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US 12,736,149 B2Granted
Railway tank car having a discharge valve assembly and a dis-engageable valve handle assembly coupled to the discharge valve assembly
AssigneeGunderson LLC
InventorsLukas P. Miller, Scott J. Hart, Ben Miller, Thomas Stevens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A railway tank car having a dis-engageable valve handle assembly configured to selectively engage, lock, and actuate a discharge valve assembly connected to a tank of railway tank car, wherein the dis-engageable valve handle assembly is configured to prevent accidental or inadvertent opening of a valve of the discharge valve assembly in the case of an accident or a derailment of the railway tank car.
Claims25
A railway tank car comprising:
- a frame;
- a tank supported by the frame;
- a discharge valve assembly connected to the tank and including a valve and a valve stem connected to the valve, the valve stem rotatable in a first direction to cause the valve to open and rotatable in an opposite second direction to cause the valve to close;
- an inner fixed locking sleeve;
- a valve stem adapter:
- (i) lockable with the inner fixed locking sleeve to prevent rotation of the valve stem adapter, and
- (ii) unlockable from the inner fixed locking sleeve to enable the valve stem adapter to be rotated in:
- (a) the first direction to rotate the valve stem to open the valve, and
- (b) the second direction to rotate the valve stem in the second direction to close the valve;
- an outer fixed sleeve fixedly connected to the tank;
- an extension tube movable in the outer fixed sleeve;
- a handle connected to the extension tube;
- and
- a movable sleeve fixedly connected to the extension tube, the movable sleeve:
- (i) movable to a first position relative to and engaging the outer fixed sleeve to prevent rotation of the movable sleeve and the extension tube, and
- (ii) movable to a second position at which the movable sleeve and the extension tube are rotatable relative to the outer fixed sleeve.
13 more elements
A railway tank car comprising:
- a frame;
- a tank supported by the frame;
- a discharge valve assembly connected to the tank and including a valve and a valve stem connected to the valve, the valve stem rotatable in a first direction to cause the valve to open and rotatable in an opposite second direction to cause the valve to close;
- an inner fixed locking sleeve including a plurality of spaced-apart inwardly extending locking lips;
- a valve stem adapter:
- (i) that defines a plurality of spaced-apart locking lip receiving pockets configured to receive the plurality of spaced-apart inwardly extending locking lips to prevent rotation of the valve stem adapter, and
- (ii) that is unlockable from the inner fixed locking sleeve to enable the valve stem adapter to be rotated in:
- (a) the first direction to rotate the valve stem to open the valve, and
- (b) the second direction to rotate the valve stem in the second direction to close the valve;
- an outer fixed sleeve;
- an extension tube movable in the outer fixed sleeve;
- a handle connected to the extension tube;
- and
- a movable sleeve fixedly connected to the extension tube, the movable sleeve:
- (i) movable to a first position relative to and engaging the outer fixed sleeve to prevent rotation of the movable sleeve and the extension tube, and
- (ii) movable to a second position at which the movable sleeve and the extension tube are rotatable relative to the outer fixed sleeve.
13 more elements
A railway tank car comprising:
- a frame;
- a tank supported by the frame;
- a discharge valve assembly connected to the tank and including a valve and a valve stem connected to the valve, the valve stem rotatable in a first direction to cause the valve to open and rotatable in an opposite second direction to cause the valve to close;
- an inner fixed locking sleeve;
- a valve stem adapter including a valve stem receiver and a handle shaft receiver fixedly connected to the valve stem receiver, the valve stem adapter:
- (i) lockable with the inner fixed locking sleeve to prevent rotation of the valve stem adapter, and
- (ii) unlockable from the inner fixed locking sleeve to enable the valve stem adapter to be rotated in:
- (a) the first direction to rotate the valve stem to open the valve, and
- (b) the second direction to rotate the valve stem in the second direction to close the valve;
- an outer fixed sleeve;
- an extension tube movable in the outer fixed sleeve;
- a handle connected to the extension tube;
- and
- a movable sleeve fixedly connected to the extension tube, the movable sleeve:
- (i) movable to a first position relative to and engaging the outer fixed sleeve to prevent rotation of the movable sleeve and the extension tube, and
- (ii) movable to a second position at which the movable sleeve and the extension tube are rotatable relative to the outer fixed sleeve.
13 more elements
A railway tank car comprising:
- a frame;
- a tank supported by the frame;
- a discharge valve assembly connected to the tank and including a valve and a valve stem connected to the valve, the valve stem rotatable in a first direction to cause the valve to open and rotatable in an opposite second direction to cause the valve to close;
- an inner fixed locking sleeve;
- a valve stem adapter:
- (i) lockable with the inner fixed locking sleeve to prevent rotation of the valve stem adapter, and
- (ii) unlockable from the inner fixed locking sleeve to enable the valve stem adapter to be rotated in:
- (a) the first direction to rotate the valve stem to open the valve, and
- (b) the second direction to rotate the valve stem in the second direction to close the valve;
- an outer fixed sleeve including a first shoulder;
- an extension tube movable in the outer fixed sleeve;
- a handle connected to the extension tube;
- and
- a movable sleeve fixedly connected to the extension tube, the movable sleeve including a first shoulder engageable with the first shoulder of the outer fixed sleeve, the movable sleeve:
- (i) movable to a first position relative to and engaging the outer fixed sleeve to prevent rotation of the movable sleeve and the extension tube, and
- (ii) movable to a second position at which the movable sleeve and the extension tube are rotatable relative to the outer fixed sleeve.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.