US1886117A - Combined car dumping and coal lowering apparatus - Google Patents

Description

NGV. 1, p1 A E JR COMBINED CAR DUMPING AND COAL LOWERING APPARATUS Filed April 30, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR FEH/VKPQ/EDEE \Zq ATTORNEY NOV. 1, 1932. F, PARDEE, JR 1,886,117

COMBINED CAR DUMPING AND COAL LOWERING APPARATUS Filed April 30, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fie A/v/r AEDEELk.

BY' 7MP ATTORNEY NOV. 1 1932. PARDEE, JR 1,886,117

COMBINED CAR DUMPING AND COAL LOWERING APPARATUS Filed April 50, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1/4556 2 {BY ULQI,

ATTORN EYS F. PARDEE. JR

Nov. 1, 1932.

COMBINED CAR DUMPING AND COAL LOWERING APPARATUS Filed April 50, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNVENTOR ATTORNEY-5 NQV. 1, 1932. PARDEE, JR 1,886,117

COMBINED CAR DUMPING AND COAL LOWERING APPARATUS Filed April 30, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I INVENTOR Efi/V/(EQEDEEa/l 75 Mi t ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 1, 1932 I T 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK PARDEE, 33., or HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA COMBINED GAR, DUMIEING AND GOAL LOWERING APPARATUS Application filed April 30, 1931. Serial N0. 533,966.

This invention relates to improvements in also made in triangular form so as to better apparatus for handling coal or similar ma accommodate the mass flowing from a hopterial with a minimum breakage of the lumps. per-bottom car. A hopper of such triangular In the handling of coal for commercial form provides greater holding capacity oppopurposes, it is highly desirable to provide apsite the deep part of the hopper-bottom car 55 paratus which permits transferring a given and this capacity tapers off so that there is load from one point to another without shock a smaller holding capacity for receiving the or sudden drop. In the case of handling coal, smaller incoming stream of coal from the when the same falls a great distance it gathshallow parts of the hopper-bottom car where ers such velocity that when it comes to rest the holding capacity is comparatively smaller 6 against other lumps there is a strong tendenthan in the center. In this way, a uniform cy to chip pieces off of the contacting lumps. gradual piling action is secured as the ma- This results in the undesirable production of terial is transferred from the coal car to the small particles known to the trade as fines. hopper.

These fines have little or no sale value. The These and other features of the invention smaller amount of fines in a given amount will be more fully apparent from the folof coal, the greater the sale value thereof. lowing specification when read in connec In discharging coal from railway coal cars, tion with the accompanying drawings, in it has sometimes been the practice to release which the coal from the bottom of hopper-bottom Fig. 1 is an elevation illustrating coal cars permitting it to fall directly between handling apparatus embodying the inventhe railway ties into a pin below. Besides tion; being a slow operation, this results in 0011- Fig. 2 is a view in elevation from the right siderable breakage and also requires that coal side of Fig. 1; r

25 which accumulates on top of the ties be Fig. 3 is a'horizontal section on line 33 shoveled off. of Fig. 2; A

My improved coal handling apparatus pro- Fig. 4 is a view in vertical section taken vides means whereby the contents'of a coal substantially on the line H of Fig. 3; car can be gently and quickly transferred to Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sectional elevations f ahopper with aminimum production of fines, illustrating successive positions assumed by and from this hopper the material can be a vertically movable retaining wall of the gently lowered for a considerable distance hopper and an associated car dtunping either to a storage bin, to a barge, steamship cradle;

