US2459912A - Bunker and air circulating fan assembly for refrigerator cars - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 25, 1949.

3 Sheets-Sheet l P. K. BEEMER BUNKER AND AIR CIRCULATING FAN ASSEMB FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Aug. 5, 1947 Tau] KEEITYEI" Jan 25, 1949. P. K. BEEMER BUNKER AND AIR CIRCULATING FAN ASSEMBLY FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Aug. 5, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .ZIJYEJ? 2 01- Ta 21] K275512751 Jan. 25, 1949. P. K. BEEMER 2,459,912

BUNKER AND AIR CIRCULATING FAN ASSEMBLY FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 5, 1947 :Z HLZZ- K255527751? Kid/5% ment of the car.

Patented Jan. 25, 1949 BUNKER SEMBLY FOR Paul K. Beemer, Ingl Preco Incorporated,

3 Claims.

This invention has reference to the structure and design of refrigerator cars equipped with forced air circulation; and the purpose of the invention is to combine the structure and design of the ice bunker and the air circulating fan in such manner that the fan housing forms a part of, and the supporting structure for the bunker bulkhead, either movable or stationary, and in such manner that the bulkhead overlies and protects the fan housing from physical injury.

Other objects and corresponding eifects and results of the invention will be explained along with a detailed explanation of preferred structures and designs, shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section showing the present preferred design including a movable or convertible bulkhead;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section at somewhat reduced scale, taken as indicated by line 2=-2 on Fig. 1, and also showing a typical mechanism for driving the fan, said mechanism not being shown in Fig. 1; r

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan section taken as indicated by line 3-3 on Fig. 1 and with parts broken away for illustrative purposes, and

Fig. 4 is a section similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing a stationary bulkhead.

In the drawings various parts of a car struc-, ture are shown merelyv in diagrammatic form. The parts so illustrated and referred to herein are to be taken as typical of any car structure. In Fig. 1 a part of the car floor structure is indicated at H), and in Fig. 2 the whole thickness of a typical car floorstructure and framing is indicated diagrammatically at Illa. The upper layer of that whole floor structure, the part indicated !b in Fig. 1 forms what is usually referred to as the floor of the lading compart- Over that floor is spaced the raised lading floor, usually comprised of transverse slats H, as shown more or less diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 3. The end wall of the lading compartment is formed by the bulkhead which stands permanently. or when -in use as such. in the position indicated at B in Figs. 1 and 3, dividing the lading compartment from the ice bunker which is formed between the bulkhead at B and the end wall structure H! of the car. That end wall structure is again shown merely diagrammatically and typically in Fig. 1. The ice bunker .may typically be provided with an ice gratefeither permanently at the level of lading floor. H, or movable to that level.

Such an ice grate atsuch ,a levelisindicated AND AIR CIRCULATING FAN AS- REFR-IGERATOR CARS ewood, Calif., assignor to Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application August 5, 1947, Serial No. 766,399

generally at l3 and, insofar as the present invention is concerned, may be of any type or structure.

In the present preferred design the forward edge of ice grate i3 is supported on brackets 15. These brackets and the forward edge of the ice grate, are spaced from the adjacent edge of lading floor I! by a distance which is approximately just sufiicient to accommodate fan housing l6, which in general may be described as a metallic housing of approximately square section as seen in Fig. 1 and extending in length transversely across approximately full width of the car floor. The base plate ll of the fan housing, in the preferred design here shown, rests directly on top of the car floor sheathing l8 which has its rear edge extending into and bent downwardly over the forward wall I la of the drip pan 14. The metal forming the drip pan is extended forwardly in the form of an apron Mb under the extended part of floor sheathing 18 which lies directly under base plate ll of the fan housing. The whole. tan housing is secured to the car floor structure typically by bolts or lag screws, such as shown atl9.

