US2642319A - Journal box lid - Google Patents

Description

June-16, 1953 A. QBUCKIUS JOURNAL B,ox LID 2 sheetshshae]c l Filed Aug. 19, 1948 Jne 16, 1953` AQ o. BucKlus JOURNAL BOX LID 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Aug. 19, 1948 INVENTOR. Albert 0. uclz'us Patented June 16, 1953 joFFlcE JOURNAL BOX LID Alberi o. Buckius, Cleveland, ohio, assigner to National Malleable and Steel Castings Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 19, 1.948, Serial No. 45,125

This invention relatesA to railway journal boxes and-.more particularly to a lid for'closing the opening in the front end of the journal box.

It is the main object of my invention to provide a new and improved lid for a journal box, inwhich the force for holding the lidin closed position is applied at the central portion thereof.

Another object is to provide a journal box lid having a ball and socket connection between the closure member and hood member thereof and also having means at the connection .for limiting relative angling of the members.

A further object isto provide a journal box lid in which the closure member is connected to a hood member for universal movement relative thereto and in which stop means is located adjacent the connection to limit this movement to facilitate opening and closing the lid.

A still further object is the provision of a lid f.

having a relatively large ball and socket union at the centerv of the lid for effecting a closing pressure on the closure member thereof, the closure member and hood member being Vtied together at the ball and socket union by a strap which additionally serves to limit the relative movement between the members to facilitate opening and closing of the lid.

My invention also contemplates a channe structure in the hood member of the lid for receiving a strap which, in addition to tying the hood member to a closure member, vcooperates with the channel structure to restrict relative angling between the hood and closure members.

Other objects andadvantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with thek drawf ings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a lid embodying the invention applied to ajournal box.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the lid shown in Fig. 1, the dot-dash lines illustrating the open position of the lid.

Fig. 3 is a partial view in vertical section showing the method of disconnecting the lid from the journal box. l

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the lid shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the lid.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a journal box I having a iront opening II `fork `At the lower end of hood I is a ball portion` I9 which is joined to the chambered portion Il by means of spaced legs A and a connecting 5 Claims. (Cl. 308-47 Web 2l. Closure member I6 is generally in the shape of aiiat plate andhas a spherical depression 22. in thev centerthereof for receiving ball portion I9 of the hood. The hood .and

` closure membervare, at the ball and socket conclosure memberY to adjust itself on the face of l the box.

Adjacent the sides ofv strap .23, legs 20 are formed with upstanding guide flanges 21 which serve to limit relative anglingrbetween the memy bers in the plane of the closure member. Itv will be observed that web 2| in conjunction with langesZI forms a vertically extendingchannel portion for receiving strap 23 and restricting the movement thereof during opening and closing of the lid. Movement of the closure member in a direction normal to its plane is limited by the engagement between the underside of strap portion 25 and web 2l of the hood member. Thus it will be seenthat the closure member., while flexibly connected to the hood to permit the lid to adjust itself so as to assure tight engagement of the closure member with the box about opening II, is securely held by causes it to pivot about its contact with ther Y box at the upper end of the opening I I until the` underside yofstrap portion 25 engages the upper portion of web 2 I, after which the closure memf ber and hood act as an integral member and pivot about hinge pin I3 to open position of the lid, as vshown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 2. When a force is applied to the end of the closure member at 24 toL close the lid, the closure member first angles relativelyzto the hood about the ball y and socket joint until the inner end 29 of the closure memberengages the adjacent portion of the hood, after which the parts pivot about pin .I3 as an integral member to closed position. A torsion spring 35 carried in the charnbered portion of the hood provides the closing force against the lid. This spring contains a loop portionV 3l on which is mounted a roller 39 which travels on surfaces 4I and i3 of the hinge lug v during opening and closing of the lid. Extending from loopr portion 3T are coil portions 45 which bear against arcuate portions '47 of hood I5. They spring terminates.v in a pair 4of leg portions 49 which extend through openings 50 in the hood member andbear against legs 20 of the hood. Leg

strap 2,3 to facilitate opening and closing the l of the box with substantially equal pressure on the contacting surfaces.

