US3330584A - Bulkhead latch operating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

y 1967 A. G. KUELLMAR 3,330,584

BULKHEAD LATCH OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 1, 1965 INVENTOR n ADOLPH G.KUELLMAR Q/CLJ/W P United States Patent 3,330,584 BULKHEAD LATCH OPERATING MECHANISM Adolph G. Kuellmar, Blue Island, 111., assignor to Unarco Industries Inc., a corporation of Illinois Filed July 1, 1965, Ser. No. 468,845 3 Claims. (Cl. 29236) This invention relates to a device for operating the latching mechanism for moving bulkheads used in railway box cars.

In US. Patent No. 3,168,055, there is shown a movable bulkhead for railway cars and an operating mechanism therefor. The latching mechanism shown in said patent is actuated by an operating lever which is located within the side post members at the opposite ends of each bulkhead. Although the lever construction shown in this patent is generally satisfactory, it has certain disadvantages. Thus, since the lever does not extend outwardly through the side post of the bulkhead, the operator must operate the actuating lever entirely within the box car. Further, another disadvantage of the device shown is that the operator must reach within .a narrow opening in the post to operate the lever. Although a crowbar or similar device may be used to pivot the operating lever shown in our patent, no device to provide the desired leverage is physically and operatively connected to the lever. Thus, unless a crowbar or the like is available in the area, the actuation must be performed without the benefit of a device for providing leverage.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide an improved actuating device for the latching mechanism of movable bulkheads for railway freight cars, wherein the drawbacks of prior art devices are substantially avoided.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an actuating device for the latching mechanism of a moving bulkhead of a railway freight car wherein a bar, slidably and permanently afiixed to a fixed arm of the latching mechanism is provided whereby the operator may withdraw the bar and operate it without the confines of the bulkhead, as well as within, and thereby provide the operator with improved application of leverage.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved actuating device for the latching mechanism of the movable bulkhead for a railway car wherein the device is characterized by its simplicity, economy, and efiiciency of manufacture, construction and use.

Further purposes and objects of this invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

A particular embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a railway freight car embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, partially sectioned side view of a bulkhead and showing the latch operating mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is a partially sectioned end view as viewed looking from the left of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an alternate connection at the operating handle of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows an outline of a railway box car having side walls 10, end walls 12, and door openings 14 in the side walls 10, intermediate the opposite ends walls 12. Sliding doors are commonly provided for closing the openings 14 during transit and either or both of the doors may be open when the car is being loaded or unloaded. The car contains lading 16 which may be carried on pallets. Depending on the location and number of the bulkheads 18, the lading 16 is separated into two, three or more compartments. In FIGURE 1, two bulkheads 18 are movable lengthwise of ICC the car and may be latched in dilferent positions in the car, as required. Normally, each bulkhead 18 is positioned to lie within the door openings 12 so as to be accessible therethrough. In FIGURE 1, the bulkheads 18 are practically back-to-back and do not contain lading therebetween.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 2 and 3, the latch operating mechanism, generally 20, and portions of a bulkhead 18 are shown in detail. The bulkhead 18 has a pair of opposite side post members 22 which are joined together by cross-members 24 which extend the width of the car. The bulkhead 18 has end walls 26 and side walls 28 in the posts 22 and on the cross-members 24. Each of the side posts 22 include one end wall 26, an inner wall 30, and lateral walls 32 which are co-extensive with the side walls 28 of the bulkhead 18.

Contained within each of the side posts 22 is the latching mechanism 20. The latching mechanism 20 includes a rotatable member, which is rotatably carried and supported by the lateral walls 32 of the side post 22. Cross pieces 36 are afiixed to or integral with the rotatable member 34. The end of each cross piece 36 pivotally carries elongated latch pin assemblies 38 which extend upwardly and downwardly within the side posts 22. The lower of the latch pin assemblies 38 is substantially vertically movable at its lower end and is maintained in such movement by the guide 40 provided at the lower end of the side post member 22. The lowermost end of the pin assembly 38 moves in and out of latching engagement with apertures provided in the floor latch stays 42 which are positioned in the box car floor along the side Walls 10 of the box car. Similar latch stays (not shown) are provided along the roof of the box car to provide engagement with the upper ends of the upper pin assemblies 38.

