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Hopper cars both open and covered and discharge control systems are disclosed. Each hopper car may include at least one hopper and a center sill which defines in part a longitudinal axis of the hopper car. At least one discharge opening may be formed proximate a lower portion of each hopper. A respe

Hopper cars both open and covered and discharge control systems are disclosed. Each hopper car may include at least one hopper and a center sill which defines in part a longitudinal axis of the hopper car. At least one discharge opening may be formed proximate a lower portion of each hopper. A respective door assembly may be pivotally mounted adjacent to each discharge opening to control the flow of lading from the respective discharge opening. Each discharge control system may include a common linkage and associated secondary linkages operable to move associated door assemblies between a first position and a second position. A power source including a motor, an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder may be disposed on the railway car to move the common linkage. For other hopper cars a wayside drive system may be releasably engaged with a capstan operable coupled to the common linkage.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system comprising: a railway car having an underframe and at least one hopper for transporting lading;at least one discharge opening for each hopper;a respective door assembly disposed adjacent to each associated discharge opening, the respective door assembly including a door;a common linkage

1. A system comprising: a railway car having an underframe and at least one hopper for transporting lading;at least one discharge opening for each hopper;a respective door assembly disposed adjacent to each associated discharge opening, the respective door assembly including a door;a common linkage operable to move each respective door assembly between a first, closed position and a second, open position by pulling the door of the respective door assembly from the first, closed position to the second, open position in response to the common linkage moving in a first direction and pushing the door of the respective door assembly from the second, open position to the first, closed position in response to the common linkage moving in a second direction; anda power source disposed below the underframe and coupled to the common linkage, the power source operable to reciprocate the common linkage in the first direction and the second direction. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the railway car comprises a closed hopper car. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a hydraulic cylinder. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic cylinder comprising: a piston;a rod extending from the piston; andthe rod comprising a clevis joint, wherein the power source is coupled to the common linkage with the clevis joint. 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a hot shoe mechanism disposed on a side of the rail car, the hot shoe mechanism configured to activate the power source to reciprocate the common linkage when the hot shoe engages an electrical contact external to the system and receives an electrical signal from the electrical contact. 6. The system of claim 1 further comprising: the underframe including a center sill which defines in part a longitudinal axis of the railway car;each discharge opening formed proximate a lower portion of the associated hopper;each respective door assembly engaged with a portion of the center sill adjacent to the associated discharge opening;each door assembly operable for movement between the first, closed position and the second, open position;a discharge control system operable to move each door assembly between the respective first, closed position and the respective second, open position; andthe discharge control system including the common linkage defined in part by a beam slidably engaged with the center sill and operable to move generally in the first direction and the second direction relative to the center sill. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the discharge control system includes at least one portion extending from the common linkage,wherein each respective door assembly is operably engaged with at least one of the at least one portion of the discharge control system, andwherein the at least one portion is operable to pull the door of the respective door assembly from the first, closed position to the second, open position in response to the common linkage moving in the first direction and operable to push the door of the respective door assembly from the second, open position to the first, closed position in response to the common linkage moving in the second direction. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one portion of the discharge control system further comprises a pair of pivot arms extending from the common linkage. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one portion of the discharge control system further comprises at least two pairs of pivot arms extending from the common linkage. 10. The system of claim 6, further comprising the beam operable to slide longitudinally relative to the center sill in the first direction and the second direction. 