US669780A - Loading device for locomotive-tenders. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 669,780. Patente'd Mar. l2, IQDI. W. G. FULLER &. W. A. THDLEN. LOADING DEVICE FOR L'OCOMOTIVE TENDERS.

(Application filed Hair. 6, 1900. (No Model.) 7 2 Sheets8heet l.

mar/($772086): {121/ m5 norms PEYEHB c0. 'HOTQ-UTMO" WASHINGTON. n c,

Patented Mar. I2, 1901. w. a. FULLER & w. A. THULEN. v LOADING DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS.

(Application filed Mar. 5, 1900.} (No Model.) 2 Sheets-8heet 2.

llnrrizn STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAM G. FULLER AND WILLIAM A. THOLEN, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

LOADING DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVE-TENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,780, dated March 12, 1901. Application filed arch 5, 1900. Serial No. 7,318. kllo model.)

To all whom 711; may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM G. FULLER and WILLIAM A. TI-IOLEN, citizens of the United States, residing at the city of Leavenworth, county of Leavenworth, State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Loading Devices for L0 comotive-Tenders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan View of our improved loading device. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the upper end of the derrick-post, showing the manner in which the guide-rods carried by the derrick-arm cooperate with the guide-posts. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5, Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of one of the sprocket-wheels and its cooperating pawl-and-ratchet mechanism, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the dog.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a device for loading the tenders of locomotives with coal, water, wood, &c., the object being to provide a device of the character described wherein the power medium for lifting the load is the locomotive itself. The device is designed to be arranged in juxtaposition to a track and has suitable means for cooperating with the locomotive or engine whereby power may be imparted to a hoisting-drum and the load elevated through a suitable derrick or crane and swung over the tender of the locomotive, where the load may be discharged. Suitable levers are provided for controlling the descent of the empty car carrying the load, and hand-brakes are arranged for cooperating with said cars, said hand-brakes being on suitable tracks, as will hereinafter appear.

Heretofore in coaling engines stations have been provided where coal-chutes are built, and where the chutes are in coal districts the mined coal is delivered directly into the chutes and thence discharged into the tender. The conditions here are favorable to loading the tender of a locomotive with coal;

but in outlying coaling-stations or isolated stations where coal has to be handled it has been the practice heretofore to build inclined side tracks running up and over the bins of the chute, so that the loaded coal-cars can be run up and discharge their contents directly into the bins, and from the bins chuted into the locomotive-tenders. The initial cost of these stations is considerable, as the inclination of the track ascending to the top of the bins has to be small enough to permit the cars to be pushed up easily, and therefore the inclined track is of considerable length and usually built on trestle-work, which of course requires constant repairs and renewals. By the use of our invention the machinery is practically located underground and out of the way, and power to drive the hoistingdrum is derived from the locomotive whose tender is to be loaded. The ordinary coalcars carrying coal to the station can be unloaded on the ground, in a yard, or into handtrucks, which are moved about on suitable tracks at will.

In the drawings, Aindicates the rails, forming the track on which the locomotive runs. This locomotive, as is usual, is providedwith a tender. Neither of these are shown in the drawings, as their construction is well understood.

B indicates sprocket-wheels preferably arranged in a pit intermediate the rails A, said wheels being loosely mounted on shafts O and C, journaled in suitable bearings securedto the framework around the pit.

D indicates an endless chain passing around the sprockets, the pintles d of whose links are preferably extended laterally from alternate links for cooperating with a dog E. The construction of this dogis best shown in Fig. 7, wherein it will be seen to consist of a body portion whose lower face is grooved to receive the chain D, the depending flanges being notched for the reception of a pintle of said chain. The dog also is preferably mounted on rollers e, which run upon metallic plates 0., arranged intermediate the rails A. This dog is formed with seats 6 in its upper face for cooperating with the pilot-nose of the engine, and by this construction the chain is driven; When the dog reaches the end of its movement, it falls into the ends of the pit in which the sprocket-wheels are arranged, and thus the engine is disconnected from the chain.

F indicates a hoisting-drum mounted on the shaft 0, and around which is wound a cable G, said cable extending up through a hollow derrick-post II and over suitable sheaves to the end of the armh. This derrick-post His preferably mounted on ball-bearings, so that it can readily be turned by hand, and its upper end is braced by suitable guy-rods, as is well understood. The arm h carries guide-rods I, preferably bent at right angles and secured thereto and to the post H, the vertical members of which rods serve to guide the load-carrier or car-body J, suspended from the end of the cable G. This body J when elevated rests against the vertical members of the rods I, and is thereby prevented from turning ortwisting. The bottom of this body J is preferably inclined, and one panel is hinged so as to be open to discharge its load into the tender of the engine when in proper position.

