Hopper car discharge gate seal assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12472994-B2
Application number	US-202217747018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2022
Priority date	May 20, 2021
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A railcar comprises a hopper coupled to a discharge assembly. The discharge assembly comprises a discharge gate, a sloped side sheet, a gasket bracket, and a seal gasket. The sloped side sheet longitudinally extends above the discharge gate when the discharge gate is closed. The gasket bracket coupled to the sloped side sheet. The gasket bracket extends longitudinally along a bottom end of the sloped side sheet. The seal gasket is positioned between the sloped side sheet and the gasket bracket. The seal gasket has a straight section and a rounded section, such that a portion of the round section of the seal gasket is left beyond the bottom end of the sloped side sheet. The seal gasket creates a seal between the sloped side sheet and the discharge gate such that the weight of a lading increases the seal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A railcar comprising:
a hopper; a discharge assembly coupled to the hopper, the discharge assembly comprising:
a discharge gate operable to move from a closed position that restricts a lading from discharging through the discharge gate to an open position that permits the lading to discharge through the discharge gate;
a first sloped side sheet longitudinally extending above the discharge gate when the discharge gate is closed;
a first gasket bracket coupled to the first sloped side sheet, wherein the first gasket bracket extends longitudinally along a bottom end of the first sloped side sheet; and
a first seal gasket positioned between the first sloped side sheet and the first gasket bracket, the first seal gasket having a straight section and a rounded section; wherein:
the first gasket bracket is mounted on top of the first sloped side sheet;
the first seal gasket is positioned above the first sloped side sheet and underneath the first gasket bracket, such that a portion of the rounded section of the first seal gasket is left beyond the bottom end of the first sloped side sheet and the bottom end of the first gasket bracket, and
the first seal gasket creates a seal between the first sloped side sheet and the discharge gate such that a weight of the lading increases the seal.

2 . The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the straight section and the rounded section of the first seal gasket combine to form a p-shaped cross section.

3 . The railcar of claim 2 , wherein:
the top portion in the p-shaped cross-section of the first seal gasket has a cylinder-shaped space, and the cylinder-shaped space is filled with a material comprising a foam-based material.

4 . The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the discharge assembly further comprises:
a second gasket bracket coupled to the first sloped side sheet, wherein the second gasket bracket extends longitudinally along the bottom end of the first sloped side sheet; a second seal gasket positioned between the first sloped side sheet and the second gasket bracket, the second seal gasket having a straight section and a rounded section; wherein:
the second gasket bracket is mounted underneath the first sloped side sheet;
the second seal gasket is positioned underneath the first sloped side sheet and above the first gasket bracket, such that a portion of the rounded section of the second seal gasket is left beyond the bottom end of the first sloped side sheet, and
the second seal gasket creates a second seal between the first sloped side sheet and the discharge gate.

5 . The railcar of claim 4 , wherein:
the first seal gasket is positioned such that the top portion in the p-shaped cross-section of the first seal gasket is facing away from the hopper; and the second seal gasket is positioned such that the top portion in the p-shaped cross-section of the second seal gasket is facing toward the hopper.

6 . The railcar of claim 4 , wherein the first gasket bracket is shaped with a first width at the top portion and a second width at a bottom portion, and the first width is larger than the second width.

7 . The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the first seal gasket is formed by at least one of a silicon-based material and a plastic-based material.

8 . The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the discharge assembly further comprises:
a second sloped side sheet longitudinally extending above the discharge gate when the discharge gate is closed; a third gasket bracket coupled to the second sloped side sheet, wherein the third gasket bracket extends longitudinally along a bottom end of the second sloped side sheet; a third seal gasket positioned between the second sloped side sheet and the third gasket bracket, the third seal gasket having a straight section and a rounded section, wherein:
the third gasket bracket is underneath the second sloped side sheet;
the third seal gasket is positioned underneath the second sloped side sheet and above the third gasket bracket, such that a portion of the rounded section of the third seal gasket is left beyond the bottom end of the second sloped side sheet, and
the third seal gasket creates a third seal between the second sloped side sheet and the discharge gate.

9 . The railcar of claim 8 , wherein the rounded section of the third seal gasket is filled with a mesh of steel-based material, wherein the rounded section of the third seal gasket is enclosed.

10 . The railcar of claim 8 , wherein the rounded section of the third seal gasket is semi-enclosed.

11 . A discharge assembly for a railcar comprising:
a discharge gate operable to move from a closed position that restricts a lading from discharging through the discharge gate to an open position that permits the lading to discharge through the discharge gate; a first sloped side sheet longitudinally extending above the discharge gate when the discharge gate is closed; a first gasket bracket coupled to the first sloped side sheet, wherein the first gasket bracket extends longitudinally along a bottom end of the first sloped side sheet; and a first seal gasket positioned between the first sloped side sheet and the first gasket bracket, the first seal gasket having a straight section and a rounded section; wherein: the first gasket bracket is mounted on top of the first sloped side sheet;
the first seal gasket is positioned above the first sloped side sheet and underneath
the first gasket bracket, such that a portion of the rounded section of the first seal gasket is left beyond the bottom end of the first sloped side sheet and the bottom end of the first gasket bracket, and
the first seal gasket creates a seal between the first sloped side sheet and the discharge gate such that a weight of the lading increases the seal.

12 . The discharge assembly of claim 11 , wherein the straight section and the rounded section of the first seal gasket combine to form a p-shaped cross section.

13 . The discharge assembly of claim 12 , wherein:
the top portion in the p-shaped cross-section of the first seal gasket has a cylinder-shaped space, and the cylinder-shaped space is filled with a material comprising a foam-based material.

14 . The discharge assembly of claim 11 , wherein the discharge assembly further comprises:
a second gasket bracket coupled to the first sloped side sheet, wherein the second gasket bracket extends longitudinally along the bottom end of the first sloped side sheet; a second seal gasket positioned between the first sloped side sheet and the second gasket bracket, the second seal gasket having a straight section and a rounded section; wherein:
the second gasket bracket is mounted underneath the first sloped side sheet;
the second seal gasket is positioned underneath the first sloped side sheet and above the first gasket bracket, such that a portion of the rounded section of the second seal gasket is left beyond the bottom end of the first sloped side sheet, and
the second seal gasket creates a second seal between the first sloped side sheet and the discharge gate.

15 . The discharge assembly of claim 14 , wherein:
the first seal gasket is positioned such that the top portion in the p-shaped cross-section of the first seal gasket is facing away from a hopper of the railcar; and the second seal gasket is positioned such that the top portion in the p-shaped cross-section of the second seal gasket is facing toward the hopper.

16 . The discharge assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first gasket bracket is shaped with a first width at the top portion and a second width at a bot

Assignees

• Trinity Rail Group Llc

Inventors

• Vande Sande Jerry W
• Andrews Carter Ray
• Mcghee Brant R
• Brown Andrew
• Huck Kenneth W

Classifications

• B61D7/02

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

• B61D7/20

  sliding · CPC title

• B61D7/22 Primary

  Sealing means thereof · CPC title