Abstract: An expanding gate valve having a pair of seat spacers (70) which hold apart a pair of floating valve seats (32) to prevent them from binding against a gate mechanism (40) which is collapsed for movement between open and closed positions. The spacers (70) are cylindrical segments which fit in the valve chamber of a gate valve having a cylindrical body cavity (20).

Abstract: In a top operated tank car valve, a mounting flange is welded to an opening in the bottom of the tank. A valve seat is located inboard of, and above the lower surface of, the mounting flange. A vertically extending cage is integrally attached to the mounting flange. A top operator extends to the top of the tank, and a stem is attached to the lower portion of the top operator. The stem extends into an opening in a valve closure plug. A non-round cavity is formed in the bottom of the stem. The closure plug includes a seat which engages the valve seat located within the mounting flange. The closure plug includes a circular guide ring which engages a portion of the vertically extending cage as the closure plug moves between open and closed positions. The closure plug includes a vertical, generally central opening which communicates with the circular head portion of the valve stem.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention an air inlet and outlet valve is disclosed which automatically opens and closes when a bottom operable tank lading valve is opened and closed. The air valve is mounted adjacent the top of the tank and is in fluid communication by means of a conduit with an opening in the tank. The air valve is automatically opened and closed when the lading valve opens and closes by means of an air valve linkage including an operating shaft which extends from the lading valve up through the tank to operate the air valve.

Abstract: An inexpensive captive operating handle assembly for a bottom operated railway tank car lading valve includes an operating shaft for a bottom operated tank car closure valve. The handle assembly includes a handle connection portion having a non-round slot adapted to engage a valve closure shaft non-round connection portion. An adapter plate is held captive by the outlet chamber and the shaft non-round connection portion. A shaft portion of the handle extends upwardly and away from the connection portion, and is held in place by a bracket located on the outlet chamber or on the tank car. In stored position, the handle connection portion is spaced below the shaft connection portion. The handle is pivotal about a hinge to an engaged position in which the handle connection portion abuts the lower surface of the adapter plate and in which the handle connection portion engages the non-round operating shaft portion to move the valve closure between open and closed positions.

Abstract: A manually set relay valve for controlling fluid flow to and from a valve actuator. A slide valve (60) is manually pulled outwardly to the set or open position and held therein by pilot pressure applied to a piston chamber (46) through a passage (104) in the slide valve. When the slide valve is tripped to the closed position due to an interruption of pilot pressure, a cross port (106) of the fluid passage vents the piston chamber to maintain the relay closed until manually reset.

Abstract: In a tractor operated piggyback railway trailer hitch including a vertical strut and a diagonal strut supporting a hitch head or fifth wheel, an improved bumper block assembly is provided, including at least one bumper block support plate pivotably mounted about a first pin in the hitch head, and a kingpin block laterally spaced from the bumper block support plate. The bumper block includes a generally vertical surface adapted to be contacted by a tractor, and a body portion including a first opening to receive a second pin. The bumper block is pivotably mounted about the second pin extending through the bumper block support plate and the bumper block. A third pin extends through the bumper block and said bumper block support plate. The third pin is designed to shear at a predetermined applied load.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a low profile, tapered siphon pipe sump is provided including a sump portion located below an opening in the tank bottom and extending below the tank bottom and a tapered portion extending longitudinally in both directions from the sump portion. The sump portion includes a sump opening sufficiently deep to readily unload through a siphon pipe the remaining portion of the lading in the tank, sufficiently deep to enable the siphon pipe to telescope therein when the tank top moves downwardly relative to the tank bottom during coupling impacts, and is also sufficiently wide and deep to enable a rubber spider siphon pipe guide normally used in rubber lined tank cars to position and anchor itself in the sump. This invention is also adaptable to unlined tank cars. The tapered portion extends from the bottom of the sump portion longitudinally of the tank in both directions.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention an air inlet and outlet valve is disclosed which automatically opens and closes when a bottom operable tank lading valve is opened and closed. The air valve is mounted adjacent the top of the tank and is in fluid communication by means of a conduit with an opening in the tank. The air valve is automatically opened and closed when the lading valve opens and closes by means of an air valve linkage including an operating shaft which extends from the lading valve up through the tank to operate the air valve.

