US2891487A - Hopper door locking mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Jun 23, 1959 Filed Nov. 16, 1956 c. HANKINS HOPPER DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM I Q 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR cmus HAN/(INS BY .A ATTORNEY June 23, 1959 c. HANKINS HOPPER DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM I Filed Nov. 16, 1956 v Y 4 Sheets-sheaf 2 INVENTOR cmus HANK/N8 1% ATTORNEY June 23, 1959 c, HANK|N$ HOPPER DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Filed Nov. 16, 1956 INVENTOR aww/s HAN/(INS A; ATTORNEY June 23, 1959 c. HANKINS 2,891,487

' HOPPER DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 16, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG] mvsmoa CYRUS HANK/N8 4; ATTORNEY atent i 2,891,487 Patented. June 23, 1959 Free HOPPERJDOOR LQcKING. MECHANISM Cyrus Hankins, Washington, D.C., assignor to Unitcast Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 16,1956, Serial No. 622,557

7 Claims. (Cl.'105-308) This invention'relates' to a hopper door locking mechanism for individually locking a hopper door of a hopper car.

The individual locking of the hopper or drop bottom doors of a hopper car poses a number of problems. For one, the door should be readily releasable. For another, the latching mechanism must be able automatically to engage and hold the door in'a preliminary position as it is swung shut'by' the operator. Fora third,'the door must be able to be drawn'from'this preliminary position to closed position'regardlessof warpage, so that it will provide an effective closure for the hopper opening. Additionally, for his protection,the operator should'be able to operate the door entirely fromthe side of the car, during both opening and preliminary and fina'l'closing. Andlastly, and of prime importance, the locking mech anism should be contained, at minimum, within the A.A.R. unrestricted equipment lirni t' line at both sides and bottom of the car to enablethe car to be used in interchange and, at maximum, within a line representing side and'bottom clearances for a car just meeting the minimum A.A.R. standards for coupling height. The individual door locking mechanisms heretofore proposed solve some of these problemsbutnoneemploying a single central latch solves them all.

It istherefore the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved individual door locking mechanism employing 'a single latch and solving the various problems involved in individually locking hopper doors.

Another object of the invention is to-provide' an improved individual door lo'cking mechanism wherein both a central-1y located latch member and the operating mechanism therefor are carried bya hopper door and so mounted as to be Within the side and bottom equipment limits even when the-car has dropped to the minimum permissiblecoupling height, the operating mechanism at the same time providing a-handle for enabling an op erator to swing the door closed from the side of the car.

A further object of the invention is-to provide a mechanism for .individually locking a hopper door which is applicable equally whether the doors swing individually or are connected to swing in pairs.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved-mechanism for individuallylocking a hopper door which not only provides a preliminary hold which automatically engages as the. door is swung-shut and'a mechanical advantage ample for thedoor to'be pulled tighty-tofully'closed position,.but.also effectivelylocks the operating and latchingymechanisms against accidental dislodgement. when the door is infu'lly closed: position.

Another object. of the invention is to provide. .an improved. locking mechanism for .a hopper door wherein,

while carried by andlocated substantially centrally of. the bottom edge of the, door, the latch member is ob-.

liquely disposed relative to.that edge. so asto afford max.- imum rail clearance;

Other objects and advantages of'the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description," be particu- 2. larly pointed out in the appended claims and, be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a sectional view of a hopper door and the associated portion of a hopper car with the door locked in closed position by a preferred form..of the locking mechanism of the present invention, the. latter. being shown in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a front view on a reducedscale andtaken in the plane of the door of the structure. of Figure 1;.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to the lower portion of Figure 1 .b'llt withthedoorpalitly: open;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view onanenlarged scale takenalong thelines. 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a. fragmentary view on the scale of. and taken-on the same section as Figure 4. with. the doorin the partly open position of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an exploded isometric view of the locking mechanisms latch member and operating shift; and.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the structure of Figure 1.

