Abstract: Methods of increasing total volume capacity of a railroad hopper car having a car body with two or more hoppers are shown and disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes severing the car body of the railroad hopper car along a vertical plane to form a first portion and a second portion of the railroad hopper car. The method additionally includes separating the first portion from the second portion to define a space therebetween. The method further includes installing, in the space, various components to define one or more additional separate hoppers of the car body.

Abstract: Open top gondola railcars and closure assemblies for cleanout openings of those railcars are disclosed. In some embodiments, the closure assembly includes a closure member sized to be received in a cleanout opening and to span a substantial portion of the cleanout opening to define at least one gap between a closure perimeter and a floor perimeter. The closure assembly additionally includes a sealing member fixedly attached to, or formed with, the closure member. The sealing member spans between the floor perimeter and the closure perimeter to cover the at least one gap. The closure assembly further includes a tethering member having opposed first and second end portions. The first end portion is fixedly attached to the closure member and the second end portion is attached to one of the floor or a cross bearer of the open top gondola railcar.

Abstract: Railroad hopper cars and methods of increasing total volume capacity of a railroad hopper car having a car body with two or more hoppers. In one embodiment, the railroad hopper car includes a car body having a pair of opposed sides and a pair of opposed ends defining a length. The hopper car additionally includes a pair of wheeled trucks supporting the car body. The hopper car further includes two or more spaced bulkheads extending between the pair of opposed sides to define three or more separate hoppers arranged adjacent one another along the length of the car body and between the pair of side walls. The hoppers being longitudinally asymmetric such that total volume of the hoppers on one side of a transverse center plane of the car body is different from total volume of the hoppers on the other side of the transverse center plane.

Abstract: A covered hopper railroad freight car having a car body whose opposite longitudinal sides include substantially flat, parallel, generally vertical upper side wall portions free from outwardly protruding structural strength members.

Abstract: Open top gondola railcars and closure assemblies for cleanout openings of those railcars are disclosed. In some embodiments, the closure assembly includes a closure member sized to be received in a cleanout opening and to span a substantial portion of the cleanout opening to define at least one gap between a closure perimeter and a floor perimeter. The closure assembly additionally includes a sealing member fixedly attached to, or formed with, the closure member. The sealing member spans between the floor perimeter and the closure perimeter to cover the at least one gap. The closure assembly further includes a tethering member having opposed first and second end portions. The first end portion is fixedly attached to the closure member and the second end portion is attached to one of the floor or a cross bearer of the open top gondola railcar.

Abstract: Railroad hopper cars and methods of increasing total volume capacity of a railroad hopper car having a car body with two or more hoppers. In one embodiment, the railroad hopper car includes a car body having a pair of opposed sides and a pair of opposed ends defining a length. The hopper car additionally includes a pair of wheeled trucks supporting the car body. The hopper car further includes two or more spaced bulkheads extending between the pair of opposed sides to define three or more separate hoppers arranged adjacent one another along the length of the car body and between the pair of side walls. The hoppers being longitudinally asymmetric such that total volume of the hoppers on one side of a transverse center plane of the car body is different from total volume of the hoppers on the other side of the transverse center plane.

Abstract: A covered hopper railroad freight car having a car body whose opposite longitudinal sides include substantially flat, parallel, generally vertical upper side wall portions free from outwardly protruding structural strength members.

Abstract: A covered hopper railroad freight car having a car body whose opposite longitudinal sides include flat, parallel, generally vertical upper side wall portions free from outwardly protruding structural strength members.

Abstract: A covered hopper car including a plurality of hoppers adjacent one another along the length of the car, with a generally vertical stiffened bulkhead of sheet material between adjacent ones of the hoppers. The bulkhead may include a plurality of stiffeners of which each stiffener is a transversely oriented curved portion of the sheet material of the bulkhead itself, displaced from the vertical main plane of the bulkhead. A radius of curvature is great enough and all surfaces of the stiffener are steep enough that granular material will slide downward from the stiffener and all surfaces of the stiffener can easily be washed by a spray directed from a hatch opening in the roof of the covered hopper car.

Abstract: A covered hopper car including a plurality of hoppers adjacent one another along the length of the car, with a generally vertical stiffened bulkhead of sheet material between adjacent ones of the hoppers. The bulkhead may include a plurality of stiffeners of which each stiffener is a transversely oriented curved portion of the sheet material of the bulkhead itself, displaced from the vertical main plane of the bulkhead. A radius of curvature is great enough and all surfaces of the stiffener are steep enough that granular material will slide downward from the stiffener and all surfaces of the stiffener can easily be washed by a spray directed from a hatch opening in the roof of the covered hopper car.

