Lost Motion Patents (Class 105/311.2)
  • Patent number: 7389732
    Abstract: A mechanism for selectively operating hopper doors of a railroad car. A fulcrum coupled to the operating cylinder includes channels within which levers can be selectively activated to open specific doors of the car, thus allowing the contents of the railcar to be sequentially emptied. The mechanism can be installed on railcars having either transverse hopper doors or longitudinal hopper doors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Inventor: Fred J. Taylor
  • Patent number: 6899038
    Abstract: A discharge gate assembly adapted to be secured in material receiving relation relative to a standard opening toward a bottom of a railroad hopper car. The gate assembly of the present invention satisfies AAR requirements and specifications and includes a rigid frame defining a ledgeless and generally square discharge opening which is sized substantially equivalent to the standard opening defined toward the bottom of the railcar whereby allowing commodity discharged from the opening in the railroad hopper car to pass through the gate assembly with minimum interference or obstruction thereby promoting the discharge of commodity from the railroad car. A gate is slidably movable between open and closed positions relative to the discharge opening on the gate assembly and is suspended, in a closed position, by a series of supports extending therebeneath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignees: Miner Enterprises, Inc., Powerbrace Corporation
    Inventor: Rudolph S. Fortuna