Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1~9~3
FIELD OF TH~: INVENTION
This invention is in the field of hydraulically operat-
ed railroad car doors of the type the opening, closing, and
latching and unlatching of which is powered by a hydraulic
pump operating through a hydraulic cylinder.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A patent was issued in the United States on February 6,
1473 No. 3,714,735 to the app~icant, Robert E. Owen, titled:
HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED RAILROAD CAR DOOR. In this patent
10. separate cylinders were used at each of four door latches,
two for each side of the door, and separate cylinders were
used at each of four individual rotating shafts controlling
crank arms for opening and closing the door. This patent
made possibIe the elimination of many inventory problems in-
volving quantities of mechanical parts used for mechanical
grain doors of the prior art. This patent also provided the
advantage of a hydraulic cushioning effect to prevent a tear-
ing off of tracks fixed to the box car because of the jolt
involved when a sliding door of the prior art suddenly stop-
. ped; the hydraulic cushioning also cutting down wear on otherparts of a door iolted by sudden stopping.~
Another hydraulic door patent was issued in the United
States on May 27, 1975; No. 3,885,349 to the applicant,
Robert E. Owen, titled: HYDRAULICALLY CONTROLLED DOOR WITH
TANDEM CRANK ARMS AND LATCHES. This second patent preserved
the latching sequencing and hydraulic cushioning advantages
but eliminated much of the problem of synchronization in the
operation of the various crank arms and latches which was a
characteristic of the door of patent No . 3,714,735 issued in
30. the United States February 6, 1973.
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7 ~ ~
However, the door of my United States Patent 3,885,349
still used four separate costly cylinders, one for each of
two crank arm shafts and one for each pair of latches, of
which latter there were one pair of the left side of the
door and one pair on the right. Synchronization of the
latches was very difficult. For example, if one of the
left latches would stick, then all motion of the left cylin-
der would be applied only to the other one of the left latches
and the stuck latch would remain stuck.
10. In the door of United States Patent 3,885,349 if one
crank arm met with greater resistance in the process of its
turning, then the hydraulic fluid would operate, out of syn-
chronization, the pair of crank arms on the other crank arm
shaft, causing one side of the door to open more than the
other side.
Perfect synchronization of both latches and crank
arms is the goal and yet that the advantages of hydraulic
cushioning must be preserved and other advantages made avail-
able, chiefly among the other advantages to be made available
20. is hydraulic sealing of the door, although economy is very
important also.
Doors having only latches do not seal well, the latches
being chiefly useful only for safety. Refrigerator cars,
grain cars, and loose cargo cars can benefit from tight door
sealing, and safety from water damage during storms also in-
creases with good door sealing, and so it is very important
that the sealing achievable with hydraulic pressure be main-
able after an operator has ceased his pumping operation and
left the rail car.
30. In the prior art, pumps of the type which pump during
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motions of the piston ~n each of two opposite directions
have been of kinds having damageable outside valves and hav-
ing conduits associated with the check valves on the outside
of the cylinder which are also easily damaged~O They also
have been complex, requiring an excessive number of valves
and hence costly.
Breakage of pump handles is a problem. A pump han-
dle is long and designed to be moved in only back and forth
directions of reciprocation. When a pump handle receives a
10. force pulling it in a direction at a right angle to its in-
tended use motions, then it can be easily broken. Unfortun-
ately, vandals can attack vulnerable pump handles of isolated
rail cars left unguarded. There is even a problem that rail-
way personnel who are not sufficiently trained or who are
careless might put such a breakage force on a pump handle
without realizing that they were operating in the wrong way.
SUMMARY OF TH~ INVENTION
This invention provides a laterally movable sliding
door for a railroad car for operation in upper and lower
20. guiding and supporting door tracks, and having two upper
and two lower horizontally extending crank arms, defining
a left pair of crank arms and a right pair of crank arms,
the left crank arms being disposed on and controlled by a
left crank arm shaft, the right crank arms being disposed
on and controlled by a right crank arm shaft, track following
means on the upper crank arms, and track following and door
supporting means mounted on the lower crank arms, horizontally
moving right and left latches moving inwardly for opening
- and outwardly for closing, a program plate slidably mounted
30. on the door for vertical movements both upwardly and downwardly,
9 ~1 3
track and trackway ~eans which are preferably slot and pin
means cooperatively correlating the program plate with
latch controlling means and with crank arm shaft control-
ling means for causing a sequencing in which said latches
first open and then thereafter the shafts rotate for open-
ing the door as the program plate is moved in one direction,
the slots having walls shaped for causing the pins to be
moved for making possible the described operative correla-
tion, which latter also causes the program plate as it is
10. moved in an opposite direction to first close the door and
then latch the latches, the program plate being powered by
a hydraulic cylinder in each direction controlled by a hydrau-
lic system of which it is a part, and which latter has a
manually controllable valve for determining the direction of
motion of the hydraulic cylinder and program plate, the hydrau-
lic system having a hydraulic power supply preferably compris-
ing a pump connected to the controllable valve and cylinder
for powering the cylinder.
