US2640440A - Closure for hopper of hopper type railway cars - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1953 G. B. DOREY CLOSURE FOR HOPPER OF HOPPER TYPE RAILWAY CARS Filed Nov. 18, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l NZENTOR. rr,

G. B. DOREY 2,640,440

CLOSURE FOR HOPPER OF HOPPER TYPE RAILWAY CARS June 2, 1953 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 18, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

Gea/ gefiflon ey, BY W M lil|lllllllllll| |llllllll|ll Ill-III June 2, 1953 a. B. DOREY 2,640,440

I CLOSURE FOR HOPPER OF HOPPER TYPE RAILWAY CARS Filed Nov. 18, 1949 I 3 Sheets-She 5 IN VEN TOR.

(fee/ye 5. Hang,

Patented June 2, 1953 CLOSURE FOR-HOPPER-O F HOPPER RAILWAY (JARS George -*B. Dorey, *Westmoun't, Quebec, 4 Canada, assignor to Enterprise. Ra-ilway Equipment flornpanypfilhio'ago, IlL, a-corporation of Illinois AppIioationNovember 18, I949, Serial1No.1'28j;210

connection with gates which neoessitate the exercise of considerable force to initiate their openingmovement. This is particularly truewith a "hopper-positioned'above the rail-s and at a substantial distance inwardly of the car sidewall thereby necessitating the operation of the-"gate from aloca-tion-ou-twardl-y of-the ear side wall.

The 'conventional -method of operation now widely used involves a horizontally disposed and transversely extending operating shaft with cooperating rack and pinion means and an operating head for receiving an operating 'bar so that the shaft can he rotated from -a positi'on'adjaeentoneside of the-par. Insuoha eonstructionthere isatendeney for the-car side wall toflinterfere with "the free movement or the operating bar since it swings suhstantiall-y a vertioal plane. According to this invention -a construction is provided wherein the shaft and pinion :means are p'ositionedso as-tooperate about: a vertical axis. This permits 'of operation by a bar whicheambenwdng substantially inia horizontal plana.

the obiects ot this 'mventiorr-are: To pizovide' a oonstm ioti'on -whicl1- will permit operation'ofi a slidinggate by a liar operating in-a planesubstantiallyparallel to the plane of movementz of the gate to' provide a construction involvingza gate carrying frame or simplified construotion and "to-provide an improved latching and; sealing .device 'for 1 the gate i-n elosed' posiframes in the form of outlet castings together with cooperating horizontally 'slidable gates;

Figure 2 isa -view,jpartly in side elevation and partl-y-in-section, showing the application of the present inventionto a pair or adjacent hoppers;

and

Figure 3 is a. detail sectional view, taken, generally, along the lined-3 of Figure 2.

The present invention is illustrated as applied toa conventional hopper type railway car having a hopper "with a discharge opening located in the space above and between'the rails, one of which: isiindi oatedat IIO inT'igure-B. As there shown. the reference :oharacter H indicates a :center sill or the lcarand the-referenoe: character l2: designates one-.si'de'i'wallz. thereof. Four-sided hoppers, indicated. generally at [3, are located between the ioenter'sillil l-l and the car side wall t2. shownzmore clearly in Figure-2 the hoppers l 3 are located in pairs and the: present invention is applied thereto: although itwill be understood that it i may lee-employed in connection a single hopper-only. Each hopper I3 is formed dentedas' indicated at ifiltoi accommodate a bottom flange [S ot-the center sill LL The walls 14, i5, i6 and [-1 at then-lower edges define a discharge-openingwhich. is'surrounded .by anontletzframe casting that is indicated, generallm at22'. Itmayne'held inspo'sition by rivets 2:3 .as shown. The outlet frame casting-22 inclndes 'frame "end walls N-and '25 which are coextensive with. the lower portions of the walls l4 and I5 respectively. Also itincludes inner and outer frame side walls 26 and 27 which are coextensive with the lower portions of the inner and outer wallsidand Ill-"respectively. At the lower end of the outlet frame casting-22' there is a four-sided chute which: is formed by depending end walls 28 and'29" depending side walls 30 and- 31. Flanges nand:tii extend outwardly from the walls 28 and -3-l respectively for receiving and clamping to r a 4 separate chute (not shown). Flanges from this separate oh-u-te are arranged to 'interfit with slots and 35 as will be understood readily.

