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US 6,835,041 B1Granted
High capacity bulk material transportation and discharge method and system
AssigneeBulk Unloading BA, LLC
InventorMitchell E. Albert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
System for transporting and unloading bulk materials, wherein a side-dumping container is mounted on a railroad car. A tilting mechanism at the unloading site tilts one side of the container on the car to unload bulk materials into a hopper through a top-hinged door on the other side of the container.
Claims37
A system for transporting and unloading bulk materials, the system comprising:
- at least one railroad car;
- a container for the bulk materials, comprising a bottom member having opposing first and second longitudinal sides and opposing ends, end walls secured to said ends of said bottom member, one side wall secured to said first longitudinal side of said bottom member and to said end walls, a structural support member connecting said end walls at or near the top of said end walls on the side opposing said side wall, and at least one bottom-opening door member hingedly attached to said structural support member and releasably engageable with said second longitudinal side of said bottom member;
- mounting means for retaining or releasably attaching said container to said car adjacent said ends of said bottom or side member and maintaining said container on said car while said car is traveling, wherein the mounting means provides for rotation of said container relative to said car along said second longitudinal side of said bottom member;
- tilting means for engaging said container at said side wall or adjacent said first longitudinal edge of said bottom member, said tilting means located adjacent a railroad track upon which said car and container can travel;
- and
- a hopper assembly for receiving bulk materials unloaded from said container, said hopper assembly located adjacent the railroad track in juxtaposition with said tilting means.
3 more elements
A container for transporting and unloading bulk materials via a railroad, said container comprising:
- a bottom member having opposing first and second longitudinal sides and opposing ends;
- end walls secured to said ends of said bottom member;
- one side wall secured to said first longitudinal side of said bottom member and to said end walls;
- a structural support member connecting said end walls at or near the top of said end walls on the side opposing said side wall;
- and
- at least one bottom-opening door member hingedly attached to said structural support member and releasably engageable with said second longitudinal side of said bottom member.
3 more elements
A ram assembly for tilting a railroad container on a railroad car, said assembly comprising:
- a frame for supporting at least one ram;
- and
- at least one telescoping ram having a head adapted for engagement with a railroad container mounted on a railroad car;
- wherein said ram assembly is operable from a position adjacent a set of railroad tracks, without using beneath-track structures, to tilt the railroad container on the railroad car.
1 more element
A method for transporting and unloading bulk materials, comprising the steps of:
- a. positioning a railroad car adjacent a tilting means and a hopper for receiving unloaded bulk materials, wherein a container at least partially filled with a bulk material is releasably mounted thereon, and wherein said container comprises a bottom member having opposing first and second longitudinal sides and opposing ends, said end walls secured to said ends of said bottom member, one side wall secured to said first longitudinal side of said bottom member and to said end walls, a structural support member connecting said end walls at or near the top of said end walls on the side opposing said side wall, and at least one bottom-opening door member hingedly attached to said structural support member and releasably engageable with said second longitudinal side of said bottom member;
- b. engaging said tilting device with said container;
- c. disengaging said door member from said second side of said bottom member to allow said door to swing open by pivoting about said hinged attachment, thereby allowing a portion of the bulk material to push the door open and fall into said hopper;
- d. tilting said container along said first longitudinal side to cause said container to pivot along the base of said second longitudinal side, thereby causing the remainder of said bulk material to fall into said hopper;
- e. lowering said container back onto said car and disengaging said tilting device from said container;
- f. re-securing said container to said car;
- and
- g. re-engaging said door to said second side of said container bottom.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.