US3871278A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Railroad grain door
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-10-31
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Granted: 1975-03-18
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Expires: 1993-10-31
Abstract
Abstract A reusable, semi-permanently installed unitary grain door for railroad box cars is provided. In the preferred form corrugated fiberglass reinforced plastic panels are hinged together and supported by the uppermost panel. In each form of the invention, the door may be stored in the box car at the upper portion thereof by folding the panels upwardly so as to permit use of the car for purposes other than hauling of grain.
Inventors
- 👤 Kent P Shoemaker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 12:06
CPC Classifications
B; B61; B61D; B61D19/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
242 words
A light weight grain door for a side loading railroad box car of a weight to be conveniently manually moveable by a single operator which is adapted to be semipermanently installed and to be storable adjacent the roof of the box car when the car is used for purposes other than hauling grain, said door being mountable to said box car without modification of said box car interior, comprising a plurality of panel members each of a length to span and overlap onto the door posts on each side of a box car door opening, said panels being consecutively joined by hinge means intermediate adjacent-panels at the long edges of said panels to form a panel assembly, the total width of the combined panels being the major portion of the height of a railroad box car door opening, the topmost of said panels including bolt means for joining the opposite end portions thereof to the door posts of said box car door opening below the top of said opening and on the interior side of said opening to thereby provide the sole support and mounting means for positioning said panels adjacent said door posts for the balance of said panels when in a closure position on said box car door, said bottom panel defining a plurality of openings therethrough for draining grain from behind said grain door, the bottom panel of said panel assembly including movable cover means for exposing said openings.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
242 words
A light weight grain door for a side loading railroad box car of a weight to be conveniently manually moveable by a single operator which is adapted to be semipermanently installed and to be storable adjacent the roof of the box car when the car is used for purposes other than hauling grain, said door being mountable to said box car without modification of said box car interior, comprising a plurality of panel members each of a length to span and overlap onto the door posts on each side of a box car door opening, said panels being consecutively joined by hinge means intermediate adjacent-panels at the long edges of said panels to form a panel assembly, the total width of the combined panels being the major portion of the height of a railroad box car door opening, the topmost of said panels including bolt means for joining the opposite end portions thereof to the door posts of said box car door opening below the top of said opening and on the interior side of said opening to thereby provide the sole support and mounting means for positioning said panels adjacent said door posts for the balance of said panels when in a closure position on said box car door, said bottom panel defining a plurality of openings therethrough for draining grain from behind said grain door, the bottom panel of said panel assembly including movable cover means for exposing said openings.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A grain door in accordance with claim 1 wherein the end portions of said panels which face the inner surface of the box car door post have compressible strip of material joined thereto to form a seal with a box car door post.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A grain door in accordance with claim 1 wherein said panels are corrugated fiberglass reinforced plastic.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A grain door in accordance with claim 3 wherein the hinge means joining said panels is a piano hinge extending the length of said panels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
A grain door in accordance with claim 3 wherein at least the outermost edges of the convolutions forming the corrugations of said panels facing the door post of a box car are filled by a filler material to form a plane surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A grain door in accordance with claim 5 wherein said plane surface has a compressible strip of material joined thereto for forming a seal with a box car door post.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A grain door in accordance with claim 5 wherein said filler material is rigid polyurethane foam.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A grain door in accordance with claim 3 wherein said panel members have joined thereto along the length thereof angle iron reinforcing members.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
57 words
A grain door in accordance with claim 3 wherein at least one of said panels below said top panel includes temporary and removable clamp means on the outer side thereof adjacent each end thereof for holding said panel in engagement with the box car door post when the box car is empty prior to filling with grain.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
140 words
In combination a railroad box car having side opening doorways and a grain door, said grain door comprising a plurality of panel members of a leength to span said doorways, said panels being consecutively joined by hinge means intermediate adjacent panels at the long edges of said panels to form a panel assembly, the total width of said panels being the major portion of the height of said doorway, means joining the remote ends of the topmost panel to inner side of the doorposts of said doorway below the top of said opening so that the balance of said panels are supported in position adjacent said doorposts solely from said top panel with the lowermost panel in contact with the floor of said box car, the bottom panel of said panel assembly including movable cover means for exposing said openings.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
140 words
In combination a railroad box car having side opening doorways and a grain door, said grain door comprising a plurality of panel members of a leength to span said doorways, said panels being consecutively joined by hinge means intermediate adjacent panels at the long edges of said panels to form a panel assembly, the total width of said panels being the major portion of the height of said doorway, means joining the remote ends of the topmost panel to inner side of the doorposts of said doorway below the top of said opening so that the balance of said panels are supported in position adjacent said doorposts solely from said top panel with the lowermost panel in contact with the floor of said box car, the bottom panel of said panel assembly including movable cover means for exposing said openings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-03-17 | 1978-09-16 | 1979-03-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-03-17 | 1982-09-16 | 1983-03-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-03-17 | 1986-09-16 | 1987-03-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |