Locking arrangement for hopper car doors

Claim 2

In a railway hopper car including a hopper having a discharge opening, a door pivotally connected to said hopper for downward and lateral swinging movement relative to said opening between closed and open positions, the improvement including a locking arrangement comprising: a lock housing supported on said hopper adjacent said discharge opening, said housing having a cylindrical cavity including an open end slot defining a gathering jaw, a cylindrical lock rotor generally concentrically rotatably supported in said cavity, said rotor including an open end notch registering in one open position of said rotor with said gathering jaw, a lock member on said door being engageable within said notch during swinging movement of said door to a closed position thereby rotating said rotor and notch out of registry with said gathering jaw into lock position to lock said door over said opening and yieldably biased locking means for releasable engagement of said rotor to lock the same against rotation in said lock position, said locking means being located to bias said rotor in impact opposition to said lock member coincident with said notch and said gathering jaw being in registry.

Claim 3

The invention in accordance with claim 1, said locking means including, a reciprocating plunger, and a recess in said rotor engaged by said plunger in said lock position.

Claim 4

The invention in accordance with claim 2, including biasing means on said housing urging said plunger into said rotor recess.

Claim 5

The invention in accordance with claim 3, said housing including a slideway within which said reciprocating plunger is positioned, an actuating link connected to said plunger for reciprocating the same, said biasing means including, a spring held captive within said slideway.

Claim 6

The invention in accordance with claim 2, including biasing means urging said plunger into said recess in one position of said rotor and against the outer peripheral surface of said rotor in another position.

Claim 7

The invention in accordance with claim 2, including linkage means connected to said plunger for retracting said plunger from locking engagement with said rotor.

Claim 8

The invention in accordance with claim 6, said linkage means including a pair of links interconnected by lost motion connecting means.

Claim 9

The invention in accordance with claim 7, including first and second biasing means for urging said plunger into locking relation with said rotor, said first biasing means being in engagement with said plunger, and said second biasing means being connected to said linkage means.

Claim 10

The invention in accordance with claim 1, including stop means on said rotor and said housing for limiting rotation of said rotor between open and lock positions.

Claim 11

The invention in accordance with claim 9, said stop means including; a stop pin projecting into said cavity, and a peripheral recess within said rotor having end wall portions alternately engaged by said stop pin in the open and closed positions of said rotor.

Claim 12

The invention in accordance with claim 1, including an elongated notch in said housing, and said locking means including a pin slidingly disposed within said elongated notch, said pin being visible to indicate the lock or unlock position of said locking means relative to said rotor.

Claim 13

In a railway hopper car including a hopper having a discharge opening, a door pivotally connected to said hopper for downward and lateral swinging movement relative to said opening between closed and open positions, the improvement including a locking arrangement comprising; a lock housing supported on said hopper adjacent said discharge opening, said housing having a cylindrical cavity including an open end slot defining a gathering jaw, a cylindrical lock rotor rotatably supported in said cavity, said rotor including an open end notch in one open position of said rotor registering with said gathering jaw, a lock member on said door during swinging movement of said door to a closed position being engageable within said notch thereby rotating said rotor and notch out of registry with said gathering jaw into lock position to lock said door over said opening, stop means on said rotor and said housing for limiting rotation of said rotor between open and lock position, said stop means including, a stop pin projecting into said cavity, a peripheral recess within said rotor having end wall portions alternately engaged by said stop pin in the open and closed positions of said rotor, an elongated notch in said housing, and locking means including a pin slidingly disposed within said elongated notch, said pin being visible to indicate the lock or unlock position of said locking means relative to said rotor.

Claim 14

In a railway hopper car including a hopper having a discharge opening, a door pivotally connected to said hopper for downward and lateral swinging movement relative to said opening between closed and open positions, the improvement including a locking arrangement comprising; a lock housing supported on said hopper adjacent said discharge opening, said housing having a cylindrical cavity including an open end slot defining a gathering jaw, a cylindrical lock rotor rotatably supported in said cavity, said rotor including an open end notch in one open position of said rotor registering with said gathering jaw, a lock member on said door during swinging movement of said door to a closed position being engageable within said notch thereby rotating said rotor and notch out of registry with said gathering jaw into lock position to lock said door over said opening, stop means on said rotor and said housing for limiting rotation of said rotor between open and lock position, said stop means including, a stop pin projecting into said cavity, a peripheral recess within said rotor having end wall portions alternately engaged by said stop pin in the open and closed positions of said rotor, an elongated notch in said housing, and locking means including a pin slidingly disposed within said elongated notch, said pin being visible to indicate the lock or unlock position of said locking means relative to said rotor.

Claim 15

In a railway hopper car including a hopper having a discharge opening, a door pivotally connected to said hopper for downward and lateral swinging movement relative to said opening between closed and open positions, the improvement including a locking arrangement comprising; a lock housing supported on said hopper adjacent said discharge opening, said housing having a cylindrical cavity including an open end slot defining a gathering jaw, a cylindrical lock rotor rotatably supported in said cavity, said rotor including an open end notch in one open position of said rotor registering with said gathering jaw, a lock member on said door during swinging movement of said door to a closed position being engageable within said notch thereby rotating said rotor and notch out of registry with said gathering jaw into lock position to lock said door over said opening, said housing having locking means releasably engaging said rotor to lock the same against rotation in said lock position, said locking means including, a reciprocating plunger, and a recess in said rotor engaged by said plunger in said lock position, linkage means connected to said plunger for retracting said plunger from locking engagement with said rotor, said linkage means including a pair of links interconnected by lost motion connection means.

