US1444474A - Refrigerator car - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 1923. 1,444,474.

, R. H. MCELROY.

REFRIGER'ATOR CAR.

FILED AuG.20, 1920. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Feb. 6, 1923.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

FILED AUG. 20.1920.

2 SHEETS*SHEET 2.

Patented F eb. 6, 1923.

. UNITED STATES ROBERT H. MCELBOY, OF WILMETTE, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

Apphcaton filed August 20, 1920. Serial No. 404,814.

Be it known that I, Roemer ll. MUELROY, a citizen ot the United States, residing at lVilmotte, illinois, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,l have invented a new and usejtul lmprovement in Refrigerator Cars, oi which the :following s a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerator vars, and has A tor its principal object the provision oit means whereby the fuiantity ot ice in the car can be deter-min l at all times without opening the ice compartment. ln moet cases the ice compartments in refrigerator cars are filled from the top, so that when it is desired to know the amount of ice remaining in a co1npart-ment, it is necessary to climb to the root oii `the car, remove the trap-door, and malte an inspection ot' the inside of the ice compartment. This requires time, labor and expense, and permits the entry ot' warm air into the ice compartment from the outside. lVith the use of my invention, the amount ot ice in an ice compartment may readily and quickly be determined from the outside of the car without opening the ice compartments.

lVhen refrigerator Cars arrive at an icing terminal it is the practice in railroad operation to set the cars out for inspection and icing. This .necessitates the opening of the hatch and many times inspection indicates the car as being properly iced when, as a mattei' or' tact, there may be only a crust of salt that has formed and no .ice in the compartment. Such a car is allowed to go forward as being properly iced and may result in a damage claim amounting to thousands ol dollars, depending upon the character of the perishable goods being transported.

lf, however, an inspection does show the car requires icing, it is switched to an icing plant at a material cost, as switching expenses `today are materially higher than they have ever been before. With the use of the device involved in this construction, it would be wholly unnecessary to switch thecar if the dial on the outside of the car indicated there was sufficient ice to run the car safely to the next icing station.

Furthermore, it would be unnecessary to open the hatch for examination, as the dial would more clearly show the condition of the icing compartment without the necessity ot opening the hatch and letting in atmospheric temperature, which in many cases would result in warming` the entire compartment and losing just that much ice, which today is very much more expensive than has been the case for many years past.

The record of the condition of the car, as based on the reading ot the dial by the use of this device, would indicate clearly the amount o't' ice in pounds at the icing station and, with such a record, the carriers would be able to substantiate, in the event or a claim, the fact that the car was .l'ully i'ced through to destination.

A saving in the number or' refrigerator cars employed would be accomplished, more than any saving in mileage, by reason 0f the elimination ot delays at icing terminals and 'in this nay would require less refrigerator equipment than under the present plan.

In general, my invention comprises a scale pan or load platform arranged in the bottom of the ice compartment upon which the ice rests. The load platform is connected with a weight indicator visible from -the outside oi the car so that the weight oif ice in the compartment may be readily noted from the outside by looking at the indicator. I also provide means for rendering the scale mechanism inoperative while the car is in transit, and while ice is being loaded into the compartment, so that the scale mechanism will not be injured by jarring.l lt is obvious, however, that, without detracting from the spirit ot this `nvcu tion, such nleans for rendering the scale mechanism inoperative may be dispensed with it desired; because it would be possible to make the mechanism strong and heavy enough to withstand the jolts of travel, and the jars of. ice falling into the compartnient,

In that form of device embodying the features or" my invention, shown in the ac drawings, Figure l is a view on of the body of a refrigerator car, with a portion of the end wall removed showing the interior oi' the ice com rtment. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2 of Figure l. Fig. is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 of Fig. 3.

As shown in said drawings, G indicates in general the body of a refrigerator car in which the ice compartment in one end is nected by an endless chain indicatedbyv?. andthe ice therein by S. Access to the ice compartment 7,' for filling is had through the trap-doors 9 on the root of the car. Such parts may berotany ordinary construction and form no part ot the present invention. Likewise, ducts, or-open ings, for permitting circulation olf air bach and forth from the ice compartment 7 to the interior of the car 10, of any suitable form or construction may be provided; and since they iorm no part of the present invention, are not described or shown in particular in the drawings.

Arranged slightly above the stationary bottom l12 of the ice compartment is a scale pan or load platform 1B supported by four shortarms 14 at the corners suspended by four chains 15 extendingupwardly and over thesprockets 16 mounted on the two parallel shafts 17 suitably supported near the top ot 'thecan The chainsl entend over the sprockets 16 and then downwardiy-g with their ends attached to the upper ends ot spiral springs 1S which in turn have their lower ends attachedfto the eyes 1i) suitably fastened to a part ot the ear body. Each of the parallel. shafts 17 carries rigidly mounted thereon two ot the sprockets 1G, and in addition near each end an additional sprocket 21.. Each pair` oi" sprockets 2l at the adjacent ends of the sha1-'ts 17 are con 2:2; so that rota tion of one shaft 17 will necessarily cause rotation of the other. The `function ot the connection between the two shafts 1T by the chains 22 is to prevent tipping oit the load platform. 13. Vith such connection it is impossible for one side to move upwardly ordownwardly more rapidly than the other. h The chains 15, springs 18, and shafts 17 with the sprocketsv carried thereby are all arranged between the double walls at the sides of the ice compartment; such double walls at the end of the car being indicated by 31 and 317 and the doublewall between the ice compartment andthe interior ot the car 10 being indicated by 32 and The varms 111' extend through the slots and 36 provided invth'ewalls 31 and 32 respectively.

