[0001] Bulk cargos such as coal, gravel, sand cargos and the like are normally transported
by rail in hopper cars; such cars are usually fitted with two separate bins for loading,
while the discharge of the materials contained therein is effected by gravity through
two large side hatches for each bin, wherein the hatches are opened by drive means
into dump pits.
[0002] Such dump pits, however, often do not present dimensions wide enough to collect the
material discharged along the entire length of the car
; therefore there is the need to effect separately the discharge of the bins of the
car, separately opening the correspondent hatches.
[0003] For this purpose cars have been realized having separate release drives for each
couple of hatches, but with these cars the operator must go round the car to reach
the drive means from earth, because it is not possible to effect the complete operation
from the control platform of the car.
[0004] A car has also been provided by the same owner of the present invention, having independent
drive means for the hatches which may be actuated from the control platform, but the
car, however, cannot be operated from earth at both ends and it is also fitted with
a complex mechanism for operating the opening devices.
[0005] A further requirement relates to the necessity, in case of improper functioning of
the drive and transmission means, of avoiding the unintentional opening of a pair
of hatches which are out of the discharge area at the same time of, or instead of
the hatches whose opening has been operated.
[0006] These and other technical problems are solved, as it will be apparent from the following
description, by the present invention, which provides a railway hopper car with bilateral
gravity discharge and separate bins, comprising a container body formed by two or
more consecutive, separate loading bins, each of these bins being provided with two
openings on the opposite sides of the car, which may be closed by means of hatches
hinged at their upper side, each of the hatches being fitted with a plurality of locking
hooks along the lower border; the hooks are fixedly carried by a shaft which is rotatively
supported on the body of the car; the shafts carrying the locking hooks relative to
the hatches of each of the loading bins being arranged to rotate, at choice, for unlocking
the opening of the hatches by means of mechanical transmission lever mechanisms, through
a reduction gear of the irreversible type which is hand-controlled by means of shanks
accessible from earth which are directly connected to the reduction gear and, in addition,
by means of a handwheel which may be connected to the reduction gear through a mechanical
transmission comprising a selector capable of rotationally coupling to the handwheel
the reduction gear corresponding to the couple of hatches whose opening has been selected;
the locking hooks being provided with means apt to hinder the complete self-closing
of the hatches by gravity; there being provided, moreover, means which may be actuated
through the reduction gear, by means of the shanks or the handwheel, for the driven
opening of the hatches and also means for signalling the opening of the selected couple
of hatches, which are actuated by the mechanical transmission lever mechanisms.
[0007] In particular, the lever mechanisms comprise a rocker keyed to the output or slow
shaft of the reduction gear, at the ends of which there are hinged the extremities
of two connecting rods which are, at the opposited extremities, hinged to two arms
joined to the shafts carrying the locking hooks, wherein the rotation in one direction
of the rocking lever is transmitted to the arms through the connecting rods, so as
to cause rotation of the shafts in the sense suitable to disengage the locking hooks
from the hatches, and in the opposite sense so as to cause the clamp of the hatches
by means of the locking hooks.
[0008] For a greater closure safety, when the locking hooks are in position of clamping
the hatches, the axis of the rocker intersects the action axis of both the connecting
rods or is laying beyond the axis, in the closing direction.
[0009] The handwheel may be connected, through the selector and possible transmission shafts,
to every reduction gear actuating the couple of hatches of each separate bin of the
car; therefore, it is possible, by this way, to operate the opening of the selected
couple of hatches by means of the handwheel itself.
[0010] At least one of the locking hooks of each hatch is provided with a hindering foot
which projects upwards, beyond the edge of the hooks, and interfers with the opening
path of the hatches when the hooks are in a first rotation position apt to free the
hatches, the foot being free to rotate in the sense of the opening and rotationally
blocked in the opposite sense, being capable in such rotation position of the hooks
of non hindering the hatches from a free opening and at the same time, however, hindering
them from a total closure movement, whereas a further rotation of the shafts carrying
the locking hooks bears the hindering foot, or feet, out of the movement path of the
hatches, thereby making their closing possible.
