US2719492A

US2719492A - Outlet frame and gate assembly

Info

Publication number: US2719492A
Application number: US227177A
Authority: US
Inventors: George B Dorey
Original assignee: Enterprise Railway Equipment Co
Current assignee: Enterprise Railway Equipment Co
Priority date: 1951-05-19
Filing date: 1951-05-19
Publication date: 1955-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 1972-10-04

Description

Oem, 4, 1955 G. B. Dom-:Y 2,719,492

OUTLET FRAME AND GATE ASSEMBLY IN V EN TDR.

0cm, 4, 1955 G. B. DOREY OUTLET FRAME AND GATE ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 19, 1951 INVEN'TQR. george Zi ongg, Mw MW# Y E R O D B. G.

OUTLET FRAME AND GATE ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Shee 4 Filed May 19, 1951 INVENTOR. (m50/5755 X70/1e MM mmf Unit@ OUTLET FRAME AND GATE ASSEMBLY Application May 19, 1951, Serial No. 227,177

1t) Claims. (Cl. 10S- 282) This invention relates to an improved outlet frame and gate assembly for the discharge opening of a load containing hopper.

The objects of the invention among others are: To provide a frame and gate having interengagng ilared portions at the mouth of the frame for preventing seepage of the lading; to provide a gate having laterally extending portions lying outwardly beyond the sides of the discharge opening for engagement with arms pivoted on the frame at the sides of the opening and to arrange for the `operation of said arms by movement of a rotatable operating shaft; to provide au improved frame structure for carrying extension rail members to underlie the laterally extending portions of the sliding gate to sup port the gate in open position; and to provide a cowllike housing at the end of the frame for protecting the end of the gate and associated mechanism against unfavorable weather conditions.

The invention further resides in the improved frame structure and in the means employed for latching the gate in closed position and in the mounting of the sealing pin.

For further comprehension of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein the invention is shown as applied to the load containing hopper of a railway car.

In said drawings, Figure 1 shows a plan View of a portion of a railway car hopper with the improved outlet frame and gate assembly applied thereto, said View being partly broken away to better illustrate the parts.

Figure 2 is a View of the structure shown in Figure 1 partly in side elevation and partly in section as seen on a section line 2 2 of said Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 2 as taken on a line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on a line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detached top plan View of the gate. Figure 6 is a detached plan view of the frame. Figure 7 is a vertical side elevational view of the outlet frame shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a vertical end elevational View of the frame shown in Figure 7 as viewed from right to left of said j last named figure.

Figure 9 is a fractional side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the outer end of the outlet assembly showing the latching dog in released position and the gate in partially opened position.

Figure l0 is a vertical end view of the structure shown in Figure 9 as seen from right to left, certain parts being shown in section.

Figure 1l is a longitudinal elevational View showing the shaft, operating head, pinion and arm assembly in de tached relation.

Figure l2 is a vertical sectional View at an enlarged scale taken through the shaft and gate as seen on a line 12-12 of Figure 1, said view showing the pinion broken away to better illustrate the latching arm.

rates Patent 21,719,492 Patented Oct. 4, 1955 ICC In said drawings the load containing hopper is indicated generally in Figures 1, 2 and 3. It is formed by side walls 10 and 11 which meet with

end sloping walls

12 and 13, Figure 3, to form a four-sided hopper 14 having a four-sided discharge opening 15..

Enclosing the lower portion of the four sides of the hopper 14 is a unitary frame 16 having a sliding gate 17, carried thereby which is provided on its underside with transversely extending rack teeth 18. Cooperating with the rack teeth 18 of the gate 17 are pinions 19 which are non-rotatably mounted on an operating shaft 20 and the latter in turn is journalled in bearings 21 on opposite sides of the frame 16.

The frame 16 in its preferred form includes an upper wall portion lying above the gate 17 and formed with

walls

22, 23, 24 and 25 which overlie the

respective walls

10, 11, 12 and 13 of the hopper 14. The frame 16, below the gate 17, is formed with a four-sided chute-like portion of appreciable depth including

side walls

26 and 27 which are spaced inwardly from the adjacent upper walls 22 and 23 a sutlicient distance to provide at runway surfaces 28 at each side of the frame 16 and on which the gate 17 is adapted to have lengthwise sliding movement.

The frame 16 adjacent the runway surfaces 28 is provided with upstanding guiding walls 29-29 which lie adjacent the sides 30-30 of the gate and constitute guiding means for conning the movement of the gate to a substantially rectilinear path. The frame 16 at its outer end is provided with an elongated slot 31, Figure 8, through which the gate proper extends and outwardly of said slot the gate 17 is provided with extensions 32-32, Figure 5, which extend laterally outwardly beyond the ends of the slot 31 and thus result in a T shaped gate. The side walls 29 of the frame 16 adjacent the slot 31 are inclined as at 33 to present an outwardly diverging ilared mouth and cooperable with the inclined walls 33 of the frame are similarly inclined walls 34 formed on the sides of the gate 17 adjacent the lateral extensions 32.

