US1322538A - Car-haulage system for movable car-dumpers. - Google Patents

Description

A. F. CASE.

CAR HAULAGE SYSTEM FQR MOVABLE DAR DUMPERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9, 2919.

1 22,538. Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

A. F, CASE.

CARHAULAGE SYSTEM FOR MOVABLE CAR DUMPERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, I919.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR F. CASE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WELLMAN-SEAVER-MORGAN COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CAR-HAULAGE SYSTEM FOR MOVABLE CAR-DUMPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Application filed March 19, 1919. Serial No. 283,632.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR F. CASE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Haulage Systems for Movable Car-Dumpers, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

This invention relates to car dumpers of the type which are movably supported on a track so that they may be moved from point to point to vary the points of discharge of material dumped from the cars.

In movable dumpers of this type, the dumper itself is adapted to travel along a suitable track of wide gage, spaced on both sides of the rails of a track along'which are moved the cars to be dumped. The frame or tower of the dumper has inclined approach and take-oft tracks which extend with suitable inclination from opposite ends of the dumper down to the rails of the car track, the loaded cars being brought up one of these inclined tracks, and the empty cars run down the other inclined track. As the dumper is moved along the rails of what may be termed the dumper track, the inclined tracks of the approach and take-oil slide over the rails of the car tracks so that wherever the dumper is positioned, the cars may be brought up onto the cradle from one end of the dumper, and the empty cars may be run down to the same track from the other end of the dumper.

In operating a dumper of this kind, a locomotive is usually employed to position the cars one at a time, on the cradle of the dumper and to push the empty cars off the cradle, it being customary for the locomotive to push a string of loaded cars up toward the dumper, and when the foremost car is properly positioned thereon, this car is uncoupled and allowed to stand on the cradle while the locomotive and the remainder of the string of loaded cars are backed away from the dumper. This operation is repeated each time a loaded car is positioned on the dumper, and as it requires a crew of men, obviously considerable expense is involved in the handling of the cars.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide for use in connection with a movable dumper. a car haulage system involving a haulage car such as is commonly employed with stationary dumpers, with the parts so constructed and arranged that the haulage system is at all times available for use, irrespective of the position to which the dumper is moved along its line or range of movement.

More specifically considered, the invention aims to reduce the cost of handling the cars to be dumped, and to increase the speed of operation.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, showing my improved haulage system applied to a movable dumper, this view showing only a portion of the system or trackways for the dumper and cars; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view looking down on the inclined approach track, the same being on an enlarged scale and showing also a portion of the movable haulage car track; Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of the same; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the upper part of the inclined approach and a portion of the dumper to which it is attached; Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing the dumper tracks, car track, and pit or trough which is between the rails of the car track and accommodates the haulage car runway or the supporting structure for the track of the haulage car, which structure is movable along the trough with the dumper; Figs. 7 and S are sectional views along the lines 77 and 8-8 respectively of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a sectional view substantially along the line 9-9 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 10 is a sectional view substantially along the line 1010 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents conventionally a movable car dumper of usual construction having wheeled trucks 11 which are designed to run along the rails 12 (see particularly Fig. 6) of a so-called dumper track, so that the dumper can be positioned wherever desired along the track 12 to discharge the material from the cars at different points. The car dumper includes a suitable frame or tower, and a cradle which may be tilted or first elevated and then tilted to turn the car sidewise and dump the material therefrom. Bumpers of this type areso well-known t iat further description and detail drawings are believed to be unnecessary.

' The empty and loaded cars are run on a track whose rails are shown at 13, this track being on a slight inclination, preferably about 1% for some distance in ad ance of and throughout the length of travel of the dumper and of the parts of the haulage sys tem associated therewith. As is clearly shown in Fig. 6, the rack 13 extends tween the rails of the dumper track 12, the two rails of the duniper track for each side of the dumper paralleling the rails of the car track 13 for a distance depending upon the distance or length of travel that the dumper is to have.

