U.S. patent number 3,885,349 [Application Number 05/445,155] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-27 for hydraulically controlled door with tandem crank arms and latches.
Invention is credited to Robert E. Owen.
United States Patent |
3,885,349 |
Owen |
May 27, 1975 |
Hydraulically controlled door with tandem crank arms and
latches
Abstract
A hydraulic door of the railroad car type having right side and
left side tandem, non-hydraulically connected wheel-carrying crank
arm assemblies and right side and left side tandem,
non-hydraulically connected, latches, manual hydraulic control
means for the crank arm assemblies having automatic synchronizing
valve assemblies synchronizing operation of the tandem crank arms
and tandem latches.
Inventors: |
Owen; Robert E. (Sioux City,
IA) |
Family
ID: |
26948461 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/445,155 |
Filed: |
February 25, 1974 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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261199 |
Jun 9, 1972 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
49/220;
49/280 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05F
15/565 (20150115); E05D 15/1007 (20130101); B61D
19/00 (20130101); E05Y 2900/51 (20130101); E05F
11/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B61D
19/00 (20060101); E05F 15/06 (20060101); E05D
15/10 (20060101); E05F 15/00 (20060101); E05d
015/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;49/220,221,281,426,280,209 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Bell; J. Karl
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sturges; Hiram A.
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 261,199, filed June
9, 1972, now abandoned.
Claims
I claim:
1. A laterally movable, sliding door for operation in upper and
lower parallel guiding and supporting door tracks and for movement
laterally into and out of a door opening and for sliding
longitudinally along said tracks to a position uncovering said door
opening, an actuation mechanism for laterally moving the door
comprising: two generally horizontally extending upper crank arms
each rotatably journalled at one end portion of each to an upper
section of said door, each of said upper crank arms having an
upwardly extending track engaging means at its other end portion
making sliding and guiding engagement with the upper door track; at
least two horizontally extending lower crank arms rotatably
journalled at one end portion of each to the lower end of the door,
and each lower crank arm having a downwardly depending track
engaging means at its other end portion making sliding and guiding
engagement with said lower door track; said upper and lower crank
arms each being independently journalled by means respectively
comprising upper and lower vertical shaft means to which they are
respectively attached whereby said four arms and said shaft means
form two upper and two lower crank arm and shaft means assemblies,
said door having at least four of said crank arm and shaft means
assemblies comprising right side top and bottom and left side top
and bottom crank arm and shaft means assemblies, two door control
hydraulic cylinder assembly means each having a first portion
attached to said door and a second portion movably and reciprocally
mounted on said first portion, means operably connecting said
second portions of said door control hydraulic cylinder assembly
means to said right and left crank arm and shaft means assemblies
respectively so that movements of said second portions in said two
opposite directions respectively causes door opening and closing
operations respectively of said crank arm and shaft means
assemblies, controllable hydraulic means attached to said door and
operably connected to said door control hydraulic cylinder assembly
means for selectively causing movement of said second portions in a
selected one of two opposite directions, said door having door
latching assembly means mounted thereon, door latching control
hydraulic cylinder assembly means operating said door latching
assembly means, said hydraulic means having a latching cylinder
assembly means control portion which latter is operably connected
to said door latching control hydraulic cylinder assembly means and
which is provided with a sequencing valve in it which latter when
in one position permits flow of hydraulic fluid to said door
latching control hydraulic cylinder assembly means causing said
latter means to be operated causing said door latching assembly to
latch, at least one of said door control hydraulic cylinder
assembly means having a controllable valve part engaging means
mounted thereon, said sequencing valve being mounted on said door
and having a controlling portion engaged by said controllable valve
part engaging means to cause said sequencing valve to be in its
said one position only at times when said latter second portion has
reached a position reached only when said crank arm and shaft means
assemblies are in door closed positions.
2. The door of claim 1 in which said hydraulic means latching
cylinder assembly means control portion is operably connected to
said sequencing valve for causing said door latching control
hydraulic cylinder assembly to operate to cause unlatching during
times when said sequencing valve is in another position.
3. The door of claim 1 in which said sequencing valve has a movable
plunger having spring means for returning the plunger to normal
position, said plunger defining said controlling portion of said
sequencing valve.
4. The sliding door of claim 1 in which a pair of vertical shafts
respectively connect and synchronize said two right side crank arm
and shaft means assemblies and connect and synchronize said two
left side crank arm and shaft means assemblies.
