US977069A - Car-door guide and guard. - Google Patents

Description

M. L. CUTTER.

CAR DOOR GUIDE AND GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1910.

Patented N0v.29, 1910.

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MICHAEL L. COTTER, OF SOMERVILLE, IJIASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-DOOR GUIDE AND GUARD.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mrcrnxnn L. Corrnn, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Door Guides and Guards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description or the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to attachments for freight cars, and has for one of its objects 'to provide a simply constructed device whereby the lower edge of a freight car door is guided in its movements upon its track, and likewise effectually protected from being opened surreptitiously.

.Vith this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specificially pointed out in the claim; and, in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a freight car and one of its doors with the improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail illustrating the construction of the improved device more fully, Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the improved attachment disconnected.

The improved device may be attached to any of the various constructions of freight cars wherein the sliding doors are mounted to slide upon a track at the upper edge and with the lower edge swinging free to a limited extent, and to provide an effectual guide for the lower edge of the door, and likewise to prevent the door from being moved outwardly at the bottom when in closed position, is the principal object of the present invention, and in the drawings is shown applied to a conventional freight car, the body portion ofwhich is shown at 10, the roof portion at 11, one of the doors at 12, and a portion of one of the upper guide tracks at 13, the door being mounted to slide upon the track by suitable. hanger brackets 14 of the usual construction.

The door is arranged to fit over the usual doorway opening which is indicated at 15 and with its lower edge projecting below the upper line of the floor of the car, a portion of which is indicated at 16. The sheathing of the car is indicated at 17 and a portion Specification of Letters Yatent.

Application filed February 3, 1910.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Serial No. 541,848.

of one of the sill members at 18, to illustrate the application of the improved device more fully.

Much annoyance and loss has resulted from the depredations of thieves and other unauthorized persons who have surreptitiously opened the doors of cars without breaking the seals by removing the guides behind which the lower edge of the door is caused to slide, and to provide a simply constructed guard by which it will be impossible to remove the door while it is closed is the principal object of the present invention, and the improved device comprises a plate or body formed with a lower portion 19 and an upper portion 20, the upper portion being offsetfrom the lower portion as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and t, with the ofifset portion em bedded in the sheathing portion 1'? of the car just below the line of the floor 16 and opposite the doorway opening near the side edges of the same, and with the lower portion 19 bearing against the sheathing below the floor line and secured by suitable means such as lag screws 21. The ofiset portion 20 of the body is provided with two or more hollow projections or bosses 22, preferably cylindrical, and embedded in the portion of the sheathing of the car below the doorway opening. The structure of freight cars varies somewhat, but in the drawings the sheathing 17 is shown overlying the sill member 18, which is a common construction, and when the improved device is applied to a car of this construction the projections 22 will be embedded in this overlying sheathing, as shown, while the lag screws 2125 will pass through the sheathing and into the sill member. Different constructions of cars may require that the projections be embedded in other portions of the car body, and it is not desired therefore to limit the invention in this respect. The projections 22 are provided with apertures in their inner faces to receive lag screws, one of which is represented at 23, with the heads 24: of the lag screws inclosed in the hollow projections. The hollow projections thus form seats or cavities to receive the lag screw heads, and to prevent them from being engaged by the door 12 when it is moved upon its track 13. The plate or body 19 is provided with a lateral projection 25 which bears against the lower edge of the door 12, and each portion 25 is provided with an upwardly directed guard plate 26 which bears against the outer face of the door. The inner face of the member 26 is preferably curved as shown at 27, to facilitate the passage of the door. Freight car doors of this character are usually provided with a metal wear strip 28 at the lower edge, and this wear strip it will be noted contacts with the inner curved face 27 of the portion 26 of the device.

By this arrangement an effectual combined guard and guide is provided, which maintains the door in position after it has once been moved into closed position, and not only effectually prevents the outward movement of the lower edge of the door, but covers and protects the lag screws Q A so that access to the lag screws is impossible so long as the door remains in closed position. The door 12 is thus firmly secured and sup ported and surreptitious access to the car effectually prevented.

The projections 22 serve a two-fold purpose, first as an effectual means for receiving and protecting the lag screws 2?, and second as an additional securing means against the removal of the combined guard and guide, as any attempt to displace the guard and guide even if the lag screws 21 are detached, is effectually prevented by the relatively large projections 22 being embed ded within the car structure. The member 19-2O and its attachments are constructed in one single casting, preferably malleable iron or steel, and will be of sutficient strength to resist any strains to which they will be subjected while in use, and likewise to effectually resist any attempts to remove them to gain surreptitious access to the car.

It will be noted that the offset 20 together with the projections 22, are wholly embedded within the body of the car, so that no projection occurs to obstruct the movement of the door. This embedding of the member 20 also materially increases the strength and resisting qualities of the device, as will be obvious.

What is claimed is An attachment for freight cars comprising a bracket having an upper portion U- shaped in cross-section and including a horizontal portion and spaced legs extending upward therefrom and arranged to closely embrace the lower edge of a door, a lower portion integral with the horizontal part of the upper portion and extending downward therefrom, said lower portion having one face adapted to engage against the sheathing of a car, said lower portion being furthermore slightly offset from one leg of the upper portion, and spaced bosses projecting from the outer face of the last mentioned leg, said leg and bosses being adapted to be seated in a recess in the car sheathing conforming to said leg and the bosses thereon, said bosses being each provided with openings therethrough to receive a lag screw, the openings extending through the leg and being provided with enlarged ends to receive the heads of the lag screw.

In testimony whereof, I aliix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL L. COTTER.

Witnesses DAVID H. WALSH, FRED A. MCMERRIMEN.

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