Fan housing it, as will appear, is a unitary structure of considerable inherent stiifness including the base plate, a vertical wall and a cover plate 20. Inthe preferred design shown in Fig. 1, the movable bulkhead rests directly on cover plate 20 when the bulkhead is in its position of use. The upper surface of cover plate 29 is flush with the upper floor surface of lading floor II and with the upper surface of ice grate l3. Bulkhead B, as here shown merely diagrammatically comprises a wall body structure 2| with an interior facing 22 and an external facing 23. It extends substantially across the full width of the car, either having a slight clearance of the car side walls at its vertical edges, or having suitable contact strips 35 as shown in Fig.3. In Fig. 3 the bulkhead is indicated merely in block section, fragmentarily, for clarity of illustration. On its bot tom edge surface the bulkhead is shown as equipped with a seating plate 24, integrated with the bulkhead wall structure 2i, and having at its forward edge a down-turned rib 25. Seating plate 24, and its rib 25, extend over the whole length of the bottomface of the bulkhead (from side to side of the car). The rib projects downwardly into a seating channel 26 which is formed in a forwardly extended portionof top plate 20 ofthe fan housing. This seating channel also extends approximately the full width of the car and the full width dimension of the bulkhead, extending as it does throughout the whole length of cover plate 20. This extended channel formation is supported on the fan housing by suitable supporting brackets 21. The =channel formation lies for-- ward of the outer, forward wall '43 of 'the fan housing, and below the level of the cover plate, and lading floor. In this position it does not obstruct the lading floor surface, and allows the seating plate 24' to rest 'directlyfonf-the cover plate over the vertical wall 43 when rib'25 is in the channel. Plate 24 with itsrib 25.being integrated with and lying directly "under "the structural wall part M of the bulkhead, the

latter is given good support both vertically and horizontally against load thrusts. V

The bulkhead B as shown in Figs. 1 to 13 1s one of the type which, to be moved from position Band thus to makethe ice bunker space available for lading, is first. moved upwardly from its position shown at B far enough to clear rib 25 from channel 26. 'It may 'then be moved to any other desired position, for 'instance against the end wall. It is then moved rearwardly to the plane of the position shown at B1 against the end WaIL'a'nddrOpped down to a position where its securing ribs '25 "is "received in a channel formation 26a .formed in the ice grate structure. With the bulkhead in that position, cover plate becomes an eflectivepart of the lading fioor, asdoes also the -ice :gr'ate. The, type of lifting and moving mechanism by which the bulkhead is moved is immaterial to the present-invention; as is also the-particular internal structure of the bulkhead wall "itself. The upper end of the bulkhead may be-"secured in positions B and B1 by laterally projecting lugs whichdrop down into fixed sockets when rib--drops down'into channel 26-or'26a. Suitable bulkhead structures and suitable means for lifting, moving and se'curing itareshown in the copending application of=Herbert W'leden, et a1., Ser. No. 685,510, filed July 22, 1946.

The over-all thickness of "bulkhead B m'ay have any desired" relation to the width dimension of fan housing [6. 'As here slrown, its 51 over-all thickness is approximately the same as that width dimensio'mhutth'elocation of securing'rib 25in cover plate'channel26 forwarder the' body of the fan housing'locate's therearpr inte'rior face 22 'ofithe bulkhead some distance forward of the rear edge of 'cover plate 20. The rear part of the cover'pla'te, and of'jthe fan housirig body, thus extend rearwardly of the bulkheadinner face. The "rear part of'the 'cover plate thus in efi'ect becomes a part of the ice supporting structure in the bunker. And'to prevent melt water from flowing into the interio'r 'ofthefan housing (down the inner face offa'n housing rear wall i2) the rear edge of cover 'plate 20 is extended and bent downwardly in a protec'tive overhang as shown at 20a. This rear wa11 =42 of the fan'house ing is, in effect, a lower part of 'tlie front wall of the ice bunker. I A

Fig. lshows a-stru'cture-whlch is similar in all respectsto that shown in Fig, lexept to show a stationary bulkhead B2 ounted permanently in a-position o'n fan hou-sing l6. BulkheadBz isshown as made up of a wan structureZ la and aiiacing 23a; The structural"portionzlafofthe bulkhead wall 'includes a" flanged inverted 'channel member I 2 I b at its base and this channel member aie permanntly secufedto cover plate 20b in any suitable manner, as by bolts 2E0. These flanges are preferably wide enough that their edges lie over the vertical walls $2 and 33 of the fan housing.

The thickness of the bulkhead wall structure Eta is here less than the width dimension of housing ii and cover ipl'ate 20b; and with the wall structure centered above lthe fan housing, the bulkhead inner facing 22a is forward of the rear edge of cover plate 20b. The rear portion of the cover plate consequently becomes in efiect a part of the ice supporting structure in the ice bunker, the same as in Fig. 1; and the rear edge isprovided with the's'ame downturned overhang Zil'a tosh'ed melt "water exteriorly of the rear "housingw'all 42. s The forward edge of the cover -plate, in this form is also provided with a similar down-turned overhang 20c.

Other than described above, the arrangement in Fig. 4 is essentially the same as in Fig. 1 and the same numerals are applied to corresponding par-ts. The ice grate'and the "cover plateofthe fan housingare sho'wnhereasb'eing at --'the same level as in Fig. "l. :Howeverjin thisarrangement where a iixed bulkhead is used, "their level is hot necessarily restricted to the level of the lading floor. 'The' fan structure and housing nan if desired, be larger in cross section' and of greater height -'an"d then,- or in any caseflthe icegratewan be 7 at a :higher level.

