Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a cart mounted apparatus
for opening hopper cars.
Hopper cars form part of freight trains and carry
bulk loads such as coal, grain or potash. Trains fre~uently
consist of a large number of such hopper cars all carrying the
same product. Such hoppex cars are conventionally dumped by a
rotatable control rod actuated by the ;nsertion and rotation of
a pxobe in a socket located in the side of a hopper car. It is
very much more convenient ln dumping such cars to be able to do this
without stopping the train, bu-t rather while allowing the -train
to travel at a relatively slow speed over the dumping site.
To insert the probe and perform the dumping with
the -train in motion requires the apparatus with which this invention
is concerned~ The apparatus must take into account the fact that
the probe sockets vary in height between different cars and that
some sockets are located very close to the ground, the range of
probe heights being commonly from 7 to 19 inches above the rails.
The invention provides a cart movable on rails
parallel and beside the regular rails for the freight over a
stretch of the regular railway track including that extent where
the dumping is to take place. The cart carries an operator and a
boom pivotted on the cart about an axis transverse with respect
to the track. Moun-ted on the boom adjacent its free end is a
probe with means for advancing and retracting in the direction of
the hopper car (whereby the probe may be inserted in the socket o:E
the freight car) while the cart travels alongside, whereby means
are provided for rotating the probe to perform the dumping action.
Means are provided to control the heigh-t of the boom.
Thus the operator of the cart will control the boom
height and cart speed until -the probe is aligned with -the con-trol
socket in the moving hopper car and will then insert and rotate
the probe into and in the socket to dump the car.
One of the principal problems with a cart thus designed
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is the\very low position of the probe socket providing severe
limitations upon the height of the apparatus on the cart for
positioning the probe.
In order to achieve such low pxobe heiyht, the
invention provides a cart having a chassis extending between
forward and rearward sets of wheels. A boom is pivc~tally mounted
adjacent one end of the chassis to pivot about an axis transverse
with respect to the cart and the boom generally extends longitudin-
ally along the cart over its permissible range of movement. The
probe mounting mechanism is located adjacent the free end of the
boom. Means are provided for raising and lowering the boom over a
predetermined arc of movement which is designed to provide the
range of height desired for the boom. Over the arc of movement
the boom extends in a more horizontal than vertical direction and
it will thus be appreciated that the use of a pivoted boom
extending along the cart assists in maintaining the probe apparatus
at a low height.
In a preferred aspect of the invention the low height
for the probe may be achieved by providing that the chassis is
raised at the two ends with the wheel mountings but depressed
between the ends to provide a low frame on which the free end of
the boom may rest providing a relatively low probe height since
the probe is mounted near the outer end of the boom.
In a preferred aspect of the invention so far
discussed the stresses e~erted through the probe on the boom are
resisted by a reaction surface which extends upwardly from the
platform over the arc of movement of boom to limit movement of the
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boom toward and away from the location of the cars.rhe reaction surface is
preferably a pathway for rollers mounted on the boom. These
stresses exerted through the probe on the boom are caused by such
matters as momentary tendencies of the hopper car to speed up or
slow down the cart through the probe and forces between the probe
and the railway car on insertion, withdrawal or operation of the
probe.
In a preferred aspect of the invention the boom is
pivotally mounted on one raised end of the cart and is curved to
be convex upward, which has the effect of further lowering the
probe since the outer end of the boom lies closer to the lowered
frame in the lowest attitude of the boom.
In a preferred aspect of the invention the height
control for the boom comprises a hydraulic cylinder and rod with
one of the cylinder or rod attached to the chassis at a first
transverse pivot axis near the lowered frame height at the same
end of the cart as the boom pivot. The other of the cylinder or
rod is connected to the boom at a second transverse pivot point so
that the boom between pivot points, the chassis between pivot points
and the cylinder and rod form three sides of a triangle with the
cylinder and rod nearly horizontal in the lower orientation of the
boom (but sloping slightly upward toward the boom) and extension
of the cylinder and rod causing raising of the boom. The nearly
horizontal orientation of the cylinder in the lower position of the
boom (corresponding to the lower position of the probe) is of
importance since with the low probe height required, this is felt
the best way of arranging the hydraulic cylinder since there is not
space to have its axis vertically disposed.
other ieatures and advantages of the invention are
defined and described in the description of the preferred embodiment
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which follows.
