Keystone Industries, Inc.

Charles L Van Auken

Ross G Carle

A pellet gate, or valve, assembly to control pneumatic discharge of pellets from a hopper car. The inclined side walls of the hopper terminate in spaced edges forming a valve gap, with a semi-cylindrical trough extending below the valve gap. Centered in the valve gap is a valve rod having an axis which is spaced above the axis of the trough. The rod has oppositely facing longitudinal grooves defining a figure eight cross section and mounted for rotation from a valve-closed position to a valve-open position in which the grooves of the rod face the opposed edges of the hopper side walls for passage of the pellets. A cylindrical control collar is coaxially mounted at the end of the trough for rocking movement. A geared connection is interposed between the control collar and the end of the valve rod so that rocking movement of the control collar is effective to rotate the rod between its open and closed conditions. The control collar is disengageable for uncoupling the geared connection and to provide easy and direct access for a probing tool upwardly into the gap. During transport the assembly is enclosed by an end cap having sealing and locking means. The end cap is keyed to the hopper and to the control collar so that the device can be locked only when the control collar, and the valve rod which is coupled thereto, are in the closed condition.

Pellet gate for pneumatic discharge hopper car

A cushion assembly having an outer cylinder and a metering cylinder extending between end caps and defining an annular reservoir therebetween with communication being provided by metering orifices distributed along the length of the metering cylinder. A piston is slideable in the metering cylinder having a first piston rod connected to one side and a second piston rod of hollow construction connected to the other side, the first piston rod having a head at its outer end. The head and the first end cap define a gap between them when the first piston rod is in its contracted state. Stop members on the slideable sill and frame of the car occupy normal side by side positions in register with one another in the gap, so that a shock applied to the sill in either direction causes the stop members to shift out of register with one another elongating the gap so as to tension and extend the first piston rod. The device is charged with a combination of hydraulic fluid and gas under pressure so that as the piston moves fluid restrictedly flows through the orifices from a position in front of the piston through the reservoir to a position behind the piston to cushion the shock, the second piston rod having a substantially greater diameter than the first, presenting a greater axially projected area to the pressurized fluid, so that the piston is promptly returned to its retracted state in readiness for a subsequent shock.

Center-of-car cushioning device with gas return

An outlet gate assembly for a hopper car including a frame at the bottom of the hopper with a door plate slidable therein. A pair of laterally spaced racks extend cantilever fashion from one side of the frame. A transversely extending operating shaft, mounted in brackets secured to the door plate, carries pinions which engage the teeth of the racks so that as the operating shaft is turned the pinions walk along the racks thereby imparting sliding movement to the door plate. A latch shaft extending parallel to and below the level of the operating shaft mounts, in radial position, a pair of latches having hooked portions underlying the respective racks so that when the door plate is open the latches are blocked from moving into latching position by the underside of the racks and so that when the door plate is closed the hook portions of the latches engage the ends of the racks to lock the door plate in its closed position. Operating handles at the ends of the latch shaft serve individually to rock the shaft into unlatching position with the position of the handles serving as a telltale to indicate that the door plate is both closed and latched. In one aspect of the invention the latch serves as a retention member for the door plate in that the door plate assembly may not be removed until it has traveled to fully open position and until a limit stop has been moved out of the way.

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New Cumberland, PA, United States of America

Charles L Van Auken