US3048449A

US3048449A - Railway hopper cars

Info

Publication number: US3048449A
Application number: US48302A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edmund R Aller
Original assignee: General American Transportation Corp
Current assignee: General American Transportation Corp
Priority date: 1960-08-08
Filing date: 1960-08-08
Publication date: 1962-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 1979-08-07

Description

Aug. 7, 1962 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 FIG.|

E. R. ALLER RAILWAY HOPPER CARS 5 Sheets-Sheet l m D I S N 0 INVENTOR:

m EDMUND R. ALLER I: BY

@ 4 QM 0% J I W ATT Y .ug. 7, 1962 E. R. ALLER RAILWAY HOPPER CARS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 INVENTOR EDMUND R. ALLER 85M V g U ATT'YS Aug. 7, 1962 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 E. R. ALLER RAILWAY HOPPER CARS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. EDMUND R. ALLER illnitetl httes atent hues Bfiddfi Patented Aug. 7, 1952 3,048,449 RAILWAY l-HDPPER CARS Edmund R. Aller, Gary, Ind, assignor to General American Transportation Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 48,362 6 Claims. (Cl. 302-52) The present invention relates to railway hopper cars for storage and transportation of finely divided or granular material, such, for example, as flour, malt, plastic resin beads, or the like; and it is the general object of the invention to provide in a railway hopper car improved and simplified pneumatic unloading mechanism for selectively controlling the unloading to the exterior of the material from the car body through a bottom discharge outlet associated with the hopper structure incorporated in the car body.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a railway hopper car pneumatic unloading mechanism of the character mentioned for selectively controlling the unloading to the exterior of the granular material from the bottom discharge outlet incorporated in the hopper structure, without the necessity of movable valve structure, whereby the overall rate of fall-through of the granular material with respect to the bottom discharge outlet is self-regulated to match the overall rate of transporting of the granular material from the pneumatic unloading mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved pneumatic unloading mechanism of the character described that incorporates a minimum number of stationary elements of simplified construction and arrangement.

Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangement of the elements of the railway hopper car, whereby the above-outlined and additional operating features thereof are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a railway hopper car embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view, partly broken away, of the railway hopper car shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly broken away, of the railway hopper car, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged lateral side elevational view, partly in section, of one of the bottom outlet structures incorporated in the body of the railway hopper car, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, and incorporating pneumatic mechanism for selectively controlling the unloading to the exterior of granular material from the bottom outlet structure illustrated;

(FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan View of the pneumatic unloading mechanism shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bottom outlet structure and the associated pneumatic unloading mechanism, this view being taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 6--o in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic lateral sectional view, similar to PEG. 4, indicating the manner in which the granular material falls-through the bottom outlet structure into the associated pneumatic unloading mechanism; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view, similar to FIG. 6, indicating the manner in which the granular material falls-through the bottom outlet structure into the associated pneumatic unloading mechanism.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawings, the railway hopper car lid, there illustrated and embodying the features of the present invention, is especially adapted for storage and transportation of finely divided or granular materials, such, for example, as flour, malt, plastic resin beads, or the like; and the car 10 comprises a rigid underframe, including a longitudinally extending center sill ll; which underframe is supported adjacent to the opposite ends thereof by a pair of trucks 12 carrying track wheels 13 cooperating with an associated railway track, indicated at '14.

The underframe carries a body 20, including a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart side walls 21, a pair of laterally extending and longitudinally spaced apart end walls 22, and laterally extending and longitudinally spaced-apart divider walls 23 disposed between the end walls 22 and cooperating therewith to divide the lading compartment defined within the body 20 into three

upstanding hoppers

31, 32 and 33. Of course, it will be understood that the number of divider walls 23 required depends upon the number of hoppers into which the volume of the lading compartment is to be divided, two of the divider walls 23 being required for the purpose of defining the three

