US3082706A

US3082706A - Sliding hopper discharge outlet closure actuating mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3082706A
Application number: US830073A
Authority: US
Inventors: George B Dorey
Original assignee: Enterprise Railway Equipment Co
Current assignee: Enterprise Railway Equipment Co
Priority date: 1959-07-28
Filing date: 1959-07-28
Publication date: 1963-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 1980-03-26

Description

SLIDING HOPPER DISCHARGE OUTLET CLOSURE ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed July 28, 1959 G. B. DOREY March 26, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 G60 BY W G. B. DOREY 3,082,706

snows HOPPER DISCHARGE OUTLET CLOSURE ACTUATING MECHANISM March 26, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1959 INVEN TOR. 060/ aflflor M 659) March 26, 1963 ca. B. DOREY 3,082,706

' SLIDING HOPPER DISCHARGE OUTLET CLOSURE ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed July 28, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV EN TOR. George 5. Z 0r@, BY I G. B. DOREY 3,082,706

SLIDING HOPPER DISCHARGE oumz'r CLOSURE ACTUATING MECHANISM March 26, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 28, 1959 IN VEN TOR. 985 Dorefl,

YGeor M e. B. DCREY 3,082,706

SLIDING HOPPER DISCHARGE OUTLET CLOSURE ACTUATING MECHANISM March 26, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 28, 1959 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,082,706 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 3,082,706 SLIDING HOPPER DIECHARGE OUTLET CLOSURE ACTUATING MECHANISM George B. Dorey, Westmount, Quebec, Canada, assignmto Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago,

11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed July 28, 1959, Ser. No. 830,073 6 Claims. (Cl. 105-282) This invention relates to an improved type of discharge outlet for a railway hopper car and has particular reference to that type of outlet having an opening for the discharge of lading and a sliding gate for closing the opening.

The invention is particularly concerned with the means for operating a sliding gate and in the provision of improved means for retaining the operating mechanism in securely closed and sealed position.

The objects of the invention, among others, are: To provide multiple linkage mechanism operable by rotation of a shaft for moving the gate in either direction of movement; to provide rotatable shafting carried by the gate and a supporting frame respectively with arms rigidly mounted on each of the shafts and pivotally connecting said arms with link means extending between the arms of the respective shafts; to provide improved mounting bracket means for receiving a combination holding and sealing bolt; and to provide an improved structure wherein supporting ledges for a sliding gate are sandwiched b tween upper and lower sloping floor sections to provide for supporting said gate at a midway level.

For further comprehension of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein the improvement is shown as applied to a railway hopper car.

In said drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the lower portion of a hopper car showing as much of the car as necessary to show the application of the improved outlet to the car structure.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical end elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1 as viewed from left to right.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of FIGURE 1 with the hopper walls and car structure eliminated and certain parts broken away to better illustrate the construction, the gate being shown in closed position.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical section taken through the hopper outlet on a line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on a line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 5 except that the outlet gate is shown in fully opened position.

FIGURE 7 is another sectional view similar to FIG- URES 5 and 6 except that the gate is shown in partially open position with the operated shaft and its associated arms shown in arrested relation to the gate and showing in conventional dot and dash lines the position of the linkage upon further movement thereof with the operated shaft in arrested position.

FIGURE 8 is another longitudinal sectional view similar to FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 except that the gate is shown with the operated shaft in arrested position and the operating arms and linkage in overcenter toggle locked position.

FIGURE 9 is still another vertical longitudinal sectional view similar to FIGURES 5 to 7 inclusive except that the mechanism is shown as positioned when the gate moves freely in a closing direction which is also the position of the linkage during the early stage of the opening movement.

FIGURE 10 is a fractional vertical longitudinal view showing the end of the outer rail extension without the operating shaft and illustrating the method of threading the locking bolt in place prior to the assembly of the shaft in the structure.

FIGURE 11 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURE 10 with the locking bolt eliminated.

In said drawings the car structure proper is indicated by a center sill i0 and a load containing hopper 12 is disposed adjacent said center sill and between it and a side Wall of the car (not shown). The hoppers are generally arranged in pairs in transversely aligned relation on opposite sides of the center sill 10 but, as each hopper is of similar construction, the description herein will be confined to only one of such hoppers.

