U.S. patent application number 14/133700 was filed with the patent office on 2015-06-25 for railcar hatch cover assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to AERO TRANSPORTATION PRODUCTS, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is AERO TRANSPORTATION PRODUCTS, INC.. Invention is credited to STEPHEN R. EARLY.
Application Number | 20150175175 14/133700 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53399194 |
Filed Date | 2015-06-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150175175 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
EARLY; STEPHEN R. |
June 25, 2015 |
RAILCAR HATCH COVER ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A railcar hatch cover assembly having at least first and second
covers each moveable between an open position and a closed
position. First and second gears are mounted to the first and
second covers, respectively. Third and fourth gears are mounted to
a shaft that rotates between first, second, third, and fourth
positions in sequence. The third gear is engaged with the first
gear as the shaft rotates from the first position to the third
position, and the fourth gear is engaged with the second gear as
the shaft rotates from the second position to the fourth position.
As the shaft rotates from the second position to the third
position, the first cover assists in rotating the shaft and opening
the second cover. The hatch cover assembly may have any number of
covers, which as they move to an open position assist in the
opening of another cover.
Inventors: |
EARLY; STEPHEN R.; (OLATHE,
KS) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AERO TRANSPORTATION PRODUCTS, INC. |
INDEPENDENCE |
MO |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
AERO TRANSPORTATION PRODUCTS,
INC.
INDEPENDENCE
MO
|
Family ID: |
53399194 |
Appl. No.: |
14/133700 |
Filed: |
December 19, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
105/377.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B61D 39/00 20130101;
B61D 39/006 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B61D 19/00 20060101
B61D019/00 |
Claims
1. A railcar hatch cover assembly comprising: first and second
covers each moveable between an open position and a closed
position; a first gear mounted to the first cover; a second gear
mounted to the second cover; a shaft extending from adjacent the
first gear to adjacent the second gear, wherein the shaft rotates
between first, second, third, and fourth positions in sequence; a
third gear mounted to the shaft, wherein the third gear is engaged
with the first gear as the shaft rotates from the first position to
the third position; and a fourth gear mounted to the shaft, wherein
the fourth gear is engaged with the second gear as the shaft
rotates from the second position to the fourth position.
2. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the first
cover is in the closed position when the shaft is in the first
position, wherein the first cover is in the open position when the
shaft is in the third position, wherein the second cover is in the
closed position when the shaft is in the second position, and
wherein the second cover is in the open position when the shaft is
in the fourth position.
3. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 2, wherein the first
cover is in a partially open position when the shaft is in the
second position, wherein as the first cover moves from the
partially open position to the open position the first cover
applies a torque to the shaft that assists in rotating the shaft
from the second position to the third position and moving the
second cover from the closed position to a partially open
position.
4. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 3, wherein the first
cover is substantially horizontal in the open and closed positions,
and wherein the first cover is substantially vertical in the
partially open position.
5. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 3, wherein the first
cover rotates approximately 90 degrees from the closed position to
the partially open position, and wherein the first cover rotates
approximately 90 degrees from the partially open position to the
open position.
6. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 3, further comprising:
a third cover moveable between a closed position and an open
position; a fifth gear mounted to the third cover; and a sixth gear
mounted to the shaft, wherein the sixth gear is engaged with the
fifth gear as the shaft rotates from the third position to a fifth
position, and wherein the fourth position is between the third
position and the fifth position.
7. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 6, wherein the third
cover is in the closed position when the shaft is in the third
position, and wherein the third cover is in the open position when
the shaft is in the fifth position.
8. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 7, wherein the second
cover is in a partially open position when the shaft is in the
third position, wherein as the second cover moves from the
partially open position to the open position the second cover
applies a torque to the shaft that assists in rotating the shaft
from the third position to the fourth position and moving the third
cover from the closed position to a partially open position.
9. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 6, wherein the first
cover is positioned between the second and third covers, and
wherein the first cover partially overlaps each of the second and
third covers when the first, second, and third covers are in their
closed positions.
10. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 6, wherein the first
cover partially overlaps the second cover when the first and second
covers are in their closed positions, and wherein the second cover
partially overlaps the third cover when the second and third covers
are in their closed positions.
11. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 1, wherein each of
the first and second covers comprises opposing sides and opposing
ends, wherein one end of the first cover is adjacent one end of the
second cover, and wherein each of the first and second covers
rotates from the closed position to the open position about an axis
that is substantially parallel to one of the sides of the
respective cover.
12. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 1, wherein each of
the third and fourth gears comprises a central section with an
opening that receives the shaft, and a set of teeth extending
radially outward from the central section, wherein the set of teeth
of each of the third and fourth gears comprises first and last
teeth with an angle between them of less than 360 degrees, and
wherein the set of teeth on the third gear is offset from the set
of teeth on the fourth gear by a non-zero angle.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention is directed toward a railcar hatch
cover assembly, and in particular, to a railcar hatch cover
assembly in which the opening of a cover assists in the opening of
another cover.
[0005] 2. Description of Related Art
[0006] Covered railcars have long been used to transport materials
such as grain to keep them covered during transport. Such railcars
typically have a series of openings, or a single opening, in the
top of the railcar through which the grain may be loaded. One or
more hatch covers are associated with the opening(s) to close and
seal the opening(s) during transport. The hatch covers typically
lay flat horizontally when in the closed position and have a pivot
on one side that allows them to rotate approximately 180 degrees to
lay flat, upside down, horizontally in the open position. When
opening the cover, energy must be applied to lift the cover from
its horizontal closed position to a vertical position, but gravity
applies the necessary energy to move the cover from the vertical
position to the horizontal open position.
[0007] Hatch covers are typically provided in sets of three or
more. The hatch covers are hinged along one or both edges. In one
embodiment, the edges of adjacent hatch covers are in close
proximity, and a series of battens overlies the edges of adjacent
covers to provide a seal between the edges. With this type of cover
assembly, it is necessary to release and pivot the battens away
from the hatch covers in a separate operation prior to opening the
hatch cover. In another embodiment, the ends of adjacent covers
overlap to provide the seal. Due to the overlapping arrangement, it
is necessary to open the covers in a particular order.
[0008] With either type of cover assembly described above, the
covers must be physically lifted by an operator standing on top of
the railcar to open and close the covers. The covers are relatively
heavy to lift, and the operator must walk across the top of the
railcar to open each of the covers. Due to the height of the
railcar and the weight of the covers, opening and closing the
covers poses an injury risk.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,932 to Early describes a railcar hatch
cover system in which adjacent covers are linked with a cable so
that as one cover opens, it assists in opening the adjacent cover
to which it is linked. With this system an operator must still walk
across the top of the railcar to open each cover individually,
although the system relieves the operator from lifting the full
weight of each cover.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention is directed toward a railcar hatch
cover assembly having at least first and second covers each
moveable between an open position and a closed position. First and
second gears are mounted to the first and second covers,
respectively. Third and fourth gears are mounted to a shaft that
rotates between first, second, third, and fourth positions in
sequence. The third gear is engaged with the first gear as the
shaft rotates from the first position to the third position, and
the fourth gear is engaged with the second gear as the shaft
rotates from the second position to the fourth position.
[0011] Preferably, the first cover is in the closed position when
the shaft is in the first position, a partially open position when
the shaft is in the second position, and an open position when the
shaft is in the third position. The second cover is preferably in
the closed position when the shaft is in the second position, a
partially open position when the shaft is in the third position,
and the open position when the shaft is in the fourth position. As
the first cover moves from the partially open position to the open
position the first cover applies a torque to the shaft that assists
in rotating the shaft from the second position to the third
position and moving the second cover from the closed position to a
partially open position. Thus, less torque is needed to open the
second cover because its opening is assisted by movement of the
first cover. The hatch cover assembly may have any number of
covers, which as they move from a partially open position to an
open position assist in the opening of another cover. Because all
of the covers are opened by a shaft, there is no need to open each
cover individually. Instead, an operator may rotate the shaft to
open all of the covers.
[0012] Preferably, the gears mounted to the cover include at least
180 degrees of gear surface that is mounted rigid to each cover
around a cover pivot axis. The shaft is mounted parallel to the
cover pivot axis. The shaft is positioned an appropriate distance
from the cover pivot axis so that the shaft gears mesh with the
cover gears. Each shaft gear preferably has approximately one less
than one-half of the total number of teeth that the corresponding
cover gear would have if it had teeth extending 360 degrees around
its perimeter. For example, if the gear surface on the cover would
have twelve teeth if it had teeth around its entire perimeter, the
corresponding shaft gear has five teeth, or one less than one-half
of twelve.
[0013] As the shaft is rotated to open the covers, a first set of
shaft gears engages the cover gears of the first cover. As the
shaft is rotated through about three teeth of the shaft gear, the
first cover rotates to a vertical position. As the shaft if rotated
further, a second set of shaft gears engages the cover gears of the
second cover. At the same time, the first set of shaft gears remain
engaged with the first cover gears. As the first cover falls from
vertical to its horizontal, open position, it applies torque to the
shaft. When the first cover is in its horizontal, open position,
continued rotation of the shaft disengages contact between the
first set of shaft gears and the first cover gears. At this time, a
third set of shaft gears engages the third cover gears, while the
second cover gears remain engaged with the second set of shaft
gears such that torque is applied to the shaft as the second cover
falls from a vertical position to an open, horizontal position.
This process repeats for the number of covers that the system is
intended to operate. Further, the process operates in a similar
manner in reverse for closing the covers.
[0014] Additional aspects of the invention, together with the
advantages and novel features appurtenant thereto, will be set
forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will
become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the
following, or may be learned from the practice of the invention.
The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and
attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations
particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a hatch cover assembly in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of mating gears of the hatch
cover assembly shown in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing one cover of the hatch
cover assembly in a partially open position;
[0018] FIG. 3B is a perspective view showing one cover of the hatch
cover assembly in a an open position and the next cover in a
partially open position;
[0019] FIG. 4A-4F show mating gears of the hatch cover assembly in
different positions;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of another embodiment of hatch
cover assembly in accordance with the present invention; and
[0021] FIGS. 6A-6D are perspective views showing the cover opening
sequence of the hatch cover assembly shown in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] A hatch cover assembly in accordance with the present
invention is shown generally in FIG. 1 as 10. Hatch cover assembly
10 is preferably mounted to the top of a railcar (not shown)
adjacent an opening in the railcar to selectively cover the opening
or permit access to the interior of the railcar through the
opening. Hatch cover assembly 10 includes a first cover 12, a
second cover 14, a third cover 16, a fourth cover 18, and a fifth
cover 20. A cover operating assembly 22 described in detail below
is mounted to the top of the railcar for opening and closing covers
12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 via rotation of a single socket 24 that is
preferably aligned with the sidewall of the railcar. As described
in detail below, the covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 open in sequence
and the cover operating assembly 22 is configured so that as the
first of adjacent covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 opens, the weight
of the opening cover assists in opening the next cover.
