US687345A - Dumping car. - Google Patents

Description

No. 687,345. Patented Nov. 26, IBM. J. J. SOUDER.

DUMPING CAR. (Application filed Mar. 19, 1901,

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

I W aflozwu 5 Patented Nov. 26, IQOI.

J. J. SOUDER.

DUMPING CAB.

(Application filed Mar. 19, 1901.: (No Model.) 3 Sheeis-Sheet 2.

19i rmooao No. 687,345. Patented Nov."26, l90l.

J. J. SDUDER.

DUMPING GAR {Application filed Mar. 19, 1901.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

ns ca, Pnomlmujwnsumm'on c c Tu: NORRS PET UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB J. SOUDER, OF WASHINGTON, "DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

DUMPlNG-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 687,345, dated November 26, 1901. Application filed March19,1901. Serial No. 51,919. (NomodelJ To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB J. SOUDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dumping-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has to deal with that class of dumping railway-cars in which the discharge is downward through the bottom of the car, which for this purpose is provided with discharge-openings closed by hinged drop-doors.

My improvements relate in the main to the means for opening and closing the drop-doors and for maintaining the same in closed position. These and other features of the invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and will then be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a hopper railway-car embodying my improvements in their preferred form, showing the drop-doors in closed position. I have omitted from this figure the greater portion of the hood which covers the longitudinal winding-shaft, as well as the hood which covers the transverse actuating-shaft for said winding-shaft, and also the locking-dog for the longitudinal winding-shaft. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the car, on enlarged scale, on line 2 2, Fig. 1, with the drop-doors in closed position. Fig. 3 is a like section on line 3 3, Fig. 1, with the drop-doors in open position. Fig. 4is an enlarged plan view of the locking device for the longitudinal winding-shaft. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the locking device for the transverse actuatingshaft. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a structural detail relating to the longitudinal winding-shaft,which will be hereinafter more particularly referred to.

In the particular car shown in the drawings in illustrationof my invention there are two series of longitudinal discharge-openings in the bottom of the car, one on each side of the longitudinal central sill A, provided with oppositely moving longitudinally hinged drop-doors O O, which extend lengthwise of the car and at the top are hinged, the inner ones, 0, to the centralsill A and the outer ones, 0, to the side sills B, as shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. I prefer to use one winding-shaft D for all of the drop-doors, in which case this shaft is located centrally and longitudinally of the car, as shown, and is supported in suitable bearings upon or attached to the central longitudinal sill A. In the arrangement shown the winding-shaft D is located on top of the central sill and is there protected by a hood consisting of double inclined directing-plates Z p, resting upon the longitudinal central sill and having at their outer and lower ends projections which overhang the hinges of the inner drop-doors O, the hinges of the outer doors C being protected by outer guards or overhangs o, fixed to the side walls of the car, all as described and illustrated in my application, Serial No. 27,9-.t8, filed August 24, 1900, and allowed November 21, 1900.

About midway of the length of the car the winding-shaft D has fixed to it a bevel-gear a, which engages a bevel-gear 1) upon the transverse actuating-shaft E. t This shaft is supported in suitable hearings in or on the bed-frame of the car and extends out beyond the side of the same, where it is provided with the usual squared end for the reception of a winch and is also provided with the exterior ratchet-and-lock-pawl device 1 2 3. (Shown in Fig. 5.)

In cars of this character the bed-frame is usually constructed with a longitudinal camber or arch-like formation, and when the car is loaded the effect of the weight of the load is to lessen the camber somewhat. In order to permit the longitudinal winding-shaft to adapt itself to these Variations in the car, I do not make it in one continuous solid piece, but I divide it into one or more sections which are so connected that while the shaft as a whole will revolve as one, yet the individual sections thereof may have movement relatively to one another in order to compensate for the changes in the camber of the car. In the present instance the shaft D is provided transversely into two sections, the line of division being shown at 4, Fig. 6. The abutting ends of the two sections of the shaft are reduced in diameter and are squared, as shown at 5, Fig. 6, and upon these, ends is fitted the bevel-gear a, so that when the gear is revolved it will revolve the two shaft-sections in unison. The abutting ends of the shaft-sections do not actually contact with each other, but are at such slight distance apart, as shown in Fig. 6, as will permit these ends to have relatively to each other the slight movement necessary to permit them to accommodate themselves to the changes inthe camber of the car.