[0011] The means for driving the opening of the hatches consist of shaped arms fixedly joined
to the shafts which carry the locking hooks, having at their ends rollers suitable
to act against sliding blocks. linked to the flanks of the hatches when the shafts
are rotated in the opening sense beyond the unlocking point of the locking hooks and
the hindering feet
[0012] The means signalling the opening of the hatches consist of two flags for each couple
of hatches, which can rotate between a position enclosed in the side shape of the
car and a position projecting from same; the flags being rotationally driven by connecting
rods and cranks actuated by a staff hinged to a swivelling block which by gravity
maintains the flags projecting out of the car shape, there being provided an arm joined
rotationally to the rocker, suitable to act on the swivelling block when the rocker
is rotated into the closing position, beyond the intersection position of its rotational
axis with the action axes of the connecting rods.
[0013] Conveniently, the selector is formed by a bilateral clutch which is rotationally
joined, through a chain transmission or the like, to the handwheel and may be rotationally
coupled, through a control lever, either with a corresponding clutch carried by a
transmission shaft connected to a reduction gear relative to a couple of hatches located
remote from the handwheel, or to a transmission shaft connected to a reduction gear
relative to a couple of hatches located adjacent to the car head carrying the handwheel;
the transmission shafts being independently supported by self-lubricating bushes carried
by separate supporting elements and both being fixed to the car structure, so that
the possible seizing of a bush may not bring the non selected shaft into rotation.
[0014] A more detailed description is following, with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:
Figure 1 is an assembly view of a car equipped with the discharge drives of the hatches
according to the invention,
Figure 2 is a plan schematic representation of the hatches,
Figure 3 is a view of a car end, having the hatches in the closed position,
Figure 4 shows the view of figure 3 having the hatches in the opening phase,
Figure 5 shows the control levers of the flags signalling the opening of the hatches,
Figure 6 is the view of figure 3 with the hatches in driven opening condition,
Figure 7 is a side view of the opening selector, partially in section,
Figure 8 shows the selector of figure 7 in a view from the top.
[0015] As shown in fig. 1, a hopper car is usually formed by a body 1 subdivided into two
bins 2, 3 separated by a wall 4. fnside of the loading bins there is provided a prismatic
element 5, whose contour is dash-lined in the figure, having two oblique surfaces
suitable to convey the contained ma- - terial towards the couples of hatches 6, 7,
relative to the front bin 2 and the back bin 3 respectively, with reference to the
control platform 8 of the car.
[0016] The hatches 6, 7 are hinged, adjacent to their upper side, to the body 1 of the car,
as shown in figure
1 and their center of gravity is so provided that they may rest in closure position
by effect of their own weight
[0017] The clamp of the hatches 6,7 in the closure position capable of standing the thrust
of the material contained in the car is assured by a plurality of locking hooks 9,9a,
supported by shafts 10, located below the lower border of the hatches, at the two
opposite sides of the car.
[0018] The opening of the hatches, for enabling to discharge the material contained in one
of the two bins 2,3 of the car, is caused by the thrust of the material itself which
flows along the oblique flanks of the inner prismatic element 5 when the shafts 10,
carrying the locking hooks 9,9a relative to the couple of hatches whose opening has
been selected, are rotated of an angle sufficient to disengage the hooks 9,9a from
the border of the hatches (see fig. 3 and 4).
[0019] Rotation of the shafts 10 is achieved by means of a drive group, as illustrated in
figure 2 in schematic form and partially visible. in transparence in figure
1, wherein the drive group is represented by thick lines whereas the extemal shape
of the car is represented by thin lines; it comprises a handwheel 11 connected through
a chain 12 to a selector 13 suitable to select the pair of hatches, in the front or
back side, which are to be opened.
[0020] The selector 13 may, in fact, connect the handwheel 11, through the gear wheels 15,
16 and a second transmission chain
17, to a shaft 18 that is in turn connected, through a bevel gears pair 19, to the
input or quick shaft of a reduction gear 20 or to the cardanic transmission shaft
14, which is coupled, at the opposite end of the car, to a second bevel gears pair
19a and to a second reduction gear 20a.