The hopper 12 includes inner and outer side walls indicated at 13 and 14 which meet with oppositely sloping walls 15 and 16 to form a four-sided load containing hopper.

The lower marginal edges of the walls 13, i4, 15 and 16 are spaced apart to define a discharge area 17. Surrounding the lower portion of the hopper is a framing structure 18 which includes

walls having sections

19, 20, 21 and 22 disposed to overlie the

walls

13, 14, I5 and I6 of the hopper 12. The

walls

19, 20 and 21 are extended downwardly as at 23, 24 and 25 for attachment thereto of

rail members

26, 27 and 23 which in turn underlie a sliding gate 29 when in closed position.

The frame structure 18 is extended for an appreciable distance below the level of the gate 29 to form a chutelike enclosure 30 for confining the flow of lading to a restricted opening 31.

The enclosure 30 is formed in part by extending the wall 23 vertically downwardly, as shown in FIGURE 4, and providing inwardly

inclined walls

32, 33 and 34. The

walls

32 and 33 lead downwardly from a location adjacent the upper surfaces of

rail members

28 and 27, respectively, and the member 34, which extends transversely between inclined wall 33 and wall 23, is flanged at its upper margin as at 35 to underlie the gate 29. The flange 34 is spaced from the marginal edge 36 of the upper wall 22 to provide a slotted opening 37 through which the trailing end of the gate 29 extends.

The arrangement providing indents for receiving the gate 29 midway of the frame sloping walls is effectively carried out by sandwiching the

rail members

27 and 28 between the depending

wall portions

24 and 25 of the upper sloping

floor sections

20 and 21 and the upper margins of the

sloping walls

33 and 32, respectively, of the chute 30.

Extension rails or

runways

38 and 39 are provided for supporting the gate 29 in open position. One of the extension rails 38 is secured to the wall 23 and the other extension rail 39 is secured to the oppositely facing wall 24-. The

rail members

38 and 39 are preferably of channel shape with upper and lower flanges as indicated at 40 and 41. The upper flanges 40 extend inwardly in such manner that they form runway surfaces or supports for the gate 29 on which it is slidable.

At the outer ends of the

extension rails

38 and 39 there are provided bearings 42-42 in which an operating shaft 43 is journ-aled for moving the gate 29 by a rotational movement of the shaft 43. Non-rotatably mounted on the shaft 43 are arms 44-44 which are disposed in alignment with arms 45-45 non-rotatably mounted on an operating shaft 46 which in turn is journaled in bearings 47-47 carried by the gate 29 at its trailing end. The arms 44-44 and 45-45 of the

respective shafts

43 and 46 are interconnected by elongated links 48-48 by means of pivots 49-49 and 50-50. The linkages 48-48 preferably consist of pairs of plates 51-51 spaced apart to straddle the respective arms 44-44 and 45-45. The plates 51-51 are transversely united adjacent each pivotal connection by tie plates 52-52.

The gate 29 is preferably flanged upwardly to present an inclined wall 53 at its trailing edge and to this wall are secured the bearing members 47-47 by welding or other suitable means. The outer edge of each bearing member 47 provides a stop shoulder 56 to engage with an abutment 57 formed on each arm 45 to limit swinging movement of the operated shaft 46 in relation to the gate 29 for a purpose that will be pointed out hereinafter.

The arms 44-44 and 45-45 of the

respective shafts

43 and 46 in combination with the intermediate linkages 48-48, when in extended position, constitute an overcenter toggle locked strut between the operating shaft 43 and the gate 29 by reason of the axes of pivots 49-49 and 50-50 being slightly below a line 58 extending through the pivotal axes of

shafts

43 and 46 as best seen by reference to FIGURE 5. As here shown, the overcenter movement of the linkages 48-48 is limited by bearing contact between the under sides of the tie plates 5252 and the body portions of arms 44-44 and 45-45 and further by bearing contact between the under sides of the plates 51-51 and the upper surface of a flange 59 of an angle shaped tie member 60 which extends transversely between the

rail extensions

38 and 39 and is welded thereto at its ends.

