US1869421A

US1869421A - Overhead conveyer system

Info

Publication number: US1869421A
Application number: US271753A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank C Harris
Original assignee: American Monorail Co
Current assignee: American Monorail Co
Priority date: 1928-04-21
Filing date: 1928-04-21
Publication date: 1932-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 1949-08-02

Description

Aug. 2; 1932. F. C, HARRls 1,869,421

OVERHEAD CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed April 2l, 1928 2 Sheets-i-Sheeb l ATTORNEY Aug. 2, 1932. F, C', HARRIS 1,869,421

OVERHEAD CONVEYER SYSTEM Fned Apr11 21, 1928 sheets-sheet 2 77 ZJ l INVENToR 30 BB3/VL?, M

AT ORNEY Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNETl y srrss Par-Nr tra@ FRANK C. HARRIS, OF CLEVELAND, OIIIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MONORAIL y COMPANY, A vCO1'1LIPOBMA1ION OF OHIO OVERHEAD CONVEYER SYSllIEllll'.V

Application filed April 21,

This invention relates to an improvement y in overhead conveyer systems.V More particularly it relates to a quickly detachable conveyer system. Y i

It has been customary to load and unload railway box cars and the like manually with the aid of hand trucks or similar devices which are ineilicient, time consuming, require much human labor, and whereby the l0 articles are handled roughly.

It is an object of this invention to providea conveyer system for box cars and the like which system can be rapidly assembled and disassembled within the car.

It is a further object to provide a conveyer system which can be used in cars of different widths and lengths and in cars which vary in width throughout their length.

It is anothery object to provide an over- 29 head conveyer system for box cars having a transfer track adapted to register with the track of a conveyer system'disposed outside of the car.

c till another object is to provide an improved collapsible crane.

Other objects will be apparent from the specilication and from the accompanying drawings in which latter- Y Fig. l is a fragmentary vertical elevation showing the track conveyer system assembled in position within a` box car;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View ot a track conveyer system; Y y

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a crane runway showing a joint therein;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a crane runway showing a modifiedk i'orm of supporting means therefor;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the `supporting means showing the end of a crane with 'the safety stops in operativel position;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of Vthe safety stops carried by the end of the crane bridge;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the crane bridge showing the safety stops in inoperative position;

Fig. 8 is a section upon the line 8 8 of Fig. l;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail side elevation `is carried bythe bridge of the crane7 and the 192s.v serial No. 271,753. i

the outside conveyer system to the crane runway; and Y Fig. 14 is -a side elevation of the bracket showing its connection to the crane runway and to the stationary track. Y

In its general aspects the device comprises sectional crane runways detachably afhxed directly tothe walls of a box car or the like. y A crane is mounted for travel upon the crane runways, the crane comprising trucks7 the wheels otwhich ride upon the crane runways; and a bridge which is detachably connected to the trucks. A track for a trolley track of an outside conveyerA system is suitably supported to register with the track on they crane bridge.

Referring particularly to the drawings the device is shown as applied to a box car l. The opposing inner side walls of the box car carry crane runways rigidly secured directly thereto. Each crane runway comprises Y a plurality of angle bars disposed in end to end relation. The iiange 2.0i each angle bar is provided with a plurality of T-shaped slots 3 through which nails or other suitable fastening means areadapted to be passed to vsecure the crane runway to the sides of the box car. The iiange4 of each angle bar carries rigidly, in spaced relation to the flange 2, the guide bar 5 which cooperates withthe flange 4 to form a guide for the crane wheels 11. The guide bar can be narrowed in width as shown in Fig. 2 to compensate for variations in the width of the box car so as to prevent the wheels 11 from slipping ofi the crane runways. The guide 5 can be formed integral with the-flange 4 it desired. The angle bars which cooperate to li'orm the track on 100 one side of the box car are positioned in end to end relation and the guide bars 5 carried thereby abut in offset position with respect to the abutting ends of the angle bars. A reinforcing plate 6 extends rigidly across the abutting ends of the angle bars. Additional means for supporting the craneways are shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and comprise posts 7 having an enlarged foot adapted to rest against the floor of the box car and carrying a bracket S which supports the craneway. The post 7 may be removably secured to the walls of the box car by means of nails or the like passed through the T-sliaped slots of the post into the box car.

The crane comprises two trucks, each adapted to run upon one of the crane runways and carrying a bridge 9. Each truck comprises a frame 10 which supports rotatably the flanged wheels 11. The frame 10 has depending flanges 13 forming a slot adapted to engage the T-shaped head of the bridge 9 for longitudinal adjustment thereon. The frame 10 carries a housing having a cam surface 15 and a cam lever-16 is disposed within the housing, one surface thereof bearing against the cam surface. 15 and the opposite side thereof extending through the housing and bearing against the bridge 9. Rotation of the cam levers 16 is adapted to effect a locking or unlocking of the bridge with respect to the frames 10. The cam lever is locked in adjusted position by means of a spring-pressed detent which is adapted to engage with recesses 2O positioned in the frame The crane can be assembled or disassembled within the box car or the like, by positioning the trucks upon the opposite crane runways and then inserting the ends of the bridge in the slots of the trucks formed by flanges 13. It is desirable that means be provided for securing one or both of the trucks upon the craneway while assembling the bridge in position. A latch pin 21 is slidably mounted in openings in

flanges

22 and 23 of the frame 10. The latch pin is adapted to be pressed by means of a spring 24 into engagement with the holes 25 positioned at spaced intervals in the crane runway. The latch pin prevents the truck from tipping out of its position upon the crane runway. The latch pin is provided with a laterally extending arm which is adapted to be engaged behind a shoulder 28 carried by the frame 10, and when so engaged functions to maintain the latch pin in withdrawn position. rlhe pridge is provided with a track 29 for a trol- A connecting track section, which may be associated with an overhead monorail system disposed outside of the box car, is suitably positioned to cooperate with the crane. The connecting track section 30 enters the door of the box car and is secured to the crane runway by means of a bracket 31. The connecting track section is provided with a flanged head identical with the head of the bridge 9 and is connected to the bracket 31 by an arrangement of parts identical in all respects with the connecting means of the u frame 10 previously described. The bracket 31 is connected to the crane runway by means of a plurality of hook-shaped projections 32 which are adaptedto pass through and engage holes 83 in the flange 2 of the craneway. The connecting track section is so adjusted with respect to the bracket 31 that it permits movement of the crane past the same yet forms a continuous track surface when the crane track and connecting track section are in alignment. riChe latch pin 21 also fitting into holes 25 in the crane runway holds the crane in the proper position to bring track 29 into alignment with connecting rail 30 so that trolleys will pass from crane to connecting rail.

Safety stops are provided both lat the ends of the track on the crane and at the end of the connecting track section to function when these ends are open. The safety stops are comprised of the dogs which are mounted for pivotal movement as a unit upon opposite sides of the head of the bridge and connecting track sections. The dogs are each provided with a weighted end which is normally adapted to projct downwardly into the path of a trolley. t ngagement of a trolley with the end causes the latter to abut against the track and prevents further progress of the trolley. As the crane track moves into alignment with the connecting track section it is desirable that the safety stops be withdrawn. The heads of the dogs 35 are cam shaped and as the opposed dogs are brought into mutual engagement pivotal movement of these dogs is effected thereby withdrawing the dogs out of the path of the trolley.

lVhile a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that modifications can be made therein within the spirit and scope of the invention and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims:

What I claim is- 1. An overhead conveyer system for box cars or the like, comprising crane runways, means for securing the runways to the box car, a collapsible crane including trucks having wheels adapted to engage the runways, and means for securing the trucks to a runway when the crane is collapsed.

2. An overhead conveyer system for box cars or the like comprising crane runways, means for securing the runways rigidly to the box car, a crane having wheels adapted to run on the runways and including a track for a trolley, a connecting track section disposed at an angle to the runways and includlli inga track for a trolley, means for locking the track section to a runway with its track in position to receive a trolley from the track of the crane, and safety stops associated with the crane and track section which cooperate to nnblock the crane track, and track section when the latter are in alignment.

3. An overhead conveyer system for box cars or the like, comprising craneways, means for securing the craneways to the box cars, a crane including trucks having wheels adapted to run on the craneways and a track for a trolley, means for independently maintaining each of said trucks on said craneways, a track section, means for supporting the same in position to co-operate with the track on the crane fo-r passage of a trolley, stop means adapted to engage the trolley at the ends of the track on the crane and on the track section when the latter are not in cooperative position, said stop means being adapted to be Withdrawn from the path of the trolley when the said tracks are in cooperative position.

l. The combination with a railway car having side openings to receive and discharge freight, removable tracks mountedl on the inner side walls of the car, trucks adapted to move on said tracks, means for independently maintaining each of said trucks on'said tracks, a crane extending transversely of said car, and means on said trucks for slidably and adjustably receiving said crane.

5. The combination with a railway car having side openings to receivek and discharge freight, removable tracks mounted on the inner side walls of the car, guide members disposed on said tracks, trucks adapted to move on said tracks, means for securing said trucks in position on said tracks, a crane extending transversely of said car, hoist means adapted to move on said crane, and means on said trucks for slidably and adjustably receiving said crane.

6'. In combination with a railway car havingy side openings to receive and discharge freight, an exterior runway, removable tracks mounted on the inner side walls of said car, guide members on said tracks, trucks adapted to engage said guide members, means for securing said trucks to said tracks, a crane extending transversely of said car, and means for securing said runway in aligned position with said crane.

7 The combination with a box car or the like of a pair of relatively removable crane carrying rails disposed along the inner walls of said car, an exterior runway, and means y for securing said runway to said crane carrying rails.

8. The combination with a railway car having side openings to receive and discharge freight, tracksmounted on the inner sideV walls of the car, trucks adapted to move on said tracks, means forv independently maintaining each of said trucks on said tracks, a crane,.means on said trucks for slidably and adjustably receiving said crane, and means for securingv said crane in position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature this 17th day of April, 1928.

' FRANK C. HARRIS.