Abstract: A railcar system that includes a railcar with a discharge opening and a longitudinal gate positioned adjacent to the discharge opening. The system further includes a driving system connected to the longitudinal gate that is configured to move the longitudinal gate between a closed position and an open position. The system further includes a controller connected to the driving system that causes the driving system to position the longitudinal gate in the closed position, position the longitudinal gate in the open position, and position the longitudinal gate to remain an at least partially open position. The longitudinal gate is less than fully open when the longitudinal gate is in the at least partially open position.

Abstract: Solutions for minimizing the impact of servicing a turbo machine are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for conveying a turbo machine component can include: a motive system for moving the apparatus along a surface; a platform system operably connected to the motive system, the platform system for supporting the component of the turbo machine, the platform system can include: a first portion fixed to the motive system; and a second portion moveably coupled to the first portion, the second portion for modifying a position of the turbo machine component; and a control system operably connected to the platform system, the control system for controlling at least one of a rate of movement or a direction of the second portion of the platform system.

Abstract: A system is provided for securing lift gate including a first rack bracket, a second rack bracket, a first gate bracket, a second gate bracket, a rod bracket and a rod assembly. A method for securing lift gate includes the steps of grasping a lift gate; applying force to the lift gate sufficient to move the lift gate towards its closed position and, as chamfers of rod ends engage rack brackets, sufficient to compress a spring thereby moving the rod ends and moving a rod assembly within rod holes and thereby allowing the rod ends to align with and insert into the rod slots; In opening the lift gate, applying force to a handle sufficient to compress the spring thereby moving the rod ends and moving the rod assembly within the rod holes and withdrawing the rod ends from the rod slots; and applying force to the lift gate thereby moving the lift gate towards its open position.

Abstract: A system for operating hopper doors 14, 16 in a bulk transport vehicle comprises linkages 34, 36, 38, 40 forming an over-center locking arrangement and separate opening and closing trip levers 24, 50 attached to an operating shaft 30. The trip levers 24, 50 are operated by engaging associated cams 28, 54 as the vehicle is moved relative thereto. The cams 28, 54 are inactivated by being rotated, translated or lowered out of the path of the trip levers to a position where they do not trigger the operation of the doors 14, 16. A single door or pair of doors may be operated at the same time. To prevent false triggering of the door mechanism in transit, a secondary lock can be provided where a spring or counterweight is used to bias a lever which restrains a governor. The governor moves between stops which determine the angular positions corresponding to the door(s) 14, 16 being opened or closed.

Abstract: A trackside device for closing hopper doors (14) has an eccentrically rotatable wheel (18). The wheel (18) rotates upon contacting a hopper door (14) to move it inward to a closed position. In a preferred embodiment, two devices are positioned on opposite sides of a railroad track to simultaneously close doors (14) on both sides of the hopper car.

Abstract: A closer for closing the doors of a railroad hopper car has two closer assemblies. The assemblies are mounted adjacent to each rail of a track on a frame which passes below and between the rails. Each assembly includes a hydraulic closer jack, a hydraulic lifting jack and a hydraulic swing motor for orienting the closer jack relative to a door. The jack is extendable to contact a door and push it to a closed position. The jack assemblies can be pivoted 180.degree. by the swing motor to close the door of the forward car and then the rearward car without having to reposition the train.

Abstract: A railroad freight car having a rotatable loading floor for transferring loads between it and a station platform. The railroad station has two platforms on opposite sides of the rail car. An edge of each platform is provided at each longitudinal end with a sloping beam which angles upwardly from the end of the platform towards its center. The lowest part of the beam, which is at the free end of the platform, is below a set of wheels carried on the chassis of the rail car. The center portion of the platform is at a height above that of these rollers. The rollers are arranged to extend laterally of the rail car and to overlie the beams. As the rail car pulls into the station, the rollers will engage the upwardly sloping part of the beams to thereby raise the chassis in relation to its wheels by virtue of extending the suspension as the car continues in its direction of movement.

Abstract: A bottom discharge hopper includes an elongated rectangular discharge opening closable by two discharge doors hinged along their outer edges to the hopper so that the doors are biased to an open position. Each door includes control means comprising a biasing member pivotally mounted to the hopper which biases a runner at each end of the door along a runner track on the door towards a position corresponding to the closed position of the door, the runners being located substantially directly below the pivot of the biasing member in this closed position.

Abstract: A bottom discharge hopper the body of which is elevated at a tip by ramps so that doors on the underside of the body, which are secured thereto by links and which are pivotally fixed to upstanding structure on the chassis, open outwardly and downwardly to permit material discharge from the body.

Abstract: A box formed by a set of walls closed by a pivoting bottom which is openable so that the object which it carries falls vertically in the ejection zone to be collected in a receptacle. The walls are extended below the bottom so that the pivoting operation may be started before the box quite reaches the ejection zone. The bottom in the closed position forms an angle with the horizontal, thus the object which it carries is automatically jolted against the rear wall during the conveying phase. The portion of the rear wall above the rest position of the bottom is given a slight forward inclination to promote the sliding of the object towards the discharge position. A comb-shaped separation scrapes the bottom (indented) so as to loosen any object adhering abnormally thereto.

Abstract: A bottom dump arrangement attached to a body which provides a goods-holding space, the body resting on an undercarriage and including at least one pair of adjacent doors having remote edges, the doors being pivotally attached at their remote edges for swinging movement in a curved path transverse to the body and perpendicular to the remote edges, the free edges of the doors facing toward each other abutting each other in closed position of the doors, the arrangement also including guide paths that cooperate with the body to lift the body relative to the undercarriage, a linkage assembly pivotally connected between the doors and the body for permitting the body, when lifted by the guide paths, to become inclined to the pivotal axes for the doors in a vertical plane, which is parallel to the pivotal axes of the doors and perpendicular to the plane that the undercarriage rests on.

Abstract: An unloading mechanism for a goods wagon having a container with a cylindrical bottom and rotatably carried at its ends in bearings on bogies comprises an arcuate guide affixed to the container and extending on the underside around the cylindrical bottom of the container in a helical configuration and two rollers respectively rotatably carried on supports at different levels and disposed on opposite sides of a travelling path of the wagon As the wagon is moved to an unloading station the roller at the lower level comes into contact with the underside of the guide and forces the container to turn 180.degree. into an inverted position. The container can then be forced to turn another 180.degree. to a transport position by bringing the roller at the higher level into contact with the upper side of the guide.

Abstract: A train of tandem arranged, wheeled, refuse receptacles, pulled by a prime mover along a path, are successively moved over a dump chute to drop their contents when their discharge doors are successively tripped, the contents falling downwardly through the chute and into the entrance opening of an underground compactor. The reciprocating ram of the compactor passes the contents sidewise into the awaiting container of a refuse collection vehicle, compacting the contents therein.

Abstract: A door locking mechanism for a hopper door includes a latch arrangement which is incorporated into a door closure mechanism activated by a side-of-track camming mechanism. The arrangement includes an actuating device responsive to car wheel engagement and a safety locking combination cooperating with the actuating mechanism.

Abstract: A trackside door closing arrangement for closing the swinging doors of a railway hopper car. This arrangement is self centering and shifts to counteract the cars lateral sway as it passes through the mechanism or shifts to accommodate cars that have parallelogramed during service.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically unloading a hopper type car having at least one pair of doors whose individual doors swing open in opposite directions, each door having an end of a connecting rod attached thereto so that the rod is moved in the same direction as the doors of a pair are opened. The rod operates a control lever which acts against a return lever which is biased by a spring, the return force of the spring decreasing as the doors move further open such that the doors stay open of their own weight.

