US1515326A - Car dump - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet l GAR DUMP v. T, BABKLEY Nov. 11,

Filed June 30 Nov.. 11,1924: 1,515,326,

vf-r. BARKLEY CAR DUMP l Filed June 50, 1920 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 11, 1924. i 1,515,326

v.T. BARKLEY 1 :CAR .Y DUMP Filehd June 30. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 3

Nov. 11, 1924- y 1,515,326 V. T,./BARKLEY CAR DUMP Filed June 50 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 Wvg-1% oujaf Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

".l'l TPE VERNO'R T. BARKLEY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANA.

CAR DUMP.

Application led June 30,

To all fio/0m t may concer/a.:

Re it known that I, Ventron T. BARKLEY, a citizen ot the Unit-ed States, and resident ot' Pittsburgh, in the county oi' Allegheny and State or' Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in Car Dumps; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to dumping apparatus, and has special reference to apparatus for dumping coal cars.

The object of my invention is to provide a car dump which vshall operate automatically to receive a loaded car, to lock the car in position, to invert the car to discharge its load, and then to deliver the empty car from the dump, all of these operations taking place Without the services of an attendant and the dump being operated by gravity, as distinguished from the power-operated dumps which have heretofore been employed.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a car dump constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same apparatus with the car-retaining horns removed; Fig. il is a transverse sectional view taken centrally across the same apparatus; Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view, the sect-ion loeing taken substantially along the line 4 4, Fig. 2; Fig. is a i'fragmentary cross-sectional view, the section being taken substantially along the line 5-5, Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the cradle-holding latches.

As shown in the drawings, a stationary shaft 2 is mounted in suitable bearings 3 carried by fixed supports 4.. A frame or cradle is loosely mounted tor rotation on the stationary shaft 2 and consists of side plates 5 and end plates 6, secured together by means oi' angle bars 7. The frame also has intermediate lransverse plates 8. All of the Frames 6 and 8 carry trictionless roller or ball-bearings 9 for supporting the trame upon the stationary shaft 2. Top and bottom plates are also preferably provided to enclose the working parts of the dump and to protect them from dust, these plates being omitted from the present drawing for the salie of clearness.

The trame just described carries upon op- 1920. Serial-No. 392,971.

and including two pairs of parallel tracks 10, each of which, when the dump is in its load-receiving position, as Vshown `in the drawing, is in alignment with stationary tracks 11. In order to hold the dump stationary while the cars are being placed upon and removed from it, l provide two sets of stop pins l2, one at each side of the dump, each stop pin being surrounded by a spring 13 which is coiiiiried between the iiXed bracket 14 and a collar 15, and which tends.

to force the pin outward to enter a latch 16 disposed in recess formed in one of the stationary supports 1.

' The construction of the latch 16 is shown in Fig. 6. it consists oi' a cup-shaped member 17 within which are secured twoshort parallel pivot pins 18, each of which carries a latch member 19 having an inclined upper end 20 and having a short lug 21 extending inwardly from its lower end. A spring 22 is disposed between the latch members 19 and is confined between an upper plate 23 and a lower plate 24C which restsupon the lugs 21. l/Vhen the cradle rotates to bring the pin. 12 down upon the inclined faces 20 of the latch members 19, these members separate and allow the pin 12 to move down upon the plate 3. rFhis stops the rotation of the dump, the shock being taken up by the spring 22. The pressure of the spring 22, increased by the downward thrust of the pin 12, immediately closes t-he latch members 19, and the pin is prevented by the overlapping ends ot the latch members from moving upward. It may, however, be withdrawn lengthwise from the latch, and in order that this may be done, when the dump is ready to make its nextr halt-rotation, the pin 12 at the forward end oic the dump is connected by means oic a link 25 to the lower end of lever 26 which issecured to a rock shaft 27 that carries a trigger 28 extending into the path ot one et the 'liront wheels 29 ot the car 30 as it'rolls upon the dump in the direction ci the arrow,shown in Fig. 1. Similarly, the pin 12 at the rear of the dump is connected by means of a link 25a tothe upper end ci the lever 26,and it will be evident that when the trigger is depressed both of the pins 12 will be simultaneously withdrawn from the latches 16. rElie dump, which is unbalanced and tends to rotate in a clockwise direction, Fig. 8, is'then free to rotate, and the pins 12V are held in their withdrawn position until near 'the end of the neXt full rotation, when the trigger 28 is moved laterally away from the wheel 29, in a manner described below, and the pins 12 are thereby released and forced out by the springs 13 into position to again snap into the latches 16 and stop the movement of the dump. The two sets of stop pins 12 are located diagonally opposite to each other on the dump frame, so that they are alternately brought into a single pair of latches 16 as the dump makes its half-rotations.