Referringnow in detail to the drawings, in. which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved locking mechanism of the present invention is applicable generally for individually locking hopper. doors and may be applied to hopper doors .of..rectangular, trapezoidal or other shape. Since the operationof the-lockingmechanism will be the'same, Whether the particular. door to which it is-applied is operated fromone side or the other, the installation differing only in use of the counterparts of certain of the parts, a door operated from the left side has been selected for purposes of illustration. Also, as exemplary of the invention, the particular hopper or drop bottom door, designated asl, to which the locking. mechanism has been applied is of rectangular shape and the part of the hopper car (not shown) to whichthe top of the door is hinged or pivoted is a door frame. 2 bound.-. ing the opening3 in ahopper 4, having the usual downwardly ,bottomvslope-sheet or slopingbottom wall 5 and. inwardly slopingouter side wall 6.

Asthe hoppers and hopper doors of a hopper car project below the level of the, bodiesof other types: of freight. cars and are located at the sides of thecar, the provision of an eflicient locking-mechanism which will.clear the track over vertical curves and track installations at thev sides of horizontal curves presents difficultieswhichbecome particularly acute when, as here, it is desired to. employ .a single latch member. As illustrative of these difficulties, there are shown in Figure 7 the disposition of a closed door on a new hopper car relative to the head.

7' of the rail at the corresponding side of theitrack and:

the equipment limitlines determinative of the extent relative to the center of the track that the equipment can. project from the adjacent side and bottom of the car.

Three equipment lines have been shown, one, designated as A-A, the A.A.R. equipment limit line for an electric.

section ontan gent track, and another,.BB, the A.A.R.. unrestricted equipment diagram for interchange service. The third line CC is the line AA transposed to take into account both lateral offset of-a caronmainlinehori zontal curves and the permissible drop-of .some three inches in the coupling height of a cardue to. wear before. a car is declared unfit for interchange, service. The line.

C'CalloWs for. this drop, as well as for theincreased dividu'aldoor locking. mechanisms employing a single central'latch member to mount the latch member and opera ating mechanism on the bottom sheet.5 of the. hopper.

rather than on the door or, if the mechanism is door mounted, to raise the level of the mechanism by providing a hole in the lower portion of the door through which the latch projects in engaging a catch mounted on the inner face of. the bottom sheet of the hopper. The second of these expedients, of course, is subject to the objection that the catch with its housing interrupts and impedes flow of lading through the hopper opening and the first leaves the operator with the necessity of either using his foot or grasping a handhold especially provided for the purpose in order to swing the door to closed position.

The locking mechanism of the present invention not only permits the operating mechanism to be mounted on the door without cutting the door or interrupting the hopper opening, but enables its components to be held well within even the minimum limits imposed by the equipment line CC. This, in the main, is accomplished by rockably or pivotally mounting a latch, latch member or latching pawl 8 on the outer face 9 of the door 1, adjacent and substantially centered laterally relative to the bottom edge or margin 10 of the door, with the rocking or pivotal axis of the latch extending diagonally from the center towards the upper edge 11 of the door and inclined or oblique relative to both the bottom edge 10 and the vertical center line of the door. The latch in one direction from its axis extends below and inwardly or. rearwardly beyond the bottom edge 10 of the door and terminates at its lower inner end in a hook or hooked nose portion 12, the latch carrying at its opposite end a counterweight 13.

Mounted and fixed as by welding to the bottom slope sheet or wall 5, or in the disclosed embodiment the corresponding portion of the door frame 2, is a catch, catch member or keeper-plate 14 disposed in line with the latch 8 and having a shoulder or abutment 15 engageable by the hook 12 on the latch 8 for locking the door in place. So that the hook 12 will ride or slide into engagement with the shoulder 15 as the door 1 is swung shut, the front face 16 of the hook 12 or the outer, door-confronting, surface 17 of the shoulder 15 and preferably both, are bevelled or slanted so as to cam the lower or hook carrying end of the latch downwardly against the weight of the counterweight 13 and clear the bottom edge or crest 18 of the shoulder 15.