Another objective is to provide the concept of a pro-
20. gram plate mounted on a door and operating generally as des-
cribed, with the motion of the program plate being in any dir-
ection, but with the walls of the slots so shaped and dis-
posed as to result in the sequences of latching, unlatching
and door opening and door closing as described.
A major objective of this invention is to provide the
concept of a door-holding valve which is a pilot-operated
check valve arranged in a hydraulic circuit in such a way
that the door is held closed automatically, once pumping for
door closing and latching has stopped. This automatic holding
30. is not to stop a thief because the door can be padlocked shut
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to take care of that. However, it is for the important pur-
pose of holding the door sealed and airtight just as it is
at the end of a closing and latching pumping operation.
The importance of the hydraulic holding for maintaining this
sealing can be understood because the latches themselves are
only safety latches and all real sealing pressure comes from
the hydraulic system of this invention and is maintained by
the normally closed pilot-operated check valve.
J Still another objective hereof is the provision of the
10. concept of a pump of the kind capable of pumping while the
piston moves in each of two opposite directions, and fur-
ther having two check valves in the piston itself and having
passages through larger and smaller sections of the piston
which are closed at proper times by the check valves, the
resulting pump being simpler, more economical, more maintain-
ance free, having fewer valves, and eliminating those exter-
ior check valves in pumps for such purposes in the prior art.
Another important object of this invention is to pro-
vide a door as described in which said hydraulic system has
20. a relief valve for causing excess pressure in its hydraulic
lines to result in the harmless delivery of hydraulic fluid
back to a reservoir so as to cushion the effect of a sudden
stoppage of motion of the door while it issliding.
Yet a further objective is to provide a pump operating
hand lever having a terminal end disposed farthest from the
pump and track means mounted on the door and slidably con-
nected to the terminal end of said lever for giving said
lever a slidable anchoring so that a vandal or an inexper-
ienced person cannot pull the lever outwardly directly away
30. from the door in a manner for breaking the lever or bending it,
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and yet for preserving the freedom of pumping motion in each
of two directions.
Another object is to provide a special pump for said
hydraulic system, which latter has a piston designed to de-
liver hydraulic fluid ~uring motion of its piston in each
of two opposite directions, so that during piston motion of
said pump, hydraulic fluid is constantIy delivered into the
remainder of the hydraulic system so as to be avaliable to
drive said cylinder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railroad car door
of this invention with portions of tracks being diagrammatical-
ly shown on which it is mounted, the railroad car itself hav-
ing only a portion adjacent a door latch shown. A ~ront pan-
el of the door being broken away to show the interior mechan-
ism, and other mechanism being shown in dotted lines. The
door is shown in a closed and latched position.
Figure 2 is a view showing a hinge connection be-
10. tween a portion of a shaft assembly and a shaft assemblyrotating bar, the view being taken from an angle such that
the hinge assembly is fully visible.
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the two crank arm car-
rying shank assemblies on the right and left, as they wo~d
be seen looking downwardly from just above the hinge of
Figure 2, as an example.
Figure 4 is a view showing the slotted inner end of
a crank arm shaft assembly controlling bar, specifically the
one seen in Figure 1 in the upper right hand corner. This
20. view is from the front and is a d~tail showing both the pin
which is fixed to the slotted assembly and also a pin which
is fixed to the framework of the door and which latter is one
of four pins which serve as a guide for guiding the upward
and downward movements of the program plate.
Figure 5 is a frontal elevation detail of the pro-
gram plate of Figure 1 with the program plate shown in a lower
position in which the door is unlatched and open, as contrast-
- ed to Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a sectional view, taken along the line
30. 6--6 of Figure 1, showing the connection between a pumping
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bar and its track assembly.
Figure 7 is a detail of the frontal elevation of a
portion of a door and associated parts adjacent one of the
latches and showing a latch lock assembly.
Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the hydrau-
lic system of this invention with the pump thereof shown in
cross section and parts of the piston broken away to show
the interior~
Figure 9 is a view of the door sealing valve, a
10. normally closed pilot-operated check valve shown with its
front half remDved and the remainder showing partially in
section and with parts in position for seating locking so as
to prevent flow therethrough.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A portion of a railroad car is shown at 10 in Fig-
ure 1, although the only part shown is a portion 12 of the door
jamb seen at the left in Figure 1.
