Anti-spin/anti-drift mechanism for gear operated door

Abstract

A railcar door assembly includes a drive mechanism operably connected to elongated support members for selectively imparting rotational movement thereto, and a anti-spin/anti-drift mechanism for preventing movement of the drive mechanism beyond defined limits. The drive mechanism includes a gear segment mounted on a bearing plate, and the anti-spin/anti-drift mechanism is comprised of a shaft, a pair of ratchets at opposing ends of the shaft, and a pinion disposed on the shaft between the ratchets with the pinion engaging the gear segment. The pinion is rotated until it engages one of the ratchets for permitting the door to move to a fully opened position and preventing it from moving to a closed position. This arrangement effectively prevents undesired drifting of the door into the side of the railcar itself. Conversely, the pinion is rotated in the opposite direction to engage the other of the ratchets for permitting the door to move to a fully closed position and preventing it from moving to an open position. This prevents a lever which rotates the gear segment from unnecessary spinning.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments, the invention is now claimed to be:  
     
         1 . A railcar door assembly comprising: 
 at least one sheet member defining a front surface;    at least one elongated support member rotatably mounted to said front surface;    a drive mechanism operably connected to said elongated support member for rotating said support member about its length; and,    an anti-spin/anti-drift mechanism for preventing movement of said drive mechanism when said door is in one of a fully opened or fully closed positions, said mechanism being mounted on said sheet member adjacent said drive mechanism.    
     
     
         2 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said drive mechanism comprises a gear segment, said gear segment being mounted on a bearing plate located on said front surface of said sheet member.  
     
     
         3 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said anti-spin/anti-drift mechanism comprises a shaft, a first ratchet positioned on a first end of said shaft, a second ratchet positioned on a second end of said shaft, and a pinion mounted on said shaft between said ratchets which moves between said first ratchet and said second ratchet.  
     
     
         4 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a cover plate spaced from and mounted to said bearing plate, wherein said gear segment and said anti-spin/anti-drift mechanism are interposed between said bearing plate and said cover plate.  
     
     
         5 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising an operating mechanism operably connected to said drive mechanism for selectively rotating said drive mechanism.  
     
     
         6 . The railcar door of  claim 5 , wherein said operating mechanism comprises a lever secured to said shaft of said anti-spin/anti-drift mechanism.  
     
     
         7 . The railcar door of  claim 6 , further comprising at least one transmission member connected at a first end to said drive mechanism and at a second end to said elongated support member.  
     
     
         8 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 7 , wherein rotation of said lever rotates said gear segment for causing rotation of said transmission member and said support member.  
     
     
         9 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 8 , wherein when said railcar door is moved to a fully opened position, said pinion engages said first ratchet and said gear segment allowing rotation of said gear segment to open said door and preventing opposite rotation of said gear segment to close said door, thus preventing drifting of said door.  
     
     
         10 . The railcar assembly of  claim 8 , wherein when said railcar door is moved to a fully closed position, said pinion engages said second ratchet and said gear segment, thus allowing rotation of said gear segment to close said door and preventing opposite rotation of said gear segment to open said door, thus preventing spinning of said lever.  
     
     
         11 . A railcar door assembly comprising: 
 at least one sheet member comprising a front surface;    at least one channel disposed laterally across said front surface of said sheet member;    at least one elongated support member rotatably mounted to said channel via a mounting mechanism, said support member comprising at least one rotatable member attached to an end of said support member;    a gear segment operably connected to said elongated support member for rotating said support member, said gear segment being mounted on a bearing plate located on said sheet member front surface;    an anti-spin/anti-drift mechanism for preventing movement of said gear segment when said door is shifted to one of a predetermined fully opened position and a fully closed position, said mechanism comprising a threaded shaft, a first ratchet mounted on a first end of said shaft, a second ratchet mounted on a second end of said shaft, and a pinion which is threadably mounted on said shaft between said ratchets; and,    a cover plate mounted in spaced relation to said bearing plate, wherein said gear segment and said anti-spin/anti-drift mechanism are interposed between said bearing and cover plates.    
     
     
         12 . The railcar door of  claim 11 , further comprising an operating mechanism comprising a lever operably connected to said gear segment for rotating said gear segment.  
     
     
         13 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said operating mechanism is rotated to rotate said gear segment, and said pinion is rotated to engage said gear segment and said first ratchet, thus permitting rotation of said gear segment to open said railcar door and preventing rotation of said gear segment to close said door, thus preventing drifting of said door.  
     
     
         14 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said operating mechanism is rotated to rotate said gear segment, said pinion is rotated to engage said gear segment and said second ratchet, thus permitting rotation of said gear segment to close said railcar door and preventing rotation of said gear segment to open said door, thus preventing spinning of said lever.  
     
     
         15 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one rotatable member comprises a crank with at least one roller attached at one end thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said at least one roller is mounted on an associated track of a railcar for moving said railcar door along said track.  
     
     
         17 . An anti-drift/anti-spin locking assembly for use in an associated railcar door system including a bearing plate located on a front surface of a door, a cover plate mounted in spaced relation to said bearing plate, and a gear segment mounted to said bearing plate in interposed relation between said bearing and cover plates with said gear segment selectively rotating said door to a fully opened or fully closed position, said locking assembly comprising: 
 a shaft, a first ratchet mounted at a first end of said shaft, a second ratchet mounted at a second end of said shaft and a pinion threadably mounted on said shaft between said ratchets, said locking assembly mounted between the bearing and cover plates of the associated door system.    
     
     
         18 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 17 , wherein said pinion is rotated to engage said gear segment and said first ratchet, thus permitting rotation of said gear segment to open said railcar door and preventing rotation of said gear segment to close said door, thus preventing drifting of said door.  
     
     
         19 . The railcar door assembly of  claim 17 , wherein said pinion is rotated to engage said gear segment and said second ratchet, thus permitting rotation of said gear segment to close said railcar door and preventing rotation of said gear segment to open said door, thus preventing spinning of an associated lever of said door.  
     
     
         20 . An anti-drift/anti-spin locking assembly for use with an associated railcar door system including a bearing plate located on a front surface of a door, a cover plate mounted in spaced relation to said bearing plate, and a gear segment mounted to said bearing plate in interposed relation between said bearing and cover plates with said gear segment selectively rotating said door to one of fully opened and fully closed positions, said locking assembly comprising: 
 a shaft, a first ratchet mounted at a first end of said shaft, a second ratchet mounted at a second end of said shaft, and a pinion threadably mounted on said shaft between said ratchets, said locking assembly mounted between the bearing and cover plates of the associated door system, wherein said pinion is rotated in a first direction to engage said gear segment and said first ratchet to permit rotation of said gear segment for opening the door of the system and prevent rotation of said gear segment to close the door to thereby control drifting of the door, and wherein said pinion is rotated in a second direction to engage said gear segment and said second ratchet to permit rotation of said gear segment to close said railcar door and prevent rotation of said gear segment to open the door to thereby control spinning of an associated lever of the door.