US2715369A - Railroad car handling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 1955 E. .1. DOEHLER RAILROAD CAR HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 25, 1953 Aug. 16, 1955 E. J. Dor-:HLER

RAILROAD CAR HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1955 {lllxlllllllllll1 Aug. 16, 1955 E. J. DOEHLER RAILROAD CAR HANDLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 25, 1953 United States Patent O bvd RAILROAD CAR HANBLENG APPARATUS Emil J. Deelder, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application August 25, 1953, Serial No. 376,343 1 Claim. (Cl. 10d- 26) This invention relates to improvements in railroad car handling apparatus of the type disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,532,316 or' January l5, 1952, for use in connection with controlling the speed of railroad cars during classication of the same in railroad yards.

'lhe invention forming the subject matter of this application relates generaliy to the construction of endless belts arranged at the sides of a railroad track in position to engage the undersurfaces of car trucks or the like for controlling the speeds of the cars.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simpliiied and less expensive construction of the chains for engaging the trucks. Another object is to provide a simplied and improved supporting mechanism for the end less chains, A further object is to produce a chain having resilient pads or cushions mounted on chain links for engagement with the railroad car trucks. it is also an object to provide apparatus of this type which is more effective and reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a railroad track and a car truck engaging chain embodying this invention, a portion of a railroad car being shown having the truck thereof in engagement with said chain.

Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof, partly in section, and on a greatly enlarged scale showing a portion of the chain engaging the truck.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof, on line 3--3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation similar to that shown in Fig. 3, but showing my chain supporting mechanism when out of engagement with a railroad car truck.

ln the particular embodiment of this invention shown by way of example in the drawings, 5 represents railroad tracks and 6, Fig. l, represents the portion of a railroad car provided with Wheels operating on the track 5 and having a car truck 7 on which the wheels 8 are mounted. 9 represents a pit or similar structure in which the mechanism for controlling the speed of railroad cars is arranged, and which is arranged below the level of the track. These pits are preferably provided in pairs arranged opposite each other on opposite sides ot' the railroad track, but if desired, only a single speed controlling mechanism and pit may be provided.

As stated in my before-mentioned patent, the speed controlling apparatus includes a chain mounted on a suitable upwardly and downwardly movable frame, this movement of the frame being for the purpose of enabling the chain to operate in connection with trucks having underfaces arranged at varying distances above the track. Since this part of the mechanism is fully described in my beforementioned patent, it will not be herein described except that 10 represents threaded rods, the upper ends of which are secured to a support or bed 12 for the chain, this supice port being guided in its Vertical movement by means of rods 14 having a telescopic arrangement with tubular or cylindrical parts 15 secured to or formed integral with the chain support 12 and into which the upper parts of the rods extend. The mechanism for raising and lowering the support or bed 12 may be operated from a control tower or similar station so that when a car approaches the portion of the track on which the speed control device is located, the chain support 12 will be arranged at the correct elevation so that an endless chain carried by the chain support will be in proper elevation to engage the undersurface of a railroad car truck.

The endless truck engaging chain includes a plurality ot' links 17 which are suitably guided for movement on the upper surface of the chain support 12. Suitable rolling devices are arranged between the support 12 and the links 17 of the chain so that the chain may move along the upper surface of the support 12 with the minimum of friction. ln the construction shown by way of example in the drawings, the support 12 has a plurality of rollers 18 pivotally mounted thereon, for example, on upwardly extending lugs or projections 19 arranged at intervals lengthwise of the chain support or bed 12. These rollers support the links 17 of the chain and preferably the rollers are provided at their outer ends with upwardly extending flanges 21 which engage the opposite sides of the links 17 of the chain and thus keep the chain in correct relation to the support 12. Any other means for guiding the movement of the chain on the support 12 may be provided, if desired.

The links 1'7 of the chain are each pivotally connected with adjacent links 17 of the chain in any suitable or desired manner. In the construction shown by way of example, each of the main links 17 is hingedly connected adjacent to ends thereof with intermediate or connecting links 24, for example, by means of pivot pins or bolts 25 extending through holes in the main links 17 and through holes in the intermediate or connecting links 24, thus forming an endless chain with the main links thereof in close proximity to each other to form a substantially continuous surface to engage the car trucks.