To disconnect the lid from the box the lid is pulled partly open to compress the spring suiciently to permit a U-shaped pin 52 to be inserted into openings 53 in the upperv end of theV hood, with the legs of the pin adjacent the loop portion 31 of the spring. The spring is thereby retained under compression within the hood, and the lid is raised further until it is in approximately horizontal position after which pin I3 may be withdrawn and the lid removed from the box.

The lid is applied to the box by applying the preceding steps of disassembly in reverse order. The spring of a new lid is initially compressed by means of a press or other suitable device and the U-shaped pin inserted into the hood to hold the spring compressed.

I'he terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A lid for closing the front opening of a railway journal box, said lid comprising a closure member and a hood member flexibly connected together, a spring terminating in a pair of leg portions engaging said hood member whereby the closing force of said spring acts directly against said hood member, said hood member having means at its upper end for pivotal connection to said box and having a pair of spaced legs with a channel portion connecting the lower ends of said legs, said channel portion having a ball portion facing said closure member, said closure member having a centrally disposed socket for receiving said ball portion to provide for universal movement between said members, said ball portion engaging said socket and serving to transmit the closing force of said spring from said hood member to said closure member, a-nd strap means received in and bridging said channel portion and being secured to said closure member, said channel portion comprising upstanding ilanges extending lengthwise of said strap means and being disposed adjacent the sides of said strap means for engaging therewith to limit relative angling between said members in the plane of said closure member. Y

2. A lid for closing the front opening of a railway journal box, said lid comprising a closure member and a hood member flexibly connected to said closure member, said hood member having means at its upper end for pivotal connection to said box and having a ball portion facing said closure member, said closure member having a socket for receiving said ball portion to permit universal movement of said closure member relative to said hood member, said ball portion being in engagement with said socket, a strap bridging said ball portion and being secured to said closure member, and stop means extending from said ball portion toward said pivotal means and interposed between said strap and said closure member, said stop means being adapted to engage said strap at a point remote from said ball portion during opening of said lid to limit relative movement between said hood and closure members.

3. A lid for closing the front opening of a railway journal box, said lid having a hood member, a closure member and a spring having leg portions reacting directly against said hood member for maintaining said lid in closed position, said hood member comprising an upper end adapted for pivotal connection to a journal box, a ball portion disposed so as to be substantially central of said closure member and facing the latter, and a web extending from said ball portion toward the upper end of said hood member, said closure member having a socket for receiving said ball portion, the spring force being transmitted from said hood member to said closure member solely through the engagement of said ball portion in said socket, a strap bridging said ball portion and said web and being secured to said closure mem'- ber, said strap being adapted to engage said web at a substantial distance from said ball portion to limit angling of said closure member relative vto said hood member during opening of said lid.

4. lid for closing the front opening of a rail way Journal box, said lid having a hood member, a closure member and a spring having leg por-v tions reacting directly against said hood member for maintaining said' lid in closed position, said hood member comprising a, ball portion facing said closure member, a pair of upstanding iianges adjacent said ball portion and a web joining said flanges and extending from said ball portion toward the upper end of said hood member, said closure member having a socket for receiving said ball portion, the spring force being transmitted from said hood member to said closure member solely through the engagement of said ball portion in said socket, a strap disposed -between said flanges and bridging said ball portion and said web and being secured to said closure member, said strap being adapted to engage said flanges to limit angling of said closure member relative to said hood member in the plane of saidclosure member, said strap being adapted to engage said web to limit angling of said closure member rela- 5. A lid for closing the front way `journal box, said lid comprising a hood member and a closure member having means comprising a ball and socket connection therebetween to permit universal movement of said closure member relative to said hood member, said connection comprising a ball portion on said hood member engaging a socket in said closure membensaid hood member having stop means adjacent said connecting means, and a strap secured to said closure member and overlying said stop means and connecting means, said strap being adapted to engage said stop means at a point remote from said ball and socket connection to limit movement of said closure member relative to said hood member during opening of said lid.

ALBERT O. BUCKIUS.

opening of aY rail- References Cited in the le of this patent Aug. 9, 1949 1ti1e to said hood member during opening of said so 1

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