Coal loading system and method

Abstract

A method for loading a moving railroad car from front to back with a target weight of particulate material from a loading unit having a silo and first and second weigh bin, which bin means have a combined material weight capacity of less than the target weight, the method comprising the steps of: (a) making a first charge of material into the first bin; (b) discharging a first quantity of material from the first bin into a forward portion of the car; (c) making a second charge of material into the first bin; (d) discharging a second quantity of material from the first bin into a rearward portion of the car, wherein the weights of the first and second quantities are determined and, as a combined weight, is less than the target weight; (e) making a charge of material into the second bin; (f) discharging from the second bin into the car a topping quantity of material equal in weight, to within about 0.5%, to the target weight less the combined weight, to thereby attain, within very close limits, the target weight of material in the car; and (g) wherein either or both of the charging step of (e) and the discharging step of (f) may be initiated at any convenient time during the car loading operation.

I claim:  
     
       1. The method for loading a moving railroad car from front to back with a target weight of particulate material from a loading unit having a silo means and first and second weigh bin means, which bin means have a combined material weight capacity of less than said target weight, said method comprising the steps of: 
       (a) making a first charge of material into said first bin means;  
       (b) discharging a first quantity of material from said first bin means into a forward portion of said car;  
       (c) making a second charge of material into said first bin means;  
       (d) discharging a second quantity of material from said first bin means into a rearward portion of said car, wherein the weights of said first and second quantities are determined and, as a combined weight, is less than said target weight;  
       (e) making a charge of material into said second bin means;  
       (f) discharging from said second bin means into said car a topping quantity of material equal in weight, to within about 0.5%, to said target weight less said combined weight, to thereby attain, within very close limits, the target weight of material in said car; and  
       (g) wherein either or both of the charging step of (e) and the discharging step of (f) may be initiated at any convenient time during the car loading operation.  
     
     
       2. The method of claim  1  wherein the weights of all of said quantities of material are determined prior to their being discharged from their respective bin means. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim  2  wherein the total weight of material charged in steps (a) and (c) is said combined weight, and wherein the weight of said topping quantity is determined by subtracting said combined weight from said target weight. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim  3  wherein the chargings of said first, second and topping quantities are carefully controlled by careful regulation of the opening and closing of the charging gate means to their respective bin means. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim  4  wherein the weights of said first, second and topping quantities are all predetermined prior to their being charged to their respective bin means. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim  1  wherein the weights of said first and second quantities of material are each determined subsequent to their discharge from said first bin means. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim  6  wherein said discharging operation of step (f) is regulated to continue to provide said topping quantity of material throughout the discharge operation of step (d) and during the subsequent determination of said combined weight, whereby said required weight of topping quantity can be accurately calculated and the discharging operation of step (f) continued until said target weight is achieved. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim  1  wherein the discharging operation of step (f) is initiated prior to the completion of the discharging operation of step (d). 
     
     
       9. The method of claim  1  wherein the discharging operation of step (f) is initiated prior to the start of the discharging operation of step (d) and is regulated to continue to discharge said topping quantity of material throughout the discharge operation of step (d) and during the subsequent determination of said combined weight, whereby the required weight of said topping quantity can be accurately calculated and the discharging operation of step (f) continued until said target weight is achieved. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim  1  wherein each charge of material to said first bin means comprises substantially a full capacity load for said first bin means. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim  10  wherein the discharge of said second quantity of material is regulated to completely empty said first bin means in time to prevent an overrun of the discharge beyond the rear of said car. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim  1  wherein the weight data for said first, second and topping quantities are electronically obtained and are fed to control means which regulate the opening and closing of discharge gate means provided on said second bin means for adjusting the flow of materials from said second bin means whereby an accurate discharge weight of said topping quantity is achieved. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim  1  wherein the weight data for said first, second and topping quantities are electronically obtained and are fed to control means which regulate the opening and closing of charging gate means provided for said second bin means whereby an accurate weight of said topping quantity is achieved. 
     
     
       14. A method expressed in the form of a charging cycle for achieving markedly increased loading rates for precision loading a predetermined target weight of bulk particulate material into a moving car of a series of moving, connected, open top railroad cars progressively from front to rear thereof from a loading unit having silo means and associated first and second weigh bin means supported above the railroad tracks, each said bin means being independently supported under said silo means and spaced apart from the other along said tracks a distance which is considerably less than the length of said car, wherein space limitations under said silo means require that the combined capacities by weight of both bin means be less than said target weight, wherein said silo means has first and second bin charging gate means, wherein each bin means has a car loading discharge gate means, and wherein said car is moving in a direction which places it first under said first bin means and then under said second bin means, said charging cycle comprising the steps of: 
       (a) making a first charge of material into said first bin means from said silo means;  
       (b) obtaining the gross weight of said first bin means;  
       (c) discharging a first quantity of material from said first bin means into a forward section of said car;  
       (d) obtaining the net weight of said first quantity;  
       (e) making a second charge of material into said first bin means from said silo means;  
       (f) obtaining the gross weight of said first bin means;  
       (g) discharging a second quantity of material from said first bin means into a section of said car rearwardly of said forward section;  
       (h) obtaining the net weight of said second quantity;  
       (i) prior to complete discharge of said second quantity into said car, beginning discharging a topping quantity of predetermined weight of material from said second bin means into said car, said predetermined weight being calculated by subtracting the combined first and second net weights from said target weight; and wherein  
       (j) said discharging of said topping quantity is performed in a highly controlled manner by adjustment of the position of the discharge gate means as a function of the rate of flow of said topping quantity into said car.  
     
     
       15. The method of claim  14  wherein said topping quantity is charged to said second bin means from said silo means by progressive closing of said second bin charging gate means in response to a progressive series of charging gate closing signals generated from a progressive series of net weight determinations of said first and second quantities of material discharged from said first bin means, said weight determinations being made during said discharge steps of (c) and (g). 
     
     
       16. The method of claim  14  wherein said first and second quantities discharged in steps (c) and (g) constitutes the full loads charged to said first bin means in steps (a) and (c). 
     
     
       17. The method of claim  16  wherein the charging of said topping quantity to said second bin means is initiated prior to the completion of the discharge of step (g). 
     
     
       18. The method for loading a moving railroad car with a target weight of particulate material from a loading unit having a silo and first and second weigh bins, which bins have a combined material weight capacity of less than target weight, said method comprising the steps of: 
       ( a )  making a first charge of material into said first bin;    
       ( b )  discharging a first quantity of material from said first bin into a portion of the car;    
       ( c )  making a second charge of material into said first bin;    
       ( d )  discharging a second quantity of material from said first bin into another portion of said car, wherein the weights of said first and second quantities are determined and, as a combined weight, is less than said target weight;    
       ( e )  making a charge of material into said second bin;    
       ( f )  discharging from said second bin into the car a topping quantity of material equal in weight, within a desired accuracy, to said target weight less said combined weight, to thereby attain, within the desired accuracy, the target weight of material in the car; and    
       ( g )  wherein either or both of the charging step of  ( e )  and the discharging step of  ( f )  may be initiated at any convenient time during the car loading operation.