US1798578A

US1798578A - Locking device

Info

Publication number: US1798578A
Application number: US376748A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry T Anderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1929-07-08
Filing date: 1929-07-08
Publication date: 1931-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 1948-03-31

Description

March 31, 1931. H, T, ANDERSQN 1,798,578

LOCKING DEVICE Filed July 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -H T. ANDERSON.

LOCKING DEVICE Filed July 8. 1929 March 31, 1931.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 31, 1931 .UNITED STATES HARRY T. ANDERSON, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA LOCKING DEVICE Application filed July 8, 1929. Serial No. 376,748.

This invention relates to hopper doors and particularly to locking devices therefor.

An object of this invention is to provide for the locking of hopper doors in response I? to the movement of the doors to their closed position. I

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a door locking device thatshall maintain the doors closed until some positive act has been performed on the locking device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a locking device for hopper doors which may be unlocked by striking a blow on a latch.

Other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the following disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a partial viewin perspective of a railway car having a hopper and door provided with ly'in section, illustrating a modified form ofthe locking device.

In the drawings, hoppers 1 and 2 are shown. These hoppers are mounted or secured to the bottom cord member 3 of the sides of a freight car. The hoppers slope downwardly from the sides of the car in accordance with the usual practice, whereby materials may be dumped upon a railway trestle or in any other suitable place, as the case may be. In order that the hopper may be closed whenmaterial is to be conveyed by the cars, doors i and are provided for closing the discharge openings of the hoppers (see Fig. 2).

The doors 4 and 5 maybe provided with hinges 6 and 7 by which they are pivotally or swingably suspended from brackets 8 and 9; The brackets 8 and 9 are securedto an angle member 11 which in turn may be secured to a cross ridge 12. The doors 4 and 5 may be secured together in fixed relation by means of a spreader 13.

In order that the doors 4 and 5 may be locked in position in response to the movement of the doors to a position in which the opening of the hoppers 1 and 2 will be closed, door locking devices 14 and 15 are provided. Since the door locking devices 14: and 15 are substantially similar in construction and operation, the door locking device 14 only will be described.

The door locking device 14- comprises a latch keeper 16, alatch 17, a latch housing 18, a link 19 and a locking cam 20 pivotally or rotatably supported by a pin 21 on the latch housing.

The latch keeper 16 maybe secured to the hopper 1 adjacent to theopening in the hopper. As shown, the latch keeper is provided with an aperture or slot 22 into which the latch 17 may fall or register when the door is swung into its closed position (see Fig. 2).

The latch 17 is disposed for vertical movement with respect to the door spreader 13 in a guiding sleeve 23. The end of the latch 17 that registers with the slot 22 is provided with a relatively long sloping edge or face 24 that is inclined at substantially the same angle as a flange portion 25 of the latchkeeper 16. The flange 25, as shown, leads towards the slot 22, thereby functioning as a guide. l/Vhen the door is swung into position to close the opening in the hopper, the inclined face or edge 24: ofthe latch will slide easily upon the flange'25 of'the latch keeper 16. As the door approaches its closed position, the latch 17 will be moved upwardly or vertically with respect'to the latch keeper 16, and when the door is in its closed position, the latch will register with the slot 22, thereby holding the door in its closed position.

The. latch 17 is provided with a beveled or inclined face 26 that extends at substantially right angles to the inclined face 23 to facilitate entering of the latch into the slot 22 with ease. I

In order that the latch 17 may be removed from the slot 22 so that the door may be opened, the latch is provided with a flange or iii arm 27 that extends outwardly from the car. The latch may be removed from the slot 22 by striking an upwardly directed blow to the flange or arm 27; or it may be removed by prying. A hammer, bar, or other suitable implement may be employed for this purpose.

As shown, the latch 17 is pivotally connected at one end to a U-shaped portion of the link 19 by means of a bolt or pin 28 extending through openings 29 in the arms of the U-shaped portion of the link (see Figs. 3 and 4). The other end of the link is pivotally mounted on a pin or bolt between brackets 31 and 32 of the latch housing. In order to provide for radial movement of the link 19, as it turns on the pin or bolt 30, so that the latch 17 may be permitted to move freely in a vertical direction within the sleeve 23, the opening 33 in the link, through which the pin or bolt 30 passes, is made'oval in shape. The major axis of the oval-shaped opening 33 is so disposed as to permit radial movement of the link.

