'oivetally seuie to th opposite sides of the, castingthe upper entis of aipair of lo1ig" hooks 37, the 7 lower ends BT ottvhieh swing "under the edges 40,pf the aliglehars 38, that are'secured to the bottom 39 oit" the body of the calgeiid hook to them, thehooks'being 'inacle long enough to til lo'w their hodked' ends 37 to swing nnderthe lotver edges '01"- the opposite end of the top edgesoif the ca r, bind to hookup under the lo'weredges 40 of the angle hars 38 \vhen the l-beain is raised slightly above the "top of the ear by air pressnre'achnitted "to the cylinder, as will be presently described. 7 v

In order to admit eoinpressed air to "the bottom of the fcfylihtter and to admit it and exhaust it to operate the piston to raise and lower the ears 3, and to 'holtl them in the-air until they Tare swnngfto one side of the track out of the path of the passing motor and the other cars in the train, We preferably use the following m rangeinent of an: conveying hose and air inlet and exhaust valves and pipe fittings nectetito the elhow 4'2, and "aT 44 is con nected to the opposite end of the nipple 43.

A nipple 45 is connected to the opposite end of the T M, and en elh'ovv 46 is 'cohneeted to the opposite endof the nip le 45. A nipple 4:7 is connected to the eltow 16, and a valve 1:8 is connected to the nipple A nipple 49 is Connected to the vaive, and one end of a hose 50 is Connected by coupling 49 to the nipple 49, 'the opposite end of which extends to a supply of compressed air that flows from an air 'conipressor, an'd is' piped through the tunnel to the Took drilling machines. I I

The T 44L is also provided with 'a nipple 51, and a valve 52 is eoniiect'ed to the nipple 51, and a nipple 53 is connected to the valve 52, and an elbow 54 is eonneeted to the nipple 53. Thevah'e 48 is the air inlet valve, and the valve 52 is the eidianst valve, and the air exhausts from the cylinder into the at inosphere froin the elbow 54.,

The upper cylinder head is rovided with asniall vent hole 55 tolet'th'e air that Works past the piston head escape to the. atmosphere instead (if ,cmnpressii'1 there above the piston. WVe illustrate a v'a1ve55 connected to this vent hole in ordei that the size of the a erture the air escapes through We term 2th aperture through the lower eyli'nde'rhead and thread to it one "611d "of a nray he etljusteti *to the "size "tiesitetlto avoitl to the 'npl ene ylinder head to ihfnish h bri W ofabout eight inches and a length 0 f 'tthoiit thirteen inches "and rise a piston head of abotit three inches in thickness, Which givesus a stroke 0 f ten inches, end eoiisequehtly the piston heath which is provided with the piston lifts each an; ten inches stave the track.

The Operation of otfr sytef11i0 ftrahsas they are leaded, one at athheon a single traek, without the use of a switch traek, is

as fdl lowsz i p I The piston head 31, and the, piston rod are moved tip in theoy'linder 27 b'yeoi'n the, compressed of about one himthed L- ,1 1 i pounds pressure, as our nine-k car weigh about twenty-three,hnndied poun s each,

an'dthi's pressure oi air hits the ga es *qtiich- 1y but not vioientlyhand it will hohl the cats in the air as long as desired.

Assuming, then, that a train of empty rock ninck conveying Chris is pushed 'intothe tunnel by the niotornien the the niotot,

endless inlu'ck conveying heit S of t'helottd- 111g ine'ohnie 8 "and the loading machine,

to shovel up ehd Convey and Ci'isehiige the roeh nineh into the 'einptyear A, then While the; ear A is Being lditdec'l, the feat ein-pty car I) is iineonpied' fl-cm the ear C, and is moved by the n' 'o'torinan E, down the tr'leh under the air httin'g '-ctppai'etirs AA, which is positioned about hu'n'thed feet item the cal, Tending machine eelied the much leader.