5. The sliding door of claim 1 in which said at least one door
latching assembly means comprises upper and lower latches connected
to a tandem bar which latter forms a part of said means attaching
said door latching assembly to said door latching control hydraulic
cylinder assembly means.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is specifically in the field of hydraulic sliding
plug doors used on railroad cars, such doors having latches and
opening-and-closing wheel-carrying-crank arms, the latches and
crank arms being manually operated but powered by hydraulic power
transfer means and sequenced in the past by automatic sequencing
by-pass pressure relief valve means respectively.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In the prior art, the only research which has been done to my
knowledge on hydraulic systems for opening and closing and latching
railroad car doors is a research conducted by myself which resulted
in the filing of a patent application on my first door; Ser. No.
150,706, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,714,735 titled: HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED
RAILROAD CAR DOOR, filed June 7, 1971; Inventor: Robert E.
Owen.
In my long research prior to the filing of the application on my
first door, a great amount of time and effort was expended both in
conceiving and in developing the world's first railroad car door
hydraulic system for these purposes, and in the first invention,
each of the crank arms was controlled by a separate hydraulic
cylinder and each of four latches was itself controlled by a
separate hydraulic cylinder, totalling eight hydraulic
cylinders.
However, after all that research, it was found that the operation
of a door of that description was not satisfactory because of lack
of sychronization of the operation of the various crank arms. If
one crank arm met with greater resistance in the process of its
turning, then all the hydraulic fluid would simply operate the
other three crank arm cylinders until they were further fully
operated before there would be sufficient pressure placed on the
crank arm having the greatest resistance to cause it to then
operate. This was erratic in operation and very unsatisfactory.
During the development of my earlier eight-cylinder hydraulic
system, it had seemed logical to have a separate cylinder at each
crank arm because if a door is to be hydraulic instead of
mechanically operated, it seemed logical to have it operate as
completely as possible with hydraulics. However, my earlier
"all-hydraulic" door operated unsatisfactorily and erratically, as
described.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A door and hydraulic actuation assembly comprising a sliding door
of the plug type used on railroad cars and having two right and two
left wheel-carrying crank arm assemblies journalled to the door by
shafts, right side and left side vertical torque members connecting
shafts of the right crank arm assemblies and of the left crank arm
assemblies, respectively, right and left side torque-control
hydraulic cylinder means operating said right and left side torque
members, respectively, door latching assemblies controlled by
latching cylinder means, manually controllable hydraulic pressure
supply means reversibly operating said torque-control hydraulic
cylinder means, and sequencing means responsive to operations of
the torque control hydraulic cylinder means and automatically
sequencing operation of the latching means and the torque
members.
The combination described further having lock means comprising at
least one plunger openable check valve disposed at one of the ports
of one of said door control cylinder assemblies, said plunger
openable valve having a housing provided with a passage
therethrough, the passageway having an enlarged portion at that one
end thereof which is the end nearest the respective cylinder, and
having a restricted portion at its other end, said passageway
portions being separated by a valve seat, a valve ball cooperative
with said valve seat and disposed on the cylinder side of the valve
seat, spring means mounted on the housing for holding the valve
ball in a position for closing the passageway by engagement with
the seat, an enlarged plunger portion snugly slidable in the
restricted portion of the passage, a connector plunger portion
disposed between the first mentioned plunger portion and the valve
ball, and connecting the two so that when fluid presses on the end
of the plunger which is opposite the ball, the ball will move away
from the seat for opening the valve, a port extending through the
housing with its inner end in communication with the passageway at
a point intermediate between the ball and the farther end of the
plunger, whereby fluid can flow out through the port when the valve
is open and whereby fluid flowing inwardly through the port will
depress the spring for opening the valve.
The door having at least one tandem latch assembly comprising a
plurality of latches moving in parallelism and connected by a
tandem bar operated by a single hydraulic latch control
cylinder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 shows the door of this invention in side elevation as seen
from the outer side of a railroad car, only certain broken away
portions of the railroad car being shown in section near latches,
portions of tracks on which the door slides being shown in various
parts of the door being broken away to show the interior
construction.
FIG. 2 is a detail showing the right hand door control cylinder in
top plan view and adjacent parts as seen in section along the line
2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a detail of the hydraulic pump reservoir and valve
assembly of FIG. 1, the pump handle being shown in dotted lines to
indicate its reciprocating action.