Near the opposite ends of the apparatus, the chain meshes with sprocket gears 27 located mainly within the pit or housing These sprocket wheels in the particular construction shown are provided with teeth or outwardly extending parts formed to engage with cylindrical rollers 29 which are also mounted on the bolts or pivot pins 25 connecting the main links 17 with the connecting links 24. The sprocket wheels 27 are suitably secured to the shafts 30 arranged adjacent to the opposite ends of the pit or housing in which the raising and lowering apparatus (not shown) is located. One or both of these sprocket wheels is rotated by a motor or other power device in such a manner that the chain engaging the sprocket wheels will be operated at the speed which it is desired to impart to the railroad cars. This drive mechanism is not Shown in the drawings of this application, since it constitutes no part or this invention, but is fully disclosed in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,582,316.

The chain has a plurality of elastic or cushioning members mounted on the outer portions of the links and shaft to contact with the undersurface of the car trucks in such a manner that these pads or cushions will yieldingly engage the car trucks and thus due to the friction between the trucks and these pads, the car will be forced to travel at the same rate of speed as the chain.

These resilient pads or cushions are preferably pneumatic and may be formed in any suitable or desired manner. In the construction illustrated by way of example, these resilient friction members are in the form of short tubes 33 of a rubber or rubber-like material, the tubes being closed at their ends 34 and preferably one of these tubes is provided for each main link 17. The tubes may be secured to the links of the chain in any suitable or desired manner, and in the construction shown, each of the main links 17 is provided at opposite sides and adjacent to the ends thereof with upwardly extending lugs or short Aanges 34d which are provided with apertures through which transverse retaining pins or bolts 3S may pass. The tubes 33 are provided with apertures in the portions thereof adjacent to said lugs or flanges with holes alined with the holes in the lugs and through which said bolts or pins 35 may pass. The main links 17 are also constructed to coop'erate with the tubes 33 in such amanner that the tubes will be securely held on the links 17. ForV example, these links may be provided with longitudinally extending grooves into which longitudinalV ribs or projections 36 on the tubes may enter to prevent displacement of the tubes 33 relatively to the main links 17. Other means for securing the tubes on the links may be provided.

The outer or tread portions of the tubes may be provided with parts 38 of increased thickness which correspond somewhat to the treads of vehicle tires, and which engage the lower faces of the car trucks 7. These tubes may be lled with resilient material or may be inflated with air or other gas in any suitable manner, for example, by means of ller tubes 40 provided with check valves as is common practice in automobile tires. Consequently, when the chain and the tubes 33 carried thereby are in lowered position and out of engagement with a car truck as shown in Fig. 4, these tubes 33 will assume approximately'the shape shown in Fig. 4. When, however, the chain support 12 is moved upwardly into a p'osition in which the chain cooperates with a truck of a railroad car, the tube'33 may be depressed, and consequently, deformedA into a shape such for example as shown in Fig. 3. It has been found that comparatively low air pressure may be maintained in the tubes 33, since they are merely required to engage the underfaces of car trucks with sucient pressure to provide the` necessary friction to impart to the railroad car tne same speed as that of the chain, and since the railroad car trucks are generally made of steel, then if the tubes 33 are made of rubber or rubber-like material, a high degree of friction will result from the contact of the tubes with the trucks, thus making it unnecessary to provide highrair pressure within the tubes 33.

"lt is, of course,.possible that heavily loaded cars may ber operated upon by means of my improved speed controlling device, and in order to prevent excessive deformation of the tubes 33, I may under such circumstances,

provide within the tubes 33 additional tubes which serveV to reinforce the tubes 33. In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown smaller tubes 43 arranged within the tubes 33 and also having tread portion 44 engaging the inner surfaces of the tread portion 38 of the outer tubes. in order to receive these inner tubes, the outer tubes 33 are split lengthwise at their inner portions adjacent to the links 17, as shown at 42, Fig. 3. The inner tubes may be held in place within the outer tubes by suitable retaining bolts 46 having enlarged heads within the inner tube 43. These bolts extend through suitable apertures in the links 17 and are held in place by means of retaining nuts 47. These bolts 46 are preferably hollow and are provided at their outer portions with check valves (not shown), similar to those used in automobile tires so that the inner tube 43 may be intlated to the desired extent. 48, Fig. 3, represents the usual dust cap for protecting the valve within tbe retainer tube or hollowbolt 46.

' In order to securely hold the outer tubes in correct relation to the main links 17 on which they are mounted, I preferably provide a spacing plate t) which is interf posed between the inner and outer tubes. When the clamping bolts or tubes 46 are tightened to clamp the inner tube against the outer tube, the plate 50 is also pressed against the inner surface of the outer tubes in such a manner as to force the projections 36 of the outer tubes firmly into the grooves or recesses in the main links provided for the same. This plate 50 together with the pressure applying bolts or tubes 45 also serves t0 prevent air from leaking out of the slit 42 in the outer tube.

ln view of the construction described, it is possible for an operator in the control tower to raise the support 12 to a greater extent if a heavily loaded car approaches thel speed control devicefso that the tread portion of the outer tube, due to being reinforced by the vinner tube will be pressed with considerably greater'pressure against the lower surface of a car truck as shown in Fig. 3, in which case, not only the outer tube 33 but also the inner tube 43 is deformed due to pressure exerted against the car truck.

The middle portion of the support 12 for the chain is substantially horizontal or parallel to the track and the end portions 52 thereof slope downwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, toward the sprocket Wheels 27, the upper surfaces of which are also below the under'portionof the upper run of the chain. This enablesthe car trucks to engage the chain and the tubes mounted thereon gradu-` ally so that severe shocks to the apparatus are avoided.

Any suitable means may be. of course, provided for absorbing the slack in the chain and also idler wheels cr sprockets 53 may be provided in position to engage' the lower run of the chain to keep the same in correct relation to the sprocket wheels 27,. These wheels mayl be mounted on brackets 54 depending from the support 12 of the chain. ,n n

The construction described has the advantage that if any one of the tubes becomes punctured or deflated, it'

will have very little effect upon the operation ofthe speed controlling device, since the car truck in that case will move into frictional engagement with the next tube'.v Air under pressure may easily be admitted to the tubes,k when the lower run of the chain is in the pit V9, in which position, the air valves 29 and 46 will be readily acces-I sible. If any of the tubes becomes punctured or deated it can be very easily repaired or replaced by another tube without extended delay. The pneumatic tubes employed in connectionwith my chain may,-of course, be made longer than shown and may be secured to'two or more links, but by mounting each tube on a 'single link there will be relatively little stretching or deecting of the tubes when passing around the sprocket wheelsi 'Ihe resilient tubes mounted on rigid links guided on the supports 12 have the ability to adapt themselves to uneven surfaces or depressions on the car trucks with# out injury to the apparatus, which will also not be injured by projections on cars such, for example, as Yhoppers which may extend downwardly into positions to con' tact with the pneumatic tubes. Furthermore, if any of the car trucks have defects or projections on the lower surfaces thereof the tubes will not be damaged thereby and will conform themselves to the shapes of these undersurfaces. n n

Another ,advantage of the -construction describedA is that the energy placed into the tubes bythe car trucks in compressing the air therein helps to slow down theV movement of the cars and at least a part of this energy is given back to the car trucks when they leave the inclined end S2 of the speed control apparatus. Because of the resilience ot' the tubes, it is not necessary to adjust i the height of the support 12 with as high a degree of accuracy as in my prior construction.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain' the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a railroad car handling device including an endless chain arranged in parallel relation to the portion of a track in a position in which Vthe upper mn ofthe chain may contact with the undersurface of railroad car trucks on said portion of track, that improvement which comprises a rigid support along which the upper run of said chain moves, and a series of individual cushioning devices arranged in succession lengthwise of the outer surface of said chain for engagement with said trucks, said cushioning devices being in the form of pneumatic tubes mounted on the outer surfaces of said chain, and smaller tubes arranged within said first mentioned tubes, the outer surfaces of said smaller tubes being spaced from said first mentioned tubes, so that pressure will be applied by said irst mentioned tubes to said inner tubes only after initial deection of said first mentioned tubes.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,195,086 Rammelsberg Aug. 15, 1916 1,682,746 Finnessy Sept. 4, 1928 1,716,825 Laffey June 11, 1929 2,251,443 Fawick Aug. 5, 1941 2,582,316 Doehler Jan. 15, 1,952

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