US1590255A - Mine car - Google Patents

Description

H. W. SANFORD June 29 1926.

MINE GAR Filed Nov. 21. 1921 4 Sheets-Shut 1 H. w. SANFORD June 29 MINE CAR Filed Nov. 21. 1921 -4 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 29 1926. 1,590,255

H. w. SANFORD mus CAR Filed Nov. 21. 1921 (Sheets-Sheet 4 j'iPatented June 29, 1926.

.gk-" UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I-IUGI-I W. SANFORD, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

MINE CAR.

Application filed November 2'1, 1921.

My improvement relates particularly to mine cars which are to be turned or tilted bodily for the discharge of the contents of the car.

The main object of my invention is to produce a mine car which is adapted to be turned or tilted for the discharge of its contents, as above stated, and which has its floor or bottom low relative to the track, in order that for a given head room the car will hold a maximum load, and for the sake of greater stability, carry the load close to the track rails, and a secondary object is to produce a car which possesses flexibility allowing partial twisting of the car body to permit one axle of the car to incline out of the horizontal plane of the other axle, in order that all the wheels of the car may at all times bear fully upon the track rails, notwithstanding irregularities in the height of the rails. In this connection it is to be remembered that the axles of many cars of this type are not swiveled but rest in bearings which are fixed on the car body; and in this connection it is further to be remembered that in mining practice the track rails are usually not level nor well supported, a large part of the trackage being temporary and constructed and maintained with the least labor. And it is also to be noted that whenever one wheel of such a car does not rest well on the track, that car is apt to leave the track and thus wreck itself and the train of which it forms a part.

To these ends, the car, in its preferred form. includes strong end sills and strong side sills, and two axles, and a floor, the side sills having their ends joined to the end sills and said four sills forming a frame of ample strength for resisting all strains, including the weight of the load, end thrust, and longitudinal train pulls, and the axles being combined with the side sills above the bottom of said sills, and the major part of the floor being secured to the side sills below the level of the axles and the floor being only heavy enough to support the contents of the car and the floor being light enough to give it such flexibility as will permit the twisting of the frame formed by the end sills and side sills to allow the wheels to remain in engagement with the track rails, although there are irregularities in the track, as above mentioned.

In the accompanying drawings,

Serial No. 516,791.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mine car embodying my improvement, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same car, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a plan showing the end sills and side sills combined to form the frame of the car, with two axles applied to said frame;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of one end of said frame;

Fig. 5 is an upright longitudinal section on the line, 5-5, of Fig. 3, the floor plates having been applied;

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views illustrating the manner of joining the end sills and the side sills;

Fig. 8 is an upright transverse section along one of the axles of the car on the line, 8-8, of Fig. 1, parts being broken away;

Fig. 9 is an upright transverse section on the'line, 99, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is an upright section on the line, 10-10, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal upright section of a car having a floor of a different form;

Fig. 12 is an upright section on the line, 1212, of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal upright section of a car having the floor in still another form;

Fig. 14 is an upright transverse section of a part of the structure of Fig. 13 on the line, 14:14:, thereof.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, which relate to a mine car designed to be tilted forward on a tipple for the discharge of its load, A, A, represent end sills having a bumper, B, projecting outwardly therefrom, a draw bar element, D, also projecting outwardly from said end sills and located over said bumper, truss members, E, corner stiifeners, F and Gr. and gusset stiffeners, H and I, all preferably formed of one integral casting.

The aforesaid bumper, B, is swelled outwardly as indicated by the drawing, and immediately over the central portion of the bumper is the aforesaid draw bar element, D, provided with a coupling pin opening, D which is directly over a similar opening, B of the bumper, a space being left between the draw bar, D, and the bumper, B, for the reception of a coupling link, the coupling pin being designed to drop through the openings, D and B The corner stifleners, F and G, which have been described as being part of the integral casting, are to be securely riveted to the longitudinal sills, J and J, the latter being slotted as shown at J to afford space for the gusset stiffener-s, H and I.