The frame 16 adjacent the slot 31 is formed at each side with a vertically disposed angle shaped section positioned, Figure 6, cornerwise around the lateral extensions of the gate 17 as indicated at 35 at the inner side of the frame and at 36 at the outer side of the frame.

Each angle shaped

section

35 and 36 includes a vertically disposed longitudinally extending wall spaced outwardly beyond the lateral extension of the frame and connected therewith by a laterally extending vertical wall, said respective walls forming section 36 at the outer side of the frame 16 are indicated at 37 and 38 respectively and the similarly disposed walls of section 35 at the inner side of the frame are indicated at 39 and 4i) respectively. The outer longitudinally extending wall 38 extends downwardly from the upper margin of the outer sloping wall 22 of the frame 16 as shown in Figure 7.

The respective longitudinally disposed

walls

38 and 40 are each provided with the bearings 21 in transversely aligned relation to receive the operating shaft 20. Extending downwardly at an incline from the upper margin of the end sloping wall 25 of the frame is a wall 42, Figure 6, which is integrally united at each end with the longitudinally extending

walls

38 and 40 and there is thus provided an inverted V-shaped cowl like housing structure which forms an enclosure for the outer end of the gate 17 and operates as a weather protection for the outer end thereof and its associated mechanism.

The operating shaft 20 is preferably of rectangular section and is provided adjacent the bearings 21 with

circular hub portions

43 and 44, Figure 1l, the latter being integrally formed with an operating head 45 disposed on the outer side of wall 38. The bearing 43 is in the form Qtashouldered bearing held Yin place on the Shaft 2 0 by a loosely mounted pin 43a as indicated in Figure 11.

Inwardly of the

walls

38 and 40 and in transverse alignment with the .lateral extensions 32 of `the gate 17 there are non-rotatably mounted on the shaft 2 0 .arms 4 6, Figures 1l and 12, which areeach provided with an abutment face 47 arranged to contact with the end wall 48 of the gate, atthe rear of the lateral'extension. The arms 46 are spaced apart on the shaft 20, vas shown more clearly in Figures 1, 5 .and 11, to engage portions of the -wall 4 8 along the extensions 3 2 and to clear the sides -39 of the gate 17 when it is moved over the shaft 2 0 on rotation of the latter. One of the engaging faces 47 or 48 is preferably formed of arcuate shape and, as shown, said ourvatnre-is preferably formed on :the gate 17. The axis 49 of the radius 5.0 `describing the arcuate end wall 48 is preferably located slightly above the pitch line 51 of the toothed :pinion Aand rack teeth. The difference in location of the pitch line 51 and axis 49 is such that, upon the establishment of contact between the engaging face 47 of the arms `46 and end wall 48 of the gate 17, the latter is advanced beyond the teeth of the pinions 19 and the entire ,operation of the gate 17 in a closing direction thereafter is assumed by the arms 46.

The rack teeth 18 of the gate 17 then move against the teeth of the pinions 1 9 instead yof the pinion teeth moving the gate, it being understood that there is sufficient clearance or back lash 4between the teeth of the pinions 19 and the rack teeth 18 of the gate 17 to compensate for the differential movement.

The gate 17 is retained in closedposition by reason of the arms 46 bearing against the end wall 48 and the shaft 20 is maintained against reverse rotation by means of a dog 52, Figure 2, acting on a lug 5 3 ,formed integrally with the operating-head .45. The dog 52 is pivotally mounted on the frame 16 at 54and is adapted to be swung to dispose a portionthereof in the path of rotation of the lug 53. There is formed in the web 5 5 of the dog .52 a key shaped aperture 56 for the reception of a sealing pin 57 which latter is pivotally mounted vin -lugs 5 8 disposed, Figure l8, on the upper face of flange 42 of the cowl structure.

The lugs 58, which are preferably formed integrally with the flange 442, are provided with aligned key shaped ,apertures 59 which correspond in shape to the shape of .the key shaped end 60 of the sealing pin 57. The pin 57 is provided at its outer end with a handle portion 61 disposed at such an angle to the key shaped end 60 that the vpin 57 may only b e inserted through the aligned apertures 59 prior to the positioning of the frame on the hopper structure as will ybe seen by reference to Figure 9 wherein the inserting position of the p in is indicated at .62 by conventional dot and dash lines. Should there be 4any 4necessity to replace a pin on the assembled structure the operation may be c arried out by heating the handle portion 61 in a suitable manner and bending the said handle to clear the sloping end wall 1 3 of the hopper 14.

