US1713932A - Kefbigerator-door-opebating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1929. 5, sTR|D 1,713,932

REFRIGERATOR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 24, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F .j 1

May 21, 1929. s, J, 5mm 1,1 13932 REFRIGERATOR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fly? Q Z7 O F295 D Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SVEN J. STBID, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

W. H. MINER, INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

REFRIGERATOR-DOOR-CPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed December 24, 1923.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerator door operating mechanisms.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient arrangement of door operating mechanism, especially adapted for refrigerator cars for forcing the doors tightly closed, and which will also be effective in starting the door opening operation. Y More specifically, the object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the character indicated, especially designed for operating doors of the swinging type, including a rotary operating-shaft having means adapted to engage fixed brackets on the car proper, wherein the shaft is so mounted that it will shift in a plane at right angles to the door and is provided with offset portions which function as door operating'crank members.

Other objects and advantages of the inven tion will more clearly appear from the de scription and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a refrigerator car, showing my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view, partly broken away, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figures 3, 4 and 5 are horizontal, sectional views, on an enlarged scale, corresponding respectively to the lines 33, 4-4 and 55 of Figure 1. And Figure 6 is a horizontal, sectional view taken along the lower edge of the doors, the doors being indicated in dotted lines and the right hand door being shown as partly closed.

In said drawings, the car is shown as provided with a door frame 10 and two pivoted doors 11 and 12, having meeting beveled edges, in the usual manner. As is customary in refrigerator cars, insulation or packing is employed between the meeting edges of the doors and door frame and between the meeting edges of the doors themselves. The doors 11 and 12 are mounted to swing about vertical axes, being supported by suitable hinges 13. As is customary, the door lintel 14 is downwardly beveled'an'd is provided with a longitudinally extending recess 15 in which is disposed a packing strip 16, normally yieldingly pressed outwardly 'b'va series of coiled springs 17 The threshold 18 is provided with the usual protecting plate19. I

Serial No. 682,509.

As shown, the improved door operating mechanism comprises, broadly, an operating shaft A, provided with two end castings BB and an operating handle C;' upper and lower keepers D-D coacting with the castings G; and two pairs of upper and lower guide brackets E-E and F-F.

The operating shaft A is in the form of a flat bar of substantially rectangular cross section, having the handle or lever C pivoted thereto by a pin 20.

Thecastings B are disposed respectively at the upper and lower ends of the shaft A. Each of the castings B, as shown, is preferably in the form of a crank shaft, having spaced, alined, cylindrical portions 21 and 22 and an intermediate offset portion 23. Each casting B is formed with a head 24 at the outer end of the cylindrical portion 21, the head 24 being vertically slotted as indicated at 25 to receive the corresponding end of the shaft A, to which it is fixed by rivets 26 or any other suitable form of securing device's. At the opposite end of each casting B, centrally projecting from the bearing portion 22, is a flat lug 27 of substantially rectangular cross section adapted to eoact with the corresponding keeper D. AS clearly shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6, each lug 27 isof greater width than the diameter of the portion 22, protruding beyond the opposite sides of the latter and is disposed in a plane offset 90 from the plane of the offset bearing portion 23 of the crank.

'lhebrackets EE, which are of like cons struction, are respectively mounted at the upper and lower ends of the door 11, at ljacent the free edge thereof, that is, the edge innuediately adjacent the door 12 when the doors are closed. Each bracket E is provided with a pair of securing cars 28 bolted or otherwise fixedto the door. The main body portion of each bracket F projects outwardly from the door and is provided with an elongated guide opening 29 extending at right angles to the door 11.

The brackets FF are also of like construction and are mounted on the door 11 re spectively adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, being disposed between the brackets EE, one bracket F being closely adjacent each bracket E. Each of the brackets F -F is also provided with a pair of securing ears 28 bolted or otherwise secured to the door. The bracket-s F-F are horizontally disposed and the main body portion of each is proa!) a hand end of the openings as seen in Figure 1. Each of the guide openings 29 :is adapted to receive the cylindrical bearing portion 22 of the corresponding casting B for working nmvement therein.

The upper and lower keepers l), which are mounted on the door frame iml'nediately adjacent the door opening, are of substantially similar Construction, each comprising a vertically disposed, plate-like portion 31 by which it is bolted to the car. Each plate 31 is provided with an outwardly projecting, horizontally disposed flange 32, the flange of the upper keeper being at the upper edge therof, and the flange of the lower keeper at the lower edge of the Same. Each keeper D is also provided with a circular socket 233 adapted to receive the corresponding lug 27 of the shaft A. Each of the sockets 33 is of very slightly greater diameter than the width of the lug 27, so that the latter may rotate in the socket and yet be guided and retained thereby. The socket 325 of each keeper is defined by an annular wall 34, vertically slotted at the outer side as indicated at 35, to permit the lug 27 to be entered into the socket. At the right hand side of the slot 35, as seen in Figures 5 and (3, the wall 3 of each keeper is thickened as shown, thereby providing a vertically disposed shoulder 36 extending parallel to the plane of the door, and adapted to act as a limiting stop for the corresponding lug 27. The plate 31 of the lower keeper D is extended to the left as seen in Figures 1 and 6, beyond the outer edge of the door 11 and has pivotally mounted thereon a latch member 37 adapted to coact with a plate 38 fixed to the door 12 adjacent the lower outer corner thereof. The latch 38 serves to retain the door 12 in position when closed.

