Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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RAIL ROAD HOPPER CAR FITTINGS
AND METHOD OF OPERATION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of rail road freight cars, and, in
particular to rail
road freight cars such as may employ bottom unloading gates.
Background
There are many kinds of rail road cars for carrying particulate material, be
it sand or
gravel aggregate, plastic pellets, grains, ores, potash, coal or other
granular materials. These
materials are not liquid, yet may in some ways tend to flow in a somewhat
liquid-like
manner. Many of those cars have an upper opening, or accessway of some kind,
by which
the particulate is loaded, and a lower opening, or accessway, or gate, by
which the particulate
material exits the car under the influence of gravity. Clearly, while the
inlet opening need
not necessarily have a movable gate (but may include a cover to discourage
contamination of
the lading or exposure of the lading to the wind), the outlet opening requires
a governor of
some kind that is movable between a closed position for retaining the lading
while the lading
is being transporting, and an open position for releasing the lading at the
destination. The
terminology "flow through" or "flow through rail road car" or "center flow"
car, or the like,
may sometimes be used for cars of this nature where lading is introduced at
the top, and
flows out at the bottom.
Consider, for example, a hopper car for transporting aggregate, be it gravel
or sand.
The hopper may have a converging hopper discharge section that has the shape,
generally
speaking, of an inverted four sided, truncated pyramid. At the truncated
bottom end, there
may be a stationary plate and a moving plate, or door. When the moving plate
and the
stationary plate are brought together, the door is closed. The car is filled
with lading, and is
hauled to its destination. At the destination, the gate is opened, and the
lading is allowed to
escape from the hopper. However, it sometimes happens that, for example, the
car may
move while the gate is still obstructed by lading, such that the gate may tend
to "plow" the
aggregate. This may not necessarily lead to the retention of the original
geometry of the
closure, and, after a time, the gate may tend not to close as well as it might
originally have
done, or as might be desired. A number of considerations arise from dealing
with this kind
of issue. First, it may be helpful to diminish, or to avoid, the tendency to
distort the
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geometry of the door closure in the first place. Second, if the door seal
region is prone to
damage or abuse, it may be helpful to be able to replace the parts most likely
to wear or be
damaged relatively easily, rather than having to replace what might otherwise
be considered
permanent structure. Third, it is a consideration that parts employed in this
kind of use may
face an abrasive environment, even in normal, non-abusive operation. Fourth,
particularly if
the car is intended to be used with fine aggregates, such as sand, it may be
desirable to
employ a door seal that may tend to be somewhat tolerant of geometric
mismatch, or
creeping tolerances as parts are either damaged or bent out of shape.
Summary of the Invention
In an aspect of the invention, there is a door seal member for a gate of a
hopper of a
rail road car. The door seal member has at least one fitting by which to
secure the door seal
member to one of (a) a movable closure member; and (b) another closure member
co-
operable with the movable member to form a closure. The door seal member also
has a
deflecting portion, and a land portion for engagement with the other of (a)
the other member;
and (b) the movable member. The deflecting portion is movable in a direction
that, when the
fitting is installed, includes an inward component of displacement relative to
the hopper.
The land portion is connected to the deflecting portion, and is movable to
cause the
deflecting portion to be displaced in that direction of closing of the hopper
gate.
In another feature of that aspect of the invention, the door seal member
stores energy
when deflected. In an additional feature, the door seal member is made of a
material having
a rated yield strength of more than 70 ksi. In still another feature, the door
seal member has
a yield strength of greater than 100 ksi. In a further feature, the land and
the deflecting
portion are parts of a monolith. In yet another feature, the door seal member
includes a bent
lip located distant from the fitting, and the land is part of the bent lip. In
a still further
feature, the deflecting portion adjoins the fitting, and the land is formed on
a portion of the
door seal member connected to the deflecting portion distant from the fitting.
In still another feature, there is a door seal assembly that incorporates the
door seal
member of that aspect of the invention. The door seal assembly includes a
second door seal
member. The second door seal member has a proximal portion and a distal
portion. The
proximal portion is attachable to the same one of (a) the movable member; and
(b) the
stationary member, as the first door seal member. The distal portion extends
away from the
fitting, and has a first door seal member contact distant from the fitting.
When assembled,
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the land of the first door seal member lies more distant from the fitting than
the first door
seal member contact of the second door seal member. At least a portion of the
deflecting
portion lies more proximate to the fitting than the contact. The first door
seal member is
movable in engagement with the contact when the movable member and the
stationary
member come together, and the land is deflected. In a further feature, the
contact includes
one of (a) a fulcrum; and (b) a rocker, against which the first door seal
member acts. In still
another feature, when assembled, the reinforcement is a backing member, and
the land of the
seal member is, when installed, cantilevered beyond the contact.
In another aspect of the invention, there is a door seal assembly for a
closure of a
hopper discharge section of a rail road hopper car. The discharge section is
movable
between a closed position for retaining lading in the hopper and an open
position for
permitting the release of lading from the hopper. The hopper discharge section
includes a
first closure member and a second closure member. At least one of the first
and second
closure members is movable. The first and second closure members are co-
operable. The
door seal assembly includes a first member and a co-operating second member.
The first
member and the second member are securable to the first closure member of the
discharge
section of the hopper. The first member, when installed, extends from the
first closure
member, and when installed, the second member presents a fulcrum to the first
member. The
first member has a first portion that, when installed, lies between a locus of
securement
thereof and the fulcrum. The first member, when installed, has a second
portion cantilevered
beyond the fulcrum.
In a feature of that aspect of the invention, the second portion includes a
land that, on
installation, is oriented to face predominantly toward the second closure
member, and' is
operable to engage at least a portion of the second closure member when the
first and second
closure members come together. In another feature, in operation, the second
portion engages
at least a portion of the second closure member, and, when so engaged, the
second portion
deflects in a first direction, and the first portion deflects in a reactive
direction. In a further
feature, the reactive direction is a direction that includes a component of
direction that is
inwardly with respect to the hopper. In a still further feature, when the
first and second
closure members are in a closed condition the first portion of the first seal
member is
exposed to lading placed in the hopper, and the first portion of the first
seal member is
operable under the influence of lading bearing thereagainst to cause the
second portion of the
first seal member to bear more tightly against the second closure member.
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In still another feature, in operation, the second portion of the first member
of the
door seal assembly deflects in a first direction on engagement of the first
and second closure
members, and the first portion of the first member deflects in a predominantly
opposite
direction. In yet another feature, as installed, the first portion of the
first seal member faces
inwardly toward, and is exposed to, lading borne by the hopper, and the first
portion is
operable under the influence of lading bearing thereagainst to urge the second
portion of the
first seal member to bear more forcefully against the second closure member.
In another
feature, the first seal member has an intermediate portion between the first
and second
portions thereof, and, in operation, the intermediate portion works against
the fulcrum as the
first and second closure members come together. In another further feature,
the first seal
member has a locus of contact against the fulcrum, and has slope continuity at
that locus of
contact. In another feature, the first seal member is operable to carry a
bending moment
across the fulcrum between the first and second portions of the first seal
member. In a
further feature, the second portion of the first seal member includes a bent
lip. In still
another feature, the fulcrum of the second member is cantilevered away from
the first
closure member of the discharge section.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is a hopper discharge section
of a rail
road hopper car, the discharge section being movable between a closed position
for retaining
lading in the hopper to a open position for permitting release of lading from
the hopper. The
hopper discharge section includes a first closure member and a second closure
member. At
least one of the first and second closure members is movable, and the first
and second
closure members are co-operable. The discharge section also includes a door
seal assembly.