We only shovv four ei'i'ipty ears and an eieetrio motor In thetrain in the tnhnel, and

they are marked A, B, 'C, D, and the e1ec'- AA; their the brehenia'n F, nnho'npies the empty ear D from the motor M, and the motor is backed down the tree]: far enough fr m the ear D to ehoiv the h'rakeinan F to step to the front end 0}, of the oer use he is instantly assisted hy the motornnin E, who

steps off of the niotor and Walks to the back end 0, of the can D. Then htithof them take hold of the opposite ends of the Ibeahi 35, at or abotit th top of the hooks and Troll the trolley and the eyliiioler, end thus swing ing the I-beam and the hooks over the top of the car to the center of the car D, and push the hooks 37*, under the lower edge 40 of the angled bar 38; then the motorman E, opens the air inlet valve 48, and the air pressure flowing into the cylinder raises the piston head and the piston and lifts the car and its wheels off of the track as shown in Figure 2. Then both brakeman F, and motorman E, pull and swing the car towards and close to the side wall 6, of the tunnel, and and its trolley, 23, runs on the cross bar 9, close to the side wall end of the cross bar. Then the motorman E, closes the air inlet valve; 48, and opens the exhaust valve 52, and allows the air to escape from the cylinder to the atmosphere from the elbow to allow the empty car to move down quickly but not violently onto and rest on the rock floor of the tunnel as shown, but if preferred the car may be left hanging in the air, and time is saved if we let it hang, leaving the hooks hooked under the lower edge of both ends of the car. It only requires about fifteen seconds to hook onto and raise and move a car off the track.

After the empty car D, has been transferred from the track to the side of the tunnel, it is far enough away from the track to allow the motor and the balance of the cars in the train of cars to move past it; and then the motorman E, runs the motor up to and the brakeman couples the motor M, to the car C, and as by this time, the car A, has been filled with rock muck, the niiotorman E, backs all of the three cars, that is, the emp ties C, and B, and the now loaded car A, which three cars the motorman now backs down past the air lifting apparatus, far enough to allow the brakeman to jump off of the car and get into position on the opposite front end 0 of the car D. Then the car D is rollingly swung back over the track by the motorman and the brakeman by its trolley rolling on the cross bar 9, of the tunnel, until the car D, stands over the track; then the motorman E, closes the air inlet valve, and opens the exhaust valve 52, enough to allow the car D, to move down slowly onto the rails of the track; and each one guides his end of the car so its wheels move onto the rails of the track; and they thus set this empty car D, on the track again ahead of the'now muck filled car A. Then the brakeman and the motorman unhook the hooks from the lower edge of their respective ends of the car and they are swung over to the side wall 6, of the tunnel, by pulling on them, which causes their trolley to roll on the cross bar 9, and move the cylinder and the I-beam along with it. V

The motorman E of the motor then moves the train up to the replaced car D, and the brakeman couples the train to this replaced car D, and umps on the motor, and then the motorman E, operates the motor to push the train up the track until the empty car D, is under the conveyor of the loader.

