US541981A - Dumping-car-operating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. MGMAHON. PUMPING GAR OPERATING MECHANISM.

No. 541,981. Patented July 2, 1895.

INVENTOR WlTNESSES: $41M m ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. McMAHON.

DUMPING UAR OPERATING MECHANISM.

Patented July 2, 1895.

illl-I:

mvamoa maza AW W 4 ATTORNEYS I WITNESSES:

(No'ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. W. McMAHON.

DUMPING GAR OPERATING MECHANISM. No. 541,981. Patented July 2 189.5.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR BY W ATTORNEYS I (N6 Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. w. MQMAHON.

DUMHNG GAR OPERATING MECHANISM.

No. 541,981. Patented Ju1y 2, 1895.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES.

ATENT Tries.

WILLIAM MOMAHON, or RVAHWAY, NEW JERSEY.

DUMPING-CAR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent I\To. 541,981, dated July 2, I895. Application filed November 22, 1894= Serial No. 529,561. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MOMAHON, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Rahway, Union county, State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for Opening, Closing, and Looking Doors and Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in means for operating doors and gates and for locking .them, and more particularly to devices for operating the doors or gates in hopper-bottom cars or other vehicles.

One of the salient features of this invention is that it can be applied to almost any hopper-bottom car now in use without interfering with or weakening the structure. Different railway companies have employed great skill in building hopperbottom cars, and many of them have attained a high degree of skill structurally. Mydeviee, therefore, is designed to he applied to the doors or gates of any of said cars without materially changing,

the structure of the car, as well as being adapted to be incorporated into any standard car while it is being built, without necessitating changing the plans of the cars as they are now organized.

WVhile my improvements are especially adapted for use on coal-cars, they can be equally well applied to hopper-bottom ears for carrying grain, and they are so arranged that they will not injure the grain, although readily permitting the grain to be'dumped in bulk from the cars.

One of the objects of my invention is to so organize and arrange the mechanism that it can be located wholly below the floor-level of the car, so that the car can be used for carrying timber and other large bodies without intering with the door-operating devices.

A further object of my invention is to generally simplify and improve the devices for operating the doors or gates of hopper-bottom cars, so that they will be positive in action, strong, and not liable to get out of order.

A further object of my invention is to strengthen the doors or gates of the hopper, so that they will withstand greater wear than the doors or gates ordinarily used.

The invention consists in the novel details of improvement and the combinations of parts, that Will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherei.n-

Figure l isa partly-broken side elevation of a hopper-bottom gondola-car embodying my invention. Fig. l is a detail of thornsing for the mechanism. Fig. 2 is a partlybroken plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on the plane of the line 3 3 in Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a detail of part of the casing for the mechanism. Fig. at is a longitudinal section through the hopper, showing the 'doors or gates lowered, partof the truss or stringer over the hopper being removed. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan viewshowing the metal frame on the doors or gates. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the hopper, showing a modified arrangement of parts. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line 7 7 in Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through the hopper, showing a modified form of gearing.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1 indicates the body of a coal-car, usually called a gondola-car, which car-body may be of any desired construction.

2 is the bottom or floor of the car, and 3 is the hopper, which may be arranged in any desired manner, the doors 4 4 being hinged thereto, soas to drop downwardly from the center, as usual in hopper-bottom cars. In'the example of car shown in Figs. 1 to 5, which is in use on some of the railways in this coun-' try, a beam or truss 5 passes over the center of the hopper 3, the planks or flooring 2 crossing said truss or beam.

In Fig. 3 two parallel beams 5 5 are shown, having a space between them, and for the purpose of supporting the mechanism for operating the doors 4t 4 I desire to utilize said beams, as shown in the drawings. Said mechanism'is arranged to act directly on the doors 4 to open and close them, and is constructed and arranged as follows:

6 is a shaft shown supported by the truss 5, and may be journaled in brackets or hangers 7, shown secured to anddepending from the truss-beams 5. (See Fig. 3.) On the shaft IO which the links or bars 9 are pivoted, whereby a strong fitting is secured to resist the wear of the coal. The brackets 11 are shown provided with threaded studs 12, that pass through the doors 4 and have nuts 13, which firmly secure them in place. lVith this construction, when the crank-arms 8 project upwardly, the links 9 depend therefrom substaniially parallel therewith, (see Fig. 1,) and preferably lie between the arms 8. (See Fig. 3.)

In this position the doors 4 will be closed (or raised) as in Fig. l, the shaft 6 and pivot 10 thereby being in substantial vertical alignment to sustain the weight of the doors. In order to further assist in sustaining the doors 4 by the links or bars 9 the latter may be provided with recesses 14, which pass over the shaft 6 when the links are raised, whereby the shoulders 15 on said links bear on said shaft to sustain the weight of the doors. (See Fig.1.) When the doors 4 are in the lower or open position, as in Fig. 4, and it is'desired to raise them, the shaft 6 is turned in the direction of the arrow at in Fig. 4, whereby the arms 8 are swung upwardly to a vertical position which carries up the links or bars 9, the

latter thereby raising the doors 4, the shoulders 15 on said links then passing over the shaft 6 and resting thereon, as in Fig. 1.

When the doors 4 are to be lowered, the shaft 6 is reversed, so that the crank-arms 8 are swung downwardly, which permits the links 9 and doors 4 to descend, the links 9 acting to force the doors down should they be stuck or frozen in the closed position.

For the purpose of obtaining increased power to operate the doors 4 I have shown gearing for turning the shaft 6. For this purpose a spur-wheel 16 is shown secured to the shaft 6, a pinion 17 meshing with said wheel.

(See Fig. 4.) The pinion 17 is carried by a shaft 18, which is journaled at its inner end in the brackets 7, and passes horizontally through the hopper 3, its outer end being journaled in suitable bearings 19, carried by one of the side sills 20 of the car frame or body, or otherwise supported. The outerend of the shaft 18 projects beyond the side of the car and may be squared 'to receive a lever 21,

by which it maybe turned. One of the arms 8 may be secured to the wheel 16, if desired,

to increase the strength of the parts. The

wheel 16 may carry a pin 1) to encounter the bracket 7 to limit the motion of the wheel 16 or arm 8 in lifting the doors, or other means may be employed for this purpose. The shaft portions 26 of the frames 22.

18 may carry a ratch'etewheel 18 to be engaged by a pawl 19, carried by the car-body 'to prevent spontaneous turning of said shaft.

It will be seen in Fig. 3 that the shaft 13 is beneath the floor-level, as is also the doonop- 7o erating mechanism, so that the car can be usedfor transporting other articles than coal without interference from the door-operating devices. By this means lumber, iron beams, 850., can be laid along the floor of the car, so as to pass over the hopper 3 without interfering with or injuring the door-operating mechanism.

For the purpose of strengthening the doors. 4, while at the same time providing a strong means for hinging the doors to the hopper, I have shown the doors 4 as secured to metallic frames 22, which extend along the edges of the doors on their lower sides, as in Fig. 5. The frames 22 consist of longitudinal bars 23 connected by end bars 24 and a central brace bar 25,the studs 12 passing through plate-like (See Fig.5.) From one side of each frame 22 project lugs or cars 27, whichpass between lugs or cars 28 0 on plates or hinge-pieces 29, pivots 3O joining the respective parts together. The plates 29 are shown bolted at the inner edges of the hopper 3, the lugs or cars 28 extending downwardly to receive the lugs 27 of the frames 22. 5 By this means the frames 22 are hinged to the hopper; but it will be understood that the doors can be otherwise hinged to the hopper 3. The parts 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 of the frame 22 should be cast in a single piece of metal, and the doors 4 will be secured to said frames, as by bolts 32. By this means the doors are greatly strengthened and are less liable to be injured than where the boards are merely hinged to the hopper by ordinary hinges. These frames are also essential when the doors are provided with a single mechanism located centrally with the hopper, as shown.

