Rapid discharge hopper car door actuator

Claim 2

In a hopper car of the type having a bottom comprising at least one discharge opening closed by at least one hopper door hingedly secured to said hopper car and swingable between a closed position and a downwardly depending open position, said hopper door having at least one planar portion capable of being flexed between a normal planar condition and an inwardly distorted position, door-actuating means operative to move said door between said closed and open positions and adapted to impart a double-acting flex to said planar portion from said planar condition to said inwardly distorted condition and back to said planar condition as said door moves from said closed to said open position.

Claim 3

For use in a hopper car of the type having a bottom comprising at least one discharge opening closed by a plurality of hopper doors arranged in opposing relationship and hingedly secured at their top edge to door-supporting membErs extending transversely of the hopper car, said doors being swingable between a downwardly depending open position and a closed position in which their bottom edges meet in abutting relationship, said hopper doors each having one planar portion capable of being flexed between a normal planar condition and an inwardly distorted condition, a plurality of door-actuating means operative to move said doors between their open and closed position, each of said door-actuating means comprising a shaft underlying one of said door-supporting members and extending transversely of said hopper car, at least one door lever fixedly secured to said shaft, said door lever having at least one door-actuating arm projecting in the direction of the adjacent hopper door, an adjustable link member pivotally connected at one end to the projecting end of said door lever arm and pivotally connected at its opposite end to said flexible portion of said adjacent hopper door, said door lever being rotatable by said shaft to move the hopper door between its open and closed positions, said door lever arm and said adjustable link pivoting relative to each other through a dead center position and between a door-open position and a beyond dead center door-closed position, said adjustable link being axially adjustable to vary its length so that the length of said link will be sufficient to exert a positive force on said portion of said hopper door effective to flex said portion from said planar condition to said inwardly distorted condition and back to said planar condition as said door lever arm and link move through said dead center position.

Claim 4

For use in a hopper car of the type having a bottom comprising at least one discharge opening closed by a plurality of hopper doors arranged in opposing relationship and hingedly secured at their top edge to door-supporting membErs extending transversely of the hopper car, said doors being swingable between a downwardly depending open position and a closed position in which their bottom edges meet in abutting relationship, said hopper doors each having one planar portion capable of being flexed between a normal planar condition and an inwardly distorted condition, a plurality of door-actuating means operative to move said doors between their open and closed position, each of said door-actuating means comprising a shaft underlying one of said door-supporting members and extending transversely of said hopper car, at least one door lever fixedly secured to said shaft, said door lever having at least one door-actuating arm projecting in the direction of the adjacent hopper door, an adjustable link member pivotally connected at one end to the projecting end of said door lever arm and pivotally connected at its opposite end to said flexible portion of said adjacent hopper door, said door lever being rotatable by said shaft to move the hopper door between its open and closed positions, said door lever arm and said adjustable link pivoting relative to each other through a dead center position and between a door-open position and a beyond dead center door-closed position, said adjustable link being axially adjustable to vary its length so that the length of said link will be sufficient to exert a positive force on said portion of said hopper door effective to flex said portion from said planar condition to said inwardly distorted condition and back to said planar condition as said door lever arm and link move through said dead center position.

Claim 5

The structure claimed in claim 2 wherein said link comprises a link stem and a pair of link plates, said link stem having a forward end, a rearward end and sides, the forward end being pivotally affixed to said flexible portion of said hopper door, the rearward end of said stem having a set of teeth on each side thereof, each of said link plates having a forward end, a rearward end, and sides, one of said sides adjacent said forward end having a plurality of teeth, said link plates being removably affixed to the sides of said link stem with said link plate teeth engaging said link stem teeth, the rear ends of said link plates being pivotally connected to said door lever arm.

Claim 6

The structure claimed in claim 2 including an actuating beam extending longitudinally of said hopper car, a push rod pivotally connected to said beam, said push rod having an elongated slot therein with a trailing end and a forward end, a center lever having an end nonrotatively affixed to said shaft, the opposite end of said center lever having a pin slidably engaged in said push rod slot, said beam being slidable in one direction longitudinally of said hopper car so as to cause said center lever pin to be engaged by the forward end of said push rod slot to cause said center lever, said shaft and said door lever to move said hopper door from the closed to the open position, said beam being slidable in the opposite direction longitudinally of said car, whereby said center lever pin is engaged by the trailing end of said push rod slot causing said center lever, said shaft and said door lever to rotate in the opposite direction to close said door, said center lever pin being adjustable through a range of positions with respect to the end of the center lever whereby the engagement of the center lever pin by the trailing end and the forward end of said push rod slot may be varied.

