GB2239226A

GB2239226A - Container body for carrying aggregate

Info

Publication number: GB2239226A
Application number: GB9027450A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Antony John Slater
Original assignee: Translift Freight Ltd
Current assignee: Translift Freight Ltd
Priority date: 1989-12-21
Filing date: 1990-12-19
Publication date: 1991-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 2010-12-19
Also published as: GB2239226B; GB8928913D0; GB9027450D0

Abstract

A container body for carrying aggregate and the like can be manufactured as new or in one aspect, fabricated from existing liquid carrying rail rolling stock. The container is cylindrical in shape and is arranged with its axis horizontal when infuse with an axial opening 30 extending longitudinally of the upper section of the body. The axial opening is designed so as to allow a conventional clam shell grab to pass therein and load or remove the aggregate. A method of adapting existing liquid carrying rail rolling stock to form the container body comprising slicing away a section of the conventional cylindrical wagon body. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements Relating to Containers for Aggregate and the Like and Methods of Producing Same.

q This invention relates to containers suitable for holding granular material such as aggregate and the like and methods of producing same.

Presently used for the transport of aggregate and other mined materials by rail are box type container wagons comprising a rail bogie or chassis with a container skip or body which is made up of a number of flat plates welded together. These bodies may take various forms, and may be provided with doors or openings for the discharge of the aggregate material.

These containers are however expensive and they also have another disadvantage in that where conventional clamshell grabs are used to empty the containers a residue of materials is often left in the bottom corners which are inaccessible to the grabs. The present invention aims to provide an alternative form of container, especially a rail transport container which will be less expensive and without the disadvantages than the skip type referred to above.

In accordance with the invention in its most general aspect, a container body for containing aggregate comprises a cylindrical body arranged with its axis horizontal when in the in-use position, and the cylindrical body is cut away to define an axial opening which extends longitudinally of the body and will face upwards when the body is in use.

The said opening preferably extends for the entire length of the body and will be of such dimension to permit the entry into the body of a conventional clamshell grab which has pivotable bucket portions which can be arranged to sweep along the inner curved sides of the body to remove aggregate therefrom.

Around the edge of the opening there may be provided reinforcing bars or plates if required.

The container body preferably is mounted on a rail bogie so as to provide a container which can be transported by rail.

The invention provides particular advantage in that the container can be constructed by adapting a conventional railway wagon of the type which is for transporting liquids such as oil, the body in fact being produced by slicing away a section of the conventional cylindrical body used in these railway wagons. The advantage arises in that currently there is an abundance of the said cylindrical body railway wagons and the present invention provides an effective use for same.

The skip type wagons are in short supply and are expensive and therefore the adaptation of the cylindrical body wagons represents a considerable economy.

Of course it is to be pointed out that a container and especially a railway wagon constructed in accordance with the invention by the design thereof has its own inherent advantage namely that a clamshell grab can be used readily for scooping the aggregate from the interior of the body and because of the curved interior, such a grab can remove substantially all of the aggregate, which would not be possible if a grab were used in connection with the skip type wagon.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of constructing the container body by adapting a conventional railway wagon of the type which is used for transporting liquids such as oil, the body in fact being produced by slicing away a section of the conventional cylindrical body used in these railway wagons.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a conventional skip type wagon for transporting aggregate; Fig. 2 is a side view of the conventional cylindrical body wagon for transporting liquid; Fig. 3 illustrates how the wagon of Fig. 2 is modified to render it in accordance with the invention; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a wagon according to the invention; and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the wagon of Fig. 4 showing how a grab may be used for emptying the container body.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 a conventional skip type railway wagon 10 comprises a skip body 12 fabricated from sheet metal plate mounted on decking 14 of the wagon, the decking in turn being supported by conventional chassis and wheels 18, 20 so as to run on the rails 22.

Fig. 2 shows another conventional type of wagon which is for transporting liquids by rail, and the wagon of Fig. 2 comprises a cylindrical body 24 having dished ends 26 and 25, the body 24 again being mounted on decking 14 and wheels and chassis, 18, 20. The wagon of Fig. 1 is for transporting aggregate and the top of the skip 12 is open. There is a shortage of the wagons of Fig. 1, but an abundance of the wagons of Fig. 2 and the present invention provides an effective utilisation of unwanted wagons of the type shown in Fig. 2 in that in accordance with Fig. 3, a section 27 of the body 24 is removed. The section 27 is an elongated portion which extends parallel to the axis of the body 24, which axis is horizontal in use as will be readily understood.

The removal of the portion 27 is such as to allow the insertion of a clamshell grab 28 as shown in Fig. 5 to enter the opening 30 created by the removal of the section 27.

As shown in Fig. 4, the opening 30 has its edges reinforced by frame members 32 extending longitudinally of the body 24, and fillet plates 34 which complete the construction.

An advantage of using a circular sectioned body as shown in Fig. 5 is that the clamshell grab (of conventional construction), can be entered through the opening 30 and by swinging the bucket portions 28A and 28B together as indicated by arrows 36 the bucket portions 28A and 28B will swing in a circular path close to the inner surface of the body 24 thereby effectively collecting aggregate and the like materials contained in the body 24 as the wagon shown in Fig.

4 has been rendered particularly suitable for the carrying of aggregate materials. Fig. 5 shows the grab in the open position in full lines, and in the closed position in dotted lines. It will be understood that instead of converting existing drum type wagons as shown in Fig. 2 by the removal of section 26, novel forms of transportation wagons can be fabricated in the form shown in Fig. 4.

The present invention in one aspect provides a particularly suitable adaptation for a wagon type of which there is at present a surplus.

Claims

1. A container body for containing aggregate comprising a cylindrical body arranged with its axis horizontal when in the in-use position, and the cylindrical body is cut away to define an axial opening which extends longitudinally of the body and will face upwards when the body is in use.

2. A container body as in claim 1 in which the opening of the body shall be of such dimension as to permit entry into the body of a conventional clam-shell grab for the removal of the material within.

3. A container body as in claims 1 and 2 in which the said body is mounted on a rail bogie thereby enabling the formation of a container which can be transported by rail.

4. A container body as in claims 1 and 2 which is fabricated from existing conventional rail wagons with cylindrical body.

5. A container body as in any of the preceding claims in one embodiment wherein there shall be reinforcing plates or bars positioned along the periphery of the axial opening.

6. All apparatus as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3-5.

7. A method of providing a container body for containing aggregate wherein the said container is constructed by adapting a conventional railway wagon of the type which is for transporting liquids such as oil, the container body being produced by slicing away a section of the conventional cylindrical body used in the conventional wagons.

8. All methods as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 2-5.