11. A system comprising: a hopper car having an underframe and at least one hopper for transporting lading;the underframe including a center sill with a pair of side sills disposed on opposite sides thereof;the center sill defining in part a longitudinal axis of the railway car;at least one discharge opening formed proximate to a lower portion of each respective hopper;a respective door assembly engaged with a portion of the center sill adjacent to each respective discharge opening, the respective door assembly including a door;each respective door assembly operable to move between a first, closed position and a second, open position relative to the respective discharge opening;a discharge control system operable to move each respective door assembly between the first, closed position and the second, open position by pulling the door of the respective door assembly from the first, closed position to the second, open position in response to a first portion of the discharge control system moving in a first direction and pushing the door of the respective door assembly from the second, open position to the first, closed position in response to the first portion of the discharge control system moving in a second direction;the first portion of the discharge control system slidably engaged with the center sill and operable to move generally longitudinally in the first direction and the second direction relative to the center sill to move each respective door assembly between the first, closed position and the second, open position; anda power source disposed below the underframe and operable to reciprocate the first portion of the discharge control system in the first direction and the second direction. 12. The system of claim 11, the power source comprising a hydraulic cylinder. 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising: a pair of conduits extending from the hydraulic cylinder to one side of the hopper car and a pair of conduits extending to a second side of the hopper car; andthe conduits operable to supply high pressure fluid to reciprocate a rod extending from the hydraulic cylinder. 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising: one of the conduits operable to provide fluid to extend the rod away from the hydraulic cylinder; andanother of the conduits operable to provide fluid to retract the rod toward the hydraulic cylinder. 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the hydraulic cylinder comprises: a piston;a rod extending from the piston; andthe rod comprising a clevis joint, wherein the power source is coupled to the first portion of the discharge control system with the clevis joint. 16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the discharge control system is defined in part by a beam. 17. The system of claim 11 further comprising a hot shoe mechanism disposed on a side of the rail car, the hot shoe mechanism configured to activate the power source to reciprocate the first portion when the hot shoe engages an electrical contact external to the system and receives an electrical signal from the electrical contact. 18. A system comprising: a hopper car having an underframe and a first hopper and a second hopper for transporting lading;the underframe including a center sill with a pair of side sills disposed on opposite sides thereof;the center sill defining in part a longitudinal axis of the railway car;a respective pair of discharge openings disposed proximate a lower portion of each respective hopper;each discharge opening extending generally parallel with the center sill;a respective pair of door assemblies engaged with a portion of the center sill adjacent to one of the discharge openings of each respective hopper;each door assembly operable to move between a first, closed position and a second, open position relative to the respective discharge opening;a first discharge control system engaged with the center sill and operable to move a first respective door assembly between the first, closed position and the second, open position by pulling a door of the first respective door assembly from the first, closed position to the second, open position in response to a first portion of the first discharge control system moving in a first direction and pushing the door of the first respective door assembly from the second, open position to the first, closed position in response to the first portion of the first discharge control system moving in a second direction;a second discharge control system engaged with the center sill and operable to move a second respective door assembly between the first, closed position and the second, open position by pulling a door of the second respective door assembly from the first, closed position to the second, open position in response to a first portion of the second discharge control system moving in a third direction and pushing the door of the door assembly from the second, open position to the first, closed position in response to the first portion of the second discharge control system moving in a fourth direction;the first discharge control system comprising a first power source and the second discharge control system comprising a second power source, the first power source and the second power source disposed below the underframe and proximate to a central portion of the underframe;the first power source comprising a first hydraulic cylinder; andthe second power source comprising a second hydraulic cylinder. 19. The system of claim 18, further comprising: the first portion of the first discharge control system including a first primary linkage that is slidably engaged with the center sill and operable to move longitudinally in the first direction and the second direction relative to the center sill;the first portion of the second discharge control system including a second primary linkage that is slidably engaged with the center sill and operable to move longitudinally in the third direction and the fourth direction relative to the center sill;a second portion of each discharge control system including a respective secondary linkage assembly having a pair of pivot arms extending from respective sides of the center sill; andthe door of each door assembly operably engaged with at least one pivot arm of the respective discharge control system to move the respective door assembly between the first, closed position and the second, open position,wherein the at least one pivot arm of the first discharge control system operably engaged with the door of the first respective door assembly is operable to pull the door of the first respective door assembly from the first, closed position to the second, open position in response to the first primary linkage moving in the first direction and operable to push the door of the first respective door assembly from the second, open position to the first, closed position in response to the first primary linkage moving in the second direction, andwherein the at least one pivot arm of the second discharge control system operably engaged with the door of the second respective door assembly is operable to pull the door of the second respective door assembly from the first, closed position to the second, open position in response to the second primary linkage moving in the third direction and operable to push the door of the second respective door assembly from the second, open position to the first, closed position in response to the second primary linkage moving in the fourth direction. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein each respective first portion is defined in part by a beam. 21. The system of claim 18 wherein the hopper car is operable to carry lading selected from the group consisting of corn condensed distillers solubles (CDS), corn distillers dried grains/solubles (DDGS) and wet distillers grain with solubles (WDGS). 22. The system of claim 18, further comprising: the underframe having a generally rectangular configuration defined in part by the center sill and a pair of side sills spaced laterally from each other with the center sill disposed therebetween and extending in a generally longitudinal direction;the respective pair of discharge openings formed on opposite sides of the center sill with each discharge opening extending in the generally longitudinal direction relative to the center sill;each respective door assembly mounted on the center sill adjacent to each discharge opening to control the flow of lading from the hopper;the first discharge control system attached to the center sill and operable to move a first primary linkage in the first direction and the second direction, the first primary linkage disposed adjacent to the center sill;the second discharge control system attached to the center sill and operable to move a second primary linkage in the third direction and the fourth direction, the second primary linkage disposed adjacent to the center sill;at least one secondary linkage assembly extending from each respective primary linkage and engaged with the door of a respective door assembly; andeach secondary linkage assembly operable to move the respective door assembly between the first, closed position and the second, open position by pulling the door of the respective door assembly from the first, closed position to the second, open position in response to the respective primary linkage moving in a respective one of the first direction and the third direction and pushing the door of the respective door assembly from the second, open position to the first, closed position in response to the respective primary linkage moving in a respective one of the second direction and the fourth direction. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein each respective primary linkage is defined in part by a beam slidably engaged with the center sill and operable to move generally relative to the center sill in the first direction and the second direction,wherein the first direction is the same as the third direction, andwherein the second direction is the same as the fourth direction. 24. The system of claim 18, further comprising: the first discharge control system comprising a first primary linkage operable to move a first one of the respective door assemblies between a first, closed position and a second, open position by pulling the door of the first one of the respective door assemblies from the first, closed position to the second, open position in response to the first primary linkage moving in the first direction and pushing the door of the first one of the respective door assemblies from the second, open position to the first, closed position in response to the first primary linkage moving in the second direction;the second discharge control system comprising a second primary linkage operable to move a second one of the respective door assemblies between a first, closed position and a second, open position by pulling the door of the second one of the respective door assemblies from the first, closed position to the second, open position in response to the second primary linkage moving in the third direction and pushing the door of the second one of the respective door assemblies from the second, open position to the first, closed position in response to the second primary linkage moving in the fourth direction;the first power source coupled to the first primary linkage and operable to reciprocate the first primary linkage in the first direction and the second direction; andthe second power source coupled to the second primary linkage and operable to reciprocate the second primary linkage in the third direction and the fourth direction. 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first primary linkage and the second primary linkage are each defined in part by a respective beam slidably engaged with the center sill and operable to move generally relative to the center sill in the first direction and the second direction,wherein the first direction is the same as the third direction, andwherein the second direction is the same as the fourth direction. 26. The system of claim 18, the first hydraulic cylinder comprising: a first piston;a first rod extending from the first piston;the first rod comprising a first clevis joint, wherein the first power source is coupled to the first discharge control system with the first clevis joint; andthe second hydraulic cylinder comprising: a second piston;a second rod extending from the second piston; andthe second rod comprising a second clevis joint, wherein the second power source is coupled to the second discharge control system with the second clevis joint. 27. The system of claim 18, further comprising a hot shoe mechanism disposed on a side of the rail car, the hot shoe mechanism configured to activate one or more of the first power source and the second power source to reciprocate the respective primary linkage when the hot shoe engages an electrical contact external to the system and receives an electrical signal from the electrical contact.