The door seal assembly includes a first member and a co-operating second
member. The
first member and the second member are securable to the first closure member
of the
discharge section of the hopper. In the open condition, the first closure
member includes a
hopper slope sheet extension, the hopper slope sheet extension providing a
surface against
which lading to be discharged may slide, the surface having an angle of
inclination. The first
member is mountable to extend from the first closure member, and the second
member is
mountable to present a fulcrum to the first member. The first member has a
first portion that,
when installed, lies between the fulcrum and the discharge portion of the
hopper, and a
second portion cantilevered beyond the fulcrum. In the open condition, the
first member lies
in a position that is one of (a) substantially flush with; and (b) shy of, the
surface of the slope
sheet extension.
In another feature of that aspect of the invention, in the closed condition,
at least part
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of the first portion of the first member of the seal assembly is located in a
position that is
proud of the position of that member when the door is open. In a further
feature, in the
closed condition, at least part of the first portion of the first member of
the seal assembly lies
proud of the surface of the slope sheet.
In another aspect of the invention there is a hopper discharge section that
has
substantial structural reinforcement closely adjacent to the lower margin of
the hopper at
which the hopper discharge section has closure members, of which at least one
is movable.
In a feature of that aspect of the invention, the closure members may be
reinforced along
their outwardly facing sides by substantial structural members. In one
feature, those
structural members may form closed hollow sections. In another feature, the
distal margin of
a movable closure member has a substantial structural reinforcement running
therealong. In
an additional feature, the reinforcement of the door margin may be a channel
section. In
another feature, the margin may include a doubler plate.
In another aspect of the invention, there is a method of operating a discharge
section
of a hopper car. The method includes establishing the car in an empty
condition. A pair of
closure members of the discharge section are brought together, that bringing
together
activating a seal member. The step of activating includes causing a part of
the seal member
to deflect inwardly relative to the hopper. In another feature, the method
includes
introducing lading into the hopper to bear against a portion of the seal
member, and, in so
bearing, causing the seal to seat more tightly.
These and other aspects and features of the invention may be understood with
reference to the description which follows, and with the aid of the
illustrations of a number
of examples.
Brief Description of the Figures
The description is accompanied by a set of illustrative Figures in which:
Figure la is a general arrangement, isometric view of a rail road freight car;
Figure lb is a side view of the rail road freight car of Figure la;
Figure lc is a top view of the rail road freight car of Figure la;
Figure ld is lateral cross-section of the rail road freight car of Figure la,
taken on
section ld ¨ ld' of Figure lb;
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Figure le is a longitudinal cross-section of the rail road freight car of
Figure la,
taken on section 'le ¨ le' of Figure ld;
Figure 2a is a plan view of a ridge plate member for the freight car of Figure
la;
Figure 2b is an isometric detail of the ridge plate of Figure 2a, as
installed; and
Figure 2c is an enlarged detail of the railroad freight car of Figure le.
Figure 3a is an enlarged detail of the side view of Figure la, showing a
hopper
discharge assembly with a gate in a closed position;
Figure 3b is a view similar to Figure 3a, but with the gate in an open
condition;
Figure 3c shows a rear perspective view of a movable closure member of the
gate of
Figure 3b under construction with side sill and outboard side sheet removed;
Figure 3d shows an isometric view of the discharge assembly of Figure 3a taken
from below, outboard, and behind the door crank, with the movable door
removed to reveal the geometry of the hopper discharge throat;
Figure 3e shows an isometric view of the discharge assembly of Figure 3a from
below, outboard, and behind a fixed hopper discharge slope sheet;
Figure 3f shows a detail of a lip of the discharge assembly of Figure 3a as
seen with
the movable door in an open condition;
Figure 3g shows a similar detail of the lip in a closed condition;
Figure 3h is a detail of a section of the gate of Figure 3a;
Figure 3i is a detail of the door of Figure 3c taken on section '31 ¨ 3i' of
Figure 3h;
Figure 4a shows an isometric view of an alternate door assembly to that of the
gate
of Figure 3a;
Figure 4b shows a plan view, from in front, of the door assembly of Figure 4a;
Figure 4c shows a top view of the door assembly of Figure 4a;
Figure 4d shows a side view of the door assembly of Figure 4a;
Figure 4e shows a sectional view of the door assembly of Figure 4a taken on
section
'4e ¨ 4e' of Figure 4b;
Figure 5a shows a detail of an alternate gate assembly to that of Figure 3h;
Figure 5b shows a detail of a further alternate gate assembly to that of
Figure 3h;
Figure 5c shows still another alternative gate assembly to that of Figure 3h;
Figure 5d shows yet another alternative gate assembly to that of Figure 3h;
Figure 6a shows a scab isometric view of a portion of an alternate embodiment
of
gate assembly to that of Figure 3a;
Figure 6b shows a sectional view of the gate assembly of Figure 6a, analogous
to the
view of Figure 31;
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Figure 6c shows a detail of the gate assembly of Figure 6a taken on section 6c
¨ 6c'
of Figure 6b;
Figure 6d shows a section of an alternate gate assembly to that of Figure 6a;
Figure 7a shows an isometric view of an alternate railroad car to that of
Figure la,
the near side beam of the car being removed to reveal internal detail;
Figure 7b shows a side view of the railroad car of Figure 7a with some
portions
showing hidden details of a door mechanism;
Figure 7c shows a top view of the railroad car of Figure 7a;
Figure 7d shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the rail road car of
Figure 7b
taken on section '7d ¨ 7d'; and
Figure 7e shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the rail road car of
Figure 7b
taken on section le ¨ 7e'.
Figure 7f shows a cross-sectional view of the rail road car of Figure 7a with
the
sidewall removed, and viewed on an angle downwardly and inwardly toward
the center sill;
Figure 7g shows a perspective view of a gate assembly of the rail car of
Figure 7a,
looking on an upward and inboard angle;
Detailed Description
The description that follows, and the embodiments described therein, are
provided by
way of illustration of an example, or examples, of particular embodiments of
the principles,
aspects or features of the present invention. These examples are provided for
the purposes of
explanation, and not of limitation, of those principles and of the invention.
In the
description, like parts are marked throughout the specification and the
drawings with the
same respective reference numerals. The drawings are not necessarily to scale
and in some
instances proportions may have been exaggerated in order more clearly to
depict certain
features of the invention.
The terminology used in this specification is thought to be consistent with
the
customary and ordinary meanings of those terms as they would be understood by
a person of
ordinary skill in the rail road industry in North America. Following from
decision of the
CAFC in Phillips v. AWH Corp., the Applicant expressly excludes all
interpretations that are
inconsistent with this specification, and, in particular, expressly excludes
any interpretation
of the claims or the language used in this specification such as may be made
in the USPTO,
or in any other Patent Office, other than those interpretations for which
express support can
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be demonstrated in this specification or in objective evidence of record in
accordance within
re Lee, (for example, earlier publications by persons not employed by the
USPTO or any
other Patent Office), demonstrating how the terms are used and understood by
persons of
ordinary skill in the art, or by way of expert evidence of a person or persons
of at least 10
years experience in the rail road industry in North America or in other former
territories of
the British Empire and Commonwealth.
In terms of general orientation and directional nomenclature, for rail road
cars
described herein the longitudinal direction is defined as being coincident
with the rolling
direction of the rail road car, or rail road car unit, when located on tangent
(that is, straight)
track. In the case of a rail road car having a center sill, the longitudinal
direction is parallel
to the center sill, and parallel to the top chords. Unless otherwise noted,
vertical, or upward
and downward, are terms that use top of rail, TOR, as a datum. In the context
of the car as a
whole, the term lateral, or laterally outboard, or transverse, or transversely
outboard refer to a
distance or orientation relative to the longitudinal centerline of the
railroad car, or car unit, or
of the centerline of a centerplate at a truck center. The term "longitudinally
inboard", or
"longitudinally outboard" is a distance taken relative to a mid-span lateral
section of the car,
or car unit. Pitching motion is angular motion of a railcar unit about a
horizontal axis
perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Yawing is angular motion about a
vertical axis.
