Railroad car and door mechanism therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016101790-A1
Application number	US-201514969667-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Jan 27, 2009
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hopper car discharge outflow is controlled by closure members, at least one of which is movable. The doors are hingeless, being mounted on four bar linkages, such that the distal edge of the doors sweeps predominantly horizontally while the proximal edge of the door moves predominantly upwardly. The doors move through noncircular arcs, such that the size of the vertically projected door opening is abnormally large compared to the clearance heights of the door. The doors are driven by a longitudinal shaft that is mounted within the center sill. It drives a set of single input, double output bell cranks that drive adjacent pairs of doors, and that employs an over-center toggle to hold the doors in the closed position when the car is laded. The actuators may be mounted in shelters midway along the car, and may be offset from the centersill. The actuators may be mounted predominantly vertically such that gravity may obviate the need for a secondary lock. The doors of a transverse car need not all be of the same size. The over center may include a manual release having a fulcrum with a progressive decrease in mechanical advantage.

First claim

1 .- 14 . (canceled)

15 . A railroad hopper car having doors movable between an open condition and a closed condition, said hopper car having a door position indicator, said door position indicator including a member mounted to show that said doors are closed and locked.

16 . The railroad hopper car of claim 15 wherein said railroad hopper car has a mechanical transmission connected to drive said doors, and a mechanical motion amplifier connected between said mechanical transmission and said member mounted to show that said doors are closed and locked.

17 . The railroad hopper car of claim 16 wherein said mechanical transmission is movable to an over-center condition, and said mechanical motion amplifier is connected to activate said member mounted to show that said doors are closed and locked when said mechanical transmission is in said over-center condition.

18 . The railroad hopper car of claim 15 wherein:
said railroad hopper car has a mechanical transmission connected to drive said doors;
a mechanical motion amplifier is connected between said mechanical transmission;
said mechanical motion amplifier receives a mechanical input from the mechanical transmission and sends an amplified mechanical output to the door position indicator, said door position indicator member being driven accordingly.

19 . The railroad hopper car of claim 18 wherein:
said mechanical transmission includes a tube and an output signal member mounted to turn with said tube;
said mechanical motion amplifier includes a lever having an input location at which said lever is engageable by said output signal member of said tube, and an output location at a larger radius than said input location whereby said signal is amplified; and
said output signal member being able to disengage from said lever when said tube is turned to an open condition of said door.

20 . The railroad hopper car of claim 19 wherein said indicator has an annunciator alternately movable to show a closed condition display and an open position display.

21 . A railroad hopper car having:
at least a first hopper, said first hopper having a door mounted to control egress of lading therefrom; said car having a first door operating fitting, said first door operating fitting including an automated actuator mounted to drive said door; and said car also having a second door operating fitting, said second door operating fitting being a manually operated door over-ride.

22 . The railroad hopper car of claim 21 wherein said door operating fitting is a manual over-ride operable to close said door.

23 . The railroad hopper car of claim 21 wherein said door operating fitting is a manual over-ride operable to open said door.

24 . The railroad hopper car of claim 21 wherein said hopper car has both a first manual over-ride fitting operable manually to close said door; and a second manual over-ride fitting operable manually to open said door.

25 . The railroad hopper car of claim 21 wherein said at least one actuator includes a reciprocating piston.

26 . The railroad hopper car of claim 21 wherein:
said door is a first door of said first hopper;
said actuator is a first actuator;
a mechanical transmission connects said first actuator to said first door;
said mechanical transmission includes a lock, said lock being set when said first door is in a closed position relative to said first hopper; and
said manually operated door over-ride being operable to trip said lock, thereby releasing said first door.

27 . The railroad hopper car of claim 26 wherein:
said lock includes an over-center linkage; and
said manually operated door over-ride includes a fulcrum proximate to said over-center linkage; and
said fulcrum provides a rocking point for a lever having a short arm extending to said over-center linkage and a longer arm extending away from said fulcrum for manual operation distant from said fulcrum by an operator at trackside.

28 . The railroad hopper car of claim 21 wherein:
said door is a first door of said first hopper;
said automated actuator is a first actuator;
a mechanical transmission connects said first actuator to said first door, said mechanical transmission being driven by said first actuator to move said first door;
said mechanical transmission includes a torque tube, said torque tube being drivable by said first actuator to close said first door;
said manually operated door over-ride includes a manual actuator fitting mounted to said torque tube; and
said manual actuator fitting being operable with a pry bar to close said first door.

29 . The railroad hopper car of claim 28 wherein said manual actuator fitting is operable both (a) to crank said first door closed from an open position; and (b) to crank said first door open from a closed position.

30 . The railroad hopper car of claim 21 wherein:
said door is a first door;
said automated actuator has a reciprocating cylindrical piston;
said automated actuator is mounted in the lee of a slope sheet of said first hopper;
a mechanical transmission connects said automated actuator to said first door, said mechanical transmission being driven by said automated actuator to move said first door;
said mechanical transmission includes an over-center linkage, said over center linkage defining a releasable lock of said mechanical transmission for locking said first door in a closed position relative to said first hopper;
said manually operated door over-ride includes a fulcrum for a lever;
said fulcrum being located adjacent to said over-center linkage, whereby a person more distantly located, at trackside, may work the lever against the fulcrum to release said over-center linkage, thereby to open said first door.

31 . A railroad hopper car having:
at least a first hopper, said first hopper having a door mounted to control egress of lading therefrom; an automated actuator mounted to drive said door; said door being movable between a first position, a second position and a third position; said first position being a closed position, said second position being a partially open position, and said third position being a more fully open position; an adjustable door opening governor selectable between said partially open position and said more fully open position.

32 . The railroad hopper car of claim 31 wherein said door is movable to a fourth position, said fourth position being more fully open than said third position, and said adjustable door opening governor has alternately selectable settings corresponding to said second, third, and fourth positions of said door.

33 . The railroad hopper car of claim 31 wherein:
said first door is swingingly mounted to said railroad car by linkages, said linkages including at least a first linkage;
said first linkage has a first engagement member; and
said adjustable door opening governor includes at least a first alternately selectable second engagement member corresponding to said partially open position; and
said first and second engagement members being co-operable in mutual opposition to each other.

34 . The railroad hopper car of claim 33 wherein said first engagement member and each said second engagement member define mutually engageable stops.

35 . The railroad hopper car of claim 33 wherein:
said hopper car has an automated actuator operable to drive said first door, and a mechanical transmission linking said actuator to said first door;
said mechanical transmi

Assignees

• Nat Steel Car Ltd

Inventors

• Forbes James W
• Bis Tomasz

Classifications

• B61D7/14

  Adaptations of hopper elements to railways · CPC title

• B61D7/26 Primary

  mechanical · CPC title

• B61D7/04 Primary

  the openings being above axle level during discharge · CPC title

• B61D7/32

  Means for assisting charge or discharge · CPC title