Improvements in Portable Devices for Unloading Rail-road Cars.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Portable Devices for Unloading Rail-road Cars.
I GEORGE HENRY HULETT, of the City of Cleveland, in the County of
Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, United States of America Manufacturer do hereby
declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to an improvement in portable devices for unloading rail
road cars and it cousists in certain parts and combination of parts as will be more
fully described and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved device showing a car thereon
in the act of discharging its contents into the hold of a vessel, and Fig. 2 is a plan
view of same.
A represents a railway constructed to receive the truck B, which latter is
mounted on wheels C arranged in pairs, and is adapted to travel back and forth
parallel to the pier or water front, as shown, or parallel to bins or other
repositories designed to receive coal or material usually carried in bulk. The
wheels C are as stated arranged in pairs, each pair constituting in effect a truck,
the trucks so formed being pivotally connected to the main truck B, so as to enable
the wheels to follow inequalities in the track without straining the parts.
This truck B is provided on its upper face with a bearing or way for the rollers D
which latter are carried by the ring E. Resting on the rollers D, and secured to
the truck by a suitable king bolt or equivalent device is the rotary platform F,
which latter carries a suitable engine and boiler, or electric or other motors for
actuating the drums and other movable parts. The platform is rotated by means
of the rack and pinion ordinarily employed for that purpose, and is provided with
the uprights F and G, the former being considerably longer or higher than the
latter and connected thereto by the braces G!, G².
The two shorter uprights G are connected together at the tops and at intermediate
points if desired, while the uprights Fare also connected at their tops by the
braces G³.
Pivotally mounted on the upper ends of the shorter uprights G is the inclined
platform H, which latter consists of preferably two parallel girders located a
proper distance apart and connected at intervals throughout their length forming in
effect a platform. The platform thus formed is provided with rails, and is beveled
at a so that when in the position shown in dotted lines the beveled ends of the
rails will rest on the rails of the surface track and form a continuation thereof, so
that a car on the surface track can, by the mechanism to be hereinafter described,
be drawn up the inclined platform, discharged of its contents, and lowered onto the
same or onto another track.
The platform H is pivoted to one side of its longitudinal centre, as shown, and
is provided at its outer or shorter end with a bumper or buffer I, and adjacent to
the latter is the mouth of the discharging chute J. This chute J communicates
with a telescopic trough or spout J³ carrying at its free end movable gates, which
latter direct the coal or other contents of the car to any part of the hold or bin.
These gates are actuated by ropes or chains under the control of the operator,
whereby the discharge can be regulated both as to quantity and direction.
After the car has been discharged of its load, the platform is tilted so as to carry

page_text: the end thereof well out of the hold or bin, and the rotary platform is then turned
so as to bring the beveled end of the tilting platform over a track onto which the
empty cars are run. The platform is then swung down onto said track and the
empty car lowered, after which the platform is turned to the track having
the loaded cars thereon; and another one carried up and discharged, as described.
L is a hydraulic cylinder pivotally or loosely mounted on platform F and
provided with a planger, the free end of which is connected to the tilting platform
as shown. By means of this plunger and suitable means for forcing water therein
the tilting platform can be raised from the position shown in dotted lines, Figure 1,
to the position shown in full lines in the same figure.
By permitting the water to escape from the hydraulic cylinder the opposite end
of the platform is lowered onto the track.
The platform H is provided with a sheave H', around which passes chain M.
The free end of this chain is adapted to be attached to the car coupler, while the
opposite end thereof is secured to drum N after passing around sheaves N2 N3.
Thus when the platform is in the position shown in dotted lines, and the chain M
attached to a car the rotation of the drum N which is actuated by a suitable motor
causes the car to move up the incline until it comes in contact with the buffer. The
drum is then locked against rotation, and the platform tilted by the mechanism
previously described.
By mounting the tilting platform on a truck the entire apparatus can be moved
lengthwise the vessel so as to bring the discharging end thereof over the several
hatchways, thus permitting the entire cargo to be stored without shifting the boat.
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to details of construction,
but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall
within the spirit and scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said; inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a portable device for unloading cars, the combination with a truck and a
rotary platform mounted thereon, of a lengthwise tilting platform pivoted at one
side of its longitudinal centre to the rotary platform, and provided with a track on
which cars may be run and supported the tilting platform and rotary platform
being constructed to allow the end of the long arm of the tilting platform to be
dépressed to rest on the adjacent track below the platform and suitable means for
drawing a car upwardly on the platform when'in such inclined position, substantially
as set forth.
2. In a portable device for unloading cars, the combination with a truck and a
rotary platform mounted thereon, of a lengthwise tilting platform pivoted at one
side of its longitudinal centre to one side of the rotary platform, and provided with
a track on which cars may be run and supported, the tilting platform being con-
structed to allow the end of the long arm thereof to be depressed to rest on the
adjacent track below the platform, and suitable means for drawing a car upwardly
on the platform when in such inclined position.
3. In a portable device for unloading cars, the combination with a truck and a
rotary platform mounted thereon, of a lengthwise tilting platform pivoted to the
rotary platform, a buffer secured to the short arm of the tilting platform, and a
hopper located on the buffer, and a chute connected with the hopper, substantially
as set forth.
4. In a device for unloading cars, the combination with a rotary platform, of a
lengthwise tilting platform mounted on the rotary platform, said tilting platform
being pivoted at one side of its longitudinal centre and its longer arm constructed
of sufficient length to extend below the level of the rotary platform, means for
drawing a car onto and up said inclined platform, a buffer near the free end of the
shorter arm of said inclined platform, a chute carried by said platform through
which the material is discharged, and means for tilting the platform end wise.
.
! !

page_text: 5. In a device for unloading cars, the combination, with an inclined platform
pivoted at one side of its longitudinal centre and provided with a track on which
cars may be run and supported, the said platform being constructed to allow the
free end of the long arm thereof to be depressed below the plane of the axis of the
platform to rest on an adjacent track, of a buffer located near the free end of
the shorter arm of the platform, a chute through which the material is discharged
and a sliding trough carried by the shorter arm of the platform and adapted to
receive the material as it falls from the chute, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 6th day of March 1894.
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agent for Applicant.