Actuating system for automatic operation of hopper doors of a railroad car

Abstract

A system for operating the hopper doors of a railroad car as the car is in motion. The system includes an actuating device which is mounted on the surface adjacent the railroad tracks, and a mechanism mounted on the railcar which is contacted by the actuating device as the railcar rolls past the device. A first lever of the mechanism contacts an arm of the actuating device to open the hopper doors, while a second lever contacts the arm to close the hopper doors. The operation is accomplished without the use of powered cylinders or valves. The system can be used with railcars having either transverse hopper doors or longitudinal hopper doors.

1 ) A system for operating hopper doors of a railroad car while the car is in motion, comprising: 
 at least one first drive lever, shiftable between a first inactive position and a second active position;    an actuating beam, coupled to at least one hopper door opening mechanism, shiftable between a first position wherein said hopper door opening mechanism is inactive and the hopper doors are closed and a second position wherein said hopper door opening mechanism is activated to open the hopper doors;    a first drive shaft, coupling said first drive lever to said actuating beam;    at least one second drive lever, shiftable between a first inactive position and a second active position;    a second drive shaft, coupling said second drive lever to said actuating beam;    and an activating device, affixed to a surface adjacent the railroad car, said device comprising an actuator arm having a first engaged position and a second disengaged position;    wherein when said actuator arm of said activating device is in the engaged position and the railroad car is set in motion past said activating device, said actuator arm shifts said first drive lever from said first inactive position to said second active position, whereby shifting said actuating beam from said first position to said second position to activate said hopper door mechanism and open the hopper doors of the railroad car while also shifting said second drive lever to said second active position, whereby continued travel of the railroad car past said activating device causes said actuator arm to shift said second drive lever back to said first inactive position, shifting said actuating beam back to said first position, closing the hopper doors.    
     
     
         2 ) The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a center sill extending longitudinally along the underside of the railroad car for containing said actuating beam.  
     
     
         3 ) The system of  claim 1 , wherein said hopper doors are oriented in the longitudinal direction with respect to the centerline of the railroad car.  
     
     
         4 ) The system of  claim 1 , wherein said hopper doors are oriented in the transverse direction with respect to the centerline of the railroad car.  
     
     
         5 ) The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of first drive levers, with a first drive lever rigidly coupled on each end of said first drive shaft extending from both sides of the railroad car.  
     
     
         6 ) The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of second drive levers, with a second drive lever rigidly coupled on each end of said second drive shaft extending from both sides of the railroad car.  
     
     
         7 ) The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first link, rigidly affixed to said first drive shaft at one end and rotatably coupled to said actuating beam at its other end, for coupling said first drive shaft to said actuating beam.  
     
     
         8 ) The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second link, rigidly affixed to said second drive shaft at one end and rotatably coupled to said actuating beam at its other end, for coupling said second drive shaft to said actuating beam.  
     
     
         9 ) The system of  claim 7 , wherein said first link is affixed on said first drive shaft at the same angular orientation as said first drive lever.  
     
     
         10 ) The system of  claim 8 , wherein said second link is affixed on said second drive shaft at an angular orientation of about  180 ° from said second drive lever.  
     
     
         11 ) The system of  claim 1 , wherein said actuator arm of said activating device is shiftable between its inactive position and its active position in a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel of the railroad car when said car is in motion.  
     
     
         12 ) The system of  claim 1 , wherein said actuator arm contains an idler for contacting said first and second drive levers.  
     
     
         13 ) A system for operating hopper door sets of a railroad car while the car is in motion to empty the contents of the hoppers, comprising: 
 an actuating device, comprising:    a support, affixed to the surface adjacent the railroad car;    and an actuator arm, mounted on said support in a plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the railroad car, having a first engaged position adjacent the railroad car, and a second disengaged position away from the railroad car, and also containing a rotatable idler positioned at the end of said actuator arm closest to said railroad car;    and an operating mechanism, mounted on the railroad car, said mechanism comprising:    a first drive lever, shiftable between a first inactive position and a second active position;    a second drive lever, shiftable between a first inactive position and a second active position;    an actuating beam, coupled to at least one hopper door set activating mechanism for opening and closing the doors of a hopper, said beam shiftable between a first hopper door closed position wherein said door set activating mechanism is inactive and a second hopper door open position wherein said door set activating mechanism is activated to empty the contents of the hopper;    a first drive shaft, coupling said first drive lever to said actuating beam;    and a second drive shaft, coupling said second drive lever to said actuating beam;    wherein when said actuator arm of said activating device is in the engaged position and the railroad car is set in motion past said activating device, said idler contacts said first drive lever, shifting said first drive lever from the first inactive position to said second active position, thereby shifting said actuating beam from said first hopper door closed position to said second hopper door open position to activate said door set activating mechanism, emptying the contents of the hopper while shifting said second drive lever to said second active position,    whereby continued travel of the railroad car past said activating device causes said idler to contact said second drive lever, shifting said second drive lever from said second active position back to said first inactive position, shifting said actuating beam from said second hopper door open position to said first hopper door closed position, thus shifting said door set activating mechanism back to said inactive position, closing the hopper door set and returning said first drive lever back to said first inactive position.    
     
     
         14 ) The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a center sill extending longitudinally along the underside of the railroad car for containing said actuating beam.  
     
     
         15 ) The system of  claim 13 , wherein said hopper doors are oriented in the longitudinal direction with respect to the centerline of the railroad car.  
     
     
         16 ) The system of  claim 13 , wherein said hopper doors are oriented in the transverse direction with respect to the centerline of the railroad car.  
     
     
         17 ) The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a pair of first drive levers, with a first drive lever rigidly coupled on each end of said first drive shaft extending from both sides of the railroad car.  
     
     
         18 ) The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a pair of second drive levers, with a second drive lever rigidly coupled on each end of said second drive shaft extending from both sides of the railroad car.  
     
     
         19 ) The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a first link, rigidly affixed to said first drive shaft at one end and rotatably coupled to said actuating beam at its other end, for coupling said first drive shaft to said actuating beam.  
     
     
         20 ) The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a second link, rigidly affixed to said second drive shaft at one end and rotatably coupled to said actuating beam at its other end, for coupling said second drive shaft to said actuating beam.