Semi-rigid railcar cover
AssigneeEcofab Covers International Inc.
InventorsTrevor Low, Mark Doldon, John Cruikshank
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cover for open top railcars may be alternatively locked into place over the railcar top opening, or rotated on hinges to either side of the railcar to provide access to the entire top of the railcar. The cover may be compressed against either side of the railcar to allow the car to move between structural or other elements of loading or unloading facilities.
Claims34
A cover assembly for a railcar of the type having a top opening, first and second sides and first and second side sills, the cover assembly comprising a cover having opposed side edges and rotatable through an arc of up to 270 degrees about either side edge between a closed position atop the railcar and an open position alongside a corresponding side of the railcar, wherein the cover comprises
- a semi-rigid, deformable main cover section, and
- a pair of rigid end sections, each end section hingedly attached to opposing ends of the main cover section.
A cover system for open top railcars, comprising:
- a semi-rigid, deformable cover having opposed rigid end sections;
- and
- means for reversibly opening the cover, wherein the means for reversibly opening the cover comprise:
- at least one mechanical arm connected to at least one side edge of the cover, each arm movable between a retracted position and an extracted position and having a spring-loaded catch;
- means for extracting each mechanical arm;
- a track for permitting directional movement of the railcar;
- a stationary helix apparatus adjacent the track for engaging each mechanical arm;
- and
- means for retracting each mechanical arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.