Hopper gate opener
OwnerJohn Wellmaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rail car hopper gate opener is presented attached to a moving vehicle. A mechanized gate opener is attached to one end of the vehicle. The gate opener is attached in such as manner as to allow the gate opener to rise and fall with respect to the vehicle, to rotate with respect to the vehicle, to extend away and retract back toward the vehicle, and to pivot on a hinge on the vehicle attachment point.
Claims20
A method for opening a slide gate of a hopper rail car using a slide gate opener attached to a tractor, the hopper rail car resting on generally level rails and the tractor riding on wheels over unlevel ground that is adjacent to the rails and that approaches the rails with a slope, the method comprising:
- a) adjusting a tip of a shaft on the opener to interface with a pinion gear interface of the rail car hopper gate by:
- i) tilting the rail car opener with respect to the tractor and the unlevel ground by rotating a turntable such that the opener shaft tilts with respect to the unlevel ground to be parallel with the rails, thereby compensating for the slope;
- ii) raising the opener with respect to the tractor;
- iii) extending the opener shaft so as to interface the tip with the pinion gear interface;
- and
- b) rotating the opener shaft to move the rail car hopper gate.
A slide gate opener for opening a slide gate of a hopper rail car, the slide gate having a pinion gear interface, the slide gate opener having:
- a) a tractor mount;
- b) a twisting turntable with a first side and a second side, the first side of the turntable fixed to the tractor mount;
- c) a first element slidably mounted to the second side of the turntable such that the first element can slide in both directions relative to the second side of the turntable along a first axis of movement, wherein twisting of the turntable twists the first axis of movement relative to the tractor mount;
- d) a second element slidably mounted to the first element such that the second element can slide in both directions relative to the first element along a second axis of movement, wherein the second axis of movement is perpendicular to the first axis of movement, wherein twisting of the turntable twists the second axis of movement relative to the tractor mount;
- and
- e) a rotating shaft attached to the second element.
A system for opening a slide gate comprising:
- a) a tractor having a hydraulic system, the tractor having a front end, a left side, a right side, and a seat facing the front end of the tractor;
- b) controls interfacing with the hydraulic system of the tractor,
- c) hydraulic hoses connected to the controls,
- d) a slide gate opener attached to the front end of the tractor having:
- i) a rotating shaft having a pinion gear interface tip, the rotating shaft extending a first direction, the first direction chosen from a leftward and a rightward direction that is generally parallel to the front end of the tractor;
- ii) a first means for tilting the rotating shaft up and down;
- iii) a second means for raising and lowering the rotating shaft;
- iv) a third means for extending and retracting the rotating shaft along the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.