Patent ID: 6123030
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: B61D

Abstract:
A gate assembly for allowing particulate matter to be discharged from an enclosure of a railroad hopper car using either a pressure differential technique or gravitationally, said hopper car defining a plurality of interconnected permeable walls funneling downwardly toward an opening and including an outlet structure adjacent the discharge opening for effecting pneumatic discharge of the matter from the enclosure of the hopper car, said gate assembly comprising:a frame arranged in bordering relationship relative to the opening defined by said hopper car and defining a ledgeless discharge opening for permitting particulate matter to gravitationally pass therethrough, and with said frame further including wall structure depending from said ledgeless discharge opening to define a plenum chamber arranged in surrounding relation relative to said ledgeless opening and into which particulate matter can flow;a gate supported on the frame for movement between the outlet structure on said hopper car and the plenum chamber on said frame;a drive mechanism for moving said gate between an open position and a closed position;flexible and compressible seal structure carried on the frame and arranged in surrounding relation relative to the ledgeless discharge opening defined by said frame;a mechanism for vertically urging said gate into engagement with said seal structure independent of the sliding movement of the gate when said gate is in the closed position and such that the enclosure of said hopper car is configured to be pressurized to about 15 psig. thereby enhancing discharge of the particulate matter from said enclosure through said outlet structure under the influence of a pressure differential; anda cover carried on said frame and arranged in operative sealing combination with said wall structure on said frame for inhibiting contamination of said plenum chamber, and wherein said cover is alternatively movable to allow the particulate matter to pass from said gate assembly through said ledgeless discharge opening after said gate is moved to the open position.