The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 18, 1994
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1993
Richard H Dugge, St. Louis County, MO (US);
ACF Industries Inc., Earth City, MO (US);
Abstract
A railway hopper car (H) has a bottom outlet (B). An outlet assembly (A) is attached to the outlet for lading to be discharged into the outlet. An outlet flange (OF) at the bottom of the hopper defines the lading discharge outlet. A mating flange (F1) is formed on the outlet assembly for attaching the outlet assembly to the railcar. Fasteners (L) are used to mount the outlet assembly to the hopper bottom. A gasket (3) installed between the respective flanges effects a seal between the hopper outlet and outlet assembly. The gasket extends circumferentially about the opening. One of the flanges has a circumferential groove (9) and the gasket has a raised portion (15) extending circumferentially of the gasket and sized to be received in the groove. This arrangement aligns the gasket with the flanges so when the outlet assembly is mounted to the bottom of the hopper, no cavities are formed in the between the hopper outlet and the outlet assembly. Similarly, an end adapter (E1, E2) is attached to the ends of the outlet assembly. A second gasket (5) is used to effect a seal between the adapter and outlet assembly. A groove (23) is formed in an outlet assembly flange (F2) to which an end adapter flange (MF) mates, and the gasket has a raised portion (25) fitting in the groove also align the gasket.