GB2154194A - Railcar door openable by fork-lift truck tine - Google Patents

Abstract

The door 11 includes a mechanism adapted to be actuated by the tine to cause opening of the door. The projecting is engaged by the tine, the member 13 engaging a crank 14 to effect door opening. The member 13 is pivotably secured at 15 to the railcar chassis and includes a piston to accommodate upward movement of the projection 12. A compression spring 16 extending between the chassis and crank 14 serves to partially counterbalance the weight of the door. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Railcar closure This invention relates to a closure for a railcar or other freight container particularly but not exclusively adapted for transportation of feight e.g.

sacks of fertiliser, loaded onto pallets. The railcar may be also used for transportation of other bulky or heavy items which require access by loading machinery to the car.

According to the present invention a railcar having a closure includes a mechanism adapted to be actuated by lifting by the tine of a fork lift truck to cause opening of the closure.

The closure may comprise a door or roof panel of the railcar or both.

The mechanism may include a projection or other fixture arranged so that it may be conveniently lifted by the tine to cause opening of the closure. The projection or other fixture may be attached directly to the closure. Alternatively the projection or other fixture may cooperate with a crank on the closure mechanism.

A railcar having a closure which can be opened by lifting the tine of a fork lift truck is advantageous ih that the closure may be of large size and weight and may be moved through a range of movements e.g. lifted vertically,which would otherwise require a large operating force to be generated on the vehicle. The closure is preferably arranged to open to a location above the fork lift, preventing damage by accidental collision. Fork lift trucks have been used to open horizontally sliding doors of railcars. This often results in damage to the handles or other fixtures of the doors which are engaged by the tines. Use of the present invention also avoids this possibility.

The railcar may preferably include a door opening about a hinge disposed upon the roof of the railcar lengthwise of the latter, the door when closed extending from the hinge laterally of the railcar over a portion of the roof and further extending vertically at the side of the railcar.

Such a door may be constructed in a "gull wing" arrangement having a major portion covering the side of the railcar and a minor portion inclined to the major portion and extending between the latter and the hinge.

The door is preferably arranged to extend the entire length of the railcar.

Use of a railcar in accordance with this invention confers the advantage that the door when open does not impede loading by fork lift trucks. Conventional railcars having vertically hinged doors suffer from damage due to collision by fork lift trucks or their loads. A single door is easier and quicker to open or close than the plurality of independent doors which have been employed in prior art arrangements.

The construction of railcars is limited by the gauge requirements of the railway authority. Use of a railcar in accordance with this invention permits opening of the freight storage compartment to a greater height from the track than is possible when using doors having vertically arranged hinges. Better utilisation of the storage space may be achieved.

Preferred embodiments of this invention have a single door on each side of the car.

The railcar may be provided with a counter-balance mechanism such as a spring, to reduce the force required to open the door.

A damping arrangement may allow the door to close slowly under its own weight, preventing accidental rapid closure. The damping arrangement may comprise an air filled or hydraulic bellows or piston from which the flow of air or fluid is restricted. An auxiliary manually operable opening mechanism may also be provided.

One or more locking mechanisms to retain the door in an open position may also be provided.

Preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention are arranged so that a locking mechanism is engaged or released as the door is opened or closed.

Securing of a door of a railcar in accordance with this invention may be difficult due to the length of the door which may be between 10 and 15m. An arrangement which secured the door to the chassis of the railcar at a multiplicity of locations is preferred.

A preferred locking arrangement comprises a movable member located either along the lower edge of the door or along the corresponding length of the chassis, movement of the member causing interlocking of portions of the member with respective fixtures of the chassis or door. The member is preferably arranged to slide lengthwise of the door or chassis upon actuation at a single point which may be preferably located at an end of the car.

The invention is further described by means of example with reference to Figures 1 to 9 of which: Figure 1 is an end elevation of a railcar in accordance with the invention, illustrating the loading thereof by a fork lift truck; Figure 2 shows the railcar with doors closed; Figure 3 is a split view of the side elevation of the railcar; Figure 4 illustrates the door actuating mechanism; Figure 5 is a cross section view of the locking mechanism; Figures 6 and 7 illustrate an arrangement for locking the door in an open position; Figure 8 illustrates an auxiliary locking mechanism and; Figure 9 shows an alternative railcar in accordance with this invention.