Claim 7

The structure claimed in claim 4 wherein said center lever pin is eccentrically mounted with respect to a splined adjustment member selectively engageable in a correspondingly configured socket in said center lever.

Claim 8

The structure claimed in claim 4 including means for moving said actuating beam, said means including a cylinder, a piston and a piston rod in association with said cylinder, means for connecting said piston rod to said actuating beam, a source of fluid medium under pressure, said piston aNd piston rod being actuated by the introduction of said pressurized fluid medium into said cylinder, and means for controlling the said introduction of said pressurized fluid medium.

Claim 9

The structure claimed in claim 4 including means for moving said actuating beam, said means including a drive shaft and gear means operatively connected to said drive shaft and said actuating beam for converting rotary movement of said drive shaft into axial movement of said beam, and releasable means operative to lock said drive shaft against rotation.

Claim 10

The structure claimed in claim 7 wherein said drive shaft extends transversely of said hopper car and has an outwardly projecting end configured to receive a shaft-rotating element, and wherein the releasable means for locking said shaft against rotation comprises a lever arm pivotally mounted on said hopper car and movable from an inoperative position to an operative position in which said arm engages the configured end of said shaft.

Claim 11

The structure claimed in claim 8 including means operatively connected to said drive means for indicating whether said actuating beam is in the door-open or door-closed position.

Claim 12

In a hopper car of the type having sidewalls, end walls and a bottom comprising at least one discharge opening closed by a plurality of hopper doors arranged in opposing relationship and hingedly secured to door-supporting members extending between said sidewalls, certain of said door-supporting members having two doors hingedly affixed thereto, the remaining supporting members having a single door affixed thereto, said doors being swingable between a downwardly depending fully open position and a closed position wherein edge portions of opposing pairs of said doors abut each other and form a seal therebetween, said hopper doors each having at least one planar portion capable of being flexed between its normal planar condition and an inwardly distorted condition, door-actuating means for moving said hopper doors from said open position to said closed position, for locking said doors in said closed position and for releasing said doors from said closed and locked position whereby they will drop to said open position, said door-actuating means comprising a plurality of shafts extending transversely of said hopper car, one of said shafts being located below each of said door-supporting members, a door lever affixed to each end of each of said shafts, each of said door levers, affixed to those of said shafts located beneath said supporting members having two doors hingedly affixed thereto, having two door-actuating arms, each of said door levers affixed to the remaining ones of said shafts having one door-actuating arm, a link pivotally affixed to each of said door-actuating arms and said flexible portion of an adjacent hopper door, said door levers being rotatable by said shafts between a first position wherein said doors are in said closed position and a second position wherein said doors are released, stop means positioned to contact said door levers to establish said first position, said door levers and said attached links having a dead center position, said door levers and said attached links lying to one side of said dead center position when said door levers are in said first position, whereby said hopper doors are biased to said closed position, and to the other side of said dead center position when said door levers are in said second position, whereby said hopper doors are biased to said open position, said door lever arms and said attached links having an effective length when in said dead center position sufficient to cause said flexible portions of said hopper doors to flex from said planar condition to said inwardly distorted condition and back to said planar condition when said door levers are rotated from said first to said second positions, and means for rotating said shafts.

Claim 13

In a hopper car of the type having sidewalls, end walls and a bottom comprising at least one discharge opening closed by a plurality of hopper doors arranged in opposing relationship and hingedly secured to door-supporting members extending between said sidewalls, certain of said door-supporting members having two doors hingedly affixed thereto, the remaining supporting members having a single door affixed thereto, said doors being swingable between a downwardly depending fully open position and a closed position wherein edge portions of opposing pairs of said doors abut each other and form a seal therebetween, said hopper doors each having at least one planar portion capable of being flexed between its normal planar condition and an inwardly distorted condition, door-actuating means for moving said hopper doors from said open position to said closed position, for locking said doors in said closed position and for releasing said doors from said closed and locked position whereby they will drop to said open position, said door-actuating means comprising a plurality of shafts extending transversely of said hopper car, one of said shafts being located below each of said door-supporting members, a door lever affixed to each end of each of said shafts, each of said door levers, affixed to those of said shafts located beneath said supporting members having two doors hingedly affixed thereto, having two door-actuating arms, each of said door levers affixed to the remaining ones of said shafts having one door-actuating arm, a link pivotally affixed to each of said door-actuating arms and said flexible portion of an adjacent hopper door, said door levers being rotatable by said shafts between a first position wherein said doors are in said closed position and a second position wherein said doors are released, stop means positioned to contact said door levers to establish said first position, said door levers and said attached links having a dead center position, said door levers and said attached links lying to one side of said dead center position when said door levers are in said first position, whereby said hopper doors are biased to said closed position, and to the other side of said dead center position when said door levers are in said second position, whereby said hopper doors are biased to said open position, said door lever arms and said attached links having an effective length when in said dead center position sufficient to cause said flexible portions of said hopper doors to flex from said planar condition to said inwardly distorted condition and back to said planar condition when said door levers are rotated from said first to said second positions, and means for rotating said shafts.