Abstract: A controlled or limited floating seat for an expanding type gate valve. The seat is received in a shrink fit in a groove formed around the flow passage of the valve adjacent the valve chamber. The seat is able to move in the groove toward the valve chamber until a frusto-conical outer side of the seat contacts a frusto-conical outer surface of the groove to prevent the seat from dragging against the gate assembly in the collapsed condition thereof. In the expanded condition of the gate assembly, the seat is bottomed in the groove with a sealing surface of the seat tightly sealing against the gate assembly.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a coating of cadmium applied to a container pedestal latch protuberance lowers the maximum exit force sufficiently as to be within the 2200 pound maximum in the AAR specification while the minimum exit force of 1600 pounds and the maximum container entry force of 800 pounds were also within the specification.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A trailer hitch head or fifth wheel is disclosed including a pair of jaws which engage the kingpin of a trailer to hold the kingpin in place. The jaws are held in closed position by a locking member which is biased to the engaged position by at least one stiff spring. A linkage engages the locking member to move the locking member to open position against the bias of the stiff spring. The linkage may be manually or automatically activated. A one-way kingpin gate is located in the front portion of the fifth wheel. The linkage engages an actuator which automatically engages the one-way gate and pivots the same to open position allowing exit of the kingpin. Preferably the linkage is automatically activated by a bumper bar linkage in a tractor operated hitch, and also may be manually activated by the operator. Optionally, a manually operable handle is provided including a keeper or projection which engages a slot in the locking member in open position to hold the locking member in open position.

Abstract: In accordance with the present disclosure, the weld wire is passed through a pivoted switch located upstream of a welding machine. When the end of the weld wire passes through the pivoted switch, the switch is biased to pivot into a non-contact or open position. The open position of the switch shuts off the current to the welding arc and to the feed rolls and prevents the weld wire from melting back to the contact tip and fusing to the tip.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a top operated tank car valve assembly includes a rod extending downwardly from the top of the tank and is attached to a valve stem of a lading valve closure located in the bottom of the tank. A valve seat for a valve closure is located in an opening in the bottom outlet mounting flange. A valve guide depends from the valve closure. The valve guide includes a center hub and a plurality of vanes extending radially outwardly therefrom and adapted to engage the valve cage as the valve is moved between open and closed positions. The center hub is hollow and is adapted to receive a fastener to attach the valve guide to the valve closure. The fastener includes a threaded inner end to engage the lower portion of the valve closure. A non-round horizontal plate is welded to the fastener which holds a seal retainer in engagement with a seal and the valve closure.

Abstract: In a trailer hitch head, the kingpin opening in the top plate is made sufficiently large that, when the jaws are in closed position, the trailer kingpin engages only the jaws. The jaws thus bear the entire load of horizontal impacts to the hitch head. The jaws are made of hardened steel to bear these loads and, in the front portion, the longitudinal extent of the jaws is enlarged to better react loads applied to the rear of the jaws. The jaws are attached to the top and bottom plates of the head with readily removable fasteners whereby, when the jaws become worn, they may be quickly and easily replaced without taking the hitch and the flat car out of revenue service.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a railway tank car is provided with a tank car skid arrangement including a continuous tank cradle pad extending the full distance between the stub sills located at opposite ends of the car. The cradle pad is curved to follow the tank bottom contour. A reinforcing plate is rigidly attached to the cradle pad extending transversely and longitudinally outwardly on either side of at least one tank car bottom fitting (lading valve and/or sump) depending from the tank bottom. The reinforcing plate is preferably also curved to follow the contour of the cradle pad and the tank bottom. A tank car skid extending longitudinally and transversely of the bottom fitting is rigidly attached to the reinforcing plate. The skid includes opposite end portions which are welded to the tank and which extend downwardly and inwardly toward a center section which contains the bottom fitting.

Abstract: An eduction pipe and sump arrangement which does not require a skid includes an eduction pipe extending down from the top of the car and terminating a sufficient distance above the tank bottom to accommodate tank flexure. A sump is formed in the tank bottom directly below the eduction pipe. The sump is contoured such that there is no sump projection below the tank bottom in excess of one inch (1"). A guide pipe is attached to the interior of the tank bottom over the sump. The eduction pipe extends within the guide pipe. A ring is welded inside the guide pipe to provide centering for the eduction pipe and a load path for longitudinal and lateral forces induced by lading surging, and inertia of the eduction pipe. An elastomeric boot seal assembly including an elastomeric boot has one end attached to the eduction pipe and the other end attached to the guide pipe by hose clamps or other appropriate fasteners to seal the eduction pipe with respect to the interior of the tank.

Abstract: A one-way gate assembly for a railway trailer hitch includes a pair of movable jaws adapted to assume a first position engaging and holding in place the kingpin of a piggyback trailer. A stiff yoke spring biases a yoke into a first position engaging the jaws to maintain said jaws in the first position. A one-way gate located on the exit side of the jaws is pivotably mounted about a horizontal axis. In one position the gate extends vertically upwardly, blocking exit of a trailer kingpin. A gate spring biases the gate to pivot the gate outwardly and away from said jaws. A first stop engages the base of the gate maintaining the gate in the vertically extending position. The stop is movable longitudinally of said hitch away from the gate to allow the gate to pivot to open position.