Abstract: An elevator installation may include at least one car that is displaceable in an elevator shaft; a first supply unit for supplying the car with energy, material, and/or data; and an interchange arrangement for interchanging the first supply unit to the car whereby the first supply unit is removed from or attached to the car during ongoing operation of the elevator installation. The interchange arrangement may be configured to remove and/or attached one or more supply units from the car during a regular door-opening cycle where the car stops at a floor of a building in which the elevator installation is installed. A duration of time required to remove the first supply unit from the car, or alternatively add the first supply unit to the car, is less than a duration of time required for a regular door-opening cycle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that reduce release of dust generated during rotary dumping of rail cars in a dumping facility. The method includes removing dust laden air from a space bounded by a backside airflow diverter, a rotational frame, a first baffle and a second baffle while the rotational frame is rotating with a rail car by drawing the dust laden air through a secondary air intake that passes through the backside airflow diverter into a backside hood. A dust control apparatus includes a diverter, overlying a backside hood having a concave curved upper surface; and at least one secondary air intake positioned to pass through the diverter being located approximately where pressure in the backside hood remains neutral or negative relative to a pressure even there is a transient increase in air pressure in a lower portion of the backside hood.

Abstract: An apparatus for rotary dumping of rail cars, including a material receiving pit. A rotary rail car dumper includes a rotational frame supporting at least one baffle. The rotational frame is configured to dump a load from a rail car during rotational motion of the rotational frame between an upright position wherein the entire load is in the rail car and a dumping position wherein the load can exit the rail car. A backside airflow diverter is located beneath the rotational frame and includes a curved upper surface. A lower margin of the at least one baffle contacts the curved upper surface during at least part of the rotational motion of the rotational frame. A backside hood is located beneath the backside airflow diverter on the back side of the pit.

Abstract: An apparatus for rotary dumping of rail cars, including a backside airflow diverter, a backside hood for removing contaminated air from the back side of the pit and at least two baffles on a rotational frame, the baffles each presenting a leading edge that contacts the backside airflow diverter during at least a portion of rotational motion. At least one air intake is positioned to pass through the upper surface of the backside diverter into the backside hood at a location where pressure in the backside hood is maintained at a substantially neutral or negative level even when pressure in the material receiving pit is increased by a down rush of air caused by the exit of the load from the railcar.

Abstract: An apparatus for rotary dumping of rail cars, including a backside airflow diverter, a backside hood for removing contaminated air from the back side of the pit and at least two baffles on a rotational frame, the baffles each presenting a leading edge that contacts the backside airflow diverter during at least a portion of rotational motion. At least one air intake is positioned to pass through the upper surface of the backside diverter into the backside hood at a location where pressure in the backside hood is maintained at a substantially neutral or negative level even when pressure in the material receiving pit is increased by a down rush of air caused by the exit of the load from the railcar.

Abstract: An improved rail car is pulled by an engine for transporting coal or other porous dust bearing materials. The car has opposing long sidewalls and opposing shorter end walls, which together define an initially open interior, a bottom and an open top. The open top of the car is covered by at least one pair of main doors in the form of opposing hinged A-frame sections which are pivotable between a closed, transport position and an open loading position which exposes the rail car interior for loading. The A-frame sections also have longitudinally spaced edges which are spaced apart to form a discharge door opening. A discharge door is located in each of the discharge door opening and is pivotally hinged within the respective door opening so that it opens under the influence of gravity in a rotary dumping operation. The discharge doors, together with the A-frame sections, form a door-within-a-door operating configuration.

Abstract: A vehicle side dumping apparatus is provided comprising a pivotable deck for supporting and tipping a vehicle, and one or more piston-cylinder assemblies configured for tipping the deck. A piston rod of each piston-cylinder assembly has a first end pivotally supported against a support surface. A coupling assembly mechanically and pivotally couples the deck to the cylinder at a coupling location of the cylinder, wherein the coupling assembly is configured to substantially axially load the piston-cylinder assembly. The coupling location is located near the cylinder end receiving the piston rod, substantially in line with the vehicle deck, the remainder of the cylinder extending above the vehicle deck.

