Improvements in Dumping Cars.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1898-Accepted, 25th June,
1898
Improvements in Dumping Cars.
I, WILLIAM AUGUST SMITH, of Trinidad, in the County of Las Animas and
State of Colorado, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to dumping cars, principally designed for carrying coal,
ashes, dirt, ballast, and other similar material, and its object is to provide an
improved construction of the same whereby the car may be automatically dumped
or unloaded by compressed air from the reservoir carried by the locomotive and
containing air by which the brakes are operated.
Upon the trucks of an ordinary platform or freight car are supported four
parallel longitudinal beams or bars which in turn support the body of the car.
The floors or bottoms of the car each consist of a rectangular platform hingel
together at their inner edges by hinges with which are connected vertical guido
rods which pass through straps secured to the upper and lower sides of the beams.
These rods at their lower ends have stop nuts to limit their upward movement
and intermediate their ends are holes with which engage pins for holding the
rods and platforms and preventing them from turning when being loaded by a
preponderance of material near their outer edges.
Secured to the beams are brackets which support vertical air cylinders pro-
vided with pistons and piston rods. The upper ends of these piston rods aro
pivotally connected with lugs secured to the adjoining sides of the said platforms.
Connected with the lower ends of these cylinders are branch compressed air pipes
which communicate with a longitudinal pipe connected at each end of the car
with the compressed air train pipe with which is connected a branch pipe leading
to the brake cylinder. There is provided an ordinary hose coupling for the train
pipes, and a stop cock at each end of the train pipe to admit air to the brake
cylinder. The aforesaid longitudinal pipe has stop cocks and the branch pipes
have similar cocks. These cocks may be connected with the locomotive by rods
whereby they may be operated by the engineer.
When the platforms are tilted to dump the load they are supported by links
pivotally connected to the beams and the platforms. The underside of the plat-
forms has triangular lugs which engage with the beams when the platforms are
closed to hold the latter steady.
The body of the car consists of sides and ends bolted together and supported
by transverse beams. The said body may be dispensed with if desired: To pre-
vent the material on the platforms from falling off the ends when the load is
being dumped I employ triangular flanges at the ends of the platforms.
I employ an apron covering the cracks between the floors or platforms.
The operation is as follows. In normal position, the platforms are closed or
occupy a horizontal position to receive a load, the pins being inserted in the
holes of the guide rods to prevent the platforms from tilting. In this position
the cocks of the longitudinal pipe and branch pipes are closed to cut off communi-

page_text: cation between the train pipe and cylinders and the pistons are depressed. When
the car is loaded and has been carried to destination, the cocks are manipulated
to permit air from the train pipe to enter the cylinders raising the pistons
and tilting the platforms to dump the load. The cock in the branch pipe is
constructed so that as it is closed to cut off air supply to the cylinder it will open 5
to the atmosphere to allow the air in the cylinder to escape and the piston to
descend.
Dated this 31at dow of August 1807
improvements in Dumping Cars.
I, WILLIAM AUGUST SMITH, of Trinidad, in the County of Las Animas and
State of Colorado, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this 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 dumping cars, principally designed for carrying coal,
ashes, dirt, ballast and other similar material, and its object is to provide an
improved construction of the same, whereby the car may be automatically dumped
or unloaded by compressed air from the reservoir carried by the locomotive and
containing air by which the brakes are operated.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts herein-
after fully described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section of a
dumping car constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the same on the line Figure 1, showing the
hinged bottoms opened to dump the load, also showing the wheels and trucks.
Figure 3 is a similar section on the line y-y, Figure 1, showing the bottoms
closed, also illustrating the guide rod for holding the Hoors or bottoms straight.
Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of one of the stop-cocks.
In the said drawing the reference numeral 1 designates the trucks and 2 the
wheels of an ordinary platform or freight car. The numerals 3 and 4 designate
four parallel longitudinal beams or bars supported on the trucks and which in
turn support the body of the car. The numeral 5 designates the floors or bottoms
of the car, each consisting of a rectangular platform, hinged together at their
inner or adjoining edges by hinges 6, with which are connected vertical guide
rods 7, which pass through straps 8, secured to the upper and lower sides respect-
ively, of the beams or timbers 3 and 4.
These rods at their lower ends are provided with stop nuts 9, for limiting their
upward movement and intermediate their ends are formed with holes 10, with
which engage pins 12, for holding the rods and the platforms with which they
are connected and preventing the latter from turning when being loaded, by a
preponderance of material near their outer edges.
Secured to the beams or timbers 4, near each end of the same are brackets 13,
which support vertical air cylinders 15, provided with pistons 16, and piston
rods 17. The upper ends of these piston rods are pivotally connected with lugs 18,
secured to the adjoining sides or edges of the said platforms. Connected with
the lower ends of these cylinders are branch compressed-air pipes 19, which com-

page_text: municate with a longitudinal pipe 20, connected at each end of the car with the
compressed air train pipe 21, with which is connected a branch pipe 23, leading
to the brake cylinder. The numeral 24, designates the ordinary hose coupling for
the train pipes and a stop cock at each end of pipe 21, for admitting air to the
brake cylinder. The pipe 20 is also provided with stop cocks 27, and the branch
pipes 19 with similar cocks 28. These cocks may be connected with the loco-
motive by suitable rods not shown, if desired, whereby they may be operated by
the engineer or locomotive driver.
The numeral 30 designates links pivotally connected at their lower ends with
lugs 31 secured to the beams 3, and at their upper ends pivoted to lugs 32, on
the lower sides of the hinged and tilting platforms. These links serve to support.
the platforms when the latter are tilted to dump the load. Also secured to the
under side of said platforms are triangular lugs 34, which engage with the beams 3,
when the platforms are closed to hold the latter. steady..
The body of the car consists of the sides 35, and ends 36, suitably bolted together
and supported by the end transverse beams 37, secured to the beams 3 and 4.
The said body may be dispensed with, however, if desired. The numeral 38,
designates triangular flanges at the ends of the platforms to prevent the material
on the same from falling off the ends thereof when the load is being dumped.
The numeral 39, designates an apron covering the crack between the floors or
platforms.
The operation is as follows: In normal position the platforms are closed or
occupy a horizontal position, as seen in Figure 3, ready to receive a load, the pins 12,
being inserted in the holes 10 of the guide rods 7, to prevent the platforms from
turning or tilting. In this position the cocks 27 and 28 are closed to cut off
communication between the train pipe and cylinders 15 and the pistons 16 are
depressed. When the car is loaded and has been carried to destination, the
cocks 26 are closed and cocks 27 and 28 are opened, and air from the train pipe
will enter said, cylinders raising the pistons and tilting the platforms so as to
dump the load. The cock 28 is so constructed that as it is closed to cut off the
air supply to the cylinder, it will open to the atmosphere, so as to allow the air
in the cylinder to escape and the piston to descend.
The car body is to be strengthened by suitable brace rods if necessary, to
prevent the ends and sides from sagging.
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 dumping car, the combination with the hinged platforms forming the
bottom thereof, of the air cylinders, the pistons, the piston rods pivotally con-
nected with said platforms, the longitudinal and branch compressed air pipes
and the stop cocks, substantially as described.
2. In a dumping car, the combination with the longitudinal beams or timbers,
the hinged platforms, and the links pivotally connected with said beams and
platforms, of the air cylinders, the pistons, the piston rods pivotally connected
with said pistons, and the air pipes provided with stop cocks, connected with
said cylinders, substantially as described.
3. In a dumping car, the, combination with the longitudinal beams or timbers,
the hinged platforms, the guide rods connected therewith provided with stop
nuts at their lower ends and formed with holes or apertures and the pins passing
through said holes, of the air cylinders, the pistons, the piston rods, pivotally
connected with said platforms, the air pipes and the stop cocks, substantially
as described.
;
4. In a dumping car, the combination with the longitudinal beams, the hinged
platforms, the flanges at the ends thereof, the triangular lugs on the under sides
of said platforms, the guide rods having stop nuts, and formed with holes, the
pins engaging with said holes, and the links pivotally connected with said beams

page_text: and with the platforms, of the air cylinders, the pistons, the piston rods pivotally
connected with the platforms and the compressed air pipes and stop cocks, sub-
stantially as described.