Rotation of the shaft 43 is effected through the medium of an operating head 62 which is non-rotatably associated therewith. It includes a series of openings 63 for receiving a removable operating bar 64 as shown in FIG- URE 1. The shaft 43 is preferably of non-circular shape and, to provide a circularly shaped journal bearing, the inner end of the operating head 62 is provided with a circularly shaped hub portion 65 which fits into the adjacent bearing 42. Similarly the opposite end of the operating shaft 43 is fitted with a circularly shaped sleeve member 66 which fits into its bearing 42. The arms 44-44 are extensions of hubs 67-67 Which fit over the square operating shaft 43 and are held against axial outward movement by the ends of hub portion 65 and sleeve member 66 and against inward movement by a tubular member 68 which is welded to the respective hub portions 67-67 so that they function as a unitary structure together with arms 44-44.

The movement of the gate 29 in an opening direction, as will be understood, is effected by winding the linkages 48-48 around the hubs 67 to assume the folded position shown in FIGURE 6. The closing operation of the gate 29 is effected by rotation of the operating shaft 43 in the opposite direction. In order to efficiently effect the closing of the gate 29 it is desirable that the linkages 48-48 remain in the enfolded state around the operating shaft 43 until such time as the pivotal connections 49-49 attain their maximum lifting position as seen in FIGURE 7 with the upward movement thereof limited by reason of the contact between stop shoulders 56 and a'butments 57.

The retention of the linkages 48-48 in the enfolded state is effected by providing transverse circularly shaped segmental bearing sections 69-69 on the plates 51-51 and, during partial rotation of the operating shaft 43, retaining the outer peripheries 70 thereof in engagement with seating faces of plates 71-71 and 72-72 extending horizontally and vertically at the outer ends of the

extension rails

38 and 39 as seen in FIGURE Q.

The segmental bearing sections 69 extend laterally from the outer plate 51 of each linkage 48. They are adapted to have bearing contact with the

plates

71 and 72 which in turn are welded to the bearings 42-42. Since the plates 71-71 are horizontally disposed and the plates 72-72 are vertically disposed, they provide control for slightly more than 90 of shaft rotation with the linkages 48-48 in the .enfolded state. Because the operated shaft 46 reaches the arrested position in the course of the opening movement of the gate 29, as seen in FIGURE 7, it will be understood that the arms 45-45 may be considered as rigid rearward extensions of the gate 29. Thus further continued movement of the gate 29 in the closing direction may be effected by angular opening movement between the linkages 48-48 and the arms 44-44 now permitted by reason of the linkages 48-48 having been released from its enfolded state, all as indicated by conventional dot and dash lines in FIGURE 7.

Should there be an appreciable resistance to the closing movement of the gate 29, the operated shaft 46 and its associated linkages 48-48 will remain in the arrested position as shown by conventional dot and dash lines in FIGURE 7, until such time as the linkages 48-48 and arms 45-45 have attained the overcenter toggle locked position as seen in FIGURE 8. Upon continued rotation of the operating shaft 43 in the closing direction, linkages 48-48 and arms 45-45 will function as rigid arms pivoting about pivots 49-49 to open the angle between linkages 48-48 and arms 44-44 until the operating mechanism finally assumes the overcenter toggle locked position as seen in FIGURE 5. With a freely movable gate 29 the linkages 48-48 and arms 45-45 actually assume the position shown in FIGURE 9 during closing movement of the gate 29 as the weight of the arms 45-45 exerts a downward thrust.

Rotation of the operating shaft 43 in a gate opening direction is limited by engagement between the arms 44 and the edge 74 of the upper flange 59 of the tie member 60 as seen in FIGURE 6. Rotation of the operating shaft 43 to open or close the gate 29 causes a corresponding rotation of the arms 44-44 with the axis through the pivots 49-49 to the linkages 48-48 passing through the path of movement of the gate 29 as will be apparent from a consideration of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings.

For retaining the operating mechanism in final locking position, as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 5, with the gate 29 in closed position, there is provided a sliding bolt 75 which is adapted to extend into a socket 76 formed in one of the sides of the operating head 62. The sliding bolt 75 is provided with a depending handle 79 having an aperture 80 for the reception of a sealing ribbon 81. The bolt 75 which is axially movable in spaced

bearings

82 and 83, actually seats on the upper flanges 84 of angle shaped brackets 85-85 which are positioned with vertically disposed flanges 86 in back to back relation with an intervening space 87 therebetween to accommodate the handle 79 of the sealing bolt 75. The flanges 86 are apertured at 88-88 to register with the aperture 80 of the handle 79 for receiving the sealing ribbon 81 therethrough.