The rotary frame carries two complete sets of mechanisms for automatically clamping the loaded cars upon the dump, so that when one car is inverted to discharge its load, another car may loe placed upon thcl side of the dump which is then uppermost and a further half-rotation in the same direction will bring the empty car to upright position, and will dump the loaded car. For clamping the cars to the dump, l provide two pairs of horns 31 adapted to grip and hold the front wheels of the cars and similar pairs of horns 32 to grip and hold the rear wheels of the cars. lt is to be understood that these horns and their operating mecha nisms are duplicated on both sides of the dump frame, and a description of one of the sets of horn-operating devices will therefore be sufficient for all of them.

The front horn and re-ar horn at each side of each car are secured to a horizontal lshaft 33 that is mounted in bearings 34 attached to one of the tracks 10 and is surrounded by a spring 35 which is confined between a collar 3G and one of the bearings 34 and which provides for a small amount of lengthwise movement of the shaft 33 to absorb the shock which takes place when the loaded cars strike the horns 31.

The trigger 28 is intended to be depressed by the front wheel 29 only and not by the rear wheel of the car, in order that the pins 12 may not be released by the rear wheel of the empty car' leaving the duml. For this purpose, the rock-shaft 27 which carries the trigger 28 is slidable lengthwise in bearings 37, as shown in Fig. 5, and is moved back and forth in response to the movement of one of the horns 31. This horn 31 is provided with a downward extension 38 which has an opening' to receive the end of a curved finger 39 that is loosely mounted on the shaft 27 between collars 40. lllhen the forward horns 31 are .in their operative position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the trigger 28 is in the path of the wheel 29, but when the horns swing outward to release the wheels, as shown in Fig. 5, the. extension 38 acts through the finger 39 'to move the shaft 27 tothe right, Fig. 5, carrying the trigger 28 away from the track 10. The rear wheel may then pass the trigger 28 without engaging it.

The horns 31 which stop and grip the front wheels of the car are connected to move together pivotally around their shafts 33 and the horns 32 which clamp the rear wheels of the car are similarly connected to move together', as shown in Fig. 4. lt is necessar f that the front horns 31 be in their operative position when a loaded car runs upon the dump and that the rear horns be swung' out at this time to permit the loaded car to enter between them. lWhen the front wheels of the car are in. position against the horns 31, the rear horns must close upon the rear wheels, to hold the car firmly in the dump and also to prevent the car from rebounding from the front horns, and all the horns must remain in their operative position while the dump rotates to dump the ear and then rotates further to return the empty car to its upright position. Thereupon, both the front and rear horns must open to release the car, and when the empty car has cleared the front horns, these horns must close again in order to stop the next succeeding car.

