US3118394A

US3118394A - Valve actuator interlock control for tilting dump cars

Info

Publication number: US3118394A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 1981-01-21

Description

Jan. 21, 1964 H. F. FLOWERS VALVE ACTUATOR INTERLOCK CONTROL FOR TILTING DUMP CARS Filed NOV. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Hewibrtf Z ATTORNEY J 1964 H. F. FLOWERS VALVE ACTUATOR INTERLOCK CONTROL FOR TILTING DUMP CARS Filed Nov. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fk ryirtf'lowers BY m, m wm ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,ll8,3% i Patented Jan. 21, 196

3,118,394 VALVE ACTUATOR INTERLOCK CONTRUL FOR TILTING DUMP CARS Henry Fort Flowers, R0. Box 238, Findlay, Ohio Filed Nov. 5, 1953, Ser. No. 772,067 Claims. (Cl. 105273) The following specification relates to an improvement in a valve control interlock for dump cars of the type in which the cars are discharged to either side as may be desired. The invention is an improvement applicable to such cars of the general type shown in my former patent granted August 28, 1934, No. 1,972,042, to which reference may be made for general structural details. The improved interlock may also be related to my patent issued March 20, 1956, No. 2,73 8,733, showing the valve structure involved.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve control interlock which will make it impossible to introduce pressure fluid simultaneously to cylinders on both sides of an air-dump oar.

Another object of my invention is to provide an interlock between the valves such that it will positively exhaust the pressure fluid from the lifting cylinders on one side of the dump car whenever pressure fluid is delivered to the cylinders on the opposite side of the car.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an interlock that will positively prevent reversing the direction of the dumping from the car except when the dump body is resting in its central position on the underframe of the car.

Among the objects of my invention is to provide a simple mechanical interlock between the valve control shafts on opposite sides of the car.

A still further object of my invention is to provide latch means which will block the movement of the valve operating shafts whenever the dump body has been tilted out of its normal horizontal position of rest.

These and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part evident in the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section of the floor and related parts of the underfr'ame of a side dump body in central position with my improved interlock for valve control mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a similar cross-section with the side dump body tilted into dumping position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the valve control mechanism and interlock mounted on the underframe of the dump car body;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

.FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the relation between the interlock and the associated valves and FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the valve for the elevating cylinders.

In brief, the drawings illustrate the invention as comprised of means actuated by the movement of the selected valve operating shaft to block a contrary movement of the inactive valve shaft and its associated lifting cylinders. Furthermore, in conjunction with such inte locking means, provision is made for the dump body in its tilting movement to release a stop which will block the reverse movement of the interlock and thus prevent the valve operating shaft from going into inlet position. In this way it is impossible for both valve operating shafts to be in the open position at the same time.

The dump car has an underfrarne 7 from which bolsters8, 8 extend laterally for the support of a dump body 9 of which a fragmentary portion is shown on the drawings.

This dump body 9 is tilted late-rally in one direction by cylinders 16, ltd, or laterally in the opposite direction by cylinders 11, 11, diagrammatically illustrated on FIG. 5 on trunnions 15 and ll.

The cylinders ltl, lid are controlled by a valve 12 with conduit 12 mounted on the under-frame '7 by which compressed air or other pressure medium is delivered to the cylinders it}, ill, causing them to tilt up one side of the dump body 9. The dump body rests on each side on trunnions 42 of which one only is illustrated and is hoisted on either side selectively by pressure cylinders ill and 11 also mounted on the underframe. This structure is that disclosed in detail in the above-mentioned Patent No. 2,738,733.

The valve 12 is controlled by a rock shaft 14 extending longitudinally on one side of the underframe 7. At one end the shaft 14 has a crank arm .15 to which is attached an operating handle 16.

In the form shown on the drawings, the shaft 14 has an extension 17 running to the opposite end of the underbody 7. At this point the extension 17 terminates in a rock lit the end of which carries a counterweight bar 19. The extension 17 is jou-rnaled in a plate 36 mounted on a bracket 37 extending outwardly from an I-beam 33 forming part of the underframe 7. The upper edge of the plate 36 limits the extent of movement of the bar 19, the valve-operating shaft 14 and its extension 17. The operating handle 16 is capable of giving the shafts 1.4 and -17 a range of movement of about The counterweight bar 19 prevents the shaft from stopping at an intermediate position. The weight of the counterweight bar is such as to cause the shaft to move to one or the other end of its movement.