[0021] The output shaft of the reduction gears 20 and 20a carries a rocker 21, at the ends
of which are connected the shaped connecting rods 22, 23 which are pivoted at their
end on the arms 24 joined to the shafts 10 carrying the hooks 9, 9a.
[0022] The rotation of the rocker 21 in the sense indicated by the arrow F of fig. 4, driven
by the handwheel 1
1 via the selector 13 and the reduction gear 20 (or the reduction gear 20a relatively
to the position of the selector) causes, therefore, through the connecting rods 22,
23, the rotation of the couple of shafts 10 selected and relative hooks 9, 9a until
the lower border of the hatches 6 (or 7) disengages itself, the hatches becoming thus
free to open under the thrust of the contained material, by rotating about their own
axes, being restrained by opening limit rods 26, 27 which are hinged to each other.
[0023] The locking hooks 9, arranged in middle position along the border of the hatches
6, 7 are shaped as shown in the left side of figure 3; the end locking hooks 9a are
shaped as illustrated in the right portion of figure 3 and also in figures 4 and 5,
and exhibit a projecting part which carries a - pivot 28 about which the hindering
foot 29 may swivel, being fitted with a counterweight 30 and resting against the stop
pin 31.
[0024] In the opening phase the hindering foot 29 does not represent an obstacle to the
hatches movement as it is free to swivel about the pivot 28 under the thrust of the
hatches themselves, as shown by dot-and-dash line in the right part of fig. 4; in
the closing phase of the hatches, under the action of their own weight, when the thrust
produced by the flowing material is lowering, the hindering feet 29 blocks the hatches
themselves in partial cpening position, as shown by a dot-and-dash line in the left
part of fig. 4, because their rotation in the sense given by the thrust of the hatches
in closing phase is blocked by the stop pins 31, so as to enable the total discharge
of the car; the complete closing is therefore made possible by a further rotatation
of the rocker 21 only, in the sense indicated by the arrow F of fig. 4, so_ as to
bring the hindering foot 29 below the lower border of the hatches 6 (or 7).'
[0025] The input shafts to the reduction gears 20, 20a are besides connected with the shanks
32 for operation from earth,
by which it is possible to carry out the operation of opening the hatches from earth;
this operation is only possible when the selector 13 is in idle position, as the reduction
gears 20, 20a are of the irreversible type, for example an endless screw, in order
to prevent the handwheel 11 from being unvoluntarily brought into rotation by actuating
the shanks 32, thus with danger of accident for a person casually staying on the platform
in same moment
[0026] The opening of the hatches is associated with a signal constituted by flags 33 which
are projecting from the car shape, as shown in fig. 1 and 3, when the fever mechanisms
for driving the hatches have been removed from their safety block position.
[0027] The closing position, in fact, wherein the hooks 9, 9a lock the hatches, as shown
in fig. 3, presents the rotation axis of the rocker 2
1 placed on the action axis of the connecting rods 22, 23 coupling the corresponding
linking axes of the connecting rod itself with the rocker 2
1 and the arms 24.
[0028] Such position, representing a dead point, is not stable and the complete closure
is therefore achieved through a further rotation of the rocker 21, according to the
arrows G, shown in fig. 5, bringing it beyond the dead point, thanks to the resilience
of connecting rods 22, 23, into a firmly closed position.
[0029] The signalling flags 33 are carried by the supports 34 swivelling about the pivots
35; the supports 34 are also fitted with levers 36, one of which is connected with
a staff . 37, hinged to a heavy block 38, which is swivelling about the pivot 39.
A connecting rod 40, curved for space reasons, joins the ends of the levers 36, thus
enabling a joined movement of the two flags 33 at both sides of the car.
[0030] On the ouput shaft of reduction gears 20, 20a, besides the rocker 21, there is linked
an arm 40 which carries a pin 41 suitable to come into contact with the pivot 42 of
the block 38 when the rocker 21 is rotated into the position of fig. 3, i.e. corresponding
to the dead point; in this phase, therefore, the flags 33 are still in opening position,
as shown in figure.