Since the bulkhead 18 is desirably movable from either of its ends, latch operating mechanisms 20 are positioned in both side post members 22 of each bulkhead 18. A connecting mechanism, generally 44, is provided to operatively interconnect both latch operating mechanisms 20 used on each of the bulkheads 18. The connecting mechanism 44 includes a first arm 46 fixedly secured to or integral with the rotatable member 34, which arm 46 is pivotally connected to a cross rod 48 which extends the width of the car and is pivotally connected to a second arm 50 which is affixed to the other rotatable member. With this interconnection 44, the operator may simultaneously operate each latch mechanism 20 from one side of the bulkhead 18 since rotation of one member 34, through the linkage 44, causes similar rotation of the other member 34 so as to effect a release of the latching pins 38 from the corresponding floor and sealing latch stays.

In order to actuate the operating mechanism 20, a short arm 52 is afiixed to or integral with the member 34. It is important in my invention that a slidable arm member or lever 54 be connected thereto. In the embodiment shown, each arm 52 is secured to a rotatable member 34 and extends in a substantially horizontal direction towards the end wall 26 and is of a length to terminate within the plane of the end wall outer surface as shown. An opening is provided in each arm for receiving the sliding bar 54. The sliding bar 54 is provided with enlarged heads or retaining portions 56 and its opposite ends so that the bar 54 is retained in slidable connection with the arm 52 at all times.

In the construction of my sliding bar-arm mechanism, it is important that when in the latched position, each sliding bar 54 is to be positioned within the confines of the side post member 22 and one of the heads 56, advantageously the upper head, to be readily accessible to the operator through a vertically elongated aperture 58 adjacent the arm 52 and in a end wall 26 of the post 22. To position the sliding bar in the end posts the openings in the arms 50 and 52 are substantially vertical, sloping upwardly and outwardly at a small acute angle. The upper head 56 will thus lie within the plane of the end wall outer surface, as shown, with the bars being substantially vertical. Since the head is at the aperture 58, the operator is not required to reach excessively far to reach the bar 54. This has the further advantage of requiring only a narrow opening 58 in the side post 22 so as to thereby provide greater vertical strength for the post 22.

In the construction shown, when the operator desires to unlatch the pins 38, he merely grasps the outer or upper head 56 on the bars 54 and draws it upwardly and outwardly so as to provide the necessary leverage when the bar 54 is pivoted downwardly, or when the left hand bar is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2. The dotted line showing of one bar in the horizontal position shown in FIGURE 2 illustrates the position of the bar 54 and arm 52 after the pins have been unlatched. The bar 54 is pivoted through approximately 90 in order to completely unlatch the pins from the stays. Since it is desired to freely move the bulkheads 18 the entire length of the car during loading or unloading, each bar 54 is retained within the box car and does not project outwardly through the door openings 14. In order to retain each bar 54 within the car after it is pivoted to the open position, a U-shaped plate member 60 is provided at the bottom portion of each elongated opening 58. The plate engages or contacts the enlarged head 56 of the bar 54, when the non-operating bar 54 has been moved to the unlatched position in response to the pivoting of the other bar. Thus, the U-shaped plate 60 prevents the nonoperating bar from sliding outwardly when it has been fully unlatched and has moved to a downwardly inclined position and the plate 60 also prevents the handle which is not being used from falling against the railway ear wall when the bulkhead is being used. The elongated opening 62 provided along the inner wall 30 of each side post 22 permits the swinging passage of the bar 54 after the mechanism 20 is unlatched and permits use of the bar 54 inside the car. The opening 62 also permits swinging movement of the non-operating bar 54 at the opposite post 22.

As an alternative embodiment for preventing interference between the door or walls of the box car and the non-operating handle, a lost motion connection may be provided in the attachment between the arm 52 and rotatable member 34. Thus, the non-operating handle remains stationary, but the rotatable member pivots to cause unlatching of the second end of the bulkhead. Referring to FIGURE 4, a particular lost motion connection 70 is shown. The rotatable member 72 of this embodiment includes a radial projection 74 and the arm 52 has a collar 76 thereon. The collar has a central aperture and an annular segment cutout 80 wherein the projection moves freely. When the handle is operated and pivoted in a counterclockwise direction, the shoulder 82 formed by the cutout abuts the projection 74 and effects the desired 4 rotation of the member '72 to unlatch the bulkhead. On the other hand, when the opposite handle of the bulkhead is pivoted, the projection 74 freely moves in the cutout and no motion is imparted to the arm 52 on its attached handle. In this way, the non-operating handle remains substantially within the confines of the post 22.