[0023] First cover 12 includes opposed ends 26 and 28 and opposed
sides 30 and 32. End 26 is rounded, while end 28 and sides 30 and
32 are substantially straight. Covers 14, 16, 18, and 20 also
include opposed ends and opposed sides. Each of covers 14, 16, and
18 is substantially rectangular, while cover 20 is a mirror image
of cover 12 with one rounded end. Covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 are
all approximately the same weight. A pair of hinges 34 and 36 are
mounted to first cover 12 each adjacent one of ends 26 and 28. Each
of the hinges 34 and 36 extends from a top surface of cover 12
beyond side 32. A tab 34a that is aligned with hinge 34 extends
beyond side 30. Hinge 36 extends across cover 12 beyond side 30. In
an alternative arrangement, tab 34a may be omitted and hinge 34 may
extend beyond side 30 in a similar manner as hinge 36. The portion
of tab 34a and hinge 36 extending beyond side 30 may be used to
lock cover 12 as is known in the art. Each of covers 14, 16, 18,
and 20 includes hinges similar to hinges 34 and 36 and a tab
similar to tab 34a.
[0024] End 28 of first cover 12 overlaps one end of second cover 14
when the covers are in a closed position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and
2. A seal 38 (FIG. 2) mounted to the underside of first cover 12
engages the top of second cover 14 to prevent moisture and
contaminants from entering the railcar as is known in the art. An
end of second cover 14 overlaps an end of third cover 16, an end of
third cover 16 overlaps an end of fourth cover 18, and an end of
fourth cover 18 overlaps an end of fifth cover 20. Seals (not
shown) similar to seal 38 are joined to covers 14, 16 and 18.
Because a portion of each of covers 12, 14, 16, and 18 overlaps the
cover it is adjacent, the covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 must be
opened sequentially in order from first cover 12 to fifth cover 20
and must be closed sequentially in the reverse order.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 2, cover operating assembly 22 includes a
gear 40 mounted to hinge 36 and a gear 42 that is mounted to a
hinge 44, which is mounted on second cover 14 in a similar manner
as hinge 34 (FIG. 1) of first cover 12. The end of hinge 36 to
which gear 40 is mounted has an opening through which a bolt 46 is
inserted. The other hinge 34 (FIG. 1) on first cover 12 includes a
similar opening that receives a bolt (not shown). The first cover
12 is rotatable approximately 180 degrees around bolt 46 between
the closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the open position
shown in FIG. 3B. Hinge 44 on second cover 14 includes an opening
through which bolt 46 is inserted. The remainder of the hinges on
covers 14, 16, 18, and 20 are formed in a similar manner as
described above with respect to hinges 34, 36 and 44 to permit
rotation of covers 14, 16, 18, and 20.
[0026] Bolt 46 extends through openings in a pair of brackets 48
and 50 that are mounted to the top of the railcar. Bolt extends
through another pair of openings in a bracket assembly 52 that is
joined to the top of the railcar. Bracket assembly 52 includes a
tube 54 through which a shaft 56 is inserted. Tube 54 supports
shaft 56 and allows rotation of shaft 56. Gears 58 and 60 are
mounted to shaft 56. Gears 58 and 60 only have teeth extending from
a portion of their perimeter. Referring to FIG. 4A, gear 58 is
shown with five teeth, including a first tooth 58a and a last tooth
58b. The angle X between the first and last teeth is less than 360
degrees. The gear 58 has a central section 58c with a square shaped
opening 58d that receives shaft 56. The teeth of gear 58 extend
radially outward from central section 58c. As described in more
detail below, when the teeth on gear 58 align with the teeth of
gear 40, rotation of shaft 56 causes the gears 40 and 58 to engage
each other and thereby move first cover 12. Likewise, when the
teeth on gear 60 align with the teeth of gear 42, rotation of shaft
56 causes the gears 42 and 60 to engage each other and thereby move
second cover 14.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, shaft 56 extends from a right angle
gear box 62 adjacent the rounded end 26 of first cover 12 to the
rounded end of fifth cover 20. Right angle gear box 62 receives
another shaft 64 that is perpendicular to shaft 56. Socket 24 is
mounted to an end of shaft 64. Right angle gear box 62 connects
