US537349A - Self-discharging and convertible freight-car - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. WL MORSE. SELF DISGHARGING AND CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT GAR.

H Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

(No Model.)

PATENT Eric.

JAMES W. MORSE-OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SELF-DISCHARGING AND CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters I?atent No. 537,849, dated April 9, 1895.

Application filed March 29, 18943 $erial No. 505,541. (No model.)

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. MORSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Discharging and Convertible Freight-Oars; andldo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

. My invention relates to freight cars; and

v has for its object to provide an improved construction for rendering the ear self discharging, and for converting an ordinary box-car from the rectangular to hopper-like form, or vice-versa, whereby the same car-body may be interchangeably used in either of the two forms, according to the character of merchandisc with which the car is to be loaded.

My present invention is in the same line as the construction described in a companion case (A) filed by me of even date herewith, wherein generic claims will be found, covering in a broad point of view, a number of the features herein shown. The present case is distinguished from the companion case, however, by a number of important features of construction, which will be found hereinafter fully described and defined in the claims.

A car embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters refer to like. parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a View, partly in side elevation and partly in section, with some parts in diagram lines and others broken away, showing my improved convertible car. Fig. 2isavertical cross section, on the line X X of Fig. 1, looking from the left toward the right with the central shifting floor sections shown in full lines turned up into position,for serving as grain-doors, and shown in their lowered or floor serving positions in dotted lines; and Fig. 3 is a detail in cross section, on the line X X of Fig. 1, showing the relation of the bars which co-operate with the endmargins of the side pivoted floor sections, when turned up, to hold the same in their grain-door positions, with a grain-tight joint.

The track-rail lines are indicated at a, and the car-wheels at a',-in Fig. 1.

With the exceptions hereinafter noted, the car-body may be of the well-known standard construction, involving the longitudinal floor timbers b, car-body bolsters b, top girders b fixed floor sections b end walls 19 with end openings b side walls 6 with side door openings b and the'top deck b Under the center of the car-body, I place a discharge hopper composed of metallic sideplates f, sectional convergent metallic endplates ff sheath forming plates f pivots f connecting the sectionsf and f sectorgears f wormsf engaging said sectors and carried by worm-shafts f journaledin bearings f worm-gearsj on the upper end of said shafts f and transverse shaftf provided with worms f engaging said wormgearsf". The pivoted seetionsf constitute discharge gates and the sector gears and wormshafts a power device, for controlling said gates and holding the same in any desired position. When closed, said gates form the bottom of the discharge hopper; and, when open, form downward extensions of the convergent inclined walls of the hopper reaching to a point below the track-level, for delivering the grain or other materials into a pit below the track. The transverse shaftf extends to the exterior of the car and has angular ends, for the application of a wrench or crank handle, for operating the gates from either side of the car.

The top of the car is provided with removable trapdoors. 6*, suitably spaced apart, which adapts the car to be loaded from the top, when using the same for self discharging materials.

pal pieces are adapted when in their lowermost position, to eo-operate with the short fixed floor sections If, to make up the floor of the car-body.

More specifically stated,the part of the car floor spanning the discharge hopper, is longitudinally divided or made up of two sections it, which are pivoted to the main frame, at their side margins, as shown at h, which, when in their lowermost or turned down position, are adapted to cover the discharge hopper, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and which when turned up form upward extensions of the side walls of the hopper, which serve as grain-doors, to close the openings If, in the sides of the car, up to the grain level. As one half the cross section of the floor would not be sufficient to afford agrain doorof the requisite height for light grains, the sections h have pivoted thereto underfolding leaves 71 which underlie the sections 71,, when in their floor forming position, and which are adapted when turned up, into their grain-door forming positions, to constitute upward extensions to the main sections h, for givingagrain-door of the desired maximum height, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the said sections it are in their upturned or grain-door forming positions, they are held withagraintight joint by angular or otherwise suitably formed vertical bars h which are adjustable laterally and downwardly on the side walls of the car, by means of inclined slots h in said bars, and thumb-screws 71 working through the said slots and engaging with suitable nuts h fixed to the car-body. By loosening the said screws 7?, the said bars h are adjustable away from the vertical end margins of the sections h 71. into the position shown at the left in Fig. 1, for releasing the said sections, or from the position shown at the left into the position shown at the right in Fig. 1, for looking said sections it h in their upturned or grain-door positions with a grain-tight joint.

The intermediate floor sections 70, which fill the space between the fixed sections 5 and the side pivoted central sections h, when all the parts are in their floor forming positions, are pivoted to the upper ends of the hopper sections f, as shown at by hinge-lugs of a form which will constitute a grain-tight joint. Hence, the said floor sections 7r; may be turned up on the pivots kinto the position shown in Fig. 1, for forming upward extensions of the inclined end walls of the hopper, where they may be held by braces 70 pivoted to the under sides thereof, which are adapted to assume vertical positions with their lower ends resting upon the floor-sills Z) and locked thereto against lateral displacement by sliding catches 70 or in any other suitable way. When the said floor sections 70 are in their lowermost position, the pivoted braces 70 will fold under the same between the strengthening flanges 70 fixed to the under side of said fioor sections, and be held up in their folded position, by the sill timbers 1), against which the ribs k and the said braces will rest.