upstanding hoppers

31, 32 and 36, in the present example. Also, the body 20 comprises roof structure 24 that carries a number of longitudinally spaced-apart filling hatches 25 arranged on either side thereof and communicating with the several hoppers 31, 3'2 and '33, each of the filling hatches 25 being provided with an associated removable hatch cover 26 normally arranged in sealing relation therewith. Further, the body 20 comprises bottom structure in the lower portion thereof closing the bottom ends of the three

hoppers

31, 32 and 33; and as illustrated, the bottom structure provided in the hopper 31 includes a pair of laterally extending and downwardly sloping hopper sheets 41 and 42, a pair of longitudinally extending and downwardly sloping

hopper sheets

43 and 44, and center structure providing a pair of longitudinally extending and downwardly sloping

hopper sheets

45 and 46. Specifically, the hopper sheets 41 and 42 converge downwardly longitudinally toward each other, the hopper sheets and 45 converge laterally downwardly toward each other, and the hopper sheets 44 and 4s converge laterally downwardly toward each other. In the arrangement, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the upper portions of the hopper sheets 41 and 42 cooperate with the

hopper sheets

43 and 45 to provide the upper hopper section 31A having bottom outlet structure 51A, and the lower portions of the hopper sheets 41 and 42 cooperate with the

hopper sheets

44 and 46 to provide the lower hopper section 31B having bottom outlet structure 51B.

Accordingly, the

hopper sections

31A and 31B (hereinafter referred to simply as hoppers) and the respectively cooperating

bottom outlet structures

51A and 51B are disposed in laterally spaced-apart relation, as shown in FIG. 2; and the bottom outlet structures 51A and 5113 respectively carry two

pneumatic unloading mechanisms

71A and 71B. In the arrangement, the

bottom outlet structures

51A and 51B are identical and the

pneumatic unloading mechanism

71A and 71B are identical; and moreover, it will be understood that each of the other hoppers 32 and 33 are constructed and arranged in a manner identical to that of the hopper 31.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 6, the lower portion of the hopper 31B, the bottom outlet structure 51B and the cooperating pneumatic unloading mechanism 715 are illustrated; and in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the pneumatic unloading mechanism 71B is illustrated. More particularly, the bottom outlet structure 51B comprises an upstanding substantially rectangular throat'element 52 that is joined to the bottom of the hopper 31B in surrounding relation with respect to the bottom outlet 53 communicating therewith; and the lower end of the throat element 52 terminates in an outwardly directed substantially rectangular collar or flange 54. The pneumatic unloading mechanism 718 is disposed immediately below the bottom outlet structure 5113 and comprises an outwardly directed substantially rectangular collar or flange 72, the collar 72 being disposed immediately below the collar 54 and detachably secured thereto, with an intervening gasket 73 therebetween, by a plurality of bolts 74 provided with cooperating nuts 75. Also, the collar 72 carries an elongated tubular casing 76, the longitudinal extension of which is laterally across the hopper car i which casing 76 is substantially circular in lateral cross-section, the casing 76 being disposed immediately below the collar 72 and rigidly secured thereto, as by welding. The opposite ends of the casing 76 are open and project laterally outwardly from below the bottom outlet structure 513, as best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and and the opposite ends of the casing 76 normally respectively carry two caps or covers 80. More particularly, the exterior surfaces of the opposite ends of the casing 76 are threaded, as indicated at 77; and also an annular series of vent openings 78 is provided in each end portion of the casing 76 inwardly with respect to the extreme outer end thereof and outwardly with respect to the adjacent side of the collar 54; and two annular rings 79 are respectively carried by the end portions of the casing 76 respectively adjacent to the opposite sides of the collar 72, the two rings 79 being respectively disposed inwardly with respect to the two adjacent series of vent openings 78, as clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The two caps 80 are identical, each comprising a substantially cylindrical side wall 81 adapted to fit over the adjacent end of the casing 76 and provided with internal threads, indicated at 82, that are adapted to engage the external threads 77 provided on the cooperating end portion of the casing 76. Also, the cap 80 comprises a closed end wall 83 carrying handle structure 84 facilitating rotation thereof; whereby the cap 84 may be readily placed and removed with respect to the adjacent end of the casing 76 by corresponding rotation thereof, utilizing the handle structure 84. Finally, the extreme inner end of the side wall 81 of the cap fill carries an annular ring 85 that is adapted to engage and to seal against the cooperating annular ring 79 carried by the casing 76 when the cap 80 occupies its normal position closing the adjacent outer end of the casing 76. Moreover, when the casing 86 occupies its closed position on the associated outer end of the casing 76, the ring 85 in engagement with the ring 79 seals off the adjacent annular series of vent openings 78; whereby the corresponding end of the casing 76 is closed and sealed with respect to the atmosphere.