The latch 8 rocks on an eccentric cylindrical inner portion 19 of an operating shaft or rod 20, the main portion 21 of which projects or extends beyond the outer edge 11 of the door 1 and there terminates in a socketed head or outer end portion 22, the socket 23 in which is disposed at an angle to the axis of the main portion 21 and, in the locked position of the operating shaft 20, is substantially parallel to the outer side wall 6 of the hopper, the head, as shown in Figure 2, lying closely adjacent the side wall 6 of the hopper 4 and being well within the line CC. For journalling the operating shaft for rotation or turning on the door 1 there is provided a mounting bracket 24 carrying a pair of longitudinally spaced, concentrically or coaxially apertured hearings or hearing blocks 25, in each of which fits or seats and is journalled one of a pair of annular collars or flanges 26 coaxial with and spaced axially of the main portion 21 of the operating shaft 20.

In the preferred embodiment, the mounting bracket 24 is of angle section with one leg 27 fixed or secured as by welding or riveting to the outer face 9 of the door 1 and the other leg 28 projecting outwardly substantially normal to the door, the bracket bending obliquely substantially at its center with its outer portion 29 extending substantially parallel to the operating shaft 20 and its inner portion 30 following the bottom edge 10 of the door. With this construction, the bearings may form some of the ribs or webs connecting and reinforcing the legs 27 and 28. Inwardly beyond its eccentric portion 19 the operating shaft 20 terminates in an inner end portion 31 concentric or coaxial with but of less diameter 4 than the main portion 21 and seating in and extending through a socketed boss, hearing or hearing block 32 fixed to or integral with the mounting bracket 24.

The purpose of the eccentric mounting of the latch 8 is to enable leverage to be applied through an actuating lever in the form of a bar or rod (not shown) insertible in the socket 23 in the head of the operating shaft 20 after the hook 12 on the latch 8 and shoulder 15 on the catch 14 have engaged to hold the door in a preliminary hold or closed position as it is swung shut or towards closed position, so as to enable the door to be drawn up tight to fully closed position. To this end, the eccentric portion 19 has its axis so disposed relative to that of the main axis of the operating shaft 20 as to be at maximum lateral displacement or eccentricity relative to the plane of the outer face 9 of the door 1 and thus the catch 14, when the door is fully closed, as shown in Figure 4.

While such eccentricity, alone, by progressively shifting the rocking axis of the latch 8 outwardly, would pull the door up tight, a drivable connection between the latch 8 and the operating shaft 20 is needed to disengage the hook 12 from the catch 14 when the door is being opened and, conversely, to hold the hook and the catch in engagement under the closing pressure applied through the operating shaft under force of the actuating lever. Such a drivable connection with the lost motion needed to enable the latch 8 to rock freely through a limited are so that it will automatically engage the catch 14 as the door is swung shut, may be provided by one or, in the disclosed embodiment, a pair of lugs 33 projecting radially from the eccentric portion 19 at one or, if a pair is employed, either side of the hub 34 of the latch 8. Each of these lugs 33 is contained or rides in a segmental slot 35 interrupting each of a pair of segmental annular skirts or shoulders 36, one projecting from each side of the latch 8 axially of its hub.

Although the eccentric portion 19 could be rotated through a full 180 between the hold or preliminary closed and the closed positions of the door, the displace ment obtainable with a rotation has been found sufii cient and the corresponding lost motion or are of relative movement of the latch relative to the operating shaft is quite adequate to enable the hook 12 to engage and disengage the catch 14. As a consequence, the arc of the segmental slot 35 in each skirt 36 in the disclosed embodiment is about 90, so that each lug 33 will swing at maximum through a somewhat lesser are before one or the other of its sides 37 engages the confronting of the circumferentially spaced abutments 38 on the associated of the skirts 36 defining the opposite edges of its segmental slot 35.