shafts 56 and 64 so that rotation of shaft 64 via socket 24 causes
rotation of shaft 56. Two gears are mounted to shaft 56 for each of
covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20. Gears 58 and 66, shown in FIG. 1,
are mounted to shaft 56 for cover 12. Gear 58 mates with gear 40,
as shown in FIG. 2, and gear 66 mates with a gear (not shown)
mounted to cover 12 via hinge 34. The teeth on gears 58 and 66 are
aligned so that they engage the gears on hinges 34 and 36 at the
same time with rotation of shaft 56. Gears 60 and 68 are mounted to
shaft 56 for cover 14, gears 70 and 72 are mounted to shaft 56 for
cover 16, gears 74 and 76 are mounted to shaft 56 for cover 18, and
gears 78 and 80 are mounted to shaft 56 for cover 20. Each of the
gears 60, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 and 80 mate with a gear mounted to
a hinge, similar to one of hinges 34 and 36, which is mounted to
one of the covers 14, 16, 18, and 20. Gears 60 and 68 have aligned
teeth, like the gears 58 and 66 for cover 12, so that they engage
the teeth on the gears mounted to cover 14 at the same time. Gears
70 and 72 have aligned teeth for engaging the gears mounted to
cover 16 at the same time, gears 74 and 76 have aligned teeth for
engaging the gears mounted to cover 18 at the same time, and gears
78 and 80 have aligned teeth for engaging the gears mounted to
cover 20 at the same time.
[0028] When all of the covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 are closed,
gear 58 is in approximately the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4A
such that the first tooth 58a on gear 58 is adjacent the teeth of
gear 40 and will engage gear 40 as shaft 56 rotates in a
counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4A. As shown in FIG.
2, the teeth on gear 60 are offset from the teeth on gear 58 so
that shaft 56 must be rotated counterclockwise before gear 60 will
engage gear 42. The teeth on gears 58 and 66 adjacent first cover
12 are offset from the teeth on gears 60 and 68 adjacent second
cover 14 by an amount such that when shaft 56 has been rotated to
move the first cover 12 from the closed horizontal position shown
in FIG. 1 ninety degrees to the vertical position shown in FIG. 3A,
the teeth on gears 60 and 68 begin to engage the teeth on the gears
mounted to second cover 14. The teeth on gears 70 and 72 adjacent
third cover 16 are offset from the teeth on gears 60 and 68
adjacent second cover 14 by an amount such that when shaft 56 has
been rotated to move the second cover 14 from the closed horizontal
position shown in FIG. 1 to the vertical position shown in FIG. 3B,
the teeth on gears 70 and 72 begin to engage the teeth on the gears
mounted to the third cover 16. The teeth on gears 74 and 76
adjacent fourth cover 18 are offset from the teeth on gears 70 and
72 adjacent third cover 16 by an amount such that when shaft 56 has
been rotated to move the third cover 16 to a vertical position, the
teeth on gears 74 and 76 begin to engage the teeth on the gears
mounted to the fourth cover 18. The teeth on gears 78 and 80
adjacent fifth cover 20 are offset from the teeth on gears 74 and
76 adjacent fourth cover 18 by an amount such that when shaft 56
has been rotated to move the fourth cover 18 to a vertical
position, the teeth on gears 78 and 80 begin to engage the teeth on
the gears mounted to the fifth cover 20.
[0029] As the first cover 12 moves from the partially open,
vertical position shown in FIG. 3A to the open, horizontal position
shown in FIG. 3B, gear 40 (FIG. 2) successively engages the final
teeth of gear 58. The energy of the first cover 12 as it falls from
the vertical position to the open, horizontal position is at least
partially transferred to shaft 56 as torque via gears 40 and 58 to
assist in rotating shaft 56 and opening second cover 14 to the
partially open, vertical position shown in FIG. 3B. Once first
cover 12 is in the open, horizontal position shown in FIG. 3B,
continued rotation of shaft 56 disengages the final tooth of gear
58 from gear 40, as shown in FIG. 4c, to allow continued rotation
of shaft 56. Likewise, as second cover 14 moves from a vertical
position to an open, horizontal position, it assists in opening
third cover 16, as third cover 16 moves from a vertical position to
an open, horizontal position, it assists in opening fourth cover
18, and as fourth cover 18 moves from a vertical position to an
open, horizontal position, it assists in opening fifth cover 20.