The arrangement of the sliding bolt 75 and its supporting brackets 85-85 and

bearings

82 and 83 is such that the bolt 75 can only be inserted prior to the assembly of the operating head 62 and is held in place by the latter. In order to allow insertion of the bolt 75 the bearing plate 83 is formed with a semi-circular aperture 89 open at the lower part thereof, as seen in FIGURE 11, to allow insertion of the sealing bolt 75 at a downward angle as seen in FIGURE 10 prior to the assembly of the operating head 62 on the operating shaft 43. The bolt 75, having been inserted at an angle as indicated, is then seated on the intermediate bearing surfaces of the flanges 84 to assume its axial operating position and is retracted to enter the semi-circular aperture 89 of bearing plate 82. The handle 79 is positioned to abut the plate 82 while the bolt 75 is still held in the bearing plate 83. Axial movement of the sliding bolt 75 is then limited in one direction by the engagement between the handle 79 and plate 82. Movement in the opposite direction is limited by the end 90 of the bolt 75 engaging the bottom 91 of the socket 76 on the operating head 62.

The arrangement of the parts is such that assembly of the structure is readily effected as follows:

Assuming that the sliding sealing bolt 75 has been applied as above described and the gate 29 and its associated

shafts

45 and 46 and linkages 48-48 are made up as a sub-assembly, the operating shaft 43 is now inserted through the bearings 424-2 and threaded through the sleeve member 66 which is held in place by a headless pin 92. The operating head 62 is slipped on the' opposite end of the operating shaft 43 with the hub portion 65 seating in the adjacent bearing 42. The operating head 62 is then held against axial movement on the shaft 43 by a small rivet 93 extending through the head 62 and shaft 43.

It will thus be noted that the entire assembly, or conversely disassembly, of the gate 29 and its associated operating shaft 43 and locking bolt 75 is readily effected by the removal of one rivet, i.e., the rivet 93.

The gate 29 is prevented from upward bouncing by means of bracket plates 94 which extend under the horizontal flanges 40 of the extension rails 38 and 39. Adjacent the lower margin of the hopper chute 30- provision is made for receiving and holding a removable extension chute commonly known as a boot (not shown). This includes grooves located on two adjacent sides of the frame as seen at 95 and 9-6 and laterally extending flanges on the other two adjacent sides as seen at 97 and 98.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A discharge outlet assembly comprising, in combination:

(a) a chute-like enclosure defining a discharge opening,

(b) a sliding gate for said opening projecting beyond one side of said enclosure to provide a portion projecting beyond said one side when said gate is in closed position,

(a) runways on opposite sides of said enclosure extending toward each other on which said gate is movable and extending outwardly of said one side of said enclosure for supporting said gate in open position,

(03) an operating shaft rotatably mounted on said runways adjacent the outwardly extending distal ends thereof,

(e) a pair of operating arms in spaced relation fixedly mounted on said operating shaft,

(1) an operated shaft rotatably mounted on said projecting portion of said gate,

(g) a pair of operated arms fixedly mounted on said :operated shaft in alignment with said arms on said operating shaft,

(h) a pair of linkages pivotally connected at one end to the distal ends of said operating arms respectively and at their other ends to the distal ends of said operated arms respectively and acting to move said gate between open and closed positions on rotation of said operating shaft in the corresponding direction,

(i) the pivot axis between said operating arms and said linkages passing through the path of movement of said gate during a portion of its movement between open and closed positions, and

(j) means positioned on the distal ends of said runways and cooperating with said linkages during the initial closing movement of said gate from full open position to convert the rotational movement of said operating shaft into translatory movement of said gate.