In both t-he arrangements of :Fig's. 'Lenii l the fa'h housing structure "may be "and is shown as the same; shown in essentials in -Figs. and Any suitable drive mechanism y be nsea -for the fan, insofar as the present invention is eon- Gerned. frag. 2 shows -'a ty pi'cal drive me hanism, The fan liousing' structureft'h'e ran strunture,-an'd-tlie d1"ivi'ri g{iriechanism,in and er -theraselves are not sub-i ect Tn'atter-s' 0f The-presentinve ion. 'The fanstructures and arrangements here-shown are "the subject-"matters of the patems to william E.-"Vah De1n No. 2.214;;21'0 "dated September 10, 1940, and No. 2,34'9j3l'5fla1ted May 23, 1944. rhe fan housing subject-matter (it-application Ser. "No- 6141220 led September 4fl945, byFrederi'ck -C.Lindvall, a elf-now Patent No. 2144224 20, issue "date iiune l, 1948. And the particularfiriving 'ihech'anisih here illustrated as typical is the "subie'ct matter efthe patent er wiliiam van 13cm 23131158, dated Dec'einber*2 4, 1946. l

The -fan housing, structure is in essen'se coinposedbf the bottom plate lljof the top plate 20 ando'f avertio'al wall structure which, as shown best in "Fig.3, isofzig zag formation Inessense, this vertical wall structure may be'thought of as being comp se'a-er "a long "strip "of {heavy sheetnietalgofa width equal} to thefverti-cal'wall heightfbent'into the zig zagform to provide both the longitudinal 'and cross'wall 'elelnentsof the housing; a-lthou' madcap-of several unitary pieces whichare weldefd into a was fy fwhole. The structure, 1 however composed, -i"s" b er 1t so as to j form "two "transverse end -walls dfi and several intermediate cross walls 4! with intervening front and rear waupo tions 4'3 and-' l' ZGWhieh extend between "altern ate fpa irs ofthe end -ane intermediate transverse 'v'valls. Outside the end walls-"4D; the vertical wallstructure is extended as "indicated at-Mtojapproaeh cl'o s'elyto the-"car side "Wallsf5 Theivertical wall structure. so form'ed,'*is WeIdedf'along fits top'and bottom edgest the top andbottom 'plates'to rormafr gid, taifyfarid"substantl'ally'firitegral fanhoii'sing structure. DueWosuGh integration,

structure isalso the.

gh in practice this *structure is' .ments 45, screens lea may two opposite vertical faces of the housing. These and due to the fact that the vertical wall structure includes wall units extending both lengthwise and transversely of the housing, the housing structure is very rigid and strong, and capable of rigidly supporting the bulkhead and holding it rigidly in place against load thrusts, and of taking any necessary proportion of its weight. It may be remarked that the housing bottom plate l'l, instead of resting on the metallic floor sheathing l8, may be in effect a portion of that sheathing itself. That is, the housing might be formed in place on the floor sheathing as a bottom plate; but for manufacturing convenience,

, use of a separate bottom plate is preferred.

As so formed, the housing structure presents alternate compartments 45 and 46 which are each open on one side and with: their open sides at opposite sides of the fan housing. As here shown the compartments 45 face inwardly toward the ice bunker, under the level of the ice grate, and compartments 46 face outwardly toward the lading compartment under the level of lading floor H. The several transverse walls Ml and 4|, or at least certain of them, are perforated with large central openings 41. A single fan shaft 48, mounted in suitable bearings 49, extends substantially through the complete length of the housing, extending through openings 41 of the several transverse walls. In each of compartments 45 fan shaft carries a radial bladed fan unit 56, bearings 49 being located in the other compartments 46. Rotation of the fan shaft and of the radial bladed fans in either direction draws air from under the lading floor, through compartments 4B which are open to the space under that floor, through openings 41 in the transverse wall structures; and then, thrown outwardly by the fans, the air flows through the open sides of compartments 45 into the space under the ice grate. Suitable openings being provided in the upper part of the bulkhead, rotation of the fans thus sets up a circulation from the space under the lading floor, upwardly through the ice bunker, and outwardly over and downwardly through the load in the lading space.

