US1613908A - Automatic drain and discharge trap for refrigerator cars - Google Patents

Description

1,613 908 Jan. 11 1927. A SANDMAN AUTOMATIC DRAIN AND DISCHARGE TRAP FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed 1'7, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUs'r G. SANDMAN, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND A lication filed may 17, 1921-. {Serial No. 470,438.

The invention relates to an automatic trap and discharge pipe for use on refrigerator cars.

The principal object of the invention, broadly stated, is to provide a combined automatic drain and discharge trap for refrigerator car outlet pipes of simple and sturdy construction, efiicient in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined drain and discharge pipe so constructed and arranged as to automatically return to service condition after the same has been displaced therefrom for the purpose of cleaning. I

Still another'ob'ect of the invention is to provide a combined drain and discharge trap with automatic means for-locking the same in service position.

In the drawings, wherein I- have illustrated a single embodiment of the inven tion,-

Figurel is a topplan view, partly 1n section, of the discharge outlet for a refrigerator car ice hatch showing the automatic drain and trap which is the subject of my invention, portions of the car adjacent the said elements being broken away for the sake of clearness.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1, a portion of the car framing being broken away in order to more clearly disclose the invention.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 1 is a transverse section on the line 1-l, of Fig. 1.

Throughout the specification and drawings like parts are designated by like reference characters. V

1 designates the side wall of a refrigerator car, 2 the main fioor thereof, 3 one of the side sills, 4 a transverse or cross sill, 5 the inner flooring, and 6 one of the spacer blocks interposed between the floor 2 and the inner flooring 5 of a refrigerator car. Passingv through the inner flooring 5 and between the blocks 6 and adjacent one of the transverse beams 4t, is one of the discharge outlet pipes 7 of the refrigerator car. The lower end of the pipe 7 extends a short distance below the lower face of the cross sill 4 so as to form with the combined drain and discharge trap 8 a water seal to prevent the inflow of air to the ice chamber of the refrigerator car.

The combined drainand discharge trap preferably comprises a cup shaped member 8 provided on the opposite side walls adjacent the center of the said cup, with upwardly extending outwardly projecting pivot-lugs or t'runnions 9, the latter being pivotally connected to the car underfram'e through members 10 which are provided with trunnion receiving openings 11. The said members 10 are preferably supported by means of bolts 12 which extend through a portion of the underframe and through openings in the said members, said members 10 being rigidly supported said bolts through the nuts 13 thereof. The cup shaped drain is provided with a discharge pipe 14,-the inlet end of which, in normal position, lies above the outlet end of the dis charge' pipe 7. The discharge trap 8 is valso provided, on opposite sides of the trunnions 9, with a weighted 111g 15 and a hooked projection 16, respectively; Pivotally connected to the car underframe, preferably by means of a pivot bracket-17 attached to the car underframe in any convenient manner,

as by nails 18, is an automatic catch 19 which is adapted to engage beneath the lug 16 to maintain the member 8 in service position. Preferably the locking member 19 is in the form of a bell crank and is provided with a weighted end 20 and with a slot 21 in the opposite crank arm in which the said hook 16 is adapted to be received. The portion at the end of the locking arm is curved or rounded on its outer face to permit the in clined face 22 of the lug 16 to force the same inwardly so as to permit the automatic locking of the member 8 when the same is swung from an open to service position. The weighted lug 15 hereinbefore described is adapted to overbalance the member 8 when the same is empty, as will hereinafter be more fully described.

After continued use the combined discharge drain and trap fills with sediment and it is necessary in order to maintain the device in working condition to clean these traps at intervals. Heretofore these discharge traps have been so connected as to require the operator to first move the same to closed position and then while maintaining the same in closed position to operate the locking mechanism, and it has been found that on numerous occasions the operators through inadvertence often fail to close the traps, permitting air to enter the discharge the refrigerator car.

pipe. This failure results in the rapid melt ing of the ice and consequent loss to the railroads due to damage to the contentsof By my constructionI avoid all possibility of this taking place by providing an automatic self closing trap. The weighted lug 15 is connected to the drain 8 by means of flanges 23 and is located as to positively swing the trap into horizontal position after the same has been cleaned, this closing movement being independent of the operator. By combining the self-closing trap With an automatic locking device actu-v ated by the-closing movement of the trap I avoid all possibility of neglect on the part of the operator causing injury to the contents of the refrigerator car, since, as hereinbefore stated, the closing of the trap, that is, the positioning of the trap in correct position, is not dependent upon manual operation, and hence neglect on thepart of the trainman or operator cannot result in leaving the drain outlet open so as to permit air to enter the ice hatch of the car. 7

I claim 2 1. A combined trap and drain for the discharge pipe of a refrigerator car, comprising a hollow member pivotally connected to the car body by trunnions formed on the side walls of said member, a Weight projecting from one side of said member for automatically rotating the same to a horizontal position, and a gravity actuated locking device carried by the car body and adapted to engage the hollow member for maintaining said member in locked position.

2. A combined trap and drain outlet for the discharge pipe of a refrigerator car, comprising a pivotally mounted cup shaped member said pivot being located at one side of the center of gravity of said member, means carried by said member for automatically restoring the same to horizontal posi tion, and gravity actuated locking means carried by the car and means carried by said member for moving said locking meansfrom locking position when said member is actuated by said first named means.

The combination with a refrigerator car body having floor portions a discharge pipe extending through said floor portions, a combined trap and drain involving a hollon member, means pivotally connecting said hollow member to the body, a discharge opening provided in said member and arranged substantially in alinement with the means pivotally connecting. said member, means including a weighted portion provided on said hollow member upon one side of the pivotal means for returning said hollow member to normally closed position, and a gravity latch carried by the car body for retaining said member in such position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

AUGUST G. SANDMAN.

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