Abstract: The side discharge doors of a railway hopper car are maintained in a closed and locked position by a rotatable latch element which is engaged by a stop and lock member. The stop and lock member is connected to a linkage rigging arrangement which is moved by a ground actuated operating and tripping mechanism. The tripping mechanism includes a cam actuated arm which by linkage means transmits vertical movement to horizontal movement of the linkage rigging which actuates the latch and locking members of the doors.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention an open top railway car is provided in which the car body is divided longitudinally into at least two body sections having opposite ends which are pivotally mounted on vertically extending supports attached to a car underframe. The body sections include respective transversely spaced side walls, at least one end wall, and bottom walls having inner edges which abut and/or overlap in closed position to define the bottom of the car. To achieve increased volumetric carrying capacity, the bottoms are horizontal and extend outboard of the wheels. Each of the body sections is pivotable from the closed position to an open position in which the inner edges of the bottom walls are spaced apart to allow discharge of lading between the rails. An energy saving unloading system is also disclosed for unloading the cars.

Abstract: A railway hopper car includes laterally positioned bottom dump discharge openings and doors which are locked in a closed position by a latching mechanism actuated from a ground-mounted trip lever. After the car has been dumped it is moved adjacent to a ground-mounted cam which is engaged by cam followers on the doors thereby swinging the doors again to the closed position.

Abstract: An improved system for automatically transferring particulate material, such as coal, is provided wherein the particulate material is transferred from a railroad car into an underground storage bunker while maintaining the material in a substantially covered or protected condition.

Abstract: A bucket is disclosed for both chipping coal from a coal seam and for removing the coal from the seam. The bucket is arranged for flexible coupling to preceding and succeeding buckets to form a continuous train for rotation through a coal tunnel. Along the side of each bucket there is mounted a cutting blade for dislodging the coal. A ramp on the side of the bucket serves to scoop the dislodged coal into the bucket. When the bucket emerges from the mine tunnel the bottom of the bucket falls away and the coal is unloaded directly into waiting hoppers.

Abstract: A door operating mechanism for a bottom dump railway hopper car including a plurality of longitudinally mounted, divergently opening discharge doors held in the closed position by a plurality of longitudinally spaced claw-like latches. Each pair of transversely opposite latches includes operating rods connecting each latch to a bell-crank positioned beneath the longitudinal hood of the car. The bell-cranks are operatively connected to a longitudinally disposed tension rod, which includes linkages at either end for actuation of the mechanism by trackside mounted cams.

Abstract: A hopper car door locking mechanism includes a rotatable latch member which includes a keeper receiving portion. The latch member also includes a positioning portion providing stops which are engaged by a rotatable locking pawl in the closed position of the hopper car door. The rotatable locking pawl includes a cam device which is pivoted in response to reciprocating movement of a rod having a suitable cam surface. The rod also includes a stop device which with the rotatable latch member provides a second stop which therefore provides for double locking of the door.

Abstract: A system for the continuous unloading of the containers of pneumatic tranrt vehicles to which an initial velocity is imparted by pneumatic displacement within a transport tube section, while the movement of the vehicles beyond the transport tube section is caused by inertia, the vehicle being suspended from an overhead rail.The unloading of the vehicle container is performed by operating a latch which engages an uncoupling cam provided on the rail, thus causing the release of the container at its rear end and the pivoting of the container around its axis in the vertical plane while the container remains suspended at its front end.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention an open top railway car is provided in which the car body is divided longitudinally into at least two body sections having opposite ends which are pivotally mounted on vertically extending supports attached to a car underframe. The body sections include respective transversely spaced side walls, at least one end wall, and bottom walls having inner edges which abut and/or overlap in closed position to define the bottom of the car. Each of the body sections is pivotable from the closed position to an open position in which the inner edges of the bottom walls are spaced apart to allow discharge of lading between the rails. An energy saving unloading system is also disclosed for unloading the cars.

Abstract: The automatic controlling of a hopper door of a moving dump vehicle is actuated in sequence by a wayside mechanical trip and subsequently by a wayside inductive signal. An automatic preliminary check is made of the control system immediately upon actuation by the wayside mechanical trip to detect proper or improper setting of the portion of the control system which responds to the wayside inductive signal, and if an improper setting is detected, the control system is disarmed to avoid prematurely dumping the load from the vehicle.