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the hydraulic system of the
door of this invention, the pump being shown in a different
physical position than in FIG. 1 for convenience of illustration of
the connection of the lines thereto.
FIG. 6 is a detail showing of the plunger-openable valve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1 the door of this invention is generally
indicated at 10 and is adapted for operation in upper and lower
guiding and supporting door tracks 12 and 14, which latter are
attached to the side of a railroad car, not shown, except for small
portions of the door jamb 30 of the railroad car as shown in
section because the forward portions of the door jamb have been
broken away to show latches there beneath as later described.
When the door is in an open position it is slid along the tracks 12
and 14 until it is completely to one side of a doorway opening,
which latter is indicated at 40.
As shown in FIG. 1, the door is in a closed and latched position
nested into the doorway 40, and plugging the doorway opening 40. In
that sense it can be called a plug-type door.
An actuation mechanism, generally indicated at 50, is provided for
laterally moving the door outwardly so as not to plug the opening
40 and having two generally horizontally extending upper crank arms
52 and 54, one on the left and one of the right side of the door
disposed above the upper edge 56 of the door. The crank arms 52 and
54 are each rotatably journalled at one end portion of each to the
upper section of the door, such journalling being accomplished by
shaft means 60 and 62 at the right and left, and attached to arms
52 and 54, respectively, the shaft means 60 and 62 being rotatably
supported in bearings 64 which are attached to the door 10 on its
frame which can be generally designated by the numeral 68.
The other and outer end of each crank arm 52 and 54 has an upwardly
extending track engaging means 70 mounted thereon, and engaging the
upper door track in a manner for slidable travel along the door
track 14.
The crank arms 52 and 54 and the track engaging means 70 can each
respectively be called a right and a left upper crank arm assembly
generally indicated at 76 and 78.
The door further has a lower right and a lower left crank arm
assembly 80 and 82 respectively, comprising crank arms 84 and 86
journalled to the door by shafts 88 and 90, which are received in
bearings 92 and 94, which latter are attached to the door frame
68.
The crank arms 86 and 84 face inwardly at times when the door is in
a closed position, as also do the crank arms 52 and 54.
The ends of the crank arms 84 and 86 which are opposite the shafts
88 and 90 have track engaging assemblies 100 mounted thereon, which
latter makes sliding and guiding engagement with the lower door
track 12, while permitting the swinging of the arms 84 and 86 with
respect to the track engaging assemblies 100.
The crank arms 52 and 54, 84 and 86, together with the shaft 60,
62, 88 and 90 define four crank arm and shaft means assemblies,
comprising right side door top and bottom shaft means assemblies 76
and 80 and left side door top and bottom shaft means assemblies 78
and 82.
A right side synchronizing connector assembly generally indicated
at 110 connects the shaft means 60 and 88 on the right side.
A left side synchronizing connector assembly 112 connects the
respective shaft means 62 and 90 of the left side crank arm and
shaft means assembly 78 and 82.
It is a new feature of this invention, as distinguished from my own
earlier hydraulic door mentioned above, that the right side and
left side synchronizing connector assemblies 110 and 112 are each
free of hydraulic cylinder and hydraulic cylinder line means in the
sense that these as such are not used as a primary means of
affecting synchronization of rotation of the respective shafts 60
and 88 and 62 and 90.
The movement of the door 10 into and out of the door opening 40 for
closing and opening the door is accomplished by door control
hydraulic cylinder assembly means, generally indicated at 120, and
more specifically comprising right and left door control cylinder
assemblies, generally indicated at 130, and each comprising a
hydraulic cylinder 600, having a shaft 602, having its outer end
connected by a clevis 603 to an arm 604, each arm 604 being
connected to a respective one of the shafts 88 or 90, depending
upon whether the cylinder assembly is respectively on the right
side or left side of the door 10.
Each cylinder 600 is pivotally mounted on the frame 68 of the door
by suitable means shown at 605 in FIGS. 2 and 3, so as to swing
freely about a vertical pin 606.
As best seen in FIG. 1 the right side and left side of the
synchronizer connector means 110 and 112 respectively, each
comprise a rigid elongated vertical torque member 611 or 612
respectively. The right side torque member 611 is a pipe which
extends over but it is rigidly fixed to the lower end of the upper
right side shaft 60 and the upper end of the lower right side shaft
88.
Likewise the left torque 612 is a pipe receiving and rigidly
connected to the lower end of the upper left side shaft means 62
and connected to the upper end of the lower left side shaft means
90.
