US1933756A - Safety car wrench - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 7, 1933. J. PRESCOTT SAFETY CAR WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1932 Nov. 7, 1933. J. PRESCOTT SAFETY CAR WRENCH Filed June 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 1,933,756 I V SAFETY CAR WRENCH..- v Joseph Prescott, Youngstown, Ohio Application June 28, 1932. I S erial No'. 619,637

4 Claims. (o1.254--131') The present invention relates broadly toirnplements for lifting or pulling, and more particularly to an improved implement of the type adapted for the closing of doors of the hopper type, and usually referred to as car wrenches.

It has been customary in the past with many cars of the hopper type to be provided with a winch and chain mechanism for closing the doors. The operation of such winches has usually been efiected by the use of a long wrench rotated about .theaxis of the winch in 'a plane near the side of the gondola or car body. Not infrequently the operator utilizing such a winch would get his fingers caughtbetween the wrench and the side of the car with resultant injury. Later, hopper cars were constructed with, the so-called Wine lock and the so-called f B. '8; 0. look; Both of these locks comprise a latch at the bottom of the hopper engageable with a suitable cooperating mechanism on the door for holding the door closed. Many workmen inattempting to close hopper doors on cars using locks of this character would grasp the doors iwith their hands and unthinkingly have their fingers in such position that they were sheared ofi or severally injured when the doors, closed. ,Other' workmen, attempting to push the .doors to a closed position by using their feet have not infrequently more or less seriously strained themselves by reason of the effort involved;

The present invention has for one of its. objects the production of a car wrench by the use of which a workman may close a door of the character referred to, easily, quicklyand without liability of injury.'

-In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration only, certain preferred embodiments of therpresent invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a wrench constructed in accordance with the present invention; 1 V

" Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the wrench shown in Figure l with the lifting chain and its carrying means removed from the lever;

Figure 3 is a detail view, on an enlargedscale,

of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1;

V Figure 4 is a detail sectional view along the line IVIV of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; Y

Figure 5 is a side elevationalview of a portion of the hopper showing. the hopper door in open position with my improved wrench attached thereto preparatory to closing the doo U Figure 6 is aview similar to Figure 5, but illusrating the door in closed position;

Figure 7 is a view. similar to Figure 5, illustrat ing a modified form of latching means for,1hopper doors:

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figurejfi showing the dooroi Figure 7 in closed position; and

Figiue 9 is a detail sectional viewisimilar to Figure 3, illustrating a modification. 3 j

' Referring more particularly toFigures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated a car wrench constructed in accordance with the present curved backwardly andthen forwardly extending offset. or doglegged.fulcrum portion}. The

invention and comprising a generally 1 straight handle portion 2 with a generally extreme end 40f the, fulcrum portion} is, conveniently of thebifurcated shapeillustratedin Figure 2 to provide spaced fulcrum points 5.

Intermediate 1 the I handle 2 and .the portion 3, the wrench is. provided with anuopeningi .6

through which is adapted to extend apivot pin 7' for pivotally' connecting a ,chainflclarnp. 81110 The chain clamp comprises ,bifurthe handle.

. cations Q'adapted to straddle the portion of the wrench adjacent the opening 6 and'receive the pivot pin '7.

The free end of thefclamp 8 is shaped to provide a generally, rectangular a chain clamping plate 12. The plate'12 is of such dimensions as" to provide 'a space 14 between the end of the 'plate 'and the crossbar 15 'of such dimensions as to. receive a chain link 16 when turned flatwise' .as illustrated Vine lopem'ng' 10 through which extends a pivotllfor 85 counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig ure 3 is limited only by a spring 18 carriedby the clamp and extending into overlapping relationship to theplate. V I

, The chain l9,'of which ferred to constitutes a component part, is of any suitable length, and carries at one end thereof a ring 20' adapted to be engaged by an operator for manipulating the chain, and at the opposite end carries a door engaging hook 21. With the construction described, by grasping the ring 20 and pulling upwardly, the plate 12 may be and the cross-piece 15 to permit the chain to move freely therebetween. The desired posithe link '16 before retioning of the chain having been efiected, the

plate 12 is permitted to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3 until it engages the stops l7, whereupon further movement of 5 the plate in a clockwise direction is prevented and the chain is clamped in adjusted position within the clamp 8.