In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment
of the invention :
Figure l is a perspective view of the inventive cart
beside a hopper car,
Figure 2 is a side view of a cart in accord with the
invention from the opposite side to that from which the probe
projects,
Figure 3isa plan view of the cart,
Figure 4 shows the probe actuating mechanism,
Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the probe mounting,
Figure 6 is a partially schematic view showing the
application of the probe to the railway car,
Figures 7 and 8 show the operation of the probe
platform,
Figure 9 is a purely schematic view to demonstrate the
main operating features.
In the clescription of the specific embodiment Figure 9
may be used for schematic background. Figure 9 does not accurately
portray the structural members but does demonstrate the scheme of
operation.
In the drawings, Figure l shows a typical hopper
car 11 on conventional railway tracks for conventional rolling
stock. Hopper car ll has a socket 71 for each bay, the socket to
be rotated by a tool to dump the bay of the car. Paralleling these
and usually about 45" therefrom is a pair of rails 12 and 14 on
which the cart in accord with the invention is locatedO The pair
of rails 12 and 1~ must parallel the usual tracks over an e~tent
which includes the desired dumping location for the hopper cars and
will extend on each side thereof to allow the cart to increase speed
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before and lose speed after performing the dumping operation.
The car comprises a chassis 10 extending between a
forward pair of wheels 16 and a rearward pair of wheels 18 which
ride on the rails 12 and 14. (Although the terms 'forward' and
'rearward' are applied to the cart, it will perform its function
going either direction). The rails 12 and 14 are preferably
regular railway rails. Although wheels 16 and 18 might be
regular railway wheels it is preferred to use wheels having double
flanges as shown. Such wheels give better resistance to the
uneven stresses exerted by the regular car on the cart during the
dumping operation.
The chassis 10 comprises raised end portions below
which the wheel pairs are mounted and a lowered central portion
designed to be located between the rails. In the preferred
embodiment this desired form is embodied by spaced channels 26 and
26 extend the length of the chassis and are joined by channels
25, 34 and 27. The spacing and location of the channels 26 and
26 is such that they are within rails 12 and 14. The channels 26
and 26 are, as shown in Figure 2 provided with raised and extents
28 and 30 at opposed ends of the frame on which the wheels 16 and
18 are mounted on wheel mounts 32 and 37 extending downwardly from
extents 28 and 30 respectively. The spaced channels 26 slope
downwardly from each extent 28 and 30 to provide sloping ex-tents
29 and 31 integral with opposed lowered central framework extents
44 between the sloping portions. It wi]l be noted that the lowered
central framework extents can assume a height lower than the top
of the rails 12 and 14. This allows the low travel of the probe
as hereinafter described. It will be noted that -the chassis rnay
have a number, not shown, of additional cross pieces to improve -the
rigidity.
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Mounted at the upper ends of opposed sloping extents
31 are the pivotal mountings 32 for the boom 35 formed by twin
members 37. As shown the boom 35 is formed by spaced arms 37 each
pivotally mounted at a mounting 32 on a sloping extent 31. The
twin arms 37 are connected to form a unitary boom by the attached
platform 36. The boom extends from the mounts 32 toward the
other end of the cart where the platform 36 is dimensioned to rest
on the spaced central extents 44. As shown the members 37, (and
hence the boom) are (is) shaped to be concave upward so that the
free end of boom is now more nearly parallel to central extents
44 if the boom were straight between its pivoted and its
free end.
The platform 36 mounts on its side, remote from
pivots 32, the roller 47 mounted to rotate about an axis
perpendicular to and preferably intersecting the axis 33 of
pivots 32. At the end of the chassis remote from pivots 32, raised
channel extents 28 support a platform 48. Mounted on the rearward
edge of platform 48 are a pair of spaced plates 50 whose planes
are vertical and parallel to the fore and aft axis of the cart.