The railcar shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprise two "gull wing" shaped doors 1 mounted on hinges 2 which extend longitudinally on the roof of the railcar. When a door 1 is open a fork lift truck has clear access to the freight storage compartment 3, as may be seen from Figure 1.

Each door 1 comprises a first portion 4 which extends laterally from the hinge 2 over a portion of the roof and a second portion 5 which extends ver tically at the side of the railcar.

Figure 2 shows the mechanism whereby the doors may be actuated. This comprises a crank 6 connected to the door 1 at the hinge 2. The crank 6 is pivotally connected to a member 7 provided with a projection 8 adapted to be engaged by the tine of a fork lift truck. The member 7 is pivotally secured to the chassis of the railcar and incorporates a piston to allow for elongation of the member during use. Lifting of the projections causes the door 1 to open, this arrangement is shown in detail in Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a split view of the side elevation of the railcar. The left hand side of the Figure shows the door in an open position and the right hand side shows the door closed. The reference numerals used in Figures 1 and 2 are used to denote like components in this Figure. The actuating mechanism 6, 7, 8 is shown at an end of the car. The freight storage compartment 3 contains several partitions 9 which serve to prevent movement of the freight in transit. In an alternative embodiment the partitions 9 may be omitted to increase the storage volume in the car. The interior of the compartment 3 may be clad in stainless steel or other corrosion resistant materials if necessary. A single door 1 extends the full length of each side of the railcar.

The doors are preferably provided with a counterbalance mechanism to partially compensate for their weight.

An arrangement is preferably provided to lock the doors in the open position. This arrangement is preferably released by lifting of the projection 8 beyond the location 10 at which the doors are fully open. An additional locking arrangement may be provided as a back-up safety feature.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the railcar which shows the door actuating mechanism in detail. The door 11 is shown in three positions. The lifting projection 12 is engaged in use by the tine of a fork lift truck, is shown in the closed position 12a intermediate position 12b and open position 12c, the member 13 engaging the crank 14 as previously described. The member 13 which is pivotably secured at 15 to the railcar chassis incorporates a piston to accommodate upward movement of the projection 12. A compression spring 16 extending between the chassis and the crank 14 serves to partially counterbalance the weight of the door 11.

In an alternative embodiment the projection 12 may be located on the crank 14 or on the door 11, the member 13 being omitted.

Figure 5 illustrates an arrangement for locking the doors. A member 17 carries a plurality, for example, seven hook shaped portions 18 and is arranged to move longitudinally when a user winds a crank handle 19 connected to the member 17 by a threaded shank 20. Movement of the hook shaped portions 18 to the left as shown in the Figure causes them to engage the lip 21 of an aperture 22 into which each hook 18 is received when the door is closed. The engagement causes the door to be locked. In a first embodiment of the invention the member 17 and hooks 18 are carried in the edge of the door and the apertures 22 are provided in the chassis engaged by the door. More preferably the member 17 and hooks 18 may be located within the chassis and the apartures 22 located in the door.

Figures 6 and 7 show an arrangement for locking the door in the open position. The arrangement locks the door when it is raised to the open position. Lifting of the door above the open position releases the arrangement allowing the door to close. Figure 7 is a cross-section along the line A-A of Figure 6.

The arrangement comprises a runner 23 secured at the upper end to a box 25. A stay 26 is connected at an upper end to a pivotal linkage 27 secured to the door opening crank 28. A roller 29 at the lower end of the stay 26 is arranged to be movable in a cyclic path with the box 25. A flap 31 is pivotally mounted within the box. An eccentric cam 30 having an upwardly facing seat is located above the flap 31. When the door is closed the roller 29 rests at the lower end 24 of runner 23. As the door is opened by raising the mechanism shown in Figure 4, the stay 26 and roller 29 are drawn up the runner 23, over the flap 31 and into the seat of cam 30. Engagement of the roller 29 within the seat of cam 30, as shown in Figure 6, locks the door open.Further raising of the stay 26 by lifting the door beyond the open position causes the roller 29 to pass out of the seat of cam 30 and beneath the latter. The weight of the roller then lifts the flap 31 allowing the roller to pass to the bottom 24 of runner 23. The path of the centre of roller 29 is shown at 31.

Figure 8 illustrates the auxiliary locking mechanism which serves as a safety device in the event of failure of the main locking mechanism shown in Figures 6 and 7.

