Acf Industries, Incorporated

Gunter R Behle

Dallas W Rollins

Charles E Reedy

David P Hillstead

Richard J Wempe

Robert W Randolph

Forrest L Baker

John A Hrinsin

Joel A Mingus

In accordance with the present invention, an operating rod attached to a bottom outlet valve passes through a nozzle assembly connected to the tank top. The nozzle assembly includes a hollow cylindrical housing for the operating rod and means to seal the operating rod relative to the tank. The nozzle assembly further includes a sleeve made of a material having a coefficient of friction with metal, particularly steel. The material has sufficient shear strength to withstand loads applied by rotation of the operating rod to the nozzle assembly, and sufficient strength in compression to react bending moments applied to the nozzle assembly resulting from misalignment of the lading valve relative to the nozzle assembly. Preferably also the material is self lubricating to avoid potential failure of the material in the event the assembly is not regularly lubricated.

Nozzle assembly for top operating rod

To provide a railway tank car mounting flange which does not extend more than one (1) inch below the tank bottom, fixed stops to prevent rotation of the valve closure during movement between open and closed positions, and fixed stops which determine the amount of travel of the valve closure between open and closed positions are located within the tank. The valve closure is provided with outwardly extending stops which engage the fixed stops within the tank. Preferably the fixed stops extend inwardly and upwardly from the mounting flange. Preferably the valve closure is bench assembled onto a removable valve seat and is installed into the tank from the bottom, avoiding the need for a workman to be located within the tank during installation.

Bottom operable tank car valve having external rotation stop

In accordance with the present invention, an unloading assembly for a top operated lading valve is disclosed. The unloading assembly includes means for connecting an unloading outlet chamber to the existing depending valve outlet chamber of the lading valve. The unloading outlet chamber is hollow and is in fluid communication with the lading valve outlet chamber. The unloading assembly includes an operating shaft extending upwardly through the unloading outlet chamber and through the valve outlet chamber. The operating shaft includes a non-round connection portion adapted to engage a non-round connection portion of the top operating rod.

Bottom operator for top operated bottom installed tank car valve assembly

At least one ball valve segment is located within a partial valve cage mounted within a tank. The cage is integral with a valve housing removably mounted within a tank mounting flange. The housing includes an inclined sealing surface which the ball valve segment engages in closed position. A lading outlet chamber is located below the inclined sealing surface. An operating shaft is inclined with respect to the outlet chamber. Inclined openings are provided in the valve housing and in the outlet chamber through which the operating shaft passes. The operating shaft includes an eccentric head which is located within a non-round slot in the ball valve segment. Rotation of the operating shaft rotates the eccentric head which drives the valve segment between open and closed positions. Preferably a pair of ball valve segments located approximately 180.degree. apart are connected with supports or ribs. The valve segment which closes the opening into the discharge chamber is larger. The contour of the eccentric head is such that the smaller valve segment is located outwardly from the center of the discharge opening in the valve housing when the larger valve segment is in open position to minimize flow restriction. The smaller valve segment is cam shaped to urge the larger portion into closed and sealed position.

Wedgeball valve

In accordance with the present invention a tank car bottom outlet mounting flange is provided with a stepped valve seat slot to receive a contained valve seat member. The valve seat is provided with an upper internal valve seat portion to receive a valve closure. A valve seat body portion located below the valve seat portion is provided with a valve seat slot to receive an operator retainer to prevent the operator from moving vertically during operation. A valve seat flange portion extends radially outwardly from the valve seat body portion and is provided with first fastener openings for holding the valve seat member in place within the mounting flange and supporting the valve closure and any lading in the tank. The valve seat flange portion is provided with second fastener openings, preferably circumferentially spaced from the first fastener openings to receive fasteners to hold in place an outlet chamber extending below the valve seat member. Preferably an outlet chamber flange portion receives the second fasteners and also at least partially supports the operator retainer with the valve closure.

