US1997704A - Hopper doorlock and lock mounting - Google Patents

Description

April 16, 1935. J. .1. TATUM HOPPER DOORLOCK AND LOCK MOUNTING Filed Dec. 25, 1931 I6klb Tatiana Patented Apr. 16, 1935 p UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE V 1,997,704 HOPPER DOORLOCK AND LocK MOUNTING John J. Tamm, Baltimore, Md.

Application December 23, 1931, Serial No. 582,817

sol-aims. (01. 105-308) This invention relates tolocks or latches for improved latch and latch mounting thereto, the the doors of hoppers of hopper cars and the like, latch appearing in door locking position. and to novel and improved means for mounting Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the hopper the same upon the hopper. shown in Fig. 1.

The hoppers of hopper cars are commonly Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of 5 made of pressed steel sheets, which sheets, bethe structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2. cause of the rough usage to which they are sub- Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic end view of a saw jected in service, become bent or distorted and tooth hopper car embodying generally the imdeteriorate from corrosion, so that such hopper provements disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

sheets require frequent renewal and repairs. The Fig. 5 is a side elevation of such a car as that 10 latches for the doors cause trouble and expense shown in Fig. 4. I also, because of the large number of separate and Referring now more particularly to the drawindependent parts generally used, which are fasing, l designates a car hopper of a type comtened to each other and to the hopper sheets by monly known as a saw-tooth hopper, of which a bolts or rivets which'are liable to work'loosa'rennumber may be arranged in rows or otherwise 15 dering the latches inoperative or insecure in upon the bottom of a car A, as shown in Figs. 4 action. and 5, for the discharge of the contents thereof.

'One object of my invention is to provide a In the hopper car structure shown in Figs. 4 and novel and improved construction of hopper door 5, two longitudinal rows or series of such dis- 0 latch and simplified -mounting means therefor, charge hoppers I are mounted upon the underwhereby a positive, reliable and secure latch havside of the car on opposite sides of its longitudinal ing a safe automatic locking action is produced center, with the hoppers of each seriesarranged and a type of'mounting furnished which ensures in groups on opposite sides of the transverse easy motion of the latch and a certain engagecenter of the car, the hopper doors of one group 5 ment of the latch with its keeper and the firm facing toward one end of the car and the hopper fastening of the latch in closed position. doors of the other group facing, toward theop- Another object of the invention is to provide a posite end of the car, in accordance with comhopper formed of cast steel sheets with which the mon practice. The arrangement of the hoppers parts of the hopper mounting may be integrally upon the car may, however, be varied to accord cast or to which cast mountings may be secured, With any of the established hopper car types or 30 thus furnishing a construction of hopper which practices, my invention applying to a novel con;- "is substantially free from the stated objections struction of lock or latch for the hopper doors applying to pressed steel hoppers and which 2.1- and means, which may form part of the hopper lows of the use of latch mountings of simplified construction, for mounting the same, and. which form and composed of a lesser number of parts is adapted for use upon hoppersof various types 35 than ordinarily employed and which are less liable to provide safe and reliable door locking means 'to work loose or to become otherwise inoperative thereforor inefiective in locking action, In the exemplified dlSClOSlllG Of saw-tooth Still another object of the invention is to prohopper I, the hopper is Provided with a downd a, Construction f hopper adapted f the wardly and rearwardly sloping front endportion 40 stable support of the latch its mount while 2 havmg a Opening therein a W WfiI giving a proper space for third rail clearance and i i sloping bottom 3 arranged n when the car is used in electrified zones, and at Vergent relatlon to the hopper from and inter the same time furnishing outletof increased seating the Same at the bottom of the doorway area for the. discharge of the load from the car. g mnel: g ggg fi i a 8 45 With these and other objects in view, which will gg gg' z' its g 5; i zg appear m COWS? of the sumomed descl'lptwn tically on a horizontal transverse axis and adaptthe mventlon 0f the navel features 9:? ed to normally close by gravity to seal the doorconstruction, combination and arrangement of w against the escape of th hopper n g 50 parts herein after fully described and claimed, In agcordance ith my i ti th hon pe ref renc b n had to the mp nyin draw side walls or sheets are preferably made of cast 1 I sheet steel instead of pressed steel, as pressed 1 IS a VIEW 111 e elevation of a pper steel sheets are easily subject to buckling and 5.5 of saw-tooth type showing the application of my distortion from the service strains and rough usage which they are compelled to stand, as well as deterioration from corrosion due to the action of the elements, while cast steel is free or practically free from such objections. Moreover, the use of pressed steel sheets requires the employment of numerous separate mounting parts or fittings for the door locking elements and the riveting of these mountings or fittings in position, with the result that the locking elements are liable to work loose or to be broken or otherwise damaged or to be thrown out of alinement, so that they are rendered inoperative or ineffective and unreliable in action. By the use of cast steel sheets these objections may be wholly or largely obviated, as the greater number of the mounting parts or fittings may be cast integral therewith.

