US1720143A - Refrigerator-car-door operating and locking means - Google Patents

Description

y 1929- J. F. OCONNOR REFRIGERATOR GAR DOOR OPERATING AND LOCKING IEANS Filed April 2'7. 1928 Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN F. OCONNOR, OI" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. H. MINER, INC., 01

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

REFRIGERATOR-CAR-DOOR- OPERATING AND LOCKING MEANS.

Application filed April 27,

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerator car door operating and locking 11 cans.

Certain types of refrigerator cars, especially milk cars, are usually equipped with single doors made up of two hinged doors each, which when forced closed have a tog gle action and are jammed tightly within the frame of the door opening. It will be appreciated that considerable force is required to close this type of door and also to break the toggle joint in opening the same.

The main object of my invention is to provide simple and etlicient operating means for doors of the type referred to, by which a powerful leverage may be exerted to force the same closed and also to break the togglc joint in opening the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide an operating mechanism for refrigerator car doors composed of hinged sections, including rotary operating means co-op'erating with the door sections, either to break the sections at their hinged connectlon to force the door open or to straighten out said hinged connection to force the door tightly closed and jam it into the opening of the door frame.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide operating means for a refrigerator car door hinged at one side on the'door frame and composed of two sections which are hinged together, which when straightened out snugly fit the door opening, where in the operating means comprises a swinging lever actuated mechanism, including rotary trunnion-like cam acting elements which are disposed angularly with respect to each other and turn in bearing members mounted on the door Sections at opposite sides of the hinged connection between said sections.

Other and further objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the de scription and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming apart of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a wall of a refrigerator car, showing the door and illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a horizontal, sectional i" av, corres'jonding sat w iiitially to tl" are 2=-=2 ofv .ifiigure 1, this figure also the door ingbracket member 1928. Serial No. 273,199.

sections in dotted lines in partly open position. Figure 3 is a vertical, sectional view of the central portion of one of the door sections, showing the operating means in connection therewith corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 1. And Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 44 of Figure 1.

In said drawings, indicates the side wall of a refrigerator car provided with a. door opening 11 to which the door member proper is hinged. The door proper is com posed of sections 12 and 13, which are hinged together adjacent their inner edges by hinge members 1et1 l. Four hinge members 14 are shown in the present disclosure. The door proper comprising the hinged sections 12 and 13 is swingingly mounted on the door frame, being supported by hinge means 15. The hinge means 15 comprises two heavy sections extending for the height of the door and provided with a plurality of co-operating hinge ear members 16-16 which receive the usual hinge pin or bar.

The hinge member 15 is disposed on the inner side of the car wall, so that the entire door comprising the sections 12 and 13 will be swung inwardly of the car when opened, and folded against the inner side of the wall. The hinge members 14, as shown, are disposed on the outer side of the door sections 12 and 13, thus hinging these sections together to swing in a direction reverse to the swinging movement of the door.

In carrying out my invention, I provide the improved operating mechanism comprising, broadly, an operating lever member A having two trunnion members BB and two bearing members CC co-operating with the t-runnions and mounted on the respective door sections 12 and 13.

The bearing members CC are of the same design and each comprises a support- 17 fixed to the corresponding door section adjacent the hinge connection thereof with the other door section. The supporting bracket is in the form of a U- shaped strap provided with top and bottom flange sections which are secured to the outer side of the door section by an suitable means, such as bolts 18-1S. Tie central base: plate 19 of disc-like form operates "with t Unitad bracket tee-paw 7 usual seal, receiving opening 29,

front wall is curved as shown present curved bearing surfaces as shown in Figures 1 and 1, and the connecting members also cut away interiorly at opposite sides above and below the center to providei or the swiveling movement of the bearing member proper. The bearing member proper, which is indicated by 21, is in the form of ablock having trunnion members 2222 at the frontand rear sides thereof, which are swiveled in the openings 20. The rear wall of the bearingbloclc 21 is flat and bears on the plate 19. The top and bottom wall sections of said bearing are substantially straight, as indicated in Figural, and the l in Figures 3 and 1. As will be evident, the bearing 21 is thus mounted for vertical swinging movement to a limited extent in the bracket 17. Each bearing member 21. is provided with a cylindrical bearing opening 23 which is disposed at. an inclination to the correspmiding door section, in the normal position of the parts, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