In order to protect themechanism from injury by the coal in the hopper, I have shown a casing that surrounds said mechanism'and is carried bythe beam or truss 5. This casing is shown composed of suitably-shaped plates 32 33 placed together on four sides surrounding said mechanism. These plates are shown concave on their inner sides, and the plates 32 have a horizontal web 34 to be bolted to the beams 5 and a stem 35 to pass up between said beams. (See Figs. 1 and 4.) The plates 33 have inwardly-extending ledges orlugs 36 to be bolted to the under sides of the beams 5 and upwardly-extending webs 37 to be bolted tothe sides of the beams 5. On the back of the plates 32 33 may be cast ribs 38, which serve to strengthen said plates. One of the plates will be provided with an aperture 39 for the passage of the shaft 18. When said plates are in position, they form an open-bottomed casing that lies close to the doors 4, as shown, so as to completely incase the mechanism. Should it be desired to reach the mechanism, one of the plates 33 can be readily removed to permit access thereto. 1

From the foregoing description it will b observed "that a single door-operating mechanism is used, which is located centrally within the hopper3; but it will be evident that said mechanism can be otherwise placed for connection with the doors, as by supporting it upon the sides of the car. It will also be understood that while I have shown a beam or truss 5 extending longitudinally and centrally over the hopper any other suitable arrangement of truss or support over the hopper for the door-operating mechanism can be used.

In Figs. 6 to 8 the supports or truss for the door-operating devices are shown extending across the hopper from side to side of the car. These supports may be in the form of boards turned on edge and located beneath the floorlevel of the car, being covered by boards 5*.

In Figs.6 and 8 two boards are shown having a space between them in which the dooroperating mechanism is located, whereby the coal is prevented from injuring the mechanism. r

In Figs. 1 to 5 the gates 4 are shown extending transversely of the car, While in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 the gates extend longitudinally thereof, having their meeting edges located centrally of the car. Figs. 1 to 5 also show a spur-wheel and pinion for turning the shaft (5, while in Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a wormwheel and worm forthis purpose. The shaft 6 of the worm-wheel 16 is shown journalediu the trusses or boards 5, and the worm-wheel extends transversely of the car. In this case also the shaft 18 may bejournaled in the sills 20 or in the boards of the hopper 3, and the worm 17 is carried by said shaft, so as to mesh with said worm-wheel. shaft 18 may be secured to one of the crosstrusses 5 to hold the shaft in proper position relatively to the worm-whee].

In Fig. 8 the shaft 6 is shown provided with a spur wheel 16, which extends transversely of the car, a pinion 17 meshing with said wheel.

' In this case the shaft 18 is shown extending longitudinally of thecar, having itsinnerend journaled in the cross truss or board 5. This shaft preferably extends beneath the floor of the car, and its outer end (not shown) will projcct from the end of the car.

While the arrangement of gearing shown for turning the shaft 6 is preferable, any other suitable or desired arrangement of gearing may be used for the purpose. It will be evident, also, that the shaft 6 can be turned directly to operate the doors 4 without using the gearing. Such an arrangement is shown in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 8, wherein the shaft 6 is extended across the hopper 3, its outer end being journaled in the side of the hopper, or otherwise, as may be desired. In all cases, however, when the doors 4 are in A hearing 18 for the the closed position the links or bars 9 will be upright and on the same side of the shaft 6, and when it is desired to lower the doors said shaft is turned so that the arms 8 will swing outwardly and downwardly. This movement swings the upper ends of the links 9 sidewise to release them from the shaft 6, and as they are pivoten at both ends they will assume such positions as will enable the doors 4 to properly swing down. As the doors swing in opposite directions, the links 9 will do likewise from the pivot 10, the parts thereby assuming the positions shown in Fig. 4. When the doors are to be raised,the shaft 6 is turned reversely. The armsS, then rising, following the path in which they descended, will lift the links and -thus raise the gates, the arms 8, when passing to the vertical, carrying the links 9 over, so that their shoulders 15 will pass over the shaft 6.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a hopper-bottom car, it is evident that it can be used in other relations where it is desired to open, close, and lock doors, gates, and similar bodies, especially where av compartment is used to carry material in bulk, from which it is desired to dump the material in-amass. 1