The side sills, J and J are to be so heavy as to make them amply strong to resist downward strain or drooping and to resist endwise thrust and also train pull. At the same time, the frame consisting of the side sills and the end sills must possess sufficient flexibility to allow the axles to incline independently of each other, whereby the car wheels at the same side of the car are allowed to assume different levels to conform to variations or irregularities in level of the track on which the car runs.

The two axles, L, are arranged transversely to the side sills and rest in bearings, L secured to the side sills by bolts, L In the form shown in the drawings, said bearings are applied flatwise to the outer sides of the side sills and extend through the sills. On each end of each axle is a track wheel, L This arrangement brings the axles above the level of the lower edges of the side sills.

At the rear end of the carthe left hand end as shown in Figs. 1 and 5a floor plate, 0, is placed between the side sills and extends from one side sill to the other from the rear end sill forward at the level of the lower edges of the side sills to a line approximately midway between said end sill and the rear axle, L. Thence said plate extends forward and obliquely upward to or nearly to the upper face of the rear axle. Along each side edge, said plate has an upward-directed flange, O, which bears against the adjacent side rail and is secured thereto by bolts, 0

The middle floor plate, N, extends below and rearward of the rear axle, L, and along the lower edge of the side sills to a point between the two axles, and then said plate extends obliquely upward and forward to or nearly to the upper face of the forward axle, L. At each side edge, the plate, N, has an upward-directed flange, l\ which bears against the adjacent inner face of the side sill and is secured to said sill by bolts or rivets, N Along its rear edge rearward of the rear axle, said plate has an upwarddirected flange, N which rises to or nearly to the floor plate, 0.

A front floor plate, M, is placed between the side sills and extends from behind the forward axle, L, downward and forward below said axle and upward and across the rear part of the forward end sill. Along the inner face of each end sill, said plate has an upward-directed flange, M bearing against said face and secured thereto by bolts or rivets, M Along its rear edge, and rearward of the forward axle, said plate has an upward-directed flange, M rising to or nearly to the plate, N.

A movable door, not shown, is to be placed above the forward end sill. Said door is to be opened when the car is to be tilted forward for the discharge of the load.

It is to be understood that the slant of the inclined floor sections relative to the horizontal plane of the car is to be such as to allow all the coal to slide from the car when the car is tilted forward on the tipple. In this connection we must take into consideration the slant at which the car is placed by the tipple.

The form of car shown by Figs. 11 and 12 is intended to be tilted sidewise in a tipple which rotates 011 an axial line which is parallel to the length of the track.

A plate, P, extends from each end sill between the side sills along the lower edges of the latter to a place below the adjacent axle. Along the inner face of each side sill each of said plates has an upward-directed flange, P which is bolted or riveted to the adjacent side sill. Along the edge of each of said plates which is adjacent and parallel to the axle, is an upward-directed flange, P which extends to or nearly to the lower face of the axle. Between the plates, P, P, is a plate, P, which extends from the lower edge of one side sill to the lower edge of the other side sill and almost to the plates, P. At each side, the plate, P, has an up-turned flange, P bearing against the inner face of the adjacent side sill. Along its forward and along its rear edge said plate has an upward-directed flange, P, which extends o or almost to the adjacent axle.

These three plates form a floor which is below the level of the axles and along the lower edges of the side sills and is continuous excepting for the gap below each exle. The up-turned flanges, P and P serve to prevent coal or other material carried by the car from lodging or wedging under the axles when the car is turned for dumping. Furthermore, these gaps in the floor of the car reduce resistance to the flexibility above described as serving to allow the car wheels to rest fully upon the track rails, notwithstanding irregularities in said rails. The fianging of the side edges of the plates permits yielding between the sills and the plates, whereby the side sills are given more freedom for flexing, the flanges of the plates flexing during the twisting of the frame.

