Patent ID: 6378443
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: B60P,B65D,B65G

Abstract:
An outlet gate for a railroad hopper car, comprising:a discharge tube having a top half and a bottom half, said discharge tube defining a discharge opening; and a valve member disposed in the discharge tube and has an outside diameter only slightly less than the inside diameter of the discharge tube, said valve member rotateable between a closed position in which the valve member blocks the discharge opening and an opened position in which flow is permitted through at least a portion of the discharge opening, the valve member comprising an arcuate segment bounded by edge faces, the angle of the edge faces being arranged such that all edge faces in the top half of the discharge tube slant down from outside to inside diameter and all edge faces in the bottom half of the discharge tube face down at all positions of the valve member between said closed position and said opened position, wherein all the edge faces are self-emptying which would otherwise permit a situation where a piece of lading can become entrapped between the valve member and the inside wall of the discharge tube.