US2002154A - Grain door - Google Patents

Description

` B. B. MORSE GRAIN DOOR Filed J an. 18,'v 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B. B. Mo-RsE May 2l, 1935.

.GRAIN DOOR Filed Jan. 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 2l, 1.935

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f 6 Claims.

This invention appertains to closures, and more particularly to a novel door closure for effecting a seal inthe openings of grain cars and bins, or wherever a tight closureris desired.

As is well known, considerable difculty is experienced with the sealing of the door openings of grain cars. Usually, special panels, or boards, are nailed to the inner face of the door frame across the door opening, vas many panels, or boards, being used as required according to the height of the grain inthe car.

Obviously, the continual nailing and the cont stant withdrawing of the nails soon ruin the panels and door frames, and the panels are often mislaid and lost. Consequently, the use of `the panels, or boards, is an expensive item. Likewise, there is a certain hazard in the placing and the removing of the boards, or panels, and also considerable time'is required.

Various attempts have been made to eliminate lthe use of the panels, or boards, and certain structures have been proposed. None of these structures, to my knowledge, have been success-` ful, possibly due to the complicated features thereof, or the diiculty of operation when the grain is packed up against the same.

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of my invention to provide an improved grain door which canbe continually used Without damage to itself or the car, and which is permanently associated with the car, whereby loss is prevented.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a door which can be Vquickly and conveniently operated `without danger on the part of the operator, and which will effectl a tight closure with the door frame, precluding los's of the grain or other material.

A further important object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary door for grain cars, which can be associated with conventional cars now in use without structural changes thereto, and which will permit the convenient use of the ordinary outer sliding car door, the auxiliary grain door being entirely out of the 'way'of the outer door when the same is either in its operative or inoperative position. A

A further object of my invention is the provision of a grain door for railroad cars slidably mounted on a guide-track in a novel manner, whereby the v grain door can be readily and quickly moved into or out of the door opening, and swung to a closed position in tight contact with the door frame for preventing lossl of the grain.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means for mounting the'grain door in a novel manner on the roller brackets of the guidetrack, whereby the grain door can not only be slid into and out of the door opem'ng, but can be moved toward and away from the'door frame to eifect the positioning of the door in the car and intight contact with the door frame, saidconnection permitting the vertical raising of the door within certain limits. to assure tight engagement of the door with the oor of the car, and to prevent escapement of the grain below the door when 10 desired.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a grain-proof slide plate carried by the door adjacent to the lower end of thedoor, whereby release of the grain in back of the door can be accomplished to facilitate the opening of the door when desired.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved gi iin door of the above character, which will be durable and eflicient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture, and one which can be placed upon the market and incorporated with a grain car at a comparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view, the iny vention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a railroad car showing my improved grain door applied thereto, the door being shown in its open position, with parts thereof broken away and in section to illustrate structural details.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, horizontal section through the car, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, illustrating my improved grain door applied thereto, the door being shown `in its open position in full lines, and in its closed position in dotted lines. Y

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical section through the car,'taken substantially on line 3 3 of Figure 1, with my grain door applied thereto, the door being shownin its open position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, taken substantially on the line lf-l of Figure 1, showing the door in its closed position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, vertical section through my improved grain door, taken substantially on the line 5`5 .of Figure l, illustrating the slide plate carried thereby..

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter vdoor I2. The upper end of the outer door I2 carries vthe roller brackets, or castings, I3, and

. these brackets are slidably mounted on the longitudinally extending track Il mounted above the door opening. A

This door I2 is ordinarily employed when the car is used for transporting ordinary freight, and

for effecting a complete closure for the door opening when grain is being carried to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to the interior of the car.

My improved grain door A. can be constructed from any preferred number of-panels, onboards, I5 ordinarily employed for preventing loss of the grain, and these panels, or boards I5 can be a rigidly secured together in any preferred man- A ed for traveling movement on a track ner, such as by the use of `metal strips, or the like, IB. i. The door A is of a greater length than the width of the door opening and is adapted to lit inside of the car against the door frame when the door is in its closed position.

Novel means is employed for mounting the door in place, so that the door can have sliding movement longitudinally of the car, sliding movement vertically kof the car, and swinging movement in a -vertical plane lI,his means includes roller brackets, or castings, II and i8, which are mount- The track' I9 is provided with a portion 2D, which is disposed within the door opening II adjacent to the upper end thereof and below the track Il for the outer door I2, and an outer portion 2 i which is disposed exteriorly ,of the car and beyond and at one side of the door opening. The inner and outer portions 20 and 2| of the trackare connected together byan arcuate portion 22 which leads around one side oithe door frame. Brackets 23 are employed for holding the track in place.

, Pivotally connected with the roller brackets,- or castings, I'I and I8, as at 24, are swingingarms, or levers, 25.` The lower ends of the arms, or levers, 25 are slidably and rotatably connected with the door A. It will be noted that the slower terminals of the arms, or levers, are' provided Vwith transverselyl extending bearings 26 vfor supporting-a shaft, or pin, 23,. the outer terminals of which carry guide rollers 29.

