Apparatus for transporting and handling bulk material

Claim 2

In a system for unloading a material from a vessel mounted on a car adapted for movement in a train of said cars along a right of way, the material being dispersible with a liquid to form a pumpAble mixture, each vessel being characterized in having means forming a discharge outlet in a lower portion of said vessel, the combination of nozzle means for directing a stream of liquid into said material to form a mixture therewith, said nozzle means being located independent of said car at an unloading zone on said right of way, positioning means mounting said nozzle means for movement at said unloading zone between a lowered position spaced below a selected one of said vehicles at said unloading zone and a raised position projecting through said discharge outlet of the vessel whereby said stream of liquid impinges upon said material, mixture receiving means including a sump mounted at said unloading zone for movement between a retracted position spaced below the selected vehicle and an extended position to receive the mixture discharging through said discharge outlet and to direct the mixture to a zone remote therefrom, means directing liquid under pressure to said nozzle means, control means to actuate said last mentioned means responsive to movement of the mixture receiving means to said extended position, said control means including contact sensitive means carried by said sump to actuate said means directing pressurized liquid to the nozzle means responsive to contact being established between said sump and said vessel, said contact sensitive means including a hollow annulus of an elastomeric material mounted about the upper end of said sump to contact a portion of said vessel surrounding said discharge outlet and adapted to effect a liquid-tight seal when in contact with the vessel, and a fluid contained within said annulus whereby pressurization of said contained fluid responsive to elastic flattening of said annulus upon contact thereof with the vessel establishes a control signal to actuate said means directing pressurized liquid to the nozzle means.

Claim 3

In a system for unloading a material from a vessel mounted on a car adapted for movement in a train of said cars along a right of way, the material being dispersible with a liquid to form a pumpable mixture, each vessel being characterized in having means forming a discharge outlet in a lower portion of said vessel, the combination of nozzle means for directing a stream of liquid into said material to form a mixture therewith, said nozzle means being located independent of said car at an unloading zone on said right of way, positioning means mounting said nozzle means for movement at said unloading zone between a lowered position spaced below a selected one of said vehicles at said unloading zone and a raised position projecting through said discharge outlet of the vessel whereby said stream of liquid impinges upon said material, mixture receiving means mounted at said unloading zone for movement between a retracted position spaced below the selected vehicle and an extended position to receive the mixture discharging through said discharge outlet and to direct the mixture to a zone remote therefrom, said mixture receiving means including a sump together with means to mount said sump on said positioning means for yieldable sliding movement with respect to said nozzle means whereby said nozzle means is adapted to progress into said vessel independently of said sump following contact of the latter with the vessel, an upstanding liquid supply conduit carried by said nozzle positioning means, at least one nozzle mounted up on the upper end of said conduit, said sump being mounted about and in axial sliding relationship with respect to said conduit, together with means to yieldable urge said sump upwardly with respect to said conduit, and means directing liquid under pressure to said nozzle means.

Claim 4

In a system for unloading a material from a vessel mounted on a car adapted for movement in a train of said cars along a right of way, the material being dispersible with a liquid to form a pumpable mixture, each vessel being characterized in having means forming a discharge outlet in a lower portion of said vessel, the combination of nozzle means for directing a stream of liquid into said material to form a mixture therewith, said nozzle means being located independent of said car at an unloading zone on said right of way, positioning means mounting said nozzle means for movement at said unloading zone between a lowered position spaced below a selected one of said vehicles at said unloading zone and a raised position projecting through said discharge outlet of the vessel whereby said stream of liquid impinges upon said material, mixture receiving means mounted at said unloading zone for movement between a retracted position spaced below the selected vehicle and an extended position to receive the mixture discharging through said discharge outlet and to direct the mixture to a zone remote therefrom, said mixture receiving means including a sump together with means to mount said sump on said positioning means for yieldable sliding movement with respect to said nozzle means whereby said nozzle means is adapted to progress into said vessel independently of said sump following contact of the latter with the vessel, an upstanding liquid supply conduit carried by said nozzle positioning means, at least one nozzle mounted up on the upper end of said conduit, said sump being mounted about and in axial sliding relationship with respect to said conduit, together with means to yieldable urge said sump upwardly with respect to said conduit, and means directing liquid under pressure to said nozzle means.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 2 in which said positioning means includes means to move said nozzle means in a direction along said right of way to a position with said nozzle means in substantial vertical alignment with said discharge outlet to accommodate a range of car positions along said right of way at said unloading zOne.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 3 in which said means to move the nozzle means includes a carriage mounted for back and forth movement at said unloading zone in a direction along said right of way, and said positioning means includes elevating means mounting said nozzle means on said carriage for vertical movement between said raised and lowered positions.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 2 in which said mixture receiving means includes a sump, together with collection tank means at said unloading zone, conduit means to direct a flow of said mixture from said sump to said collection tank means, and pump means to pump the mixture from the collection tank means to a zone remote therefrom.

