US3170609A

US3170609A - Sliding hopper closure operating and supporting mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3170609A
Application number: US346187A
Authority: US
Inventors: George B Dorey
Original assignee: Enterprise Railway Equipment Co
Current assignee: Enterprise Railway Equipment Co
Priority date: 1964-02-20
Filing date: 1964-02-20
Publication date: 1965-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 1982-02-23

Description

G'. B. DOREY I Feb. 23, 1965 SLIDING HOPPER CLOSURE OPERATING AND SUPPORTING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 16, 196 0 Q ME mm. NM 1 Na/3% Q m N. R? Q J v w w .Yww m r QQ I, Q bk, A 1| 11 9 m Q Wi .8 km w [H g k \v\ W 6 Q w l v 4 Q Q .3 mt Q w Q M II .g a Q/ \WW 3 w n mm.

Feb. 23, 1965 G. B. DOREY 3,170,609

SLIDING HOPPER CLOSURE OPERATING AND SUPPORTING MECHANISM Original Filed June 16, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

680C965. D0f@, I BY G. B. DOREY SLIEDINGI HOPPER CLOSURE OPERATING AND SUPPORTING MEICHANISM Original Fil-ed June 16, 1960 m w w 0 G. BJDOREY' 3,E70,609'

SLIDING HOPPER CLOSURE OPERATING AND SUPPORTING MECHANISM Feb. 23, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed June 16, 1960 3% Q Q Q w A w 1m \pn & mm Q a QM k m Nh Q Q HHHHHHHI HI I IHHHHHINHH IHHH HhI HL -H HHHHI PHH l l ln hul nl l ll k N? United States Patent 3,170,609 SLIDING HOPPER CLOSURE GPERATING AND SUPPORTING MECESM George B. Dorey, Westmount, Quebec, Canada, assiguor to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Continuation of application Ser. No. 36,592, .lune 16, 1960. This application Feb. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 346,187 11 Claims. (Cl; 222-505) This invention'relates to an improved hopper outlet assembly such as employed for controlling the discharge of lading from load containing hoppers utilized for handling finely comminuted lading, and is a continuation of application Serial No.-36,502, filed lune 16, 1 960.

The objects of the invention, among others, are: to provide an assembly having a sliding gate employing retractable rails for supporting the gate in opened position; to provide retractable rail members performing the dual function of moving a sliding gate and Supporting the overhanging end of the gate when in closed positiom-to provide an operating shaft having seats associated therewith on which a sliding gate rests throughout a substantial range of its sliding movement; to provide guiding and supporting means for retractable supporting rail members for a sliding gate; to provide an improved arrangement of gearedpinions and associated rack members for moving a sliding gate; to provide an improved frame structure for receiving a sliding gate and associated operating means therefor; to provide an upwardly flanged beading along the leading marginal edge of a sliding gate to coact with-an overlying wall for restricting outward flow of line lading and thereby provide sealing security; and to provide for cooperating engagement between the lower margirral edge of an overlying Wall and an upwardly flanged heading of a gate for positively insuring downward displacement of the gate.

The invention further resides in the combination of parts and details of construction whereby the desired results are obtained as Will be evident from the specification and drawings.

In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elcvational view of the lower portion of a load containing structure incorporating the improved outlet assembly.

FIG. 2 is a vertical elevational end view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from right to left, the operating shaft-andrack support brackets being omitted. FIG. 3 is a pian view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 with the hopper floor sheets eliminated and certain parts broken away to better illustrate the details of construction. 1

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 except that the sliding gate is shown in opened position with the overhanging portion of the gate supported by the retractable members.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal vertical elevational view taken through the assembly on a line 5-5 of FIG. 3 and showing the sliding gate in partially opened position.

- FIG. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on a line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on a line 77 of FIG. '1.

FIG. 8 is a fractional vertical sectional view taken 0 a line 8-8 of FIG..1.

FIG. 9 is a fractional vertical sectional view taken on a line 9-9 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one of the side wall sub-assemblies of the frame.

In said drawings the improved outlet assembly is shown as applied to a four sided hopper 10 formed, in

part, by oppositely sloping longitudinally extending outer "ice and inner walls 11 and 12 which meet with transversely extending walls 13 and 14. Surrounding the lower portion of the hopper 111 is a frame assembly 15 which includes an upper section 16 and a lower section 17. The upper section 16 is generally of inverted truncated shape with longitudinally extending

side walls

18 and 19 which meet with transversely extending walls 211 and 21. The side Walls 18, 19, 21) and 21, respectively, overlie the

walls

11, 12, 13 and 14.

