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: An apparatus for unloading packages, parcels, postal items, baggage, etc., from a container having an open side. The apparatus has a sliding wall that is disposed over the open side of the container when the container is receiving within the apparatus. The apparatus, along with the container, is tilted such that the open side of the container is generally directed downward. From this tilted orientation, the sliding wall of the apparatus is withdrawn, incrementally exposing the open side of the container, permitting the controlled egress of the packages, etc., from the container.

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: A load carrying apparatus designed to be very low relative to its length, to be capable of crawling under a string of loaded pallets in a crawl mode, to be capable of carrying the string of loaded pallets in a walk mode, and to be capable of moving a string of loaded pallets forward or backward relative to the apparatus.

Abstract: A rail car tippler installation has an open-sided tippler with a rotatable structure (8) comprising a main longitudinal beam (16) mounted on end pivots (10, 18), said beam supporting a rail car platform (2) that substantially spans the distance between the end pivots. The main beam carries the weight of the rail car and platform during tipping and has pivot supports (30) for clamping beams (34) that are displaceably lockable to hold the rail car on the platform. The tipping axis is laterally offset from the platform in a manner that reduces the sweep radius of the tippler and the rise of the rail car during tipping. The installation includes a hopper (14) that is offset laterally oppositely to the tipping axis and has an entry opening that extends longitudinally as far as the end pivots.

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.