초록 ▼

A cover assembly for covering an open-top, railroad freight car is presented that may include opposing sideboards projecting above the top edges of the rail car and a cover moveable between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, a containment volume may be accessible from abov

A cover assembly for covering an open-top, railroad freight car is presented that may include opposing sideboards projecting above the top edges of the rail car and a cover moveable between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, a containment volume may be accessible from above for the loading of a bulk commodity into the containment volume. In the closed position, the cover may substantially cover at least a majority of the containment volume from above. The cover may be elevated above a top edge of the rail car.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A top-loading railroad freight car for bulk commodity haulage, comprising: an open-top containment structure to contain a bulk material within a containment volume open at the top to accommodate top-loading of the containment volume, the containment structure comprising vertically-projecting side

1. A top-loading railroad freight car for bulk commodity haulage, comprising: an open-top containment structure to contain a bulk material within a containment volume open at the top to accommodate top-loading of the containment volume, the containment structure comprising vertically-projecting sidewalls disposed on opposing sides of the containment volume, each said sidewall having a top edge;opposing sideboards attached to the sidewalls, wherein the sideboards project at an elevation of least 0.1 meter higher than the top edges of the sidewalls at least along substantially all of a first portion of a length dimension extending from 3 meters from the first longitudinal end of the containment volume to 3 meters from the second longitudinal end of the containment volume, and wherein the sideboards comprise ramped portions at a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end of each of the sideboards that each extend from the elevation of the first portion toward the top edge of the sidewall at a corresponding longitudinal end of the containment structure;a cover moveable between an open position and a closed position, wherein when the cover is in the open position, access to the containment volume is free of obstructions at least along a majority of a length dimension of the containment volume such that the containment volume is accessible from above to accommodate open-top loading of bulk material, and when the cover is in the closed position at least a majority of the containment volume is covered from above, with the cover being supported by the sideboards above the containment volume with at least a portion of the cover at the elevation at least 0.1 meter higher than the top edges of the sidewalls; and the sideboards comprising tracks that guide movement of the cover between the open and closed positions, wherein the track of each said sideboard extends from at least adjacent a first longitudinal end of the containment volume to adjacent a second longitudinal end of the containment volume, and wherein the cover comprises a plow disposed at a leading edge of the cover that is engaged with the tracks to clear material from the track as the cover is advanced relative to the track;wherein the track extends along the sideboards a distance laterally offset from the sidewall of the containment structure in a direction inboard toward the center of the containment volume such that a shoulder portion of the sideboard is defined adjacent to the top edge of the sidewall to accept a clamp for engagement of the rail car in connection with rotary dump operation. 2. The top-loading railroad freight car according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the track of each said sideboard is at least 0.6 meter higher than the top edge and at least a portion of the cover is at a vertical elevation of at least 0.6 meter higher than the top edges when the cover is in the closed position. 3. The top-loading railroad freight car according to claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a single piece of rollable cover material that extends substantially over an entire length of the containment volume when the cover is in the closed position. 4. The top-loading railroad freight car according to claim 1, wherein a containment volume length dimension is at least 14 meters between a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end of the containment volume. 5. A top-loading railroad freight car according to claim 4, wherein the track of each said sideboard extends for at least substantially all of the first portion of the length dimension at a vertical elevation at least 0.7 meter higher than the top edge. 6. The top-loading railroad freight car according to claim 1, wherein substantially all portions of the top edges of the sidewalls are at substantially the same elevation. 7. The top-loading railroad freight car according to claim 1, wherein when the cover is in the closed position, substantially all of the containment volume is covered from above. 8. The top-loading railroad freight car according to claim 1, wherein the sideboards project at least 0.3 meter higher than the top edges of the sidewall and wherein the cover is supported by the sideboards above the containment volume with at least a portion of the cover at an elevation at least 0.3 meter. 