As-illu'strated more clearly in' 'Figure 2the end wal1=29 haSE a-'tI a;IISV(-SISG slot"?! through which agate 38 can move 'for' closing off the discharge opening" at the bottom-0t each of thehoppers" i 3. The enduwall fl has ailedge .Walorrg its upper edge which defines the lower side of the transverse slot '31" and serves 'to a support the gate "3'8 in its sliding movement to and from the closed position. The ledge 39 in combination with the lower portion of the end wall 23 which includes the U-shaped slot 35 provides a relatively strong beam structure which extends transversely across and underneath the gate 38. The forward end of the gate 38 rests on a shelf 40 which extends horizontally of the end wall 28.

The gate 38 is of plate-like construction and it is arranged to be supported and slide on runways 42 and 43 which are provided at the upper edges of the side walls 30 and 3|. The runways 42 and 43 and their relationship to the gate 38 of each frame casting 22 are shown more clearly in Figure 1 of the drawings. Projections 44 and 45 extend inwardly from the side walls 26 and 21 of the frame casting 22 over the upper surface of the gate 38 along the margins thereof to prevent the same from bouncing upwardly when the hoppers |3 are empty.

With a view to supporting the gates 38 in the open positions, L-shaped extension rails 46 and 41 are provided. They are attached by suitable means, such as rivets, at their ends to ears 48 and 49 which are formed integrally with the side walls 38 and 3| of the outlet frame casting 22 associated with each of the hoppers l3. Guide lugs 50, Figure 3, are formed integrally on the under side of each of the gates 38 for maintaining it in proper spaced relationship between the extension rails 46 and 41 and guiding it in its movement therealong.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made for moving each of the gates 38 to open and closed position by employing a pinion which is centrally rotatably mounted thereon so that it can be rotated about a vertical axis. Each pinion 5| is supported for operation by a bifurcated bracket that is indicated, generally, at 52 and formed integrally with each gate 38. The bracket 52 includes an arm 53 which is positioned well below the under surface of the gate 38 and an extension 54 which projects from the main portion of the gate 38 as shown more clearly in Figure 2. The arm 53 and extension 54 provide bearings for rotatably mounting a shaft 55 which has a non-circular portion intermediate its ends coextensive with the pinion 5| so that the same is non-rotatably mounted thereon. At its upper end the shaft 55 has a head, shown generally at 56, which is provided with transversely extending slots 51 for receiving an operating bar to be described. A rivet 55 extends through the shaft 55 and through a washer 59 below the arm 53. It is headed over as shown so as to hold the parts inseparable.

The teeth of the pinion 5| extend vertically and are arranged to mesh with the vertical teeth of a rack 88. It will be observed that a rack 68 is provided for each pinion 5| and that the racks 60 are mounted underneath the hopper walls I5 on a support 8| in the form of an angle. The support 6| is secured at its ends by rivets to bracket walls 62 which are cast integrally with the end walls 29 of each of the outlet frame castings 22. Gusset walls 63, also cast integrally, serve to brace the bracket walls 62 laterally.

As indicated, the slotted head 56 is arranged to receive an operating bar for rotating the pinion 5|. In Figure 3 of the drawings an operating bar 54 is indicated by broken lines as being positioned in one of the two slots 51 in the head 56. It will be appreciated that the operating bar 64 is swung substantially in a horizontal plane parallel to the gate 38 for rotating the pinion 5| and moving the corresponding gate 38 toward the open or closed position depending upon the direction in which the bar 84 is moved. Since the slots 5'! are open at their upper ends, the operating bar 64 cannot be accidentally left in place. Once the operator lets go his grasp on the end of the bar 64, it will fall under the influence of gravity to the ground. The outward movement of each of the gates 38 to the open position is limited by a stop 65 which projects upwardly from and is formed integrally with each of the racks 50.

