Improvements in Mechanism for Controlling the Action of Railway Waggon and other Fall Down Doors and Flaps.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1898-Accepted, 1st Oct.,
1898
Improvements in Mechanism for Controlling the Action of Railway
Waggon and other Fall Down Doors and Flaps.
.
I, THOMAS OSWALD MEIN, of 22, Manbey Grove, Stratford, Essex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention is more particularly applicable to fall down doors of railway
waggons but may also be applied to other fall down doors and flaps.
In its application to railway waggon fall down doors a principal object is to
construct the mechanism in such manner that it can be readily applied to exist-
ing waggons without necessity for altering or replacing the hinges. I provide on
the door near the bottom a fulcrum pin or fulcrum pin bracket by preference
in the middle of the width of the door (or two or more such may be used) and I
provide a balancing spring or springs of metal or rubber or a combination of
both on the body or underframe of the waggon I connect the aforesaid pin and
spring by means of bellcrank or other lever gear and link or links in such manner
that the spring is either compressed or extended in the downward movement of
the door but by preference so that the resistance of the spring acts through the
greatest leverage when the weight of the door is at or about its greatest leverage.
In one form I connect a link to the aforesaid pin on the door and to the long
arm of a bellcrank lever having its fulcrum on the underframe and having its
short arm jointed to a rod passing through a helical spring which abuts against
the inside of the sole bar of the underframe, the rod having at its other end a
cap or collar which takes against the end of the spring the latter being thus
compressed when the door falls down or the mechanism may be so arranged that
the spring is extended when the door falls down.
In another form I connect the aforesaid link (or it may be two such) to one end
of a one armed lever having its other end jointed to a bracket on the outside of
the sole bar, and at an intermediate point in the lever I connect a rod which
acts with a helical spring in the manner described, the said spring being carried
by a strap or bracket from the body or underframe. Or in yet another form I
use a double arm lever one arm being connected to the link and the other to the
spring.
Improvements in Mechanism for Controlling the Action of Railway
Waggon and other Fall Down Doors and Flaps.
I, THOMAS OSWALD MEIN, of 22, Manbey Grove, Stratford, Essex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
011

page_text: to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
This invention is more particularly applicable to fall down doors of railway
waggons but may also be applied to other fall down doors and flaps.
In its application to railway waggon fall down doors a principal object is to
construct the mechanism in such manner that it can be readily applied to exist-
ing waggons without necessity for altering or replacing the hinges.
I provide on the door near the bottom a fulcrum pin or fulcrum pin bracket,
by preference in or near the middle of the width of the door (or two or more
such may be used), and I provide a balancing spring or springs of metal or
rubber or a combination of both on the body or underframe of the waggon. I
connect
ct the aforesaid pin and spring by means of bell crank or other lever gear,
and link or links, in such manner that the spring is either compressed or extended
in the downward movement of the door, but by preference so that the resistance
of the spring acts through the greatest leverage when the weight of the door is
at or about its greatest leverage.
..
In Figs. 1 and 2 a fulcrum pin A is fixed on the lower part of the door B one
end of the pin resting in the angle C and the other end being formed with an
eye through which a bolt D passes which may be one of the bolts that serve to
fasten the present hinge E. On the underframe F of the waggon is provided a
helical or other balancing spring G which by a link L and a bell crank lever HH
having its fulcrum at M on a bracket K, on the door, and by a link I, is con-
nected to the fulcrum pin A. The spring abuts at one end with a knife edge
formed on a washer G³ against the inside of the sole bar of the underframe. The
washer G is prevented from turning by a pin G which enters a hole in the
sole bar. The rod L has at its other end a cap or collar L³ which takes against
the end of the spring. The dotted lines indicate the position of the parts when
the door is lowered and the spring compressed. It will be noticed that by reason
of the proportions and arrangement of the bell crank lever the resistance of the
spring acts through the greatest leverage when the weight of the door is at or
about its greatest leverage.
Fig. 2 shows a similar arrangement but applied to a wooden underframe F.
Figs. 3 and 4 show a mechanism with laminated spring G which by a link L
is connected to the bell crank lever H H¹.
In Figs. 5 and 6 the fusee spring G is coiled round the spindle G³, one end
being secured in a recess in the spindle and the other end connected to the
bracket L3 on the underframe F by means of a screw L³. The rod L is con-
nected to the spindle G2 by the lever L¹. A box G¹ is provided to protect the
spring against dust and dirt.
In Figs. 7 and 8 the spring G is coiled round a spindle G and has one end
abutting against the underframe F while the other end is attached to a boss or
pulley L which by a chain L is connected to the bell crank lever H H¹. The
spindle G is mounted in the underframe F and in a bracket L³ thereon.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew the link I connected to a one armed lever H¹ to the
spindle M of which is attached one end of a coil spring G the other end. being
attached to a screw L on the underframe F. The spindle M of the lever H¹
works in, bearing brackets K K on the underframe.
In Figs. 11 and 12 the link I is connected to a one armed lever H¹ on the
spindle M of which the springs G are coiled and fixed at one end, said spindle
being mounted in brackets K, K, on the underframe F.
In Figs. 13 and 14 the links I are connected to a one armed lever H¹ to which
is connected a rod L carrying a helical spring G that has its abutment with a
Knife edge washer G³ in a staple or bracket L3 which is fixed to the body of the
waggon. The washer G³ is prevented from turning by a peg G4 entering a hole
in the bracket L³.
In Fig. 15, the link I from the pin A, on the door or door hinge is jointed to
one end of a lever H¹ which is hung from the bracket K on the underframe F: To

page_text: the lever H¹ is connected the rod L upon which is mounted a spring G having a
washer G³ with a knife edge which bears upon a part of the bracket K. The
spring may be enclosed in a casing.
In the arrangements described the pin A is so placed that when the door is
nearing its lowest position the centre of the pin A falls behind the centre of the
door hinge so that from this point the tendency of the spring is to hold the door
down.
Although I have shewn the pin A in all the figures as secured at one end to
the arm of the door hinge and the other end to the bracket C I may fix the said
pin by means of a bracket or brackets to any other suitable part of the door.
By means of this invention the lowering and lifting the fall down doors may
conveniently be controlled and facilitated to such an extent that an ordinary
railway waggon fall down door can be lowered without risk of damage to it and
can be lifted by a boy.
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:
1. Means for controlling and facilitating the lowering and lifting of railway
waggon doors (and of fall down doors and flaps applied to other structures) con-
sisting in a spring attached to a lever which is arranged on the underframe of
the waggon (or on some other structure) and is connected to the door by a link
all so arranged that the weight of the door when turning even through an angle
of 180° is partly supported by the spring both in lowerng and lifting, whereby
labour is saved and damage to door obviated substantially as set forth.
2. The constructions of means described and shewn for facilitating and con-
trolling the lowering and lifting of railway waggon and other fall down doors
and flaps.
T
1000
a
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.