1n the structure thus far described the ratchet-and-pawl device 1 2 3 of the transverse actuating device E sustains the whole weight of the closed doors, as well as of the load which may be superimposed thereon, and this of course brings great strain upon the gearing between said shaft and the longitudinal central winding-shaft D. To relieve the gearing of this strain, as well as to provide a positive lock for the shaft D independent of that with which the transverse actuated shaftE is provided, I combine with the longitudinal central winding-shaft D a locking mechanism which acts directly upon that shaft and is controlled by operating means located upon the exterior of the car, preferably at a point adjacent to that where the lock or detent device of the transverse actuating-shaft E is located. In the present instance one member of this locking device for the shaft D consists of a star-wheel 0, Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 6, which is fast upon shaft D. The other member consists of a notched or toothed dog 61, pivoted at d to a suitable portion of the bed-frame in a position to overhang the star-wheel c and to be lowered and lifted into and out of engagement with the same. For this purpose it is at its free end jointed at d to a link 6, which at its other end is joined at e to the lower arm of an angle-lever f, supported in bearings f, attached to the bed-frame and having its upper arm jointed atf to the inner end of the connecting-rod g, which extends out through a slot in the side of the car and is pinned at g to the vertical operating-lever h, pivoted at h to the exterior of the car and retained at its free upper end in locking position by a ring '5, held to the car by an eyebolt t" and adapted to slip over the upper end of the opcrating-lever. So long as this operating-lever is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 the dog is forced and held .down into engagement with the star-wheel, and the winding-shaft D is positively locked independently of the transverse actuating-shaft E. To unlock the shaft D, all that is needed is to disengage the ring-t from the upper end of the operating-lever h and then, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, to pull this lever outwardly far enough to cause the angle-lever f to lift the dog out of engagement With the star-wheel.

I'prefer that the chains by which the dropdoors 0 O are connected to the winding-shaft D should be located upon the exterior of the car. A convenient arrangement for this purpose is shown in the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2

and 3, in these figures the chains are represented by broken lines at F. The chains are attached at their outer ends to the exterior of the outer doors 0. They thence extend over exterior forked guides k at the lower edge of the doors 0, over guide-sheaves on the lower ends of the inner doors 0, and thence to the winding-shaft, to which they are made fast. Under this arrangement it will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that the chain extends around and beneath the hopper-bottoms formed by the doors when closed and constitute, as it were cradles in which these closed doors are supported. The parts 70 It are simply guides for facilitating the operation of closing the drop-doors, there being one set of guides k k for each of the chains. I prefer to provide means by which the length of each chain may be adjusted as desired, and for this purpose I connect each chainto an eyebolt m, supported in a bearing-iron n, fixed upon the exterior of its door 0, the said eyebolt being capable of adjustment lengthwise in said bearing and held in its adjusted position by nuts m, as will be understood without further explanation. Under this arrangement there will be unavoidably some little stretch of the chains when the doors are closed and the car is loaded, and to avoid any escape'of material through the hopper-like bottom of the car from this cause I provide one of the two doors 0 Oin this instance the outer door Oalong its inner lower edge with a projecting overhang conveniently formed by an angle-iron 0 attached to said door, which overlaps for, say, some two inches, more or less, the joint between the meeting ends of the closed doors, as seen in Fig. 2, so that these ends may, under the in fluence of the load, separate slightly without opening the bottom at that point to the escape of the material.

The transverse actuating-shaft E, as well as the locking mechanism for the shaft D, are covered by a transverse hood H of triangular shape in cross-section, which extends from side to side of the car, as seen in Fig. 2, and serves not only to protect the parts named, but also to brace the body of the car.

Having described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway-car provided with discharge openings and longitudinallyhinged dropdoors for closing said openings the combination with said doors, a longitudinal winding-shaft, and chains connecting said doors with said shaft, of a transverse actuatingshaft geared to said winding-shaft, a locking device for said transverse actuating-shaft, a separate and independent lock for the longitudinal winding-shaft, and means operated from the exterior of the car for controlling the said last-mentioned lock, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. In a dumping railway-car provided with discharge-openings and with longitudinallyhinged drop-doors for closing said openings, the combination with said drop-doors and theirlifting-chains, of a longitudinal sectional winding-shaft, and a driving-gear for said shaft mounted on the meeting ends of the two shaft-sections to drive them in unison and so connected to them as to permit them a slight vertical movement at their meeting ends relatively to one another, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

3. In a dumping-car provided with discharge-openings closed by coincidentallyhinged oppositely-moving drop-doors, the combination with said doors, of a windingshaft, chains attached to the exterior of the doors farthest removed from said windingshaft and extending thence beneath the 0pposite doors to the winding-shaft, and means upon the doors to which the chains are fastened, for adjusting the working length of said chains, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

4. In a dumping-car provided with discharge-openings on each side of the central sill, closed by pairs of longitudinally-hinged drop-doors, the combination with said dropdoors and with chains secured at their outer ends to the exterior of the outer door of each pair and extending thence beneath the inner door, of a longitudinal central winding-shaft to which the inner ends of said chains are secured, a transverse actuating-shaft and gear-

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