Roll is angular motion about the longitudinal axis. Given that the rail road
car described
herein may tend to have both longitudinal and transverse axes of symmetry, a
description of
one half of the car may generally also be intended to describe the other half
as well, allowing
for differences between right hand and left hand parts. In this description,
the abbreviation
kspi stands for thousand of pounds per square inch. To the extent that this
specification or
the accompanying illustrations may refer to standards of the Association of
American
Railroads (AAR), such as to AAR plate sizes, those references are to be
understood as at the
earliest date of priority to which this application is entitled.
Figure la shows an isometric view of an example of a rail road freight car 20
that is
intended to be representative of a wide range of rail road cars in which the
present invention
may be incorporated. While car 20 may be suitable for a variety of general
purpose uses, it
may be taken as being symbolic of, and in some ways a generic example of, a
flow through
car, in which lading is introduced by gravity flow from above, and removed by
gravity
discharge through gated or valved outlets below. Flow through, or center flow
cars may
include open topped hopper cars, grain cars, plastic pellet cars, potash cars,
ore cars, and so
on. In one embodiment car 20 may be a hopper car such as may be used for the
carriage of
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bulk commodities in the form of a granular particulate, be it in the nature of
relatively coarse
gravel or fine aggregate in the nature of fine gravel or sand or various ores
or concentrate or
coal. Car 20 may be symmetrical about both its longitudinal and transverse, or
lateral,
centreline axes. Consequently, it will be understood that the car has first
and second, left and
right hand side beams, bolsters and so on.
By way of a general overview, car 20 may have a car body 22 that is carried on
trucks
24 for rolling operation along railroad tracks. Car 20 may be a single unit
car, or it may be a
multi-unit car having two or more car body units, where the multiple car body
units may be
connected at an articulated connector, or by draw bars. Car body 22 may have a
lading
containment vessel or shell 26 such as may include an upstanding wall
structure 28 which
may have a pair of opposed first and second end walls 30, 32, that extend
cross-wise, and a
pair of first and second side walls 34, 36 that extend lengthwise, the end
walls 30, 32 and
side walls 34, 36 co-operating to define a generally rectangular form of
peripheral wall
structure 28. Wall structure 28 may include top chords 38 running along the
top of the walls,
and side sills 40 running fore-and-aft along lower portions the side sheets of
side walls 34,
36. In some instances car 20 may have stub center sills at either end, in
which case side
walls 34, 36 may act as deep beams, and may carry vertical loads to main
bolsters that
extend laterally from the centerplates. Alternatively, or in addition to deep
side beams, car
20 may include a center sill 42, which may be a straight-through center sill,
running from
one end of the car body to the other. In the case of a single, stand alone car
unit, draft gear
and releaseable couplers may be mounted at either end of the center sill. In a
center flow, or
flow through car, the upper portion of the car may typically include means by
which to admit
lading under a gravity drop system. Such an intake, or entryway may be a large
rectangular
opening such as bounded by top chords 38, or the car may have one or more
hatches,
whether covered or uncovered.
As shown in Figure lc, the interior of car body 22 may include end slope
sheets 44
and lateral partitions such as may be identified as intermediate slope sheets
46 that may
extend between the sidewalls of the car, in a manner such as may tend to
divide the internal
space 48 of car body 22 into two or more sub-compartments, sub-volumes or
subspaces
indicated generally as 50, 52 and 54 in this example, and which may be
referred to as
hoppers. Clearly, in some embodiments there may be one single hopper, in
others two
hoppers and in others three, four, or more hoppers. As may be noted, end
sheets 44 may be
slope sheets, and internal partition sheets 46 may also be slope sheets. Not
atypically, each
pair of fore-and aft opposed slope sheets, be they end sheets or internal
partitions, may be
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inclined at equal and opposite angles, and the angles of those sheets may be
selected to be
somewhat steeper than the free slope angle, or natural talus slope angle of
the lading for
which the car is designed, such that, when the gates are opened, the lading
may tend to flow
out, rather than sit at rest.
Car 20 may have relatively large slope sheets, be they 44 or 46, which may
tend to
extend to a height relatively close to top chords 38. That is, taking either
the coupler
centerline height or the center sill cover plate upper surface as a datum,
slope sheets 46 may
terminate at a height that is at least half way to top chord 38, and which
may, in some
embodiments, extend more than 2/3, 1/4 or 4/5 of that distance, as may be.
Car 20 may include a fitting 60 mounted at the apex where two adjacent slope
sheets
46 meet. Fitting 60 may be termed a partition, or a divider, or a
reinforcement. Although
any of those terms may be used, fitting 60 may be referred to as a ridge
plate. As seen in the
plan view of Figure 2a, ridge plate 60 may include a central portion 62, and
end portions 64,
66. Central portion 62 may be formed of a flat bar, which may be of
substantial thickness,
be it 'A inch, 5/8 inch, 1/4 inch, or some different dimension.
It may be that ridge plate 60 is formed of a single monolithic part, cut to
shape.
Alternatively, the components of ridge plate 60, namely items 62, 64 and 66,
may each be
individually cut to shape, e.g., from a sheet or plate, and then assembledõ
typically by being
butt welded together to yield the form shown in Figure 2a. On assembly, or sub-
assembly,
slope sheets 46 may be mounted together in a jig, along with ridge plate 60,
and a laterally
extending cross-gusset 70. Rather than having a single large fillet at the
adjoining margins
72, 74 of slope sheets 46, (as would occur absent fitting 60) fillets may be
formed on either
side of ridge plate 60, as indicated at 76, 78. Ridge plate 60 is positioned
such that a portion
thereof, identified as upper portion 80 extends upwardly proud of the junction
of slope sheets
46, or, indeed, what would be the location of the junction of those sheets but
for the
interposition of ridge plate 60. Ridge plate 60 may also include a lower
portion 82, that
extends lower than this junction. The width of ridgeplate 60 (i.e., in the
vertical direction)
may permit it to function, inter alia, as a backing bar for welding, that
presents a significant
dimensional tolerance for fit up on either side. Furthermore, the upper margin
84 of upper
portion 80 may provide a solid, hard edge of relatively thick material that
may tend to resist
abuse perhaps somewhat better than might a more conventional apex.
Ridgeplate 60 may, in one embodiment, have a constant cross-section, such as
that of
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portion 62, at all locations across the car, from side sheet to side sheet.
Alternatively, end
portions 64, 66 may have a generally triangular shape and may, along its upper
margin have
an arcuate or angularly inclined profile, and may extend generally upwardly in
the outboard
direction. This profile may be such that ridgeplate 60 has an outboard margin
85 that mates
with, and extends upwardly against, side sheet 35, in a manner to form a stem
such as may
tend locally to discourage lateral deflection of top chord 38. In one
embodiment, at least a
portion 86 of margin 85 may extend to a height that lies upwardly of the lower
margin of top
chord 38. Top chord 38 may be an angle or channel, or hollow structural
section, such as a
square or rectangular steel tube, and side sheet 35 may overlap the inner face
of top chord 38.