The operating lever A is in the forin o'l an elongated bar having an operating handle grip 2-l at the outer end thereof. opposite end, the lever member A is provided witht-ruimions l3-B. As shown, the trunnion members 13 are so arranged that they project on opposite sides of the leverand engage with the corresponding bearing members (1. .lnorder to provide for movement of the door sections 12 and 1.3, with respect to each other when the operating lever is moved, the trunnion members B are arranged angularly with respect to each other, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

Adjacent the handle end, the operating lever A is enlarged, as indicated at- 25, the enlarged section being provided with an opening 26. \Vhen the door is closed, the

handle portion of the operating lever A may be sealed in the usual manner, a bracket 27 having'an upstanding portion 28 which extends through the opening 26 of the lever A being employed for this purpose. The upstanding portion 28 is provided with the 7 shown in Figure 3, disposed outwardly of the lever A when in its vertical position, adapted to receive the car seal proper.

As shown, the door section 12 is provided with the usual packing means at the free edge "thereof, the edge of the door being rounded and co-operating with a rounded vertical pocketBO on the corresponding door frame member.

The doorseetion 12 is also pr 'ided with a grab handle 31, whereby the same may be At the operator in manipulating the lever positioned while the lever A is manipulated. The operation of my improved door operating and locking means as follows:

Assuming that the door is in the closed position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and the door is opened by breaking the hinged connection between the two sections 12 and 13. In this connection, it is pointed out that the arrangement of the hinged connection produces a toggle ell'ect in the closing of the door, thereby jamming the door sections tightly into the door opening. In opening the door, the enormous force exerted by this toggle arrangement must be overcome. The operating lever A is swung upwardly from the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, thereby turning the trunnions B in the hearing members C. Due to the angular arrangement of thetrunnions, the door sections 12 and 13 will be forced to swing relatively to each other during the swinging movement oi the lever A, referred to. As will be evident during the first portion of the operation described, the lever A is pulled outwardly away from the door until it reaches a substantially horizontal position, and is then swung toward the door until it assumes a substantially vertical position. As will be evident, the last-portion of the swinging movementof the lever being toward the door, the force exerted by the also aids in the swinging movement of the door proper on the hingod'sections 15.' When the operating lever A assumes the vertical position referred to, the door sections 12 and 13 will be inthe dotted line position shown in Figure 2 and are, as shown, drawn entirely clear of the pocket 30 or the door frame member. lVhen the parts have assumed the dotted line position shown in Fig- :ure 2, the lever A as swung in a reverse direction away "from the door and downwardly toward the door, while the door section '12 is held by the operator by grippii'ig the hand hold 31,'thereby rotating the trannion members 13 to the original position with respect to the door sections 12 and 13, bringing the latter into alignment. The door comprising the sections 12 and 13 is then swung inwardly against the inner side or the wall of the car.

hen it is desireu to close the door, the same is swung from its position on the inner side of the wall to partly closed position. The operating lever is then swung outwardly and upwardly and toward the door to swing the two sections 12and 125, with respect to each other, while the door section 1.2 is held by the operator, until they assume the angular position indicatedby dotted lines in Figure 2; The door is then adjusted on the hinge 15 so as to assume approximately the dotted line position shown in Figure 2. "he

operating lever is then mani iulated to lot) straighten out the sections 12 and 15 and bring the same in alignment by swinging the lever downwardly away from the door and then inwardly toward the door, while at the same time guiding the door section 12 by the haml hold 31. This movement of the lever will effect rotation of the trunnions B-B in such a manner as to bring the sections 12 and 13 of the door into alignn'lent and force the door tightly into the door opening, seating the edge of the section 12 in the pocket of the frame member of the door opening. In forcing the door closed during the last part of the swinging movement of the lever A, that is, when it is being forced toward the door, the edge of the door 12 will have entered the pocket 30 of the frame member and the door will thus be held against inward movement.

Inasmuch as tl e door section 13 is hinged at one edge and the remote portion of the door section 12 is in engagement with the pocket 30 of the door frame member, the door sections in the final closing movement thereof will have a toggle action which tightly jams the door into the door opening,

'thus compressing the sealing material at the door edge.

\Vhile I have herein shown and described what I consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invent-ion, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications which come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In an operating mechanism for a refrigerator car door hinged at one edge to a door frame and COIIIPOSQtl of two hinged sections, the cmnbination with an operating lever swingingly supported on said hinged sections and having means thereon for moving said sections relatively to each other, to align said sections when the lever is swung in one direction to force the door tightly closed, and to swing said sections out of alignment to force the door open.