Abstract: A divan includes a seating surface and a backrest. In a first configuration, the backrest is positioned adjacent to the seating surface to support a person's back while the person is seated on the seating surface. In the first configuration, the seating surface is disposed at a first predetermined height above a horizontal plane. In a second configuration, the backrest establishes an upper bunk above the seating surface. In the second configuration, the seating surface establishes a lower bunk beneath the upper bunk. In the second configuration, the seating surface is disposed at a second predetermined height that is lower than the first predetermined height.

Abstract: Systems and methods associated with a pixel circuit for an OLED element are disclosed herein.

Abstract: A lightweight hopper car that includes one or more reinforcing members at specified locations, so that the hopper car has both a carrying capacity and a structural strength comparable to those of existing, heavier hopper cars. Specifically, the present application discloses that the hopper car may be reinforced at one or more locations including (i) at selective intersections between the center sill and slope sheets of cargo wells; (ii) between side slope sheets of adjacent cargo wells; (iii) at the junction between the side sheets and end slope sheets of the hopper car; and (iv) along the end combing seal between opposed carlines, if the hopper car is covered. In addition, the present application discloses a novel means of reinforcing side sheets of a rail car, including hopper cars, against the warping that commonly occurs when welding the side sheets at the car is fabricated.

Abstract: A center sill for inclusion in a center sill assembly of a railroad freight car. The center sill includes a first main structural member of metal plate bent to a three-sided shape including a bottom cover and a pair of side web portions, and a top cover plate fastened to the side web portions to form a box beam structure. Horizontal filler plates that may be of thicker material are fastened to the bottom cover portion at the ends. Stub sills may be attached to the ends of the center sill to form a center sill assembly for a freight car such as a hopper car.

Abstract: A center sill for inclusion in a center sill assembly of a railroad freight car. The center sill includes a first main structural member of metal plate bent to a three-sided shape including a bottom cover and a pair of side web portions, and a top cover plate fastened to the side web portions to form a box beam structure. Horizontal filler plates that may be of thicker material are fastened to the bottom cover portion at the ends. Stub sills may be attached to the ends of the center sill to form a center sill assembly for a freight car such as a hopper car.

Abstract: An electronic driver circuit for driving a load exhibiting a capacitance comprises a controllable current source for providing at an output current related to an input data signal and a capacitance coupled between the output and input of the controllable current source for providing positive feedback.

Abstract: A pixel circuit for an OLED element comprises first, second, third and fourth transistors wherein controllable conduction paths of the first and second transistors are connected for receiving a data signal current, and the control electrodes thereof are connected for receiving a select signal for being enabled thereby. The third and/or fourth transistors are connected for establishing a current in the OLED element responsive to the data signal current and the select signal. Capacitance may be provided by at least one of the transistors or by additional capacitance.

Abstract: A lightweight hopper car that includes one or more reinforcing members at specified locations, so that the hopper car has both a carrying capacity and a structural strength comparable to those of existing, heavier hopper cars. Specifically, the present application discloses that the hopper car may be reinforced at one or more locations including (i) at selective intersections between the center sill and slope sheets of cargo wells; (ii) between side slope sheets of adjacent cargo wells; (iii) at the junction between the side sheets and end slope sheets of the hopper car; and (iv) along the end combing seal between opposed carlines, if the hopper car is covered. In addition, the present application discloses a novel means of reinforcing side sheets of a rail car, including hopper cars, against the warping that commonly occurs when welding the side sheets at the car is fabricated.

Abstract: A pixel circuit for an OLED element comprises first, second, third and fourth transistors wherein controllable conduction paths of the first and second transistors are connected for receiving a data signal current, and the control electrodes thereof are connected for receiving a select signal for being enabled thereby. The third and/or fourth transistors are connected for establishing a current in the OLED element responsive to the data signal current and the select signal. Capacitance may be provided by at least one of the transistors or by additional capacitance.

Abstract: Machine executable method of analyzing growth curve data to identify the transition from a baseline phase into a growth phase. Applications of the method include analysis of results from time-dependent monitoring of amplicon synthesis in a nucleic acid amplification reaction to quantify a starting amount of a nucleic acid template in a test sample. The method advantageously simplifies the quantitation by circumventing the need to establish thresholds used for calculating initiation of the growth phase, to calculate derivatives, or to perform linear regression analysis.