In the hopper structure shown, the outer side sheet 5, at least, of the hopper body I is made in practice of cast steel, and on the sheet 5 are cast integral with the sheet the parts of the mounting for the locking latch and its locking dog. As shown, the sheet 5 is provided, adjacent to the bottom of the doorway, with the forked or bifurcated fulcrum bracket member 8 cast integral therewith and projecting laterally therefrom, between the arms of which forked bracket member 8 the door latch 9 is mounted. This latch comprises a bar, hinged intermediately of its length upon a fulcrum pin or rivet lil engaging the fork arms of the bracket so as to provide said latch bar with a latch arm H and a controlling arm l2. The latch arm li extends at its free and beyond the front of the doorway 2 and is provided with a latch hook 13 having a locking shoulder 14 and a beveled contact nose [5 leading thereto. The latch shoulder is adapted for engagement with the adjacent latch en'- gaging or keeper portion of a spreader bar l5 secured to the base of the door 6 for locking the door in closed position, and a special construction of said keeper portion of the bar l5 and said shoulder of the latch is provided to secure a firm locking engagement between the latch and the spreader bar under pressure. of the load, thereby adding to the security of the connection. The end or arm (2 of the latch is made of increased thickness or weighted with respect to the arm li, so that it normally tends to overcome the weight of the. hooked end of the latch and to drop by gravity to automatically move the hooked locking end of the latch into. locking position. This weighted end or arm of the latch is adapted for engagement by the curved peripheral face of a segmental locking dog l6 pivotally supported upon a pivot pin I1 caried by a pair of bracket members I8 and I9 formed upon and cast integral with the sheet 5, which dog when in working position liesin the path ofupward movement ofthe end l2 of the latch and prevents the latch from being casually retracted by jolts, jars, vibrations orother service motions and releasing the door 6. The dog is provided with a stop projection 20 arranged to engage a stop projection 21- cast with the bracket member- I9, whereby the forward swinging movement of the dog when in release position is limited andsaid dog maintained in position to be engaged by the weighted latch arm in theclosing movement-of the door. The wall or sheet 5 is shown as provided with an opening 22 normally covered by a pivoted cover memberorflap 23, which opening is so arranged asto allow arod, lever or other suitable tool;to be inserted into the hopper through said wall orsheet andmanipulated for the; purpose of prying loose the lading in the car should it become packed hard or frozen. This opening can also be used for the insertion of a steam heating pipe or gas pipe for the purpose of heating the contents in the car if frozen in order to secure a free and quick discharge of the lading.

As before stated, a special construction of the keeper portion of the stifiener or spreader bar l5 and the shoulder M of the latch I3 is employed in order to secure a firm locking engagement between the spreader bar and the latch. As shown, the latch shoulder I4 is beveled or undercut at an effective retaining angle between the plane of the door when in closed position and the plane of the latch when in door engaging position and the keeper portion of the bar is inclined at a corresponding angle so as to have an overlapping engagement, so that the outward pressure of the lading on the door will force the keeper portion of the bar l5 into wedging engagement with the latch shoulder M which will overhang the surface of the bar I5 engaged thereby. By this means a firm and positive interlocking engagement between the spreader bar and latch will be secured to increase the security of the locking connection and to prevent or reduce to a material degree liability of casual disengagement of the latch from the bar in the event that from any cause the retaining dog l6 should become retracted, torn away or rendered inoperative. In the form disclosed the bar is zhaped and disposed with its body portion extending outwardly from and at right angles to the door, one of its flanges, namely, its inner longitudinally extending flange, projecting downwardsuch that when the door is closed and latched the arm H of the latch will lie under the body portion of the bar [5, while the shoulder I4 of the latch will overlap or overhang the inclined keeper flange of the bar I5, whereby a wedgelock engagement between the bar and latch will be secured and maintained under the outward pressure of the lading on the door, to prevent or reduce to a minimum liability of the latch becoming casually disengaged even in the event that it is not held from retraction by the dog l8.