The improvement provides for uniform sliding movement of the gate 17 and for the forcing it with uniform pressure at each `end thereof by rotation of the shaft 2 0. The disposition of the extensions 32 outwardly of the main body of the sliding gate 17 combined with the outward spacing of the longitudinally extending supporting

side walls

38 and 40 of the frame 16 provide a rigid well-braced structure in which there is a minimum of Wear on the undersurface of the gate 17 such as would Vmar its seating surface and impair its sealing eiciency should the underside of the main body of the gate be compelled to slide over the extension runways. The outward spacing of the

side walls

38 and 40 enables the use of angle shaped extension rail members 63 which are thus secured to the

walls

38 and 40 by one flange 64, Figure 10, and the adjacent flange 65 is v horizontally disposed and constitutes the runway which supports thelateral extensions32 of the gate 17 when the latter is in open position. Secured to the vertical flanges 64 of the extension rail members are guide plates 66 to limit the sideward and upward bouncing movement of the gate 17 when in open position.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a load containing hopper including a discharge opening and a multiple sided frame bordering the opening, one of said sides having a slotted opening, a sliding gate extending through the slot for closing the opening, s aid frame having runways underlying the gate at each side thereof and side walls lying at each side of the runway extending in parallelism with the sides of the gate, said side walls adjacent the slotted end of the frame and remote from the opposite end thereof diverging outwardly at acute angles with respect to the remaining portions of said side walls to present a wedge-shaped mouth disposed centrally with respect to said side walls, and correspondingly disposed wedge-shaped surfaces at the sides of said gate for engagement with said side Walls of said wedgeshaped mouth when the gate is in closed position in the opening to locate the same therein, the interaction of the side walls vof said wedge-shaped mouth and of the juxtaposed wedge-shaped surfaces of said gateinsuring that said sides of said gate in closed position are in predetermined relation to the juxtaposed sidewalls of said frame.

2. In a load containing hopper including a four-sided discharge opening and a four-sided framing structure bordering said opening, one of said sides having a slot formed therein, a sliding gate extending through said slot, a shaft journalled in said vframe below the plane of said gate, cooperating rack and pinion means carried by said gate and shaft respectively for moving the former by rotation of the latter, and arm means fast on said shaft and extending radially therefrom-for engaging the trailing Lsurface of said gate as it approaches the Aclosed position by operation of said rack and ypinion means to insure that said gate is moved to the completely closed position by continued rotation of said shaft.

3. In a load containing hopper including a four-sided discharge opening 'and a four-sided framing structure lbordering said opening, one .of said sides having a slot formed therein, a sliding gate extending through said slot, -said .gate having at its outer end lateral extensions lying outwardly beyond said slot, side walls sections on said framing structure lying outwardly beyondsaid lateral extensions of said gate, a shaft journalled in said wall sec.- tions below .the plane of said gate, cooperating rack and pinion means carried by said gate and shaft lrespectively for moving the former by rotation of the latter, and arms fast on said shaft and extending 4radially -therefrom in alignment with the paths of travelof said lateral extensions respectively for engaging the trailing surfaces thereof as said gate approaches the closed position by operation of said rack and pinion means tovinsure ythat said `gate is moved to the completely closed position by continued rotation of said shaft.

4. In a load containing hopper having a discharge opening and including a sliding gate for closing the opening, an outlet frame bordering the opening for supporting the gate and means for moving the gate throughout substantially its entire range .of movement and including rack teeth on the lgate and cooperating toothed pinion means rotatably supported bythe `frame, a rotatable shaft for supporting the pinions, contact means on the gate, and `other means carried by the shaft arranged .to contact said contact means on the gate as the latter moves to closed position and take up the movement of the gate in advance of the pinions, said other means including arm means extending radially from the shaft.

5. In a load containing hopper having a discharge opening and including a sliding `gate for closing the opening, a framebordering the openingof the discharge' Vhopper for Supporting the gate, and .means for moving the .gate .i11- cluding toothed rack means carried by the gate and cooperating pinion means carried by the frame and a rotatable shaft for supporting the pinion means, and means for moving the gate in advance of the pinions by rotation of the shaft including radially disposed arms carried by the shaft and arranged to contact the gate at a location spaced from the axis of the Shaft beyond the pitch line defining the engaging location of the pinion and rack teeth.

6. In a load containing hopper having a four-sided discharge opening and including a sliding gate for closing the opening, a four-sided outlet frame for supporting the gate bordering the opening of the hopper opening, said frame having an elongated slot in one of the sides for the accom* modation of the gate therethrough, lateral extensions on the gate disposed outwardly of the slot and extending laterally beyond the ends of the slot, the portions of the sides at the ends of said slot diverging outwardly with respect to the remaining portions of said sides to present a wedge shaped mouth, correspondingly disposed wedge shaped surfaces at the sides of said gate for engagement with said wedge shaped mouth when said gate is in closed position in said opening, supplementary rail members projecting beyond the gate and underlying said lateral extensions to form runways for supporting said gate in open position, and angularly related vertical wall sections extending outwardly cornerwise around the lateral extensions of the gate to present transversely and longitudinally extending walls, the last named walls constituting supporting means for the extension rail members.