An opening 76a is formed in the top central portion of the casing 76; and a funnel 90 is carried by the collar 72 and projects through the top opening 76a downwardly into the interior of the intermediate or central portion of the casing 76. The extreme upper end of the funnel 90 is secured to the adjacent portion of the collar 72, as by welding, as indicated at 91; and the upper portion of the funnel 90 i secured in sealed relation to the upper portion of the casing 76 about the top opening 76a, as by welding, as indicated at 92,. More particularly, the funnel 90 has the general configuration of an inverted truncated pyramid, including a pair of opposed end walls 94 and a pair of opposed side walls 95. Accordingly, the funnel 90 converges downwardly from an open top end communicating with the bottom outlet structure 51b to an open bottom end communicating with the lower part of the central or intermediate portion of the casing 76. Thus, the open bottom end of the funnel 9b is disposed above the bottom wall of the intermediate portion of the casing 76 and below the top wall of the intermediate portion of the casing 76; and more particularly, the downward projection of the funnel 96 into the upper part of the casing 76 blocks at least about of the lateral cross-section of the casing 76, as illustrated in FIG. 6,

thereby to cause a venturi effect in the lower part of the intermediate portion of the casing 76 incident to the passage of a current of air therethrough in an unloading operation, as explained more fully below.

Considering now the general mode of operation of the pneumatic unloading mechanism 718 in the unloading of the granular material from the hopper 31B, the granular material may be unloaded from the hopper 31B from either end of the casing 76, and as illustrated in FIG. 7, this unloading of the granular material may take place from the left-hand end of the casing 76. In this case, the left-hand end cap is removed from the associated left-hand end of the casing 76 and a suction conduit Elli) is suitably connected thereto; and also the right-hand end cap 86 is partially unscrewed from its fully closed position in order to uncover, at least partially, the adjacent annular series of air vents 78 provided in the right-hand end portion of the casing 76. Of course, the suction conduit ltltl completely closes the left-hand end portion of the casing 76 blocking the adjacent annular series of air vents 78 provided in the left-hand end portion of the casing 76. The granular material in the hopper 31B falls-through the bottom outlet structure 5113 and through the funnel into the lower part of the intermediate portion of the casing 76 and the air current proceeding through the casing 76 from the right-hand end portion thereof (the air inlet port thereof) into the left-hand end portion thereof (the air outlet port thereof) and thence into the suction conduit 100. Specifically, the outside air proceeds through the annular series of air vents 78 provided in the right-hand end portion of the casing 76, since the right-hand end cap 80 is partially unscrewed from its fully closed position, as previously explained, and passes through the casing 76 and ultimately through the suction conduit 100. As previously noted, a venturi effect is produced in the intermediate or central portion of the casing 76, with the result that the velocity of the air current passing therethrough is substantially increased in this area of the casing 76, so that the granular material in the lower part of the intermediate portion of the casing 76 is picked-up by the air current and transported along therewith and into the suction conduit 100 for the unloading purpose.