Thus, after first cover 12 is opened to the vertical position shown
in FIG. 3A, less torque is required to be input into shaft 56 to
open the remainder of covers 14, 16, 18, and 20 because each of
covers 12, 14, 16 and 18 assists in opening the next cover 14, 16,
18, and 20, respectively.
[0030] When all the covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 are in the open
position, they are moveable to the closed position in reverse of
the sequence described above. Thus, to move the covers 12, 14, 16,
18, and 20 from the open to the closed position, shaft 56 is
rotated in the opposite direction as it is rotated to move the
covers from the closed position to the open position. As the shaft
56 is rotated to close the covers, cover 20 first moves from the
horizontal open position to a vertical position. As cover 20 moves
from the vertical position to the horizontal closed position, it
applies torque to the shaft 56 that assists in moving cover 18 from
the horizontal open position to a vertical position. As the shaft
56 continues to rotate, covers 16, 14, and 12 move from the open
position to the closed position in a similar manner until all of
the covers are closed.
[0031] In one preferred embodiment, gears 40 and 42 (FIG. 2) and
all of the gears mounted to the covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 have
12 teeth. Gears 58, 60, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, and 80 have
teeth that are the same size as the teeth on gears 40 and 42 and
spaced apart the same as the teeth on gears 40 and 42, but the
gears 58, 60, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, and 80 have a larger
diameter than gears 40 and 42. If gears 58, 60, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74,
76, 78, and 80 had teeth extending around their entire perimeter,
each gear would have 20 teeth. Each of the covers 12, 14, 16, 18,
and 20 rotates approximately 180 degrees from a generally
horizontal closed position to a generally horizontal open position.
Each of the covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 is shown closed in FIG.
1, and cover 12 is shown open in FIG. 3B. Each of the gears mounted
to the covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20, such as gears 40 and 42 shown
in FIG. 2, also rotates 180 degrees, or through six of its twelve
teeth, as the respective cover moves from the closed position to
the open position.
[0032] Each of the covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20, along with the
gears mounted to them, rotates 90 degrees, or through three of
twelve gear teeth, as the cover moves from the closed position to a
vertical position, like the position of cover 12 in FIG. 3A. Shaft
56 rotates approximately 54 degrees in order to rotate any of the
covers 12, 14, 16, 18, or 20 ninety degrees due to the larger
diameter of the gears on shaft 56 versus the gears on covers 12,
14, 16, 18, and 20. Thus, from the position shown in FIG. 2, as
shaft 56 rotates 54 degrees, three of the teeth on gear 58
successively engage the teeth of gear 40 to rotate the first cover
12 ninety degrees from the closed horizontal position to the
vertical position shown in FIG. 3A. The offset between the teeth on
gears 58 and 66 adjacent first cover 12 and the teeth on gears 60
and 68 adjacent second cover 14 is approximately 54 degrees, such
that when first cover 12 reaches the vertical position, gears 60
and 68 begin to engage the gears mounted to second cover 14. Each
of the offsets between the teeth on gears 60 and 68 and the teeth
on gears 70 and 72, the teeth on gears 70 and 72 and the teeth on
gears 74 and 76, and the teeth on gears 74 and 76 and the teeth on
gears 78 and 80 is also approximately 54 degrees so that when the
first of adjacent covers 12, 14, 16, and 18 reaches a vertical
position, the next cover 14, 16, 18, and 20 begins to open. As each
of the covers 12, 14, 16, and 18 begins to fall from the vertical
position to the open horizontal position, the teeth on the gears
mounted to the falling cover successively engage the final two
teeth of the adjacent gears mounted to shaft 56, which transmits
torque to shaft 56 and assists in opening the next cover.
