US1256771A - Door-operating mechanism for cars and the like. - Google Patents

Description

A. CAMPBELL.

Qoo OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CARS AND THE LIKE.

APPLiCATlON FILED AUG-20. i912- I .Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

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OOOOO A. CAMPBELL.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CARS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-20. 1917.

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ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ENTERPRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISIVI FOR CARS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Application filed August 20, 1917. Serial No. 187,125.

To all 'whom it may Concern:

Be it known that I, Anemia CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Door-Operating Mechanism for Cars and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in dtor operating mechanism for cars and the The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism for operating so-called twin hopper doors of hopper cars and similar constructions, the mechanism being so arranged that, when the doors are in closed position, the mechanism is self-locked to prevent accidental opening of the doors when the load is applied thereon and more especially, the invention contemplates a mechanism of the type above indicated which is composed of a minimum number of parts to thereby decrease cost, prevent possibility of getting out 0f order and insure greater certainty in the self-locking feature.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure lis a side elevation of a portion of a hopper car of a type to which my improvements are especially adapted, there being two hoppers of the car shown. Fig. 2 is a top plan view taken on a level with the tops of the center sills of the car and illustrating more particularly the improved door locking mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the position occupied by the parts when the doors are in closed position. Fig. et is a vertical, transverse, sectional view corresponding substantially to the section line 4-11 of Fig. 3. And Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, but illustrating the po sition of the parts when the doors are in open position.

In said drawing, the car is designated generally by the reference A and is of that type having` four sets of hoppers between the trucks on each side of the center sill. Fig. 1 illustrates that portion of the car be* tween'one of the trucks and the transverse center of the car. The car is provided with the usual center sill construction comprising a pair of outwardly turned channels 10-10, as most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Each hopper, on each side of the center sill, is provided with twin hopper doors 11-11, the same being pivotally supported as indi cated at 12-12 and the doors being adapted to have their free edges meet when the doors are in closed position. Each pair of doors 11 which are in transverse alinement are connected by a transversely extending U- shaped cross bar 13 so that all the doors for each pair of transversely alined hoppers are operated simultaneously.

The operating mechanism which I have designed is arranged as follows: Secured to the inner faces of the channel center sills 10-10 are bearing brackets 14T-111- which support a short shaft 15. Mounted on the shaft 15, which is of non-circular cross section intermediate its ends, are two sheavewheels 16-16 and a. drum or hub 17 interposed therebetween. As will be understood, the sheave-wheels 16 and drum 17 fit the shaft 15 so as to move in unison therewith. The drum 17, when the doors are in closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, is provided with a forked lever arm 18 which extends downwardly and has pivotally connected thereto, as indicated at 19, a. link 2O which has an angular or hook-shaped end 21. The link 2O is preferably made from two similarly shaped elements 12C-120 held in spaced relation between the forks of the arm 18, as most clearly appears from Fig. 3. The link 20, when the doors are in closed position, extends upwardly and is inclined from the vertical toward the center line of the shaft 15, as appears from Fig. 3, and the hook-shaped end 21 thereof is supported on a ledge or shelf portion 22 of the hub 17. The elements 120 of the link 20 rest against correspondingly disposed shoulders 123 on the hub 17.

From the cross bar 13 connecting one pair of doors 11, extends an adjustable eye-bolt 24 to which is pivotally connected a hookshaped link 25 formed of two like elements 125-125 fitted over the two elements 120-120. The hook-shaped end 26 of said link 25 is pivotally connected to the link 20, as by a rivet 27, at a point substantially at the angle between the main portion of the link 20 and its hook-shaped end 21, as will appear from an inspection of Fig. 5. To the other cross bar 13 connecting the opf the center of the shaft 15.

posed set of doors 11 is adjustably attached an eye-bolt 28, the bolt 28 having pivotally connected thereto a third hook-shaped link 29. Ihe link 29 has the hook portion thereof 30 pivotally connected to the end of the extension 21 of the link 20, as indicated at 3l, and which is most clearly shown in Fig. 5. The link 29 is preferably made forked below the line 32 so that the Yforked portions of said link are adapted to straddle the eye-bolt 28 and be pivotally connected thereto. At its upperend, the link 29 is fitted between the elements 120-120 and pivoted thereto as by the countersunk rivet indicated at 31. `When the doors are in closed position, the hook-shaped portion 26 of the link 25 is adapted to rest also on said ledge or bearing portion 22 of the hub 17 and the hook-shaped portion 30 of the forks of the link 29 rest upon a ledge 122V of the hub 17 and both links 25 and 29 are adapted to bear against the hub 17 on the left hand side thereof, as viewed in Fig. 3.