In the operation of the pneumatic unloading mechanism, the volume of the air moved through the suction conduit 100 may vary considerably by virtue of variable operation of the pumping equipment, not shown, that is operatively associated with the suction conduit 1G0; whereby the air current through the casing 76 is correspondingly varied. As the granular material falls-through the funnel 90 onto the bottom wall of the intermediate or central portion of the casing 76, it piles-up thereupon, as indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8; whereby the granular ma terial submerges the open bottom end of the funnel 9t) and stoppers the same, when the rate of fall-through of the granular material from the hopper 31B into the lower part of the intermediate portion of the casing 76 exceeds the rate at which the granular material is transported therefrom by the air current passing through the casing 76, so that the overall rate of unloading of the granular material from the hopper 31B is self-regulating to match the overall current of air that is passed through the casing 76, and notwithstanding substantial variations in the volume of air that is moved per unit time through the casing 76 via the suction conduit 100 during the unloading operation. Moreover, in the event the air current through the suction conduit 100 is interrupted during the unloading operation, the granular material in the lower part of the intermediate portion of the casing 76 pilesup sufficiently high to block or stopper the open bottom end of the funnel 9t submerging the same to arrest further fall-through of the granular material from the hopper 313, so as to prevent spilling of the granular material from the right-hand end of the casing 76 through the air inlet port 78 provided therein and to prevent any substantial flow of the granular material by gravity into the suction conduit 100. Moreover, this pile-up of the granular material in the lower part of the intermediate portion of the casing 76, while adequate to block or stopper the funnel 90, does not completely fill the upper part of the casing 76 in the intermediate portion thereof adjacent to the ends 95 of the funnel 90, whereby two laterally spaced-apart and longitudinally extending passages, indicated at 95a, remain in the upper part of the intermediate portion of the casing 76 disposed above the pileup of the granular material therein, as indicated in FIG. 8, when the passage of air through the suction conduit 100 is arrested. This arrangement is very advantageous, since it accommodates ready restarting and unloading of the granular material from the casing 76, when suction is again applied to the suction conduit 100, since the air may readily pass through the passages 95a mentioned during the initial restarting of the unloading operation. Specifically, the air proceeds through the passages 95a transporting the granular material therewith into the suction conduit 100 and thereby reducing the height of the pile-up of the granular material in the lower part of the intermediate portion of the casing 76, so that shortly thereafter the removal of the granular material from the lower part of the intermediate portion of the casing 76 again unstoppers the funnel 90 with the result that the granular material may again fall-through the funnel 96 from the hopper 31B.

In view of the foregoing explanation of the general mode of operation of the pneumatic unloading mechanism 718, it will be understood that the overall rate of unloading of the granular material from the hopper 3113 matches the overall suction capacity of the suction equipment operatively associated with the suction conduit 100, notwithstanding substantial variations in the rate of air fiow through the suction conduit 1%, and notwithstanding the fact that the pneumatic unloading mechanism 71B comprises no movable valve element. In other words, the pneumatic unloading mechanism 71B accomplishes the valve function with respect to the flow of the granular material from the hopper 31B, utilizing elements that are altogether stationary, and employing absolutely no movable part.

During the unloading operation of the granular material from the hopper 3133, one or more of the hatch covers 26 are ordinarily removed from their normal sealed positions with respect to the associated filling hatches 25. Furthermore, it will be understood that while a major portion of the granular material may be removed from the hopper 31 through the hopper section 313 via the associated pneumatic unloading mechanism 7133, a minor portion of the granular material remains in the hopper section SIiA and must be removed therefrom via the associated pneumatic unloading mechanism 71A. Of course, the removal of the granular material from the hopper section 31A via the associated pneumatic unloading mechanism 71A is the same as that described above in the removal of the granular material from the hopper section 3113 via the pneumatic unloading mechanism 718. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the unloading of the granular material from the hoppers 32 and 33 is the same as that described in conjunction with the removal of the granular material from the hopper 31.

After the granular material has been removed from the hopper section 318, the suction conduit 109 is removed from the associated left-hand end of the casing '76 of the pneumatic unloading mechanism 713; and at this time, the one or more hatch covers 26 are returned to their normal sealed positions with respect to the 80 sociated filling hatches 25.

In passing, it is noted that the hopper 31 is normally filled with the granular material through one or more of the filling hatches 25 in their open positions utilizing blower equipment, and with the pneumatic unloading mechanisms 71A and 7133 in their closed positions. After 6 filling of the hopper 31, the hatch covers 26 are returned into their closed positions with respect to the filling hatches 25; whereby the hopper 31 is completely sealed against the atmosphere, and during the normal use and transportation of the railway car Ill. Of course, the filling of each of the other hoppers 32 and 33 is the same as the filling of the hopper 31, described above.