The lower section 17 is formed of side wall members 22 and 23 and transversely extending

wall members

24 and 25. The said

wall members

22, 23 and 24 form a three sided enclosure within which the truncated upper portion 16 nests and the other wall member 25, which extends transversely beneath a sliding gate 26, includes a sloping wall section 27 and an upper flange 28. The said upper flange 28 is spaced from the lower marginal edge 29 of the transversely extending overlying wall 21 to form a slotted opening 311 through which the sliding gate 26 extends. The lower marginal edges of the truncated upper section 16, as formed by the lower edges of the

Walls

18, 19, 2t? and 21, thus form the boundaries of a discharge area 31 which is closed by the sliding gate 26.

The

wall members

22, 23 and 24 of the lower frame section 17 are preferably formed of upper verticall extending

wall sections

32, 33 and 34 which lead to downwardly and inwardly sloping Wall sections, as indicated at 55, 36 and 37 respectively. The sloping

walls

35, 36 and 37 in combination with the sloping wall 27 of Wall member 25 form a four sided chute-like hopper lying below the gate 2-6 for receiving lading flowing from the discharge area 31.

The side wall members 22 and 23, at the end of the frame adjacent the trailing end 26 of the gate 26, in clude vertically extending portions 33 and 39, respectively, forming continuations of the vertically extending wall sections 22 and 23. The

sloping wall sections

35 and 36 in actuality are formed by separating a portion of tne plates as at 41), FIG. 10, from the vertically extending wall portions of the side wall members 22 and 23 and bending the same inwardly. The separated por tions are then united by transversely extending gusset plates 41 which are united by welding as indicated at 42 and 43. 1 a

The sliding gate 26 includes a flat body section 48 with vertically disposed longitudinally extending side flanges 49 and 5t) and an end flange 51. The upper margins of the side flanges 49 and 511 are preferably of arouate shape as indicated at 52, FIG. 6, and the leading end 26" of the gate 26 is beveled upwardly as at 53 to form a bead ing along this edge to restrict flow of lading beyond the lower marginal edge of the sloping wall 20 when the gate 26 is in closed position as seen in FIG. 1. The gate 26 is guided in its longtiudinal movement by sliding between the vertically disposed side wall sections 32 and 33. Adjacent the trailing end 26 the gate 26 is provided with bearings 54 arid 55 through which a shaft 56 extends to project beyond said bearings and provide trun mon portions 57-57 at the respective sides of the gate 26.

Pivotally connected with the shaft 56 are toothed rack elements 53-58 which slide between upper and lower brackets 59 and 611 on the sides of the frame 15. The rack elements 53 are preferably each formed of a pair of bars 61-61 spaced apart laterally to admit a series of cogs 62 therebetween which are held in place by'rivets to support'the bars d1 rack bars 61' slide.

of the tooth portions es. Said hubs 67-and ss form rests tion of each. bearing 65 is notched at 69 to receive the inner bar 61 of the associated rack 5%.

The pinions .64 are apertured to receive an operating shaft it? of square cross section therethrough to effect rotation thereof in'unison. The pinion 64 on the right end of the shaft 7th is maintained in axial relation thereon by a pin 71. At the opposite end of the shaft 7t? an operating head 72 is provided. Preferably it is welded to the adjacent pinion as indicated at 73. The operating head 72 and its Welded pinion 64- are then retained in position on the shaft 76 by a rivet 74L 7 The gate 26 in its closed position is thussupported at its trailing end 26' by the'hubs 68-68 and at its opposite or leading end 26" by a ledge 75, FIG. 5. Plates 75 extending fromand welded to the wall sections 35 and 3,6 are inclined upwardly to cooperate With'the under side of the leading end 26 of the. gate 26 to direct itonto the ledge '75. Intermediate these end supports there-are pro vided ledges 76 which are spaced slightly from the under side of the gate '26 to the extent shown at Wand 73, FIG. 1, when the gate 26 is in closed position;

Upon initial opening movement of the gate 26 there is a slight drop in the leading end 26' thereof tothe extent permitted by the spaces 77 and 78. This slight downward displacement of the leading end 26 of the gate 26 results in relieving the pressure of the lading and is conducive to ease of 61' and to this end the upper poroperation by facilitating the breakaway movement of [the gate 26. The slight positive downward displacement of the gate 26 is assured by reason of contacts between the beveled portion-53' at the lading end 26 of the gate 26 and the lower marginal edge '79 of the end wall The downward movement of the leading end 26" of the gate 26 is accompanied by a corresponding drop of therounded upper margins 52 of the side fianges' tll and 5h away from the undersurfaces 8th of the

sloping side walls

18 and 19 and the opening movement of the gate '25 is thereby further facilitated.