[0033] FIGS. 4A-4F show different positions of gears 40 and 58 as
the shaft 56 to which gear 58 is mounted rotates between different
positions. FIG. 4A shows a first position of the gears 40 and 58
and shaft 56 in which all of the covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 are
closed. FIG. 4B shows a second position of shaft 56 in which cover
12 is in a partially open, vertical position. FIG. 4C shows a third
position of shaft 56 in which cover 12 is in a horizontal open
position and cover 14 is in a partially open, vertical position.
FIG. 4D shows a fourth position of shaft 56 in which covers 12 and
14 are in an open position and cover 16 is in a partially open,
vertical position. FIG. 4E shows a fifth position of shaft 56 in
which covers 12, 14, and 16 are in an open position and cover 18 is
in a partially open, vertical position. FIG. 4F shows a sixth
position of shaft 56 in which each of the covers 12, 14, 16, 18,
and 20 is in an open position. Shaft 56 has been rotated through
three of the teeth on gear 58, or approximately 30 degrees, between
each of the first through fifth positions. Between the fifth
position and sixth position, shaft 56 has been rotated through five
of the teeth on gear 58, or approximately 54 degrees.
[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 5-6D, an alternative embodiment of
hatch cover assembly is shown as 100. Hatch cover assembly 100
includes first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh
covers 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, and 114, respectively. Hatch
cover assembly 100 includes a cover operating assembly 116 that is
similar to the cover operating assembly 22 of the hatch cover
assembly 10 described above. The cover operating assembly 116
includes a socket 118, and shafts 120 and 122 joined by a right
angle gear box 124. A hinge is mounted to each end of each of the
covers 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, and 114, and a gear is mounted
to each of the hinges in a similar manner as described above for
hatch cover assembly 10. A gear is mounted to shaft 122 adjacent
each of the gears mounted to covers 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112,
and 114 such that there are two gears on shaft 122 for each cover.
The gears mounted to shaft 122 only include gear teeth around a
portion of their perimeter in a similar manner as described above
for the gears on shaft 56 of hatch cover assembly 10.
[0035] The covers 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, and 114 of hatch
cover assembly 100 differ from the covers of hatch cover assembly
10 because covers 102, 106, 110, and 114 are each approximately
half the size and weight of covers 104, 108, and 112. Further, the
ends of covers 102 and 106 overlap the ends of cover 104 such that
covers 102 and 106 must be opened before cover 104. Similarly, the
ends of covers 106 and 110 overlap the ends of cover 108, and the
ends of covers 110 and 114 overlap the ends of cover 112.
[0036] The teeth on the gears that are mounted to shaft 122
adjacent first and third covers 102 and 106 are aligned so that
covers 102 and 106 open and close at the same time. The teeth on
the gears that are mounted to shaft 122 adjacent second cover 104
are offset from the teeth on the gears adjacent first and third
covers 102 and 106 by an amount such that when the first and third
covers 102 and 106 move from the closed horizontal position shown
in FIG. 5 ninety degrees to the partially open, vertical position
shown in FIG. 6A, second cover 104 begins to open. The teeth on the
gears that are mounted to shaft 122 adjacent fifth and seventh
covers 110 and 114 are aligned so that covers 110 and 114 open and
close at the same time. The teeth on the gears adjacent fifth and
seventh covers 110 and 114 are offset from the teeth on the gears
adjacent second cover 104 by an amount such that when the second
cover 104 moves from the closed horizontal position shown in FIG.