ln order to carry out these movements of the horns automatically, each transverse pair of horns is connected by means of downward extensions and links 46 to a double lever 47 which is pivotally secured to a stud 48 carried by one of the transverse angle bars 7 of the dump frame. A spring 50 is connected at one end to the lever 4T and at its other end to one of the angle bars 7 and tends to move the lever 47 into the position shown in full lines on Fig. 4, at which time the horns are in their operative position. The lever 4'?" is provided with a lateral projection er lug 51 adapted to engage cam pin 52 which is slidably carried in bearings 53 formed on a sleeve 40 which is rigidly secured to the stationary shaft 2. rlhe pin 52 is surrounded by a spring 54 which tends to force the pin into the path of the lug 51. This hornoperating mechanism is provided for the front pair of horns and for the rear pair of horns on both sides of the dump, four sets of links 46, levers 47 and springs 5() being thus provided in all. @ne of the pins is provided for the front horns and another for the rear horns, the same pins serving t0 operate the horns on both sides of the dump. In order to withdraw the pin 52 which controls the fronthorns, this pin is provided with an enlarged head which is adjacent to the hooked end of a rod 5t that is connected by means of a link 58 to a lever 59 mounted on a rock-shaft- GO to which is also secured a trigger 61 that extends into the path of the wheels of the car near the point where the car leaves the dump and at a distance from the front horns 31 somewhat greater than the distance between 'the wheels of the car, so that the rear wheels may clear the forward horns before the front wheel depresses the trigger 61. When the trigger 61 is depressed, the rod 56 is moved forward, thus pulling' the forward pin 52 out of engagement with the lug 51, and permitting the forward spring to pull the forward horns 31 to their operative position, ready to stop the next car that is placed upon the cradle.

A hand lever 72, pivoted to the dump trame at 73, Fig. 2, has a forked portion 74 that works between the collars 75 on the shaft 60. By means of this hand lever the shaft 60 may be moved lengthwise to move the trigger 61 from the path of the car wheels when the cars are to be run across the dump without dumping.

To remove the cam pin 52 which controls the rear horns 32, this pin is provided with an enlarged head 65 which is engaged by the hooked end of a lever 66 which is pivotally mounted at 67 on a bracket 68 and is connected by means of a link 69 to a lever 7() that is rigidly secured to the rock shaft 27.

i. Thus, when the trigger 28 is depressed and the shaft 27 is rocked to release the locking pins 12, the same movement of the shaft 27 acts through the lever 70, link 69 and lever (S6 to withdraw the pin 52 thus releasing the rear horns 32 and permitting them to close upon the rear wheels of the car under the pull of the spring 50. Y

The operation of the horns may best be understood by referring to Figs. 2 and 4. lNhen the cradle is rotated to dump a car, each of the pins 52 is forced by its spring 54 into the path of movement of the correspondinglugs 51 of the lever 47' which is connected to one of the pairs of horns by the link 46. As the dump returns to its upright position, the front and rear lugs 51 engage the pins 52, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 4, and their movement is thereby stopped. On the Yfurther rotation of the dump in the same direction, the levers 47 remain stationary, thus causing the horns to rock outward into the positions shown in' dotted lines, Fig. 4. rThis releases the empty car, which then runs from the dump. @ne of the front lwheels depresses the trigger 61, which pulls the front pin 52 away from the lug 51, whereuponthe spring 50 pulls the forward horns to their upright position. TWhen the next car reaches the forward horns 31, one of its front wheels depresses the trigger 28, which pulls the rear pin 52 awa-y from the lug 51 carried by the rear rocking lever 47, thus permittingthe vrear spring 50 to close the rear horns 32. The rear horns close in time to prevent the car from rebounding from the front horns, by the force of the shock-absorbing springs 35. The car is securely locked between the front and rear horns'the springs 35 insuring that there is no clearance between the horns and the wheels.

47 is provided with a fiat face which rests against a fixed stop member y76 and the pivotal connections 77 and 78 between the lever 47 and the links 46 are respectively above and below the lines joining the center of the pivot stud 48 with the pivots 79. rTherefore, the horns can only be opened by the positive rotation of the lever 47 vand cannot be opened by force applied accidentally or otherwise to the horns themselves, which would only press the lever 47 more tightly against the stop member 76.