2. A discharge outlet assembly comprising, in combination:

(a) a chute-like enclosure defining a discharge open- (b) a sliding gate for said opening projecting beyond one side of said enclosure to provide a portion projecting beyond said one side when said gate is in closed position,

(c) runways on opposite sides of said enclosure extending toward each other on which said gate is movable and extending outwardly of said one side of said enclosure for supporting said gate in open position,

(d) an operating shaft rotatably mounted on said runways adjacent the outwardly extending distal ends thereof,

(f) an operated shaft rotatably mounted on said projecting portion of said gate,

(g) a pair of operated arms fixedly mounted on said operated shaft in alignment with said arms on said operating shaft,

(i) the pivot axis between said operating arms and said linkages passing through the path of movement of said gate during a portion of its movement between open and closed positions,

(j) means positioned on the distal ends of said runways and cooperating with said linkages during the initial closing movement of said gate from full open position to maintain a predetermined angular relation between said linkages and said operating arms during the initial portion of the rotation of said operating shaft in a gate closing direction,

(k) stop means on said operated arms cooperating with said sliding gate to prevent rotation of said operated arms relative to said sliding gate during a portion of its closing movement, and

(I) stop means at the ends of said linkages cooperating with the respective ends of said operated and operating arms and preventing relative pivotal movement thereof beyond positions in which said arms assume endwise extensions of said linkages.

3. A discharge outlet assembly comprising, in combination:

(a) a four sided chute-like enclosure defining a discharge opening,

(b) a sliding gate for said opening projecting beyond one of the sides of said enclosure to provide a portion projecting beyond said one side when said gate is in closed position, 7

(d) an operating shaft rotatably mounted on said runways adjacent the outwardly extending distal ends therof,

4. The invention, as set forth in claim 3, wherein stop means are provided to limit rotation of the operated shaft in relation to the gate to cause said operated shaft and said operated arms to operate as extensions of said gate after a predetermined extent of rotation of the operating shaft in a direction to close said gate.

5. The invention, as set forth in claim 4, wherein the linkages are arranged and adapted to fold around the operating shaft on its rotation in the gate opening direction.

6. The invention, as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

(a) a segmental section extends laterally from each linkage and has a bearing surface concentrically related to the axis of rotation of the operating shaft when the linkages are folded therearound, and

(b) means mounted on the distal ends of the runways and cooperating with the respective segmental section during a partial rotation of said operating shaft for holding the linkages in folded relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. A DISCHARGE OUTLET ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A CHUTE-LIKE ENCLOSURE DEFINING A DISCHARGE OPENING, (B) A SLIDING GATE FOR SAID OPENING PROJECTING BEYOND ONE SIDE OF SAID ENCLOSURE TO PROVIDE A PORTION PROJECTING BEYOND SAID ONE SIDE WHEN SAID GATE IS IN CLOSED POSITION, (C) RUNWAYS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ENCLOSURE EXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER ON WHICH SAID GATE IS MOVABLE AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID ENCLOSURE FOR SUPPORTING SAID GATE IN OPEN POSITION, (D) AN OPERATING SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID RUNWAYS ADJACENT THE OUTWARDLY EXTENDING DISTAL ENDS THEREOF, (E) A PAIR OF OPERATING ARMS IN SPACED RELATION FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID OPERATING SHAFT, (F) AN OPERATED SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID GATE, (G) A PAIR OF OPERATED ARMS FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID OPERATED SHAFT IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ARMS ON SAID OPERATING SHAFT, (H) A PAIR OF LINKAGES PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE DISTAL ENDS OF SAID OPERATING ARMS RESPECTIVELY AND AT THEIR OTHER ENDS TO THE DISTAL ENDS OF SAID OPERATED ARMS RESPECTIVELY AND ACTING TO MOVE SAID GATE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS ON ROTATION OF SAID OPERATING SHAFT IN THE CORRESPONDING DIRECTION, (I) THE PIVOT AXIS BETWEEN SAID OPERATING ARMS AND SAID LINKAGES PASSING THROUGH THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID GATE DURING A PORTION OF ITS MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, AND (J) MEANS POSITIONED ON THE DISTAL ENDS OF SAID RUNWAYS AND COOPERATING WITH SAID LINKAGES DURING THE INITIAL CLOSING MOVEMENT OF SAID GATE FROM FULL OPEN POSITION TO CONVERT THE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID OPERATING SHAFT INTO TRANSLATORY MOVEMENT OF SAID GATE.