Patent ID: 8752487
Filing Date: 2014-06-17
Classification: B61D

Abstract:
1. A low profile discharge gate assembly for a railroad hopper car, said gate assembly comprising: a rigid frame including a pair of side frame members rigidly joined to first and second end frame members in a generally rectangular design and defining a discharge opening through which commodity is adapted to gravitationally pass; a gate having an upper surface and which is supported on said frame for linear movement in a single generally horizontal path of travel between a closed position, wherein said gate prevents a flow of commodity through said discharge opening, and an open position; wherein said each side frame member and each end frame member includes an upper outwardly extending flange, with the upper flanges on said side frame members and end frame members being arranged above the upper surface of the gate and in generally coplanar relation relative to each other, and with each side frame member and each end frame member having a horizontally slanted wall extending downwardly and away from the respective upper flange on each side frame member and each end frame member and inwardly toward the discharge opening so as to define an included angle of less than 30 degrees relative to a horizontal plane defined by the coplanar relation of the upper flange relative to each other; and wherein said each side frame member and each end frame member includes a lower outwardly extending flange, with the lower flanges on said side frame members and end frame members being arranged below the upper surface of the gate and in generally coplanar relation relative to each other, with a vertical distance of less than 7.5 inches separating a lowermost surface on the lower flange of each side frame member and each end frame member from an upper surface on the upper flange of each side frame member and each end frame member whereby lending a low profile to said gate assembly; with said second end frame member including an upper portion and a lower portion transversely extending between and secured to the side frame members and defining a transverse opening therebetween for allowing said gate to slide between the closed and open positions, and with the lower portion of said second end frame member slidably supporting an underside of said gate; structure carried by said side frame members and said second end frame member and disposed between the lower flanges on said side frame members and said second end frame member and said gate, said structure including a series of horizontally slanted surfaces angling inwardly from at least three sides of said discharge opening for restricting commodity flow passing from the discharge opening of said gate assembly; with the lower portion of said second end frame member including support structure extending between and connected to said slanted surface angling inwardly from said second end frame member and a depending wall on the lower portion of said second end frame member to inhibit transverse bending of said lower portion of said second end frame member during operation of said gate assembly; and an operating shaft assembly supported by said frame for rotation about a fixed axis, with said operating shaft assembly being operably coupled to said gate.