It may also be noted that a triangular tube 68 is formed by the co-operation
of slope
sheets 46 and the horizontal plate defined by cross-gusset 70. This tube may
extend from
side sheet to side sheet, and may be welded thereto. End potions 64, 66,
working in
conjunction with side sheets 35, may tend to form a stem of a T-section to
which side sheet
35 forms the cross-piece or flange, by which the stiffening influence of the
triangular tube is
extended to the top chord. Expressed somewhat differently yet again, the
combination of the
tube and the two stems may tend to function in a manner akin to a spring that
may resist
lateral deflection of the top chords. In terms of vertical scale, the central
portion 62 of
ridgeplate fitting 60 may be relatively small as compared to the lineal run or
vertical rise of
either slope sheet 46 or end slope sheet 44. For example, it may be less than
20 % of either
of those distances, and may be of lesser magnitude than the depth of the top
chord or half the
depth of the center sill. In other comparative terms, the depth of the central
portion 62 of
ridgeplate fitting 60 may be less that the depth of tube 68 from cross-gusset
70 to the apex at
the intersection of the planes of the upper surfaces of the adjacent slope
sheets. The height
of cross-gusset 70 may, itself, be more than half way to the height of the top
chord upper
flange, as measured from with the coupler centerline or from the center sill
top cover plate
upper surface. In absolute terms, the central portion of ridgeplate fitting 60
may be less than
1 ft, and may, in one embodiment be less than 6 inches in depth.
Slope sheets 44 and 46 may have relatively large spans. So that the spans
might not
be unsupported, car 20 may include intermediate shear web panels 45
(associated with end
slope sheets 44) and 47 (associated with intermediate slope sheets 46) that
may extend
amidst the otherwise unsupported span and provide a link to center sill 42.
Pairs of panels 45
and 47 may be laterally outwardly splayed with respect to one another as seen,
for example,
in Figure ld. Panels 45 and 47 may include lightening apertures as indicated
at 49 and 51.
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The lower regions of car body 22 may include gate or discharge assemblies 90,
for
the various hoppers, however many there may be, by which one or more members
that are
movable between closed and open positions may be used as a flow control to
govern the
egress of lading from that hopper.
Referring to Figure 3a, the discharge assemblies 90 may include the lower
portion of,
or a continuation of, one or both of the fore-and-aft slope sheets defining
the fore and aft
walls of that hopper. For example, hopper 50 (it being chosen arbitrarily, and
generically)
may include a first fore-and-aft hopper slope sheet extension 92, mounted to
one slope sheet,
e.g., item 44, and a second fore-and-aft slope sheet extension 94 mounted to
an opposed
slope sheet, e.g., be it item 46.
Discharge assemblies 90 may also include a pair of opposed side sheet members,
96,
98. Side sheet members 96, 98 maybe steel plates, and may be positioned to co-
operate with
slope sheet extension 92 to define a converging, or funnel-like passageway, or
conduit,
leading to a throat, or opening, indicated generally as 100, at which an exit,
or port, or gate,
however it may be termed, is defined. In particular, the sides of the
periphery of discharge
opening 100 may be defined by the margins 106 of side sheet members 96 and 98
that angle
upwardly and away from slope sheet extension 92. The bottom edge, or sill, of
the discharge
opening may be defined by the lowest margin or extremity of slope sheet
extension 92, or
such fittings or assemblies as may be mounted thereto, as may be described
hereinbelow.
First slope sheet extension 92 may be a panel that is rigidly fixed relative
to the first slope
sheet, and may be made from a metal, such as a steel, that may serve as a wear
plate, and
which may be hardened or alloyed for such a purpose. Slope sheet extension 92
may be
reinforced along its lower lateral margin by a lip stiffening member 88, which
may be a U-
pressing, or channel, mounted to the outside face of extension 92 and forming
a hollow
section therewith, capped by the wings, or tabs 56 of side sheet members 96,
98.
Slope sheet extension 94 may be a movable slope sheet extension, and may be,
or
may be part of, a moveable closure member or closure assembly that is mounted
to move
between a closed position (Figure 3a) obstructing flow through throat 100, and
an open
position (Figure 3b) in which flow through throat 100 is less obstructed, such
that lading
may be discharged. To that end, slope sheet extension 94 may be connected to
the rest of
body 22 at a hinged or pivoted member, such as a pivot pin or hinge 102, such
as may tend to
constrain slope sheet extension 94 to a single degree of motion relative to
opening 100,
which, in one embodiment, may be angular displacement (i.e., rocking or
pivoting motion,
CA 02846302 2014-03-14
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about an axis, such as the axis of hinge 102). By virtue of its motion, slope
sheet extension
94 may be considered to be, or to be part of, a door or door assembly, or
closure, or closure
assembly such as may be referred to generally as 110. A shroud 104, which may
be flexible,
may be mounted along the nether edge of the slope sheet, be it 44 or 46, and
may have a
depending margin 105 that engages the upper laterally extending margin of
extension 94.
Shroud 104 may be biased to maintain contact with extension 94 and may be
mounted to the
underside of sheet 44 or 46.
Where car 20 includes a straight through center sill, such as item 42, rather
than
having a single full width hopper discharge assembly 90, such as might tend to
be centered
on the longitudinal centerline of the car, there may be two such discharge
assemblies 90, one
mounted to either side of center sill 42, in car 20. In this latter case, the
center sill may tend
to be protected from abrasion or other damage by one or more shrouds 108.
Shroud 108 may,
in cross-section, have the form of an inverted V, whose arms may extend on an
incline
upwardly from the upper, laterally inboard margin of inboard side sheet
members 96, to meet
at an apex above center sill 42 along the centerline of the car.
Considering now door assembly 110, as a preliminary matter it may be noted
that the
lower laterally running margins of the slope sheets, be they items 44 or 46,
may be
reinforced by a lateral margin reinforcement member, 112. Member 112 may be
such as to
have, or to co-operate with the respective slope sheet to yield, a closed
periphery hollow
section, i.e., a hollow tube, that may be capped inboard by a web 113, and
outboard by side
sheet 115 (Figure 3e) of the hopper (whichever it may be), thus providing a
shear web to
discourage deformation of the tube section. The tube so created may tend to
add an aspect of
robustness to the structure, and may tend to discourage dimensional distortion
along the
margin, and hence along the hinge and along the slope sheet extensions, as may
be. In one
embodiment, member 112 may be a generally channel shaped U-pressing, which may
have
somewhat splayed legs, the toes of the legs being mounted against, and welded
to, the slope
sheet, and the back standing outwardly therefrom.
Door assembly 110 may include motion accommodating, or motion permitting,
fittings, such as hinge 102. Hinge 102 may be received in a pivoting arm
member, 114
which, itself may nest between webs 111 defining a clevis. Arm member 114 as
may run
along the back of the door pan sheet, or wing, defined by extension 94. Arm
member 114
may extend generally radially away from hinge 102 toward the distal margin of
extension
94, and may be a substantially planar member lying in a plane perpendicular to
the axis of
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hinge 102. Given that hopper doors seem to be prone to abuse in service,
extension sheet 94
may have a laterally extending reinforcement 116 that may run across the back
of extension
94, not overly far from hinge 102. Reinforcement 116 may have, or may co-
operate with
extension 94 to define, a hollow structural section, which may include either
internal shear
webs, (one of which may be defined by the body of pivoting arm member 114
itself), or end
caps defined by the inboard and outboard stiffeners 117, 119 of door assembly
110.
Reinforcement 116 may have the general form of a channel having toes welded to
extension
94, and may be a U-pressing. Door assembly 110 may be reinforced along the
distal edge of
the door by yet another lateral reinforcement member 118. In one embodiment,
member 118
may have the form of a channel section 120, which may be mounted with one leg
welded flat
to the back of sheet 94, quite near the distal margin of extension 94. Once
again, member
118 may provide a certain robustness of structure, such as may tend to
discourage distortion
of the distal margin of sheet 94 when the car moves with the door acting as
something of an
unintentional plow while the discharge section is still obstructed by the
lading being
discharged. In addition, either extension 94 may be thicker along its distal
margin, or a
further backing or reinforcement member such as a doubler 121 may be located
between
channel section 120 and extension 94. Reinforcement member 118 may extend not
only
across the back of door assembly 110, but also across the back of the adjacent
opposite
handed door assembly 110 mounted on the opposite side of the car such that the
two door
assemblies may be yoked together. Door assembly 110 may also include end webs
or end
gussets, namely stiffeners 117, 119, such as may tend to run predominantly
radially along the
back of extension 94 near to the predominantly radially extending margins of
extension 94.