Abstract: An apparatus for rotary dumping of rail cars, including a material receiving pit. A rotational frame is disposed at least partially in the pit, is configured to dump a load from a rail car during rotational motion. A backside airflow diverter is disposed within the pit along with a backside hood for removing contaminated air. At least one baffle contacts the upper surface of the backside airflow diverter during at least a portion of the rotational motion. The invention includes an end of hood close off panel extending substantially from a platen supporting wall to the backside air flow diverter or an end ring baffle that extends from a grizzly upwardly to approximately the perimeter of a supporting ring and from the backside airflow diverter toward a dump side of the pit whereby dust laden air is substantially prevented from escaping from the pit under the end ring baffle.

Abstract: An apparatus for rotary dumping of rail cars, including a backside airflow diverter, a backside hood for removing contaminated air from the back side of the pit and at least two baffles on a rotational frame, the baffles each presenting a leading edge that contacts the backside airflow diverter during at least a portion of rotational motion. At least one air intake is positioned to pass through the upper surface of the backside diverter into the backside hood at a location where pressure in the backside hood is maintained at a substantially neutral or negative level even when pressure in the material receiving pit is increased by a down rush of air caused by the exit of the load from the railcar.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling dust generated by the rotary dumping of rail cars may include one or more baffles of a rotary dump frame to seal a portion of the material receiving pit during a portion of the rotary motion. The dust cloud generated by this dumping is retained in the pit for an increased time due to tumbling of the cloud induced by the baffles and other features of the facility. A plurality of intake ducts removes the dust cloud from the pit for transfer to a remote filtering facility.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling dust generated by the rotary dumping of rail cars may include one or more flexible baffles provided to the back-side of a rotary dump frame to seal a portion of the material receiving pit during a portion of the rotary motion. The dust cloud generated by this dumping is retained in the pit for an increased time due to tumbling of the cloud induced by the baffles and other features of the facility. A plurality of intake ducts removes the dust cloud from the pit for transfer to a remote filtering facility.

Abstract: A system and method for handling and transporting moist bulk grain by-products include a rail car having an aluminum car body carried by a plurality of trucks for engaging rails. A flexible top cover, supported by a plurality of breakaway curved ribs, is positioned over an open top of the rail car to protect the moist bulk grain by-products carried therein. The car body has a front end and a rear end each having a wind screen for spoiling or deflecting the flow of air over the car as it moves to prevent the flexible top cover from being lost or damaged. The car may be emptied by a car inverter over a conveyor, such as a reciprocating floor which carries the moist grain by-products to a mixer, or transportation vehicles for distribution to customers or users of the grain by-products.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling dust generated by the rotary dumping or rail cars may include one or more flexible baffles are provided to the back-side of a rotary dump frame to seal a portion of the material receiving pit during a portion of the rotary motion. The dust cloud generated by this dumping is retained in the pit for an increased time due to tumbling of the cloud induced by the baffles and other features of the facility. A plurality of intake ducts removes the dust cloud from the pit for transfer to a remote filtering facility.

Abstract: A reversing chain-operated, dual carriage train indexer is provided with a chain tension control that acts directly on the chain and a retraction-biased, two-position carriage connection cylinder in conjunction with a spring biased linkage system allows indexer operation in either direction with dogs up or down in dual force ranges controlled by the chain tension control.

Abstract: The rail-type conveyor system contains self propelling container trucks which circulate between stations and are provided with unlockable unloading device. Each of the stations is termed with at least one stopping point and have a receiving device for accepting the material conveyed. Each stopping point contains a section of rail corresponding to the length of the container truck, with rail parts which engage laterally in a C-shape around the tracks wheels of the container truck. The rail section is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis in order to unload the container truck on one longitudinal side and is pivotable towards the unloading side.