While in the foregoing, there has been provided a detailed description of a particular embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that all equivalents obvious to those having skill in the art are to be included within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Bulkhead latch operating mechanism for a movable bulkhead in a railroad car comprising a hollow bulkhead having end walls and spaced side walls joining the end walls and vertically movable latch members in the bulkhead adjacent to the end walls to engage latching strips in a car, a cross piece pivotally mounted in the bulkhead adjacent to each end wall on an axis extending between and perpendicular to the side walls and connected to the adjacent latch members to move them, means connecting the cross pieces for simultaneous turning movement, a short arm connected to each cross piece and extending therefrom toward the adjacent end wall and terminating within the plane of the outer surface of the end wall, said arm being formed with an opening therethrough adjacent to its end remote from the cross piece, an elongated operating bar extending slidably through the opening and formed with enlarged heads to engage the arm and prevent complete passage of the bar through the opening. the opening being substantially vertical when the latch members are in their operative latching positions whereby the bars will depend substantially vertically therefrom within the outer surface of the bulkhead, and the end walls being formed with openings through which the upper ends of the bars can be drawn upwardly and outwardly so that they can be grasped to turn the cross pieces and operate the latch members.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 including a notched stop plate on each end wall at the bottom of the opening therein, the notch in each plate passing the adjacent bar but being smaller than the enlarged head thereon to prevent accidental outward movement of the bar when it is swung to an outwardly and downwardly sloping position.

3. The mechanism of claim 1 in which each short arm is connected to the adjacent cross piece through a lost motion connection whereby when one arm is turned to operate the latch members the other arm will remain stationary.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 896,157 8/1908 Roberts 81-177 1,370,109 3/1921 Hart 292200 3,168,055 2/1965 Vander Hyde et al. 376

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Examiner.

J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. BULKHEAD LATCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR A MOVABLE BULKHEAD IN A RAILROAD CAR COMPRISING A HOLLOW BULKHEAD HAVING END WALLS AND SPACED SIDE WALLS JOINING THE END WALLS AND VERTICALLY MOVABLE LATCH MEMBERS IN THE BULKHEAD ADJACENT TO THE END WALLS TO ENGAGE LATCHING STRIPS IN A CAR, A CROSS PIECE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN THE BULKHEAD ADJACENT TO EACH END WALL ON AN AXIS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE SIDE WALLS AND CONNECTED TO THE ADJACENT LATCH MEMBERS TO MOVE THEM, MEANS CONNECTING THE CROSS PIECES FOR SIMULTANEOUS TURNING MOVEMENT, A SHORT ARM CONNECTED TO EACH CROSS PIECE AND EXTENDING THEREFROM TOWARD THE ADJACENT END WALL AND TERMINATING WITHIN THE PLANE OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE END WALL, SAID ARM BEING FORMED WITH AN OPENING THERETHROUGH ADJACENT TO ITS END REMOTE FROM THE CROSS PIECE, AN ELONGATED OPERATING BAR EXTENDING SLIDABLY THROUGH THE OPENING AND FORMED WITH ENLARGED HEADS TO ENGAGE THE ARM AND PREVENT COMPLETE PASSAGE OF THE BAR THROUGH THE OPENING, THE OPENING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WHEN THE LATCH MEMBERS ARE IN THEIR OPERATIVE LATCHING POSITIONS WHEREBY THE BARS WILL DEPEND SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY THEREFROM WITHIN THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE BULKHEAD, AND THE END WALLS BEING FORMED WITH OPENINGS THROUGH WHICH THE UPPER ENDS OF THE BARS CAN BE DRAWN UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY SO THAT THEY CAN BE GRASPED TO TURN THE CROSS PIECES AND OPERATE THE LATCH MEMBERS.

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