[0031] Only a conclusive rotation of the rocker 21 together with the arm 40 rotationally
joined to it, causes the pin 41 to act against the pivot 42, producing rotation of
block 38 in the sense of the arrow H and, through the staff 37 and the connecting
rod 40, rotation of the flags 33 into the closure position, as shown in figure 5.
[0032] In order to enable the opening of the hatches, also when there is no material to
discharge, i.e. for maintenance servicing and the like, or when the thrust of the
material contained in the car is not sufficient, the shafts 10 carry, in correspondence
to the extremities of the hatches 6, 7, the shaped arms 43, having an end roller 44
suitable to act against the sliding blocks 45 linked to the flanks of the hatches
6, 7.
[0033] The, going on with the opening movement, by rotating the rocker 21 in the sense indicated
by the arrow F, the hatches are pushed into the opening position, as shown in figure
6, and firmly kept in this position.
[0034] In fig. 7 and 8 the selector
13 is illustrated in a preferred embodiment
[0035] It comprises the gear wheel 15, joined to the front clutch 46, rotatively supported
through the self-lubricating bushes 47 on the hollow support housing 48 linked to
the car structure; inside of the hollow housing 48 the shaft 51 may rotate on the
self-lubricating bushes 49, 50, the shaft 51 carrying at one end the keyed gear wheel
52 for coupling with handwheel 11, and at the other end the rotatively joined and
axially moveable bilateral coupling element 53, on the front of which, at the opposite
side with regard to the frontal clutch 46, there is located the frontal clutch 54
linked with the shaft 55.
[0036] The shaft 55 is carried by the bush support 56 and is connected at its end with the
cardanic shaft 14.
[0037] The bilateral coupling element 53 may be brought into the position of engagement
with the frontal coupling
46 or with the frontal coupling 54, or maintained in a middle position, or "idle" position,
through the lever 57 having three fixed stop positions which may be disengaged through
the knob 58, as shown by dash-and-dot line in figure 7.
[0038] The selector
13 keeps the shaft 55 and the gear wheel 1
5 separated and independent; in this way, it is not possible that, in case of seizing
of the self-lubricating bushes supporting the rotary elements, a non selected couple
of hatches is also brought into rotation, as it would occur if the gear 15 were supported
by bushes placed directly on the shaft 51, in case of seizing and blocking of the
bushes.
[0039] The opening limiting rods 26, hinged at one end of the car structure, present a curvilinear
shape; such a shape serves to establish a free space between the car wall and the
surface of the rod 26 which is substantially larger than the maximum size of the transported
material; this to the aim of assuring that possible material deposited on the surface
of the rods may not remain closed, during unloading, between the same and the car,
thus hindering a complete closing movement of the hatches.
[0040] A curvilinear conformation, for the same above mentioned purpose, is provided for
the arms 24 too, which, as they are also located in the area subject to material flowing,
have not to be in condition of holding back some material against the car wall, what
would hinder the hooks 9, 9a from their complete closing movement causing the clamp
of the hatches.
[0041] Therefore, the opening mechanism according to the present invention proves to be
especially safe and reliable, besides economically convenient, since the transmissions
and selection of the hatches to be opened are carried out at high speed, upstream
to the reduction gears and consequently with low driving torques.
[0042] The car structure may be built according to the known art; it has, therefore, not
to be described here in detail.
[0043] Many variations may be introduced without, however, moving away from the general
context of the present invention and its global characteristics.