The opposite side of the underframe 7 carries a similar valve 13 for the cylinders 11, 11'. A valve shaft 26' extends along the underframe and terminates opposite the valve shaft extension 17. The end of the shaft 2t carries a crank 21. The shaft 24 is given a range of movement similar to that of shaft 14. The shaft 20 is journaled in a plate 39 mounted on a bracket 4 extending outwardly from I-beam 41 forming part of the underrarne 7. Shaft 2a carries at its outer end an arm 22 having a counterweight bar 23. The upper edge of the plate 38 limits the movement of the counter-weight bar 23 and the valve operating shaft 20.

The shaft 2%} is capable of the same range of movement as shfit 14.

As shown in FIG. 2 by way of example, when the shaft 26 moves inwardly, it serves to allow inlet of the pressure fluid to the cylinders 11 in the angular positions indicated.

At the opposite range of movement, the valve 13 is in the exhaust position.

The intermediate range of movement is a. lap during which pressure fluid is neither admitted to nor exhausted from the cylinders.

Mounted between the

counterweight bars

19 and 23 is a reciprocating rod 24. This rod moves freely transversely of the underframe. The opposite ends of the reciprocating rod carry

heads

25 and 26 which are within the paths of movement of the

counterweight bars

19 and 23 respectively.

The reciprocating rod 24 is located so that the end of the counterweight bar 19 strikes the head 25 of the reciprocating rod 24. The reciprocating rod 24 has a length selected such that when one counterweight bar is in the inlet position, the opposite head on the reciprocating rod forces the other counterweight bar outwardly and consequently throws the shaft and its associated valve into the exhaust position. The location of the reciproeating rod insures that air under pressure can never enter the dump cylinders on both sides of the car at the same time. It is also important to prevent a reversal in the direction of tilt of the dump body when the latter is partially tilted. To accomplish this, an interlocking mechanism is provided. The underframe of the dump car carries a bracket 27 which forms a bearing support for a beam 28. The beam 28 has trunnions 29 pivoted in the bracket. At one end this beam has a pivot for a yoke 36 from which a loclc bar 31 depends. In its upper position this lock bar clears the head 26 of the reciprocating rod 24 and permits the valve to be shifted.

However, when the lock bar drops to the extent permitted by its collar 32, the bar blocks the reciprocating rod head 26 and prevents movement of the valve shaft.

The underirame at this point is provided with a slide bearing 33 through which the bar 31 projects freely.

The opposite or inner end of the beam 28 is normally help up by a compression spring 34. This spring extends between the beam 23 and the bracket 27 as shown on HS. 2.

The dump body 9 carries a detent 35. This detent strikes the free end of the beam 23 when the dump body is brought into a horizontal position as illustrated on FIG. 1. It follows therefore, that the lock bar 31 is held up out of the path of the rod head 26. The rock shaft or the valve is thus free to move.

When, however, the dump body is tilted in either lateral direction, the detent 35 is lifted out of the path of the beam The latter then drops the lock bar 31 into the path of the rod head 26 and prevents it from moving in either direction. In this Way the transverse rod 24 is prevented from reverse movement.

From the above description it will be clear that the valve shafts on opposite sides of the underrrame are prevented from being in the inlet position at the same time. In the position shown in FIG. 1, either valve shaft may be brought into the inner or inlet position. Simultaneously with this movement the rod is advanced outwardly on the other site and thus holds the shaft on that side in ex? .ust position. It is therefore impossible to move the second valve into an inlet position at the same ti .12.

When the body has tilted, the second valve cannot be brought into inlet position due to the blocking by the lock bar 31.

Only when the dump body is returned to a horizontal position is it possible to unlatch the lock bar 31 and lift it out of the path of head 26 in each direction and thus allow the valve shafts to rock in the opposite direction to the extent that would permit the second shaft to open its valve and at the same time hold the first shaft in the exhaust position.

The invention has been illustrated and described in its preferred form. It is subject to modification and minor changes in proportions and mechanical equivalents without departing from its scope as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with the underframe of a dump car havin lateral sides, a dump body mounted thereon for tilting sideways, hoisting cylinders for the dump body mounted on each side of the underirame, separate pressure valves mounted on the underframe and each connected to the cylinders on one side, separate valve-actuating shafts mounted on said underirame and each connccted with one valve, an arm on each shaft, a reciprocating rod shiitably held in the underframe, said rod being moved by one of said arms out of the path of the said arm and simultaneously into the path of the other arm and means on the underframe vertically movable into the path of movement of reciprocating rod to block its movement.

