Sampling assembly for pneumatic outlet

A pneumatic outlet comprising:

• transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side walls having transversely spaced inner edges which define a lading opening;
• longitudinally spaced end walls attached to said side walls, a pneumatic discharge conduit located below said lading opening and extending outboard of said end walls;
• at least one valve element located within said outlet and adapted to open and close said lading opening;
• said valve element including a body portion having a body portion edge;
• a body portion valve seat located adjacent said body portion edge;
• in closed position said body portion edge seating on or adjacent to said body portion valve seat;
• said valve element further including a moment portion extending eccentrically and transversely away from said body portion, said moment portion having a moment portion edge;
• a moment portion valve seat located adjacent the moment portion edge;
• in closed position said moment portion edge seating on said moment portion valve seat;
• said valve element being movable to a sampling position in which said body portion edge is spaced from body portion valve seat to allow lading to flow into the discharge conduit, and the moment portion edge is spaced from said moment portion valve seat sufficient to permit lading to flow into the discharge conduit;
• said valve element including a pair of operating shafts extending in opposite directions from the valve element, parallel to the discharge conduit and extending through opposite end walls of the outlet;
• operating handles attached to the operating shafts outside the end walls at each end of the outlet;
• removable end caps covering the discharge conduit at opposite ends of the outlet;
• each end cap held in place with at least one large headed bolt pivotably mounted on opposite sides of the discharge conduit adjacent the ends thereof;
• said bolts engaging at least a portion of its respective end cap;
• said bolts attached to a vertically extending locking member of generally inverted J shape rotatably mounted on a side of the discharge conduit, at each end of the outlet, whereby when said operating handle is in the position which corresponds to the fully closed position of the valve element, the locking surface of the locking member on each end of the outlet prevents movement of the respective operating handle and the valve element from moving from the closed position, and whereby if the valve element and its operating handles are not in the fully closed position, the operating handles obstruct the path of the respective pivoting locking members and the large headed bolts attached to the respective locking members cannot be pivoted into position to hold the end caps in closed position;
• at least one of said J shaped locking members having its locking surface spaced from the adjacent surface of its respective locking handle a distance sufficient that when an end cap is removed from a sampling end of the outlet, the operating shaft whose operating handle is spaced from the locking surface at the opposite end of the outlet, may be rotated to move the valve element adjacent the sampling end to a sampling position without removing the end cap at the opposite end of the outlet.

A pneumatic outlet comprising:

• transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side walls having transversely spaced inner edges which define a lading opening;
• longitudinally spaced end walls attached to said side walls, a pneumatic discharge conduit located below said lading opening and extending outboard of said end walls;
• at least one valve element located within said outlet and movable between open and closed positions relative to said lading opening;
• in open position allowing lading to flow into said discharge conduit, and in closed position preventing lading from entering said discharge conduit;
• said valve element being movable to a sampling position to allow lading to flow into said discharge conduit;
• a pair of operating shafts attached to said valve element and extending in opposite directions from said valve element, generally parallel to the discharge conduit and extending beyond the opposite end walls of the outlet;
• operating handles attached to the respective operating shafts outside the end walls at each end of the outlet;
• removable end caps covering the discharge conduit at opposite ends of the outlet;
• each end cap held in place with at least one large headed fastener pivotably mounted on a side of the discharge conduit adjacent one end thereof;
• said fastener engaging at least a portion of its respective end cap;
• said fastener attached to a locking member of generally inverted J shape rotatably, mounted on said side of the discharge conduit at at least one end of the outlet, whereby when said operating handles are in the position which corresponds to the fully closed position of the valve element, a locking surface of said locking member on said one end of the outlet prevents movement of its operating handle and valve element from moving from the closed position, and whereby if the valve element and its operating handle are not in the fully closed position, the operating handle obstructs the path of the pivoting locking member and the large headed fastener cannot be pivoted into position to hold the end cap in closed position;
• at one end of the outlet said J shaped locking member having its locking surface spaced from a surface of its respective locking handle a distance sufficient that when an end cap is removed from the sampling end of the outlet, said operating shaft may be rotated to move the valve element adjacent the sampling end to a sampling position without removing the end cap at said one end of the outlet.