The auxiliary mechanism comprises a pivotally mounted latch 32 having an upwardly facing surface 33 which may catch the lower edge of the door 34 as the latter closes, for example in the event of failure of the main locking mechanism.

The latch 32 is biassed towards either of two extreme positions 32a or d by a pivotally mounted compression spring 35 acting through an over centre linkage 36. In a first extreme position 32a the surface 33 is disposed adjacent the edge of the door 34a. In the second extreme position 32d and intermediate postions 32b and c the surface is clear of the path of the door, and the latter is free to close. The latch is provided with an elbow-like cam surface 37 which is shown in four locations 37a to d. Passage of the edge of the door 34c past the cam surface moves the latch from a position 37d in which the surface 32d is remote from the door 34a to a position 37a in which the surface 32a is biassed into the path of the door. Opening of the door causes the edge of the latter to slide past the latch, moving the latter to position 32b but not causing it to pass the mid point 32c of the over centre movement. The latch therefore returns to position 32a when the door is fully opened. Release of the latch is achieved by causing it to pass the mid point 32c and into the extreme position 32d. This may be done by any convenient means but a preferred arrangement makes use of the movement of the tines of the fork lift in lifting the door. A projection 38a to d, or a member (not shown) carried by or in engagement with the projection is arranged to be depressed from the latch closed position 38a to the latch closed position 38d by the tine as the door is lowered.The latch is thereby automatically opened as the door is lowered by a fork lift, but does not open if the door fails in the event of failure of the primary locking arrangement.

The latch also incorporates an arrangement to prevent release of the primary locking arrangement if the door is lifted by the wind or accidentally raised by a fork lift without the latch having been previously released. The arrangement comprises a downwardly facing surface 39 which engages and prevents upward movement of the edge of the door 34 when the latch is in the locked position.

The separation between the surfaces 33 and 39 is sufficient to allow for upward movement of the door as the primary locking arrangement is engaged but is insufficient to allow the primary arrangement to be disengaged.

Figure 9 shows a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment of the invention which may be used for transportation of bulky loads such as flexible intermediate bulk containers which may be handled by a fork lift truck. The roof section of the railcar 50 is arranged for vertical sliding movement upon a vertical shaft or other support 51. A linkage 52, pivotally mounted at 53 is connected at one end to the vertical shaft 51 and at the other end to an upper side panel 54 of the railcar. The roof section 50 has a generally horizontal lower surface 55 which is adapted to engage the tines of a fork lift truck 56. Raising of the tines of the fork lift, raises the roof of the railcar. In addition the side panel 54 is simultaneously lowered to a position 57 in which access may be gained to the interior of the railcar.

The weights of the roof and side panels are preferably arranged to balance each other to reduce the effort needed to open the closure. The arrange ment may be provided with a latching mechanism for the open position and a mechanism for locking when closed.

The side panel may comprise a plurality of rails, bars or other means of restraint of a load.

Claims (12)

1. A railcar having a closure including a mechanism adapted to be actuated by lifting by a tine of a fork lift truck to cause opening of the closure.

2. A railcar as claimed in claim 1, including a projection or other fixture arranged so that it may be conveniently lifted by the tine to cause opening of the closure.

3. A railcar as claimed in claim 2, wherein the projection or other fixture is attached directly to the closure.

4. A railcar as claimed in claim 2, wherein the projection or other fixture is arranged to cooperate with a crank on the closure mechanism.

5. A railcar as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the closure comprises a door which may open about a hinge disposed on the roof of the railcar lengthwise of the latter, the door when closed extending laterally of the railcar over a portion of the roof and further extending vertically at the side of the railcar.

6. A railcar as claimed in claim 5, wherein the door has a major portion adapted to cover the side of the railcar and a minor portion inclined to the major portion and extending between the major portion and the hinge.

7. A railcar as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the closure is arranged to extend the full width of the railcar.

8. A railcar as claimed in any preceding claim, provided with a counterbalance mechanism to reduce the force required to open the closure.

9. A railcar as claimed in any preceding claim including a locking mechanism adapted to retain the closure in an open position.

10. A railcar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a locking mechanism adapted to secure the closure to the chassis comprises a movable member located either along the lower edge of the chassis, movement of the member causing interlocking of portions of the member with fixtures of the chassis or closure respectively.

11. A railcar as claimed in claim 10, wherein the member is arranged to slide lengthwise of the closure or chassis upon actuation at a single point.

12. A railcar substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.