Referring to FIG. 1, the door has latch means generally indicated
at 400 thereon for movement into extended latching position and
into retracted unlatching position.
The particular form or place of the latching means of the door is
quite independent of the remainder of the hydraulic features of the
door and it can be understood that latches can be put around the
door and at any various places. However, for purposes of
illustration right and left side tandem latching assemblies 406
will be described. In each of these assemblies there are upper and
lower spaced latches 410 which are connected to the door frame 68
by any suitable means such as guide supports 412, whereby the
latches 410 are adapted to slide horizontally in the guide support
412 so as to move into and out of latch receiving notches 414 in
the door jamb.
The ends of the latches 410 which are closest to the center of the
door are pivotally connected by a right and left tandem bar 420 and
the tandem bar 420 extends substantially vertically and are caused
to move horizontally to the right and left by a connection thereto
of the shaft 430 of latch control cylinder assemblies 440. Each
assembly 440 has its cylinder 760 suitably attached to the door
frame 68 and its shaft 430 pivotally connected to the respective
tandem bar 420 by a clevis 442 which permits pivoting about a
horizontal axis through the clevis so that the bars 420 are adapted
to pivot slightly although their main motion is only to the right
or left.
Suitable means is shown at 444 for connecting each cylinder 760 to
the frame 68 and the connecting means 444 can be the same as a
connecting means 605 earlier described herein, and used for the
attachment of the door control cylinders 600.
A hydraulic fluid reservoir 514 is shown in FIG. 1 and it is
mounted above a pump 516 having a long hand lever 518 which is
adapted to reciprocate in a vertical plane parallel to the door 10
between an upright position shown in full lines in FIG. 4 and an
inclined dotted line position, shown in FIG. 4, such reciprocation,
repeated back and forth by an operator, being adapted to operate
the pump 516 for drawing fluid from the reservoir 514 through a
line 517, the pump 516 having an outlet side connected by a line
519 to a valve 510, all as shown in FIG. 5, although it is
understood that the valve 510 in FIG. 5 is shown in a theoritcal
position for convenience of illustration of its hydraulic line,
whereas the valve 510 is actually mounted on the door in the
position shown in FIG. 1 and with its operating lever 500 swingable
back and forth in a horizontal plane between two stops 501, best
seen in FIG. 5.
In operation, and referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, to close the door 10
when it is opposite to the door opening 40, the operating lever 500
of valve 510 is swung into a full-line position shown at 500 in
FIG. 5, and as the pump handle 518 is reciprocated, fluid from the
reservoir 514 will pass through line 517 and pump 516 through the
line 518 and valve 510 and out through a valve port through a first
main line 524 down to lines 530 and 532 which respectively lead to
first ports 538 and 536 of left and right tees 540 and 542.
The tees 540 and 542 have second ports 549 respectively connected
to left and right spring-operated check valves 570
respectively.
Fluid flows through the left and right check valves 570 into the
first end ports 571 of the door control cylinders 600, on which the
check valves 570 are mounted in directions for causing the
cylinders 600 to extend for closing the door.
While this is going on, fluid is also passing out through the
second end ports 620 at the other ends of the door control
cylinders 600 through cross fittings 640 and from the cross
fittings 640 out through lines 650 to a general return line 660
leading back to a port 670 of the valve 510, through the valve 510
and through a line 520 back to the reservoir 514.
After the door control cylinders 600 have extended sufficiently,
ends of the clevises 603 on the rods of the cylinders 600 will
strike plungers 692 of door latching and unlatching sequencing
valves 694 which can also be called spring-return synchronizing
valves 694.
When the plungers 692 of the spring-return valves 694 are
depressed, then the valves 694 will allow fluid to flow from third
ports 720 of tees 540 and 542, through lines 722, through the
spring-return synchronizing valves 694, through lines 732, up to
ports 740 of plunger-openable check valves 742, the latter valves
being identical in construction to the plunger-openable check
valves 570 mounted on the door control cylinders 600 and shown in
FIG. 6 later described in detail.
Fluid flowing up through the lines 732 and through the
plunger-openable check valves 742 proceed from the valves 742 into
respective latch control cylinders 760, flowing in a direction for
causing the latch control cylinder assemblies 440 to extend for
latching, since the door is being closed.
