Mechanism for longitudinal door systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10773734-B2
Application number	US-201815938601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A railway car is disclosed. The railway car comprises an underframe and at least one compartment for transporting lading. The railway car comprises at least one discharge opening and a door assembly adjacent to the at least one discharge opening. The railway car comprises a discharge control system comprising at least a common linkage mounted away from a longitudinal centerline of the railway car and a secondary linkage, wherein the discharge control system is operable to move the door assembly between a first position and a second position. The railway car comprises an actuator operable to drive movement of the common linkage in connection with movement of the door assembly between the first position and the second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A railway car, comprising:
an underframe;
at least one sidewall assembly coupled to the underframe;
at least one compartment for transporting lading;
at least one discharge opening formed in the at least one sidewall assembly;
a door assembly adjacent to the at least one discharge opening;
a discharge control system comprising at least a common linkage mounted away from a longitudinal centerline of the railway car and a secondary linkage, wherein the discharge control system is operable to move the door assembly between a first position and a second position, and the common linkage is mounted proximate to a top chord coupled to the at least one sidewall assembly; and
an actuator operable to drive movement of the common linkage in connection with movement of the door assembly between the first position and the second position.

2. The railway car of claim 1 , wherein:
the common linkage comprises a torque tube; and
the actuator is operable to rotate the torque tube in a clockwise direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the torque tube and in a counterclockwise direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the torque tube.

3. The railway car of claim 1 , wherein:
the common linkage comprises a sliding beam; and
the actuator is operable to push the sliding beam relative to the longitudinal axis of the railway car and pull the sliding beam relative to the longitudinal axis of the railway car.

4. A railway car, comprising:
an underframe, the underframe comprising a center sill located at a longitudinal centerline of the railway car and defining a longitudinal axis of the railway car;
at least one sidewall assembly coupled to the underframe;
at least one compartment for transporting lading;
a first discharge opening formed in the at least one sidewall assembly;
a second discharge opening formed in the at least one sidewall assembly;
a first door assembly adjacent to the first discharge opening;
a second door assembly adjacent to the second discharge opening;
a first discharge control system comprising a first common linkage mounted away from the longitudinal centerline of the railway car, the first common linkage coupled to a first secondary linkage coupled to the first door assembly, wherein the first discharge control system is operable to open and close the first door assembly, and the first common linkage is mounted above the first discharge opening proximate to a top chord coupled to the at least one sidewall assembly;
a second discharge control system comprising a second common linkage mounted away from the longitudinal centerline of the railway car, the second common linkage coupled to a second secondary linkage coupled to the second door assembly, wherein the second discharge control system is operable to open and close the second door assembly, and the second common linkage is mounted above the second discharge opening proximate to the top chord coupled to the at least one sidewall assembly;
a first actuator operable to drive movement of the first common linkage in connection with opening and closing the first door assembly; and
a second actuator operable to drive movement of the second common linkage in connection with opening and closing the second door assembly.

5. The railway car of claim 4 , wherein:
the first common linkage comprises a first sliding beam;
the first secondary linkage comprises a first arm;
the second common linkage comprises a second sliding beam;
the second secondary linkage comprises a second arm;
the first actuator is operable to push the first sliding beam relative to the longitudinal axis of the railway car and pull the first sliding beam relative to the longitudinal axis of the railway car; and
the second actuator is operable to push the second sliding beam relative to the longitudinal axis of the railway car and pull the second sliding beam relative to the longitudinal axis of the railway car.

6. The railway car of claim 4 , wherein:
the first common linkage comprises a first torque tube;
the second common linkage comprises a second torque tube;
the first actuator is operable to rotate the first torque tube in a clockwise direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the first torque tube and in a counterclockwise direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the first torque tube; and
the second actuator is operable to rotate the second torque tube in a clockwise direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the second torque tube and in a counterclockwise direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the second torque tube.

7. The railway car of claim 4 , wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are configured to operate independently such that each of the first door assembly and the second door assembly can be separately opened and closed.

8. A method of forming a railway car, comprising:
forming a railcar underframe;
forming at least one sidewall assembly coupled to the underframe;
forming at least one compartment for transporting lading;
forming at least one discharge opening in the at least one sidewall assembly;
mounting a door assembly adjacent to the at least one discharge opening;
mounting, away from a longitudinal centerline of the railway car, at least a portion of a common linkage of a discharge control system, the common linkage coupled to a secondary linkage coupled to the door assembly, wherein the discharge control system is operable to move the door assembly between a first position and a second position, and the common linkage is mounted proximate to a top chord coupled to the at least one sidewall assembly; and
installing an actuator operable to drive movement of the common linkage of the discharge control system in connection with movement of the door assembly between the first position and the second position.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the common linkage comprises a torque tube; and
the actuator is operable to rotate the torque tube in a clockwise direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the torque tube and in a counterclockwise direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the torque tube.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the common linkage comprises a sliding beam; and
the actuator is operable to push the sliding beam relative to the longitudinal axis of the railway car and pull the sliding beam relative to the longitudinal axis of the railway car.

Assignees

• Trinity Rail Group Llc

Inventors

• Reitz Lee A
• Huck Kenneth W

Classifications

• B61D7/28

  hydraulic or pneumatic · CPC title

• B61D7/02 Primary

  with discharge openings in the bottoms (with body in two halves and discharge by tipping the halves B61D9/00) · CPC title

• B61D7/08

  with openings capable of discharging only outside the wheels · CPC title