Claim 14

The structure claimed in claim 10 including adjustment means for varying the effective combined lengths of said lever arms and Said attached links.

Claim 15

The structure claimed in claim 10 wherein said seal-forming edge portion of a first door of each of said opposing pairs is coplanar with said first door, said seal-forming edge portion of a second door of each opposing pair being turned beneath and rearwardly of said second door, said edge portion of said second door overlying and abutting said edge portion of said first door when said first and second doors are in said closed position.

Claim 16

The structure claimed in claim 10 including bristle means on said seal forming edges of said opposing pairs of hopper doors, said bristle means of said adjacent edge portions being in interdigitated relationship when said doors are in said closed position, whereby to form said seal.

Claim 17

The structure claimed in claim 10 including bristle means affixed to one of said adjacent edge portions of each of said opposing pairs of doors, said bristle means being contacted and distorted by the other of said adjacent edges of each of said pairs of doors when said doors are in said closed position.

Claim 18

The structure claimed in claim 10 wherein said means for rotating said shafts comprises an actuating beam extending longitudinally of said hopper car, a plurality of push rods pivotally affixed to said beam, each of said push rods having a slot with a trailing end and a forward end, a plurality of center levers, each of said center levers having an end nonrotatively affixed to one of said shafts, the opposite end of each of said center levers having a pin slidably engaged in one of said push rod slots; said beam being slidable in one direction longitudinally of said car whereby said center lever pins are engaged by the forward ends of said push rod slots causing said center levers, said shaft and said door levers to rotate to said second position, said beam being slidable in an opposite direction longitudinally of said car whereby said center lever pins are engaged by the trailing end of said push rod slots causing said center levers, said shafts and said door levers to rotate to said first position, said center lever pins being adjustable through a range of positions with respect to the ends of their respective center levers whereby the engagement of the center lever pins by the trailing ends and the forward ends of their cooperating push rod slots may be finely adjusted, and means for sliding said beam.

Claim 19

The structure claimed in claim 15 wherein each of said links comprises a link stem and a pair of link plates, said link stem having a forward end, a rearward end and sides, the forward end being pivotally affixed to said flexible portion of one of said hopper doors, the rearward end of said stem having a set of teeth on each side thereof, each of said link plates having a forward end, a rearward end, and sides, one of said sides adjacent said forward end having a plurality of teeth, said link plates being removably affixed to the sides of said link stem with said link plate teeth engaging said link stem teeth, whereby the effective length of the link stem can be adjusted to insure said flexure of said flexible portion of said hopper door, said rear ends of said link plates being pivotally affixed to one of said door lever arms.

Claim 20

The structure claimed in claim 15 including a splined adjustment member in association with each of said center levers, each of said center levers having a perforation configured to receive said splined adjustment member in a plurality of selected positions, each of said center lever pins being eccentrically mounted with respect to one of said splined adjustment members.

Claim 21

The structure claimed in claim 15 including means for sliding said actuating beam in said longitudinal directions, said means comprising a main drive shaft extending transversely of said hopper car and operatively connected to a geared speed reducer means, said speed reducer means having a shaft parallel to said main drive shaft, a first sprocket at one end of said speed reducer shaft, a third shaft paraLlel to said main shaft and said reducer shaft, a second sprocket affixed to said third shaft, said first and second sprockets operatively connected by an endless chain, a gear nonrotatively affixed to said third shaft, a rack affixed to said actuating beam and engaged by said gear, whereby rotation of said main shaft will be transmitted by means of said reducer, reducer shaft, endless chain and said third shaft to said gear, causing longitudinal movement of said beam through the engagement of said gear with said rack.

Claim 22

The structure claimed in claim 18 wherein the ends of said main shaft extend through said sidewalls of said hopper car, a fourth shaft extending transversely of said hopper car and in parallel spaced relationship to said main shaft, the ends of said fourth shaft extending through said sides of said hopper car and being rotatively affixed thereto, locking means nonrotatively affixed to each end of said fourth shaft, said locking means and said fourth shaft being rotatable between an unlocking position and a locking position wherein said locking means engage said ends of said main shaft preventing rotation of said main shaft.