VVhileI have shown two crank-arms B connected with the links 9, it is evident that said links could be connected with a single swinging crank-arm if preferred.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a hopper and a door or gate hinged thereto with a crank -arm, means for pivotally supporting it, a link or bar directly pivoted to said arm and to said door or gate, and means for operating said crank-arm, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a hopper and a door or hinged body, with a link and crank-arm having three pivots, one of said pivots directly connecting said link and arm, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a pair of doors or gates, with a pair of links or bars pivotally connected with said doors, a crank-arm pivoted to both of said links and means for supporting and operating said crank-arm, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a door or gate, with a link pivotally connected therewith, said link having a shoulder, to act as a support for the link a crank-arm directly pivoted to said link, a shaft or pivot for said crank arm adapted to receive said shoulder upon it, and means for operating said crank arm, substantially as described.

5. The combination ofa pair of hinged doors or gates,with a pair of links pivotally connected with said doors, each link having a to act as a support for said links a crank arm pivotally connected with said links, a shaft or pivot for said crank arm arranged to re shoulder on the corresponding side thereof,

ceive and support said shoulders, and means for operating said crank arm, substantially .as described.

6. The combination of a pair of doors or gates with a pair of links pivotally connected therewith, a pair of crank arms directly pivoted to said links, a shaft carrying said arms and means for operating said arms simultaneously, substantially as described.

'7. The combination of a car, its hopper, a door or gate hinged thereto, and a truss or support extending across said hopper, with mechanism carried by said truss or' support for operating and locking said door or gate, and comprising a link and crank-arm pivoted together, the link being pivoted to the door or gate substantially as described.

8. The combination of a car, its hopper, a door or gate hinged thereto, and a truss or support extending across said hopper, with mechanism carried by said truss or support for operating and locking said door or gate, and comprising a link and crank-arm pivoted together, the link being pivoted to the door or gate and means for protecting said mechanism from the material in'said hopper, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a hopper bottom car having a hinged door or gate and a truss or support extending across the hopper, of a bracket or bearing carried by said truss, a shaft or pivot carried by said bracket or hearing, a crank arm carried by said shaft or pivot, and a link pivoted to said crank arm and to said door, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a hopper bottom car having a door hinged to said hopper and a truss or support extending across the hopper, of mechanism for operating said door consisting of a link and crank arm directly pivoted together and respectively pivotally connected with said door and with said truss, substantially as described.

1i. The combination of a hopper-bottom car having a door hinged to the hopper and a truss extending over the latter, said truss consisting of two parallel beams having a space between them, of mechanism carried by said truss and connected with said door for operating the 1atter,and a casing to inclose said mechanism, said casing consisting of plates 32 having extensions 35 to pass between said beams, and plates 33 having extensions 37 to bear against said beams, and means for securing said plates to said truss, substantially as described.

12. The combination of a hopper bottom car having a hinged door and a truss extending over the hopper, of a bracket'secured to said truss, a shaft journaled in said bracket and extending across the car, a pinion on said shaft, a shaft hung in said bracket, a gear Wheel on said shaft meshing with said pinion, a crank arm to be operated by said wheel, and a link pivotally connecting said arm with said door, substantially as described.

13. The combination of a door or gate with a strengthening frame consisting of side bars 23, 23, end bars 24, 24, and a cross brace 25, said frame being'secured on one side of said door, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 21st day of November, 1894.

WILLIAM MoMAHON. \Vitnesses:

HECTOR DE CASTRO, T. F. BOURNE.

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