One or the chains 'l5 at the' end' 'of the car is somewhat shorter than the other three and has-interposed between its end and the `spfing 18 a short bar iO'with indicator i slot el' projecting `'out-wardly throw I 1 the outer wall 31? of the ear l A t the side 'of the slot 42a' suitable `V1`nder isarranged j morder that travel of the indicator. i1 may Je 'noted'. The' tension: of the 'springs` 18 uch that wh'enftli'e ice compartment 7 is ubstantial'ly fall, the' .springs will be e5.- tndedand the Iindicator L111 will he .nearly toV the top of 'the index'. and when it is empty7 such indicator will be nearlyA to 'the bottom withy the springs compressed. lit 'desired markings 'may `.be 'put on thel index pi attorin e 4:5 in order to record the weight of the ice on the load platform for the different posi tions of the indicator L'l-1. rlhe load platform 1,33 isperforated as indicated by in order to permit the drainage oi' water from the melting ice.

1 have also shown means for rendering the weighing mechanism inoperative in order to prevent damage 'from jars or jolts duringtransit or during the filling operation. 1t is obvious, however, that Vsuch means may be dispensed with, or not used, without departing from the spirit of my invention; since it would be possible to make the parts heavy enough to withstand such jars and jolts. Such means, as I have shown them. comprise a brake-drum mounted on the sha-its 1T which is supported near the end of the car. Such braltedruin 55is surrounded by abralre-band 56 adapted to be held tightly around the drum by the compression spring 57' operating between the wall 31a and the stop 58 arranged on the bar 59 which in turn has its end attached to a lever (50 mounted on a short rotatable shaft 61 carrying on one end the cross piece 62 to the ends of which are attached the ends ol' the brake-band 56. rThe bar 59 extends outwardly through the wall 31a and terminates inthe handle 65 permitting it to be pulled out to compress the spring 57, roclr the sha't 61 and lcross piece 62, thus loosening the brake-band 56 and permitting rotation of the4 drum. 55 and shaft 17. As showm the parts are so arranged that'normally the spring-57 will prevent rotation of the shaft 17, and `consequently prevent any movement upwardly or downwardly oic the load platform 13, thus preventing bouncing up and' down of the load platform and movement of the springs from jars and jolts in transit or during the filling process. lflvlhen it desired however, to permit movement `oit the load platform in order that theV indicatorv l1 might show the weight '01"' the ice thereon, all that is neces- Vsary is to pull the handle 65 outifmrdly,` thus releasing the brake-drum 55 `and permitting rotation of the shaft 17, whereupon,the-load be determined by the weight of ice thereon with the consetpientV indication by the indieater 4 1. li desired, the means for holding -vhe platte-rin may be dispensed with by revmovingt'he hralrewlruin 55 or suo-'h inea-ns may be rendered inoperative' byl pulling eut the handle 65 and holding thesarne insuch position byinserting a `suitable wedge betweenJ the shoulder d() on ther'od 59 andj'the wall 313-.

While 1v have shown and described certain embodmentsjotl'my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifcations. y yChanges- `therefore in the construction and arrangementmay bemade will taire such position as may without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible in view of the prior art.

Although I have shown the weight indicator as being located at the end of the car, it is obvious that, without detracting from the spirit of Athis invention, it may be placed at the side of the car. Perhaps, in ordinary use, the side of the car would be a better location for the Weight indicator than the end, because so located the weight indicators on separate cars in a train could be more easily observed by any one walking along the side of the t-rain.

What I claim as new and desire to securevv by Letters Patent is:

l. rIhe combination with a refrigerator ear having an ice compartment, of an ice receiving platform suspended in the ice compartment, and a weight indicator on the outside of the body of the car and connected to the platform suspension means, whereby variations in the Weight of the load of ice carried by said platform may be seen without opening said ice compartment.

The combination with a refrigerator car having an ice compartment, of an ice receiving platform suspended in the ice compartment and a weight indicator on the outside of the body of the car and connected to the platform, suspension means to indicate the upward and downward movements of said platform due to variations in the load of ice carried thereby, whereby variation in such load may be seen Without opening said ice compartment.

rI`he combination with a refrigerator car having an ice compartment, of an ice supporting platform therein, means connected with said platform to cause the same to move vertically with variations in the Weight of the ice thereon, and a Weight indicator on the outside of the body of the car and connected with said platform for indicating the vertical movements thereof, whereby variations in the weight of the ice carried by said platform may be seen without opening. said ice compartment.

4. The combination with a refrigerator car having an ice compartment, of weighing mechanism comprising) an ice receiving platform suspended in the ice compartment, and a weight indicator on the outside of the body of the car and connected with said platform, whereby variations in the weight of the load of the ice carried by said platform may be seen without opening said ice compartment, and means for rendering said weighing mechanism inoperative.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and sea-l this 16th day of August A. D. 1920.

ROBERT H. MGELROY. [Ls]

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