7. In a load containing hopper having a four-sided discharge opening and including a gate for closing the opening, a four-sided outlet frame for supporting the gate bordering the discharge opening, one of said sides having a slot for the gate,` said frame having an upper section overlying the hopper and a lower chute like portion including sides having outwardly facing upper and lower wall sections extending beneath the gate and disposed with the upper anges forming runways for the gate, said gate having a body section arranged to slide on said runways and having beyond the slot lateral extensions extending outwardly beyond each side of the runway, the portions of the sides at the ends of said slot diverging outwardly with respect to the remaining portions of said sides to present a wedge shaped mouth, correspondingly disposed wedge shaped surfaces at the sides of said gate for engagement with said wedge shaped mouth when said gate is in closed position in said opening, said frame having at each side angularly related vertical walls extending cornerwise around the said lateral extensions of the gate, one of said walls of each corner extending lengthwise in the general direction of movement of the gate and the other of said walls extending transversely of the lengthwise wall and integrally uniting the latter with the upper and lower sections of the frame, and extension rails projecting beyond the frame to underlie and support the extensions of the gate, said rails being secured to the lengthwise extending walls.

8. In a load containing hopper having a four-sided discharge opening and including a sliding gate for closing the opening, a four-sided outlet frame for supporting the gate, one of said sides having a slot formed therein for the accommodation of the gate therethrough, said gate beyond the slot being provided with lateral extensions extending beyond the slot, vertical walls extending cornerwise around the lateral extensions to provide transverse and longitudinal walls, an inverted V-shaped cowl extending between said respective walls to overlie the projecting portion of the gate, means for moving the gate including interengaging rack and toothed pinions carried by the gate and frame respectively, an operating shaft for supporting the pinions journalled in the said longitudinal` walls, arms carried by the shaft adapted to engage with the extensions of the gate to maintain the latter in closed position, a lug fixed with respect to the shaft disposed outwardly of one of the longitudinal walls, a dog pivotally mounted on the frame to swing in the path of movement of the lug, and an axially movable sealing pin pivotally mounted on the inverted V-shaped cowl and axially movable to extend through the locking dog.

9. In a load containing hopper including a discharge opening and a multiple sided frame bordering the opening, one of said sides having a slotted opening, a sliding gate extending through the slot for closing the opening, said frame having runways underlying the gate at each side thereof and side walls lying at each side of the runways extending in parallelism with the sides of the gate, said side walls adjacent the slotted end of the frame diverging outwardly at acute angles with respect to the remaining portions of said side walls to present a wedgeshaped mouth, correspondingly disposed wedge-shaped surfaces at the sides of the gate for engagement with the wedge-shaped mouth of the frame when the gate is in closed position in the opening, a shaft journalled in said frame, cooperating rack and pinion means carried by said gate and shaft respectively for moving the gate by rotation of the shaft, and supplementary means carried by the shaft for engaging the gate to move the same in advance of said pinion means to cause said wedge-shaped surfaces on the gate to engage the corresponding surfaces of said wedge-shaped mouth.

l0. In a load containing hopper including a discharge opening and a multiple sided frame bordering the opening, one of said sides having a slotted opening, a sliding gate extending through the slot for closing the opening, said gate beyond the slot being provided with lateral extensions extending beyond the slot, said frame having runways underlying the gate at each side thereof and side walls lying at each side of the runway extending in parallelism with the sides of the gate, said side walls adjacent the slotted end of the frame diverging outwardly at acute angles with respect to the remaining portions of said side walls to present a wedge-shaped mouth, correspondingly disposed wedge-shaped surfaces at the sides of the gate for engagement with the wedge-shaped mouth of the frame when the gate is in closed position in the opening, a shaft journalled in said frame, cooperating rack and pinion means carried by said gate and shaft respectively for moving the gate by rotation of the shaft, and arms carried by the shaft for engaging with the extensions of the gate to move the same in advance of said pinion means to cause said wedgeshaped surfaces on the gate to engage the corresponding surfaces of said wedge-shaped mouth.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 85,647 Dolan Jan. 5, 1869 820,240 Mulock May 8, 1906 2,002,211 Torney May 21, 1935 2,072,292 Campbell Mar. 2, 1937 2,142,236 Campbell Ian. 3, 1939 2,222,280 Batho Nov. 19, 1940 2,512,451 Withall June 20, 1950