Acf Industries, Incorporated

James R Zimmerle

Steven L Jantzen

Robert H Billingsley

Dallas W Rollins

Robert W Randolph

Lowell L Malo

Thomas B Baker

A gravity outlet valve (10) is for use on a railway car for discharge of lading from the car. The valve has sloping sidesheets connected together to form sidewalls (12a, 12b) and endwalls (14a, 14b) of the valve. An outlet (O) is defined by the lower end of the sidesheets and endsheets. A gate (16) is located beneath the outlet and is slidably movable from a valve closed to a valve open position. A seal (34) is used for sealing the valve and preventing loss of lading. The seal is a multi-ply seal having an inner core (36) of a spring-like material, and an outer covering (38) of a wear resistant material. The outer covering is contacted by the gate as it moves between its positions. The inner core forces the outer covering into this contact whereby a seal is effected between the outer covering and the gate.

Railcar gravity multi-ply outlet seal for sliding doors

Apparatus (1) for automatically releasing a railroad car hand brake (HB) normally maintained in its applied position. An air pressure activated cylinder (9) acts on a hand brake release (5) to release the hand brake. An air line (13) directs pressurized air from a pressurized air source to the air cylinder. A valve (27) connected in the air line is responsive to the source air pressure. The valve is normally closed but opens when source air pressure reaches a level sufficient to release the air brakes on the car. A draft load sensor (29) is positioned in the air line between the valve and air cylinder. The sensor normally blocks the air line, but unblocks it when a sufficiently great draft load is sensed. The hand brake is released only if source air pressure is sufficiently high and the draft load on the railroad car is sufficiently great.

Hand brake release apparatus

Apparatus (1) for automatically releasing a railroad car hand brake (HB) normally maintained in its applied position. An air pressure activated piston (11) acts on a hand brake release (5) to release the hand brake. An air conduit (13) directs pressurized air from a pressurized air source to the air cylinder. A normally closed first valve (25) is connected in the air conduit between the source and the air cylinder. A normally closed second valve (29) is connected in the air conduit between the source and a control inlet of the first valve. A sensor (33) senses an inertial load on the car and opens the second valve when the inertial load sensed exceeds a predetermined acceleration factor. Air pressure directed to the control inlet of the first valve through the second valve, when it is open, opens the first valve if the air pressure level is sufficiently great to release the air brakes of the car. The hand brake is released only if source pressure is sufficiently high and the inertial load sensed exceeds the acceleration factor.

Inertial hand brake release apparatus

In accordance with the present invention a railway hopper car unloading arrangement is provided, including at least one hopper having hopper slope sheets extending downwardly and inwardly. A standard outlet frame is attached to the inner ends of the hopper slope sheets. A removable adapter is attached to the outlet frame. The adapter includes an adapter mounting flange and a divider extending longitudinally of the car, which divides the adapter into a pair of transversely spaced adapter outlets or chutes. The adapter further includes adapter side walls and end walls, the lower ends of which define transversely spaced adapter chutes. A generally horizontally extending gate is movable between open and closed positions relative to each adapter chute. In addition, the adapter includes boot attachment means located below each adapter outlet for attachment of an unloading boot for each adapter outlet. The adapter is removable from the frame and a standard outlet may be attached to the frame with a single large discharge opening. The adapter boot attachment means may take the form of depending legs having outwardly extending attachment flanges attached to the depending legs.

Hopper car outlet gate assembly

In a combination hatch cover for railway car roofs,including a large cover having a smaller cover mounted thereon, each having their own separately operable latch, a supplemental locking arrangement is provided to maintain the small cover in closed position when the latch cover is moved to open position resting on the car roof.

Combination hatch cover having supplemental locking arrangement

An assembly is provided for blind hole mounting an external appurtenance including safety appliances such as ladder rungs, hand holds, and walkways on a railway freight car. One or more key hole slots are provided through the surface of the car where the external appurtenance is to be mounted. Each slot includes an enlarged bolt head receiving portion through which the head of a fastening bolt may be inserted and a key portion of smaller size forming a continuation of the slot into which the shank of the bolt may be slipped for retaining the fastening bolt in the slot. The relative dimensions of the bolt head and the bolt head receiving portion of the key hole slot are such that the bolt head can only pass through the bolt head receiving portion of the key hole slot when the bolt head is first inserted edgewise through the bolt head receiving portion and the bolt then rotated to a perpendicular position relatively to the key hole slot. The bolt shank has a movable retainer thereon of a size to cover a portion of the key hole slot and prevent the bolt from dropping through the blind hole both during insertion through the bolt head receiving portion of the key hole slot and during subsequent assembly of an appliance to the shank of the bolt. The shank portion includes threads or grooves to hold the retainer in place on the shank. A bolt fastener applied to the shank of the bolt retains the safety appliance on the shank of the bolt and compresses the retainer between the appliance and the surface of the car over the key hole slot. The bolt fastener may include a nut or a collar crimped or swaged in place. Caulking material may be applied to the retainer before the safety appliance is applied to the bolt shank to seal any portion of the slot not covered by the retainer.

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O'Fallon, MO, United States of America

James R Zimmerle