US 4,795,301 A · Low-center-of-gravity self-unloading train for bulk commodities

Abstract

A unit train consists of a plurality of hopper cars and a multi-purpose trailer car. The hopper cars have one or more hoppers each having a bottom discharge opening and a controller gate. The hopper cars are constructed with load bearing side sills to provide an unobstructed longitudinal channel immediately above the wheel axles and between the wheels. An endless belt conveyor traverses the length of the train including a portion of the trailer car within those car channels, and underlies the hopper discharge gates so that the hoppers may be emptied sequentially onto the train conveyor to unload the entire train. The trailer car includes a lift portion of the train conveyor to elevate the material for discharge onto a transfer conveyor carried on the trailer car. The elongated transfer conveyor is pivotally mounted at the receiving end to be swung laterally to discharge the material received from the train conveyor at some selected point relative to the trailer car. The trailer car may include the power system and control systems for operating the conveyors and the hopper gates. The train is self-unloading by depositing the train load in a windrow alongside the track while the train is moving slowly. For unloading the train in a stationary position, the transfer conveyor may deposit the material onto a portable stacking conveyor which may then deposit the entire train load in one or more stockpiles located some distance from the track.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A self-unloading train for the transport of bulk commodities comprising:

a plurality of hopper cars coupled together, each of said hopper cars comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of wheels rotatably connected to said frame;
and
first and second side sills for carrying the load of said hopper cars, said first and second side sills affixed to said frame on opposite sides of said frame, said first and second side sills extending for the length of a hopper car, said first and second sills being joined to said frame exterior of said wheels of said hopper car, said frame arranged beneath the top of said wheels of said hopper car, said frame and said wheels defining an unobstructed longitudinal channel between said wheels and above the axles of said wheels;
and
train conveyor means connected to said first and second side sills, said train conveyor means positioned within said channel below the top of said wheels, said train conveyor means for transferring material along said plurality of hopper cars, said train conveyor means traversing said channel for the length of said plurality of hopper cars, said train conveyor means comprising:
a conveyor belt having a supply run and a return run:
a plurality of troughing idlers positioned within said channel, said troughing idlers located between said supply run and said return run of said conveyor belt, said supply run abutting the upper surface of said troughing idlers, said troughing idlers connected to said side sills, said return run of said conveyor belt being adjacent and above said axles;
and
tensioning means for taking up the slack in said conveyor belt during operation of said train conveyor means, said tensioning means engaging the interior of said conveyor belt between said supply run and said return run.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Low-center-of-gravity self-unloading train for bulk commodities

Life of this patent

Low-center-of-gravity self-unloading train for bulk commodities

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13