H or the like. As will be more fully described, Fig. 8 is a. detail section of means for the apparatus includes improved means for clamping a car to a car-dumping cradle;

gradually tilting the'coal car so as to trans- A Fig. 9 is a detail view of an alternative fer the contents thereof into a hopper. This means for clamping the car to the dumping hopper is of novel form and is so arranged cradle;

n that at the start of the tilting operation, the Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail of the fleximaterial enters near the bottom and as the ble lowering chute shown in Fig. 1. tilting proceeds, the holding capacity of the Referring in detail to the drawings, the hopper is gradually increased to accommoapparatus consists briefly of a cradle A which date the incoming coal. Thus the load is prois adapted to have a coal car B clamped F gressively transferred from the coal car to thereto so as to hold it against shifting when F the hopper, the zone of entry of the incomthe cradle is tilted. The cradle is fulcrumed ing material progressively mounting higher or hingedly connected to a vertically movaand higher asa transfer from the car to the ble member C forming a retaining wall of a hopper is effected. In addition to having a hopper, indicated as a whole at D. In its movable wall for gradually increasing the starting position, the upper edge of the re- 56 holding capacity of the hopper, the latter is ta ning wall C is disposed in a plane'near the 109 ally elevated, thus the carrying capacity Or bottom part of the hopper and as the hopper is filled up due to the dumping of the car in the cradle, the retaining wall C is gradu;

the hopper increases as the tilting movement of the cradle progresses.

The hopper has pivotally secured thereto discharge chutes E and F, each of which is ada ted to be swung to different angular positions so as to distribute the material within the vessel or other vehicle into which the hoppers discharge. The discharge chutes E and F are of extensible telescopic form including extens ble sections 6 and f which telescopically engage part of the chute which is pivoted to the hopper. Flexible zig-zag chutes G and H are adj ustably mounted on the ends of telescopic extensions e and f of the discharge chutes. The zig-zag chutes G and H are each formed of a multiplicity of pivotally connected sections having oppositely inclined runway portions as will hereinafter more fully appear. The material discharged from the zig-zag sections is gently lowered, for example, into the holdof a barge or ship, such as indicated conventionally in the drawings at J.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the car dumping and coal handling apparatus is mounted on a. dock or wharf so that barges or similar craft can be readily loaded with coal coming in on coal cars.

The coal cars are run to discharging position over a trestle 10, between the ends 12 and 14 of which the cradle A is located so that the cars can be run from one part of the trestle onto the cradle and then after being dumped they can be run out on the other part of the trestle.

The car dumping cradle carries track rails 16 which are al gned with the rails on the trestle. When the car is run onto the tracks on the cradle it is adapted to be clamped so that when the cradle is tilted the car will not shift relatively to the cradle. Various locking means may be provided for this purpose. In Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive means for clamping the car on the cradle includes the hydraulic jack 18 which is adapted to elevate a platform 20 which carries the tics and the cradle rails 16. The cradle has secured thereto a pair of uprights 22 to which are secured transversely extending cross bars 2-1. As'thus arranged, when the car is run under the cross bars 24 and the platform 20 is elevated b the hydraulic jack, the car will be clampe to the cradle. The uprights 22 are secured to a bottom frame 26 of the cradle, and this bottom frame also supports the hydraulic jack 18.

The side of the cradle adjacent the hopper includes a plate 28 which is hinged or fulcrumed at 30 to the vertically movable retainin wall C of the hopper. This retaining we! ('5 is slidingly supported in guides 32 is a;

secured to spaced uprights 34, which serve as supports for the hopper D.

For lifting and tilting the cradle, I employ winch mechanism including two drums 36 carried on a shaft 37. Each drum 36 has one end of a cable 38 secured thereto. Each cable extends upwardly from the drum 36 thence over guidesheaves 40 and 4-2 secured to suitable fixed brackets supported from the uprights 34 and the tower-like frame members 44. Each cable 38 passes from the guide sheave 42 then downwardly around sheaves 46 and 48 carried by the cradle. From the sheave 48, the cable 38 extends upwardly and is secured to a fixed anchorage as at 50. With the described cable arrangement, it will be noted that the weight of the cradle and parts carried thereby are supported in the bight of the cable by the sheaves 46 and 48. As the winch mechanism is rotated to wind up the cable, the cradle will swing outwardly about its fulcrumpoint- 30, for example, from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 5.

