Patents by Inventor BRIAN WAYNE BLANKENSHIP

BRIAN WAYNE BLANKENSHIP has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Hatch assembly for a railcar and method for assembling the same
    Patent number: 8534204
    Abstract: A hatch assembly for use with a railway hopper car. The railway hopper car includes sidewalls, end walls, and bottom walls for defining an interior volume. The bottom walls define a cargo well that has an opening for discharging materials transported by the hopper car. The hatch assembly includes a support frame that is coupled proximate to a bottom of the cargo well. A hatch is slideably coupled to the support frame. The hatch is moveable between a closed position and an open position for selectively covering the cargo well opening. A hatch positioning system including a drive shaft that is coupled to the support frame, a locking assembly that is coupled to the drive shaft and is configured to selectively engage a locking bar, a positioning assembly that is coupled to the drive shaft, and a drive assembly that is coupled to the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: American Railcar Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Wayne Blankenship
  • HATCH ASSEMBLY FOR A RAILCAR AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING THE SAME
    Publication number: 20120152146
    Abstract: A hatch assembly for use with a railway hopper car. The railway hopper car includes sidewalls, end walls, and bottom walls for defining an interior volume. The bottom walls define a cargo well that has an opening for discharging materials transported by the hopper car. The hatch assembly includes a support frame that is coupled proximate to a bottom of the cargo well. A hatch is slideably coupled to the support frame. The hatch is moveable between a closed position and an open position for selectively covering the cargo well opening. A hatch positioning system including a drive shaft that is coupled to the support frame, a locking assembly that is coupled to the drive shaft and is configured to selectively engage a locking bar, a positioning assembly that is coupled to the drive shaft, and a drive assembly that is coupled to the drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventor: BRIAN WAYNE BLANKENSHIP