The front or forward facing surface 124, or face of the panel or door sheet,
or pan
defined by extension 94, may, in one context, be defined in terms of facing
toward the
interior of the volume of the hopper, or in a direction facing toward the
lading, or toward the
opposed members of the hopper discharge assembly in either the closed or the
open position.
The back or rear face 126 of the door sheet will not tend to face inwardly
with respect to the
hopper, the lading or the discharge assembly under either the open or closed
positions of the
door. The front, or upward, or inward facing surface 124, however, will tend,
in general, to
face inwardly toward the lading. Door assembly 110 may include upstanding
lips, or cheeks,
or legs, such as side wall members 128, that stand proud of the inwardly
facing surface of the
door. The root of members 128 may lie directly over the mating webs of the
gussets, namely
items 117 and 119 (Figure 3e). When the mating moving and stationary portions
of the
discharge assembly come together, members 128 may tend to seat against the
opposed lateral
cheek, rim or lip, such as may be defined by a backing plate, or bar 130
welded to one or the
CA 02846302 2014-03-14
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other of items 96, 98 (Figures 3b, 3g, 3i).
The door assembly 110 is driveable between open and closed conditions by an
operating mechanism, indicated generally as 140. This mechanism may include a
driven
shaft 134, a crank arm 136, and a link aiin 138. The outer end of shaft 134 is
supported by
support arm 133 depending from cross member 112 of body 22. Link arm 138 may
be of
adjustable length, typically a device having a left hand thread at one end,
and a right hand
thread at the other, such that turning the barrel adjusts the length, at which
point the device is
secured, whether with locknuts, or wired locknuts, or by some other means. In
any case, the
link arm is adjustable on fit up when the door is installed and assembled.
Door arm crank
136 may include an over-center stop 135, such that when crank arm 136 and link
arm 138 are
moved to an over-center condition, (e.g., when the door is in a closed
condition), and lading
bears against the door, the crank and link may tend to be forced to a secured,
closed position,
rather than tending to creep to an open position such as may have a greater
tendency to
permit lading to leak. The entire arm assembly may be driven by a motive
apparatus, which
may include a pneumatic ram 142, connected to a crank arm, clevis or double
crank arm,
144, and mounted under center sill 42.
In one embodiment, the movable door assemblies 110 of adjacent discharge
sections
on either side of center sill 42 may be connected to a common shaft 134 driven
by the motive
apparatus. Double crank arm 144 may be rigidly mounted centrally to shaft 134
and may
function as an input lever to provide torque thereto. The output levers,
namely crank arms
136, may also be rigidly mounted to shaft 134. The ends of connecting rods or
links arms
138 are mounted in a clevis formed in two webs 137, 139, that embrace the
inboard rear face
reinforcement, item 117, of the door panel namely extension 94 at its junction
with the distal
reinforcement channel section 120.
A seal or seal assembly 150 may be mounted along the distal edge of slope
sheet
extension 92. Seal assembly 150 may include a door seal member 152 having one
or more
fittings, such as through holes, by which member 152 may be attached to slope
sheet
extension 92. The uppermost, or proximal margin of member 152 may be trapped
between
extension 92 and another member, which may be a reinforcement or backing, such
as a
backing plate 154, that may run laterally across the back of extension 92,
near the lower
margin of extension 92. Fasteners 156, which may be threaded fasteners, or
fasteners that
involve plastic deformation or clinching, such as HuckTM bolts or rivets, may
be used to
secure the backing or reinforcement, and hence seal member 152, in place. The
fasteners
CA 02846302 2014-03-14
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may be pan head fasteners. In general it may be that the design may seek to
minimize the
extent to which downstream features stand proud of the plane P of extension
92, (i.e., the
plane of the discharge slope) such as might otherwise present loci at which
particulate may
catch and build up rather than slide.
Backing plate 154 may overlap the lower margin of extension 92, such that a
proximal portion 157 backs extension 92, and a distal portion 158 extends in
an inclined
manner generally downward, predominantly in the direction of the slope of
extension 92.
Distal portion 158 may have (when installed) a lowermost margin 160, which may
also
provide a contact for the back, or downward side, of seal member 152.
Seal member 152 may include a first margin, which may be called a proximal
margin
162, that is clamped by blacking plate 154 to extension 92. Seal member 152
may also
include a first portion 164, which may be tenned a proximal portion, that
overlies backing
plate 154. Seal member 152 may include a second portion, 166, that may be a
distal portion,
that may be cantilevered beyond lowermost margin 160 of backing plate 154.
Second
portion 166 may include a land, 170, against which the opposing closure member
may bear
when the moving and stationary parts of the door are brought together. In one
embodiment,
it may be the most distal, laterally extending margin or lip 172 of door
assembly 110 that
contacts, and deflects, land 170. It may be that land 170 is a surface of
second portion 166
that faces generally toward lip 172, and the distal margin 174 of second
portion 166 may be
bent, as at 176 to orient land 170 in such a manner as may tend to present
that surface in an
orientation generally perpendicular, or more nearly perpendicular than
otherwise, to the
motion of lip 172 on closing. Seal member 152 may be thought of as having a
first face 178
that faces generally toward, or into the volume of the hopper space 180, and,
when the car is
loaded, toward the lading. It may be that most of this surface faces at a
somewhat upwardly
angle. Seal member 152 may also have another surface, 182, which may be termed
the back
or downward facing surface, which may, in the undeflected condition, tend to
lie against
backing plate 154.
Seal member 152 may be considered to be a spring, i.e., an elastic energy
storage
device. When the opposed interface surface, or contact, e.g., lip 172, engages
land 170, that
motion may tend to urge land 170 to the deflected position 6174 shown in
phantom lines in
Figure 3h. In so doing, seal member 152 is flexed against the contact point,
or fulcrum,
defined by the lowermost margin 160 of backing plate 154. The bending moment
tends to
flex first portion 164 away from backing plate 154 as suggested by the
reactive displacement
CA 02846302 2014-03-14
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identified by 6164. When the door opens again, seal member 152 may tend to
release, and to
move back to its former undeflected position. When the door assembly is once
more in the
closed condition, seal member 152 may again flex as discussed above. When
lading is
retained in car 20, in whichever hopper may be employed, the weight of the
lading may tend
to bear against first portion 164, and may tend to urge first portion 164
toward, or against,
backing plate 154. In doing this, land 170 may tend to be urged all the more
tightly against
lip 172, which may, in turn, tend to discourage the leakage of lading. As a
matter of
terminology, a fulcrum may tend to approximate a point or line contact about
which the lever
arm pivots or rotates. To the extent that the fulcrum is not a perfectly sharp
point, but may
have a radius, there may also be rocking action, to a greater or lesser
extent, and, for a
sufficiently large radius, the motion may be considered that of a rocker. In
either case, the
relationship is of a lever that, if pushed down on one side, rises on the
other.
