Rapid discharge door locking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745771-B2
Application number	US-202017011545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2020
Priority date	Jul 14, 2017
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a discharge door locking system for a railcar discharge door comprises a lock piston configured to move between a first position (not engaged with an operating beam coupled to a discharge door) and a second position (engaged). The locking system comprises a first and second input. Activation of the first input moves the lock piston to the first position, and activation of the second input moves the lock piston to the second position. The first input of the locking system is coupled to a first input of an operating cylinder coupled to the operating beam. The first input of the operating cylinder is configured to move the discharge door to the open position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A railcar comprising:
an underframe;
a hopper coupled to the underframe;
a discharge door coupled to the hopper proximate the underframe;
an operating beam coupled to the discharge door and the underframe, the operating beam comprising a lock piston receiving recess;
an operating cylinder coupled to the operating beam, the operating cylinder comprising a first input and a second input, the operating cylinder configured to move the operating beam between a first position where the discharge door is in a closed position and a second position where the discharge door is in an open position, wherein activation of the first input causes the operating cylinder to move the operating beam to the first position and activation of the second input causes the operating cylinder to move the operating beam to the second position; and
a discharge door locking system coupled to the underframe, the discharge door locking system comprising a lock piston, a first input, and a second input, the discharge door locking system configured to move the lock piston between a first position where the lock piston is not engaged with the lock piston receiving recess and a second position where the lock piston is engaged with the lock piston receiving recess, wherein activation of the first input of the discharge door locking system moves the lock piston to the first position and activation of the second input of the discharge door locking system moves the lock piston to the second position;
wherein the second input of the operating cylinder is coupled to the first input of the discharge door locking system such that when the second input of the operating cylinder is activated to move the discharge door to the open position, the first input of the discharge door locking system is also activated to disengage the lock piston from the lock piston receiving recess.

2. The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the first input and the second input of the operating cylinder and the first input of the discharge door locking system comprise pneumatic inputs.

3. The railcar of claim 2 , wherein the second input of the operating cylinder is coupled to the first input of the discharge door locking system via a check valve.

4. The railcar of claim 2 , wherein the second input of the operating cylinder is coupled to the first input of the discharge door locking system via a 3-way valve.

5. The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the first input of the operating cylinder is coupled to the first input of the discharge door locking system, such that when the first input of the operating cylinder is activated to move the discharge door to the closed position, the first input of the discharge door locking system is also activated.

6. The railcar of claim 5 , wherein the first input of the operating cylinder is coupled to the first input of the discharge door locking system via a check valve.

7. The railcar of claim 5 , wherein the second input of the operating cylinder is coupled to the first input of the discharge door locking system via a 3-way valve.

8. The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the second input of the discharge door locking system comprises a spring.

9. The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the second input of the discharge door locking system comprises gravity.

10. A discharge door locking system for a railcar discharge door, the discharge door locking system comprising:
a lock piston configured to move between a first position where the lock piston is not engaged with a lock piston receiving recess of an operating beam coupled to a discharge door and a second position where the lock piston is engaged with the lock piston receiving recess;
a first input, wherein activation of the first input moves the lock piston to the first position; and
a second input, wherein activation of the second input moves the lock piston to the second position; and
wherein the first input of the discharge door locking system is coupled to a first input of an operating cylinder coupled to the operating beam, the first input of the operating cylinder configured to, when activated, move the discharge door to the open position.

11. The discharge door locking system of claim 10 , wherein the first input of the discharge door locking system comprises a pneumatic input.

12. The discharge door locking system of claim 10 , wherein the first input of the discharge door locking system is coupled to the first input of the operating cylinder via a check valve.

13. The discharge door locking system of claim 10 , wherein the first input of the discharge door locking system is coupled to the first input of the operating cylinder via a 3-way valve.

14. The discharge door locking system of claim 10 , wherein the second input of the operating cylinder is coupled to the second input of the discharge door locking system, such that when the second input of the operating cylinder is activated to move the discharge door to the closed position, the first input of the discharge door locking system is also activated.

15. The discharge door locking system of claim 10 , wherein the second input of the discharge door locking system is coupled to the first input of the operating cylinder via a check valve.

16. The discharge door locking system of claim 10 , wherein the second input of the discharge door locking system is coupled to the first input of the operating cylinder via a 3-way valve.

17. The discharge door locking system of claim 10 , wherein the second input of the discharge door locking system comprises a spring.

18. The discharge door locking system of claim 10 , wherein the second input of the discharge door locking system comprises gravity.

Assignees

• Trinity Rail Group Llc

Inventors

• Harkey Christopher C
• Mckisic Aubra D
• Huck Kenneth W

Classifications

• B61D7/28 Primary

  hydraulic or pneumatic · CPC title

• B61D7/02

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

• B61D19/005

  sliding (B61D19/008, B61D19/009 take precedence) · CPC title

• E05D15/1007

  specially adapted for use in railway-cars or mass transit vehicles · CPC title

• E05Y2900/51

  for railway cars or mass transit vehicles · CPC title