Tank car bottom outlet valve having combination ring and valve seat

An opening is formed in a tank bottom and a mounting flange for a bottom outlet valve is attached to the tank bottom extending into this opening. This valve mounting flange contains fastener openings. A vertically extending light source is removably attached to the mounting flange, for example with mechanical fasteners. This light source is shined upwardly into the tank and indicates a reference point on the internal surface of the tank top for locating a nozzle opening. This reference point is marked, and a top opening is then formed in the tank shell by workmen located in the tank, usually after rotating the tank 180.degree.. If the tank has been rotated prior to forming the top opening, the tank is again rotated 180.degree. to locate the top opening at the top of the tank. An optional reinforcing plate is then welded to the outside surface of the tank surrounding the top opening. This reinforcing plate contains a reinforcing plate opening. A hollow cylindrical nozzle is then located within the reinforcing plate opening and/or the tank top opening. An alignment fixture including a target is then inserted into the nozzle. The light source from below the tank bottom is then shined into the nozzle and onto the target located in the nozzle. When the light source is pointed at the center portion of the target, the nozzle is tack welded to the tank top and/or reinforcing plate. The light source is then removed from the mounting flange and the fixture is removed from the nozzle. The nozzle is then finish welded to the reinforcing plate and/or to the tank shell. A seal assembly and an operating rod are then inserted into the nozzle. The operating rod is connected to a lading valve in the tank bottom in a known manner.

Light source to locate nozzle in tank

In accordance with the present invention an open and closed position indicator assembly is provided for use with a bottom operable tank car valve assembly. An operating shaft for the lading valve extends downwardly through the outlet chamber and includes a connection portion at its lower end. An indicator housing is integrally connected to that portion of the outlet chamber above the connection portion which surrounds the operating shaft. An indicator member located within the indicator housing is internally threaded and engages an externally threaded portion of the outlet chamber. The indicator member includes a lower non-round opening which is adopted to be driven by a cooperating non-round portion of the operating shaft. Rotation of the operating shaft with an operating handle will move the lading valve between open and closed positions and will also move the indicator member downwardly to a position below the indicator housing to a position viewable by the operator when the lading valve is in the open position, and will move the indicator member upwardly to a position within the indicator housing which is not viewable by the operator when the valve is in the closed position. In addition the extent to which the indicator member extends below the indicator housing may be used as a measure of the extent to which the lading valve is moved toward the open position.

Bottom outlet valve open and closed indicator

In accordance with the present invention, a tank car valve mounting flange, valve cage and valve seat are provided. The cage is generally cylindrical. The mounting flange extends radially outwardly from the cage. The valve seat is located on an inner surface of the cage. A multi-armed sleeve is threaded onto a threaded valve stem. Clamp fasteners attach a valve closure to a lower portion of the stem. The sub-assembly of the valve closure, valve stem and sleeve is placed within the valve cage, with the closure resting on the valve seat. The arms of the sleeve extend into cage slots having a generally horizontal portion in the cage. A keeper assembly is provided to retain the sleeve arms within the cage slots. The stem is then connected to a top operating rod extending to the top of the tank. The valve assembly is then raised by the top operating rod until the valve flange engages a tank mounting flange. Valve assembly fasteners are inserted through openings in the valve flange into the mounting flange to hold the assembly in place. An outlet chamber for loading and unloading of the lading is then attached to the valve seat mounting flange conveniently with outlet chamber fasteners located on the same bolt circle as the mounting flange fasteners and the valve assembly and outlet chamber are ready for operation. If desired the outlet chamber need only be attached at the loading site and at destination.

Top operated tank car bottom outlet valve assembly installed from the

A tank vehicle lading valve assembly is provided including a lading valve mounted in an opening in the bottom of the tank which is movable vertically between open and closed positions. A valve housing or outlet chamber including an unloading spout is attached below a tank bottom mounting flange with fasteners, which preferably define a shear plane. A first operator attached to an upper portion of the lading valve extends vertically up through the tank to the upper portion of the tank where it is adapted to receive a suitable handle or tool to move the lading valve between open and closed positions. A second operator is preferably attached to a lower portion of the lading valve. The second operator portion preferably extends at least partially through the valve housing. Thus the lading valve is operable from either the top of the tank or from the bottom of the tank. The first operator may be eliminated and the lading valve operated from the bottom. Preferably in the event of impact to the valve housing, the housing will shear off or drop off along the plane defined by the fasteners extending into the mounting flanges, and the lower second operator portion will shear off or drop off from the second operator, leaving the lading valve in place to substantially prevent escape of lading from the tank.