The disposition of the teeth of the rack 60 vertically and a corresponding disposition of the teeth of the pinion 5| are advantageous inasmuch ts there is little tendency for grit or foreign matter to be retained thereby and interfere with proper operation. Also it will be noted that each pinion 5| is well protected beneath its gate 38 and is well supported by the bifurcated bracket construction 52. An important advantage of the present invention as disclosed herein resides in the absence of parts projecting below the outlet frame casting 22 and the complete accessibility of the various parts. Another important advantage is the possibility of obtaining substantially unlimited leverage for rotating the pinion 5| since the operating bar 64 is arranged to swing in substantially a horizontal plane and thus it does not interfere with the side wall |2.

In accordance with this invention provision is made for latching each of the gates 38 in the closed position. Thisis accomplished by casting an car 56 with each of the outlet frame castings 22 as an extension of the outer side wall 21. This is shown more clearly in Figure 2. The car 68 has a key-shaped opening 61 for receiving a keyshaped head 58 of a bolt 69, Figure 1. The bolt 59 is slidably and rockably mounted between projections 18 which are cast integrally with each of the gates 38 and extend upwardly therefrom. Each bolt 69 is held in place between the projections 18 by plates H which are Welded thereto. A handle 12 extends radially from the body of the bolt 69 between the pairs of projections H and it is positioned so as to bias the key-shaped head 58 out of registry with the key-shaped opening 67 in the ear 58. A slot 13 may be located in the key-shaped head 68 for receiving a seal in accordance with conventional practice.

The functioning of the present invention will be understood readily from the foregoing description and by reference to the drawings. Assuming that the bolt 69 is withdrawn from engagement with its key-shaped opening 61 for one of the gates 38, the operator then places the operating bar 64 in the transversely extending slots in the head 55 and rotates the same in the proper direction to move the gate 38 on which the selected head 56 is mounted to the open position. The operating bar 64 then is swung as far as space limitations will permit. Thereafter it is removed from the head 56 and placed in the next slot for continuing the opening movement of the gate 38. The gate 38 is closed by reversing this sequence of operations.

Since certain further changes can be made in the foregoing construction and different embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawings and described hereinbefore shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a hopperfor a railway car having inclined sides defining a hopper opening spaced inwardly from a side wall of the car, a frame around said opening, a gate carried by said frame for closing said opening, said gate being horizontally slidable from and to closed position on said frame underneath one of the inclined sides of said hopper, a pinion centrally: mounted along one end of and below said gate for rotation about a vertical axis, a rack carried by said frame below said gate and extendingendwise therefrom and engaged by said pinion,

and a head fastened to and rotatable coaxially'" with said pinion and disposed above said gate and having a pair of U-shaped angularly related slots therein for receiving in either of them a horizontally positioned removable operating bar insertable from one side of the car to rotate said pinion in engagement with said rack to move said gate from and to the closed position by successively positioning said bar in said slots and swinging the same through an arc. 2. In combination, a pair of hoppers for a railway car having inclined sides defining a hopper opening spaced inwardly from the side wall of the car, adjacent sides of said hoppers defining an inverted V-shape, a frame around each hopper opening, a gate carried by each frame for closing the corresponding hopper opening, extension rails between said frames for supporting said gates in their movement from and to open position, each gate being horizontally slidable from and to closed position underneath the side of its hopper forming said inverted V-shape, a pinion centrally mounted along one end of and below each gate for rotation about a vertical axis, a support carried by and extending between said frames below said gates, a pair of racks carried by said support and extending endwise from the respective gates in closed position and engaged by the respective pinions carried thereby, and a head fastenedto and rotatable coaxially with each pinion and disposed above the respective gate and having a pair of U-shaped angularly related slots therein for receiving in either of them a horizontally positioned removable operating bar insertable from one side of the car to rotate the pinion associated therewith in engagement with its rack to move the corresponding gate from and to the closed position by successively positioning said bar in said slots and swinging the same through an arc.

GEORGE B. DOREY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 622,909 Barney Apr. 11, 1899 869,804 Phillips Oct. 29, 1907 1,853,559 Halpin et a1. Apr. 12, 1932 2,142,236 Campbell Jan. 3, 1939 2,250,524 Dietrichson July 29, 1941 2,386,702 McBride Oct. 9, 1945

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