An Improved Contrivance for Automatically Unloading Trucks or Waggons.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Contrivance for Automatically Unloading Trucks or
Waggons.
I, ROBERT ARCHIBALD WHITE, of Adelaide, in the Province of South
Australia, Civil and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "AN IMPROVED CONTRIVANCE FOR AUTOMATICALLY UNLOADING
TRUCKS OR WAGGONS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The object of my invention is to provide a safe and expeditious method of
automatically unloading trucks or waggons laden with freight in bulk such as coals,
coke, ore, ballast, or other similar materials.
My invention relates more particularly to railway trucks and in this connection
is set forth in the following description. For the purpose of carrying it into effect
I provide a raised staging or siding over the permanent way connected with the
ordinary lines of traffic. This staging terminates in a trap or pit over which is
suspended a platform hinged at one end to the uprights of the staging or in the
centre upon a special pillar, and supported at the other end by bolts capable of
being withdrawn by means of levers provided for the purpose. Upon the face of
the platform a short length of rails is laid corresponding with those of the
permanent way and a transverse rail or bar against which the body of the truck
rests during the operation of unloading. At the bottom of the trap or pit I provide
suitable buffers onto which the platform can strike when the bolts previously
referred to are withdrawn, and rest until the unloading is completed. For the
purpose of automatically again raising the platform to the level of the permanent
way I secure to the axis of the hinge, balance levers having an elbow piece to which
a suitable weight or counterpoise is attached.
My invention admits of unloading trucks either from the end or from the side.
The hinge by means of which the platform is suspended may accordingly be placed
at the end or in the centre but in the latter case a special supplementary pillar or
support must be provided upon which the platform can swing.
For the purposes of my invention the ordinary railway trucks or waggons will
require little if any alteration and the shock received when striking the buffers will
be too slight to be objectionable.
In order that my "invention may be the better understood I will now proceed
to describe the same in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings, in
|which,-
Fig. I, is a side elevation of the apparatus complete showing the platform hinged
at the end for end unloading of the truck in position.
Fig. II, a side elevation of the apparatus complete for end unloading shewing the
platform hinged in the centre and truck in position.
Fig. III, a plan of the platform, balance levers and counterpoises the hinge being
shewn by dotted lines.
Fig. IV, a side elevation of the apparatus complete with truck in position for side
unloading.
Fig. V, an end elevation of the same.
Fig. VI, a sectional elevation of the same.
Fig. VII, plan of the platform of the same.
Fig. VIII, a side elevation of the apparatus shewing more particularly the stops,
stop bar and catch piece for holding the truck upon the rails.
Fig. IX, an end elevation of the same.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in all figures.
A, is the permanent way. B, short lengths of rails fixed to the platform over the

page_text: trap or pit. B¹, guard rails fixed to either side of the rails B. C, swinging platform
constructed preferably of built girders consisting of wrought iron or sheet plates and
angles. Cupper and lower plates of the platform C. C³, cross-pieces preferably
of channel iron upon which the rails B, and the guard rails B', are bolted in the
ordinary way. D, transverse rail or stop piece bolted to the cross piece C³, and
provided with stays in the ordinary way, E, truck in position for unloading.
F, safety chains one end of each of which is attached to the platform C, and the
other to the end of the undercarriage of the truck, G, truck wheels. H, hinge
bolted to the upright on one side of the trap or pit or to a central pillar provided
for the purpose. H', axis of hinge, the ends of which are prolonged and squared.
H, H, balance levers of counterpoise. H³, counterpoise. I, I, uprights at either
side of the trap or pit. I', central pillar or braced support upon the head of which
the hinge is fixed when the platform is constructed to swing from the centre.
K, K, buffers. L, unlocking lever pivotted at one end to the upright I.
L', L', bolts actuated by the lever L, and preferably connected by a shaft or rod
so as to move simultaneously. M, toothed segment projecting downwards from
underneath the platform C. M', supplementary wheel or handle. M³, gear wheel
or pinion provided with a clutch in the ordinary way for throwing in and out of
gear with the segment M. N, N, (Figs. 8 and 9) semicircles bolted to the lower
plate C, of the platform C. N', N1, projecting stops. O, stop bar sliding upon
rollers in suitable slots in the uprights I. 0, 0, recesses in stop bar O, of
sufficient width and depth to allow the stops N¹, to pass freely when opposite.
