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.
Claims30
A system to transport and unload bulk materials, the system comprising:
- at least one rail car;
- and
- a moving wall system having a first end, a second end, and a trough, the trough being configured to contain a payload of the at least one rail car, the trough including sidewalls that contact the payload when loaded and are configured to move with the payload to move the payload towards the second end.
A system to transport and unload bulk materials, the system comprising:
- a conveyor belt system having at least one conveyor belt, a first end, and a second end, the conveyor belt system being configured to contain a payload and move the payload toward the second end by rotating the at least one conveyor belt, the at least one conveyor belt forming sidewalls and a floor that move with the payload when rotated;
- and
- at least one rail car configured to support the conveyor belt system, the conveyer belt system forming a hopper of the at least one rail car.
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 at least one conveyor belt, a first end, and a second end, the at least one conveyor belt forming sidewalls and a floor;
- and
- rotating the at least one conveyor belt to move the material toward the second end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.