US3353504A

US3353504A - Convertible mine cars with flanged and rubber tired wheels

Info

Publication number: US3353504A
Application number: US493669A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank N Kersey; Jr John L Kersey; Trent H Kemp
Original assignee: Automatic Sprinkler Corp
Current assignee: Automatic Sprinkler Corp; Scott Technologies Inc
Priority date: 1965-10-07
Filing date: 1965-10-07
Publication date: 1967-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1984-11-21

Description

Nov. 21, 1967 F. N. KERSEY ETAL 3,

CONVERTIBLE MINE CARS WITH FLANGED AND RUBBER TIRED WHEELS Filed Oct. 7, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E5] Frank N. KQISZy, INVENTORS c/ohn LKerseyc/n and FenfH/(emp.

ATTORNEY.

N ,1 F. N. KERSEY ETAL 3,353,504

CONVERTIBLE MINE CARS WITH FLANGE!) AND RUBBER TIRED WHEELS- Filed Oct. 7, 1965 2 sheets-sheet 2 39 grill/111K av/11111111 I.

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25 .INVENTORS. v Frank N. Kersey, John L. Kemeyr i} and Pen! H. Kemp.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Ofitice CONVERTIBLE MINE CARS WITH FLANGED AND RUBBER TIRED WHEELS Frank N. Kersey, John L. Kersey, Jr., and Trent H. Kemp,

Bluefield, Va., assignors to Automatic Sprinkler Corporation of America, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 493,669

Claims. (Cl. 105215) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mine car with flanged railroad wheels and retractable rubber tired wheels for convertible use on rails or a mine floor.

This invention relates to mine cars and more particularly to mine cars, such as haulage units, which may be operated in coal mines having some areas equipped with railroad tracks and others not so equipped.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a mine car that may be operated on railroad tracks where they exist and alternately on the floor of the mine as, for example, in areas thereof beyond the railroad tracks.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mine car with self-contained means for lowering and raising rubber tired wheels thereon so that it can be operated on rail;oad tracks with the rubber tired wheels in raised position or on the mine floor with the rubber tired wheels in lowered position.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a mine car incorporating self-contained means for adiustably positioning its rubber tired ground engaging wheels.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a mine car which may be conveniently and easily towed by a mine tractor and used in hauling various supplies and/or coal or other minerals being mined.

The mine car with rail and rubber tired wheels disclosed herein is particularly useful in coal mines wherein the mining face is located at some distance from the railroad tracks in the older part of the mine.

The mine car is provided with vertically movable rubber tired wheels and means for moving the rubber tired wheels vertically so that with the rubber tired wheels in elevated position, the mine car can operate efliciently on railroad tracks and with its rubber tired wheels in lowered position, it can operate efiiciently on the mine floor. The mine car disclosed herein is adapted to be pulled by a mine tractor such as known in the art.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the mine car showing the rubber tired wheels in lowered position.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the mine car with broken lines illustrating the flanged rail engaging wheels and their supporting means therebeneath.

FIGURE 3 is a side view showing the mine car in position over railroad tracks and with broken lines illustrating the alternate position of the rubber tired wheels.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the body portion of the mine car with parts removed and illustrating the hydraulic wheels actuating mechanism.

Patented Nov. 21, 1967 FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical section on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 showing the rubber tired wheels in raised position.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section similar to FIGURE 5 and showing the rubber tired wheels in lowered position.

By referring to the drawings, and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that the mine car comprises a vehicle having an integral frame and body, including a horizontal bottom 10, vertically standing side walls 11 and 12 and

end walls

13 and 14. The

end walls

13 and 14 are removably positioned and the bottom 10 or floor of the car extends beyond

end walls

13 and 14 and includes rubber cushioned coupling constructions arranged for interengagement coupling relation with similar constructions on other mine cars, trailers, mine tractors or the like.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings the coupling construction 15 on the left end of the mine car is arranged to telescopically receive projecting apertured tongues from the matching coupler and includes a centrally position d vertically apertured member 16 for spacing the tongues of the opposite portion of the coupler. The coupling construction on the opposite or right end of the mine car is indicated by the numeral 17. The bottom 10 or floor of the mine car is supported by a horizontally disposed framework as best seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. By referring thereto, it will be seen that broken lines illustrate a plurality of longitudinally spaced transversely positioned frame members 18 which extend beneath the opposite sides 11 and 12 and are continuously secured to the bottom or floor 10. Longitudinally spaced pairs of these frame members 18 provide means for directly and indirectly mounting four flanged rail wheels 19 it being observed that short longitudinally extending stub frame members 20 are positioned between the pairs of transverse frame members 18 on the right half of the mine car as seen in FIG- URE 2 and that transversely positioned stub axles mount the two transversely spaced flanged rail wheels 19 beneath this half of the car. The flanged rail wheels 19 under the left half of the car as seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings are mounted on a tilt frame which includes longitudinal members 21 and a plurality of cross members 22, the cross members 22 providing means for journalling stub axles upon which the flanged rail wheels 19 are rotatably positioned. The tilt frame is pivoted between a pair of the longitudinally extending frame members 18 by a transverse pivot 23 and provides the necessary tilting motion for the flanged rail Wheels 19 when following irregular railroad rails.