In Figures 5 and 6 there is illustrated a portion of thehopper 22 of a hopper or gondola type car, with;the open side; of which hopper cooperates a door 23. Projecting from the hopper 22 is a latch 24 adapted to engage a suitable keeper 25 on the door 23. The latch mechanism of Figures 5 and 6 is of the type usually requires no specific description for its ,understanding. Assuming the door to'be in the open position illustrated in fullglines infiigure, the book 21 of the wrench may be engaged with the door as illustrated in this figure, and the-fulcrum portion 3 of the ,w ench positioned upon ,the upper face of ,an angle A extending acrossthe ghne s bstantiall ,ha alle tot td ,I d te lines .ihF 'eurelfi th w enchui illustrated in engagement with the ,angle. In this PQSition,the handle ,2 ,,of, the .wrench proj ects outwardly from the car body ,in such posit n that lm h f e eh ased h ..a wo man withoutany. iearof catching his fingers or hand .hetwee ith w ehe ih hd eh any n 9 9 .he,e.a s u u e ,i hereunQ the, han ert en 5 rthew ehehisewuh temca. substa it ally ho z ta pos tio int th d 0t.ted lin eeition of ,Figure 6,. aro nd th .iu er 'neihtee- D r n thi c hovemenhth .cha nlfiliscgradua l .d wn nwarsflmneehchma ne that th d or 2 is sw n rom its ope nQsi iQhe Fi ur 5 ht u t r le e ho en l fia r cfi .A th lim ;.t e. e. p it h .i ireeehed ,th ceh .t., ..ma c,e te -sub tantiall n ahhementw v.t hahdl portio o th wrenehuth -wreheh le {t i ,ti he extend n in subst ntially. the,v po itleheheivh .in Fi u e. 1,- 1 r5 h motherin rheenl eeedsehdth nkee e .25. harms ehg e dth l te 1 .4 -th re ainin QL Z 'cZ Q Je Y Q WlD 29m i tl ne sit qh ie jfiehrefi iht it l c l hen sit e of, Fi u 1 :iQ hr veh ,aecideht ,n qehina of. th .door- .50 IhFiehre fleh .th e s l y trate ashs "1 mo ifie g e me h p leek heetr tur re hee jfleh e ih o th tvn n diha il c r eri e esa ih il .a tachme Th tt ehmehtee p ee a l h :ZTher ipirot 5 5,5 .mehht eiz Lon ehenpe '29 and adeptesixt e a e e en eh le a on th sd orel- QQ t e ren ha i g b n secu e o e a abl ho tie h th j o a hdic te in :Figure 7, the door is moved to .its dotted line position and the ends 5 ,of the fulcrurn -portion 3 of r the wrench positioned on the angle 32 as'before described, whereupon "it is swung from its positionat subs antially right angles to the side of the carinto its ,position of Fi gillresB for moving the door 31 from its. dotted *line position to its closedposition. The wrench having engaged the ,angle ,30, the 93111133 is swung from its full line position of Figure 7 :to' its full line position of Figure 8, preventing accidental unlockingof thehopper door.

A given door of thehopper having been closed, -;the wrench is released therefrom and applied to the next door and the operation repeated.

As-will be apparent from a comparison for example of the location of ;the angle A Of referred to as a B. & O. lock attachment andc rwardly. ,By reason of the fact that the fulcrum the wrench normally projects freely outwardly from the side of the car, it may be easilyrengaged by the operator and lifted or pulled upportion 3 is curved or offset, as indicated more particularlyin'Figurev 1 of the drawings, it will jbe,, apparent;tliatby; dropping the outer end of the handle portion downwardly, the fulcrum points*5- may be disposed sufficiently above the generalcplane V of the handle ,portion ,of. ,thelever tolfacilitate positioning these points. behind.. the

, angle. This obviates theun'ecessity. of.,exerting any ,pre closing influence .(on' .the door to -,be

,e ose and .makes ,it rpossible to com-' 1 00 pletely .close ,a given .doorcentirely through ,the

use of thesafetypar wrench;

c From the fo soih fleseription, i iwill beanp rent tha I have 7, p ovided .abar, wrench com- .prising.,.a;leverpfjhesecqhd013 5, i. e,,,.a lever m5 in ,which the resistance to movement, is applied a ami int rmediat the fulcrum andithe point of ,applica'tionuof the movingrforce.

