US3379082A - Boxcar inner door opener - Google Patents

Description

April 23, 1968 w. E. ERICKSON 3,379,032

' BOXCAR INNER DOOR OPENER Filed Jan. 10, 1966 S Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WILLARD E. ERICKSON A ril 23, 1968 w. E. ERlCKS ON BOXCAR INNER DOOR OPENER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 10, 1966 INVENTOR WILLARD E. ERICKSON FIGS April 1968 w. E. ERICKSON 3,379,082

BOXCAR INNER DOOR OPENER Filed Jan. 10, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR HG] Wl LLARD E. ERICKSON United States Patent 3,379,082 BOXCAR INNER DOOR OPENER Willard E. Erickson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Link-Belt Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 519,501 5 Claims. (Cl. 83-564) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A boxcar inner door opener for removing inner doors constructed of either wood or paper reinforced by a series of metal straps, the opener employing a retractable cutter bar mounted on one end of the inner door engaging portion of the opener and moveable between an operative cutting position for removing a paper door to an inoperative position permitting the opener to remove a wooden door without any interference from the cutter bar.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in railroad boxcar inner door openers. More particularly it is directed to such an opener which is fully suited for opening either wooden or paper inner car doors incident the removal of a free fiowing material such as grain, from the railroad car.

Railroad boxcars used for shipping grain or other similarly free flowing materials in bulk are generally provided with inner doors to prevent leakage of material from the cars during loading and in transit. Frequently these doors comprise a number of abutting wooden planks or boards extending between the car door posts and either nailed to the posts or held in place by other means. Also, these inner doors have been made of up several layers of heavy paper reinforced with steel straps nailed to the door posts and spanning the door opening, with a wooden board at the top and one board at the bottom of the door.

The grain or other material unloading operation, of course, necessitates removal of his inner door from the car door opening prior to discharging the grain or material. Not infrequently trains of boxcars to be unloaded will have both wooden and paper type inner doors to be removed intermixed along the length of the train of cars.

Heretofore, various types of devices have been developed for removing the inner doors by mechanical means. Most of these mechanical door openers have been designed to remove the older type wood doors without breaking them or damaging the boxcar door frame. However, in recent years the paper type inner door has bcome increasingly popular.

These paper doors can be removed by the same mechanical door opener that is used for wood doors provided they are equipped with cutter means to cause the steel reinforcing straps to break at a predetermined location. If the paper doors are removed or pushed out of the way without the use of cutter means, the straps may break at random, leaving long jagged strips on both sides of the door opening or the strips may tear the wood door frame out of the boxcar opening, thus creating a safety hazard to personnel besides adding time and cost in having to recooper the boxcar.

The mechanical door openers for wooden doors conventionally have studs or spikes which penetrate the wooden door planking and thus carry the door inwardly freeing the door planks from the door frame and raising the door intact up above the grain level. When cutter means for paper doors are mounted in fixed position on such a door opener, it must protrude beyond the spikes that are intended to impale wood doors if such cutter means is to properly score and break the steel straps before tension in them builds up to the point where the door frame is damaged. Moreover, this cuttter means 3,379,082 Patented Apr. 23, 1968 when fixed to the door opener can damage wooden doors incident their removal and add undesirable racking or twisting loads to the door opener by reason of the cutter means projecting beyond the regular spikes causing concentrated loads on the wooden grain door and the door opener.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a boxcar inner door opener equally well suited for removing either reinforced paper or wood plank inner boxcar doors.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an opener with a simple rugged design which will enable the operator to instantly select either of two modes of operation, one for removing reinforced paper doors and one for removing wood plank doors.

Other more specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a specific embodiment of the invention.

Generally, the invention comprises means for removing inner doors on boxcars filled with grain or other free flowing material including rectangular plate means and retractable cutting means operable in removing reinforced paper doors, said rectangular plate means having holding means thereon to hold the grain door incident its removal from the boxcar door frame, said retractable cutting means comprising a cutting blade located on one side of and extending substantially the full length of said rectangular plate means, and retracting means for moving said retractable cutting means from a cutting position to an inoperative position whereby when said cutting means is in said inoperative position said plate means is operable to remove wood plank inner boxcar doors.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the door opener mechanism of the instant invention shown in association with a boxcar in section;

FIGURE 2 is a view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, with part of a reinforced paper boxcar door removed to show its construction;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the frame and cutter bar of the present invention partially in section;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4 showing the cutter bar about to score a reinforced paper boxcar door;

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 6, showing the connection between the driving means and the cutter bar shaft;

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIGURE 4 with the cutter bar in operative position; and

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 except that the cutter bar is shown in its inoperative position.

In the drawings, wherein for the purposes of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, and first particularly referring to FIGURE 1, a boxcar I loaded with grain or other particulate material 2 is illustrated spotted on the track section of a boxcar unloader 3 of standard design.

The boxcar 1 has inner doors 4 which are disposed on each side of the boxcar. These are mounted inwardly of the conventional outer sliding doors. conventionally such sliding doors are provided on the boxcar to close the door openings located midway of the car length on each car side wall. The inner doors 4 as illuustrated, are made up of reinforced paper, although they may be made of wood boards as mentioned hereinbefore. They are necessary where free flowing material such as grain is being loaded and thereafter transported to prevent the material from seeping out of the boxcar. The conventional steel outer sliding doors of the boxcar characteristically are not so closely fitted to the boxcar door opening as to seal against seepage of grain or other free flowing particulate material from the boxcar. Thus, these inner doors 4 are designed to be impervious to leakage of material and are generally securely fastened to the wooden door frame of the boxcar to insure against the material leaking out during loadin g and shipment.

The boxcar unloader 3 may be of any standard design wherein the boxcar to be unloaded is clamped on the track section of the unloader, the appropriate outer sliding door is opened, the corresponding inner wood plank or reinforced paper inner door removed and the boxcar unloaded by tilting, vibrating or other movement of the boxcar carried out by the unloader operation. Boxcar unloading equipment suitable for unloader 3 is of a conventional type and as such equipment is known as to its construction and operation, detailed illustration or explanation thereof should not be necessary herein.

The door opener 5 of the instant invention comprises a rectangular plate 6 pivotally connected to the upper end of an arm 7 which arm in turn is pivotally connected at its lower end to a stationary pivot 8. The arm 7 is driven by a ram type fluid pressure motor 9 through a linkage mechanism It). A cable 11 connected to plate 6 controls the attitude of the plate 6 relative to arm 7 in removing the inner door from the boxcar door opening.

The operation of arm 7 and control of its movement and the attitude of plate 6 with respect to the arm incident opening of a boxcar door are known from prior boxcar door openers as heretofore produuced by Link-Belt Company, Chicago, Ill. Also the features of the instant invention as described in detail hereinafter may be incorporated into the hydraulically actuated grain car door opener disclosed in Erickson et al. Patent 2,927,770, issued Mar. 6, 1960.

As best seen in FIGURES 3-8, the rectangular plate 6 comprises a rigid frame 12 covered by sheet metal. Carried on the face of plate 6 are a series of spikes 13 whose purpose is to hold the inner boxcar door in place on the rectangular plate 6 while it is being removed from the boxcar door opening. Plate 6 is narrow enough to fit between door frame posts 14 (FIGURE 2) of a standard railroad boxcar door opening.

Situated on one side of the rectangular plate 6 is a retractable cutter bar 15. The cutter bar is rotatably mounted to extend between an upper housing 16 and a lower housing 25. These housings are welded or otherwise secured to the frame 12 to support the retractable cutter means of the instant invention.

The cutter bar further provides a cutter blade 18. Blade 18 is fixed to the shaft of cutter bar offset from the rotation axis of the shaft as shown in FIGURES 5, 6, 8 and 9. Accordingly, when the cutter bar is in operable position as shown in FIGURES 5 and 8, the force exerted when the rectangular plate is urged against the boxcar door to be removed will act to hold the cutter bar in this operable position resisting rotation of the cutter bar to the inoperable position shown in FIGURE 9. A stop 17 is welded to the edge of plate 6 to limit rotation of the cutter bar, retaining it in the position of FIGURE 8 with blade 18 projecting outwardly perpendicular to the plane of plate 6 in readiness to score and cut the metal reinforcing bands of a reinforced paper boxcar door incident its removal from the boxcar door opening.

At the top of the cutter bar is driving element 19 which may be a hydraulic, electric, or air driven motor, as appropriate to rotate the cutter bar through an are from operative to inoperative position as will be explained. The cutter bar 15 is keyed onto the driving shaft 22 of the driving element 19, as is shown in FIGURE 7.

The connection between the cutter bar 15 and the driving shaft 22 may be a standard keyway 23 in shaft 22 combined with a groove in a collar 20 welded to the upper end of cutter bar 15. A key 24 connects the shaft 22 and collar 20. A set screw 21 holds the key 24 in place extending through the collar 20 and the upper end of cutter bar 15. Of course, any other rigid connection between driving shaft 22 and cutter bar 15 would be satisfactory. Also, if desired a manually operated mechanism may be used in place of driving element 19 to shift cutter bar 15 between operative and inoperative position.

The bottom of the retractable cutter bar 15 is connected to frame 12 by the U-shaped housing 25, by being mounted rotatably on the housing with a thrust washer 26 beneath the lower end of the cutter bar and a pivot pin 27 extending downwardly through a bore in housing 25. The bottom of rectangular plate 6 carries a pair of pivotally mounted feet 37 which rest on the boxcar floor 38 and position the plate 6 relative to the boxcar door opening.