In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided in a railway hopper car, including hopper structure adapted to contain granular material and having a bottom discharge outlet, pneumatic unloading mechanism for the bottom discharge outlet that effects unloading of the granular material from the hopper structure to the exterior at variable rates of flow matching corresponding variable rates of flow of air through the pneumatic unloading mechanism, all without the requirement of movable valve elements, or the like, in the structure of the pneumatic unloading mechanism; whereby the pneumatic unloading mechanism is of improved construction and arrangement.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway car comprising hopper structure adapted to contain granular material and provided with a bottom discharge outlet, a first outwardly directed collar carried by said hopper structure in surrounding relation with said bottom discharge outlet, a second outwardly directed collar arranged below said first collar and detachably secured thereto, a tubular casing carried by said second collar and disposed below said bottom discharge outlet, said casing having an air inlet port in one end thereof and an air outlet port in the other end thereof, said casing also having an opening in the top intermediate portion thereof and disposed below said bottom discharge outlet, and a funnel carried by said second collar and arranged in said opening and projecting downwardly into the interior of the intermediate portion of said casing, said funnel converging downwardly from an open top end communicating with said bottom discharge outlet to an open bottom end communicating with the lower part of the intermediate portion of said casing, whereby the granular material in said hopper structure falls through said bottom discharge outlet and through said funnel into the lower part of the intermediate portion of said casing and is transported therefrom when a current of air is passed through said casing from said air inlet port into said air outlet port so as to effect unloading of the granular material from said hopper structure, the open bottom end of said funnel being disposed above the bottom wall of the intermediate portion of said casing and below the top wall of the intermediate portion of said casing, whereby the granular material in said hopper structure falls through said bottom discharge outlet and through said funnel onto the bottom wall of the intermediate portion of said casing and piles up in the lower part of the interm diate portion of said casing and submerges the open bottom end of said funnel and stoppers said funnel when no current of air is passed through said casing from said air inlet port into said air outlet port so as to prevent spilling of the granular material from the ends of said casing through said air inlet port and said air outlet port.

2. The railway car set forth in claim 1, wherein the granular material in said hopper structure also falls through said bottom discharge outlet and through said funnel into the bottom wall of the intermediate portion of said casing and piles-up in the lower part of the intermediate portion of said casing and submerges the open bottom end of said funnel and stoppers said funnel when the rate of fall-through of the granular material from said hopper structure into the lower part of the intermediate portion of said casing exceeds the rate at which the granular material is transported therefrom by the current of air passing through said casing so that the overall rate of unloading of the granular material from said hopper structure is self-regulating to match the overall current of air that is passed through said casing.

3. The railway ear set forth in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axis of said funnel is disposed in a substantially vertical position and the longitudinal axis of said casing is disposed in a substantially horizontal position.

4. The railway car set forth in claim l, wherein said funnel has the general configuration of an inverted truncated pyramid.

5. The railway car set forth in claim 1, wherein the projection of said funnel downwardly into the interior of the intermediate portion of said casing is sufiieient to cause a pile-up of the granular material in the lower part of the interrnedaite portion of said casing to submerge the open bottom end of said funnel and to stopper said funnel when no current of air is passed through said cas- 8 ing from said inlet port into said air outlet port without complete blocking of the upper part of the intermediate portion of said casing by the pile-up of the granular material in the lower part of the intermediate portion of said casing.

6. The railway car set forth in claim 1, wherein the projection of said funnel downwardly into the interior of the intermediate portion of said casing blocks the upper part of the intermediate portion of said casing so as to cause a venturi effect in the lower part of the intermediate portion of said casing incident to the passage of the current of air through said casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES iATENTS 2,650,726 Aller Sept. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 281,811 Great Britain Dec. 15, 1927 736,207 Great Britain Sept. 7, 1955