Side blocks 184 (Figures 3f and 3g) may be mounted at the lateral edges of
first
portion 164 to discourage sideways migration of lading past the side edges of
seal member
152. Side blocks 184 may include an extending finger 186 that opposes and may
abut the
lower margin of extension 94 when the moving and stationary portions of the
assembly come
together. In a further optional feature, it may be helpful when the lading
includes
magnetizable materials, be it iron ore or concentrate, to employ a magnet such
as magnet
188, near the door closure as seen in Figure 3g. Magnet 188 may be a rare
earth magnet, and
may be mounted close to, or at, the corner of the opening, i.e., adjacent to
the lateral end of
the seal member, when the side and transverse edges of the door may meet, and
where there
may be a small gap. The presence of magnet 188 may tend to attract iron
filings (or filings
of such other lading material as may be) to obstruct such gap, or crack, or
opening in the
vicinity of magnet 188.
Seal member 152, or analogous structure, could be mounted on the moving door
member, and the stationary door member could have a lip analogous to lip 172;
or
alternatively, seal members could be placed on both sides of the closure
interface, although
this might perhaps seem redundant in some instances. In each of these
alternatives, there is
relative motion of the moving and stationary portions of the door assembly
between open
and closed conditions, such that discharge assembly 90 governs the retention
and outflow of
lading. At the coming together of the door components, mutual engagement of
the one with
the other causes elastic deflection of an energy storage device. The elastic
deflection, may
involve flexing a seal member in the manner of flexing a beam, and may include
flexing the
beam member over a contact, or rocker, or fulcrum. Inasmuch as the flexing may
be toward,
CA 02846302 2014-03-14
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or may include a component of displacement toward, the lading, or the space
that the lading
would normally occupy, the introduction of lading into the lading containment
structure may
tend to result in lading bearing against the flexed seal member, with the
tendency to cause
that seal member to seal more tightly than otherwise.
In the alternative embodiment of Figures 4a ¨ 4e, the movable closure member,
or
door assembly of the apparatus of Figures 3a ¨ 3h is replaced by a movable
door assembly
190. Door assembly 190 may include a first, or front sheet, 192, central, or
inboard, and
outboard back panels 194, 196, a proximal or back closing member, or members
195 or 197
and a distal or front closing member 198, those items being mounted in co-
operative fashion
to form a closed box section. The box section may be closed at its laterally
outboard ends by
webs such as may be in the nature of closure plates 200. Door assembly 190 may
have a
central rebate or accommodation 202 such as may seat about the center sill.
The inboard
portions of the box section are closed about the periphery of accommodation
202 by webs
such as may be identified as side members or cheek plates 204, 206 that extend
predominantly radially with respect to the axis or rotation of the door, and a
closure plate
208 that extends predominantly longitudinally, and co-operates therewith to
form a generally
U-shaped peripheral wall. Left and right hand pairs of driven lug gussets 210,
212 are
mounted to either side of accommodation 202 and closure plate 208, and extend
from
respective cheek plates 204, 206 to front sheet 192 and front closing member
198. Door
assembly 190 may also include hinge lugs 214, 216 and lug extension webs 218,
220 that
extend radially from lugs 214, 216 and provide a shear web linkage between
front sheet 192,
back panels 194, 196, front closing member 198, and, in co-operation with lug
214 or 216 as
may be, with back closing members 195 or 197. On assembly, side closing
members such as
items 128 and 130 may be located on trial installation, and welded in place
according to the
actual fit-up of the door.
Front or distal closing member 198 may have the form of a bent plate that has
a first
margin abutting the back of front sheet 192 at a location near or adjacent to
the distal margin
222 of front sheet 192. In one embodiment, it may meet just shy of the lip,
both on the distal
edge and laterally. Closing member 198 may also include a first portion 224
such as may
tend to be generally perpendicular to, and such as may abut, member 198, and
an extension,
or skirt 226 such as may extend away from member 198. Skirt 226 may extend
rearwardly at
an angle, and may run along the conforming margins of double shear lug gussets
210, 212
and hinge lug gussets extension webs 218, 220. Skirt 226 may tend to be of
greatest depth in
the region of double shear lug gussets 210, 212, and may diminish in size
toward the laterally
CA 02846302 2014-03-14
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outboard extremities thereof, as on a taper. This may tend to form a
reinforced channel
along the bottom, or distal edge of the door, and hence to provide a means for
spreading
loads along that edge, and for transmitting rotational torque received at lug
bores 228 all
along the distal edge of the door. This embodiment may tend to provide a
relatively simple,
and yet quite robust structure such as may tend to resist harsh or abusive
service.
Figure 5a shows an alternate embodiment of a gate or door assembly having a
seal
assembly, indicated generally as 230. It may be taken that the basic structure
of the rail road
car and the discharge sections is as described above and that seal assembly
230 is similar to
seal assembly 150 as described above. A seal member 152 is mounted between a
backing
member 234 and the distal margin 232 of the slope sheet extension 92. In this
case, backing
member 234 includes a dog-leg portion 236 that stands outwardly (i.e.,
generally
downwardly) of the plane 'P' of the first portion 164 of seal member 162. Dog
leg portion
236 terminates in a return leg 238 having a formed curl, or cusp, or lip, 240,
that defines the
rocking point or fulcrum against which seal member 152 works when engaged by
lip 172.
When assembled there may be a gap, 6236 between seal member 152 and dog leg
portion 236.
It may be noted that seal member 152 may have its upper margin clamped between
the slope sheet extension and backing member (be it 154 or 234) in such as way
as to have a
built-in end condition at their upper margins. That is, not only is the
displacement of the
upper margin fixed at zero, but the slope is also fixed at the angle at which
the margin is
clamped, and deflection implies bending and a bending moment (as opposed to a
pin-jointed
or hinged connection that can rotate freely). If seal member 152 is thought of
as being a
beam, which may have a bent end, the major portion of the beam may lie in a
plane, when
undeflected. Alternatively, a plane J may be constructed along the rearward
face of the seal
member across the point of tangency against the fulcrum or rocker of the
distal margin of the
backing plate. The closing action of the gate may tend to yield contact that
has a component
of motion that may tend to be perpendicular to that plane, and a component of
motion that
may tend to be parallel to that plane. The perpendicular component will tend
to work on a
moment arm, L, relative to the pivot or fulcrum point, to flex seal member
152. To the
extent that the end of the beam is bent, and the contact occurs out of this
plane, the
eccentricity of the component parallel to the plane may tend to enhance the
tendency of the
member to flex, rather as an eccentrically applied load may have an enhanced
tendency to
urge a column to buckle. This eccentricity, from the plane to the center of
contact, is
notionally indicated as c.
CA 02846302 2014-03-14
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Another alternate embodiment of seal arrangement is shown in Figure 5b. Again,
this embodiment is substantially similar to that of Figure 5a, except as
noted. In this
instance, the slope sheet extension of the movable door member, indicated as
244,
incorporates a distal edge lip 246 that is bent in the generally forward
(i.e., forward in terms
of the direction of motion when the door is closing), or upward direction. The
mating, co-
operating flexible seal member 248 has a tip 250, that is caught by, and
deflected by,
engagement of lip 246. This may tend to urge seal member 248 to deflect
upwardly, away
from backing member 252. Introduction of lading may tend to cause seal member
248 to
push more strongly toward backing member 252, and, to the extent that door
member 244 is
in a fixed and locked position, the mutual engagement of parts may tend to
become tighter.
In this instance, seal member 248 may not have a bent distal lip, but may have
a straight
profile.
Still another embodiment is shown in Figure 5c, the moving door assembly 260
may
be substantially the same as door assembly 110. A flexible seal member 262 is
mounted to a
backing bar 264 that is spaced therefrom by a washer, or spacer or shim 266.
The distal end
of backing bar 264 may be bent as indicated at 268 to define a fulcrum 270 at
the most
distant tip. The included angle w between the door sheet 272 and the tangent
plane of
undeflected seal member 262 at the point of contact is less than 90 degrees,
such that the tip
274 of door sheet 272 may tend to ride against, and progressively deflect, the
cantilevered
end portion 276 of seal member 262. As before, introduction of lading into the
hopper may
tend to cause pressure to be exerted by the lading on seal member 262 between
fulcrum 270
and shim 266, such that it may tend to deflect into the gap region 'G'
identified between seal
member 262 and backing bar 264.