The operation of the door locking device may best be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the doors 4 and 5 are illustrated in their open position. Assuming that it is desired to close the doors, the doors are swung on their hinges 6 and 7 towards the closed position as shown in Fig. 2. As the doors approach their closed position, the inclined or beveled face 24 on the latch 17 will come into contact with thefiange 25 on the latch keeper 16. The latch 17 will therefore move vertically in the sleeve 23 untilthe door is in the position shown in Fig. 2. \Vhen in this position, the latch 17 will engage with or fall into the slot 22 in the latch keeper. \Vhen the latch has registered with the slot 22, the locking cam 20 may be turned in a clockwise direction as viewed from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, to the position shown in Fig. 2. IVhen in this position, the cam engages the top edge of the link 19 in such a manner that the link cannotbeturned about the pin 30. The latch 17 is, therefore, locked in position andcannot be removed from the slot 22 in the latch keeper until the cam 20 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Nhen it is desired to open the doors l and 5, the came 20 are turned in a counter-clockavise direction to the position shown in Fig. '1

of the drawings. Then in this position the flanges or arms 27 of the'latches 17 may be struck by a hammer or pried in such a manner as to move them out of the slots 22 in the latch keepers 16. The doors will then fall open by the action of gravity to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, a modification of the lockingdevice shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, is shown. In this modification, the

link 19 and the latch housing 18 are not employed. The cam 20 may be mounted on a support 34 of substantially L shape, the support being secured to the spreader 13. The latch 35 differs slightly from the latch 17 shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, in that the latch 35 is provided with a cam seat 36 for receiving the )eriphery of the cam 20 when in its latch locing position (see Fig. 6).

\Vhile two forms of the invention have been shown, it is to be understood that Various modifications of the door locking devices may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. It is desired, therefore, that only spch limitations be placed on the invention as are imposed by the prior art and' the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a hopper door locking device, in combination, a hopper, a door for closing said hopper, said door being biased towards an open position, and means for locking said door in its closed position comprising a latch keeper mounted on the hopper, said latch keeper being provided with a slot having an inclined flange leading to said slot, a latch mounted on said door, a link pivotally connected to said latch and door, and a cam rotatably supported by said door for engaging said link and disposed to lock said latch in the slot of the keeper when the door is in its closed position.

2. In a locking device for a door swingably mounted and disposed to close the discharge opening of a hopper, in combination, a latch keeper mounted on the hopper, a support on said door, a latch carriedby said door and disposed to engage said latch keeper when the door is closed for holding said door in its closed position, a link pivotally connected to said latch and said support, and a cam rotatably mounted on said support arranged to engage said link for locking said latch in place when the door is closed.

3. A locking device for a hopper door com- A prising a latch keeper, a latch for engaging said keeper when the door is actuated to its closed position, a link connected to said door and latch, and a cam for engaging said link and disposed to lock said latch in door looking position in the latch keeper when the door is closed. I 4. A locking device for a hopper door comprising a latch keeper, a latch for engaging said keeper when the door is actuated to its closed position, a link adapted for pivotal connection to said door and latch, and a cam rotatably mounted on said door for engaging said link and disposed to locksaid latch in door locking position in the latch keeper when the door is'clos'ed. I

5. In a door locking device for hopper doors, in'combination, a hopper having an opening through which materials may be discharged, a door swingably mounted and disposed to close said opening, a latch keeper mounted on said hopper, a latch pivotally mounted on said door and arranged to engage said keeper when the door is closed, a link connecting said latch and door, and a cam rotatably mounted on said door and disposed to engage said link When actuated to one position for locking said latch in engagement with said latch keeper and for permitting the disengagement of said latch and keeper when actuated to another position.

6. A locking device for a hopper door comprising a latch keeper, a latch for engaging said keeper When the door is in its closed position, and means including a link pivotally connecting the door and latch and a cam operable upon said link to lock said latch in its door locking position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of July, 1929.

HARRY T. ANDERSON.