FIGURE 2 shows a typical reinforced paper inner boxcar door viewed from inside the boxcar. This door comprises a multi-layer paper cover 33 reinforced by a series of metal bands or straps 34 passing between the layers of paper. These bands 34 are attached to the door frame posts 14 by nailing as shown at 32 on FIGURE 5. Across the top of the opening there is nailed a head board 35 to reinforce the top of the grain door. Across the bottom of the opening a foot board 36 is nailed to reinforce the bottom. FIGURE 2 also shows by dotted line 40 the general position at which the cutter bar 15 will engage the reinforced paper door in opening it.

When the door opener 5 is to be used with reinforced paper boxcar doors, the cutter bar 15 is rotated by drive motor 19 into an operative position with blade 18 extending perpendicular to the face of plate 6 as is shown in FIGURE 8. The precise location of the cutter bar in the operative position is fixed by stop means 17. As the door opener moves plate 6 toward the grain door 4 by the operation of fluid pressure motor 9, the cutter bar 15 meets the inner door 4 along the line 40 as seen in FIG- URE 2.

Upon further movement inwardly, the cutter bar 15 will scar and break the steel straps 34 along one side of the door opening before tension in such straps builds up to the point where the door frame posts are damaged. The cutter bar will cut the door along the line 40 thus insuring a clean break of the straps 34 and preventing the shredding and tearing of the paper closure means. As previously noted, the eccentric mounting of blade 18 on the shaft of the cutter bar 15 functions to tend to lock the cutter bar against the stops 17 as the reinforced paper door is opened. Upon cutting the grain door from one side of the door frame posts 14 the paper door will initially pivot inwardly about the opposite side of the frame posts and the grain or other material will, of course, empty from the boxcar. As the material empties out the paper door may pivot outwardly but it is still held on the door frame posts at one side and does not pass into the material hopper to the side and below the boxcar door. With the door opened, the unloader 3 may through its operation on the boxcar complete unloading of the material.

It may be pointed out that provision of a retractable cutter bar 15 along only one side of the door opener plate 6 is advantageous in that all of the straps 34 will be cut in a. relatively straight line at one side of the reinforced paper door leaving the paper to cover any jagged strap edges. Also with the straps and paper still attached to the opposite side of the boxcar door frame it is held against passing along with the material into the receiving hopper as the material flows from the boxcar. The paper door conveniently pivots out of the way of the flowing material and can be removed from the door frame post 14 to which it remains attached after the boxcar has been emptied.

When the door opener is to be used for opening wood plank doors, the cutter bar 15 is rotated by the driving motor 19 until the cutter bar 15 is in the inoperable position as shown in FIGURE 9. In this position, the cutter bar blade 18 does not protrude beyond the spikes 13 on the face of plate 6 and the spikes 13 will be operable to impale the wooden planks and hold them in position incident to their removal from the door frame posts 14 by the action of fluid pressure motor 9 moving the rectangular plate 6 against the inner door.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In combination with an unloader for a railroad boxcar,

means for removing inner wood plank or reinforced paper doors on the boxcar having rectangular plate means and retractable cutting means operable in removing reinforced paper doors, said rectangular plate means having holding means thereon to hold the grain door incident its removal from the boxcar door frame, said retractable cutting means comprising a cutting blade located on one side of and extending substantially the full length of said rectangular plate means,

and retracting means for moving said retractable cutting means from an operable cutting position for opening paper reinforced doors to an inoperative position wherein said cutting means is retracted and said plate means is operable to remove wood plank inner doors.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said holding means comprises a series of spikes on the face of said rectangular plate means.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cutting blade is carried by a vertical shaft rotatably supported on said rectangular plate means,

said retracting means comprising a driving element for said vertical shaft to rotate said vertical shaft and move said cutting blade from an operable cutting position wherein said blade is perpendicular to the face of said rectangular plate means and extend beyond said face, to an inoperative position wherein said blade lies behind said face. 4. A device for opening inner wooden or reinforced paper doors of railroad boxcars filled with particulate material comprising:

rectangular plate means and retractable cutting means combined therewith, said rectangular plate means having holding means thereon to hold wooden inner boxcar doors incident their removal from the boxcar door frame, said retractable cutting means comprising a cutting blade located on one side of and extending substantially the full length of said rectangular plate means,

and retracting means for moving said retractable cutting means from an operable cutting position for opening paper reinforced doors to an inoperative position where said cutting blades are retracted and said plate means is operable to remove wood plank grain doors.

5. The device as recited in claim 4 wherein said holding means comprises a series of spikes on the face of said rectangular plate means and wherein said cutting blade is carried on a vertical shaft,

said retracting means comprising a driving element for said vertical shaft to rotate said vertical shaft and move said cutting blade from an operable cutting position wherein said blade is perpendicular to the face of said rectangular pl-ate means and extends beyond said face to an inoperative position wherein said blade lies behind said face.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,819,974 8/1931 Richardson 254-84 2,927,770 3/1960 Erickson et al 214-54 X 3,073,463 1/1963 Addicks 214-44 WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

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