These guide rollers 29 are slidably and ably received within the guideways 30, bolted or otherwise securely fastened to the door A and adjacent to its upper end. If desired, the guideways 30 can'be in the nature of a casting and formed integrally with the straps I6. The exterior upper terminals of `the guideways 30 are closed by means of abutment plates, or stops, 3|, and the rollers 29 normally rest against said stops so that the door is suspended from said rollers.

In use of my improved car door, the door A is slid longitudinally along the track I9 into the door opening. Due to the loose fit of the brackets I1 and I3 on the track the bracketscan readily follow the curvature in the track, and, if preferred, additional vertical pivots can be provided to permit the swingingof these roller brackets. or castings. l

of the usual, or convenplate so y thereabout.

rotat- 1 As the door is being slid into the door opening, the same is swung back by means of the levers 25 inwardly of the door frame, and the sliding movement is continued until the right-hand edge of the-door (referring to Figure 1) moves past the door opening.

After the door has been swung entirely within the door'opening, the door can be slid slightcar is insured.

Any desired means can be provided for clamping the door tightly in place, and it is also apparent that the weight of the grain against the door will tend to hold the same in position. By way of example,'I have shown clamping arms 32 pivotally connected to brackets 33 carried by the door A adjacent to its vertical edges. The brackets 33, if desired, can be swivelly mounted on the door so as to facilitate the position of the door against the door frame. l

After the door is in proper position, the clamping arms 32 are swung over the outer face of the door ram'e'and are brought into gripping conf tactwith the door frame by the use of suitable wedges, or adjusting screws, 3l.

Obviously, after the door is in position, the shoveling o r spouting of the grain into the car is slid downwardly so that tight contact ofthe door with the floor `of thecan be continued above the upper edge of the door A. When the car is filled to the desired level, the outer door I2 is slid to its closed posi# tion, and this door can be sealed and locked.

To eilect the easy opening of the door, a'slide plate 35 can be carried by the lower end of the door A.' and this slide plate normally closes an opening 36 formed in' said door. The slide plate 35 is carried by a guide frame J3I, which also forms a housing for the upper part ofthe slide as to prevent the `packing of grain When the slide plate 35 is raised the release of grainin backl of the door can be effected, after which the door can position exteriorly of the car.

Obviously, the that the door I2 can be freely used amLif desired, the"lnner face of the door I2, or jam, can be cut awayto compensate for the arcuate con-G n'ecting portion 22 of the track I3.

The door A is so constructed and is associated with the car in such` a manner that Vthe same does not take up any unnecessary room, either in its open or closed position, and the door can be made to t any portion ofthe opening desired, or changed to nt anyopening. A

From the foregoing description it can be seen thatA I have provided a novel grain door of exceptionally simple and durable character, which will be economical in use'and which will eectively prevent the loss of grain or other loose material.

Changes in detalls may be made without departing from the spirit or the [scope of my in'- vention. but what I claim as new isz- 1. In' a device of the class described, a body having an opening, a door for said opening, a track secured to the body having aportion extending througlrthe door opening'and portions be readily swung to its open'- position of the door A is such `als opening, brackets slidably mounted on the track,'

arms pivotally connected to the brackets, and means slidably and pivotally connecting the arms )to the door, whereby the door can move through the door opening and into contact with the inner faces of the walls of the opening.

3. The combination with a grain car having a door opening and a grain door for closing said opening, of means for associating the door with the car including a track having a portion eX- tending through the door opening. and portions extending exteriorly and interiorly of the door opening, brackets slidably mounted on the track, and means pivotally and slidably connecting the door with the brackets, whereby the door can move through the door opening and into contact with the inner faces of the walls of the opening.

4. The combination with a railroad car having a. door opening, an outer sliding door for closing the opening, and an inner grain door for said opening, of means for supporting the graindoor, said grain door being of a greater length than the width of the door opening, a suspension track secured to the car having an inner portion said inner door for engaging the extending into the door opening and an outer portion extending exteriorly of the door opening, brackets slidably mounted on the track, arms pivotally mounted to the brackets, means slidably and pivotally mounting the lower ends oi the arms to the inner door, and clamps carried by walls of the door opening.

5. 'The combination with a, railroad grain car having a door opening and a grain door for eiecting the closure of said opening, of means for supporting said door including a horizontally disposed guide-track having an inner portion extending into the opening and an outer portion disposed exteriorly of the car at one side of the door opening, brackets slidably mounted on the track, arms pivotally secured to the brackets, pairs of vertically disposed guide-tracks carried by the door, and rollers carried by the outer ends of the arms slidably and rotatably mounted within said pairs of guide-tracks. t

6. The combination with a railroad car having a door opening, an outer sliding door for closing the opening, and an inner grain door for said opening, means for supporting the grain door, said grain door being of a greater length than the Width of the door opening, a suspension track secured to the car having an inner portion extending into the door opening, and an outer portion extending exteriorly of the door opening,A

brackets slidably mounted on the track, arms pivotally mounted to the brackets, and means slidably and pivotally mounting the lower ends of the arms to the inner door.

BOWEN B. MORSE.

Images