US1800832A - Ballast car - Google Patents

Description

April 14, 1931. D. HINDAHL BALLAST CAR Filed Nov. 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P 14, 1931- D. HINDAHL 1,800,832

BALLAST GAR Filed Nov. 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EDI/670%" Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DAVID I-IINDAHL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO RODGER BALLAST CAR COMP PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE BALLAST CAR Application filed. November 15, 1928. Serial No. 319,506.

This invention relates to dump cars and particularly to improvements in the construction and arrangement of the hoppers, control doors and shedding surfaces therefor, whereby the discharge of material is directed in a predetermined manner. The present invention is illustrated as embodied in a ballast car but it is to be understood that the invention may be equally applicable to other forms or types of hopper cars.

An object of this invention is to provide a control door forthe hoppers which is capable of closing to shut ofi theflow of the lading during the discharge operation while thematerial is flowing out through the discharge opening, whereby a portion only of a complete load may be discharged and the remaining portion retained in the car.

Another objectof this invention is to provide an improved hopper car construction, which when embodied in a ballast car, is capable of discharging ballast material both inwardly and outwardly of the rails. without danger or liability of flooding the rails.

The present disclosure is given merely by way of example and is not to be considered as limiting theinvention in any regard, but.

merely as one embodiment thereof, and the scope of the invention will be determinable from an understanding of the present disclosure as an embodiment thereof. and with a recognition of the advantages which the invention produces in the illustrated embodiment.

Further and other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational view in crosssection of one-half of a dump car constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse cross sectional view of the car shown in Figure 1.

The present invention is shown as embodied in a car having the usual underframe, comprising a center sill and cross sills, and having between the trucks on each side of the center sill a longitudinally extending hop per. Each hopper is provided with opposite ly inclined floor or shedding surfaces spaced at their lower ends to provide a discharge opening with a pivoted door, adapted to swing to either side of its center closed position so that the material may be unloaded to the outer side of the rail when the doors are swung open in one directlon, or unloaded between the rails when the doors are swung open in the other direction.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings, it will be noted that the car .1 is provided with side walls 2 and a sloping end wall or of cylindrical-sectoral shape. The doors are provided at their vertices with a shaft 9 which is pivoted at 10 and 11 in suitable bearings so that by rotation of the shaft, the doors are swung around the center of the shaft a pivot. Each door comprises the upper arcuate surface 12 and radial surfaces. 13 and 14. The door is of such size and shape that the surface 12 completely closes the discharge opening 7 when the door is in its central position, as shown at the lefthand hopper of Figure 2, but is capable of being swung to either side of the central closed position whereby a free discharge opening is provided forthe material from the hopper.

Each shaft 9 is provided with a worm gear 15, which is in mesh with the worm 16, carried by theshaft 17. The shaft 17 is mounted in suitable brackets 18and19, and has provided at its outer end a manually operable lever 20. The lever is capable of being connected for turning the shaft, whereby at the will of the operator a rotary movement may beiinparted to the door shaft 9 for opening 34 or closing the doors. Positioned below the shaft 9 and tapering in opposite direction therefrom, are mounted the independent shedding surfaces 21 and 22. The construction is so designed that when the doors are moved inwardly from the closed position the mate"- 1 rial which is permitted-to, flow through the discharge opening by such opening of the door, first flows upon the radial surface it of the door by which it is guided on to the inde pendent and lower shedding surface 21,

whereby the discharge material is directed outside of the rails on which the car runs. Conversely, when the doors are moved outwardly fromthe closed position, the shedding surface 13' of the door deflects the material on to the independent shedding surface 22 whereby" it is discharged inwardly of the rails. The independent shedding surfaces 21 and 22 for all of the hoppers are preferablyfixedly mounted and of suchlengththat lower ends lie substantially in lines A and B, as shownin Figure 2 of the drawing. These lines represent the position-of a pileof ballast or other material of known characteristics, as it willlie as deposited or discharged under the influence of gravity from the shed:

ding surfaces 21 or 22, attention being directed to the fact that the lines are limited by portions of the rails upon which the/car "is mounted below-the tops of the rails, and are disposed at theangle of repose of the particular lading for which the car is designed;

