Control device for a railroad car

A control device for controlling at least one bottom dump air operated door for a railroad car movable between a closed position in which material within the railroad car is retained within the railroad car and an open position in which the material within the railroad car is released therefrom comprising:

• a housing supported by the railroad car and having a sealed interior;
• said housing having first and second chambers aligned with each other in its sealed interior and spaced longitudinally from each other;
• a piston slidably disposed within the sealed interior of said housing;
• said piston having:
• one end disposed in said first chamber in sealing relation therewith;
• and its other end disposed in said second chamber in sealing relation therewith;
• a first end cap mounted at one end of said housing;
• said first end cap having a first air passage communicating with the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers and a second air passage communicating with said first chamber;
• a first solenoid supported by said first end cap, said first solenoid allowing air pressure to flow through said air passage in said first end cap to said second air passage in said first end cap when said first solenoid is activated;
• a second end cap mounted at the other end of said housing;
• said second end cap having a first air passage communicating with the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers and a second air passage communicating with said second chamber;
• a second solenoid supported by said second end cap, said second solenoid allowing air pressure to flow through said first air passage in said second end cap to said second air passage in said second end cap when said second solenoid is activated;
• a sliding shoe valve disposed within the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers and connected to said piston for movement therewith;
• said housing having a port communicating a source of air pressure with the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers;
• said housing having two ports communicating with a control member for moving the door to its open or closed position depending on the position of said sliding shoe valve relative to said two ports, one of said two ports supplying air pressure to the control member from the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers when the door in the railroad car is to be opened and the other of said two ports supplying air pressure from the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers to the control member when the door in the railroad car is to be closed;
• said first air passage in said first end cap supplying air pressure from the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers through said second air passage in said first end cap to said first chamber to move said piston to its door opening position when said first solenoid is activated;
• said first air passage in said second end cap supplying air pressure from the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers through said second air passage in said second end cap to said second chamber to move said piston to its door closing position when said second solenoid is activated;
• and a control element disposed in said first air passage in said first end cap for preventing air pressure to pass therethrough until it exceeds a predetermined air pressure.

A control device for controlling at least one bottom dump air operated door for a railroad car movable between a closed position in which material within the railroad car is retained within the railroad car and an open position in which the material within the railroad car is released therefrom comprising:

• a housing supported by the railroad car and having a sealed interior;
• said housing having first and second chambers aligned with each other in its sealed interior and spaced longitudinally from each other;
• a piston slidably disposed within the sealed interior of said housing;
• said piston having:
• one end disposed in said first chamber in sealing relation therewith;
• and its other end disposed in said second chamber in sealing relation therewith;
• a first end cap mounted at one end of said housing;
• said first end cap having a first air passage communicating with the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers and a second air passage communicating with said first chamber;
• a first activating element supported by said first end cap, said first activating element allowing air pressure to flow through said first air passage in said first end cap to said second air passage in said first end cap when said first activating element is activated;
• a second end cap mounted at the other end of said housing;
• said second end cap having a first air passage communicating with the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers and a second air passage communicating with said second chamber;
• a second activating element supported by said second end cap, said second activating element allowing air pressure to flow through said first air passage in said second end cap to said second air passage in said second end cap when said second activating element is activated;
• a sliding shoe valve disposed within the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers and connected to said piston for movement therewith;
• said housing having a port communicating a source of air pressure with the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers;
• said housing having two ports communicating with a control member for moving the door to its open or closed position depending on the position of said sliding shoe valve relative to said two ports, one of said two ports supplying air pressure to the control member from the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers when the door in the railroad car is to be opened and the other of said two ports supplying air pressure from the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers to the control member when the door in the railroad car is to be closed;
• said first air passage in said first end cap supplying air pressure from the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers through said second air passage in said first end cap to said first chamber to move said piston to its door opening position when said first activating element is activated;
• said first air passage in said second end cap supplying air pressure from the sealed interior of said housing exterior of said first and second chambers through said second air passage in said second end cap to said second chamber to move said piston to its door closing position when said second activating element is activated;
• and a control element disposed in said first air passage in said first end cap for preventing air pressure to pass therethrough until it exceeds a predetermined air pressure.

A railroad car having at least one bottom dump air operated door movable between a closed position in which material within the railroad car is retained within the railroad car and an open position in which the material within the railroad car is released therefrom only when the railroad car is at a predetermined position along its predetermined travel path at which it is desired for said door to open;

• a cylinder supported by the railroad car;
• a piston disposed in said cylinder and connected to said door for moving said door between its closed and open positions;
• a control device for controlling supply of air pressure to said door connected piston to move said door between its closed and open positions;
• and said control device comprising:
• a housing supported by the railroad car;
• a piston movable in said housing between a door closing position and a door opening position in response to air pressure acting in a first direction on said housing piston to cause movement of the door to its open position and to air pressure acting in a second direction on said housing piston to cause movement of the door to its closed position;
• said housing piston allowing air pressure in said housing to act on one side of said door connected piston to open said door when the air pressure moves said housing piston to its door opening position to enable the air pressure in said housing to flow from said housing to said cylinder to act on the one side of said door connected piston;
• said housing piston allowing air pressure in said housing to act on the other side of said door connected piston to close said door when the air pressure moves said housing piston to its door closing position to enable the air pressure in said housing to flow from said housing to said cylinder to act on the other side of said door connected piston;
• and a control element for preventing movement of said housing piston to enable air pressure to flow from said housing to said cylinder to act on the one side of said door connected piston to open said door until the air pressure exceeds a predetermined air pressure at the predetermined position of the railroad car along its predetermined travel path.