Railway rolling stock – Special car bodies – Dumping
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2001-08-28
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railway rolling stock
Special car bodies
Dumping
C105S250000, C105S299000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279487
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to hopper cars and, more particularly, to a door assembly mounted longitudinally to a bottom of a railroad hopper car to control the discharge of ballast and/or particulate matter from the hopper car.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Railroad hopper cars are provided with a plurality of designs but typically include a walled enclosure mounted on an underframe of the car. As is conventional, the underframe of the car is supported toward opposite ends thereof by the usual wheeled trucks which ride on tracks or rails. A bottom of the walled enclosure is usually provided with a series, typically one or more, of individual discharge openings for allowing the particulate matter held and transported within the enclosure to be discharged therefrom. The walled enclosure furthermore usually includes sloped or slanted walls or sheets extending upwardly from the periphery of each discharge opening to promote gravitational movements of the particulate matter toward the openings.
Various methods and devices are known in the art for individually closing the plurality of discharge openings in the walled enclosure of the hopper car. A slide gate mechanism is typically used in combination with each individual discharge opening on the hopper car. A conventional slide gate mechanism or device includes a frame which is bolted or otherwise connected to the walled enclosure on the hopper car. The frame defines an opening which, when the gate is assembled to the hopper car, is in registry with the discharge opening on the hopper car thereby permitting particulate matter to pass therethrough. A gate is arranged on the frame for sliding movement between open and closed positions relative to the discharge opening. When open, the gate permits the contents of the hopper car to gravitationally pass from the car. When closed, the sliding gate shuts off material flow through the gate. Typically, the gate is slidably driven between positions through an operating shaft assembly rotatably mounted on the frame and including a conventional rack and pinion. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, opposite ends of the operating shaft assembly are engagable by a power driven tool to drive the gate between positions.
Alternatively, a door assembly, extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the railroad hopper car, is used to control the discharge of material from the walled enclosure. Such a door assembly is well known in the art and typically includes one or more doors mounted in combination relative to each discharge opening on the underside of the hopper car. Each door is configured to swing between open and closed positions about an axis extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the hopper car. Accordingly, such known door assembly designs are limited to the width or transverse dimension of the walled enclosure of the railroad hopper car.
Existing unloading sites usually have two parallel and adjacent unloading pits that are about 36 to 40 feet in length and a yard having a capacity for storing a relatively large number of railroad hopper cars. The unloading area is typically sheltered from rain and snow and the railroad cars are spotted over the unloading pits by using two car pullers (one for each track). Locomotives are used to move the hopper cars into range of the spotters and the railroad hopper cars are usually stationary during the unloading process. When the slide gate mechanisms are opened, an operator is required to use one of three portable power drivers or tools to independently operate the sliding gate associated with each discharge opening on the railroad car. Preferably, the discharge of material from the hopper car is limited to between the tracks since any material dropped on the rails has the potential for causing a derailment and the discharged material will be contaminated.
Unloading of the railroad hopper cars using slide gate mechanisms involves three to four persons located between the two unloading pits. This arrangement allows access to both tracks from one location using three power driven tools. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, each power tool has a free end configured to interface with either end of the operating shaft assembly on the slidable gate. Each tool is configured to handle a specific style of gate or gate operating handle.
Unloading of the railroad hopper cars using transversely mounted door assemblies involves unlocking a mechanism holding the door or doors of each door assembly in a closed position relative to the discharge opening. Once the mechanism used to hold the door or doors of the door assembly in a closed position is released from its locked condition, the weight of the material within the walled enclosure forcibly opens the doors thereby effecting unloading of the railroad car.
During unloading, a hatch on a top of the covered hopper car should be opened to equalize the pressure within the walled enclosure as the particulate matter or commodity passes therefrom. Although inconvenient, failure to open a hatch on the top of the hopper car can result in the car imploding during the unloading process.
As will be appreciated, unloading of covered hopper cars involves a manually intensive effort. Moreover, time is of the essence. In view of future demands, unloading sites are preparing for quicker and easier ways to unload the hopper cars and convey the particulate matter or ballast away from the unloading pits. Some sites are preparing their unloading procedures such that the hopper cars can be unloaded while on the move rather than remaining stationary.
Thus, there is a need and a desire for a door assembly for hopper cars which allows the particulate matter stored and transported within the walled enclosure of the hopper car to be discharged rapidly from the hopper cars and between the rails with minimum operator intervention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, a primary object of this invention is to provide an apparatus comprised of a plurality of door assemblies for a hopper car which allows for rapid discharge of material held within a walled enclosure on the hopper car. The hopper car is provided with an underframe extending longitudinally of the car. As is conventional, the underframe of the hopper car is supported, toward opposite ends thereof, by wheels which ride on rails or tracks. Moreover, and as is typical, the walled enclosure on the hopper car defines two or more discharge openings through which material is discharged from the walled enclosure.
Each discharge opening of the walled enclosure on the hopper car has a discharge door assembly arranged in operable combination therewith for controlling the flow of material from the walled enclosure. Each door assembly is operable between open and closed positions. In a preferred form of the invention, each door assembly includes a pair of discharge doors longitudinally mounted to the underframe and on opposite lateral sides of the longitudinal axis of the hopper car for controlling discharge of particulate matter or material from the hopper car as a function of their position. In the illustrated form of the invention, each longitudinally mounted door is pivotally attached to the underframe of the hopper car adjacent the longitudinal centerline of the hopper car thereby promoting the discharge pattern of particulate material to an area or pattern between the wheels of the hopper car and, thus, within the width of the tracks.
Each discharge door of the door assembly is preferably provided with seal structure. The seal structure on each door preferably extends about the periphery thereof and operates in combination with the hopper car to seal closed the discharge door when moved into a closed position thereby inhibiting moisture and debris from contaminating the commodity or particulate matter transported and held within the hopper car. In a preferred form, each discharge door is furthermore provided with a vertically upturned lip extending about the periphery of the discharge
Fischer Robert T.
Galvan Guadalupe L.
Gaydos Christopher C.
Harbst John W.
Miner Enterprises Inc.
Morano S. Joseph
Olson Lars A.
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