For rotating the dump by gravity `the tracks 10 are somewhatoff-set fromthe Istationary shaft 2, as shown in `li"ig`s.-3 and 4, so that when a loaded car isv placed upon" the dump, the dump is unbalanced and rotates in a clockwise direction to bring the loaded car to dumping position. Tn order to 'check and control the speed with which this rota tion occurs, I provide a brake-cylinder 80 which is mounted rigidly in supports 81 carried by the central transverse plates 48 of the dump frame. A by-pass 82 controlled by a valve 83 affords communication between the ends of the cylinder on opposite sides ofthe cylinder piston, and the cylinder is filled with oil or other suitable fluid. The piston rod 84 of the cylinder 8O is connected to a yoke 85 which slides in guide-ways 86 and is provided with an extension y87 which passes loosely through a guide 88. The yokeV 85 is provided with a transverse opening 8 9 within whichis slidably secured a block 80 surrounding the crank pin 91 of a crank 92 which is rigidly secured to the stationary shaft 2.

Tt will be observed that when the dump rotates about the stationary shaft 2, the ec centric connection between the crank pin91 and the yoke 85 will cause the yoke to oscillate in the guide-ways 86, thus moving the piston of the cylinder 80 back and forth within the cylinder. This movement is resisted by the oil or other fluid contained within the cylinder, the amount of such resistance being controlled by means of the valve 83 so that the speed with which the dump rotates may be readily controlled as desired. The yoke connection between the cylinder and the crank 92 is provided'in order that the piston of the cylinder may always have a straightline motion.

Fig. 3 represents the dump in its starting position, with a loaded car above and an empty car below. Tt will be observed that the center line of the yoke 85 Aatt-this time is slightly olf the dead-center li'ne of the 'crank 92, and that, when the dump revolves in a clockwise direction, the first movement vof the yoke, relative to the crank, is to cross this dead-center line. This gives the Adump a quick start, since t-he yoke 85 and the piston rod 84 move first to the dead. center itc rib

line and then beyond it, this first angular movement producing but little movement of the piston in the cylinder 80, and consequently offering but little resistance to the movement of the dump. As the angular' displacement of the yoke increases, the movement ot the piston likewise increases, and t-his produces a. strong braking effect. llVhen the dump has nearly completed a half rotation, the yoke again crosses the dead-center line ot' the crank, and produces a slight movement ot the piston in the reverse direction. lhis acts as a butler to help cushion the shock at the end of the rotation.

The entire dump is so constructed as to be in equilibrium when the longitudinal center line ot the yoke is on the center ot gravity or' the dump, which condition exists when the piston ro-d 84 is vertical, either aboif'e or below the shaft 2. rthat is to say. the condition ot equilibrium is reached, disregarding the load in the upper car, when the dump has rotated degrees from either ot its starting positions, and when the piston of the cylinder 8O is midway between the ends of the cylinder. 'i`heretore, any amount oi' coal in the car being dumped, whether a full load or a partial load, will be sufficient to rotate the dump past this point of equilibrium. The yoke 85 and the movable parts connected to it, always move toward the right, Fig. l, across the center ot' gravity ot the dump, while the dump is passing the point of eqnilibrinm, and the eight of these moving parts is suticient to insure a. complete halt-rotation the dump. This shitting ot the weight ot the yoke 85 to the right of the center oit gravity oft the dump takes place while each var is being dumped.

ln order to prevent the coal from escaping from the loaded cars before the cars reach their dumping position, l provide a dump plate 95, shown in Fig. 3, which holds the load in the car until the car approaches its inverted position. This prevents the coal from scattering and also reduces breakage the coal, since the load is discharged trom the lowest possible point.