In the similar embodiment of Figure 5d, the seal member 282 is pre-bent on a
curve
to give a pre-existing gap 284 between the proximal portion of the seal member
and the
backing bar. The curve is such that at the point of engagement 286 between the
distal edge
288 of the moving door sheet and seal member 282 there is a non-perpendicular
slope, such
that the resultant wedging action as the door is closed may tend to cause
greater deflection in
seal member 282, increasing its curvature, widening gap ' G' , and forcing the
distal extremity
of seal member 282 in the opposite direction.
Figure 6a shows another embodiment of seal assembly, indicated generally as
300.
In this embodiment, the first member of the seal assembly may be an extension
302 of the
slope sheet, or pan sheet of either the moving or stationary portion of the
door, which may be
CA 02846302 2014-03-14
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an added plate or an extended margin formed as an integral part of the door
pan, or extension
sheet. When formed integrally, the need for fasteners such as item 156
identified above, may
be obviated. In any case, sheet 92 (or 94, as may be) may have an extended
margin, as at
304, which may be integrally formed, and which may include a bent distal
portion 306,
defining a land 308 for engaging the other closure member when the opposed
closure
members of the gate are brought together. Assembly 300 may also include a
second member
in the form of a backing element, or backing member or reinforcement fence
assembly 310,
that may include an array of arms, or legs, or braces, however they may be
termed, identified
as 312, which may be in the form of tapered posts having a base or root leg
fixed to the
closure member lateral reinforcement or tube, namely item 88. The distal
portion of the legs
may support, and may have a niche, notch, slot, relief or rebate defining an
accommodation
in which a laterally extending member, such as a reinforcement or backing bar
314 is seated.
Backing bar 314 may extend across the full width of the closure member, from
side plate to
side plate. Backing bar 314 may be fixed in place on braces 312 by such means
as
mechanical fasteners or welding. In this embodiment, a portion of extended
margin 304,
lying down-slope from reinforcement tube 88, extending over a distance /, is
not
permanently secured to either the forward faces of the legs 312 of fence
assembly 310, or
backing bar 314, but rather may be free to flex. As such, when the distal
portion of the seal
member is engaged, by pushing on land 308, the inward lower edge 316 of
backing bar 314
may act as a fulcrum, and the inner or proximal portion 318 of the first seal
member (i.e., the
portion of the margin extension lying between fulcrum edge 316 and
reinforcement tube 88,
may tend to be permitted to flex in a direction that is predominantly inwardly
relative to the
hopper more generally. As above, when engaged, and the gate is in a closed
position, the
presence of lading bearing against the flexed portion 318, may tend to urge
the distal portion,
308 to bear all the more tightly against the opposing closure member, such as
may be.
As shown in Figure 6c, the embodiment of Figure 6a may also include a mating
door
member 320 that has a bent lip, as indicated at 322. This bent lip may be of a
similar
flexural nature to the opposing bent lip 316, and, on engagement, either or
both may deflect,
and form a spring loaded seal. It may also be that the side plates 324 of the
chute may be
provided with internal stops, or abutments, identified in this instance as
seal bars 326, against
which the lateral margins of the gate door sheet 330 may engage, and whose
ends may
oppose, or abut, extension 304 on closure. Those seal bars 326 may be fit up
on assembly,
and welded in place from outside by means of pre-formed welding access slots
332.
The seal member, be it item 152, 262 or 302, transmits a bending moment across
the
CA 02846302 2014-03-14
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fulcrum (whether it be called a fulcrum, pivot, rocker, or some other term).
Although seal
member 152, 262 or 304 may have a bend at the fulcrum, more generally it may
tend to be a
flat, or straight, beam, and so will also have slope continuity at the
fulcrum. Thus the
bending moment that deflects the distal portion of the seal member, will also
cause flexure in
the proximal portion. Assuming a beam, and imposing a Cartesian frame of
reference in
which the x-axis lies in the plane of the undeflected beam, and the y-axis is
perpendicular to
the x-axis, and assuming deflections that are relatively small as compared to
the length of the
beam, deflections of the distal portion that have a component that may be
taken as being
substantially perpendicular to the initial, undeflected profile of the beam,
may be considered
to be deflections in the ¨y direction. When this occurs, the proximal portion
of the beam
may tend to flex in the opposite, or +y direction. In this sense, it may be
said that deflection
of the distal portion in one direction yields a flexing of the proximal
portion in a reactive, or
in some sense, opposite, direction. This may also be expressed in somewhat
different terms,
taking plane P as a frame of reference. In the open position, that portion of
the seal member
lying inboard of the lip may tend to lie more or less flat flush with, or
perhaps somewhat shy
of, plane P of the slope sheet along which the lading may slide during
discharge. More
generally, all of the seal assembly my lie flush or shy of this plane.
However, when the
closure members mutually engage, the proximal portion (between the fulcrum and
the
proximal edge or part of the seal member attached to the slope sheet
extension, be it 92 or
94), will tend to flex to a position that is either less shy of the former, un-
flexed position
relative to plane P, or proud of plane P. Similarly, when lading is then
added, and bears
upon the flexed portion, it will tend to want to sit down, less proud than in
its flexed, but
unladed, position.
The seal member, be it item 152, 262 or 304, may be exposed to an abrasive
service
environment. As such, it may be made of a relatively abrasion resistant
material, such as a
high yield stress steel. It may be a stainless steel. In various embodiments,
the yield stress
may be as great or greater than 50 kpsi, 70 kpsi or 100 kpsi. In another
embodiment it may
be as great or greater than 130 kpsi. In another embodiment, it may be as
great or greater
than 150 kpsi. It may also be noted that the seal member, be it 152, 262, or
304, may be a
replaceable without the need for employing welding or cutting torches. That
is, when the
part is no longer serviceable, either due to wear or damage, the fasteners can
be removed, a
new part inserted, new fasteners installed, and then the car may be operated
as before.
Figure 7a shows an isometric view of an alternate example of a rail road
freight car
420 that is intended to be representative of a wide range of rail road cars in
which the present
CA 02846302 2014-03-14
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invention may be incorporated. In this view the near side beam is removed to
permit internal
features of the car to be seen more easily While car 420 may be suitable for a
variety of
general purpose uses, it may be taken as being symbolic, and in some ways a
generic
example of a coal car. Car 420 may be symmetrical about both its longitudinal
and
transverse, or lateral, centreline axes. Consequently, it will be understood
that the car has
first and second, left and right hand side beams, bolsters and so on.
By way of a general overview, car 420 may have a car body 422 that is carried
on
trucks 424 for rolling operation along railroad tracks. Car 420 may be a
single unit car, or it
may be a multi-unit car having two or more car body units, where the multiple
car body units
may be connected at an articulated connector, or by draw bars. Car body 422
may have a
lading containment vessel or shell 426 such as may include an upstanding wall
structure 428
which may have a pair of opposed first and second end walls 430 that extend
cross-wise, and
a pair of first and second side walls 434 that extend lengthwise, the end
walls 430 and side
walls 434 co-operating to define a generally rectangular form of peripheral
wall structure
428. Wall structure 428 may include top chords 438 running along the top of
the walls, and
side sills 440 running fore-and-aft along lower portions the side sheets of
side walls 434. In
some instances car 420 may have stub center sills at either end, in which case
side walls 434
may act as deep beams, and may carry vertical loads to main bolsters that
extend laterally
from the centerplates. In the embodiment illustrated, there may be a straight
through center
sill 442, and the side beams may have significant vertical bending resistance.
