Operating mechanism for tank car bottom valve
AssigneeGunderson LLC
InventorsGregory J. Saxton, Bradley J. Thomas, Brian J. Jurvakainen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An operating mechanism for a bottom valve for a cargo tank of a railroad tank car, in which a valve operating lever is normally disconnected from a valve operating shaft and a valve operating shaft assembly includes a weak-link connector to prevent inadvertent opening of the bottom valve in case of derailment of the tank car.
Claims8
In combination with a railroad tank car body having a centerline and including a manually operated bottom valve, a manual valve operating mechanism comprising:
- (a) a valve operating shaft separate from the bottom valve and extending laterally outward and away from the centerline of the tank car body and away from the bottom valve, outside the tank car body, and having an outer end;
- (b) a support bearing supported by the car body, the support bearing supporting said outer end of the valve operating shaft;
- (c) a valve operating lever mounted adjacent the support bearing, on a sleeve that surrounds the valve operating shaft and that is coaxial with a central longitudinal axis of the valve operating shaft;
- (d) a normally-disengaged drive mechanism, associated with the valve operating lever and requiring manual engagement with the valve operating shaft to connect the valve operating lever selectively to the valve operating shaft, in such a way that movement of the valve operating lever is effective to rotate the valve operating shaft.
In combination with a railroad tank car body including a bottom valve, a valve operating mechanism comprising:
- (a) a valve operating shaft extending from the bottom valve and having an outer end;
- (b) a support bearing supported by the car body, the support bearing supporting said outer end of the valve operating shaft;
- (c) a valve operating lever supported adjacent the support bearing and associated with the valve operating shaft, the valve operating lever being mounted on a sleeve surrounding the valve operating shaft;
- (d) a normally-disengaged drive mechanism associated with the valve operating lever and arranged to connect the valve operating lever selectively to the valve operating shaft, thereby enabling the valve operating lever to rotate the valve operating shaft, the normally-disengaged drive mechanism including a drive pin movable radially with respect to the sleeve, and the valve operating shaft including a receptacle into which an end of the drive pin can be engaged;
- and
- (e) a drive pin support assembly, the drive pin support assembly having associated therewith a spring arranged to urge the drive pin out of engagement in the receptacle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.