The railroad car 10 has a door opening 16 in a side
wall thereof represented by the door jamb 12, and on that side
of the railroad car 10 is an upper g~iding and supporting track
20 and a lower guiding and supporting track 30, both of which
are horizontal and attached to the railroad car by means not
lO.shown in a conventional manner.
A door 40 is mounted in the door opening 16 and is
mounted on the tracks 20 and 30 by means later described, so as
to be adapted to slide longitudinally of the tracks 20 and 30 and
of the railroad car so as to cover and uncover the door opening 16.
The door 40 is also adapted to move laterally of it-
self into and out of the door opening 16 for plugging the door
opening and for unplugg-ing the door opening 16.
An actuation mechanism for moving the door laterally
of itself is generally indicated at 60 in Figure 1 and com-
20~prises upper right and left crank arms 62 and lower rightand left crank arms 64. The crank arms 62 extend generally
horizontally and the upper crank arms each have an upwardly
extending track engager 68 extending upwardly in~o a slot 72
in the underside of the upper track 20 for making sliding and
guiding engagement therewith in a manner permitting the crank
arms 62 to swing with respect to the upper track 20.
-- The lower crank arms 64 are provided on their outer
ends with pivot connections 78 which attach their outer ends
to roller supporting assemblies 80 respectively, which latter
30.support the door and, in turn, are supported by the lower
,
1 ~9 ~ ~3
track 30 and guided thereby for sliding movements therealong
in the direction of an arrow 90 for uncovering the door open-
ing 16 by allowing the door to move along the track 30 un-
til it has completely uncovered the door opening 16. The door
is then free to also be moved back opposite the door opening
16, all in the usual manner.
Right and left vertically extending crank arm shaft
assemblies 100 are provided and are rotatably connected to
the door 40 by journaling units 110 which receive the shaft
lO.assemblies 100.
The shaft assemblies 100, therefore, extend vertic-
ally and the upper and lower ends of the right crank assen-
bly 100 are attached to the right upper and lower crank arms
62 and 64 at the other ends thereof from the ends which are
guided by the tracks 20 and 30.
The left shaft assembly 100 is similarly attached at
its upper and lower ends to the other ends of respective crank
arms 62 and 64 which are opposite from the ends that are guid-
ed by the tracks 20 and 30 respectively, as above described.
20. The crank arms 62 and 64 turn inwardly toward the
center of the door at their outer ends when the door is seen
in fro,ntal elevation in Figure 1~, so that when the door is in
a position laterally spaced away from the railroad car and the
door is moving along its track toward the closing position,
then when a respective hanger or track following track engager
68 or roller supporting assembly 80 (the latter two elements
sometimes being called hangers) strike a stop on a track, the
effect of the stoppage of momentum is to cause the door to
move laterally inwardly on its crank arms directly into a
30 nested position in the door opening, this being cushioned by
397~3
a hydraulic cushioning relief valve assembly later described.
The actuation mechanism 60, seen in Figure 1, for
moving the door laterally of itself further has, as parts
thereof, right and left crank arm shaft assemblies, control
bar assemblies 200 extending at a right angle to and inwardly
toward the center of the door from respective right and left
crank arm shaft assemblies 100.
Those outer ends of the control bar assemblies 200
which are adjacent respective crank arm assemblies 100 are
lO.hinged thereto by right and left hinge assemblies 210, one of
which is seen in Figure 2, also seen in Figure 3. The hinge
assemblies 210 make possible hinging about a vertical axis 212
which is offset horizontally to one side of the vertical axis
214 of the respective rotating crank àrm assemblies 100.
As best seen in Figure 3, the control bar assemblies
200 are elongated and their end portions closest to the hinge
210, respectively, incline forwardly from the remainder there-
of, which latter is substantially parallel to the ~racks 20
and 30 and to the door 40. Such inclined portions are shown
20.at 224 and the parallel portions are shown at 232 in Figure 3.
Referring now to Figure 4, a slot 240 extends hori-
zontally in the inner end of each of the control bar assem-
blies 200, the right-hand one being shown in Figure 4, the
slot 240 being for receiving a guide pin 242 of a track assem-
bly 244, which latter is composed of four guide pins 242 of
which the pins 242 are secured to mounting brackets 246, which
latter are suitably secured to the door 40, as best seen in
Figure 1. There are two upper pins 242 horizonyally spaGed
apart, and two lower pins 242, the two upper pins being for
30.receiving the respective slot 240 of the inner end of respec-
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lq~9713
tive control bar assemblies 200. The lower pins 242 are for
receiving respective right and left latch control bars 260,
which latter have slots 262 receiving the pins 242, as seen
in Figure 1.
The latch control bars 260 extend inwardly of the
pins 242 along the door and also extend outwardly to the
right and left edges of the door respectively where they are
attached to latches 250 at the right and left sides of the
door, which latter engage in latch notches 252 in the door
lO.jamb 12 on each side of the door.
As best seen in Figure 5, the pins 242 are received
also in four vertical slots 270 respectively, two of which
are above the other two, two of which being right-hand slots
and two being left-hand slots, the slots 270 being disposed
in a program plate 280, which latter is a vertically disposed
flat steel plate arranged parallel to the door 40, the walls
of the vertical slots 270 serving to engage the pins 242 so
as to guide the program plate 280 during movements upward or
downward, as later described.
20. The bars 200 and 260 are disposed between the program
plate 280 and the frame 290 of the door 40, the frame 290
being distinguished from a front cover 292 of the door seen
in Figure 1.
The program plate 280 further has two upper control
bar assembly activator slots 300 disposed one on the right
and one on the left of a center line 304' which extends through
the center of the program plate 280 equidistantly from the
right activator slot 300 and the left activator slot 300.
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971;~
~ ach activator slot 300 is provided with a vertical
lower portion 304 having right and left side walls which
are parallel to each other and vertically disposed.
Each activator slot 300 has an upper portion 306
and 308 respectively, which latter, in the case of the
right activator slot 300, extend upwardly and continuously
from the walls of the lower vertical slot portion 304,
respectively, up~ardly and gradually curving outwardly away
from the center line 304' and toward the right side of
10. the door. The left activator slot 300 has its upper curved
portion connecting with the walls of its vertical portion
304, respectively, and gradually curving outwardly and
to the left therefrom as the slot 308 extends upwardly.
As thus described, when the program plate 280
moves from the position shown in Figure 1 downwardly in
the direction of an arrow 333 of Figure 1, this will have
the effect of causing the pins 330 and 332 to be moved
outwardly for causing the door ~o open ~rom its closed
position in Figure 1, since the pins 330 and 332 are horizon-
20. tal and cylindrical and attached on their forward sides tothe inner ends of the control bar assemblies respectively.
Conversely, when the pins 330 are in the upper ends
of the slots 304, as best seen in Figure 5, they are in the
position in which the door is open, and a movement of the
program plate 280 upwardly will then cause the pins 330
and 332 to be pulled inwardly from the sides of the door
respectively and inwardly toward the center of the door,
as seen in Figure 5, this having the effect of pulling in-
wardly on the control bar assemblies 200 which has the effect
30. of causing the shaft assemblies 100 to rotate in directions
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for swinging the crank arms 62 and 64 in directions for clos-
ing the door. Arrows shown alongside the control bar assem-
blies 200 in Figure 1 correspond to motions thereof that
occur when the program plate 280 moves downwardly.
Downward movement of the program plate 280 in the
direction of the arrow 333 of Fig. 1 will first cause the
latch control bar mounted track follower pins 350 and 352 of
Figs. 1 and 5 which are on the right and left latch control
bars 260, respectively to be moved inward as the program plate
lOo 280 moves downward. Door opening steps are next:--
This inward movement of the latch control bar~ 260in the direction of the arrows 35~ of Fig. 1 will cause the
latch bars 26Q to unlatch the latches 250 at their ends from
the notches 252 of the door jamb 12.
Arrows 340 by the control bar assemblies 200 and in-
dicating outward movement of the control bar assemblies 200
are seen in Figs. 1 and 2 and correspond to downward move-
ment of the program plate 280 in the direction of the arrow
333 of Fig. 1, such outward movement of the control bar as-
20. semblies 200 causing a rotation of the shaft assemblies ~00in the direction of the arrows 342 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3,
which causes the crank arms 62 and 64 to swing to that their
outer ends move away from the viewer as the viewer looks at
Fig. 1 which causes the door to open by moving outward from
its opening 16.
The inner movement of the latch control bars 260 is
made possible by the curvature of right and left latch con-
trol track slots 270 and 272, which latter have lower ends
with parallel walls 362 and 364, respectively, for the slots
30. 270 and 272, respectively, which curve inwardly toward the
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97~3
axis 304' as the slot walls 362 and 364 extend upwardly from
the lowermost end 368 of the slots 270 and 272. The curved
parallel`walls 362 and 364 of the right and left slots 270
and 272 join continuously respective upper and straight slot
walls 368 and 369, respectively, which latter are further
defined as vertically extending straight walls 368 on the
right and left side of the upper portion of the right latch
b~r activation slot 270 and the right and left walls 369
which are vertical and which are on the uppermost portion of
10. the le~t latch bar actuation slot 272, all as best seen in
Figure 5.
The program plate 280 is moved upwardly and downwardly
by a hydraulic cylinder assembly, generally indicated at 400,
and having a piston 402 extending upwardly out of.a cylinder
404. The piston 402 being connected by a clevis assembly
406, see in Figure 5, to the program plate 280 at its under
side along the center line 304'.
The cylinder 404 can be seen in Figure 1 to be mounted
on a base assembly 408, which latter is suitably connected to
20. the door frame 290 by welding or other means, whereby the
hydraulic cylinder assembly 400 has one of its ends connected
to the door, namely, its bo~tom end.
Referring to Figure 5, in a b~oadest sense, right and
left door opening and closing track-and-track-follower as-
semblies are generally indicated at 430 and 432, and each in-
clude a track formed by the right and left walls of the re-
spective shaft actuation slots 300 serving as tracks, and
the pins 330 and 332 on the control bar assemblies 200, the
pins 330 and 332 serving as track followers, each track and
30. and its track follower pins 330 or 332 forming first and
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9713
and second interacting elements of the respective track-and-
track-follower assemblies 430 and 432. It can be seen that
one of these elements, namely, a respective pin 330 or 332
is attached to a respective one of the shaft control bar
assemblies 200.
' A cylinder connection assembly 450 connects one of the
said elements, namely, the program plate with its slots 300
and respective track-walls, to the cylinder assembly 400.
Therefore, as'described, the cylinder connection assembly 450
`10. comprises the clevis assembly 406 and in another sense com-
prises any parts of the program plate 280 which connect the
clevis assembly 406 with those parts of the program plate 280
which are forming parts of the walls of the slots 330 and 332.
In a broad sense the same relationship applies to the
control of the latch control bars ~60 in which the latch con-
trol actuation pins 350 and 352 form one e~ement of latch con-
trol track-and-track-follower assemblies, generally indicated
at 500 and 509, in which the pins 350 and 352 form one element,
respectively, namely, the track following element and the slots
20. 270 and 272 provide walls which provide the track element
which the track follower elements, namely, the pins 350 and
352, follow.
The hydraulic cylinder assembly 400 of Figure 1 can also
be seen in Figure 8 where a hydraulic assembly 600 is shown
which actuates the cylinder assembly 400.
The hydraulic assembly 600 comprises a pump 650 having
an outer housing 652 which is diagrammatically shown in Fig-
ure 1 as being secured to the door frame 290 by the base as-
sembly 408, the housing 652 having a chylindrical main cham-
30. ber 654~in'which''a larger portion 656 of a piston, generally
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1~?897~3
indicated at 700, reciprocates, the piston 700 also having
forward and rearward smaller portions 706 and 708, which lat-
ter extend forwardly and rearwardly from the larger portion
656 of the piston. The housing 652 has an inlet port 712
into the forward end of its main chamber 654 and an outlet
720 extending outwardly of the forward end of a cylindrical
forward projecting portion 730 of the housing 652 in which
latter the cylindrical forwardly projecting portion 706 of
the piston 700 reciprocates with pressure held in by an 0-ring
10. 726. The large, large portion of the piston 700 is shown
at 656 to be sealed with an 0-ring 730 on the inner side of
the main chamber 654.
Fluid enters portions of the main chamber 654 which
are behind the larger portion 656 of the piston through a
passage 742 sealed with a check valve 746 so that flow through
the passage 742 is only in a rearward direction and not for-
wardly.
Fluid from the rearward side of the large portion 656
of the piston flows forwardly through the piston through a
20. passage 745 having an exit 748 on the rear side of the large
portion 656 of the piston.
The forward end of the passage 745 leads to a forward
check valve 748 permitting fluid to pass out through the for-
ward end of the piston through the forward end of the passage-
way 745, but the check valve 748 does not permit fluid to enter
the main portion of a passage 745.
The purnp 650 will deliver fluid in front of the piston
portion 706 when its piston is moving in the forward direction
because the valve 748 will be closed preventing flow through
30. the passage 745.
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The pump 650 will also pump when its piston is moving in the
rearward direction because at that time the check valve
746 will be held closed and the only way for fluid to escape
from the rearward side of the larger piston portion 656 will
be through the passageway 745 which will be open because the
check valve 748 would be open allowing fluid to pass out
through the outlet 720 .
In Figure 8 a hydraulic cylinder extension and retrac-
tion control assembly is generally indicated at 800 and in-
10. cludes the pump 650, a fluid reservoir 804, a manually con-
trollable reversing valve 808, and preferably also includes
a pressure relief valve 890 for cushioning shock and a door
sealing pressure holding pilot operated check valve 812.
