초록 ▼

A railway tank car is provided having a manway formed in a body of the tank car. The tank car includes a manway cover plate coupled to the body of the tank car and disposed over at least a portion of the manway. A protective housing assembly is coupled to the body of the tank car and disposed around

A railway tank car is provided having a manway formed in a body of the tank car. The tank car includes a manway cover plate coupled to the body of the tank car and disposed over at least a portion of the manway. A protective housing assembly is coupled to the body of the tank car and disposed around the manway cover plate. A plurality of structural supports are arranged around an outer perimeter of the protective housing assembly and are coupled to the protective housing assembly and to the body of the tank car.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A railway tank car having a manway formed in a body of the tank car, the tank car comprising: a manway cover plate coupled to the body of the tank car and disposed over at least a portion of the manway; a protective housing assembly coupled to the body of the tank car and dis

What is claimed is: 1. A railway tank car having a manway formed in a body of the tank car, the tank car comprising: a manway cover plate coupled to the body of the tank car and disposed over at least a portion of the manway; a protective housing assembly coupled to the body of the tank car and disposed around the manway cover plate; a plurality of structural supports arranged around an outer perimeter of the protective housing assembly; the plurality of structural supports being coupled to the protective housing assembly and to the body of the tank car; and an external reinforcement having an interior surface disposed around the protective housing assembly and coupled to the plurality of structural supports, wherein a void is formed between the interior surface of the external reinforcement, the protective housing assembly, and the body of the tank car. 2. The railway tank car of claim 1, wherein the plurality of structural supports comprise generally triangular gussets. 3. The railway tank car of claim 2, wherein each triangular gusset includes a generally vertical leg being coupled to the protective housing and a generally horizontal leg being coupled to a body of the tank car. 4. The railway tank car of claim 2, wherein each triangular gusset includes a hypotenuse being disposed at approximately 40 to 50 degrees from a longitudinal axis of the protective housing. 5. The railway tank car of claim 1, wherein the plurality of structural supports comprise a first plurality of structural supports being disposed generally radially outwardly along axes that extend from a center of the protective housing, and a second plurality of structural supports that are offset from the axes. 6. The railway tank car of claim 1, further comprising: at least one valve coupled to the manway cover plate; at least one porthole formed in a side wall of the protective housing assembly; and the porthole providing access to operate the at least one valve. 7. The railway tank car of claim 6, further comprising at least one cutout formed in the external reinforcement and corresponding to the at least one porthole. 8. The railway tank car of claim 7, wherein: the at least one porthole comprises at least four portholes formed in the sidewall of the protective housing assembly; the at least one cutout comprises at least four cutouts corresponding to the at least four portholes of the protective housing assembly to allow operation of the at least one valve. 9. The railway tank car of claim 6, wherein the plurality of structural supports are arranged to provide access to the valve through the porthole of the protective housing assembly. 10. The railway tank car of claim 1, further comprising a stiffening agent disposed in the void formed between the external reinforcement, the protective housing assembly, and the body of the tank car. 11. The railway tank car of claim 1, further comprising a studding flange coupling the protective housing assembly to the body of the tank car. 12. The railway tank car of claim 11, wherein the protective housing assembly is bolted to the studding flange. 13. The railway tank car of claim 11, wherein the protective housing assembly is welded to the studding flange. 14. The railway tank car of claim 11, further comprising: a manway collar coupled with the body of the tank car adjacent to the manway; and wherein the plurality of structural supports are cast or forged integrally with the cylindrical portion of the protective housing assembly and the studding flange and the plurality of structural supports are welded to the manway collar. 15. The railway tank car of claim 1, wherein a cylindrical portion of the protective housing assembly is fabricated from metal having a thickness of at least one inch. 16. The railway tank car of claim 1, further comprising: the protective housing assembly having a lid; the lid having a first, locked position which prevents unauthorized access to the manway cover plate; the lid having a second position which allows access to the manway cover plate; a porthole cover cooperating with the lid to block access through the porthole when the lid is in its first position, and to allow access through the porthole when the lid is in its second, open position. 17. The railway tank car of claim 1, wherein the plurality of structural supports are welded to a cylindrical portion of the protective housing assembly and to a manway collar coupled to the body of the tank car. 18. The railway tank car of claim 1, further comprising: a studding flange coupling the protective housing assembly to the body of the tank car; a manway collar coupled with the body of the tank car adjacent to the manway; and wherein the plurality of structural supports, the protective housing, the studding flange, and the manway collar are cast or forged as a single unit that is welded to the body of the tank car. 19. A railway tank car having a generally circular manway formed in an upper portion of the tank car, the tank car comprising; a studding flange welded to a body of the tank car around the circular manway; a manway cover plate bolted to the studding flange; at least one valve coupled to the cover; a cylindrical portion of a protective housing assembly welded to the studding flange and disposed around the cover plate and valve; a plurality of gussets arranged around a circumference of the cylindrical portion of the protective housing assembly; the plurality of gussets being welded to the cylindrical portion of the protective housing assembly and to the body of the tank car; an angled external reinforcement coupled to the plurality of gussets such that the external reinforcement encircles the cylindrical portion of the protective housing assembly; at least one porthole formed in a side wall of the cylindrical portion of the protective housing assembly; the porthole providing access to operate the at least one valve; at least one cutout formed in a side wall of the external reinforcement; and the cutout aligning with the porthole and providing access to operate the at least one valve. 20. A railway tank car having a manway formed in a body of the tank car, the tank car comprising: a studding flange coupled to the body of the tank car and at least partially disposed within the manway; a manway cover plate coupled to the studding flange and disposed over at least a portion of the manway; and a manway collar coupled to the body of the tank car and disposed around the manway, the manway collar further being coupled to the studding flange. 21. The railway tank car of claim 20, further comprising a protective housing assembly coupled to the studding flange and disposed around the manway cover. 22. The railway tank car of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of structural supports coupled to the protective housing assembly and to the manway collar. 23. The railway tank car of claim 21, wherein the protective housing assembly remains unattached from the manway cover plate. 24. The railway tank car of claim 20, wherein the studding flange is coupled directly to the body of the tank car. 25. The railway tank car of claim 20, wherein the manway collar is coupled directly to the studding flange. 26. The railway tank car of claim 20, wherein the manway collar comprises a pad fabricated from three-quarter inch thick A572 grade 50 steel. 27. The railway tank car of claim 20, wherein the manway cover plate is removably coupled to the studding flange. 28. The railway tank car of claim 20, wherein the studding flange comprises a metal ring.