Patents Assigned to Gen-Tech, Inc.
  • Patent number: 5188264
    Abstract: A railroad hopper car discharge gate has slope sheets which terminate in a longitudinally extending lip, with the lips being spaced and there being a trough secured to the slope sheets beneath the spaced lips. Discharge from the gate is controlled by a rotatable longitudinal discharge valve shaft which extends between the lips of the slope sheets and is positioned to control flow from the gate interior above the slope sheets to the discharge trough. There is an operating handle for each end of the shaft, with the handles each being movable between a position in which the handle is locked on the shaft for rotation therewith, and a position in which the shaft is rotatable relative to the handle. There are stops positioned adjacent each handle for limiting rotation thereof. The valve shaft has a pair of axially spaced and axially extending recessed areas which are circumferentially non-aligned, but in part circumferentially overlapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1993
    Assignee: Gen-Tech, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Parkow, Robert F. Seitz
  • Patent number: 5186110
    Abstract: A discharge gate for a railroad hopper car has slope sheets terminating in longitudinally extending spaced lips. A through is secured to the slope sheets beneath the lips and a rotatable valve shaft controls the flow of material from the interior of the gate above the slope sheets to the discharge trough. The valve shaft has axially spaced and axially extending recessed areas and an intermediate full diameter portion between recesses. A spacer extends circumferentially about the shaft intermediate portion and radially outwardly therefrom. The spacer is in contact with the slope sheet lips and locates the shaft out of contact therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Gen-Tech, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert F. Seitz
  • Patent number: 5160223
    Abstract: A chock for use in securing four wheel vehicles to a deck mounted rail of a transport carrier is formed of a polymer body which has a pocket formed and adapted to mount the body laterally over a deck mounted rail having a series of transverse openings. A pin is mounted in the body for movement into a rail opening to secure the chock to the rail. The pin is mounted in a bushing which is encased in the polymer chock body and there is a vertical load member extending upwardly from the bushing, with the vertical load member being encased in the polymer chock body to distribute vertical loads through the body. The pocket has spaced walls which extend generally parallel to and closely adjacent the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Gen-Tech, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert F. Seitz
  • Patent number: 5005739
    Abstract: A seal for use between the end tube and the end plate of the outlet gate of a railroad hopper car has a generally flat body with a periphery generally coextensive with the end tube. The body is formed of an elastic material and has a shaft opening in alignment with the valve shaft of the outlet gate and a discharge opening in alignment with the discharge opening of the outlet gate end plate. There is a continuous elastic seal extending outwardly from each face of the flat body, with the seals each extending about the shaft opening and the discharge opening and being adapted to be in compressive contact with the end tube and the end plate when the outlet gate is assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1991
    Assignee: Gen-Tech, Inc.
    Inventors: William E. Fritz, James C. Pankow
  • Patent number: 4975000
    Abstract: An end tube assembly for the outlet gate of a railroad hopper car includes an end tube and an end tube cap for closing the end tube. The cap is pivotally connected to the end tube and there is a diametrically opposed latch between the cap and end tube. The cap has a guide which extends toward and over the end tube and there is a ramp on the end tube in alignment with the guide to coaxially direct the guide and cap on the end tube during closure. There is a lock on the end tube adjacent the ramp to prevent relative circumferential movement between the cap and end tube. The end tube mounts a gasket which faces the end tube cap. The cap has a rim extending outwardly therefrom for contact with the gasket. The extension of the rim gradually varies from at least one area of greatest extent to at least one area of lesser extent to compensate for distortion of the cap when it is latched onto the end tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Gen-Tech, Inc.
    Inventors: William E. Fritz, James C. Pankow
  • Patent number: 4974999
    Abstract: A lock for the end tube assembly and gate valve for the outlet gate of a railroad hopper car includes an elongated flexible cable and a locking element. The end tube assembly includes an end tube and an end tube cap for closing the end tube. There is a pivotal connection and a latch between the cap the end tube. The latch includes a latch member having an opening therein. The gate valve includes a valve member and an operating handle. The operating handle has an opening therein and is located adjacent to the latch member. The elongated cable, which forms a portion of the lock, passes through the handle opening and the latch member opening and has opposite ends thereof secured together by the locking element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Gen-Tech, Inc.
    Inventors: William E. Fritz, James C. Pankow
  • Patent number: 4973067
    Abstract: A peripheral sealing gasket is disclosed for use in mounting a discharge gate to the adapter frame of a railroad hopper car. The gasket has a peripheral base formed of a relatively rigid sealing material, which base is formed and adapted to be positioned between and in substantial surface contact with a discharge gate mounting flange and the hopper car adapter frame. The base has at least one sealing element on each side thereof, which sealing elements extend outwardly beyond the base and are formed of a sealing material substantially less rigid than the base. There is a recess for each sealing element whereby each sealing element will distort into its recess during use so that the base is in substantial surface contact with the mounting flange and adapter frame throughout its peripheral extent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignee: Gen-Tech, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. Fritz
  • Patent number: 4435662
    Abstract: Alternators/generators of axially disposed air gap conformity in which a unique combination of rotors and stators results in machines of high efficiency, simplified modular assembly and extension. Such machines can, moreover, be readily constructed to produce from a single alternator unit multiple voltages and frequencies and from a single generator unit direct current in multiple voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1984
    Assignee: Gen-Tech, Inc.
    Inventor: Ian S. Tawse
  • Patent number: 4297604
    Abstract: Alternators/generators of axially disposed air gap conformity in which a unique combination of rotors and stators results in machines of high efficiency, simplified modular assembly and extension. Such machines can, moreover, be readily constructed to produce from a single alternator unit multiple voltages and frequencies and from a single generator unit direct current in multiple voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1981
    Assignee: Gen-Tech, Inc.
    Inventor: Ian S. Tawse
  • Patent number: 4211945
    Abstract: An alternator/generator of modular construction in which a plurality of magnets are so arranged on the face(s) of a rotor(s) of disc or flywheel conformity as to interact with axially oriented and aligned pole pieces of magnetic material, in order to create a flux field across an air gap. A stator(s) cooperating with the rotor(s) comprises in part the pole pieces referred to in the foregoing, and about which are wound induction coils calculated to produce predictable quantities of electrical energy in a multiplicity of voltages and frequencies either simultaneously or otherwise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1980
    Assignee: Gen-Tech, Inc.
    Inventor: Ian S. Tawse