Such plates, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3 are shaped and spaced
to provide support for the roller 47 over its permissable arc of
movement with the boom. Plates 50 thus provide support for the
free end of the boom 35 against stresses tending to deflect it in
either direction transverse to the cart.
The use of support means in the form of plates 50 for
the outer end of the boom is important. The support plate 50 on
the side of the boom remote from the rail car is particularly
important since, as hereinafter described, the probe is used
pressing on the rail car and the reaction pressure tends to de~lect
the boom. ~ther stresses transmitted through the probe to the arm
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are due to the resistance of the probe to withdrawal from the
rail car (tending to draw the boom to~ard the rail car) and
stresses in both directions on the probe due to the tendency
toward differing velocities of the rail car and cart (linked
through the probe in the control socket), the resistance to these
changes in velocity being transmitted through the probe. Thus
the support surfaces 50 on both sides of the boom are important.
The attitude of the boom 37, is controlled by an hydraulic
cylinder - rod combination. The hydraulic cylinder 100 is pivotally
connected to bracket 104 at the centre on a cross beam 34 extending
between channels sections 31 at the rearward ~nd of lowered
central extents 44. The rod 106 of cylinder 100 is pivotally
connected to bracket 105 on the rearward side of platform 36. The
pivotal axes connecting the cylinder and rod are ransverse to
the longitudinal axis of the cart. It will be seen, from observing
the solid and dotted line positions of the cylinder 100, rod 106
and platform 36 in Figure 2, that the bracket 104, bracket 105 are
geometrically arranged so that the cylinder - rod 100-106 form,
with the extent from bracket 10~ to axis 33, and with the extent
from bracket 105 to axis 33 a triangle wherein expansion and
contraction of the side composed cylinder - rod 100-106 acts to
raise and lower respectively the booms 37 and platform 36. The
upwardly sloping attitude of the cylinder - rod 100-106 in the
lowest (solid line Figure 2) position of the boom provides a suit-
able orientation for the control forces required to control the
attitude of the boom in the lower portion of its permissible arc
of movement The force directions of -the cylinder - rod axis are
of course more efficiently directed over the upper portion of the
permissible arc of the boom. A vertical axis for the cylinder -
rod combination would of course be more efficient use of the cylinder-
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piston combination. However such vertical orientation is not
available since there is not room for a vertically disposed piston
and rod between the chassis members 4~, 44 and the booms 37 in
its lowest position.
Mounted on the upper side of platform 36 two pairs
guides 56, preferably linear ball bearings arranged in pairs on
forward and rearward edges of platform 36 and oriented to provide
spaced transverse guide ways for the two rails 60 of sliding probe
platform 58 allowing linear extension and retraction movement of Platform 58 relative
to platform 36transversely relative to the longitudinal extent of the
boom 35 and of the cart. Thus there are two pairs of guides 56
each pair supporting a transversely extending rail 60 at spaced
locations.
The movement of platform 58 is controlled by hydraulic
cylinder 62 and rod 64 having an axis transverse relative to the
boom 35, the cylinder 62 being attached to a bracket 66 extending
upwardly from platform 36 and the rod 64 being attached to probe
platform 58 at bracket 68. Hydraulic pressure supplied in one and
the other sense to cylinder 62 e~tends and retracts the rod 64
to direct the probe platform 58 toward and away from the rail car
(see particularly Figures 7 and 8). Such travel, in line with the
preferred dimensions already given should be 36" and the rails 60
are designed of a length to allow this movement in the guides.
Mounted on the probe platform 58 to project toward the
rail car is the probe 70 on a probe mounting assembly. To achieve
the lowest height possible for such a probe, the guide mounts 56
for rails 60 are spaced on the boom pla-tform 36 to receive there-
between probe 70 and its assembly. Thus the probe 70 and the probe
mounting assembly are mounted below the pla-tform 68 and between
the rearward guides 56 and the piston 62 to obtain a very low height
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for the probe.
The probe assembly comprises downwardly extending
mounting plates 74 on which probe drive shaft 76 is rotatably
mounted. On the side of platform 58 remote from the probe a
hydraulic motor 78 is mounted with its shaft 80 coupled to
rotatably drive shaft 76. The probe 70 is mounted on other end
of shaft 76 for rotation therewith. The probe may terminate in
a stepped sequence of decreasing sections all of the required
square cross section to couple to the square socket recess, in a
four sided pyramid as shown.