Claim 23

In a hopper car of the type having sidewalls, end walls and a bottom comprising at least one discharge opening closed by at lest one pair of hopper doors arranged in opposing relationship, said doors being swingable between a downwardly depending open position and a closed position wherein adjacent edge portions of said pair of doors form a seal therebetween, said seal-forming edge portion of a first door of said pair being coplanar with said first door, said seal-forming edge portion of the second door of said pair being turned beneath and rearwardly of said second door, said edge portion of said second door overlying and abutting said edge portion of said first door when said first and second doors are in said closed position.

Claim 24

In a hopper car of the type having sidewalls, end walls and a bottom comprising at least one discharge opening closed by at lest one pair of hopper doors arranged in opposing relationship, said doors being swingable between a downwardly depending open position and a closed position wherein adjacent edge portions of said pair of doors form a seal therebetween, said seal-forming edge portion of a first door of said pair being coplanar with said first door, said seal-forming edge portion of the second door of said pair being turned beneath and rearwardly of said second door, said edge portion of said second door overlying and abutting said edge portion of said first door when said first and second doors are in said closed position.

Claim 25

For use in a hopper car of the type having a bottom comprising longitudinally extending frame means extending centrally of and along the sides of said car and at least one discharge opening on each side of said central frame means, at least one inner door and at least one outer door arranged in an opposing pair for each of said discharge openings, said pairs of inner and outer doors extending longitudinally of said hopper car, each of said outer doors being hingedly secured at its top edge to the adjacent one of said side frame means, each of said inner doors being hingedly secured at its top edge to said central frame means, each of said inner and outer doors of said opposed pairs being swingable between a downwardly depending open position and a closed position in which their bottom edges meet in abutting relationship, said inner hopper doors each having at least one planar portion capable of being flexed between a normal planar condition and an inwardly distorted condition, inner door-actuating means operative to move said inner doors between their open and closed positions, outer door-actuating means operatively connected between the outer and inner doors of each opposed pair to move the outer door of each pair between its open and closed positions simultaneously as the inner door of the same pair moves between its open and closed positions, said inner door-actuating means being configured to exert a positive force on said flexible portions of said inner doors to flex said portions from said planar condition to said inwardly distorted condition and back to said planar condition as said inner doors move from their closed to their open positions.

Claim 26

For use in a hopper car of the type having a bottom comprising longitudinally extending frame means extending centrally of and along the sides of said car and at least one discharge opening on each side of said central frame means, at least one inner door and at least one outer door arranged in an opposing pair for each of said discharge openings, said pairs of inner and outer doors extending longitudinally of said hopper car, each of said outer doors being hingedly secured at its top edge to the adjacent one of said side frame means, each of said inner doors being hingedly secured at its top edge to said central frame means, each of said inner and outer doors of said opposed pairs being swingable between a downwardly depending open position and a closed position in which their bottom edges meet in abutting relationship, said inner hopper doors each having at least one planar portion capable of being flexed between a normal planar condition and an inwardly distorted condition, inner door-actuating means operative to move said inner doors between their open and closed positions, outer door-actuating means operatively connected between the outer and inner doors of each opposed pair to move the outer door of each pair between its open and closed positions simultaneously as the inner door of the same pair moves between its open and closed positions, said inner door-actuating means being configured to exert a positive force on said flexible portions of said inner doors to flex said portions from said planar condition to said inwardly distorted condition and back to said planar condition as said inner doors move from their closed to their open positions.

Claim 27

The structure claimed in claim 21 wherein edge portions of said opposing pairs of hopper doors abut each other and form a seal therebetween when said doors are in said closed position, said seal-forming edge portion of a first door of each pair being coplanar with said first door, said seal-forming edge portion of the second door of each pair being turned beneath and rearwardly of said second door, said edge portion of said second door overlying and aButting said edge portion of said first door when said first and second doors of each pair are in said closed position.