The car shown by Figs. 13 and let is also intended for dumping in a rotary tipple which turns on an axial line which is parallel to the length of the track. In this form, a continuous plate, Q, is located at the level of the lower edges of the sills and extends from one end sill to the other and from one side sill to the other and has its edges riveted or bolted to the lower faces of the sills. To prevent coal or other material from lodging or wedging between the axles and the bottom, an angle-form baffle plate, Q}, is placed upon the floor beneath and parallel to each axle, said plates being riveted or bolted to the floor. The bottom plate, Q, is preferably to be made as thin as is consistent with the service which said plate is to perform; that service being merely the supporting of the material which the car is to carry, the plate, because it is thin, having only a subordinate part in resisting drooping of the car body and in longitudinal strains due to end thrust or train pull.

Attention is again asked to the desirability of placing the load close the track rails, in order that the car may be adapted to carry a maximum load where there is low head room and in order that the car may have greater stability on the track.

I claim as my invention,

1. In a car of the kind described, the combination of a frame comprising end sills and side sills, axles applied to the side sills above the lower edges of said sills, a stationary floor structure extending below the axles and from one side sill to the other and secured to the side sills, the frame formed by the end sills and the side sills being flexible but strong enough to resist downward strains and end thrust and longitudinal pull, and the floor structure being strong enough to support the materlals put into the car and not strong enough to mate rially interfere with the twisting of said frame, substantially as described.

2. In a car of the kind described, the combination of end sills and side sills forming a flexible frame of suflicient strength to resist downward load strains and end thrust and longitudinal strains, axles applied to the side sills above the lower edges of the latter, a stationary floor, the major part of which is below the level of the axles and has 1ts side edges extending to and secured to the side sills, said floor being strong enough to support the materials put into the car and being devoid of such strength and form as will materially resist twisting of said frame, substantially as described.

3. In car of the kind described, the com bination of end sills and side sills forming a flexible frame of suiiicient strength tore 'sist downward load strains and end thrust and longitudinal strains, axles applied to materially resist twisting of said frame, substantially as described.

4. In a car of the kind described, the combination of end sills and side sills forming a flexible frame of sufficient strength to resist downward load strains and end thrust and longitudinal strains, axles applied to the side sills above the lower edges of the latter, stationary floor plates lying chiefly below the level of the axles and meeting near said axles and having their side edges ex tending to and secured to the side sills and one of each pair of meeting edges of said plates having a flange directed toward the other edge of said pair of edges, and said floor plates being only strong enough to support the materials put into the car and being devoid of such strength and form as will resist bending of said frame, substantially as described.

5. In a car of the kind described, the combination of end sills and side sills forming a flexible frame of sulflcient strength to resist downward load strains and end thrust and longitudinal strains, axles applied to said sills above the lower edges of the latter, a floor section beginning at one end sill and extending below the level of the axles and extending thence to the adjacent axle at approximately the level of said axle, a second floor section extending under said axle and extending thence to the next axle at approximately the height of said axle, and a third floor section extending under said second axle and extending thence to the next end sill at approximately the level of the upper face of said end sill, and all said sections extending from one side sill to the other and having their edges secured to said sills, substantially as described.

6. In a car of the kind described, the combination of end sills and side sills forming a flexible frame of suflicient strength to resist downward load strains and end thrust and longitudinal strains, axles applied to said sills above the lower edges of the latter. a floor section beginning at one end sill and extending below the level of the axles and extending thence to the adjacent axle at approximately the level of said axle, a second floor section extending under said axle and extending thence to the next axle at approximately the height of said axle. and a third floor section extending under said second axle and extending thence to the next end sill at approximatelv the level of the upper face of said end sill, and one of each pair of meeting edges of said sections having a flange directed toward the other edge of said pair of edges, and all said sections extending from one side sill to the other and having their edges secured to said sills, substantially as described.

7. In a car of the kind described, the com bination of end sills and side sills forming a flexible frame of suiiicient strength to resist downward load strains and end thrust and longitudinal strains, axles applied to said sills above the lower edges of the latter, a floor section beginning at one end sill and extending below the level of the axles and extending thence to the adjacent axle at approximately the level of said axle, a second floor section extending under said axle and extending thence to the next axle at approximately the height of said axle, and a third floor section extending under said second axle and extending thence to the next end sill at approximately the level of the upper face of said end sill, and the lower of each pair of meeting edges of said sections having a flange directed upward toward the other edge of said pair of edges, and all said sections extending from one side sill to the other and having their edges secured to said sills, substantially as described.

