Aggregate train and methods of loading and unloading
AssigneeGeorgetown Rail Equipment Company
InventorsCharles W. Aaron, Joshua A. Graham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system to transport and unload bulk materials includes at least one rail car and a moving wall system. The moving wall system has a first end, a second end, and a trough. The trough is configured to contain a payload of the at least one rail car. The trough includes sidewalls that contact the payload when loaded and move with the payload to move the payload towards the second end. The trough may be formed of at least one conveyor belt that forms a hopper of the at least one rail car. The trough may span a plurality of rail cars. The system may include a take-up system connecting the sidewalls. Each of the rail cars may include a frame and a plurality of pulleys connected to the frame may support the trough.
Claims22
A method of loading or unloading material from a train, the method comprising:
- depositing material onto a conveyor belt system spanning at least one rail car of a train, the conveyor belt system having a first end, a second end, and at least one conveyor belt, the at least one conveyor belt forming sidewalls and a floor, the sidewalls extending from the first end to the second end, the sidewalls contacting the material when loaded upon the at least one rail car;
- containing the material within the at least one conveyor belt while the train is in transport and the at least one conveyor belt is stationary;
- and
- rotating the at least one conveyor belt to move the material toward the second end.
A method of loading or unloading material from a train, the method comprising:
- depositing material onto a moving wall system spanning a plurality of rail cars of a train, the moving wall system having a first end, a second end, and a trough, the trough shaped to contain the material and including sidewalls extending from the first end to the second end, and the plurality of rail cars does not include a hopper positioned above the trough;
- containing the material within the trough while the train is in transport and the trough is stationary;
- and
- moving the sidewalls towards the second end to move the material toward the second end.
A method of loading or unloading material from a train, the method comprising:
- depositing material onto a conveyor belt system spanning at least one rail car of a train, each of the at least one rail car including a frame and the conveyor belt system includes a plurality of pulleys connected to and suspended from the frame, the conveyor belt system having a first end, a second end, and at least one conveyor belt supported upon the plurality of pulleys, the at least one conveyor belt forming sidewalls and a floor, the sidewalls extending from the first end to the second end, the sidewalls contacting the material when loaded upon the at least one rail car;
- positioning the at least one conveyor belt in a carry configuration forming a trough shape at the first end of the conveyor belt system, the material being deposited into the trough shape;
- transporting the material by moving the at least one rail car along a railroad track while containing the material within the trough shape;
- rotating the at least one conveyor belt to move the material toward the second end;
- unloading the material after moving the material toward the second end;
- and
- positioning the at least one conveyor belt in a return configuration at the second end of the conveyor belt system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.