9. The top-loading railcar of claim 1, wherein at least a portion the roll is disposed within the containment volume. 10. The top-loading railcar of claim 1, wherein when in the open position, at least a portion of the cover is disposed below the top edge of the sidewall. 11. The top-loading railcar of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the cover is retained within the track. 12. The top-loading railcar of claim 11, wherein a wheel of the cover is retained within the track. 13. A railroad car cover retrofit assembly adapted for retrofitting a retractable cover to a top-loading railroad freight car for bulk commodity haulage, the railroad freight car having a containment structure to contain a bulk material within a containment volume open at the top to accommodate top loading of the containment structure, the containment structure comprising vertically-projecting sidewalls disposed on opposing sides of the containment volume, each said sidewall having a top edge, the rail car cover retrofit assembly comprising: opposing sideboards adapted to be attachable to the sidewalls and extending continuously from at least adjacent a first longitudinal end of the containment volume to adjacent a second longitudinal end of the containment volume when the assembly is retrofitted to the railroad freight car, each said sideboard comprising a track having at least a portion at a vertical elevation of at least 0.1 meter higher than the top edges of the sidewalls and extending continuously from at least adjacent a first longitudinal end of the containment volume to adjacent a second longitudinal end of the containment volume when the assembly is retrofitted to the railroad freight car, and wherein the sideboards comprise ramped portions at a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end of each of the sideboards that each extend from the elevation of the first portion toward the top edge of the sidewall at a corresponding longitudinal end of the containment structure when the assembly is retrofitted to the railroad freight car;a cover adapted to be moveable between an open position wherein at least most of the cover retracts into a roll adjacent to one of the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end of the containment volume for providing access free of obstructions to the containment volume from above along at least a majority of a length dimension of the containment volume for open-top loading of bulk material and a closed position for substantially covering the containment volume from above, wherein the cover comprises a plow disposed at a leading edge of the cover that is engaged with the tracks to clear material from the track as the cover is advanced relative to the track; andeach track engageable with the cover and configured to guide the cover between the open position and the closed position when the cover is moved between the open and the closed position, wherein when the assembly is retrofitted to the railroad freight car with the cover in the closed position, at least a portion of the cover is at an elevation of at least 0.1 meter higher than the elevation of the top edges of the sidewalls;wherein the track extends along the sideboard a distance laterally offset from the sidewall of the containment structure in a direction inboard toward the center of the containment volume such that a shoulder portion of the sideboard is defined adjacent to the top edge of the sidewall to accept a clamp for engagement of the rail car in connection with rotary dump operation. 14. A sideboard adapted for attachment to a sidewall of a top-loading railroad freight car for bulk commodity haulage, the railroad freight car having a containment structure comprising vertically projecting sidewalls disposed on opposing sides of the containment volume, each said sidewall having a top edge, the sideboard comprising: an engagement portion configured for attachment to the sidewall; a track supported relative to the engagement structure with at least a portion of the track being disposed at least 0.1 meter higher than the edge of the sidewall when the engagement portion is attached to the sidewall, wherein the track extends along ramped portions at a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end of each of the sideboards that each extend from the elevation of the first portion toward the top edge of the sidewall at a corresponding longitudinal end of the containment structure when the engagement portion is attached to the sidewall;wherein, the track is adapted to engage and guide translation of a moveable cover between first and second ends of the guide track to move the cover between an open position wherein at least most of the cover retracts into a roll adjacent to one of a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end of the containment volume and in which the containment volume is free of obstructions from above by the cover along at least a majority of a length dimension of the containment volume, and a closed position in which the containment volume is covered from above by the cover;wherein the sideboard and the track extend continuously from at least adjacent a first longitudinal end of the containment volume to adjacent a second longitudinal end of the containment volume when the engagement portion is attached to the sidewall; andwherein the cover comprises a plow disposed at a leading edge of the cover that is engaged with the tracks to clear material from the track as the cover is advanced relative to the track.