With the above lost motion drive or connection between the latch 8 and the operating shaft 20, rotation of the operating shaft counterclockwise, as viewed from its head 22, when the door is fully closed, will shift the rocking axis of the latch 8 laterally toward the catch 14, freeing the bottom edge 10 of the door 1 from the hopper 4. As the rotation approaches 90, the abutment 38 at the far edge of each segmental slot 35 in the skirt 36, is engaged by the associated of the lugs 33, causing counterclockwise rotation of the latch 8, and forcing the hook 12 downwardly until it clears the crest 18 of the shoulder 15 on the catch 14, whereupon, the door is free to swing open. Since rotated on opening of the door 1 to the position shown in Figure 5 in which its hook 12 is below the catch 14, the latch 8, if it remained in that position, would not reengage the catch as the door was swung closed. However, once the latch 8 is released from the catch 14 and the actuating lever (not shown) by which the operating shaft 20 was rotated to open the door is removed from the socket 23, the counterweight 13 on the latch will come into play and apply the necessary force through the lug or lugs 33 to rotate the operating shaft-sufliciently to enable the latch, to: assume the.- rotativeposition shown in Figure.4,-- wher,eat it-isadapted to reengage the catch 14. After. the-contents of the hopper 4 have been dumped, an operator has merely. to grasp the projecting head-22 of. theoperating shaft 20 and, using it. as a handle, swing the,..door 1 to latchandcatch engaging or hold position. Thereafter, he will insert an actuating lever (not shown) intothe socket, 23 and, by rotating the operating,;shaft clockwise; shift the. eccentric portion 19 outwardly and, by engagement of the lug or lugs 33 with the-opposite of the abutment or abutments 38 on the skirt or skirts 36,-force the hook 12 upwardly relative to-the shoulderlS on the catch until the latch has finally reached the closed position shown in Figure 4.

border to prevent accidental releasing of the latch 8'when the door is closed, there is mounted on the outer face 9 of the. door, as through a thimble '39 and rivet 40,;a cam, 41 preferably having a plurality of relatively stepped teeth or ridges 42, an adjoining pair of which is; adapted to engage; the inner wall 43 of a longitudinally or axially extending groove or slot 44 in the operating shaft 20 with which the cam 41 aligns when the operating shaft is rotated such that the eccentric por- 'tion 19 is in its outermost or door locked position.

As. willbe noted from Figure 6, the eccentric portion 19. and thelug or lugs 33 are confined, radially of the operating shaft 20, within the perimeter of the annular flanges 26 through which the operating shaft is journalled in the mounting bracket 24, this preferred construction serving to enable the eccentric and lug or lugs to be inserted through the bearings 25 as the operating shaft is installed.- If, as in the disclosed embodiment, a pair of driving lugs 33 is employed, the bore 45 of the latch 8 which embraces or slides on the eccentric portion '1? is interrupted by an-axially extending key slot 46 through which the inner of thelugs 33 may slide until it reaches its. assembled position beyond the bore and within the segmental slot 35 in the inner of the skirts 36. The reduced inner end portion 31 of the operating shaft will then beseated in its bearing 32 and project therebeyond so; as to receive a cotter. pin or like retaining means 47 for holding the operating shaft, against displacement axiallyof the mounting bracket.

It has been mentioned that the illustrated locking mechanism, applied to a door operated from the left side, is; exemplary of the application of the latching mechanism to doors operated from either side. The operating shaft, 20 and the 1atch'8 of the illustrated embodiment may be-used without change on either door, thus, for a door ,operate'd'from the right side, making it necessary only to substitutefor the mounting bracket 24, the catch 14 and the. cam 41, their counterparts. Fitted with such lockingmechanisms, the several hopper doors of a hopper-car may be operated individually. If desired, they may also be operated in pairs, one at either side of the; car,,so as to preventone side of the car from being unloaded first and consequent overturning of the car due to the shifting of its' center of gravity, as "sometimes occurs. For such pair operation, it is only necessary that each pair of doors be connected beneath the center sill,(no.t shown) of the car by an angle iron or like suitable rigid, means (not shown), spanning and spaced below the center sill of the car and fixed at its ends to the outer faces 9 of the two doors.-