8. In a car of the kind described, the combination of end sills and side sills forming a flexible frame of suflicient strength to resist downward load strains and end thrust and longitudinal strains, axles applied to the side sills above the lower edges of the latter, stationary floor plates lying chiefly below the level of the axles and meeting near said axles and having upward-directed side edge flanges secured to the side sills, said floor plates being strong enough to support the materials put into the car and being devoid of such strength and form as will materially resist bending of said frame, substantially as described.

9. In a car of the kind described, the combination of end sills and side sills forming a flexible frame of suflicient strength to resist downward load strains and end thrust and longitudinal strains, axles applied to the side sills above the lower edges of the latter, stationary floor plates lying chiefly below the level of the axles and meeting near said axles and having upward-directed side edge flanges secured to the side sills and one of each pair of meeting edges of said plates having a flange directed toward the other edge of said pair of edges, and said floor plates being only strong enough to support the materials put into the car and being devoid of such strength and form as will resist bending of said frame, substantially as described.

10. In a car of the kind described, the combination of end sills and side sills forming a flexible frame of sufficient strength to resist downward load strains and end thrust and longitudinal strains, axles applied to said sills above the lower edges of the latter, a floor section beginning at one end sill and extending below the level of the axles and extending thence to the adjacent axle at approximately the level of said axle, a second floor section extending under said axle and extending thence to the next axle at approximately the height of said axle, and a third floor section extending under said second axle and extending thence to the next end sill at approximately the level of the upper face of said end sill, and all said sections extending from one side sill to the other and having side edge flanges secured to said sills, substantially as described.

11. In a car of the kind described, the combination of end sills and side sills forming a frame, axles applied to said sills above the lower edges of the sills, a floor section beginning at one end sill and extending below the level of the top of the adjacent axle and extending thence to the adjacent axle at approximately the level of said axle, a second floor section beginning adjacent said axle and below the level of the top of said axle and extending thence to the next axle at approximately the height of said axle, and a third floor section beginning adjacent the second axle and below the level of the top of said axle and extending thence to the next end sill at approximately the level of the sill and one of each pair of meeting edges of said sections having a flange directed toward the other edge of said pair of edges, and all said sections extending from one side sill to the other and having their edges secured to said sills, substantially as described.

12. In a car of the kind described, the combination of end sills and side sills forming a frame, axles applied to said sills above the lower edges of the sills, a floor section beginning at one end sill and extending below the level of the top of the adjacent axle and extending thence to the adjacent axle at approximately the level of said axle, a second floor section beginning adjacent said axle and below the level of the top of said axle and extending thence to the next axle at approximately the height of said axle, and a third floor section beginning adjacent the second axle and below the level of the top of the second axle and extending thence to the next end sill at approximately the level of the upper face of said end sill, and the lower of each pair of meeting edges of said sections having a flange directed upward toward the other edge of said pair of edges, and all said sections extending from one side sill to the other and having their edges secured to said sills, substantially as described.

13. In a car of the kind described, the combination of end sills and side sills forming a frame, axles applied to the side sills above the lower edges of the latter, stationary floor plates lying chiefly below the level of the top of the axles and meeting near said axles and having upward-directed side edge flanges secured to the side sills and one of each pair of meeting edges of said plates having aflange directed toward the other edge of said pair of edges, substantially as described.

14. In a car of the kind described, the pombination of end sills and side sills forming a frame, axles applied to said side sills above the lower edges of the sills, a floor section beginning at one end sill and extending below the level of the top of the adjacent axle and extending thence to said axle at approximately the level of said axle, a second floor section beginning adjacent said axle and below the level of the top of said axle and extending thence to the next axle one.

HUGH W. SANFORD.

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