The floor sections 70 are not of sufficient length to extend the inclined walls of the hopper to a junction with the end walls b of the car body, near the union of the same with the top wall or deck. Hence, at or near the junction of the end walls with the top wall of the car, I pivotally attach, by a strong hinge 19, additional hopper-wail sections 19',

which are adapted to swing inward and form a junction with the sections 70, for filling the intervening space and extending the inclined or convergent end walls of the hopper to a junction with the car-body at the upper end angles of the same, as shown in Fig. 1. When in this position, the sections it and 19 may be locked together by the overlapping of the lower margin of the section 19, with the upper margin of the section k, and co-operating slide-bolts 19 carried by keepers p fixed to the upper section p, the lower ends of which bolts engage under the upper margin of the section lo. With this construction, the section pmust be raised to a position above its hopper forming line, before the section it is turned up into its hopper forming position; and, on then lowering the section 19, the junction may be formed and the parts interlocked by shifting the position of the sliding bolts 19 The floor sections 70 and the pivoted hopper sections 19' have upturned flanges 70 co-operating with flange joint strips 70 and p of which strips, the member 70 is fixed, and the member 13 pivoted as shown at 9 which flanges and joint strip constitute grain-tight joints between the side walls of the car and said sections 70 andp. The pivoted joint strip 29 is held down in its joint forming position by thumb screws 12 carried by the strip and engageable with fixed nuts in the side wa liOf thecar, not herein shown, but which may be exactly like those shown in my companion case, or in any other suitable form.

WVhen permitted to swing to its lowermost or vertical position, the section 19' will close the opening 19 in the end of the car; but the said sectionsp' maybe held up in their uppermost position, out of the way, together with the pivoted joint strips by hooks p de; pending from the top of the car and engaging under the lower edge of said section, or in any other suitable engaging part thereon.

The floor framing of the car-body is reinforced atv the junction with the hopper sectionsf, by transverse filling blocks or timbers b secured between or to the longitudinal floor-sills b.

The action is obvious from the description stated. When the said shifting floor sections are down,in theirlowermost position,the-carbody will have a continuous floor and be of rectangular form in cross section, capable of use like an ordinary box-car. \Vhen the said shifting floor sections are turned up into their hopper forming positions, and the sections 19 are swung out, into their hopper forming position, the interior of the car will be converted into hopper-like form, adapting the same for carrying grain orotherself discharg- IIO ing material. Hence, when the car is taken to its unloading position and the gates are opened, the grain or other material will discharge itself therefrom, under the action of gravity.

It is obvious, that this form of convertible construction for the car-body has some ad vantages, over the form shown in my companion case, the chief of which is the provision of the side pivoted central floor sections, adapted when turned up to serve as graindoors.

It must be obvious that the floor might be stationary from the junction with the central sections it outward to the end of the car, and that the pivoted hoppersections 19 might be of a length which when lowered, would enable them to form a junction with the upper ends of the hopper sections f and make the same constitute the whole instead of a part of the upward extension of the said inclined or convergent end walls of the hopper.

It will be understood, of course, that many of the details might be changed, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a car-body, the combination with a hopper-like discharge section extending below the fioor level, of a pair of side pivoted floor sections provided each with a folding leaf, which floor sections are adapted, when down, to cover said discharge section, and when turned up, to form grain doors of a height greater than one half the cross section of the car-floor, substantially as described.

2. In a car-body, the combination with a hopper-like discharge section extending below the floor level, of a pair of side pivoted floor sections adapted, when down, to cover said discharge sections, and, when up, to form grain doors, and combined lock bars and joint strips secured to the car-body and engageable with the vertical margins of said pivoted floor sections, to lock the same in their grain door position and form a grain tight joint, therewith, substantially as described.

into and out of engagement with the end mar-- gins of said floor sections, when in their upright positions, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a car-body, the combination with a central hopper-like discharge section below the floor level, of the pivoted floor sections adapted to form upward extensions of the inclined end Walls of said hopper, and pivoted or folding braces, carried by said pivoted floor sections adapted to support the same from the car sills, when in their hopper forming position, substantially as described.

5. In a car-body, the combination with a central hopper-like discharge section below the floor level, of pivoted floor sections adapted to be turned up and form upward extensions of the inclined end walls of said hopper, and hopper wall sections pivoted to the car-body adapted to form a junction with said pivoted floor sections, for extending the end walls of the hopper to a union with the end walls of the car, substantially as described.

6. In a car-body, the combination with acentral hopper-like discharge section eXtending below the floor level, of the central side pivoted floor sections adapted, when down, to cover said discharge sections, and when up, to form grain doors, the adjacent end pivoted floor sections, adapted, when turned up, to

form upward extensions of the inclined walls of said hopper, and the top pivoted hopper wall sections adapted to form a junction with said end pivoted floor sections, and extend the hopper Walls to the top of the car, all substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

JAMES W. MORSE.

Witnesses:

J AS. F. WILLIAMSON, EMMA F. ELMORE.

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