Acf Industries, Incorporated

Robert W Randolph

Steven L Jantzen

Dallas W Rollins

Gunter R Behle

Gerald D Garner

James R Zimmerle

David P Hillstead

Robert F Needham

In accordance with the present invention a locking member is integrally connected to a transversely extending operating shaft. A handle is preferably provided on at least one end of the operating shaft. A locking lug and a tripping element are integrally connected to a movable gravity gate. In closed position the locking member has a hook portion which engages the locking lug. The locking member is movable to a generally vertical position by rotation of the operating shaft. As the gate is moved toward open position the tripping element engages the locking member and pivots the locking member to a generally horizontal position. As the gate is further opened, gravity urges the locking member into a further rotation position in which a depending safety tip on the locking member is below a fixed stop located adjacent the outlet wall with the locking member generally horizontal and not resting on the gate. The length of the safety tip is such that it cannot rotate to the generally vertical open position because it is prevented from doing so by the gate. The safety tip is essentially trapped between the gate and the stop. As the gate is closed the locking lug rotates the hook portion of the locking member until the locking member drops into locked position engaging the locking lug.

Railway hopper gate locking assembly

An uncoupling device (10) is provided with a handle (12) which is pivotably mounted on a bracket at the side of the car. The handle is connected to a bar (16) extending transversely of the car, at a level below a coupler extending out of a center sill. An uncoupling member (42) is slidingly attached to the bar with a connection allowing the uncoupler to slide longitudinally with respect to the bar when the coupler moves, and at the same time has sufficient interface with the bar to transmit torsion to the coupler (34) at a given position on the bar during rotation for uncoupling. The bar includes a stop (68) at its outer end to prevent the coupler member from escaping. The uncoupler member at its outer end includes an upwardly extending portion (70) having a hook (74) which is inserted into the opening (76) in a conventional E type coupler connection to operate the lock lifter mechanism (78) and disconnect coupled couplers. In order to avoid interference between the coupler connection and the hook when the coupler shank is rotated significantly off the center line of the car, the hook portion has a reduced thickness (90) on its outer external surface.

Uncoupling device which complies with AAR specification

The sealing assembly (10) of the present invention comprises a resilient sponge rubber tube (12) supported and retained by a metal bar (14) running through the tube and extending through slots (16) in the outlet side frame (18) terminating at each end in a retaining assembly (20). The seal member-slot relationship is such that when the gate (30) is open (FIG. 1), the seal member (12) rests on the gate with its retaining bar (14) in the lower portion of the side frame slots (16). Should there be an obstruction on the gate (not shown) such as adhering lading, the seal (12) when forced toward the outlet pan (40) will cause the retaining bar to rise in the slot to position (16b). This movement will allow the seal to ride over the obstruction and prevent the seal (12) from being pinched in the clearance slot (34) above the gate. As the gate is fully closed the upturned flange (32) at the back edge of the gate compresses the seal (12) against the outlet pan (40). As the seal (12) is compressed, the support bar (14) travels in the slot (16) at each end to the position (16b) allowing the seal to be compressed uniformly.

Gravity outlet sliding gate seal

A fixed sill includes a pair of lower, outwardly extending fixed sill flanges. A generally vertical longitudinally extending support plate is integrally connected to each fixed sill flange on each side of the fixed sill. A sliding sill support is rigidly connected to each support plate. The sliding sill support includes a horizontal inwardly extending portion that also extends longitudinally inboard. The sliding sill support is located slightly below the fixed sill flange. A pair of low friction wear plates are adopted to be slipped in place upon each sliding sill support. The low friction wear plates include horizontal body portions on each side of the fixed sill upon which the sliding sill rides in moving back and forth. Each wear plate includes 'U' shaped end portions which wrap around in the inner and outer ends of the sliding sill support. The wear plate is made of resilient material having a low coefficient of friction with steel and good strength in compression to withstand the load of the sliding sill.

Sliding sill low friction supporting plate assembly

An automatic bottom load and unload railway tank car includes a tank body having a quick fill and unload lading valve in the tank bottom. A vent valve is also located in the tank bottom and a vent conduit extends from the vent valve up to the top of the tank to a tank vent located in the top of the tank. At a tank car loading and unloading site, the tank car is spotted over an actuating assembly located between and below the tracks. The actuating assembly includes a lading valve actuator and a vent valve actuator which move upwardly and engage the tank bottom to open the lading valve and the vent valve. A lading conduit is connected to the lading loading and unloading valve and to a storage container. A vent conduit is connected between the vent valve and the upper portion of a storage container. During loading, lading passes from the storage container through the lading valve into the tank, and air and vapors pass from the tank to the top of the storage container. During unloading, lading passes from the tank car through the lading valve into the container, and air and vapors enter the car through the vent conduit from the atmosphere or from the top of the container. After the car is loaded and/or unloaded, the actuating assembly is returned to a retracted position below the tracks.

