Unloading system and method for continuously moving rapid discharge railcars
AssigneeAshross, LLC
InventorLloyd Ash
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An unloading station and method for unloading bulk material from a moving railcar with a bottom discharge while the railcar is moving includes a track with a pair of rails. A synchronized parallel conveyor is oriented parallel with the pair of rails and forms a movable platform capable of receiving the bulk material in a pile extending into the railcar and drawing the pile along in synchronization with the railcar as the railcar moves. A hopper is disposed below a break in or end of the parallel conveyor to receive the bulk material. A lateral conveyor disposed under the hopper to convey the bulk material away from the hopper.
Claims19
An unloading station for unloading bulk material from a moving railcar with a bottom discharge, the station comprising:
- a) a track having a pair of rails alignable with a railroad track with the railcar movable on the track with the bulk material receivable around the pair of rails when the bottom discharge is opened;
- b) a synchronized parallel conveyor disposable below the railcar and oriented parallel with the pair of rails and forming a movable platform capable of receiving the bulk material in a pile extending into the railcar and drawing the pile along in synchronization of direction and speed with the railcar as the railcar moves along the track to resist force from the pile against bottom discharge gates of the railcar;
- c) a break in or end of the parallel conveyor disposed away from a proximal end of the parallel conveyor and configured to allow the bulk material to pass therethrough;
- d) a hopper disposed below the break in or end of the parallel conveyor configured to receive the bulk material;
- and
- e) a lateral conveyor disposed under the hopper and oriented transverse to the parallel conveyor configured to convey the bulk material away from the hopper.
An unloading station for unloading bulk material from a moving railcar with a bottom discharge, the station comprising:
- a) an excavation less than 12 feet deep below a railroad track;
- b) a frame disposed in the excavation having a pair of rails inline with the railroad track, the railcar movable on the pair of rails with the bulk material receivable around the pair of rails when the bottom discharge is opened;
- c) a synchronized parallel conveyor carried by the frame below a top of the pair of rails and oriented parallel with the pair of rails and capable of receiving the bulk material in a pile extending into the railcar and drawing the pile along with the railcar in the same direction and at the same speed as the railcar moves along the track, the parallel conveyor including:
- i) a preliminary stationary deck;
- ii) a subsequent stationary deck in a direction of travel of the conveyor;
- iii) a preliminary break between the preliminary and subsequent stationary decks configured to allow the bulk material to pass therethrough;
- iv) a subsequent break in or end of the subsequent stationary deck;
- and
- v) a continuous chain movable over both preliminary and subsequent stationary decks, and over the preliminary break, with chain openings through the chain to the stationary decks;
- d) a preliminary hopper disposed below the preliminary break configured to receive the bulk material;
- e) a preliminary lateral conveyor disposed under the preliminary hopper and oriented transverse to the parallel conveyor configured to convey the bulk material away from the preliminary hopper;
- f) a subsequent hopper disposed below the subsequent break in or end of the subsequent stationary deck configured to receive the bulk material;
- and
- g) a subsequent lateral conveyor disposed under the subsequent hopper and oriented transverse to the parallel conveyor configured to convey the bulk material away from the subsequent hopper.
A method for unloading bulk material from a railcar with a bottom discharge, comprising:
- a) moving the railcar through an unloading station with a track having a pair of rails aligned with the railroad track;
- b) opening the bottom discharge of the railcar and releasing the bulk material therefrom around the pair of rails and into a pile on a parallel conveyor below the railcar and below a top of the pair of rails while the railcar is moving;
- c) moving the parallel conveyor with the pile of the bulk material thereon With along with the railcar at the same speed and in the same direction as the railcar;
- d) allowing the bulk material on the parallel conveyor to fall into a hopper while the railcar is moving;
- and
- e) laterally conveying the bulk material from the hopper and away from the unloading station with a lateral conveyor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.