Operating mechanism for tank car bottom valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9694828-B2
Application number	US-201514720361-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2015
Priority date	May 23, 2014
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

An operating mechanism for a bottom valve for a cargo tank of a railroad tank car, in which a valve operating lever is normally disconnected from a valve operating shaft and a valve operating shaft assembly includes a weak-link connector to prevent inadvertent opening of the bottom valve in case of derailment of the tank car.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a railroad tank car body having a centerline and including a manually operated bottom valve, a manual valve operating mechanism comprising:
(a) a valve operating shaft separate from the bottom valve and extending laterally outward and away from the centerline of the tank car body and away from the bottom valve, outside the tank car body, and having an outer end;
(b) a support bearing supported by the car body, the support bearing supporting said outer end of the valve operating shaft;
(c) a valve operating lever mounted adjacent the support bearing, on a sleeve that surrounds the valve operating shaft and that is coaxial with a central longitudinal axis of the valve operating shaft;
(d) a normally-disengaged drive mechanism, associated with the valve operating lever and requiring manual engagement with the valve operating shaft to connect the valve operating lever selectively to the valve operating shaft, in such a way that movement of the valve operating lever is effective to rotate the valve operating shaft.

2. The manual valve operating mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the normally-disengaged drive mechanism includes a drive pin that is carried on the sleeve and movable radially with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the valve operating shaft, and wherein the valve operating shaft includes a receptacle into which an end of the drive pin can be drivingly engaged.

3. The valve operating mechanism of claim 2 further including a control pin mounted on the drive pin and a control plate associated with the support bearing, the control plate defining a gate in which the control pin is located when the drive pin is not engaged in the receptacle, presence of the control pin in the gate preventing movement of the valve operating lever.

4. The manual valve operating mechanism of claim 1 wherein the valve operating shaft includes an inner part located adjacent the bottom valve and an outer part spaced apart from the bottom valve, the inner part and the outer part being arranged in an end-to-end alignment and interconnected drivingly with one another by a connector including a drive lug on one of the inner part and the outer part and a socket in which the drive lug is received on the other one of the inner part and the outer part, the connector including a sheet metal sleeve fastened to one of the inner part and the outer part and that surrounds the drive lug and the socket and is strong enough to keep the inner part and outer part aligned with each other under normal conditions, but that is weaker than either of the inner part and the outer part and weak enough to fail in the case of the car being involved in an incident that damages a part of the car body supporting the valve operating shaft, so that the sheet metal sleeve can be deformed or displaced, thereby allowing movement of the outer part of the drive shaft out of alignment with the inner part thereof.

5. The manual valve operating mechanism of claim 1 wherein the valve operating shaft includes an inner part located closer to the bottom valve and an outer part located farther from the bottom valve, the inner part and the outer part being arranged in an end-to-end alignment and interconnected drivingly with one another by a connector including a drive lug on one of the inner part and the outer part and a drive socket on the other one of the inner part and the outer part, and wherein the drive lug is received in the drive socket, and wherein the connector may be disconnected by movement of the outer part of the valve operating shaft longitudinally away from the inner part thereof.

6. The manual valve operating mechanism of claim 5 wherein the drive socket includes a U-shaped receptacle having a pair of opposed sides and a connecting member extending between the opposed sides, each one of the pair of opposed sides defining a respective one of a pair of coaxial bores, and wherein a pin extends through the coaxial bores and alongside the drive lug so as to keep the drive lug in the drive socket.

7. In combination with a railroad tank car body including a bottom valve, a valve operating mechanism comprising:
(a) a valve operating shaft extending from the bottom valve and having an outer end;
(b) a support bearing supported by the car body, the support bearing supporting said outer end of the valve operating shaft;
(c) a valve operating lever supported adjacent the support bearing and associated with the valve operating shaft, the valve operating lever being mounted on a sleeve surrounding the valve operating shaft;
(d) a normally-disengaged drive mechanism associated with the valve operating lever and arranged to connect the valve operating lever selectively to the valve operating shaft, thereby enabling the valve operating lever to rotate the valve operating shaft, the normally-disengaged drive mechanism including a drive pin movable radially with respect to the sleeve, and the valve operating shaft including a receptacle into which an end of the drive pin can be engaged; and
(e) a drive pin support assembly, the drive pin support assembly having associated therewith a spring arranged to urge the drive pin out of engagement in the receptacle.

8. The valve operating mechanism of claim 7 including a control pin extending from the drive pin and including a control plate associated with the support bearing, the control plate defining a lever-locking receptacle for the control pin and a guide slot located so as to keep the drive pin engaged drivingly in the receptacle of the valve operating shaft, so that movement of the valve operating lever can rotate the valve operating shaft.

Assignees

• Gunderson Llc

Inventors

• Saxton Gregory J
• Thomas Bradley J
• Jurvakainen Brian J

Classifications

• B61D5/008 Primary

  Trackside means for assisting charge or discharge (for hopper cars B61D7/32) · CPC title

• F16K35/02

  to be locked or disconnected by means of a pushing or pulling action · CPC title

• F16K35/025

  said actuating element being operated manually (e.g. a push-button located in the valve actuator) · CPC title

• Y10T137/6877

  Roof, wall or floor · CPC title