6A to the vertical position shown in FIG. 6B, fifth and seventh
covers 110 and 114 begin to open. The teeth on the gears mounted to
shaft 122 adjacent fourth cover 108 are offset from the teeth on
the gears adjacent fifth and seventh covers 110 and 114 by an
amount such that when the fifth and seventh covers 110 and 114 move
to the vertical position shown in FIG. 6C, fourth cover 108 begins
to open. The teeth on the gears mounted to shaft 122 adjacent sixth
cover 112 are offset from the teeth on the gears adjacent fourth
cover 108 by an amount such that when the fourth cover 108 moves to
the vertical position shown in FIG. 6D, sixth cover 112 begins to
open.
[0037] The weight of first and third covers 102 and 106 is
approximately equal to the weight of cover 104 such that as first
and third covers 102 and 106 fall from the vertical position shown
in FIG. 6A to the open, horizontal position shown in FIG. 6B, the
energy of the falling covers is at least partially transferred to
shaft 122 as torque to assist in opening second cover 104 to the
vertical position. Likewise, as second cover 104 moves from the
vertical position shown in FIG. 6B to the open, horizontal position
shown in FIG. 6C, it assists in opening fifth and seventh covers
110 and 114. As fifth and seventh covers 110 and 114 move from the
vertical position shown in FIG. 6C to the open, horizontal position
shown in FIG. 6D, they assist in opening fourth cover 108. As
fourth cover 108 moves from the vertical position shown in FIG. 6D
to an open, horizontal position, it assists in opening sixth cover
112. The covers 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, and 114 move from the
open position to the closed position in reverse of the order
described above.
[0038] The hatch cover assemblies 10 and 100 shown in the drawings
and described above are exemplary only. Either of the hatch cover
assemblies 10 and 100 may have more or less than the number of
covers described above. The pitch diameters, number of teeth on the
gears, and gear ratio between the gears mounted to the covers and
the gears mounted to the shaft used in the hatch cover assemblies
10 and 100 may be different from those described above depending on
the number of covers used in the assembly. The cover opening
sequence for either of the hatch cover assemblies 10 and 100 may
also be different from that described above depending on the size
and weight of the covers and on the manner in which covers overlap
each other. The hatch cover assembly 100 may be configured so that
all of the smaller covers 102, 106, 110, and 114 open prior to the
larger covers 104, 108, and 112 so that an operator may only open
one or more of the smaller covers 102, 106, 110, and 114 if
desired. Further, any of the covers of the hatch cover assemblies
10 and 100 may include an opening and another smaller cover that is
moveable from a closed position covering the opening to an open
position. The smaller covers may be opened independently from the
main covers, or prior to opening to main covers.
[0039] In operation, hatch cover assembly 10 may be utilized to
access the interior of a covered railcar. To open covers 12, 14,
16, 18, and 20, an opening tool is inserted into socket 24 and
rotated to rotate socket 24 and shafts 56 and 64. As shaft 56
rotates, each of the covers 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 opens in
succession such that the first of adjacent covers 12, 14, 16, and
18 to begin opening reaches a vertical position before the next
cover 14, 16, 18, and 20 begins to open. As that first cover falls
to an open, horizontal position, it transmits torque to shaft 56
which assists in opening the next cover to a vertical position. To
move the covers from the open position to the closed position, the
shaft 56 is rotated in the opposite direction as it is rotated to
open the covers. The covers close in reverse order of the manner in
which they open, and as each cover closes it assists in closing the
cover it is adjacent. Hatch cover assembly 100 operates in a
similar manner as hatch cover assembly 10 except that the covers
open in a different sequence as set forth above.
[0040] From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is
one well adapted to attain all ends and objectives herein-above set
forth, together with the other advantages which are obvious and
which are inherent to the invention.
[0041] Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention
without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood
that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying
drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a
limiting sense.
[0042] While specific embodiments have been shown and discussed,
various modifications may of course be made, and the invention is
not limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts and steps
described herein, except insofar as such limitations are included
in the following claims. Further, it will be understood that
certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be
employed without reference to other features and subcombinations.
This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.
* * * * *