By referring again to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that there are inverted U-shaped frames 24 mounted on the opposite ends of a torque bar in spaced relation to the outer surfaces of each of the sides 11 and 12 of the mine car and of a height extending from above the upper edges of the sides 11 and 12 to below the lower edges thereof as best seen in the side elevation comprising FIGURE 3 of the drawings. These inverted U-shaped frames 24 provide means for locating and holding oppositely disposed tandem wheel assemblies, each of which includes a pair of vertically standing elongated wheel plates 25 positioned in horizontally spaced relation and provided with axles between their outermost spaced ends so that ground engaging rubber tired wheels 26 may be rotatably mounted thereon. The elongated wheel plates 25 are interconnected by spaced transverse frame plates 27 as best seen in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings and a pivot pin 28 is movably journalled in oppositely disposed apertures in the transverse frame plates 27 and has a threaded opening midway between its ends which receive the threaded end of a piston rod 29 which in turn comprises part of a piston and cylinder assembly, the cylinder 30 of which has its upper end secured by fasteners directly to the horizontal interconnecting portion of the U-shaped frame 24.

Hydraulic lines 31 interconnect the upper and lower ends of the hydraulic cylinder 30 with a hydraulic pump 32 as seen in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. The hydraulic pump 32 is mounted on a reservoir 33 which is secured to the outer surface of the side 12. The hydraulic pump 32 is provided with a hand operating lever 34 so that pressure may be introduced into the upper or lower portion of the hydraulic cylinder 30 as determined by a hydraulic control valve 35 which controls the hydraulic lines 31.

It will be obvious that at such time as the rubber tired wheels 26 are in uppermost or lowermost position relative to the inverted U-sh-aped frame 24 and the mine car, it will be necessary to provide mechanical means for holding the same in such position. By referring again to FIG- URES and 6 of the drawings, such means may be seen to comprise a pair of vertical support members 36 positioned in spaced relation on the inner opposed sides of the elongated wheel plates 25 and each of which is provided with a horizontally positioned projecting bracket 37. These vertically positioned support members 36 are secured by fasteners to the transverse frame plates 27 heretofore referred to so that they are integral parts of the tandem wheel supporting construction. A horizontally disposed plate 38 is secured to the base of the hydraulic cylinder 30 in spaced relation to the horizontal portion of the inverted U-shaped frame 24 and acts as a retainer with respect to a slide plate 39 positioned therebelow and apertured centrally so as to permit relative movement thereof with respect to the hydraulic cylinder 30. A flexible cable 40 is secured to one end of the slide plate 39 and extends outwardly of the wheel assembly and is secured at its outermost end to a lever 41 as best seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The slide plate 39 has four depending legs 42 thereon, each of which has a sideward projection 43 spaced with respect to the plate 39 and adapted to be engaged beneath the projecting brackets 37 when the wheel plates and the rubber tired ground engaging wheels 26 are moved to their uppermost position as seen in FIG- URE 5 of the drawings and the slide plate 39 is moved to the right to engage the projections 43 beneath the projecting brackets 37. At such times as the rubber tired wheels 26 are in the position illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings or in broken lines in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the mine car is supported by the flanged rail wheels 19 running, for example, on railroad rails such as illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. At such time as the mine car is to operate on the mine floor, the hydraulic pump 32 is actuated to energize the hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 30 and move the piston rod 29 downwardly as seen in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings, where it moves the pivot pin 28 and the transverse frame plates 27 and the longitudinal wheel plates 25 and the rubber tired wheels 26 downwardly until the upper surfaces of the horizontally positioned projecting brackets 37 are below the legs 42. The slide plate 39 is then moved to position the legs 42 on the projecting brackets 37 as seen in FIGURE 6 of the drawings and the rubber tired wheel assemblies are held in lowermost position.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that duplicate wheel assemblies are provided at each side of the mine car and that the hydraulic lines 31 extend to each side of the mine car and to the duplicate hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies 30 so that the wheels at each side of the mine car may be raised or lowered simultaneously by the operation of the pump 32 as hereinbefore described.

Still referring to FIGURES 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings, it will be observed that there is a tubular member 44 positioned in apertures in the bottom ends of the inverted U-shaped frame 24 and that the torque bar 45 which resiliently mounts the inverted U-shaped frame 24 and the rubber tired wheel assemblies is positioned transversely beneath the mine car and secured thereto midway thereof with its opposite ends positioned in and extending outwardly of the tubular members 44 in the wheel assemblies. Keys 46 are positioned in transverse slots in the opposite ends of the torque bar 45 and welded to the inverted U-shaped frames 24. The torque bar 45 provides effective springing relation between the wheel assemblies and the mine car.

It will thus be seen that the mine car with rail and rubber tired wheels as disclosed herein comprises an efficient vehicle suitable for moving heavy loads in coal mines and the like whether or not they are provided with railroad tracks.