Draft gear and
releaseable couplers, articulated connectors, or draw-bars may be mounted at
either end of
the center sill.
The interior of car body 422 may include end slope sheets 444 and lateral
partition
walls or bulkheads such as may be identified as 446 that may extend between
the sidewalls
of the car, in a manner such as may tend to divide the internal space 448 of
car body 422 into
two or more sub-compartments, sub-volumes or subspaces, such as may be
indicated
generally as two end sub-compartments 450, and three internal sub-compartments
452, each
of which may be referred to as a hopper. The number of hoppers may be more or
less than
that shown. In this example, each of the sub-compartments may have a cross-
wise extending
partition wall 446 that is substantially or predominantly vertical, in
contrast to car 20, in
which the cross-wise extending members were predominantly inclined sheets,
namely items
44 and 46. Partition wall 446 may include an upper margin that dips down in
the middle.
The central dip may have a relatively large radius, and may give onto outboard
tangents that
run to the top chords. Partition wall 446 may perform the function of a shear
web linking the
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top chords, the side sills, the side walls stiffeners, and the center sill.
The upper edges may
function as diagonal wall braces. In some embodiments the lateral partition
walls may have
a central reinforcement 429, sometimes referred to as a "horse collar",
mounted about the
nadir, or low central region, of the upper margin of the partition wall 446.
Partition wall 446
may be made of a single, monolithic profile cut sheet, or may be made by
joining two (or
more) sheets together to form a web or panel. For example, partition wall 446
may include
left and right half sheets, 432, joined along the centerline of the car. Each
half sheet may
have a generally trapezoidal shape, with a long side for mating with the
adjacent sidewall, a
parallel short side locatable at the car centerline, a bottom edge running
laterally between the
two upstanding sides, and a generally diagonal upper edge. The inboard upper
corner may
include a radius conforming to the profile of, or defining the profile of, the
central dip.
There may be a horse collar reinforcement 429 on one or both sides of
partition wall 446, as
at 431 and 433. Either or both of central reinforcements 431 or 433 may be in
the nature of a
doubler plate having a first margin conforming generally to the upper margin
of the central
portion of the partition. The reinforcements may be welded in place or may be
mounted with
an array of mechanical fasteners, such as rivets or Huck TM bolts, as
illustrated. In some
embodiments, one or other reinforcement, e.g., item 431, may include a
downwardly
extending stem 435. Where partition wall 446 is made of more than one piece,
e.g.,
substantially equal halves as illustrated, the central reinforcement, or
reinforcements, may
tend to overlap the seam, as at the vertical seam at the centerline of the
car. Further, the
remaining outboard and upwardly extending portion of the upper margin of
partition 446
may be reinforced, such as by reinforcements in the nature of angles 436 on
one or both
sides, which may themselves run generally diagonally toward the top chords
438. The
laterally outboard vertical margins of partitions 446 may be connected to the
sidewalls 434 at
the upstanding side post reinforcements, such as may be in the nature of
angles 439.
Sidewalls 434 of car 420 may include substantial main vertical side posts 454
at the
longitudinal stations of the main bolsters, and further intermediate sideposts
456 along the
side beams of the car. In particular, each of the four internal bulkhead
partitions 446 may be
located at a station abreast of vertical sideposts 456. Sideposts 454 and 456
may extend in a
predominantly upstanding manner, and may be connected to side sills 440 and
top chords
438.
Car 420 may include discharge sections 460 whence lading may exit the car. In
this
instance, there may be a center sill shroud 462, presenting an inverted V
shape such as may
tend to shed lading to either side, and depending inboard discharge chute
sidewall members
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464 that adjoin, and extend downwardly from the lower margins of shroud 462.
The
members may tend to hang substantially vertically. Side sills 440 may have a
generally
upwardly extending leg 466, to which the lower ends of the vertical side wall
posts may be
rooted. Side sills 440 may also have an inwardly extending leg 458. The
discharge section
may include an outboard skirt, or chute side cheek, or sheet, or sidewall
member 468, that
may extend in a predominantly vertical plane generally downward and inboard of
side sill
440, and a transition member, or shroud, or portion 469, whether formed
integrally therewith
or joined thereto on assembly. Transition portion 469 may have a first margin
adjoining, and
forming a sealed margin with, the wall sheet of side wall 434, may have an
inwardly and
downwardly sloping portion, and may have an inboard margin adjoining, or
formed
integrally with, the upper margin of sidewall member 468. Sidewall members 464
and 468
may be trapezoidal or triangular in shape, or, more generally, to have a
pointy shape in the
downward direction, as at 467, the adjacent vertices of the pointy direction
corresponding to
the stationary and moving sides of the gate. However, sidewall members 464 and
468 may
also be straight-through members of constant section that run continuously
along the side sill
and center sill. In either case, sidewall members 464 and 468 may define two
sides of a
generally four sided discharge chute 465, those two sides being roughly
parallel, and spaced
apart by a distance that may correspond generally to a clearance distance
between the center
sill and the side sill.
The other two sides of the outlet, or discharge chute, may be defined by at
least one
moving wall, identified as a door assembly 470, and a mating wall 472, which
may be either
moving (as in a double door), or stationary. In the embodiment of Figure 7a ¨
7g, mating
wall 472 may be a fixed chute wall 474 that has lateral flanged edges or angle
members 475
that may be mechanically attached (as by Huck bolts, for example) to sidewall
members 464,
468. Fixed chute wall 474 may have a laterally extending lower distal margin
476 that may
be flexible in the manner of any of the seal members described above.
Door assembly 470 may be mounted to, and driven by, a door mechanism 480 such
as is generally described in US published patent application publication No.
US
2004/0244638 of Taylor, published December 9, 2004. Such a door mechanism 480
may
impose a moving force on a lateral door pan reinforcement member 482, which
may both
stiffen the distal margin of each door pan 484, but also act as a yoke joining
two adjacent
door pans together, and compelling common motion between them. Door pans 484
may
have a laterally reinforced proximal margin nearest their hinge axis, and
splayed
reinforcements 486 running between the distal and proximal margins. Each door
pan 484
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may include a flat central portion 488, and inboard and outboard wings 490,
492. Wings 490 and
492 may be bent on generally parallel bends, and may be bent upwardly at
something less than a
right angle, such that the distal margins 494 of wings 490 and 492 may have a
tendency to splay
somewhat outwardly. Wings 490, 492 may then be squeezed between sidewall
members 464 and
468 in a spring loaded interference fit. The spring loading may tend to bias
margins 494 to ride
against the adjacent surfaces of the sidewall members, in such a manner as to
form a locus of
contact, such as might be termed a seal, such as may tend to impede passage of
aggregate lading
therepast. On closing, the laterally extending, distal margin 496 of door pan
484 may engage, and
deflect in a resilient, sprung manner, the co-operating opposed distal margin
of fixed chute wall
474.
The moving door panel may be mounted on a dog-legged hinge arm 481. That is,
flat
central portion 488 may be substantially planar, with the center of rotation
of the door not being
co-planar with the flat central portion. Rather, the hinge may be mounted at
the end of the dog
leg arm 479 that stands out of the plane of pan 484. The structure of car 420
may include a
laterally extending member 483, and a door hinge housing 485. Member 483 may
include an
inclined leg extending outwardly and downwardly from one of the partitions
446, and a
depending leg extending generally downwardly from the outer margin of the
inclined leg. The
internal space so defined behind the shroud of member 483 may accommodate
movement of the
upper portion of the door to the open position, and the door hinge housing
mounted thereto may
accommodate the hinge.
Various embodiments have been described in detail. Since changes in and or
additions to the
above-described examples may be made without departing from the nature, spirit
or scope of the
invention, the invention is not to be limited to those details.