Further pull on the cable is adapted to continue the swinging or tilting movement of the cradle and also to lift it bodily. This combined lifting and tilting movement is secured by transmitting a lifting action through a connection to now be described. Near each end of the cradle 28, a cable 52 is secured to an anchorage 54. From the anchorage on the cradle, the cable 54 eX- tends downwardly and around a sheave 56 which is mounted adjacent the lower edge of the vertically movable retaining wall C. From the sheave 56, the cable extends upwardly and over a sheave 58 mounted on a fixed support and to the free end of the cable is secured a counterweight 60. \Vhen the parts are in the position of 1 prior to lifting or prior to starting the tilting movement of the cradle, the counterweight 6O hangs down a considerable distance below the sheave 58. As the cradle is rocked or tilted about its fulcrum 30 from the position of Fig. 1 to the position of Fig. 5, the arcuate movement of the anchorage 54 takes up the slack in the cable 52 lifting the counter weight from the lower position of Fig. 1 to the higher position of Fig. 5, without exerting any lifting action on the vertically adjustable retaining wall C. But, after the slack in the cable is taken up the counterweight strikes a fixed stop whereupon turther pull on the cable 52 exerts an upwardly acting force on the movable retaining wall C. This is apparent by comparing the relative positions of the sheave 56 secured to the bottom of the wall member C in 5 and 6 it being clear that as the tilting morement of the cradle continues the retaining wall C will lift higher and higher. Fig. 6 illustrates the approximate relative position of the parts after the cradle has been swung from its normal car receiving position through an angle of approximately 90 degrees.

Con inued operation of the winch mechanism will continue to pull on the cables 38, thus continuing to reel: the cradle about its fulcrum 30 so as to practically invert the car carried by the cradle, thus moving the parts to the position shown in 7. It is noted in this figure that the retaining wall C has been lifed practically to the top of the hopper. The retaining wall C referred to, in reality forms one side of the hopper and the carrying capacity of the hopper is determined by the heig it of this movable retaining wall.

With such an arrangement, the hopper D is filled progressively from the bottom up. At the start of the car du." ping operation, the coal or other 111i terial flows slowly from the top of the coal car B at gentle angle into the bottom part of the hopper, as indicated graphically in 5. This gradually dumped material falls gently on plates 62 and the inclined hopper bottoms 6%. its these fill up, the material flows through the restricted outlets 66 into the telescopic discharge chutes E and F. As the tilting movement of the cradle continues, the car is lifted higher and higher, thus the coal or other material handled is gradually transferred from the car to the hopper, the wall C mean while being elevated so as to increase the carrying or holding capacity of the hopper 3 so as to accommodate the pile accumulating therein as it mounts higher and higher. In this way, the material in its transfer from the car into the hopper travels a very short distance the transfer is effected with an ergtremely gentle and smooth action, thus formity of the lump product.

After the cradle and car has been moved to the position of Fig. 7, the rotation of the winding drum will be reversed. lhis will permit the cradle to rock toward the position of Fig. 6. And as the slack cable is paid off the cradle will gradually swing to horizontal position. Continued paying 0% of the cable will permit the vertically movable wall C to gradually descend. It will be understood that as the cradle is rocking from the position of Fig. 7 toward the position of Fig. 6, that the coal will meanwhile be flowing out of the hopper through the discharge chutes. And by the time the parts have been restored to the starting position of Fig. 1, the hopper will have been emptied. Thus, as the cradle reaches this position, it is ready to receive another car of material to be dumped.

The material flowing from the restricted outlets of the hopper D passes through the adjustable telescopic chutes E and F. From the end of these chutes, the coal is gently lowered by means of flexible zig-zag chutes Gr which depend from the ends of the telescopic chutes. Each flexible zig-Zag chute G is of substantially the same construction and a description of one will sufiice for both. Each chute (Fig. 10) consists of a multiplicity of separate sections 68 which are pivotally connected with one another at 70. Each section includes the oppositely inclined runway portions ?2 and 74 over which the coal travels in its gradual descent to the barge or other vessel. The sections 68 carry rollers 7 6 which are adapted to slide on a guide track 78 secured at each slide to the lower section of the telescopic chute e'and f. For adjusting the effective length of the flexible zig-zag chute the winch 80 is provided and this is connected by means of a flexible cable 82 with the uppermost section of the flexible chute G. In this way, it will be understood that adjustment may be secured so as to compensate for filling barges at high and low tide or the adjustable chute may be taken up as the pile mounts higher in the barge. It will also be understood that by swinging the chutes E and F about their swivel mountings on the bottom of the hopper and also by telescoping the sections e and f that the ultimate discharge point of the material may be varied at will. For counter-balancing the telescopic chutes E and F and the parts carried thereby, 1 preferably provide cables 8d which pass over guide sheaves 86 and have counterweights 88 secured to their free ends.

The hopper D is preferably of substantially triangular form in plan, as indicated in Fig. 3, the diverging sides 90 and 92 thereof meeting at a point 96 which is approximately opposite the center of the vertically movable retaining wall G. This form of hopper is of peculiar advantage when used to receive material dumped from standard forms of coal cars such as so-called hopper bottom cars frequently used. Such cars are deeper in the central portion than at the ends. And by providing a substantially triangular-shaped bin an increased carrying capacity is secured in the central part of the hopper to accommodate the greater amount of material coming from the central partof the car. In other words, in dumping a car which is deeper in the center than at the ends, I secure a greater uniformity of piling action in the hopper by so shaping the latter that its capacity at the center is greater than that at its ends. Such a shaped hopper is of peculiar importance in combination with a car dumping cradle of the kind of bin above referred to and also in combination with such a cradle and a vertically removable retaining wall because during the transfer of coal or other material from the car to the hopper,

the mass is supported or confined jointly by the triangular hopper, the adjustable retaining wall and the tilted car carried by the cradle. By the joint action of all of these instrumentalities an extremely smooth and entle transfer of the mass from the car to the hopper is efiected. See Figs. to 7. Instead of clamping the car to the cradle by means of the vertically adjustable platcarried by the cradle.

form illustrated in Fig. 2, which forces the car against the upper cross bar 24:, I may em loy swingable hook-like members 98 Such means is illustrated in Fig. 9 wherein an upright member of the cradle indicated at 106 has an overhanging portion 108. In this form, the cradle carries a laterally adjustable member 110 which is adapted to be forced toward the member 106 by means of a suit able jack screw 112. The member 110 has an upward extension 113 and an overhanging portion 115 adapted to be engaged with the top of the car. The member 106 also carries jacks 114 by means of which the platform 116 can be elevated so as to clamp the car between the laterally adjustable member 110 and the overhanging members 108 and 115. In this arrangement, the upright member 106 will be located adjacent the vertically adjustable retaining wall C of the hopper.

The urpose of the lateral adjustment is to provide for a certain amount of leeway in the lateral spacing between the track rails and the face of the hopper. lVith such lateral adjustment, the rails need not be cated so close to the side of the adjustable member C as otherwise. In short, by providing for some lateral adjustment, the rails on the trestle can be located transversely a little further away from the vertical plane of the member C and the position. which the rails 16 on the cradle will occupy when the car is to be clamped thereon.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the typical cradle is shown as hingedly fulcrumed to the vertically adjustable wall member C. It is to be understood, however, that I am not limited to such construction,

nor am I limited to the particular means ;hown whereby the tilting movement of the cradle is synchronized with the vertical movement of the wall C. It is also contemplated that the device can be so made that the tilting movement of the cradle can bc effected by one mechanism and the vertical movement of the movable wall C can be effected by a separate operating mechanism, the two operating mechanisms, however, being synchronized so that as the tilting movement of the cradle progresses the vertical movement of the wall C will move in timed relation thereto. For accomplishing this, one motor driven mechanism may be utilized for tilting the cradle and other mechanism synchronized therewith will be provided for effecting the vertical movements of the member C. In such an arrangement, the cradle need not necessarily be hinged 0r fulcrumed to the member C, the important point being that as the cradle tilts to dump its load the member C moves up in timed relation therewith to increase the carrying capacity of the hopper.