In Figure 8 flow proceeds out of the pump into the line
830 to initiate the closing of a door, as the pump 650 is
hand-operated as later described. For door closing the re-
versing valve 808 has its handle 831 set in a position to ad-
just it so that flow out from the valve 808 is along the line
832 in which there is a check valve 833 permitting flow only
20. in the direction of the dotted arrow up to a line 834 lead-
ing t~ a lower part 836 of the hydraulic cylinder 404 where-
by the hydraulic cylinder is caused to expand so that the
plate 280 of Figures 1 and 5 can move upward from its lower
position shown in Figure 5 toward its upper position shown
in Figure 1.
As the plate 280 moves upward, first the shaft control
bar assemblies 200 will move inward as the pins 330 and 332
are forced upon by the curved lower side of the curved upper
portions 306 and 308 of the respective slots 300 as seen in
30. Figure 5.
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~ '71 3
This inward movement of the shaft control bar assem-
blies 200 will cause the shaft assemblies 100 to rotate in a
direction opposite to the arrows 342 in Figure 3 for caus-
ing the door to close.
After the door has reached a closed position then the
latching actuation slots 270 and 272 will be disposed so
that the pins 350 and 352 of Figure 5 will at that time be
disposed at the lower end of the straight upper portions of
- 368 and 369 of the respective slots 270 and 272 whereby the
10. pins 350 and 352 are about to enter the lower curved por-
tions 362 and 364 of the latching actuation slots 270 and 272.
The last portion of the upward movement of the plate
280, as best seen in Figure 5, will cause the lower side
edges of the curved lower portions 362 and 364 to force
against the pins 350 and 352 respectively causing the latch
bars 260 to move outward so as to latch.
~ uring this expa~sion of the cylinder 404, (Figure 8)
the outflow of ~uid is from an upper port 852 of the cylinder
404 and dumps through a line 838 leading to the valve 808
20. which at that time is in a position not only for delivering
fluid through the lines 830 and 832 as above described but
also for delivering fluid from the line 838 so as to dump in-
to the line 842 for travel back into a port 843 entering the
reservoir 804. Simultaneously, fluid from the reservoir 804
flows out through a line 846 into the pump inlet port 712.
In Figure 8 while fluid is being dumped through the line
838 the amount of pressure from the line 838 into the trig-
gering line 876 for the valve 812 is very weak since 838 is
only a fluid dumping line with free flow back to the reser-
30. voir. For that reason, the valve 812 is not caused to open.
1~89~713
And so, ,the valve 812 is not open during door closing andlatching operation.
In Figure 8, the flow corresponding to the opening to
the door is now explained. First of all, the lever 831
controlling the valve 808 is then set in a different posi-
tion resulting in outflow from the valve 808 to be not at
all in the direction of the line 832 but only along the line
838 in the direction of the solid arrows up to the upper
port 852 of the cy~inder 404 causing cylinder contraction.
10. During this cylinder contraction the plate 280 will be ~~
caused to move from the "door closed" position of Figure 1
downwardly in the direction of arrow 333 of Figure 1 for
causing first an unlatching movement of the latch bars 260
inwardly in the direction of the arrows 356 of Figure 1.
After the latch bars 260 have moved inwardly for complete
unlatching, the pins 350 and 352 of the latch bars 260 will
have reached positions at the ends of the curved lower por-
tions of the latchi~g accuation slots 270 and 272 whereby
the pins 350 and 352 then are in the straight upper portions
20. of the slots 270 and 272 Figure 5 whereby upon further down- -
ward movement ~f the plate, as seen in Figure 1, no further
of the motion of the latch bars 260 occurs and the pins 330
~nd 332 for controlling the shaft Gontrol bar assemblies 200
will ha~e passed through their initial phase of being in the
straight lower portions 304 of the slots 300 and will enter
the curved upper portions 306 and 308 in which case they will
`~ be forced upon by the upper side walls of the curved portions
306 and 308 of ~he slot 300 for forcing the control bar as-
semblies 200 outward in the direction of arrows 340 of Fig-
3~,. ~re 3 for causing rotation of the shaft assemblies 100 in a
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counter-clockwise direction of Figure 3 which causes the
crank arms 62 and 64 to swing in directions for forcing the
door open.
In Figure 8 while the cylinder 404 is contracting
for first unlatching and then door opening, oil is being
dumped out through the lower port 836 into l;ne 834 and
travels through the pilot operated check valve 812, which
is at that timè open, and into a line 872 to the line 842
for dumping back into the reservoir 804 at ;ts port 843.
10. The reason this is possible is best understood in
Figure 9 where the pilot operated check valve 812 is shown.
In Figure 9 flow into the valve 812 comes through the line
870 into an inlet passage 871 through a check valve 875 to
an outlet passage 873 connected to the line 872 of Figure 8.