It will also be seen that the movably mounted tandem ground engaging wheels arranged in outboard relation on the opposite sides of the mine car are pivotally mounted relative thereto and sprung with respect thereto by the unique arrangement of the torque bar positioned beneath the middle of the mine car and secured thereto intermediate its ends so that the entire outboard assemblies of the inverted U-shaped frames 24 and the tandem wheels journalled on their axles between the elongated plates 25 are movable about the axis of the torque bar 45 as well as movable vertically relative thereto as hereinbefore set forth.

It will also be seen that there is an inherent tendency in the mine car disclosed herein to maintain a level position under all road conditions both in loaded and unloaded state.

In addition to these several advantages and new, novel and unexpected results mentioned, the present mine car, because of its flexibility and multiple wheel assembly eliminates a large amount of the torque on the torque bar and thus materially prolongs the life of this part of the assembly. In addition, the tire life of the rubber tired wheels is materially lengthened as the load, including the weight of the mine car is evenly distributed on each of the four rubber tires of the mine car.

It will thus be seen that the mine car disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention and having thus described our invention what we claim is:

1. In a mine car, a body structure including side wall portions and a floor, rail wheel mounting axles and flanged rail wheels thereon beneath said floor, a torque rod positioned transversely beneath the floor of the mine car and secured thereto, a tandem wheel assembly secured to each of the opposite ends of said torque rod beyond the sides of said mine car, said tandem wheel assemblies including members defining vertically extending passageways, and a pair of spaced plates positioned in each of said vertically extending passageways and arranged for vertical movement relative thereto, wheel bearings extending between the plates at each end portion thereof, said wheel bearings being spaced equidistance from the center of the plates and rubber tired wheels removably mounted on said wheel bearings and means positioned between said members defining said vertical passageways and said spaced plates for moving said plates and said rubber tired wheels vertically relative to said members from an upper position where said rubber tired wheels are elevated with respect to said flanged rail wheels to a lower position where said rubber tired wheels are positioned below said flanged rail wheels so that said mine car may be supported on either said flanged rail wheels or said rubber tired wheels.

2. The mine car set forth in claim 1 and wherein mechanical devices for holding said plates and rubber tired wheels in fixed position in said members defining vertically extending passageways are located in said vertically extending passageways.

3. The mine car set forth in claim 1 and wherein said members defining vertically extending passageways are inverted U-shaped members secured adjacent their spaced ends to said torque rod, and wherein said spaced plates carrying said rubber tired wheels have guides engaging said inverted U-shaped members to maintain said U- shaped members perpendicular to said plates.

4. The mine car set forth in claim 1 and wherein said References Cited means for moving said plates carrying said rubber tired UNITED STATES PATENTS wheels comprise hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies, a reservoir, a pump and fluid lines interconnecting 3/1905 f 105-215 the Same with said Cylinders 5 1,091,125 3/1914 Eickemeyer l05215 X 5. The mine car set forth in claim 1 and wherein said FOREIGN PATENTS means for moving said plates carrying said rubber tired Wheels comprise hydraulic cylinders secured to said mem- 299,108 10/1928 Great 'f F bers defining vertically extending passageways, secondary 373655 5/1932 Great Bntamplates interconnecting said vertical 'plates and a pin posi- J tioned between said secondary plates, a piston and rod en- 10 ARTHUR LA POINT 'mary Exammer' gaged in each of said cylinders and secured to said pins. H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A MINE CAR, A BODY STRUCTURE INCLUDING SIDE WALL PORTIONS AND A FLOOR, RAIL WHEEL MOUNTING AXLES AND FLANGED RAIL WHEELS THEREON BENEATH SAID FLOOR, A TORQUE ROD POSITIONED TRANSVERSELY BENEATH THE FLOOR OF THE MINE CAR AND SECURED THERETO, A TANDEM WHEEL ASSEMBLY SECURED TO EACH OF THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID TORQUE ROD BEYOND THE SIDES OF SAID MINE CAR, SAID TANDEM WHEEL ASSEMBIES INCLUDING MEMBERS DEFINING VERTICALLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAYS, AND A PAIR OF SPACED PLATES POSITIONED IN EACH OF SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAYS AND ARRANGED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT RALATIVE THERETO, WHEEL BEARINGS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE PLATES AT EACH END PORTION THEREOF, SAID WHEEL BEARINGS BEING SPACED EQUIDISTANCE FROM THE CENTER OF THE PLATES AND RUBBER TIRED WHEELS REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID WHEEL BEARINGS AND MEANS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS DEFINING SAID VERTICAL PASSAGEWAYS AND SAID SPACED PLATES FOR MOVING SAID PLATES AND SAID RUBBER TIRED WHEELS VERTICALLY RELATIVE TO SAID MEMBERS FROM AN UPPER POSITION WHERE SAID RUBBER TIRED WHEELS ARE ELEVATED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FLANGED RAIL WHEELS TO A LOWER POSITION WHERE SAID RUBBER TIRED WHEELS ARE POSITIONED BELOW SAID FLANGED RAIL WHEELS SO THAT SAID MINE CAR MAY BE SUPPORTED ON EITHER SAID FLANGED RAIL WHEELS OR SAID RUBBER TIRED WHEELS.