Then the instant the empty car D, is stopped under the conveyor of the loader, the conveyor is started up by its operator, who commences to fill it. The brakeman F, then jumps off the motorand uncouples the nowrear car C, and jumps on the car again, and the motorman E, backs it down the track until it is under the air lifting apparatus; then the brakeman F, gets off of the ear, and uncouples it and walks around to the front end 0 of the car; n'ieanwhile the motor backs far enough away from the car C, on the track, so that the motorman E, can get between it and the motor; then the motorman gets otf the motor and both the motorman and brakeman grasp the I-beam and the hooks and pull them and the trolley and the cylinder over to the center of the car C, and hook the hooks under the lower edges 10, of the angle bar 38, at its lower opposite ends; then the motorman E, after seeing that the exhaust valve is closed, opens the air inlet valve, and the air raises the car C oil of the track, and they swing it over to the side wall 6 of the tunnel, and either let it down or let it hang there on the hooks, and then both jump on the motor, which then runs up and coupled to the empty ear B, and then backs down the track with it and with the now loaded car D, and the now loaded car A, and he backs these three cars D, A, and B, below the car C, that is off the track. Then the brakeman and motorman jump off the cars D, A, and B, and the motor and go to the opposite ends of the car C, that is off of the track hanging on the trolley and grasp the opposite ends of the I-beam and then the car C is swung by the brakeman and motorman over the track, and is lowered onto the tracks ahead of the loaded car D, and then the brakeman and motorman unhook it and pull the hooks and trolley away from over the track, and then the motor pushes the three cars D, A, and B, up to the replaced car C, and then the brakeman couples the car C to the loaded car I), and then the brakeman F, preferably jumps onto the empty car C, and the motorman E operates the motor to move the empty car C and the two now loaded cars D and A and the empty car B, up to the conveyor with the empty car C, now ahead of the car D, under the conveyor, and while the ear C, is being loaded, the brakeman F, unrouples the remaining empty car B, and the motorman moves it down with the motor under the air lifting apparatus AA, and it is removed from the track the same as the other two empties were; and then the motor goes up and gets new three loaded cars C, D, and A, and pulls them back down below the re moved car B, and it is replaced on the track ahead of the now three loaded cars C, D, and A, and is run up under the conveyor, and loaded. Then all four of the cars, B, C, I) and A, of which the train is composed, are now loaded and the motor M draws them out of the tunnel to the dump, where they are unloaded, and then they are returned to the breast of the tunnel.

The time required to set a car back on the track is generally a few seconds longer than that required to remove one from the track, as the brakeman has to be careful in guiding the cars wheels down onto the track, but only from about thirty to forty seconds are required to remove and replace an empty car on the track ahead of a full one. In fact, an empty car can be run up and filled and backed down and another empty car set ahead of the loaded one, and run up in position to be filled in about two and one-half to three minutes, thus completing the cycle of transmitting an empty car ahead of a filled car and putting it in position to be filled on a single track, without the use of a switch track for switching the loaded cars to one side of the empty cars.

Consequently a train of about ten to twelve empty cars can be very quickly and easily loaded with rock muck at the breast of a tunnel on a single track by the use of our air lifting apparatus, and the cooperating system of train movements herein described.

Our invention provides a rapidly working system of loading dirt, rock muck, coal, ores, and other material. conveying cars, not only in narrow tunnels that form the preliminary drilled small tunnels of large railroad tunnels as in the present case, but also for tunnels for conveying water through mountains, and for coal mining tunnels driven in and through veins of coal in coal mining operations, and also in the narrow tunnels generally used in mining gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc and other mineral mining operations. Our car lifting apparatus can also be used for lifting freight cars off of one track and placing them on another track in freight yards, especially freight cars loaded with perishable fruit that cannot be gotten out of a train in a yard congested with freight trains. And a great saving is made by using our single track system in tunnels, as the expense of the cross ties and the rails and the labor of blasting out the long chambers or recesses in the sides of narrow tunnels for the switches and also the work of laying the switches, and having several men switch loaded cars by hand; and while we have illustrated and described the preferred construction of our invention, we do not wish to be limited to it, as changes may be made in it Without departing from the spirit of our invention.

I-Iaving described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In tunnel building, a method of handling loads, which consists in running an empty train of cars to the breast of the tunnel, loading the first car, lifting an empty car from the track, moving the loaded car rearwardly past the car off the track, lifting the detached car back upon the track, moving it to the breast of the tunnel and loading it, lifting another empty car from the track, moving the last loaded car rearwardly past the car off the track, lifting the detached car back upon the track and continuing this alternate loading and shifting of cars until all cars are loaded.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa ture in presence of two witnesses.

ORREN ALLEN. DANIEL J. OROURKE. IVitnesses Lno S. CRONAUER, H. R. MOGRURY.

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