While I have described quite specifically the structural arrangement and operating mechanism of a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto since various modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having a movable retaining wall, movable means for dumping material into the hopper and means for automatically moving said wall to progressively increase the holding capacity of the hopper as the dumping movement of said dumping means proceeds.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper, a movable car dumping cradle and retaining means operatively associated with the hopper responsive to movements of the cradle for increasing the holding capacity of the hopper.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper, tiltable means for dumping material into the hopper and means operatively associated with the hopper for automatically increasing the holding capacity of the hopper upon movement of said tiltable means.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having a movable rctaining wall, tiltable means for dumping material into the hopper and means for synchronizing the movements of said wall and said tiltable means.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having a vertically movable retaining wall, a tiltable car supporting cradle operatively associated therewith, and means for synchronously tiltingilsaid cradle and elevating said retaining wa 6. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having a vertically movable retaining wall, a tiltable car supporting cradle operatively associated therewith, means for lifting and tilting the cradle and means effective to start elevating said wall after the cradle has tilted to a predetermined angle.

7 An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having one wall thereof movable, a car supporting cradle fulcrumed to said wall, means efiective to first tilt the cradle without moving the wall and subsequently to simultaneously continue tne tilting movement while elevating said wall.

8. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper, one wall of which is slidable relatively to other parts of the hopper, a car supporting cradle fulcrumed adjacent the upper extremity of said wall, and means for successively tilting the cradle about its fulcrum and elevating said wall while continuing the tilting movement of the cradle.

9. Coal handling apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper adapted to receive a car load of coal or similar lump material at the top, a movable member for varying the capacity of the hopper, 'a restricted outlet for slowly discharging the contents of the hopper, a car holding cradle, means for tilting and lifting the cradle and elevating said member whereby the zone at which the material enters the hopper mounts higher and higher as the dumping movement of the cradle proceeds.

10. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having a vertically movable retaining wall, a car supporting cradle connected thereto with freedom for relative tilting movement, a flexible member passing over guides and having one end secured to a fixed support and another end engaging a winding drum, means carried by said cradle engaging the bight of said flexible member, and connecting means between said cradle and said wall efiective to elevate said wall.

11. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having a movable member whereby its capacity can be varied, a car dumping device and means responsive to movements thereof for actuating said movable member.

12. A combined car dumping and coal lowering apparatus comprising a hopper having a movable retaining wall, a car dumping cradle, means for automatically elevating said wall as the cradle dumps the contents of the car into the hopper, a discharge chute receiving material from the hopper and a lowering device secured to the chute and including a plurality of pivotally connected sections having oppositely inclined runway portions.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 including means for pivotally securing the discharge chute to the hopper.

14:. The apparatus of claim 12 including means for counterba-lancing the weight of the discharge chute and the lowering device.

15. A combined car dumping and coal lowering apparatus comprising a hopper having a movable retaining wall, a car dumping cradle, means whose movements are synchronized with those of the cradle for automatically elevating said wall as the cradle dumps the contents of the car into the hopper, and an extensible discharge chute receiving material from said hopper.

16. A combined car dumping and coal lowerin apparatus comprising a hopper having movable retaining wall, a car dumping cradle, means for automatically elevating said wall as the cradle dumps the contents of the car into the hopper and an adjustable discharge chute movably secured to said hopper.

17. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having a vertically movable retaining wall, a car holding cradle hingedly connected with said wall, means adapted to clamp a car to said cradle andmeans for tilting the cradle and elevating said wall.

18. Goal handling apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper which in plan view is substantially triangular, a 95 movable wall for said hopper which makes an angle less than a right angle with the opposite walls of the hopper, a car holding cradle adapted to have a coal car clamped thereto and means for tilting said cradle and 100 elevating the movable wall.

19. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper shaped substantially triangular in plan so that its holding capacity at the center is greater than at its 105 ends, said hopper having a vertically movable retainingwall whereby its capacity can be varied and means for dumping a car load of material into the hopper from the side thereof adjacent said retaining wall.

20. An apparatus of the character described comprising an upright hopper shaped substantially triangular in plan so that its holding capacity at the center is greater than at its ends, said hopper having a vertically 115 movable retaining wall, whereby its capacity can be varied and a vertically movable and tiltable car dumping cradle having a portion hingedly connected with said retaining wall.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

FRANK PARDEE, JR.

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