Longitudinal door operating mechanism
AssigneeRailcar Innovations, LLC
InventorFred J. Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A door operating mechanism for operating longitudinal doors of a railroad hopper car. The mechanism includes operating members that are coupled to ends of the doors. These operating members are each actuated by a separate actuating device that is coupled to a top surface of a sill of the hopper car. Door supports have one end coupled to a door and an opposite end coupled for rotation to an actuating device. When a power cylinder coupled to the operating member is activated, the actuating devices are rotated. This rotation causes the door supports to shift in opposite directions and to open the longitudinal doors.
Claims16
A door operating mechanism for operating longitudinal doors associated with a hopper of a railroad hopper car, said railroad hopper car including a body having a first end and a second end, and a pair of said longitudinal doors, each having a first end and a second end, extending between said first and second ends of said body, said doors rotatable between a first position closing the hopper and a second position opening the hopper, and equipped with an operating beam that is moveable with respect to a sill, and a power cylinder, the door operating mechanism comprising:
- a first operating shaft coupled to the power cylinder and mounted for rotation at the first end of the body;
- a second operating shaft mounted for rotation at the second end of the body;
- an actuating beam coupled to said first operating shaft at the first end of the body and coupled to said second operating shaft at the second end of the body;
- a first actuating device disposed above the sill and coupled to a top surface of the sill at the first end of the body;
- a second actuating device disposed above the sill and coupled to a top surface of the sill at the second end of the body;
- a first set of door supports located at the first end of the body, each first door support having one end coupled to a first end of said longitudinal door and an opposite end of each first door support coupled for rotation to said first actuating device;
- a second set of door supports located at the second end of the body, each second door support having one end coupled to a second end of said longitudinal door and an opposite end of each second door support coupled for rotation to said second actuating device;
- wherein the first and second actuating devices each comprise a pair of spaced apart elongate arms that separate three sections of the actuating device:
- a center section located between the elongate arms,
- a left end section located outside of one of the elongate arms, and
- a right end section located outside of the other elongate arm,
- wherein each elongate arm has a first end rotatably coupled to one set of door supports, a second end rotatably coupled to the top surface of the sill, and an extension section located between the first and second ends that is operatively coupled to one of said operating shafts,
- wherein, when the power cylinder is activated, said operating shafts rotate such that said first and second actuating devices rotate, causing said door supports of each set to shift in opposite directions to rotate the longitudinal doors between the first position and the second position.
A door operating mechanism for operating longitudinal doors associated with a hopper of a railroad hopper car, said railroad hopper car including a body having a first end and a second end, and a pair of said longitudinal doors, each having a first end and a second end, extending between said first and second ends of said body, said doors rotatable between a first position closing the hopper and a second position opening the hopper, and equipped with an operating beam that is moveable with respect to a sill, and a power cylinder, the door operating mechanism comprising:
- a first operating shaft coupled to the power cylinder and mounted for rotation at the first end of the body;
- a second operating shaft mounted for rotation at the second end of the body;
- an actuating beam coupled to said first operating shaft at the first end of the body and coupled to said second operating shaft at the second end of the body;
- a first actuating device disposed above the sill and coupled to a top surface of the sill at the first end of the body;
- a second actuating device disposed above the sill and coupled to a top surface of the sill at the second end of the body;
- a first set of door supports located at the first end of the body, each first door support having one end coupled to a first end of said longitudinal door and an opposite end of each first door support coupled for rotation to said first actuating device;
- a second set of door supports located at the second end of the body, each second door support having one end coupled to a second end of said longitudinal door and an opposite end of each second door support coupled for rotation to said second actuating device;
- a center sill extending between the first end and the second end of the body, wherein one of said actuating devices is mounted to a top surface disposed on the center sill;
- wherein, when the power cylinder is activated, said operating shafts rotate such that said first and second actuating devices rotate, causing said door supports of each set to shift in opposite directions to rotate the longitudinal doors between the first position and the second position.
A door operating mechanism for operating longitudinal doors associated with a hopper of a railroad hopper car, said railroad hopper car including a body having a first end and a second end, and a pair of said longitudinal doors, each having a first end and a second end, extending between said first and second ends of said body, said doors rotatable between a first position closing the hopper and a second position opening the hopper, and equipped with an operating beam that is moveable with respect to a sill, and a power cylinder, the door operating mechanism comprising:
- a first operating shaft coupled to the power cylinder and mounted for rotation at the first end of the body;
- a second operating shaft mounted for rotation at the second end of the body;
- an actuating beam coupled to said first operating shaft at the first end of the body and coupled to said second operating shaft at the second end of the body;
- a first actuating device disposed above the sill and coupled to a top surface of the sill at the first end of the body;
- a second actuating device disposed above the sill and coupled to a top surface of the sill at the second end of the body;
- a first set of door supports located at the first end of the body, each first door support having one end coupled to a first end of said longitudinal door and an opposite end of each first door support coupled for rotation to said first actuating device;
- a second set of door supports located at the second end of the body, each second door support having one end coupled to a second end of said longitudinal door and an opposite end of each second door support coupled for rotation to said second actuating device;
- a separate transfer lever rotatably coupling each one of said door supports to one of said actuating devices,
- wherein, when the power cylinder is activated, said operating shafts rotate such that said first and second actuating devices rotate, causing said door supports of each set to shift in opposite directions to rotate the longitudinal doors between the first position and the second position, and
- wherein each transfer lever is configured to rotate with respect to the actuating device to which it is mounted about a first axis and each door support is configured to rotate with respect to the transfer lever to which it is mounted about a second axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.