US3807318A — Resilient hopper car outlet gate seal

Claim 1

Independent Claim 362 words

A top seal for hopper outlet gate assemblies defining a funneling portion formed by four planar sheets in downwardly converging relation and forming an outlet opening, and a gate movable across said opening to open and close same, said top seal arrangement comprising: a seal strip formed to fit into and complement the assembly funneling portion and disposed adjacent to but above the outlet opening, said strip being of open centered quadrilateral configuration defining rectilinear sides merging into corners at adjacent ends of the respective sides, said strip comprising a stripping of resilient flexible material sealing material formed to define for each side of the strip a mounting portion of generally flat contour and angled to substantially complement the assembly funneling portion sheet that the respective strip sides are to engage, and an inwardly projecting lip portion proportioned to overhang the margin of the outlet opening, said lip portion of each strip side defining a flap that projects centrally of the strip open center beyond the plane of the mounting portion thereof and substantially parallel to the plane of strip open center, said flaps defining an upwardly facing side adapted to be engaged by the lading when in the funneling portion, and a downwardly facing side disposed for face to face engagement with the gate of the assembly to which the seal is applied, when such gate closes the assembly opening, said mounting portion along each strip side having a generally flat backing plate embedded therein with the backing margins being covered by said sealing material on the underside of same whereby said backing plates are mechanically connected to the respective strip sides, each of said backing plates having one or more mounting bolts extending therethrough with said bolts having their heads of polygonal configuration that are embedded in said sealing material above the respective backIng plates and shanks that project through the respective backing plates for application through holes formed in the gate assembly sheets, said strip mounting portions being relatively stiff and said strip lip portions being relatively flexible, said stripping being of one piece construction with said portions of each side thereof being adhered by affinity between the two.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 362 words

A top seal for hopper outlet gate assemblies defining a funneling portion formed by four planar sheets in downwardly converging relation and forming an outlet opening, and a gate movable across said opening to open and close same, said top seal arrangement comprising: a seal strip formed to fit into and complement the assembly funneling portion and disposed adjacent to but above the outlet opening, said strip being of open centered quadrilateral configuration defining rectilinear sides merging into corners at adjacent ends of the respective sides, said strip comprising a stripping of resilient flexible material sealing material formed to define for each side of the strip a mounting portion of generally flat contour and angled to substantially complement the assembly funneling portion sheet that the respective strip sides are to engage, and an inwardly projecting lip portion proportioned to overhang the margin of the outlet opening, said lip portion of each strip side defining a flap that projects centrally of the strip open center beyond the plane of the mounting portion thereof and substantially parallel to the plane of strip open center, said flaps defining an upwardly facing side adapted to be engaged by the lading when in the funneling portion, and a downwardly facing side disposed for face to face engagement with the gate of the assembly to which the seal is applied, when such gate closes the assembly opening, said mounting portion along each strip side having a generally flat backing plate embedded therein with the backing margins being covered by said sealing material on the underside of same whereby said backing plates are mechanically connected to the respective strip sides, each of said backing plates having one or more mounting bolts extending therethrough with said bolts having their heads of polygonal configuration that are embedded in said sealing material above the respective backIng plates and shanks that project through the respective backing plates for application through holes formed in the gate assembly sheets, said strip mounting portions being relatively stiff and said strip lip portions being relatively flexible, said stripping being of one piece construction with said portions of each side thereof being adhered by affinity between the two.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 38 words

The seal set forth in claim 1 wherein: said sealing material is polyurethane, and said strip mounting portions have a durometer on the order of 90 and said lip portions have a durometer on the order of 55.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 45 words

The seal set forth in claim 2 wherein: said flaps are of tapered transverse cross-sectional configuration with the thicker portion being at the free edges of same, whereby tendencies of said flaps to flex upwardly of said strip open center due to shrinkage are avoided.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 49 words

The seal set forth in claim 1 wherein: said backing plates terminate short of said strip corners whereby adjacent ends of said backing plates are spaced apart at said strip corners to accommodate tolerance variations at the corresponding corners of the hopper assembly to which the seal is applied.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 348 words