Extending downward from one end of the dumpor is an inclined approach 1 1- for the loaded cars, and extending from the other end of the dumper is an inclined take-oil 15 for the empty cars, both the approach and the take-off consisting of wedge-shaped or tapered built-up structures as indicated in Figs. 4:,15 and 10, having wheels 16, which run upon the rails of the car track 13 (see a, 5 and 10), and each being connected to the end of the dumper in any suitable manner such as by links 1'7, one of which is shown in Fig. 5, or otherwise. The approach and take-off are provided respectively with inclined approach rails M and inclined take-elf rails 15, these rails having the same gage as the car track 13, and at their lower or free ends, 2'. 6., at the base of the incline, r ting on the rails of the track 13 in much the same manner that the inclined rails of the approach and take-oft of the ordinary movable dinnper extend from the rails of the car track up to the dumper. At their upper ends these inclined rails 14 and. 15 of theapproacn and take-off are in line with, and form continuations of the rails on the tower and platen of the dumper when the cradle is in normal position, or in position to receive a car.

Coming now to the features directly involving my invention, 1 provide bet-ween the rails of the car track 13, a long pit 18, which extends a considerable distance beyond the approach side of the Cllllll er track and lengthwise of the latter, substantially to, and if desired, beyond the opposite end of the dumper track. At the bottom of this pit are the rails 19 of a narrow gage track, on which travels what may be termed a movable haulage car runway 20 composed of a series of units 20% 20 20 and 20 which are connected together as by means of links 21, (see particularly-the left hand end of Fig. 4;) these runway units being in the form of carriages or trucks built up from structural material and provided with wheels 22 which run on the rails of the track 19 at the bottom of the pit. It might be lere stated that the rails of the track 19 are parallel to, and a uniform distance below the rails of the upper car track 13 (which are positioned just beyond the side walls of the pit as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8) except at one end of the pit there is an upwardly inclined section of the track 19 ex tending from the bottom of the pit upwardly to the upper surface supporting the car track 18, so that the haulage car runway 20 can be run out of the pit if desired. This is illustrated in 1. This movable haulage car runway 20, composed of the connected units 20, 20 0" and 20 is connected to the approach 1%, so that when the car dumper is moved along the dumper tracks in either direction, the approach lat, take-off 15 and haulage car runway 20 move with it. The forward section 20 of the runway is connected to the approach (which in turn is connected to the dumper as before stated) by any suitable means such as links 23, the section 20 having its forward end, that is to say, its end toward the dumper, i11- clined upwardly as shown most clearly in Fig. l, and extending inwardly for a distance between the inclined rails 1 1 of the approach 14.

The movable haulage car runway 20 is provided with a track 24:, for a haulage car 25, or so-called mule, shown in Figs. 1, and 8, which track 2%- is like the runway track 19, a narrow track with a age considerably smaller than the y '6 or the car track The haulage car track 2% has a lower or depressed portion carried by the section 20 of the haulage car runway 20, this portion including a lower horizontal portion 24- which is asuliicient distance below the car track that when the haulage car is on this poi. ion, a loaded car may be run over the haulage car in the manner indicated in Fig. 1. From the lower horizontal portion 24, the haulage car track 24 inclines upwardly, as shown at 943, to substantially the level of the car track 18, this portion, which may be designated by the reference character 24, being carried by the runway sections 20". 20 and 20. On the forward runway section 20", next to the dumper, the haulage car track 72d inclines upwardly in conformity with th inclination of the rail 14 of. the approach, this portion being designated 24. Beyond the forward section 20 0f the runway, the haulage car track is continued up the approach to the damper by a section 241 this latter sec tion being carried by the approach. It might be mentioned that there are joints in the haulage car track where the joints occur in the runway, '21. 6. between the sections 20,

and 20 20 and 20, 20 and 20 and between the section 20 and the approach, so that sutlicient flexibility is afforded to allow the various sections of the runway to con form to any slight irregularities which may exist in the track upon which the runway travels.

The haulage car 25 maybe similar in con struction to the haulage cars frequently utilized with stationary dumpers, and it may be operated in much the same fashion as the latter, the prime difference between the old construction and the present construction being that with the stationary dumpers the haulage car travels on a wholly stationary track, Whereas in my improved constructionconstituting the subject matter of this invention, the haulage car travels over the track of a movably runway which may be moved with the dumper. Preferably the haulage car is moved toward the dumper by a haulage rope 26, and is pulled back to the far end of the runway, i. e. to the lower or depressed portion of the runway by a tail rope 27. The haulage rope passes over a series of sheaves 28 suitably positioned near the top of the runway, and the tail rope around suitable sheaves 29 near the bottom of the runway, and at the dumper they pass around customary drums (carried by the dumper) which need not be shown as their operation is well understood by those skilled in the dumper art. At the lower end of the section 24 of the runway, a suitable stop or abutment 30 is provided, which will include spring bumpers to stop the movement of the haulage car in the direction away from the dumper.

In operation, when the haulage car Clown at the far end of the runway, e. e. in the pit, as indicated in Fig. 1, a loaded car is allowed to driftdown the slight incline of the car track 13, and it will come to a stop when it reache the approach track 14 that is to say, it will stop a short distance beyond the inclined portion 243 of the haulage car track, so that as soon as the loaded car is thus positioned, the haulage car is pulled up out of the pit up to the rear of the loaded car, and then pulls the loaded car up onto the dumper, the loaded car pushing the empty car already on the cradle of the dumper down the take-oft 15. As soon as the loaded car is positioned on the cradle of the dumper, the haulage car is pulled back along the runway in the far end thereof until it again occupies the position in the pit, as shown in Fig. 1. Thereupon, and while the loaded car is beinghandled in the dumper, the next loaded car is allowed to drift down past the haulage car, and it will in turn be pulled up onto the dumper. This will be repeated as rapidly as the cars can be handled in the dumper.

When it is desired to change the point of delivery of the material, the dumper will. be moved along the damper tracks 12, and when it is thus moved, the runway for the haulage car, as well as the approach 14: and take-off 15 move with the dumper without in any way afl'ecting the operation of the haulage system.

Thus it will be seen that I have eli'ected a very important improvement in movable dumpers since I am enabled to eliminate the services of several men constituting the crew which was required heretofore to bring the loaded cars up onto the cradle of the dumper. Additionally the speed of operation can be somewhat increased over that which obtains when a locomotive used for handling the loaded cars. Still further my improved system is safer for the o erators than the prior haulage system requiring the use of a locomotive.

I believe it, broadly new with me to provide a movable runway for the haulage car, which r nway can be moved about desirably though not necessarily with the dumper. Obviously, therefore, I am not to be confined to the exact arrangement and details shown, as numerous changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention in its broad aspects.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a movable car dumper, a haulage system for moving loaded cars up onto the dumper, comprising a haulage car for shifting the loaded cars, and a movable runway for the haulage car.

2. In combination with a movable car dumper adapted to be moved along a track, a car track for loaded cars, a haulage system for moving the cars from said car track onto the dumper, and a movable runway for the haulage car connected to the dumper so as to move therewith.

S. In combination with a movable car dumper and a track along which the dumper is adapted to be moved, of a haulage system comprising a haulage car adapted to shift loaded cars onto the dumper, a movable runway having a track for the haulage car, and a stationary track on which said runway is adapted to be moved.

4:. In combination with a movable car dumper and a track along which the dumper the cars comprising a haulage car for moving the cars onto the dumper, and a movable runway for the haulage car having a track for the haulage car with a portion extending downward below said car track.

6. In combination, a movable car dumper, a dumper track along which the dumper may be moved, a car track for cars to be handled by the dumper, said car tracl-I extending along the dumper track, a haulage system comprising a haulage car, a movable runway for the haulage car, a pit extending beneath and lengthwise of the car track, a movable runway for the haulage car, a track in the pit along which said runway is adapted to be moved, said runway having a track for the haulage car located between the rails of the car track and comprising a portion extending downward beneath said car track.

7. In combination with a movable car dumper, a car track for loaded cars, a pit extending lengthwise of the track between the rails of the latter, a runway track at the bottom of the pit, a haulage car runway movable along said runway track and connected to the dumper, said runway having a haulage car track leading to the dumper and having a portion at substantially the level of the car track, and another portion extending downward below the latter.

8. In combination with a movable car dumper and a track along which the dumper may be moved, a car track for loaded cars, the dumper having an inclined approach supported on the car track and having inclined rails leading from the latter to one end of the dumper, a haulage system for moving the cars from the car track up the approach onto the dumper comprising a haulage car, a movable runway for the haulage car and a stationary track for said runway, said runway having rails for the haulage car located between the rails of the car track, the haulage car track at the end of the runway remote from the dumper being below the level of the car track and extending therefrom up to substantially the level of the car track, said approach having between the inclined car rails referred to, inclined haulage car rails forming continuations of the haulage car rails carried by the runway.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

ARTHUR F. CASE.

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