Abstract: To permit coupled rail cars of different lengths be tipped in a rail car dumper installation, between a rail car platform of the tipping structure and a fixed track section leading to the platform there is a space occupied by a supplementary rail section that can be secured relative to the rail car platform or the fixed track section respectively. The tipping structure has a cranked portion overlapping said supplementary rail section to engage end supports for the associated end of the tipping structure.

Abstract: A transfer car for transporting a container of tobacco from a first location to a second location includes an outer frame and an inner frame rotatable within the outer frame. The interior frame is adapted to hold a container therein and is provided with a lid lifter for removing the lid from a container. A system for rotating the container from an upright position to a dumping position is also included. The transfer car is also provided with an internal power source for moving the transfer car from the first location to the second location.

Abstract: The dust collection units in a rotary railroad car dumper installation are mounted over the hopper pit along one or both sides of the cylindrical, rotatable dumper frame so that dust ladened air can be sucked directly into the dust collection units without the need for duct work and the collected dust can be returned directly to the pit without the need for easily clogged screw conveyors and small chutes. A fixed enclosure means encloses the top and sides of the dumper frame and form with air shields mounted on the cylindrical dumper frame, a rotary valve which restricts flow such that ambient air is sucked into the hopper pit by the duct collection units at velocities which exceed the capture velocity of the dust clouds created by dumping of the contents of the car.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for dumping the contents of a container. A container dumping apparatus according to the present invention includes a frame and a carrier positioned on the frame for movement relative to the frame. The carrier includes an arrangement for supporting the container to be dumped. An actuating device for moving the carrier between rest and final dumping positions includes a first tilting arrangement having a first portion and a second portion extensible/retractable relative to the first portion. At least one cable is anchored at an outer end to the carrier and at an inner end to the first portion of the first tilting arrangement. The extensible/retractable second portion of the first tilting arrangement is arranged to act upon the cable intermediate the anchored ends thereof to shorten the span of the cable extending between the carrier and the extensible/retractable second portion.

Abstract: A car positioning device for dumping of random cars in a rotary car dumper, and a method for directly positioning cars within a rotary dumper, where the car positioning device, movable on a trackway parallel to a track portion carrying railroad cars, has a carriage base and a pivoted car positioning arm thereon, the car positioning arm being L-shaped with a long section extending parallel to the trackway and a short section carrying a coupling apparatus, transverse the track portion, such that the long section extends beyond the carriage and beyond the guideway for the carriage, with the short section of the arm positionable within the car dumping apparatus to directly position a car within the confines of the dumper.

Abstract: The dust collection units in a rotary railroad car dumper installation are mounted over the hopper pit along each side of the cylindrical, rotatable dumper frame so that dust ladened air can be sucked directly into the dust collection units without the need for duct work and the collected dust can be returned directly to the pit without the need for easily clogged screw conveyors and small chutes. The dust collection units also form with air shields mounted on the cylindrical dumper frame, a rotary valve which restricts flow such that ambient air is sucked into the hopper pit by the dust collection units at velocities which exceed the capture velocity of the dust clouds created by dumping of the contents of the car. The air shields include orthogonal pairs of planar members mounted on the rotary frame.

Abstract: There is disclosed a train positioner for sequentially advancing a string of railroad cars to a rotary car dumper in a step-by-step and a car-by-car sequence. Each of the cars has rotatable couplings permitting the rotation of each car about a longitudinal axis. The rotary car dumper is adapted to invert a railroad car about that axis. Two car-pushing members are provided which are adapted to sequentially engage a car and advance the car toward the dumper. A drive arrangement is provided which is adapted to drive at least one of the pushing members forwardly toward the dumper a distance corresponding to about the length of a car while that pushing member is engaged with a car while retracting at least one other member rearwardly away from the dumper a distance corresponding to about the length of the car while being disengaged from a car.