Quick fill/empty tank car system

In accordance with the present invention a tank car mounting flange is welded to an opening in the tank bottom and preferably does not extend below the bottom surface of the tank more than one (1) inch to comply with AAR and DOT Regulations. A valve body including a valve seat is located concentrically within the mounting flange and is removably attached to the mounting flange. The valve body may be attached to the mounting flange with a threaded fitting, or with fasteners and a retaining ring located within the mounting flange, in which fasteners holding the retaining ring in place extend into the mounting flange. A depending housing including a lower operator is attached to the mounting flange or to the retaining ring with fasteners which define a shear plane. In order that there be sufficient material in the mounting flange to be structurally sound while including openings for the fasteners in the mounting flange, and not extend more than one (1) inch below the tank bottom, the mounting flange may include fastener portions extending into the tank above the area where the fastener openings are drilled. Further, the mounting flange fastener portion may be provided with slots or channels to facilitate lading flow into the outlet during unloading. In one embodiment the portions extending into the tank comprise mounds or knobs extending into the tank, separated by open areas for lading flow.

Bottom operable tank car lading valve assembly which does not require a

In accordance with the present structure, in a railway hopper car a corrugated bolster web extends vertically between a bolster cover plate and the end hopper slope sheet. The vertically extending corrugations act as reinforcements in the web which web has at least some of the corrugations positioned over the side bearings and center plate.

Covered hopper car corrugated bolster web construction

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

Apparatus is disclosed for supporting and rotating a pair of hollow tank sections of generally circular cross section, including scalene frusto-conical tank sections, during welding of the sections in end-to-end abutting relation to form an elongted tank. The apparatus includes three longitudinally spaced, axially aligned, rotatable rings which define a welding cage. The center ring includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially directed jacks, each extendible the same distance regardless of the resistance encountered by a particular jack to force the abutting edges of the tank sections into a precise circular cross section and support and hold the abutting edges in aligned relation during rotation and welding. The two side rings include circumferentially spaced radially directed jacks of the seek and find type that will automatically extend until all jacks exert the same force on the tank sections extending from each side of the center ring to thereby support the tank sections for rotation about the common axis of the three rings, regardless of whether the tank sections are of cylindrical, right frusto-conical or scalene frusto-conical shape. A longitudinally extending conveyor is provided which extends within the welding cage and on either side of the welding cage for moving adjacent tank sections longitudinally toward each other into abutting engagement for welding, and for moving welded sections longitudinally of the cage.

Apparatus method for welding tank sections

Circumferentially spaced jacks for clamping and supporting a pair of tank sections in end-to-end relationship during welding include spring biased gripping members mounted on at least some of the tank engaging ends of the jacks which initially grip the surfaces of the tank sections and then move in a direction to force the ends of the tank sections together as the jacks are extended.

Apparatus for obtaining abutting contact of hollow tank courses to be

A flux back-up assembly for a tank welding fixture is disclosed having a rotatable ring which supports a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially extendible jacks for supporting and clamping hollow tank sections during welding of the sections in end-to-end abutting relation to form an elongated tank. The flux back-up assembly includes a continuous circular, flux receiving trough member formed of telescoping accurate sections attached to the extendible tank engaging ends of the jacks and adapted to telescope circumferentially whereby the continuous circular trough may expand or contract in diameter as the jacks are extended or retracted to accommodate tank sections of different diameters. A plurality of flux supply hoppers are carried by the ring at circumferential spaced points and are connected to the circular flux trough by conduits at points spaced from the hoppers whereby powdered flux from the hoppers is supplied to the trough member or returned to the hoppers by gravity as the ring is rotated during welding of the tank sections.

Flux backup arrangement for circumferential welding

A fluidizing assembly is provided having a readily removable and replaceable filter assembly. The filter assembly comprises a supporting grid member, a filter member and an open frame member upon which may be mounted a seal member. The fluidizing outlet assembly comprises an outlet body having a lower body flange and a bottom pan having an upper pan flange spaced below the lower body flange. A pair of filter assemblies are inserted between the lower body flange and the upper pan flange, and engages a filter support assembly located above a fluidizing header in the midportion of the outlet. Preferably the filter support assembly is provided with raised surfaces for forcing the filter assembly into operative position. The bottom pan includes passages in fluid communication with the fluidizing header which define a plenum for directing the fluidizing air below the filter member, and supports for the filter member. The bottom pan thus may comprise generally vertical plates integrally affixed to the upper surface of the pan; or more preferably, the pan may comprise corrugations which support the filter and define the plenum for fluidizing air.

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St. Charles, MO, United States of America

Robert W Randolph