Claim 16

In a railway hopper car including a hopper having a discharge opening, a door pivotally connected to said hopper for downward and lateral swinging movement relative to said opening between closed and open positions, the improvement including a locking arrangement comprising; a lock housing supported on said hopper adjacent said discharge opening, said housing having a cylindrical cavity including an open end slot defining a gathering jaw, a cylindrical lock rotor rotatably supported in said cavity, said rotor including an open end notch in one open position of said rotor registering with said gathering jaw, a lock member on said door during swinging movement of said door to a closed position being engageable within said notch thereby rotating said rotor and notch out of registry with said gathering jaw into lock position to lock said door over said opening, said housing having locking means releasably engaging said rotor to lock the same against rotation in said lock position, said locking means including, a reciprocating plunger, and a recess in said rotor engaged by said plunger in said lock position, linkage means connected to said plunger for retracting said plunger from locking engagement with said rotor, said linkage means including a pair of links interconnected by lost motion connection means.

Claim 17

The invention in accordance with claim 13, including first and second biasing means for urging said plunger into locking relation with said rotor, said first biasing means being in engagement with said plunger, and said second biasing means being connected to said linkage means.

Claim 18

In a railroad hopper car including a hopper having a discharge opening, door means pivotally connected to said hopper for swinging movement relative to said opening between door closed and open positions, the improvement including; door locking and unlocking linkage means having a locking arrangement couplable with said door means connecting with one end thereof, and door unlocking and locking operating means connecting with the other end of said linkage means for unlocking the locking arrangement and for returning the linkage means to a closed door locking position prior to the locking arrangement moving to a closed door locking position, first biasing means connecting with said locking arrangement urging said locking arrangement to a door locking position, second biasing means connecting with said operating means and said linkage means and urging said linkage means toward a door locking position, and lost motion connection means connecting with said linkage means and said first biasing means and operable to allow said linkage means to be urged to said door locking position prior to the locking arrangement moving to the door locking position.

Claim 19

In a railroad hopper car including a hopper having a discharge opening, door means pivotally connected to said hopper for swinging movement relative to said opening between door closed and open positions, the improvement including; door locking and unlocking linkage means having a locking arrangement couplable with said door means connecting with one end thereof, and door unlocking and locking operating means connecting with the other end of said linkage means for unlocking the locking arrangement and for returning the linkage means to a closed door locking position prior to the locking arrangement moving to a closed door locking position, first biasing means connecting with said locking arrangement urging said locking arrangement to a door locking position, second biasing means connecting with said operating means and said linkage means and urging said linkage means toward a door locking position, and lost motion connection means connecting with said linkage means and said first biasing means and operable to allow said linkage means to be urged to said door locking position prior to the locking arrangement moving to the door locking position.

Claim 20

The invention in accordance with claim 15, and said locking arrangement including a locking jaw rotor member having a first notch, a housing means about the rotor member having a second door receiving notch for registry with said first notch, a plunger within the housing and a recess in the rotor cooperative to receive the plunger for maintaining the notches out of registry with one another attendant to retaining the door means in the locked position, the door having previously engaged the notches when in registry, and moved the notches out of registry, said first biasing means urging said plunger into said recess for holding the door means by the rotor notch in the locked position.

Claim 21

The invention in accordance with claim 16, and said plunger carrying a flag means visible from the exterior of the housing indicating when the locking arrangement is in the door locked position.

Claim 22

The invention in accordance with claim 16, and stop means on the housing and the rotor member limiting movement of the rotor member attendant to registry of the notches.

Claim 23

The invention in accordance with claim 16, said operating means including a crank arm having an outer end connecting with the second biasing means and with the linkage means coupling with the first biasing means.

Claim 24

The invention in accordance with claim 15, and each of said biasing means comprising spring means.

Claim 25

The invention in accordance with claim 15, and said linkage means including first and second link sections, said lost means motion connection means including a slot portion of the first link section and a pin portion of the second said link section cooperative with the slot portion for relative movement of the first link section with respect to the second link section.

Claim 26

The invention in accordance with claim 15, said door means including a pair of opposed doors on each side of the hopper for closing each hopper side, said linkage means including a pair of link units, said first biasing means including a pair of biasing units, said lost motion connection means including a pair of lost motion connection units, said locking arrangement including a pair of locking units, said operating means including a pair of operating parts, each of said doors having its own lock units operatively associated with its own biasing unit, lost motion connection unit, link unit and operating part, whereby each lock unit can be in door locking position independently of the other lock unit.

Claim 27

The invention in accordance with claim 22, and said operating means being a crank and each of said operating parts being an arm of said crank constrained for movement with the other arm.

Claim 28

The invention in accordance with claim 15, said second biasing means being connected to said operating means and said linkage means being connected to said operating means and to said lost motion connection means and said locking arrangement being connected to said lost motion means.