In the hopper construction fragmentarily shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 and illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 4 and 5, the inner hopper walls 4 are straight or vertical while the outer hopper walls 5 incline downwardly and inwardly between the top and bottom walls of the hopper, thus decreasing the width of each hopper toward its bottom and outlet end. By this means a clearance space is provided at each side of the car between the walls 5 and the vertical plane of each side of the car for third rail clearance in the travel of the car through electrified rail zones. This form of each hopper l is also advantageous in enabling the upper portions of the hoppers to be made wider so as to provide an increased size of discharge opening for discharge of the load over a construction in which the hopper walls 5 are straight and vertical and the hopper is of equal width from top to bottom, while at the same time providing the third rail clearance space referred to. Also it will be seen that the latch when in locking position inclines downwardly and forwardly parallel with and at an angle of inclination conformably with that or" the hopper bottom 3, with its hooked end i3 upwardly directed for upward locking movement and engagement with the looking or spreader bar IS on the door. It will thus be understood that when the latch is in release position and the door open, the weighted arm or end 12 will drop and swing the hooked end 53 upwardly, so that the beveled nose it will lie in the path of movement of the extended end of the spreader bar l. As a result, when the door is allowed to close by gravity, as after the discharge of the load, the weight of the door in its closing motion will cause the extended end of bar 5 to engage and ride up on the beveled nose !5 of the latch, thus depressing the hooked end of the latch and permitting the bar I5" to ride thereover and into locking engagement with the shoulder l 4, the weighted end of the latch then projecting the hooked end of the latch upward for positive locking engagement with the bar l5 and at the same time moving into engagement with the dog IE to be locked thereby to maintain the latch in looking position. A very positive and reliable automatic locking action is thus obtained and, as the latch and dog mounts are of rigid construction and integral with the sheet 5, and therefore can not become displaced or warped or otherwise get out of shape, it will be evident that the parts of the latch will always be maintained in working alinement and the hooked end of the latch in position to interlock with the spreader bar. The slope of the wall or sheet '5 provides a third rail clearance space sufiicient to receive and accommodate the latch and its working parts without liability of the same coming in contact with the third rail or its housing.

As particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the lower portion 5a of the side wall or sheet 5 is offset inwardly, by means of an overhanging ofiset portion 522 between it and the superposed normal part of the wall or sheet, thus forming a third rail clearance space at such side of the hopper in which the latch elements are housed and over-v hung by the portion 5b so as to be protected to a greater degree against liability of injury by contact with extraneous stationary or flying objects. The latch fulcrum bracket 8 and the dog supporting brackets l8 and I9 are of suitable form to adapt themto be eiiectively cast upon and integrally with these portions 5a and 5b of the side sheet.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection withthe drawing, the construction and operation of my improved latch mechanism will be readily understood and appreciated by those versed in the art without a further and extended description. While the structures disclosed are preferred, it will, of course, be understood, as stated, that changes in the form, proportion and details of construction of the parts may be made, within scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a hopper door look, a hopper having a cast metal wall provided with an offset portion forming a recess lying inwardly of the plane of said wall, a latch support cast with the'ofiset portion of the wall and arranged to lie wholly within said recess, anda door engaging latch mounted on said support.

2. In a hopper door look, a hopper having a Wall comprising an upper wall portion, a lower wall portion lying inwardly of the plane of said upper wall portion, and an oblique intermediate wall portion connecting said upper and lower wall portions, upper and lower supporting brackets mounted respectively upon the intermediate and lower wall portions, a door engaging latch carried by the supporting bracket on the said lower wall portion, and a latch engaging dog carried by the supporting bracket on the said intermediate wall portion.

3. In a hopper door look, a hopper having a cast metal wall comprising an upper wall portion, a lower wall portion lying inwardly of the plane of said upper wall portion, and an oblique intermediate wall portion connecting said upper and lower wall portions, upper and lower supporting brackets mounted respectively upon and cast with the intermediate and lower wall portions, a door engaging latch carried by the supporting bracket on the said lower wall portion, and a latch engaging dog carried by the supporting bracket on the said intermediate wall portion.

JOHN J. TATUM.

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