The probe mounting is preferably as shown in
Figure 5. The outer end of shaft 76 is provided with an outwardly
extending sleeve 82 pinned to shaft 76 for rotation therewith. A
cap 84 is welded to the outer end of sleeve 82 and defines a
chamber in the outer end of -the sleeve and further defines a
passage, square in cross-section, but with outwardly diverging
sides at an angle of less than 7 1/2 to the axis of shaft 76. The
probe 70 has a cross-section to pass slidably through the inner
end of the cap 84 passage and the inner end of probe 70 is provided
with an enlarged head 86 located in the chamber defined in the
outer end of sleeve 82. The divergence the sides of cap 84 and the
space allowed for head 86 allow the probe 70 to assume any angle
up to 7 1/2 to its median position while being keyed to shaft 76
for rotation therewith. Such variation on the probe orientation
allows the probe 70 to compensate for the fact that the central
sockets in the hopper cars differ in orientation from each other by
small mounts due to manufacturing variation or damage to the car~
It is believed that design should not allow for divergence of the
probe from the median of more than 7 1/2 due to the difficulty of
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transmitting rotary torque throuyh the rough universal connection
shown in Figure 5.
The hydraulic supplies required for operation of the
device are preferably provided by electric motor 88 (the electric
supply leads to the motor are not shown) driving hydraulic pump
90 both mounted on the chassis at the end remote from the boom
pivots 32~ The hydraulic pump, through controls and conduits,
not shown supplies hydraulic fluid for the following.
1. Hydraulic fluid to hydraulic motor 92 mounted on
the chassis and aligned with the shaft of rearward wheels 18, and
connected to drive the la-tter through shaft 96. (The motor 92
has a 'motoring spool' which is a well known and commercial
available device which allows shaft 96 and wheels 18 to rotate
fr,eely in the absence of hydraulic supplies to the motor. Although
conventional, this feature has important advantages for the
invention where at some times it is advantageous to have the cart
and motor driven by the rail car through the probe - control
socket connection).
2. Hydraulic rluid to operate cylinder 100 to raise
and lower boom 37 over its permissible range of movement as shown
in Figure 2.
3. Hydraulic fluid to operate cylinder 62 to extent
and retract the probe platform 58 to move the probe 70 toward or
away from the hopper car.
4. Hydraulic fluid to operate motor 78 to rotate
probe 70 to open the hopper.
The controls for the devices described above are not
described in detail. Such controls are commercially available and
wel] known to those skilled in the art. Such con-trols will be
loca-ted on the arms of the operators chair 108 which as shown, is
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mounted on the chassis over the boom pivot point and facing the
hopper car.
The operation of the device is as follows :
With a train carrying a hopper car toward the dump
site, the operator operates the controls to propel the cart
alongside the hopper car to be dumped, travelling at a speed
corresponding to that of the hopper car, he aligns the probe 70
with the car control socket by raising or lowering platform 36
by the operation of boom cylinder 100 and with coordinated contrcl
of the cart speed brings the probe 70 into line with the car
control socket 71. Under the control of cylinder 62 the probe 70
and plat~orm 58 is advanced toward the hopper car so tha-t by proper
coordination of these operations the probe 70 is inserted in the
control socket 71 of the hopper car. The motor 78 is then operated
to rotate the probe 70 in the correct sense in the control socket
to dump the hopper. During the time that the probe 70 is in the
socket the hopper car will control the speed of the cart. Many
methods of allowing the cart to 'idle' without drive connection to
its hydraulic motor are available, however the best method o~
allowing the hopper car to drive the cart is use of the motoring
spool as previously described.
Due to the pressure of the probe 70 on the hopper car
and to the reactive pressure and also the longitudinal pressures
exerted by the hopper car on the probe, the pressures on the boom
37 tending to deflect are resisted by the roller ~7 bearing on one
or the other support surfaces 50. As previously explained, these
stresses as transmitted to the chassis are resisted by the double
flanged wheels 16, 18 bearing on -the rails 12, 14.
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