Combination top operable and bottom operable tank lading valve assembly

A top operated tank car valve assembly includes a rod extending downwardly from the top of the tank and is attached to the valve stem of a lading valve located in the bottom of the tank. The stem engages a threaded valve sleeve provided with a mounting flange which engages a cooperating mounting flange on a valve cage. Fasteners engage the upper surface of the sleeve, and extend through the valve cage and engage threaded openings in a tank car bottom outlet mounting flange. The cage includes a valve seat for a valve closure. The valve seat is formed on the lower, internal surface of the valve cage, and circumferentially spaced openings are formed in the valve cage for lading flow. Laterally spaced projections extend upwardly from the lading valve closure. A valve stem retainer includes a pair of formed retainer members which define a cavity or opening. The retainer engages the lower end of the valve stem with a sufficiently tight fit as to substantially reduce horizontal and angular movement of the stem relative to the stem retainer. Slots formed in the retainer receive the projections from the lading valve closure and fasteners hold the formed retainer members in abutting relation to the closure projections. A valve guide depends from the valve closure a sufficiently short distance as to not extend below the tank mounting flange, and thereby a skid is not required in order to comply with AAR and DOT regulations concerning projections extending below the bottom surface of a railway tank car.

Top operated tank car clapper value

In a railway tank car bottom outlet lading valve assembly, an operating handle assembly for the lading valve includes an operating shaft extending vertically within a lading outlet chamber. The shaft is provided with a non-round shaft tool connection portion near the bottom thereof. An operating handle is pivotably mounted on the outlet chamber adjacent the non-round connection portion. The operating ratchet includes a handle non-round connection portion which engages the shaft non-round connection portion. A handle-storing bracket for the distal end of the operating handle is mounted upon the tank body or on an upper mounting flange portion of the outlet chamber adjacent a tank car bottom outlet mounting flange. The bracket is preferably U-shaped and includes a removable pin extending between opposite arms of the U-shaped bracket. When the pin is removed from the mounting bracket, the handle may be pivoted to a generally horizontal position to rotate the shaft through engagement of the handle non-round portion with the shaft non-round portion, and thus move the lading valve between open and closed positions. After use, the distal end of the handle may be returned to the stored position in the handle storing bracket with the pin back in place.

Operating handle for bottom operated railway tank car valve

In a bottom operable tank car lading valve assembly, a combination skid and lading valve seat for the lading valve closure is provided, which is attached to the tank car universal flange with mechanical fasteners. The valve seat portion extends inwardly and upwardly from the universal flange and includes a machined seat. The skid portion extends upwardly and outwardly from the universal flange, forming a circumferential taper, and the upper portion abuts the bottom of the tank. The outer end of the skid is connected to the tank with fasteners which do not require stress relieving of the tank body. The skid portion protects the lading valve closure and the lading valve seats against impacts which might normally cause unseating of the valve closure and escape of the lading in the absence of the skid portion.

Combination tank car valve skid and valve seat in which end portions on

In a bottom operable tank car lading valve assembly, a combination skid and lading valve seat for the lading valve closure is provided, which is attached to the tank car universal flange with mechanical fasteners. The valve seat portion extends inwardly and upwardly from the universal flange and includes a machined seat. The skid portion extends upwardly and outwardly from the universal flange, forming a circumferential taper, and the upper portion abuts the bottom of the tank. The outer end of the skid portion is connected to the tank with fasteners which do not require stress relieving of the tank body. The skid portion protects the lading valve closure and the lading valve seats against impacts which might normally cause unseating of the valve closure and escape of the lading in the absence of the skid portion.

Combination tank car valve skid and valve seat wherein the skid is

In a railway tank car bottom outlet lading valve assembly, an operating handle assembly for the lading valve includes an operating shaft extending vertically within a lading outlet chamber. The shaft is provided with a non-round shaft tool connection portion near the bottom thereof. An operating handle is pivotably mounted on the outlet chamber adjacent the non-round connection portion. The operating handle includes a handle non-round connection portion which engages the shaft non-round connection portion. A handle-storing bracket for the distal end of the operating handle is mounted upon the tank body or on an upper mounting flange portion of the outlet chamber adjacent a tank car bottom outlet mounting flange. The bracket is preferably U-shaped and includes a removable pin extending between opposite arms of the U-shaped bracket. When the pin is removed from the mounting bracket, the handle may be pivoted to a generally horizontal position to rotate the shaft through engagement of the handle non-round portion with the shaft non-round portion, and thus move the lading valve between open and closed positions. After use, the distal end of the handle may be returned to the stored position in the handle storing bracket with the pin back in place.

Growing community of inventors

St. Charles, MO, United States of America

Gunter R Behle