Posts K cooperate with the rods I for guiding and preventing the body J from twisting or turning in its vertical movement to and from its truck L. Truck L is mounted on a track, and in practice there are a number of these trucks, with suitable switching facilities, so that when a truck is emptied it maybe carried off and another loaded truck introduced in its place im mediately,so that a loaded body J is always in readiness to discharge its contents into the tender, and thus save the time usually consumed at coaling-stations. A swinging handle h is arranged at the base of the derrick-post and is designed to cooperate with suitable notches to hold said post firmly in position when its arm is out or in, as the case may be. We also prefer to providealock for this handle, to prevent the derrick being swung by unauthorized persons. The posts K also cooperate with the guiderods I to limit the inward swinging movement of the derrick-arm, and these parts are so constructed that they offer no obstruction to the vertical movement of the body J which would in any way interfere with the proper operation of the device. The manner in which the guide-rods I cooperate with the upper ends of the guide-posts K is shown in Figs. 2 and 2, wherein it will be seen that the posts K are of unequal lengths, the near post (shown in Fig. 2) and the post on the left (shown in Fig. 2) being the shorter. The guide-rods are so bent at the junction of their vertical and horizontal portions that, when the derrick-arm is swung from its position over the track back out of the way of the passing train the first guide-rod I passes over the top of the shorter post K and comes in contact with the upper end of the long post. The second rod I also comes in contact with the shorter post simultaneously, and in this manner the two guiderods I arrest the inward swinging movement of the derrick-arm and serve practically as continuations of the guide-posts K. It is only necessary that one guide-rod I shall pass over or above the shorter guide-rod K.

We have stated that the hoisting-drum around which the cable G is wound and unwound is mounted on the shaft 0, on which shaft is also mounted one of the sprocket wheels B. We also stated that both sprocketwheels are mounted loosely on their respective shafts O and G. We will now describe how motion imparted to the chain in either direction will rotate the drum in one direction only.

The shafts O and C have ratchet-wheels M and M fixed thereon and in juxtaposition to the sprocket-wheels. m and m indicate spring-pressed pawls mounted on the sprockets B for cooperating with the ratchets M and M, respectively. This ratchet and pawl mechanism is preferably inclosed in housings 19, secured to the sprocketwvheels, for the purpose of keeping out water, dirt, &c. N and N are miter-gears fixed to the shafts O and C,

respectively, with which mesh miter-gears on the ends of a shaft- O. It will be noticed that the ratchets M and M are arranged on diametrically opposite sides of their sprockets and that their cooperating pawls extend in opposite directions. If the ratchets were arranged on the same side of the sprocketwheel, their teeth would be cut so that the pawls cooperating therewith would be disposed in the same direction. By this construction when the block E on the chain D is moved so as to lock the pawl m with the ratchet on shaft 0 said shaft will be directly driven in a given direction. Miter-gearing will impart an opposite rotation to the shaft 0 and the sprocketB,and the shaftC becomes an idler under these conditions, and the pawl M rides idly over its cooperating ratchet M. If motion is imparted to the chain D in the opposite direction, pawl m is locked in the teeth of ratchet M, so that shaft 0 now becomes the driving-shaft and rotates the shaft 0', through the miter-gearing, in the same direction it was before rotated when directly driven by the pawl m. When shaft 0 becomes the driving-shaft, the pawl m rides idly over its cooperating ratchet M. It will thus be seen that no matter in what direction chain D is driven shaft 0 is rotated in a given direction at all times. The apparatus thus accommodates itself to engines moving in different directions.

The drum F around which the cable G is wound is loosely mounted on the shaft 0 and has conjoined thereto aclutch mechanism of Well-known construction, operated by a lever P, whereby said drum may be fixed to the shaft or idly rotate thereon, depending upon the position of said lever. When the chain is being driven to hoist the load at the outer end of cable G, the drum is fixed to the shaft and the derrick-arm swung out to dump the load into the tender of the locomotive. After the derrick-arm is returned a lever Q for operating a band-brake on the hoisting drum is operated to tighten the band, after which thelever P disengages the drum F from shaft 0. Brake-lever Q is now manipulated to lower the car-body J down gently onto its truck.