The handle C adapted to be locked, as show-n in Figure 1 by any suitable locking device, as indicated at 39, and sealed in any suitable manner customary on railroad'cars. In operating my invention, the door l2will first be moved toclosed position and secured by the latch 37. The door 11 is then swung inwardly, the shaft A being first moved to such a position that the lugs 27 at the opposite ends of the same will be disposed in a plane at right angles to the plane of the door. Thisposition of the parts'is indicated in Figure 6. -When the partsla-re in the position shown; in Figure tithe bearing members 22 will be at the extreme inner ends of the guide openings 29 and the bearing members 23 will be at the extreme left hand ends of the guide openings 30. V'Jhile the door 11 is being moved toward closed position, the lugs 27 enter the sockets 33 through the openings 35. After the lugs have been engaged within the sockets, the sha tt A is rotated by swinging the handle C to the left seen in Figures 1 and 6. During rotation of the shaft A, the lugs 27 will be engaged behind the walls 34: and retained and guided thereby to rotate about a fixed axis. Upon rotation of the shaft A, the door 11 will be forced to tightly closed position by the crank-acting ollset portions 23 which are limited to shift in a plane parallel to the door by engagement within the guides 30. During this time, the bearing portions will he guided for movement outwardly away from the door in a plane at right angles to the same, by the guideways 29 of the bracket; ll, the door being also shifted inwardly re ire to the axis of the shaft. Rotary movement of the shaft A will be limited when the door has been fully closed by the flat side faces of the lugs-27 coming into abutment with the respective shoulders 36, thus positively holding the door closed. The handle C is then locked by the device 36 and sealed in the usual manner.

To open the door 11, the handle C is swung outwardly and to the right as seen in Figure 1, thereby rotating the shaft A in the reverse direction to that just described, the crankportions of the shaft A forcing the door outwardly, while theshaft shifts'inwardly relatively to the door. Rotation of theshaft A is continued until the lugs 27 again assume the position shown in Figure 6 whereupon the door ll may be swung fully open, the lugs 27 passing out of the sockets 33 through the openings I have herein shown and. described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention but the same is merely illustrative and Icontemplate all changes and mod iiications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

i claim:

1. in a door operating mechanism, the combinat-ioi'l with a member having a door opening and a pivoted door; of a rotary operating shaft mounted on said door for relative bodily shifti ig movement toward and from the same in a plane at right angles thereto a bearing element fixed to said member and with which the shaft is engageable to limit the shaft to rotation about a relatively fixed axis; and coacting operating means on said shalt and door. I

2. In a door operating mechanism, the combination witha member having a door opening and a pivoted door; of a rotary operating sea supported on said door, said shaft and door being relatively movable toward and from each other; means fixed on said mem- Lil ber engageable by said shaft for preventing shifting of the axis thereof relatively to said means; and eccentric means on said shaft effective on rotation thereof for operating the door in opening and closing directions.

3. In a refrigerator car, having a pivoted side door, the combination with an operating shaft rotatably mounted on said door, said shaft being shiftable relatively to the door and provided with a crank portion; a guide on said door for limiting the movement of said crank in a plane parallel to the door; a second guide on the door for limiting the shifting movement of said shaft in a plane at an angle to the movement of the crank; and a keeper fixed to the car, said keeper being engagcable with said shaft to maintain the axis the cot in relatively fixed position.

4:. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a pivoted side door; of a shaft rotatably mounted on said door and shiftable relatively thereto in a plane at an angle to the door, said shaft having a crank portion coacting with the door; a lug on said shaft; and a keeper fixed to the car, said keeper having a socket adapted to rotatably receive said lug.

5. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a pivoted side door; of a shaft rotatably mounted on said door and shiftable relatively thereto, said shaft having crank portions coacting with the door; axially disposed lugs on the opposite ends of said shaft; and keepers fixed to the car at the upper and lower ends of the door opening, said keepers being adapted to rotatably receive said lugs.

6. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a pivoted side door; of a shaft rotatably mounted on said door and shiftable relatively toward and from the door, said shaft having a crank portion coacting with the door; an axially disposed lug on said shaft; and a keeper fixed to the car, said keeper being provided with a socket having an opening in the sidewall thereof to permit entrance of said lug.

7. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a pivoted side door; of a shaft rotatably mounted on said door and shiftable relatively thereto in a plane at right angles to the door, said shaft having a crank portion co acting with the door; an axially disposed lug on said shaft; and a keeper fixed to the car,

said keeper having a socket adapted to retatably receive said lug, said socket being provided with a limiting shoulder adapted to engage the lug.

8. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a member having a door opening and provided with a pivoted door; an operating element carried by the door and having an actuating portion projecting beyond an edge thereof; means for effecting rotation and movement of said actuating portion in a direction toward and away from said door in astraight line path substantially at right angles to the plane defined by the face of said door; and keeper means mounted on said member and co-acting with said actuat ing portion to effect movement of said door when said actuating portion is operated.

9. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with means providing a door opening and having a pivoted door for closing said opening; an operating shaft carried by the door and having an actuating portion; means eo-acting with said shaft for effecting combined rotation of said actuating portion and movement of the latter in a straight line path substantially at right angles to the plane defined by the face of the door, when said shaft is rotated; and a keeper mounted on said means and co-acting with said actuating portion to effect movement of said door when said actuating portion is operated.

10. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a member having a door opening and a pivoted door; an operating shaft mounted on said door and provided with an actuating portion; means for rotating said shaft; eccentric means on said shaft; guide means co-operating with said eccentric means for guiding the actuating portion in a straight line path substantially at right angles to the plane of the face of the door while being rotated; and means mounted on said member and co-operating with said actuating portion of said shaft to effect movement of said door when said actuating portion is operated.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 20th day of December 1923.

SVEN J. STRID.

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