The check valve 875 is disposed in a central cavity
882 having a valve seat 878 in its upper end which the valve
875 seats against for closing flow through the cavity 882
between the passage 871 for entry and the outlet passage 873.
The valve 875 is normally maintained seated by a
20. spring 884 so the valve is a normally closed valve and a
plunger 888, attached to the lower side of the ball valve
875, works like a piston in the lower portion of the cavity
882 which latter is in communication with the triggering
line 876 of Figure 8, as seen in Figure 9, also. When the
line 876 is pressurized then the valve 875 unseats permitting
flow through the pilot operated check valve 812 from the line
870 to the line 872.
Referring to Figure 8, it will be seen that the trig-
gering line 876 will be pressurized during the pumping that
30. is done while the manually controlled valve 808 is in the un-
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~9 ~ 13
latching and door opening position so that the pilot oper-
ated control valve 876 would then be open, otherwise it
is closed.
The purpose of the pressure operated control valve
876 is for causing the door 40 to remain sealed after
it has been closed and latched. This sealing is important
because the latches 250 themselves are for safety purposes
and might be of a fit that is too loose to maintain good
sealing. It can be seen that after the door has been closed
10. and then latched, a ceasing of pumping will cause the trig-
ger line 876 to be without pressure whereby the pressure
operated control valve 812 will close automatically thereby
preventing any flow out from the cylinder 404 to the line
842. For that reason the door will remain sealed until
further pumping motion for opening it is initiated in the
manner above described involving placing the manual valve
808 in door opening position.
Manual power for the pump 650 is provided, as seen
in Figure 1, by a lever 900 which is adapted to swing in a
20. vertical plane parallel to the door 40 so that its lower
terminal end, which can be called its outer end, swings in
an arc. The lower end of the lever 900 can be seen in Figure
6 to have a track follower 908 on it, which is adapted to
lock about an arcuate track 904 fixed to the door 40 in a
manner such that the lever can be moved along the track 904
but cannot be pulled outwardly away from the track. This is
important because the lever 900 is so very long that a very
little effort by a vandal, or mistake by an employee, could
cause the lever to be pulled outwardly at its bottom, where-
30. by destruction would occur.
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". 108g7~3
The track 904 is disposed in an arc about a horizontal
pivot axis 912 of Figure 1, which is the axis about which
the lever 900 pivots.
Referring now to Fig. 7 a latch-lock assembly, general
ly indicated at 1040, is there shown, and it comprises a boss
1042 protruding forwardly from and connected to one of the
latches 250, The left latch 250 is shown in Fig~ 7. The
latch-lock assembly 1040 has a catch 1048, having a notch
1049 therein disposed in a position to receive the boss 1042
10. at times when the latch 250 moves to the right from the latch-
ing position, as shown, to a completely unlatching position,
notshown. When the latch is in the latching position an oper-
ator can move the catch 1048 upwardly until its top is in the
dotted line position of Fig. 7, in which latter position a
forwardly extending flange 1052 on the catch 1048, will be
disposed with an opening 1054 therethrough opposite an open-
ing 1058 in a forwardly to rearwardly extending flange 1059
of a holder, generally indicated at 1060, which latter is
suitably fastened to the door 40 on its forward side so that
20. if the shackle of a car seal or a padlock, not shown, is insert-
ed through the openings 1054 and 1058, the latch 250 cannot be
opened and the door will be securely locked because the notch
1049 will not then be opposite the boss 1042 and the cat~hlO48
will prevent the boss 1042 from moving to the right in Fig. 7.
Another way of locking the door from unauthorized use
is seen in Fig. 1, in which a swinging lock arm 1200 is attach-
ed to an upper end of the track 904 by a horizontal pivot bolt
1202, whereby the lock arm 1200 can swing downwardly into a
position for disposing a lock-shacklel opening 1204 in
30. its terminal end opposite a cooperating lock-shackle
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lt~l~9713
opening 1206 mounted on a padlock support 1208 fixed to the
handle 900 of the pump; support 1208 can receive a carseal.
As thus described a padlock can be applied with its
'; shackle extending through the openings 1204 and 1206 to
securely fix the lever 900 to the door so that it cannot be
operated by unauthorized persons not having a key to a pad-
lock used on the lock support 1208.