In some instances it may be preferable to adjustablynnount the shedding surfaces 21 and 22, but for any particular adjustment the surfaces are rigid with relation to the car body. Accordingly, it will be appreciated' that the surfaces 2l and 22-have a predetermined and final directing influence'on V. the discharge material from the hoppers, and

it will be further realized that the door, in respective of thedirectionof opening, presents shedding surfaces which bridge the space between the end of theghopper'shedding surfaces and the independent sheddingsuri the closing operation;

faces, such that a substantially continuousshe'dding surface is provided for deflecting the material either inwardly'or outwardly .of the rails as desired;

Another important factor is that the door.

having its surface 12 for closing" the dis charge opening pivots around the shaft'9,

which causes the surface 12 to traverse the path of flower material substantially trans-' versely therethrough. This renders it pos- ;sible to intercept the flowof material during discharge and tocompletely stop orrshut offthe discharge of a particular hopper before it is completelyemptied." This, of course, is attributable to the fact that the forcenecess ary to closetliedoor does not have to lift a portion at least of the weight of the 'downward flowing material, nor to oppose by a counter movement the inertia of the moving mass in discharge. The cutoff action being substantially transverse to the flow in all portions .of its closing movement, avoids the opposition of'the forces which wouldhinder appended claims.

From the above description it will beappreciated'that the present invention accomplishes the above stated objects, together with other objects apparent from an understanding of the disclosure.

The present disclosure is given merely by way of illustration andis not tobe considered as limiting-the invention, the scope of the invention being clearly set forth in the Iclaim: V

1. In a car of the character described, having a center sill, a longitudinally disposed hopper on one-side of said center sill, said hopper having oppositely inclined shedding surfaces spaced at their lowerjendsrtoapro'vide a discharge opening, an independent shedding surface below and spaced from said hopper shedding surface, said; independent sheddingsurface being of such length that its lower edge will lie ina line limited byfportions of the rails upon which theacar is mounted below'thetop of said rails, fwhich lines are disposed in the-angle of reposeiof the lading for-which asaid car is designed;

and a door for -said discharge opening for controllingv the passage of I lading' therethrough, said door providing iniitsopen and intermediate positions ashedding surfaceffor directing the discharge lading from-saidhop per onto said independent sheddin'gsurface.

2. In a car of'the characterdescribed, having a center sill, substantially v sh aped thdppers'on each side ofthe-centersill having discharge openingsat their bottoms, a pair of independently mounted'sheddin'g surfaces located below and spaced from each hopper, the surface of each pair being adapted to direct the discharge of material in'opposite Hi rection, each of the shedding surfaces-of said pairs of independent shedding surfaces being of such length that their lower endslie substantially in line's limited by portions of therails upon which the car is mounted below-the tops of the rails, which lines are dis posedatthe angle of repose of the lading "for which thecar is designed, anddoors for controlling the discharge of material froin'said hoppers having portions serving as shedding surfaces in the open and "intermediate posi tions of said doors for directing" the j diS- charge of lading' onto the said independent shedding surfaces, each door being adapted: to open in I either direction from the center closing position whereby the lading from" each hopper may be discharged at wilLjeither inwardly oroutwardly of the rails.

3.. A car of the class described, havinga center sill, a longitudinal V-shaped' hopper on each side of said center sill, said hoppers having discharge openings "in their ibottoms, a stationary deflector of inverted V-shape disposed below each hopper, the shedding surfaces of which deflectors areso disposed as to discharge 'ladingeither' between the rails or outside of the rails at lines in the angle of repose of such lading, and swinging doors controlling the discharge of ladin from the hoppers, said doors being pivotefi on an axis below the ho pelts and adapted to swing toward either si e of the hoppers to discharge the lading.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 7th day of November, 1928.

DAVID HINDAHL.

Images