The operation ot my device is started with the upper locking pins 12 in the latches 16, the upper front horns being in their holding position and the upper rear horns being open. A loaded car runs upon the dump and is stopped by engagement otl its Jfront wheels with the horns 31, the shock being taken up by the springs 29. At the same time, one ot the front wheels ot the car depresses the trigger 28, thus withdrawing the locking pins 12 from the latches 16 and also withdrawing the rear pin 52 from the lng 51 on the rear lever di'. The rear horns are thus released and the rear spring 50 causes them to close and grip the rear wheels of the car. At the same time, being unbalanced by the load of the car, the dump has begun to rotate., and the rotation continues until the loaded car is inverted and dumped. This brings to the top ot the dump the tracks and horns which were underneath at the start, and the same movements are set in operation by ruiming a second loaded car upon the dump. As thel second car moves to the dumping position, the iirst carv` now empty, rises to its starting position. Near the end oit this upward movement ot the empty car, the lugs 51 engage the cam pins 52 in the manner described above and thereby open the front and rear horns, so that when the empty car reaches its upright position, it is lree either' to run trom the dump by gravity or to be pushed therefrom by the next succeeding car. As the rear wheels ot the empty caiv clear the front horns, one of its iront wheels depresses the trigger' G1 and this rocks the shaft 60 and withdraws the pin 52 trom the Jforward lever et?, thus releasing the front horns /lf and causing them to rise to their holding position ready to stop the next car that runs upon the dump. The above series ot' operations is repeated indefinitely and automatically as long as loaded cars are supplied to the dump.

rthe capacity of the dump herein shown is limited only by the speed with which loaded cars can be delivered to it and empty cars removed. For example, the largest cars used in coal mines may be dumped at the rate or' seven cars per minute. lviy improved dump is wholly self-contained, all ot the operating and moving parts being located within the dump frame and has but 'few wearing parts. All stresses are internal and balanced against each other, no stresses entering the supporting structure. The dump is a positive machine, and is entirely automatic in its operation.

rllhe double dump construction herein shown and described is a development ot the previously designed single dump construction which is described and claimed in my Patent No. 1,488,465 issued April 1st, 1924.

lt is to be understood that these structural details which l have shown and described may be varied in many respects without departing from my invention, and I therefore desire that no limitations be imposed upon my invention eXcept such as are indicated in the appended claims.

What l claim is:

1. Car dumping apparatus comprising a shatt,a` car support loosely mounted on the said shaft, and automatically releasable means controlled by movement ot a car to said support for holding the said support in car-receiving posit-ion, the said support being adapted, when released, to rotate 'by gravity i'rom its car-receiving position.

2. Car-dumping apparatus comprising a shaft, acar support loosely mounted on the said shaft, and releasable means for holding the said support in car-receiving position, the said holding means being automatically released by a car moving on the said support and the said support ybeing thereupon rotated by gravit-y to empty the said car.

3. Car-dumping apparatus comprising a shaft, a car support rotatably mounted on the said shaft and adapted to hold a plurality of`cars, and releasable means for' holding the said support in car-receiving position, the said support being adapted, when released, to rotate by gravity, in a given direction, from its car-receiving position, the said holding means being automatically released by a car moving on the said support and the said support being thereupon rotated by gravity to empty the. said car.

Ll. Car-dumping apparatus comprising a shaft, a. car support rotatably mounted on the said shaft and provided with means for simultaneously holding an upright car and an inverted car symmetrically disposed about the. axis of said support, releasable means for holding the said support .in car receiving position, the said holding means being automatically released by a car moving on said support and the said support being thereupon rotated by gravity in a given direction, to invert the upright car and to bring the. inverte-d car to upright position. Y

Car dumping apparatus comprising a shaft, a rar support mounted on said shaft, means operable by the weight of a loaded car placed on said support, for causing said support to rotate in a given direction, and means operable by said rotation of the support for regulating' its speed of rotation.

6, Car dumping apparatus comprising a. shaft, a car support mounted on the said shaft, the said support being automatically rotatable by the weight of a loaded car placed thereon and means for regulating the speed of rotation of the `said support, the said regulating means comp-rising a crank carried by the said shaft, a cylinder carried by the said support and having its piston connected to the said cra-nk and a valvecontrolled by-pass communicating with the said cylinder on opposite sides of the said piston.