Although of course the arrangement of the fan housing may be reversed, to-make fan compartments 45 face the space under the lading floor and thus draw air downwardly through the ice bunker and force it out into the lading compartment under the lading floor, the reversed direction of circulation above described is preferred for several reasons. It is preferred generally because in most circumstances it sets up a more uniform temperature throughout the load. It is preferred here particularly because that direction of circulation, with the fan located immediately adjacent the ice bunker and with the fan housing structure in full effect forming a part of the ice bunker wall, the melt water, salt or other debris dropping down from the ice rate are driven away from the fan structure and mechanism instead of being drawn into it. To prevent accidental entry of any matter from the bunker into the fan compartments 45, or the entry of any debris from the lading compartment into the housing compartbe extended over the are shown in Fig. 3 but omitted from the other figures for clarity of illustration.

The fan may be driven in any suitable manner and by any suitable mechanism. It may be driven directly by an independent driving motor; and it is designed to be so driven at least when the car is standing. For pre-cooling or similar operations an electric motor or other primary drive may be applied to the exteriorly projecting hub 54a. Normally, however, it is preferred to drive the fan shaft from the running gear of the car. That drive may take various forms; the following described form is typical.

As here shown, an end bearing 49a for the fan shaft is located at or near one end of fan housing l6, and at that end shaft 48 projects through the side wall structure 5| of the car. Preferably an opening is made through the side wall structure lined with a tubular lining 52, and suitable means in the nature of a packing gland 53 stops off entry of air around the shaft. The outer end of shaft 48 carries a drive pulley 54 which is driven by belt 55 from a driving pulley 55 mounted on the outer end of a drive shaft 57, the inner end of which carries a suitable traction roller 58 adapted to roll in tractive contact with car wheel 59-. Drive shaft 51 is mounted in suitable bearings in a tubular support 68 which is carried by two radial arms 6i and 62 which swing around the axis of a supporting shaft 63 mounted in suitable bearings under the floor of the car. Arms 6i and t2 swing about that axis independently of each other and a spring 64 has an end which bears at a suitable intermediate point upon shaft housing 50; so that the spring pressure presses traction roller 58 into contact with wheel 59 and also tends to move pulley 56 downwardly to tension the driving belt 55.

I claim:

1. In a car construction having a car floor, side walls and an end wall, and a lading floor spaced above the car floor and having an and spaced from the car end wall; a combined ice bunker and ventilating structure comprising, a fan housing structure extending in length across the car floor substantially from side to side immediately adjacent the lading floor end, the fan housing being an elongate unitary box-like structure comprising top and bottom plates and an intermediate vertical wall structure comprising staggered longitudinal Wall portions and interconnecting transverse wall portions forming a series of com partments alternate ones of which are open at opposite sides of the housing, the housing being spaced from the car and wall with the upper surface of its upper plate flush with the upper sur-- face of the lading floor and forming the lower part of a transverse wall structure which divides an ice bunker compartment adjacent the end wall from a lading compartment whose floor is formed by the lading floor, a fan driving shaft extending lengthwise through the fan housing, certain of the transverse housing walls being perforate, fan units on the shaft in alternate housing compartments, an ice grate in the ice bunker compartment with its upper surface at the level of the lading floor surface, and a bulkhead structure extending across the car interior from side to side, the bulkhead structure being movable between a position against the car end wall and a position over the fan housing where it is supported directly on the housing top plate and forms the upper part of the transverse wall structure which divides the ice bunker from the lading compartment, the housing structure including an upwardly facing channel formation extending longitudinally of the structure at a level below the surface of the top plate, and the lower edge of the bulkhead structure being provided with a downwardly projecting bead adapted to enter the channel formation.

2. In a car construction having a car floor, side ments alternate ones of which are open at 013-- posi'te sides of the housing, the "housing being spaced from the car end well and formin the lower part of a transverse wall structure which divides an ice bunker compartment adjacent the end. wall from a lading compartment whose-ricer i's-formecl by the lading floor, a an driving shaft exte'nding'lengthwise through the fan housing,

certain of the transverse housing walls'b'eing perforate, fan units on the shaft in alternate housing compartments, and a bulkhead structure extending across the car interior from side to side, supported directly on the housing top :plate, and forming the upper p'art of the 't-ransverse wall structure'which divides the i'cehunker from the leiding compartment, the thickness er the'rbuih head structure being' less than the width dimension 01 the fan housing structure, and the Jon-lizhead being-positioned 'on the housing structure to leave an uncovered :pohtion o'f th'e top plate at that edge of the top plate which is adjacent the ice-bunker.

3. A combined structure as defined :in claim 1, and in which the upwardly facing channel formation is located sexteriorly or one of the side walls of the housing structure.

e a PAUL rmlwnmnen's' -clmnn The ioliowi'ng "references are of record in the file of this "patent:

TED STATE ATENTS Number -t e 3 7 Wieden July 20;.1942 --2,386,'GQ2

O'Connor Oct. 2:, 1945

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