Fromthe. above detailed description it will be. apparent that there has been provided an improved individual door locking mechanism for hopepr doors which not only affords a preliminary hold position, enables the door to be drawn up tight and positively unlocks the door but also, without encroaching upon even the most restrictive of equipment limit lines, has its operating mechanism mounted on a door and therethrough provides a handle for swinging the door closed. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are-intended tobe included which do not'depart from either. the spirit of they invention or the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination witha top hinged door for closing a discharge opening in a hopper of a hopper car, of a door locking mechanism comprising a latch mounted on an outer face of said'door anddisposed obliquely to and projecting belowa bottom edge of said door substantially centrally thereof, an operating shaft rotatably mounted on said outer face of said door and having an eccentric portion ,rockably mounting said latch, said operating shaft extendingfrom said latch along said outer face of said door at an inclination to said bottom edgev thereof and having an outerend portion projecting-beyond a side of said door,- lost motion means drivably connecting said latch and shaft, and a catch secured to a bottom of said hopper, said catch being automatically engageable by said latch on swinging of said door, toward closed position, and said latch on subsequent rotation of said shaft having its rocking axis shifted outwardly relative to said door and through said lost, motion means having its lower end portion swung upwardly relative to said catch in moving said door to closed position.

2. The combination with a top hinged door for closing a discharge opening'in a hopper of a hopper car, of a door locking mechanism comprising a latdh member mounted on an outer face of said door and disposed diagonally relative to and substantially centrally of a bottom edge of said door, said latch member having a hook portion extending below and rearwardly of said outer face beyond said edgeand a counterweighted opposite end portion, an operating shaft rotatably mounted on and extending along said outer face of said door at an incline to said bottom edge, said operating shaft having an eccentric inner portion rockably mounting said latch and an outer end-portion projecting beyond a side of said door, lost motion means drivingly connecting said latch and shaft, and a catch secured to a bottom of said hopper, said catch being automatically engageable by said latch on swingingof said door toward closed position, and said latch on subsequent rotation of said shaft, having its rocking axis shifted outwardly relative to said door and through said lost motion means having its lower end portion swung upwardly-relative to said catch inv moving said door to closed position.

3-. The combination with a top hinged door for closing a discharge opening in, a hopper of a hopper car, of a door locking mechanism comprising a latch member mounted on an outer face of said door and disposed diagonally relative to and substantially centrally of a bot tom edge of said door, said latch member having a hook portion extending below and rearwardly of said outer face beyond said edge and a counterweighted opposite end. portion, an operating shaft rotatably. mounted on and extending along said outer face of said door at an incline to said bottom edge, said operating shaft having an eccentric inner portion rockably mounting said latch and a handle portion proiecting beyond a side, of said door, lug means, on said eccentric portion and riding between and alternately engageable, with, circumferentially spaced abutment means. carried by said latch member, and a catch secured to a bottom of, said hopper and automatically; engaged by the hook portion of said latch membet on swinging of said door toward closed position, subsequent rotation of said shaft in one direction shifting the rocking axis of said latch member outwardly and by engagement of said lug means with certain of said abutment means, swinging said hook portion upwardly relative to said latch for moving said door to closed position, and rotation of such shaft in the opposite direction when said door is closed shifting said rocking axis inwardly and by engagement of said lug means with other of said abutment means swinging said hook portion downwardly for disengaging said latch member from. said catch.

4. The combination with a top hinged door for closing a discharge opening in a hopper of a hopper car, of a door locking mechanism comprising a latch member mounted on an outer face of said door and disposed diagonally relative to and substantially centrally of a bottom edge of said door, said latch member having; a hook portion extending below and rearwardly of said outer face beyond said edge and a counterweighted opposite end portion, an operating shaft rotatably mounted on and extending along said outer face of said door at an incline to said bottom edge thereof, said operating shaft having an eccentric inner portion rockably mounting said latch member and a socketed head projecting beyond a side of said door and lying closely adjacent a side wall of said hopper, the socket in said head being adapted to receive an actuating lever and in the closed position of said door being disposed substantially parallel to said side wall, a cam pivotally mounted on an outer face of said door and aligning and engageable with a slot extending longitudinally of said shaft when the door is in closed position for locking said shaft against accidental rotation, and a catch secured to a bottom of said hopper, said catch being automatically engageable by said latch on swinging of said door toward closed position, and said latch on subsequent rotation of said shaft having its rocking axis shifted outwardly relative to said door and through said lost motion means having its lower end portion swung upwardly relative to said catch in moving said door to fully closed position.