2. In a refrigerator car construction, the combination with a door frame member having a door opening; of a door hinged to said frame for closing said opening, said door comprising two hinged sections; means for moving said door sections with respect to each other, said means including an operating member having connection with both door sections, said operating member, when actuated in one direction, bringing said door sections in alignment when the door is partly closed, to am said door into said door opening, and, when operated in the reverse direction, swinging said door sections out of alignment to break the hinge joint and force the door partly open.

3. In an operating mechanism for a refrigerator car door hinged at one edge to a door frameto swing in one direction to tions, the combination with opened position, said door comprising two sections hinged to be swung in a reverse direction to said swinging movement of the door, to move said sections out of alignment, the combination with an operating lever provided with actuating means at opposite sides thereof, anchored to the respective door s ctions to effect relative swinging movement of the door sections to bring said sections in alignment when the lever is swung in one direction to force the door closed and to swing said sections out of alignment with each other to force said door partly open.

-,t.' In an operating mechanism for a refrigerator car door hinged at one edge to the door frame and composed of two hinged seean operating lever provided with angularly disposed actuating portions, separate bearing members on said door sections in which the said actuating portions engage, to swingingly support said lever, where-by when said lever is swung in one direction the sections of the door are brought into alignment to force the door closed and when said lever is swung in the reverse direction the door sections are swung angularly to each other to force the door open.

In a refrigerator car I)IO"ltl8(l with a door opening in the wall thereof and a door member for closing said opening, the door member being hinged at one edge and composed of two hinged sections, the combination with a swinging operating lever movable away from and toward said door, said operating lever having door actuating portions anchored to the respective door sectiops, said actuating portions swingingly supporting the lever on the door, said actuating portions swinging the door sections out of alignment to force the door open when the operating lever is swung in one direction away from and then toward the door, and said actuating portions swinging the door sections into aligned relation to force the door closed when the operating lever is swung in a reverse direction away from and then toward the door.

6. In a refrigerator car provided with a door opening in the wall thereof and a door member hinged at one edge for closing said door, the door being composed of two hinged sections, the combination with an operating lever having oppositely projecting trunnions at one end thereof; of a bearing support on each door section, each co-operating with one of said trunnions, whereby when said lever is swung in one direction the door sections are brought into aligned relation to force the door closed, and when the lever is swung in the reverse direction the door sections are swung out of alignment to force the door open.

7. In a refrigerator car provided with a. door opening in the wall thereof andv a door member hinged at one edge for closing said opening, the door being composed of two hinged sections, the combination with an operating lever having oppositely projecting trunnions at one end thereof, said trunnions being angularly disposed with respect to each other; of a bearing support on each door section, provided with a swiveled bearin g member, each bearing member co-operating with one of said trunnions, whereby when said lever is swung in one direction the door sections are brought into aligned relation to force the door closed and when swung in the reverse direction the door sectionsare swung out of alignment to force the door open.

8. In a refrigerator car provided with a door opening in the wall thereof, and a door member hinged at one edge for closing said opening, the door being composed of two hinged sections, the combination with an op erating lever having projections at one end thereof, angularly disposed with reference to each other; of separate anchoring means on each door sect-ion, disposed on opposite sides of the hinged connection of said sections for swingingly supporting said operating lever by said projections, said projections operating upon swinging movement of the lever in one direction to swing the door sections angularly to each other to force the door open, and upon swinging movement of the operating lever in the reverse direction to swing the door sections into aligned relation to force the door closed.

9. In an operatingmechanism for a door composed of two hinged sections, the combination with. a bearing member swiveled to each door section; of an operating lever provided with oppositely projecting trunnions at one end thereof, said trunnions being angularly disposed with reference to each other and journaled in said bearing members respectively.

10. In an operating mechanism for a door composed of two sections hinged together at their adjacent edges, the combination with a bearing member swiveled to each section, said bearing members being disposed on opposite sides of the hinged connection between said dooropenings, each bearing member having a trunnion receiving portion disposed at an angle to the corresponding door .section; of an operating member swingingly supported on said door, the operating member being provided with trunnion members at one end on opposite sides thereof, angularly disposed with. respect to each other and journaled in said bearing members respectively.

In witness that I claim the foregoing'I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th day of April, 1928.

JOHN F. OCONNOR.

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