1) A railway hopper car with separate bins having bilateral gravity discharge, characterized
in that it comprises a container body formed by two or more consecutive, separate
loading bins, each of these bins being provided with two openings on the opposite
sides of the car, which may be closed by means of hatches hinged at their upper side,
each of the hatches being fitted with a plurality of locking hooks along the lower
border; the hooks are fixedly carried 'by a shaft which is rotatively supported on
the body of the car; the shafts carrying the locking hooks relative to the hatches
of each of the loading bins being arranged to rotate, at choice, for unlocking the
opening of the hatches by means of mechanical transmission lever mechanisms, through
a reduction gear of the irreversible type which is hand-controlled by means of shanks
accessible from earth which are directly connected to the reduction gear and, in addition,
by means of a handwheel which may be connected to the reduction -gear through a mechanical
transmission comprising a selector capable of rotationally coupling to the handwheel
the reduction gear corresponding to the couple of hatches whose opening has been selected;
the locking hooks being provided with means apt to hinder the complete self-closing
of the hatches by gravity; there being provided, moreover, means which may be actuated
through the reduction gear, by means of the shanks or the handwheel, for the driven
opening of the hatches and also means for signalling the opening of the selected couple
of hatches, which are actuated by the mechanical transmission lever mechanisms.
2) A railways hopper car with separate bins having bilateral gravity discharge according
to the preceding claim, characterized in that the lever mechanisms comprise a rocker
keyed to the output or slow shaft of the reduction gear, at the ends of which there
are hinged the extremities of two connecting rods which are, at the opposite extremities,
hinged to two arms joined to the shafts carrying the locking hooks, wherein the rotation
in one direction of the rocking lever is transmitted to the arms through the connecting
rods, so as to cause rotation of the shafts in the sense suitable to disengage the
locking hooks from the hatches, and in the opposite sense so as to cause the clamp
of the hatches by means of the locking hooks.
3) A railways hopper car with separate bins having bilateral gravity discharge according
to the preceding claims, characterized in that the axis of the rocker intersects the
action axis of both the connecting rods or is laying beyond the axis, in the closing
direction.
4) A railways hopper car with separate bins having bilateral gravity discharge according
to the preceding claims, characterized in that the handwheel may be connected, through
the selector and possible transmission shafts, to each reduction gear actuating the
couple of hatches of each separate bin of the car.
5) A railways hopper car with separate bins having bilateral gravity discharge according
to the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the locking hooks of
each hatch is provided with a hindering foot which projects upwards, beyond the edge
of the hooks, and interfers with the opening path of the hatches when the hooks are
in a first rotation position apt to free the hatches, the foot being free to rotate
in the sense of the opening and rotationally blocked in the opposite sense, being
capable in such rotation position of the hooks of non hindering the hatches from a
free opening and at the same time, however, hindering them from a total closure movment,
whereas a further rotation of. the shafts carrying the locking hooks bears the hindering
foot, or feet, out of the movement path of the hatches, thereby making their closure
possible.
6) A railways hopper car with separate bins having bilateral gravity discharge according
to the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for driving the opening of
the hatches consist of shaped arms fixedly joined to the shafts which carry the locking
hooks, having at their ends rollers suitable to act against sliding blocks linked
to the flanks of the hatches when the shafts are rotated in the opening sense beyond
the unlocking point of the locking hooks and the hindering feet.
7) A railways hopper car with separate bins having bilateral gravity discharge according
to the preceding claims, characterized in that the means signalling the opening of
the hatches consist of two flags for each couple of hatches, which can rotate between
a position enclosed in the side shape of the car and a position projecting from same;
the flags being rotationalfy driven by connecting rods and cranks actuated by a staff
hinged to a swivelling block which by gravity maintains the flags projecting out of
the car shape, there being provided an arm joined rotationally to the rocker, suitable
to act on the swivelling block when the rocker is rotated into the closing position,
beyond the intersection position of its rotational axis with the action axes of the
connecting rods.
8) A railways hopper car with separate bins having bilateral gravity discharge according
to the preceding claims, characterized in that the selector is formed by a bilateral
clutch which is rotationally joined, through a chain transmission or the like, to
the handwheel and may be rotationally coupled, through a control lever, either with
a corresponding clutch carried by a transmission shaft connected to a reduction gear
relative to a couple of hatches located remote from the handwheel, or to a transmission
shaft connected to a reduction gear relative to a couple of hatches located adjacent
to the car head carrying the handwheel; the transmission shafts being independently
supported by self-lubricating bushes carried by separate supporting elements and both
being fixed to the car structure, so that the possible seizing of a bush may not bring
the non selected shaft into rotation.