The trailing end 26" of the gate 26, when the latter is opened, is supported by the rack elements 58 which then 7 operate as retractable supporting rails as seen in FIG. 4.

The supporting brackets 59 and 6% are preferably disthe undersides of the flanges 1% and'lfi V lit? and ill. are completed by spacers 112 and i113 and a pair of angle shaped members each h'avingone flange 97 resting on the flange92. of themembere and Welded thereto and having theadjacent flange 9% extending upwardly toreceive the pivot "94. The locking dog 93 is provided with a key shaped opening ltltl for receiving a key shaped sealing pin till therethrough. Stops 1M and ltliicooperate with a handle tea on the sealing pin 191 to limit its movement. A sealing ribbon 135, FIG. 1, cooperates with the sealing pin ltllin a conventional manner; i

Along the lower margins of and on the outer downwardly facing sides of the

upwardly'sloping wall sections

35, 36, 3'7 and 2Toutstandinghorizontalflanges Hi5, the, MP7 and 1%, respectively, are secured bywelding These flanges provide a generally rectangular frame around the lower frame section 17 andserve to rigidity it. Two adjacentifianges of a disch'arge chute (not shown) i can beclamped to the undersides'of the flanges- 1% and 1637 while grooves ill? and ill are'prov-ided in' wh'ich two a other adjacent flanges of the discharge chute can be inserted. The grooves lit and 111 are formed, in part, by The grooves lower-flanges 114; and i115 suitablysecured to the flanges 1% and 16925. A vertical 116 forming-a part of the lower bracket ee extcndsbetween the shelf FIG; 8,

and the upper side of the flange'ltld and is welded in a place; In a similar manner a web l7, 5, extends between the underside of the wall section 37 and'the upper side of the flange lbTand is. welded thereto. a

What is claimed as new is: v V

1. in combination, a hopper having a' discharge opening and 'a sliding gate for theopening, a frame supported by and-surrounding the lower portion of the hopper and supporting said gate, means for moving said gate including a rotatable shaft journaled in the frame and interengaging pinions and rack means on the shaft and gate I respectively, said pinions having laterally extending hubs and said rack means being formed of spaced bars pivoted at one end to the gate'and disposed to straddle the pinions. 1 and reston the hubs thereof, said'rack means beingslidingly supported by the frame and coextensive with said gate and extending beyond the other end of said gate.

2. In combination, a hopper having a'discharge opening and a sliding gate for the opening, aframe supported posed substantially midway of the frame 15 and form 7 guides between'which the rack bars 6l-61 are supported and guided. An additional bracket til is located adjacent the shaft 7% to restrain the rack bars oil-61 against upward movement. Each bracket fill includesa laterally extending Wall. 32 above the bars 61 and braced to the frame by a web 553.

In like manner the bracket 59, FIG. 1, includes a laterally extending shelf 8-4 overlying the bars 61 and a bracing'wall to the frameindicated at85. Each bracket es is preferably spaced lengthwise a limited distance from the respective upper bracket 59 and includes a laterally extending shelf 86 on which the mounted, on the underside of the shelf 84.

The shelf 86 carries a pad 87, FIG.

An abutment 88 is carried by each rack element 58 to i i engage with the upper bracket 5@ and thereby limit opening movement of the gate 26.

An angle shaped reinforcing member 89, FIGS, which extends transversely of the frame 15 beneath the sloping Wall 21, is disposed with one flange 9% welded to the said wall 2t! at 91; It has another flange 92 which extends to lie above the. gate 26 andparallel thereto.

The gate 26is retained in closed position by a locking by and. surrounding the lower portion of the hopperand supporting said gate, means for moving said gate includa' rotatable shaft and interengaging pinions and rack means carried by the shaft and connected to one end of the gate respectively, the shaft being. iournaled in bearings on the frame disposed outwardly thereof; said pinions lyingadjacent thebearings and having hubs on each side thereof with one of said hubs extendin within a bearing with the pinion adiacent thereto to limit inward axial movement of the shaft, said rack means including spaced walls straddling the pinions and resting on the hubs thereof. and coextensive, with and extendingbeyond the other end of said gate, said bearingsreceiving the pinio'ns being cut away at the upper side thereof to accommodate a rack wall in resting position on the hub.