P, forked iron catch piece having the end of each fork hooked. 11, bracket bolted
to the upper plate C, of the platform C, and provided with suitable bolt or pin by
means of which the lower end of the catchpiece P, is secured. Q, bracket or elbow
pieces bolted to the undercarriage of the truck E, and of such shape as to clear the
breakshaft etc.
The method of unloading trucks by means of my improved contrivance is as
follows: The truck E, is shunted along the raised siding until the end of the
undercarriage is arrested upon the platform C, over the trap under the transverse
bar D. The loose ends of the chains F, are then secured to the undercarriage and
strained tight by means of a screw swivel provided for the purpose. The end or
side of the truck is let down and the bolts L, supporting the platform C, with-
drawn by means of the lever L. The swinging platform will then under the
influence of the loaded truck, gradually fall. The stop bar O, is moved along until
the recesses O¹, release the stop pieces N¹, and allow the platform C, to swing.
The end or side of the truck having been already lowered the contents will at once
commence to empty out and by the time the platform C, has been arrested by the
buffers K, almost the whole of the contents will have been discharged. The slight
shock with which the platform will strike upon the buffers will be sufficient to
finally throw out the remaining contents. The truck being lightened by discharge
of the contents the counterpoises H³, H³, will at once commence through the
balance levers H2, and the axis H', of the hinge H, to exert a preponderating
influence and gradually draw back the platform C, into its former position on a
level with the rails of the permanent way A. The bolts L', can then be shot
forward, the chains F, cast off, and the now empty truck E, be replaced by a full
one for further action.
For the effectual carrying into effect of the invention it is necessary that the
counter-balance levers and counterpoises should be sufficiently powerful to over-
come the weight of the platform and empty truck, and return the latter with
reasonable speed to its horizontal position. The guard rails B', should also be
sufficiently high to prevent the wheels G, from leaving the rails B, whether the
contrivance is arranged for end or side unloading.
VI,
Fig. II, shews the contrivance arranged for end unloading and Figs. V,
VIII, and IX, for side unloading, when the hinge is fixed upon the head of a
central pillar supported by suitable stays.
It is in connection with this variation of my invention that the stops N', the stop

page_text: bar O, the catch-piece P, and the bracket Q, are of special benefit. When a
truck is to be unloaded the ends of the forked catchpiece or pieces P, if one is
used on either side, are hooked over the brackets or elbow-pieces Q, by removing
the pin from the bracket P¹, and replacing them when the catchpiece is in
position.
This variation of my invention permits of discharge of contents from either end
of the truck. For this purpose buffers K, are placed upon either side of the
central pillar I, and the counterbalance levers H*, with their respective counter-
poises H³, are constructed of rigid bars. I may provide also as shewn in the
accompanying drawings a toothed segment M, the ends of which are secured to the
underframe plates of the platform C, and actuated by a gear wheel or pinion M³,
cast upon a wheel M', with an ordinary clutch attachment for throwing it in and
out of gear. By means of this contrivance of segment and pinion the platform
can be wound over so as to discharge the contents of the truck E, from either end
or side. The counterbalance levers H', may also be constructed with screw thread
and nuts or other contrivance by means of which the counterpoise weights H³, can
be raised or lowered in order to adjust their power to the weight upon the
platform C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
First. In the construction of a contrivance for automatically unloading railway
trucks or waggons a platform (such as C,) hinged at one end or at the side and
provided with counterbalance levers (such as H2,) and counterpoises (such as H³,)
substantially as herein described.
Second. In the construction of a contrivance for automatically unloading
railway trucks or waggons a platform such as C, hinged at the centre so as to
swing upon the head of a central support for end or side unloading and provided
with counterbalance levers such as H³, and counterpoises such as H³, substantially
as herein described.
Third. In the construction of a contrivance for automatically unloading railway
trucks or waggons the combination with a platform hinged at the end or side or in
the centre, of retaining bolts such as L', or their equivalents actuated by a lever
such as L, substantially as herein described.
Fourth. In the construction of a contrivance for automatically unloading railway
trucks or waggons the combination with a platform such as C, swinging upon a
central hinge such as H, of a toothed segment such as M, provided with actuating
wheel and pinion such as M', and M', capable of being thrown in and out of gear
substantially as herein described and shewn in Figs. II, and IV, and for the
purpose indicated.
Fifth. The within described contrivance for automatically unloading trucks or
waggons as a combination of parts.
Dated this 28th day of October 1890.