From the sheave-wheels 16-16 extend chains 34; and 85, said chains lrunning over other sheave-wheels 36-36 mounted on a transversely extending shaft 37. The shaft 37 is extended tothe side of the car and is provided on the end thereof with a squared section 38 by which it can be operated with a claw bar or other suitable instrument. To lock the shaft 88 against accidental rotation, it is provided with a ratchet wheel 39l in the usual manner with which cooperates a pawl 40, the pawl being locked by a dog 41.

By referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the line B-B which extends between the pivotal connection 27 and the point Yof pivotal connection between the link 25 and its door 11 is located to the right hand side of the center of the shaft 15. Similarly, the line C-C which extends between the pivotal connection 31 and the connection between the link 29 and its corresponding door 11 is also located to the right hand sideof Consequently, when the doors are in closed position, as shown in Fig. 3, there will be no tendency for the load on the doors 11 to rotate the shaft 15 in an unwinding or counter-clockwise direction. In other words, all load on y the doors will be transferred to the shaft 15 effect thereon.

without exertingany turning or torsional lVith this construction. both of the twin doors of each set are independently locked with respect to the shaft so as to prevent unwinding of the door operating mechanism; Furthermore, it willbe noted that there are only three links interposed'between the hub and the twin hopper doors, an absolute minimum number of parts. This reduces'the cost of material, simplifies the construction and minimizes danger of the' parts becoming distorted or broken during operation. As will be understood, the shaft 37 when rotated in one direction will operi ate one chain to rotate the shaft 15 in a clockwise direction and vice versa through the other chain to rotate the shaft 15 in a counter-clockwise direction.

Although I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto. i

I claim: Y v

1. In door operating mechanism for a hopper ear or the like having twin arranged pivoted doors, the combination with a shaft located above the doors, of a hub on said shaft, a link pivotally connected at one end to said hub and at its opposite end provided with an angular extension, a hangerV link pivotally connected at one end to said angular extension and at its opposite end to one of said doors, and a second hanger link also pivotally connected at one endto. said first named link and at its oppositeend to the other door.

2. In door operating mechanism for a` hopper car or the like having twin arrangedl pivoted doors, the combination with a shaft located above the doors, of a hub on said shaft, a link pivotally connected at one end to said hub and atl its opposite end provided with an angular extension, a hanger link pivotally connected at one end to said angular extension and at its opposite end to one of saidfdoors, and a second hanger link also pivotally connected at one end to said first named link and at its opposite end to the other door, said hanger links, when the doors are in closedposition, being supported from said hub and having the lines located by the pivotal connections between each hanger link and its corresponding door and the con= nections between each hanger link and the first named link beyond the center: of the shaft. Y

3'. In door operating mechanism for a hopper car or the like having twin arranged pivoted doors, the combination with a shaft, of a hub mounted on said shaft, and three links each having'a hooksshaped end,v one of said linksxbeing pivotally connected at its plain end to the hub, each of the other two links being also pivotally connected atits plain end to a door and said two last named links having. their hook-shaped ends pivotally connected to the hook-shaped end of the link pivotally connected to the hub.

Y et. In doorY operating mechanism for a hopper car or the like havingtwin arranged pivoted doors, the combination with a shaft,

of a hub mounted on said shaft, and three links each having a hook-shaped end, one of said links being pivotally connected at its iso plain end to the hub, each of the other two links being also pivotally connected at its plain end to a door and said two last named links having their hook-shaped ends pivotally-connected to the hook-shaped end of the link pivotally connected to the hub` the hook-shaped ends of all three links being supported on the top of the hub when the doors are in closed position.

5. In a hoppei1 car, the combination with a pair of pivotally mounted hopper doors adapted to have their free edges meet when the doors are in closed position, of a shaft disposed above the meeting edges of the doors, a hub mounted on said shaft, a hookshaped link pivotally attached at one end to said hub, a hook-shaped link pivotall7 connected at one end to one of said doors and at its opposite end to the end of said first named link, and a third hook-shaped link pivotally connected at one end to the other of said doors and at its opposite end to the first named link at a point removed from the end thereof, the pivotal connections between various parts being so arranged that, when the doors are in closed position, the load will eXert no tendency to rotate said shaft in an unwindingvdlrection.

6. In door operating mechanism for a hopper car and thelike having twin arranged pivoted doors, the combination with a shaft, of a hub mounted on said shaft, a link pivotally connected to said hub, said link comprising a pair of spaced elements hookshaped at one end, a hook-shaped link pivotally connected at one end to one of said doors and pivotally connected at its opposite end to the rst named link and fitting between the elements comprising the latter, of a third link pivotally connected at one end to the other of said doors, said third link being formed of two spaced elements straddling the second named link and pivotally connected at its opposite end to the outer sides of the two elements forming the irst named link.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 8 day of Aug. 1917.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL.

Copies of this patent may,r be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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