US1568286A - Canopy for loading cars - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5 1926.

A. T. MCWANE CANOPY FOR LOADING CARS Filed' Nov. 5, 1923 III @Hama Patented Jian. 5, 1926.

ARTHUR T. MCWANE, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

CANOPY FOR LOADING CARS.

` Application filed November To all whom z' may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR T. MGWANE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Canopies for Loading Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a canopy adapted to be detachablymounted upon railroad freight cars and the like for the purpose of protecting the workmen and merchandise lduring the loading and unloading of cars.

My object is to provide a canopy which can be readily attached to and detached from any t1 pe of railroad freightcar utilizing stanc ard parts of such car for both mounting and bracing the canopy in operating position.

A further object is to provide the canopy with a water collecting trough to discharge laterally the water falling thereon either directly or from the roof of a loading shed or warehouse.

A further object of my invention is to adapt the frame supports for the canopy to be readily taken apart or collapsed so that they can be conveniently stored and shipped in compact form.

My inventionl also comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiments only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a freight car equipped with my improved loading canopy.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the canopy with the car shown in cross section.

Fig'. 3 is an enlarged detail View broken away of the element for mounting and bracing the canopy which is shown fragmentally.

Fig. i is a modified type of brace for use with wooden cars only.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in'Figs. 1 to 3, I show the canopy l formed by a strip of canvas or rain proof fabric or material of any character, which at its upper end carries a series of hooks 2 mounted in eyes 3 in the canopy and adapted to engage over t-he running board 4 on the roof 5 of a freight car G.

5, 1923. serial No. 672,909.

These hooks 2 are typical of any suitable means to attach ther upper end of the canopy to the car'preferably beyond'the ridge of its roof. In the lower end of the canopy I form a loop or bite 7 to receive a pipe or like member 8, the ends of which preferably project beyond the sides of the canopy and each is provided with an opening 9 to receive the tip 10 of a brace bar or inclined support 11, and also is provided with an opening to receive a hook 12 fast on one end of a stay rope or chain 13 which yat its other end is adapted to be passed through a hand grip 14 or a ladder step 15 von the car and to be tightened and held by clamp blocks 1G in the manner well understood for suchstays.

Preferably the lower end of each brace 11 is attached to a heavy bearing block 17 having on its upper end an eye 18 for connection to a suspension rope or chain 19 carrying at its upper end a hook member 20, adapted also to engage over the running board 4t and support the block 17 and brace in the position shown bearing upon either the side wall of the car or its door 21. rlhe bracing and stay means for each end of the canopy are alike and are disposed on each side of the car door.

When it is desired to form a trough for the lateral discharge of water collecting on the canopy, I provide a rod or pipe 22 which is pressed down in the free end of the canopy adjacent to the rod 8 until its ends can be slipped under the braces 11. These braces carry stops 28, preferably in the form of screws which are attached to the braces ll and project sufficiently below the same to forin stops to prevent the rod riding up the brace 2Q. By this arrangement the canopjr is deeply indented across its lower end so as to form thereby a trough open at its ends and thus adapted to discharge the water away from the path of the workmen loading and unloading the car. This is of particular advantage where the canopy projects under a loading` shed or warehouse roof from which a considerable volume of water is being discharged and added to the water falling directly on the canopy itself.

There the canopy is to be used solely with wooden cars the heavy base bloei: 17 and its suspension elements 18, 19 and 2O for each brace can be dispensed with and a pointed Spud 2l can be mounted on the lower en'l of each brace 1l which can be driven into the sides of the Car and will hold when the stays 13 are tightened.

The canopy can be made of any desired width or length according to local requirements.

Though I have described with great particularity the details of the embodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution of equivalents may be {made by those skilled in the art Without departing` from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A deinoiintablc canopy for railway freight cars, *comprising a canvas canopy, means to detachably connect the upper end of the canopy to the top of the car, means to brace the outer end of the canopy outwardly from the car, means to transversely depress the canopy to form a trough7 and end stays to brace the canopy endwise which are detachably connected to end elements of the car.

2, A loading canopy for railroad freight cars` comprising a canopy adapted to reach and be detachably connected to the ruiming board on the top of the car, and means to le/sted therein.

et. A loading canopy for railroad freight cars, comprising a canopy adapted to extend over the car ruiming board and having vhooks to engage saine, braces adapted to engage the car on each side of 'its door, a rigid cross member attached tothe outboard end of the canopy to which member said braces are connected, and Vmeans to support the braces in set position on the car A deinountable canopy for railway freight cars, comprising a canopy, means to brace one end of the canopy in position overhungfrom one side of the car, and means to detachably connect the other end yof the nanopy to the car on the other side of the ridge of its roof.

In testimony ivhereof I affix ii'iy signature.

ARTHUR' T. Mmmm.

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