3. In combination, a hopper having a discharge opening and a sliding gate for the opening a frame sup orted a V l by andsurrounding the lower portion of thehop'per and uppor -ting said gate, means for moving said. gate includ ing a shaft journaled in theframe: and inte-rengaging pinion and rack means on the shaft and connected to one end of saidgate respectively, said rack means including laterally spaced walls adapted to straddle the pinions and'coextensive with and extending beyond the other end of said gate, guiding means for the rack'means including walls extending laterally from'the frame across theplane of the rack means, and'pads'onthe-s'aid walls lying between the spaced walls of the rackmeans'. r

4. The invention, as set forth in claim 3, wherein later respectively, said frame including a pair of side wall members having vertical wall sections, and a pair of vertical end portions, said vertical wall sections being integral .with said vertical end portions and sloping wall sections integral with said vertical wall sections and angularly extending from. said vertical end portions, and gusset plates interconnecting juxtaposed edge portions of said sloping wall sections and said vertical end portions.

6. The invention, as set forth in claim 5, wherein hearing means supported by the vertical end portions of the side wall members provide the rotatable mounting for the shaft on the frame.-

7. The invention, as set forth in claim 5, wherein ledges are supported on the inner and upwardly facing sides of the sloping wall sections for engaging. the underside of the gate to support it in sliding movement on the frame.

8. The invention, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the lower margins of the sloping wall sections are reinforced by outwardly extending horizontal flanges secured thereto.

9. In a hopper having an opening for the discharge of lading and an outlet assembly for controlling discharge of lading the improvement comprising:

(a) a sliding gate for the opening, 7

(b) a frame bordering the opening forming a support for the gate,

(c) said frame having longitudinally extending side wall components and (d) transversely extending wall components forming with said side wall components,

(e) a foursided chute-like enclosure including inwardly converging wall means lying below the gate,

(j) said side wall'components forming guiding means at the sides of the gate and I (g) having. longitudinal extensions projecting beyond the chute-like enclosure; j (11) means for moving the gate including: (i) an operating shaft journaled in the extension (j) interengaging rack and pinion means associated with the gate and shaft respectively for moving the gate by rotation of the shaft;

each said side wall component including an uprightside wall plate portion forming (1) the side wall guides for the gate. (2) the extensionbeyond the chute constituting a support for the shaft,

(3) an inwardly directed portion forming the converging wall means for the chute-like enclosure,

(4) said inwardly directed portion being formed by imparting a cut in the upright plate extending upwardly from its lower margin to the line of convergence to provide (5) a length of plate juxtaposed to the chute and (6) bending said juxtaposed parted length of plate inwardly,

10. The invention, as set forth in claim 9, wherein the inwardly converging portion of the plate is united with the upright extension by a transversely extending gusset.

11. The invention, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the inwardly converging wall is reinforced at its lower margin by a horizontal flange secured thereto and to the unitin gusset. I

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,989,931 6/61 Joy 305 X 3,022,921 2/62 Davenport 222505 X 3,085,517 4/63 Smith 105-305 X 3,130,687 4/64 Smith 105-305 X FOREIGN PATENTS 583,063 9/59 Canada.

EVERETT w. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiner.

Claims

3. IN COMBINATION, A HOPPER HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING AND A SLIDING GATE FOR THE OPENING, A FRAME SUPPORTED BY AND SUPPORTING THE LOWER PORTION OF THE HOPPER AND SUPPORTING SAID GATE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID GATE INCLUDING A SHAFT JOURNALED IN THE FRAME AND INTERENGAGING PINION AND RACK MEANS ON THE SHAFT AND CONNECTED TO ONE END OF SAID GATE RESPECTIVELY, SAID RACK MEANS INCLUDING LATERALLY SPACED WALLS ADAPTED TO STRADDLE THE PINIONS AND COEXTENSIVE WITH AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE OTHER END OF SAID GATE, GUIDING MEANS FOR THE RACK MEANS INLUDING WALL EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE FRAME ACROSS THE PLANE OF THE RACK MEANS, AND PADS ON THE SAID WALLS LYING BETWEEN THE SPACED WALLS OF THE RACK MEANS.