I n,,Figure 9 ,theregis ,shown ,in side ,elevation a ,slightly modified embodiment of 1 the invenago tion, wh rein narts correspondi g .to th "p more pa icularly. efiFfi ure 3oand-4 .ar give'n the same reference ,oharacte'rs having, however a prim aflixed thereto. rln accordance with th ...einhod ment ..the limiti'ngi springs l8 Jissren pl ced. byialri idcbar 18', .lwhichis directly-..c.arcried. by .th c ain .e ampso sto xtend tran verselyithereo in.- such position as-.,to limit hp- .ward iv iheih im vement o theelamn h p at i .Th advanta ..o ethe presentinvention arise m th Prov sion o a par wrenehladiustable t .d.o ors of cdi ie ehtccharaeteristi st u tur s and type randieffectiv ;f mov n the oor to cl sed position withaminimnm amoun 025 dan e -h .im r ctoth hperator.

c l nrthe ..adv ntae s ariseirom the prov o o ,a wrench of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction which may be readily attached to or detachedfrom the door-to be closedmo and which provides a lever portion-projecting freely beyond any obstructingportirin of the car body in'such mannerthatitmay be easily engaged and manipulated -by an'operator without fear of injury. g Still further' aldvantages arise fromethe l'pro- -vision of a ;car' 5wrench"-wherein the fulcrum portion is generally curved or offsetwithrrespect to the handle 7 portion in such manner that ;the k um Q tmn ma h ngaged with-a .station- {340 -ary :part of the car structure with the door cl ms, ;=.150

I claim:

l. A tool for closing the doors of hopper-bottom cars, comprising a lever having a handle at one end, and a foot at the other end for engaging the car bottom, a chain clamp pivoted to the lever between the foot and handle, said clamp having an opening therethrough, a chain in said opening having alternately arranged links the opening being of sufiicient size to permit the chain to pass freely therethrongh, a pivoted stop plate arranged to swing over the opening to prevent the passage through the opening of the link of the chain above the plate, and stop means for limiting pivotal movement of the stop plate in each direction.

2. A tool for closing the doors of hopperbottoin cars, comprising a lever having a handle.

at one end, and a foot at the other end for engaging the car bottom, a chain clamp pivoted to the lever between the foot and handle,

clamp having an opening therethrough, a chain in said opening having alternately arranged links, the opening being of suificient size to permit the chain to pass freely therethrough, a'

pivoted stop plate arranged to swing over the opening leaving only a narrow transverse slot near the outer end through which a linl: will pass flatwise but will prevent the passage of a link edgewise, and stop means for limiting pivotal movement of the plate in each direction.

3. A tool for closing the doors of hopper-bottom cars comprising a lever having a handle portion adapted to be grasped by the user, and a I foot or fulcrum portion adapted to engage a fixed part of a car, a chain holder secured tothe lever between the handle and foot, and a chain adjustably engaged by said holder, said chain having a hook adapted to engage a'portio'n of a car door adjacent its free edge, and said lever having a substantially dog-legged portion extending rearwardly between the foot and handle, whereby swinging of the handle about the foot causes closing movement of the door before the handle approaches the body of the car.

i. A tool for closing the doors of hopper-bottom oars comprising a lever having a handle portion adapted to be grasped by the user, and a foot or fulcrum portion adapted to engage a fixed part or" a car, a chain adjustably secured to said lever between the handle and foot, said chain having a hook adapted to engage a portion of a car door adjacent its free edge, and said lever having a substantially dog-legged portion extending rearwardly between the foot and handle, whereby swinging of the handle about the foot causes closing movement of the door before the handle approaches the body of the car.

JOSEPH PRESCOTT.

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