Claim 8

Apparatus for use in transporting and handling material at an unloading zone on a railroad right-of-way, the material being dispersable with a liquid to form a pumpable mixture, the combination of a vessel for receiving said material, the vessel including a substantially flat, horizontally extending bottom wall, and lateral side walls extending upwardly and defining included angles of less than 90* with respect to said bottom wall, means forming a discharge outlet in said bottom wall including means to close said outlet for retaining the material within the vessel and to open said outlet for receiving the movement of nozzle means therethrough and to direct the mixture therethrough, a railroad car supporting the vessel for movement along the right-of-way, liquid drain means in at least one sidewall of said vessel to drain supernatant water fractions therefrom for decanting a charge of liquid and material mixture which is loaded within said vessel for transport, an annular sealing plate mounted about said discharge outlet, nozzle means for directing a stream of liquid into said material to form said mixture, said nozzle means being located independent of said vessel at said unloading zone on said right-of-way, positioning means mounting said nozzle means for movement at said unloading zone between a lowered position spaced below said car at said unloading zone and a raised position projecting through said discharge outlet whereby said stream of liquid impinges upon said material, mixture receiving means mounted at said unloading zone for movement between a retracted position spaced below said car and an extended position to receive the mixture discharging through said discharge outlet and to direct the mixture to a zone remote therefrom, said mixture receiving means including a sump together with means to mount said sump on said positioning means for yieldable sliding movement with respect to said nozzle means whereby said nozzle means is adapted to progress into said vessel independently of said sump following contact of the latter with the vessel, an upstanding liquid supply conduit carried by said nozzle positioning means, said nozzle means including at least one nozzle mounted on the upper end of said conduit, said sump being mounted about and in axial sliding relationship with respect to said conduit, together with means to yieldably urge said sump upwardly with respect to said conduit, and means directing liquid under pressure to said nozzle means.

Claim 9

Apparatus for use in transporting and handling material at an unloading zone on a railroad right-of-way, the material being dispersable with a liquid to form a pumpable mixture, the combination of a vessel for receiving said material, the vessel including a substantially flat, horizontally extending bottom wall, and lateral side walls extending upwardly and defining included angles of less than 90* with respect to said bottom wall, means forming a discharge outlet in said bottom wall including means to close said outlet for retaining the material within the vessel and to open said outlet for receiving the movement of nozzle means therethrough and to direct the mixture therethrough, a railroad car supporting the vessel for movement along the right-of-way, liquid drain means in at least one sidewall of said vessel to drain supernatant water fractions therefrom for decanting a charge of liquid and material mixture which is loaded within said vessel for transport, an annular sealing plate mounted about said discharge outlet, nozzle means for directing a stream of liquid into said material to form said mixture, said nozzle means being located independent of said vessel at said unloading zone on said right-of-way, positioning means mounting said nozzle means for movement at said unloading zone between a lowered position spaced below said car at said unloading zone and a raised position projecting through said discharge outlet whereby said stream of liquid impinges upon said material, mixture receiving means mounted at said unloading zone for movement between a retracted position spaced below said car and an extended position to receive the mixture discharging through said discharge outlet and to direct the mixture to a zone remote therefrom, said mixture receiving means including a sump together with means to mount said sump on said positioning means for yieldable sliding movement with respect to said nozzle means whereby said nozzle means is adapted to progress into said vessel independently of said sump following contact of the latter with the vessel, an upstanding liquid supply conduit carried by said nozzle positioning means, said nozzle means including at least one nozzle mounted on the upper end of said conduit, said sump being mounted about and in axial sliding relationship with respect to said conduit, together with means to yieldably urge said sump upwardly with respect to said conduit, and means directing liquid under pressure to said nozzle means.