7. Car dumping apparatus comprising a shaft, a car support mounted on the said shaft, the said support being automatically rotatable by the weight 'of a loaded car placed thereon, and means for regulating the speed of rotation of the said support, the said regulating means comprising a crank and a crank pin carried by the said shaft, a cylinder carried by the said support and connections between said crank and the piston of the said cylinder whereby when the said support rotates aroundthe said shaft a straight line motion is communicatedto the said piston from the said crank pin without angular movement between said pist-on and said crank pin.

i3. Car dumping apparatus comprising al shaft, a. car sup-port mounted on the said shaft, the said support ybeing automatically rotatable. by the weight of a loaded car placed thereon and means for regulating the speed of rotation of the said support, the said regulating means comprising a crank carried by the said shaft, a cylinder" carried by the saidsupport, a? yoke slidably disposed in guide Ways on the said'support stationary shaft, a car support loosely mounted on the said shaft and provided'with tracks for simultaneously holding an upright car and an yinverted car, means' for locking the said cars in position, and means automatically operable by the movementfof said upright car upon said support forreleasing the said support, said support being thereafter rotatable by gravity to invert the said upright Car and to bring the said inverted car to upright posi-tion. i

ll. Car dumping apparatus comprising a. rotatable car support, and means for regulating the rotation of said support comprising a. movable member carried by the said support, and means for displacing the said member across the center of gravity of the said support while the said support is rotatmg.

12. Car dumping apparatus comprising a rotatable car support, means for securing a plurality of cars to the said support, and means for regulating the rotation of said support comprising a movable member carried by the said support, and means for displacing the said member across the center of gravity of the said support while each of the said cars is being dumped, for thereby unbalancing the said support on the side of the descending car.

13. Car dumping apparatus comprising a rotatably movable car support, two stop pins each carried at one end of the said support and spring-pressed outwardly, latches .carried on stationary supports adjacent to the ends of the said car support and adapted to receive and hold the said stop pins a trigger disposed in the path et movement ot a car moving on the said support and operatively connected to both ott the said stop pins, whereby when the car nieves on the said support and depresses the said trigger both pins are withdrawn from the said latches.

lei. Car dumping apparatus comprising a rotatably movable car support, two stop pins, each carried at one end ot the said support and spring-pressed outnardly7 latches carried on stationary supports adjacent to the ends of' the said rotary support, each latch comprising a pair oit cooperating spring-pressed hooks adapted to be sepa-- rated by a descending stop pin and thereafter to retain the said stop pin between themy a trigger carried by the said'rotary support in the path. olf movement of a car moving on the said rotary support, and means for connecting said trigger to said stop members whereby when a car moves on said rotary supportand depresses said trigger both oi said stop pins are withdrawn :trom said latches.

l5, Car dumping apparatus eonimising` a shaft, a car support mounted on the said shaft, the said support being autoi'natically rotatable by the weight oitl a loaded ci placed thereon, and means :tor regulating the rotation ot the said support, the said regulating means con'iprising a crank carried by the said shaft. a cylinder carried by the said support, guideways also carried by (il e said support, a yoke slidably disposed in said guideways and connected to the piston ot the said cylinder, an extension projecting` from the said yoke opposite to the said cyl inder, a guide t'or the said extension, and a block connected to the said cranlr and slidably received in a transverse opening formed in the said yoke.

1G. Car dumping apparatus comprising a rotatably movable car support and means for locking the said support in car receiving i sition, the said locking means comprising a step member carried by the said support, means for engaging the said stop member to stop the rotation of the said support, and means tor withdrawing the said stop member troni the said engaging means, thereby permitting the said support to again rotate, and Yfor holding the said stop member in its Withdrawn position throughout substanti ally the entire revolution of the said support.

l?. Car dumping apparatus con'iprising a rotatably movable car support, a stop pin carried at one end of the said support and spring-pressed outwardly, a trigger in the path oit movement oi a car moving on said support and operatively connected to witlr draw said stop pin, means disposed adjacent to said support tor engaging and holding the said stop pin, and means tor moving the said from the path of movement ot' the said car while said car is leaving said support, whereby 'the said car is prevented from unlocking the said support while moving theretrom.

In testimony whereot'7 l the said Vennen T. illumini-iv, li a ve hereunto set my hand.

VERNOR T. BARKLEY. l/Vitnesses l. D, Brown, vlor-Inv F. WrLn

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