In a hopper outlet gate assembly defining a funneling portion formed by four planar sheets in downwardly converging relation and forming an outlet opening, and a gate movable across said opening to open and close same, a top seal arrangement therefor comprising: a seal strip formed to fit into and complement the assembly funneling portion and disposed adjacent to but above the outlet opening, said strip being of open centered quadrilateral configuration defining rectilinear sides merging into corners at adjacnet ends of the respective sides, said strip comprising a stripping of resilient flexible material sealing material formed to define for each side of the strip a mounting portion of generally flat contour and angled to substantially complement the assembly funneling portion sheet that the respective strip sides engage, and an inwardly projecting lip portion overhanging the margin of said opening, said lip portion of each strip side defining a flap that projects centrally of the strip open center beyond the plane of the mounting portion thereof and substantially parallel to the plane of the outlet opening, said flaps defining an upwardly facing side adapted to be engaged by the lading and a downwardly facing side disposed for face to face engagement with the gate when the latter closes said opening, said mounting portion along each strip side having a generally flat backing plate embedded therein with the backing margins being covered by said sealing material on the underside of same whereby said backing plates are mechanically connected to the respective strip sides, each of said backing plates having one or more mounting bolts extending therethrough with said bolts having heads of square configuration that are embedded in said sealing material above the respective backing plates through holes formed in the gate assembly sheets, nut means applied to the respective bolt shanks to fix said seal strip in place within the gate assembly, said strip mounting portions being relatively stiff and said strip lip portions being relatively flexible, said strip being of one piece construction with said portions of each side thereof being adhered by affinity between the two.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 348 words

In a hopper outlet gate assembly defining a funneling portion formed by four planar sheets in downwardly converging relation and forming an outlet opening, and a gate movable across said opening to open and close same, a top seal arrangement therefor comprising: a seal strip formed to fit into and complement the assembly funneling portion and disposed adjacent to but above the outlet opening, said strip being of open centered quadrilateral configuration defining rectilinear sides merging into corners at adjacnet ends of the respective sides, said strip comprising a stripping of resilient flexible material sealing material formed to define for each side of the strip a mounting portion of generally flat contour and angled to substantially complement the assembly funneling portion sheet that the respective strip sides engage, and an inwardly projecting lip portion overhanging the margin of said opening, said lip portion of each strip side defining a flap that projects centrally of the strip open center beyond the plane of the mounting portion thereof and substantially parallel to the plane of the outlet opening, said flaps defining an upwardly facing side adapted to be engaged by the lading and a downwardly facing side disposed for face to face engagement with the gate when the latter closes said opening, said mounting portion along each strip side having a generally flat backing plate embedded therein with the backing margins being covered by said sealing material on the underside of same whereby said backing plates are mechanically connected to the respective strip sides, each of said backing plates having one or more mounting bolts extending therethrough with said bolts having heads of square configuration that are embedded in said sealing material above the respective backing plates through holes formed in the gate assembly sheets, nut means applied to the respective bolt shanks to fix said seal strip in place within the gate assembly, said strip mounting portions being relatively stiff and said strip lip portions being relatively flexible, said strip being of one piece construction with said portions of each side thereof being adhered by affinity between the two.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 38 words

The seal set forth in claim 5 wherein: said seal material is polyurethane, and said strip mounting portions have a durometer on the order of 90 and said lip portion have a durometer on the order of 55.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 47 words

The seal set forth in claim 5 wherein: the flap of the side of said seal under which the forward edge of the gate moves in moving toward the closed position of the gate is tapered for being cammed upwardly on camming engagement therewith by the gate.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 40 words

The seal set forth in claim 7 wherein: the flap of the side of said seal toward which the forward eDge of the gate moves in moving toward the open position is squared off for wiping engagement with the gate.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 44 words

The seal set forth in claim 5 wherein: said flaps are of tapered transverse cross-sectional configuration with the thicker portion being at the free edges of same, whereby tendencies of said flaps to flex upwardly of the outlet opening due to shrinkage are avoided.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-04-29	1977-10-29	1978-04-30	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-04-29	1981-10-29	1982-04-30	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-04-29	1985-10-29	1986-04-30	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Resilient hopper car outlet gate seal

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag