Hopper car discharge apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE CONTROLLED DISCHARGE OF GRANULAR MATERIALS FROM A HOPPER-TYPE STORAGE COMPARTMENT OF A RAILROAD HOPPER CAR AND THROUGH A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR HOPPER DISCHARGE PORT THAT IS DEFINED BY SUITABLY APERTURED WALL SEGMENTS OF THE HOPPER ADJACENT A LOWER EXTREMITY THEREOF; WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES A SUPPORT STRUCTURE; SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE INCLUDING GENERALLY TUBULAR MOUNTING MEMBERS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE APERTURED HOPPER DISCHARGE PORT DEFINING WALL SEGMENTS ON OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SIDES OF THE DISCHARGE PORT AND BEING APERTURED SO AS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE APERTURED PORTIONS OF THE WALL SEGMENTS; A VALVE MEMBER MOUNTED WITHIN SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR SELECTIVE ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT RELATIVE THERETO AND INTO AND OUT OF OBSTRUCTING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID DISCHARGE PORT, SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL GENERALLY V-SHAPED VALVE SEGMENT PROPORTIONED TO FIT WITHIN SAID DISCHARGE PORT SO AS TO EFFECT THE COMPLETE OBSTRUCTION THEREOF WHEN IN A NORMAL POSITION; SAID CENTRAL GENERALLY V-SHAPED VALVE SEGMENT BEING IN AN INVERTED POSITION WITH THE APEX THEREOF EXTENDING INTO THE HOPPER WHEN SAID VALVE SEGMENT IS IN OBSTRUCTING RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO SAID DISCHARGE PORT; SAID VALVE MEMBER ALSO HAVING OPPOSITELY DISPOSED TUBULAR ENDS JOINED TO SAID VALVE SEGMENT; SAID TUBULAR ENDS OF SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING POSITIONED WITHIN AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURED PORTIONS OF SAID MOUNTING MEMBERS AND SAID DISCHARGE PORT DEFINING WALL SEGMENTS; MEANS MOVABLY SECURED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID TUBULAR ENDS OF SAID VALVE MEMBER FOR MAINTAINING SAID VALVE MEMBER WITHIN SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND FOR FACILITATING THE SELECTIVE ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT THEREOF FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION TO AN ALTERNATE POSITION WHEREAT CONTROLLED MATERIAL DISCHARGE OPENINGS ARE DEFINED BETWEEN SAID VALVE SEGMENT AND THE DISCHARGE PORT DEFINING WALL SEGMENTS; AND A SELECTIVELY POSITIONABLE WALL MEMBER SECURED TO SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE DISCHARGE PORT DEFINING WALL SEGMENTS; SAID SELECTIVELY POSITIONABLE MEANS HAVING A NORMAL POSITION IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HOPPER DISCHARGE PORT DEFINING WALL SEGMENTS AND IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID CENTRAL VALVE SEGMENT SO THAT A MIXING CHAMBER IS DEFINED BY SAID CENTRAL VALVE SEGMENT, SAID SELECTIVELY POSITIONABLE MEANS AND THE DISCHARGE PORT DEFINING WALL SEGMENTS; SAID TUBULAR ENDS OF SAID VALVE MEMBER DEFINING CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID DEFINED MIXING CHAMBER SO THAT AN AIR CIRCULATION PATH CAN BE ESTABLISHED THERETHROUGH AND WHEREBY THE SUCTION DISCHARGE OF MATERIAL PASSING THROUGH SAID CONTROLLED DISCHARGE OPENINGS AND INTO SAID MIXING CHAMBER CAN BE EFFECTED WITH SAID SELECTIVELY POSITIONABLE MEANS IN SAID NORMAL POSITION; SAID SELECTIVELY POSITIONABLE MEANS HAVING AN ALTERNATE POSITION THAT ALLOWS MATERIAL PASSING THROUGH SAID CONTROLLED MATERIAL DISCHARGE OPENINGS AND INTO SAID CHAMBER TO BE DISCHARGED FROM THE HOPPER-TYPE STORAGE COMPARTMENT.