Referring to Figure 5, some means is needed to keep
the.program plate 2'80 in place on its guide pins 242. One
. lO;,`:~way is to put a washer on a guide pin 242, as shown at 1230" ' ' in the lower right corner of Figure 5. The washer 1230 is
on the forward side of the plate 280 and is of a larger size
than the a,~jacent slot 270 and is kept in place by a suitable
means such as a stronger cotter pin 1232 extending through
~;1. . the pin 242 oni~the forward side of the washer 1230. Such
~' 3.
a washer can'be used on each of the pins 242, but only one
~ ;s shown for coovenience of illustration, in Figure 5, and
: . 1,;' none is shown in Figure 1.,
.. In Figure 1, a lever 900 is to be operated by swinging
20. it back:and forth in re~iiprocation since it is connected to
theipu,,np .650.of Figure 8 in such a manner that re~iprocation
of'the lever:900'will cause the piston 700 of the pump to
e,ciprocate. .Leiver 900 is pi~i~lly mounted for swinging
;. in a''vertical plane parallel to the door 40 so as to pivot
ak~out a suitable axis such as at 912 in Figure 1. ''~
~ j ."i'''.. ~... The iower end of the lever 900 extends across an ar-
J~ ~ 'cuate trae;k; seen in cross section in Figure 6 where the
; ' view is taken along a line 6--6 of Figure 1, the track being
shown at 904 and having a lower edge 903 which is in the arc
30. of a circle about the pivot axis 912 of the lever 900. The
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1~?1~9713
lower edge 903 is convex and the track 904 is secured to
the door 40 by suitable means such as a support flange 905
welded to the door 40 at 906, as seen in Fig. 6.
The lever 900 has a~track follower attached to its
rearward side and extending under the lo~er edge 903 of
the track, as regards a portion 912 thereof, which is fixed
to the lever 900, and further has a roller 908 mounted on
a roller axle 910 which latter is preferably extending
parallel to a diameter of the circle on which the track 904
~0. lies. As thus described the lever 900 cannot be pulled out
away from the door to an extent that would cause the lever
to be broken away or to be bent or to be ripped from its
connections because the roller 908 engaging the forward side
of the track 904 will prevent the lever from moving outwardly
from the door to excessive extent.
This construction is important because if the lever
can be pulled away from the door ~hen very little effort by
a vandal or mistake by an employee could cause damage.
In Fig. 8 a pressure relief valve is shown at 890
20. and is disposed between the line 842 leading back to the
reservoir 804 and any one of the lines that are connected
to the hydraulic cylinder outlet 852~which is the outlet
fluid would flow out from during an extension of the
cylinder 404. For example, the relief valve 890 is dis-
posed in a line 892 disposed between the line 838 and 842.
The pressure release assembly or relief valve, or
spring loaded check valve 890 is connected to the hydraulic
assembly 800 in a manner such that whenever fluid in the
line838 flowing out of the cylinder 404 is at a pressure
30. beyond a desired amount, then such fluid pressure will over-
- 27 -
1 ~9 7 1 3
come the spring of the spring loaded relief valve 890 ~ can
cushion a sudden stoppage of movement of the door by providing
a gradual resistance to the rotation of the crank arms.
The crank arms are each mounted ~or extending to-
ward a vertical center line of the door when the door is
closed whereby the relief valve 890 can cushion such sudden
stoppage of movements of the door along the tracks 20 and
30 as would cause expansion of the hydraulic cylinder assembly
400.
lO. In general the relief valve 890 can be called a pres-
sure release assembly because other mechanisms can be used
other than a relief valve for accomplishing the purpose.
For example, a simple orifice, not shown, could also serve
the purpose.
This cushioning is because the relief valve 890 causes
a gradual resistance to the rotation of the crank arms 62
and 64 Figure 1. The crank arms 62 and 64 are positioned
so that they extend inwardly parallel to the door 40 and to
the tracks 20 and 30 and toward a vertical center line of the
20. door 40 at times when the door is closed so that the pressure
relief valve 890 can have the effect describedO
Having the crank arms 62 and 64 all turn inwardly,
as just described, at times when the door is closed, cooper-
ates with the pressure relief valve 890 because any interrup-
tion of lateral motion of the left crank arms 62 and 64
lengthwise of the tracks 20 and 30 as the door moves length-
wise of the tracks 20 and 30, t~ward the left, will tend to
cause the door itself to attempt to move inwardly toward the
door opening which would cause the crank arms 62 and 64 to
30. apply a ~orce for rotating the shaft assemblies 100 in dir-
- 28 -
1~39713
ections opposite to arrows 342 of Fig. 3 whereby the control
arm assemblies 200 would move inwardly, as seen in Fig. 5,
forcing the plate 280 to move upwardly causing extension of
the hydraulic cylinder assembly 400 and fluid flow out
through the hydraulic cylinder upper port 852 which then is
resisted by fluid pressure gradually relieved by the relief
valve 890 for cushioning against the undesirable effects of
undesired sudden stoppage of the movement of the crank arms
62 and 64 toward the left preparatory to door closing.
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