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An apparatus for securing a cover to a bottom outlet valve (BOV) of a railcar, where the apparatus has a bracket attached to the railcar proximate the BOV; a rod extending generally perpendicularly from the bracket; and a cantilevered arm extending from the rod near a distal end thereof, where the c

An apparatus for securing a cover to a bottom outlet valve (BOV) of a railcar, where the apparatus has a bracket attached to the railcar proximate the BOV; a rod extending generally perpendicularly from the bracket; and a cantilevered arm extending from the rod near a distal end thereof, where the cantilevered arm is configured to support the cover.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A bracket assembly for securing to a railcar a cover for a bottom outlet valve of the railcar, comprising: a bracket attached to the railcar proximate the bottom outlet valve;a rotational element extending from the bracket; anda cantilevered arm extending from and laterally rotational about the r

1. A bracket assembly for securing to a railcar a cover for a bottom outlet valve of the railcar, comprising: a bracket attached to the railcar proximate the bottom outlet valve;a rotational element extending from the bracket; anda cantilevered arm extending from and laterally rotational about the rotational element, wherein the cantilevered arm is mounted to the cover and configured to support the cover when the cover is not secured to the bottom outlet valve, wherein the cover rotates laterally between a use position covering, secured to, and below the bottom outlet valve and a storage position exposing the bottom outlet valve, wherein the rotational element is axially extendible and retractable, wherein when the cover is in the use position the rotational element is retracted and the cover is secured against the bottom outlet valve and in the storage position the rotational element is extended so that the cover is separated from the bottom outlet valve. 2. The bracket assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotational element includes a rod, and the cantilevered arm is rotatable about the rod. 3. The bracket assembly of claim 2, wherein the rod includes an outer sleeve and wherein the cantilevered arm is secured to the outer sleeve. 4. The bracket assembly of claim 1, wherein the cantilevered arm includes a yoke and wherein the yoke engages a lip of the cover. 5. The bracket assembly of claim 4, wherein the cantilevered arm includes a fastener hole proximate the yoke for receiving a fastener therethrough to mount the cantilevered arm to the sanitary cover. 6. The bracket assembly of claim 1, wherein the cantilevered arm extends from the rotational element near a first proximal portion of the cantilevered arm mounts to the cover near a second distal portion of the cantilevered arm. 7. The bracket assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotational element includes a rod that extends generally perpendicularly from the bracket. 8. The bracket assembly of claim 1, wherein the bottom outlet valve includes at least one lock adapted to secure the cover in the use position, wherein in the use position the cover is supported by the lock. 9. A bracket assembly for securing to a railcar a cover for a bottom outlet valve of the railcar, comprising: a bracket attached to the railcar proximate the bottom outlet valve;a rotational element extending from the bracket; anda cantilevered arm extending from and laterally rotational about the rotational element, wherein the cantilevered arm is mounted to the cover and configured to support the cover when the cover is not secured to the bottom outlet valve, wherein the cover rotates laterally between a use position covering, secured to, and below the bottom outlet valve and a storage position exposing the bottom outlet valve, and wherein the bracket includes an elongated slot for receiving a fastener end of the rotational element therethrough and wherein at least a portion of the slot is alignable with an aperture of the railcar to mount the bracket to the railcar. 10. A bracket assembly for attaching a sanitary cover for a bottom outlet valve of a carbon black railcar by a plurality of fasteners, comprising: a bracket, wherein the bracket is a rigid plate secured to the railcar proximate the bottom outlet valve, wherein the bottom outlet valve is removably secured to the railcar with one or more of the fasteners;an elongated shaft extending vertically from the plate; anda cantilevered arm extending from the elongated shaft, wherein the cantilevered arm is removably attached to the sanitary cover with two or more of the fasteners, wherein the cantilevered arm includes a first fastener hole near a proximal end thereof and a second fastener hole near a distal end thereof. 11. The bracket of claim 10, wherein the plate includes one or more apertures for receiving one or more of the fasteners. 12. The bracket of claim 11, wherein the at least one aperture includes a slot. 13. The bracket assembly of claim 10, wherein the plate, the shaft, and the cantilevered arm are constructed of metal. 14. The bracket assembly of claim 10, wherein the cantilevered arm includes a yoke that is configured to engage a lip portion of the sanitary cover. 15. The bracket assembly of claim 14, wherein the cantilevered arm is removably attached to the sanitary cover with at least one of the fasteners. 16. The bracket of claim 10, further comprising an outer sleeve extending around a portion of the elongated shaft. 17. A method for securing a sanitary cover for the bottom outlet valve to a railcar, comprising the steps of: securing an upper plate of a bracket assembly to the railcar with at least one fastener, wherein the bracket assembly further includes: an elongated shaft extending vertically from the upper plate, anda cantilevered arm extending from the elongated shaft near a first proximal portion of the cantilevered arm, wherein the cantilevered arm includes a fastener hole near a second distal portion thereof;securing the sanitary cover to the cantilevered arm with at least one fastener by: placing the sanitary cover on the cantilevered arm, andaligning the fastener hole of the cantilevered arm with a fastener hole of the sanitary cover; andinserting one of the fasteners through the aligned fastener holes, wherein the bracket secures the sanitary cover to the railcar when the cover is in use and secured to the bottom outlet valve and when the cover is not is use and not secured to the bottom outlet valve. 18. A bracket assembly for securing to a railcar a cover for a bottom outlet valve of the railcar, comprising: a bracket attached to the railcar proximate the bottom outlet valve;a rotational element extending from the bracket; anda cantilevered arm extending from and laterally rotational about the rotational element, wherein the cantilevered arm is mounted to the cover and configured to support the cover when the cover is not secured to the bottom outlet valve, wherein the cover rotates laterally between a use position covering, secured to, and below the bottom outlet valve and a storage position exposing the bottom outlet valve, wherein the cantilevered arm extends from the rotational element near a first proximal portion of the cantilevered arm and mounts to the cover near a second distal portion of the cantilevered arm, and wherein the second distal portion of the cantilevered arm includes a fastener hole adapted to mount the cantilevered arm to the cover. 19. A bracket assembly for securing to a railcar a cover for a bottom outlet valve of the railcar, comprising: a bracket attached to the railcar proximate the bottom outlet valve;a rotational element extending from the bracket and including a rod with an outer sleeve that is telescopically extendible and retractable; anda cantilevered arm secured to, extending from, and laterally rotational about the outer sleeve the rod of the rotational element, wherein the cantilevered arm is mounted to the cover and configured to support the cover when the cover is not secured to the bottom outlet valve, wherein the cover rotates laterally between a use position covering, secured to, and below the bottom outlet valve and a storage position exposing the bottom outlet valve. 20. The bracket assembly of claim 19, wherein the rotational element is axially extendible and retractable, wherein when the cover is in the use position the rotational element is retracted and the cover is secured against the bottom outlet valve and in the storage position the rotational element is extended so that the cover is separated from the bottom outlet valve.