2. In combination with the underframe of a dump car having lateral sides, a dump body mounted thereon for tilting sideways, hoisting cylinders for the dump 4 body mounted on each side of the underframc, separate pressure valves mounted on the underframe and each connected to the cylinders on one side, separate valvcactuating rock shafts mounted on said underframe and each connected with one valve, said rock shafts having roclr arms, a reciprocating rod shiftably held in the underirame, said rod being moved by one of said rock arms out of the path of the said rock arm and simultaneously into the path of the other rocl; arm and means on the underframe vertically movable into the path of movement of said reciprocating rod to block its movement.

3. In combination with the undcrframe of a dump car having lateral sides, a dump body mounted thereon for tilting sideways, hoisting cylinders for the dump body mounted on each side of the undcrframc, separate pressure valves mounted on the underframc and each connected to the cylinders on one side, separate valveactuating rock shafts mounted on said underframe and each connected with one valve, said rock shafts having rock arms with counterweights, a reciprocating rod shiftably held in the underframe, said rod being moved by one of said counterweights out of the path of said counterweight and simultaneously into the path of the other counterweight and means on the underframe vertically movable into the path of movement of said rod to block its movement.

4. In combination with the underframc of a dump car havin lateral sides, a dump body mounted thereon for tilting sideways, hoisting cylinders for the dump body mounted on each side of tie undcrframc, separate pressure valves mounted on the underfrarne and each connected to the cylinders on one side, separate valveactuating shafts having rock arms mounted on the underframe and each connected with one valve, :1 reciprocating rod shiftably held in the underframe, said rod being moved by one of said rock arms out of the path of the said arm and simultaneously into the path of the rock arm of the other valve-actuating shalt, a vertically movable locl-z-bar on the underframe, spring means moving said bar into the path of the reciprocating rod, a detent carried on the dump body, and a pivoted link on the underframe, coupled to the lock-bar and engaged by the detent to hold the lock-bar retracted when the dump body is horizontal.

5. In combination with the undcrframe of a dump car, a dump body mounted thereon for tilting in either sideways direction, hoisting cylinders for the dump body mounted on each side of the underframe, a separate pressure valve operatively connected to the cylinders on each side, a valveactuating rock shaft arranged longitudinally on each side of the underframe. a rock arm on each shaft, a reciprocating rod, said rod being movable by one of said rock arms out of the path of said rock arm and simultaneously into the path of the other rock arm, a beam pivotally mounted on the underframe, a lock-bar pivoted to one end of the beam, a slide bearing on the underframe for guiding the lock-bar for vertical movement, a spring on the underframe pressing upwardly against the opposite end of the beam to move the lockbar downwardly into the path of one end of the reciprocating rod, and a detent on the dump body bearing down on the free end of the beam to retract the lock-bar when the body is in a horizontal position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STA ES PATENTS 1,243,3l2 Gow Nov. 17, 1917 1,283,733 Govv Nov. 5, 1918 1,972,042 Flowers Aug. 28, 1934 1,985,653 Christie et al. Dec. 25, 1934 2,307,284 Magee Jan. 5, 1943 2,646,474 Stratton July 21, 1953 2,738,733 Flowers Mar. 20, 1956 2,745,361 Lunde May 15, 1956

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION WITH THE UNDERFRAME OF A DUMP CAR HAVING LATERAL SIDES, A DUMP BODY MOUNTED THEREON FOR TILTING SIDEWAYS, HOISTING CYLINDERS FOR THE DUMP BODY MOUNTED ON EACH SIDE OF THE UNDERFRAME, SEPARATE PRESSURE VALVES MOUNTED ON THE UNDERFRAME AND EACH CONNECTED TO THE CYLINDERS ON ONE SIDE, SEPARATE VALVE-ACTUATING SHAFTS MOUNTED ON SAID UNDERFRAME AND EACH CONNECTED WITH ONE VALVE, AN ARM ON EACH SHAFT, A RECIPROCATING ROD SHIFTABLY HELD IN THE UNDERFRAME, SAID ROD BEING MOVED BY ONE OF SAID ARMS OUT OF THE PATH OF THE SAID ARM AND SIMULTANEOUSLY INTO THE PATH OF THE OTHER ARM AND MEANS ON THE UNDERFRAME VERTICALLY MOVABLE INTO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID RECIPROCATING ROD TO BLOCK ITS MOVEMENT.