This inflow of fluid into the latch control cylinders 600 is
possible because during cylinder extending, oil flows out the other
end of the latch control cylinders 760 through ports 762, through
tees 768, through lines 770 and down to second ports of the tees
640 respectively, and from there the fluid is free to flow out
through the lines 650 and back through the main return line 660,
through the valve 510, through line 520, to the reservoir 514.
This pumping and flow is continued until the latches 410 are each
in completely extended latching position.
When the latching cylinders have extended, the latches out to their
limit, any further pressure rise in the system will be prevented by
dissipation of pressure through a pressure release valve 1200
between the lines 518 and 520 so no harm will be done by excess
pumping.
To open the door, the valve lever 500 is swung into the dotted line
position shown in FIG. 5, and the action is the reverse, in which
fluid flows out through the second main line 660, through the lines
650 entering the door control cylinders 600 in the direction for
opening the door.
During the door opening, fluid is permitted to flow out through the
other ends of the cylinders 600 only because certain lines 900 are
provided which are connected to respective spring-operated check
valves 570 and receive fluid from tees 640, the force of which
presses the balls of the check valves 570 into open position,
permitting fluid to flow through the check valves 570, out from the
cylinders 600 into the tees 542, out through the lines 532, and
through the line 524, back through the valve 510 and return line
520 to the reservoir 514.
During door opening, the first thing that must happen is for the
latching cylinders 760 to operate. Even though oil flows to both
the latching cylinders 760 and to the door opening cylinders 600,
yet the latching cylinders 760 will operate first, because their
frictional resistance is less.
The operating of the latching cylinders is as follows: First, fluid
flows through the lines 770 up through tees 768, check valves 742,
and simultaneously flowing through lines 906 to the ports 762, so
that oil flows into the cylinders 760 through the ports 762 for
retracting the latching cylinder assemblies 440.
Oil is permitted to flow out of the latching cylinder assemblies
440 through the check valves 742 only because fluid flows into the
check valves 742 from the tees 768, depressing the valve on the
inside of the check valve assemblies 742 causing it to be in an
open position thereby permitting fluid to flow therethrough from
the latching cylinders 760 out through ports 926 and through ports
740 of the check valves 742 to the lines 732.
It is important that there be check valves 1000 connected by
conduits 1002 to lines 732 and to lines 722 by conduits 1004,
permitting fluid to by-pass the sequencing valves 794 whenever
fluid is flowing through the lines 732 so it can flow to the lines
722. The sequencing valves 694 are conventional spring plunger
valves. The check valves 1000 won't let fluid flow from the lines
722 into the lines 732, but only the reverse direction.
The pressure release valve 1200 could also be called a by-pass
valve 1200.
Another important function of the pressure release valve 1200 is
that it provides a hydraulic cushioning such as described in my
earlier application cushioning the system to prevent damage from
the closing of the door with excessive force.
Referring to FIG. 6, the plunger-openable valve 570 will now be
described in detail. The valves 570 each have a housing 571 having
a passage 572 therethrough which has an enlarged part 573 disposed
closest to the adjacent hydraulic cylinder 600 and a restricted
portion 574 disposed at the other end of the passage way 572, the
two portions being separated by a valve seat 575 which receives
thereagainst a valve ball 576. Whenever there is fluid under
pressure in the cylinder 600, the force of the pressure will hold
the ball 576 in seated position preventing flow out from the
cylinder 600.
However, a plunger 577 is attached to the ball 576 and moves in a
passage-way portion 574 with its enlarged portion 579 making a snug
slidable fit, whereby fluid entering the valve 570 through the line
900 and engaging the plunger 579 will cause the plunger to open the
valve permitting flow in the direction of the arrow and out through
a port 582 in the direction of an arrow 584, the port 582 being
connected by a connector 549, as seen in FIG. 5, to the tee
542.
The plunger control valve 742 mounted near each of the latching
control cylinders 760 are each of the same construction as the
valve 570 more completely described in FIG. 6, whereby the details
of the valves 742 need not be further shown.
The valve 570 further has a spring 586 having one end engaging the
ball 576 and its other end supported on a perforated shelf 587
fixed to the valve housing 571.
The spring 586 holds the valve closed to prevent flow from the
cylinder 600 except at times when the spring is depressed by
pressure on the plunger 579 as above described, or at times when
fluid is flowing inwardly of the port 582 and depresses the ball as
is the case when fluid flows from the tee 720, having reached the
tee through the lines 524 and 532 as above described.
* * * * *