In operation the loaded truck is placed in position under the derrick-arm and the hook at the end of cable G attached to a suitable bail on said car-body. When a locomotive approaches and it is desired to load the ten-' der with coal, the engine either comes to a standstill or slows down, so as to gently engage the block E on the driving-chain. The length of travel of block E is predetermined, so that when the car-bodyJ is hoisted to the proper height the block falls into the pit over one or the other sprocket-wheel. The engine,

as before described, engages the nose of its pilot into one of the recesses in the upper face of block E and affords the motive power.

to hoist the load in the car-body J to the proper height, when the block is thrown into the pit. The engine goes on until its tender is in the proper position, when the derrickarm is then swung out over the tender and the contents of the car-body J discharged thereinto, after which the derrick arm is swung back into place, the brake applied by lever Q, the clutch released by lever P, and by manipulating lever Q the empty car-body is deposited on its truck. The empty truck is now removed and the loaded one placed in position.

By the use of our apparatus a quantity of coal can be hoisted and discharged into the tender of the locomotive in a very few moments, thus saving considerable time. Of course it is obvious that, while we have mentioned coal as the article to be handled, wood, water, or other materials can readily be manipulated through our improved hoisting apparatus.

We are aware that other means can be employed for utilizing the motive power of a locomotive for operating a hoisting apparatus, which means can be located at places different from that shown in the drawings, and, further, that many minor .changes in the arrangement, construction, and combina tion of the several part-s of our apparatus can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a hoisting-drum and its cable, of driving mechanism for said drum comprising an endless chain passing over sprockets, and a detachable block arranged on said chain and designed to cooperate with a locomotive; substantially as described. v

2. The combination with a hoisting-drum and its cable, of driving mechanism for said d rum comprising sprocket-wheels and a chain, ratchet-and-pawl mechanism cooperating with said sprocket-wheels, and a detachable block arranged on said chain for cooperating with the pilot of a locomotive; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a hoisting-drum, of abrake therefor, driving mechanism for said drum, a clutch for engaging and disengaging said drum from its driving mechanism, said driving mechanism comprising two sprocket-wheels, an endless chain passing thereover, means coo )erating with said sprocket-wheels and the drum whereby motion imparted to said sprocket-wheels in either direction, will drive said drum in a given di rection; and a detachable block arranged on the endless chain for cooperating with the pilot of a locomotive substantially as described.

4:- The combination with shafts G and O, of sprocket-wheels loosely mounted thereon, an endless chain passing over said sprockets, ratchets fixed to said shafts and cooperating with oppositelyarranged pawls secured to said sprocket-wheels, miter-gearing between said shafts for-causing opposite rotation thereof, a drum designed to be driven by one of said shafts; and a detachable block arranged on said endless chain for cooperating with the pilot of a locomotive substantially as described.

5. The combination with shafts O and C, of a drum loosely mounted on the shaft G, a clutch mechanism for engaging said drum with said shaft, sprockets loosely mounted on said shafts, oppositely-arranged ratchetwheels fixed to the shafts,oppositely-arranged pawls carried by the sprocket-wheels for cooperating with said ratchets, gearing for rotating said shafts C and O in opposite directions; an endless chain on said sprockets, and a detachable block arranged on said chain for cooperating with the pilot of a locomotive substantially as described.

6. The combination with the shafts O and O, ratchetwheels fixed thereto, sprocketwheels loosely mounted on the shafts and carrying oppositely-arranged pawls for cooperating with said ratchet-wheels, housings on said sprocket-wheels for inclosing the pawland-ratchet mechanism, miter-gearing between said shafts for driving them in opposite directions, a hoisting-drum mounted 011 one of said shafts; an endless chain on said sprocket-wheels, and a detachable block arranged on said chain for cooperating with the pilot of a locomotive substantially as described.

7. The combination with a hoisting-drum, of an endless chain for driving the same, the pintles of said chain projecting laterally, and a removable block E cooperating with said chain-pintles'; substantially as described.

8. The combination with a hoisting-drum, of an endless chain for driving the same, sprocket-wheels arranged in a pit between track-rails, and over which wheels said chain IIO passes, and a removable block on said chain designed to cooperate with a locomotive running on the track; substantially as described.

9. The combination with a swinging derrick, of a receptacle J, and guide-rods on the arm of said derrick, said guide-rods also 00- operating with said receptacle; substantially as described.

10. The combination with a swinging derrick, of rods I cooperating with a vessel sus pended by said derrick and holding the same in place, and guide-posts K cooperating with said rods I; substantially as described.

11. The combination with a swinging derrick, of rods I connected to its arm, guideposts K, a vessel J guided in its vertical movement by said posts and rods, and a truck for receiving said vessel; substantially as described.

12. The combination with a swinging derrick arranged in juxtaposition to a railwaytrack, guiding-rods on the arm of said dew rick, guide-posts cooperating with said rods, a' cable, a truck Whose body portion is designed to be lifted by said cable, a hoistingdrum for said cable, mechanism for driving said drum, said mechanism being located in-

Images