5. The combination with a top hinged door for closing a discharge opening in a hopper of a hopper car, of a door locking mechanism comprising a latch member mounted on an outer face of said door and disposed diagonally relative to and substantially centrally of a bottom edge of said door, said latch member having a hook portion extending below and rearwardly of said outer face beyond said edge and a counterweighted opposite end portion, an operating shaft rotatably mounted on and extending along said outer face of said door at an incline to said bottom edge, said operating shaft having an eccentric inner portion rockably mounting said latch and an outer end portion projecting beyond a side of said door, annular wings projecting from opposite sides of said latch member and each interrupted by a segmental slot, lug means projecting radially from said eccentric portion of said shaft and riding in at least one of said slots, and a catch secured to a bottom of said hopper and automatically engaged by the hook portion of said latch member on swinging of said door toward closed position, subsequent rotation of said shaft in one direction shifting the rocking axis of said latch member outwardly and by engagement of said lug means with certain of said abutment means swinging said hook portion upwardly relative to said latch for moving said door to closed position, and rotation of such shaft in the opposite direction when said door is closed shifting said rocking axis inwardly and by engagement of said lug means with other of said abutment means swinging said hook portion downwardly for disengaging said latch member from said catch.

6. The combination with a top hinged door for closing a discharge opening in a hopper of a hopper car, of a door locking mechanism comprising a latch member mounted on an outer face of said door and disposed diagonally relative to and substantially centrally of a bottom edge of said door, said latch member having a hook portion extending below and rearwardly of said outer face beyond said edge and a counterweighted opposite end portion, an operating shaft rotatably mounted on and extending along said outer face of said door at an incline to said bottom edge, said operating shaft having an eccentric inner portion seatnig in a bore of and rockably mounting said latch member and an outer end portion projecting beyond a side of said door, annular wings projecting from opposite sides of said latch member and each interrupted by a segmental slot, a pair of lugs spaced axially of and projecting radially from said eccentric portion and each riding in one of said slots, 21 key slot interrupting the bore of said latch member for passing one of said lugs therethrongh, and a catch secured to a bottom of said hopper and automatically engaged by the hook portion of said latch member on swinging of said door toward closed position, subsequent rotation of said shaft in one direction shifting the rocking axis of said latch member outwardly and by engagement of said lug means with certain of said abutment means swinging said hook portion upwardly relative to said latch for moving said door to closed position, and rotation of such shaft in the opposite direction when said door is closed shifting said rocking axis inwardly and by engagement of said lug means with other of said abutment means swinging said hook portion downwardly for disengaging said latch member from said catch.

7. The combination with a top hinged door for closing a discharge opening in a hopper of a hopper car, of a door locking mechanism comprising a bracket secured to an outer face of said door adjacent a bottom edge thereof, an operating shaft rotatably mounted on said bracket and extending diagonally along said outer face of said door from beyond a side substantially to the center there of, said shaft having an eccentric inner portion and outwardly of said side of said door a socketed head for receiving an actuating lever, a latch member rocking on said eccentric portion about an axis oblique to said bottom edge and having a hook end portion extending from said outer face below and rearwardly beyond said bottom edge and a counterweighted opposite end portion, lug means on said eccentric portion and riding between circumferentially spaced abutment means carried by said latch member for limiting the rocking movement of said latch member relative to said shaft, and a catch member secured to a bottom of said hopper and automatically engaged by said latch member on swinging of said door toward closed position, subsequent rotation of said shaft in one direction shifting the rocking axis of said latch member outwardly and by said lug and abutment means swinging said hook portion thereof upwardly relative to said catch member for closing said door, and rotation of said operating shaft in the opposite direction when said door is closed shifting said rocking axis inwardly and swinging said hook portion downwardly for disengaging said latch and catch members and releasing said door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 827,526 Gibson July 31, 1906 2,482,516 Sheesley Sept. 20, 1949 2,730,966 Dorey Jan. 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 484,033 Canada June 17, 1952

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