Claim 28

The structure claimed in claim 21 wherein the inner doors for the discharge openings on each side of said central frame means lie opposite each other on each side of said central frame means, said inner door actuating means comprising at least one door actuating shaft underlying said central frame means and extending longitudinally of said hopper car between said inner doors, at least one door lever fixedly secured to said shaft, said door lever having two arms, one of said arms projecting in the direction of said inner door on one side of said central frame means, the other arm projecting in the direction of the inner door on the other side of said central frame means, each of said arms being connected to its adjacent inner door by an adjustable link member, each link member being pivotally connected at one end to the projecting end of its respective door lever arm and pivotally connected at its opposite end to said flexible portion of the adjacent inner hopper door, said door lever being rotatable by said shaft to move the inner hopper doors between their open and closed positions, each of said door lever arms and the adjustable link connected thereto pivoting relative to each other through a dead center position and between a door-open position and a beyond dead center door-closed position, said adjustable links being axially adjustable to vary their length so that their length will be sufficient to exert said positive force on said flexible portion of said hopper door effective to flex said portion from said planar condition to said inwardly distorted condition and back to said planar condition as said door lever arm and link move through said dead center position, and means to rotate said shaft between a position wherein said inner doors are open and a position wherein said inner doors are closed.

Claim 29

The structure claimed in claim 23 wherein each of said links comprises a link stem and a pair of link plates said link stem having a forward end, a rearward end and sides, the forward end being pivotally affixed to said flexible portion of said adjacent hopper door, the rearward end of said stem having a set of teeth on each side thereof, each of said link plates having a forward end, a rearward end, and sides, one of said sides adjacent said forward end having a plurality of teeth, said link plates being removably affixed to the sides of said link stem with said link plate teeth engaging said link stem teeth, the rear ends of said link plates being pivotally connected to said respective door lever arm.

Claim 30

The structure claimed in claim 23 wherein said means for rotating said door-actuating shaft comprises a cylinder, a piston and piston rod in association with said cylinder, said piston rod being oriented with its axis transverse the axis of said shaft, a source of fluid medium under pressure, said piston and piston rod being movable between extended and retracted positions by the introduction of said pressurized fluid medium into said cylinder, means for controlling said introduction of said pressurized fluid machine, a shaft lever nonrotatively affixed to said shaft, linkage means operatively connecting said shaft lever to said piston rod whereby as said piston rod is moved between said extended and retracted positions, said shaft is rotated between said door open and door closed positions.

Claim 31

The structure claimed in claim 23 wherein said means for rotating said door actuating shaft comprises an actuating beam oriented with its axis transverse the axis of said door-actuating shaft, a drive shaft oriented parallel to said beam and transverse said hopper car, gear means operatively connected to said drive shaft and said beam for converting rotary motion of said drive shaft to axial motion of said beam between an extended and a retracted position, a shaft lever nonrotatively affixed to said door-actuating shaft, linkage means operativelY connecting said shaft lever and said beam whereby as said beam is moved between said extended and retracted positions, said door-actuating shaft is rotated between said door-open and door-closed positions.

Claim 32

The structure claimed in claim 23 wherein said outer door-actuating means comprises at least one substantially triangular arm for each of said pairs of inner and outer doors, the lowermost corner of said arm being connected to said inner door of a pair, the intermediate corner of said arm being pivotally connected to said central frame means, and the uppermost corner of said arm being connected by an elongated link to the outer door of said last-mentioned pair.

Claim 33

In a hopper car of the type having a bottom comprising at least one discharge opening closed by a plurality of hopper doors arranged in opposing relationship and hingedly secured to said hopper car, said hopper doors being swingable between a downwardly depending open position and a closed position wherein edge portions of opposing pairs of said hopper doors abut each other and form a seal therebetween, certain at least of said hopper doors having at least one planar portion capable of being flexed between a normal planar condition and an inwardly distorted position, door actuating means operative to move said doors between said closed and open positions and adapted to impart a double-acting flex to said planar portions from said planar condition to said inwardly distorted condition and back to said planar condition as said doors move from said closed to said open position.

Claim 34

In a hopper car of the type having a bottom comprising at least one discharge opening closed by a plurality of hopper doors arranged in opposing relationship and hingedly secured to said hopper car, said hopper doors being swingable between a downwardly depending open position and a closed position wherein edge portions of opposing pairs of said hopper doors abut each other and form a seal therebetween, certain at least of said hopper doors having at least one planar portion capable of being flexed between a normal planar condition and an inwardly distorted position, door actuating means operative to move said doors between said closed and open positions and adapted to impart a double-acting flex to said planar portions from said planar condition to said inwardly distorted condition and back to said planar condition as said doors move from said closed to said open position.

Claim 35

The structure claimed in claim 28 wherein said seal-forming edge portion of a first door of each of said opposing pairs is coplanar with said first door, said seal-forming edge portion of a second door of each opposing pair being turned beneath and rearwardly of said second door, said edge portion of said second door overlying and abutting said edge portion of said first door in a line contact when said first and second doors are in said closed position.