FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to railcars. In particular, the present invention relates to a pneumatically operated hatch system for trough loaded hopper railcars.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to provide trough loaded railway cars, which may be fitted with openable hatch covers to enclose the top hatch opening, or‘trough’. These allow venting while material falls through the hopper gates.

Such hatch covers provide product containment. Other benefits include product protection, for example, protection from rain, snow, debris, or vermin. Many different granular or powdered products including grains may be shipped by railcar in this way.

Typically, such hatch covers are fastened onto railcars with various types of clamps or brackets which fix the hatch cover to the car, preventing it from coming loose in transit, but which allow manual opening of the hatches.

Hatch covers typically may be manufactured of steel, aluminum, or various composite materials, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages. Manual hatch covers are typically built as several pieces, allowing them to be easily opened manually by a worker.

In order to open manual hatches, a worker must walk along running boards installed on the top of each railcar in order to reach the hatches. The worker will then unlock and open each hatch cover to prepare for loading or unloading and must repeat this process to close the manual hatches. This is a hazardous activity and is a major cause of injuries to workers.

Automatic hatch covers are a replacement for manual hatches and provide a method to reduce injuries by allowing the worker to open the hatches from trackside, or automatically without worker contact, avoiding the need for the worker to walk on the roof of the railcar. In addition, the time required to open the hatches is also reduced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an automated hatch system for a hopper railcar having a central longitudinal trough with coaming, the system comprising a unitary hatch cover; a plurality of guide rail assemblies connecting one side of the top of the railcar perpendicular to and adjacent a corresponding longitudinal edge of the coaming to the hatch cover, wherein one guide rail assembly is positioned at each end of the trough and one or more guide rail assemblies are evenly spaced between the outermost guide rail assemblies; a cable network connecting the guide rail assemblies to the hatch and external coaming of the trough; means for activating the cable network to open and close the hatch and to align the opposing ends of the hatch cover during opening and closing.

Each guide rail assembly may comprises a linear guide rail having a linear slot connected to the top of the railcar; a profiled guide rail having a curved slot connected to the top of the railcar, the profiled guide rail parallel to and spaced apart from the corresponding linear guide rail; an arm having internal and external ends, the internal end connected to the top of the hatch cover and the external end comprising a first roller on one side of the arm movable within the linear slot and a second roller on the opposing side of the arm movable within the curved slot.

The cable network may comprise a plurality of sheaves mounted on sheave brackets at each end of each guide rail assembly, at the corners of the hatch cover, and at the external corners of the trough coaming; a pair of cables running through the sheaves and fixed in place relative to the railcar; and a plurality of cable adjustment turnbuckles disposed along the cable network.

The means for activating the cable network may comprise a pneumatic cylinder; an alignment tube extending from the pneumatic cylinder; an alignment car movable between retracted and extended positions; a source of pressurized air; and actuator means, which may comprise an actuator button. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A detailed description of the preferred embodiment is provided below by way of example only and with reference to the following drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the top of a railcar showing the automated hatch system of the present invention with the hatch cover in the open position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the top of a railcar showing the automated hatch system of the present invention with the hatch cover in the open position;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one end of the automated hatch system from the profiled guide rail side with the hatch cover in a closed position;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one end of the automated hatch system from the profiled guide rail side with the hatch cover in an open position;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pneumatic cylinder and cable alignment system with closed hatch cover not shown and alignment car retracted;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the pneumatic cylinder and cable alignment system with hatch open and alignment car extended;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the alignment car details; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one end of the automated hatch system from the profiled guide rail side with the hatch cover in a closed position;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one end of the automated hatch system from the linear guide rail side with the hatch cover in a closed position;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one end of the automated hatch system from the profiled guide rail side with the hatch cover in an open position;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of one end of the automated hatch system from the linear guide rail side with the hatch cover in an open position;

Figure 12 is a side view of a guide rail assembly showing the open/close cable tension adjustment on an arm;

Figure 13 is a top view of the cable network during hatch opening; Figure 14 is a top view of the cable network during hatch closing; and

Figure 15 is a right-side view of the cylinder assembly.

In the drawings, selected embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to understanding and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a system for opening and closing a hatch on trough loaded hopper railcars. According to an embodiment of the system of the present invention, there is provided a hatch cover for covering a trough loaded railcar, and hatch opening means for reversibly moving a hatch cover from a closed position atop a railcar to an open position alongside the trough. Coordinated operation of the system of the present invention may be achieved with an air cylinder and button operated actuators. The air source for the air cylinder can be shared with the hopper gates on the railcar. Alternatively, air can be applied trackside for hopper cars with manual hopper gates that lack an available on-car source of air.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention as demonstrated in the drawings, a unitary hopper railcar hatch cover is displaceable along a plurality of guide rail assemblies between a closed position sealing the trough, and an open position held adjacent the trough. Preferably, a guide rail assembly is provided at each longitudinal end of the hatch, and two additional guide rail assemblies are provided evenly spaced between the longitudinal ends, for a total of four guide assemblies. Fewer or more guide rail assemblies are possible within the scope of the invention.

Each guide rail assembly comprises a linear guide rail on the outside of the hatch extending perpendicularly to an edge of the trough coaming, and a profiled guide rail parallel to the linear guide rail. The guide rail assembly further comprises an arm attached to the top of the hatch cover and extending perpendicularly between the linear and profiled guide rails. Each arm includes a first roller at a distal position and a second roller on the opposing side of the arm at a medial position. The linear guide rail includes a linear slot within which the first roller may move, and the profiled guide rail includes a curved slot within which the second roller may move. In operation, when the system is actuated to remove the hatch cover from its closed position sealing the trough, a cable network is activated to move the hatch cover away from the trough and the guide rail slots cause the hatch cover to be lifted above the sill of the trough, to then be moved laterally clear of the trough, and finally lowered onto the top of the railcar in an open position adjacent to the trough. The guide rail assemblies repeat the lifting and sealing in reverse when the hatch cover is moved from the open position atop the railcar to the closed position sealing the trough. The curved slot of the profiled guide rail ensures the hatch cover is lifted free of the coaming upon opening and that a solid seal is formed between the hatch cover and the railcar upon closing.

The present invention moves the hatch cover completely clear of the trough, as may be best seen in Fig. 1. The guide rail assemblies of the present invention maintain the hatch cover within Plate C when fully open or fully closed. The hatch cover will briefly exceed Plate C during the opening and closing cycles.

The hatch cover is provided with a standard rubber seal similar to seals used on manual hatches. The guide rails and arm provide downward force on the hatch cover and seal in the closed position to generate a solid seal between the hatch cover and the top of the railcar. Additional security may be provided by incorporating a rod-lock feature in the air cylinder to prevent hatch opening in the event of air pressure loss.

The automated hatch system of the present invention may be activated by one of several means. According to a first embodiment, the system may have a manual air-input point at which external air may be quickly connected to operate the automated hatch system. According to a second embodiment, a push button control may be provided at track level or may be incorporated into hopper controls. Preferably the system would include a simple discreet open/close button and a hidden security button which must be pressed simultaneously to operate the open/close button. According to a third embodiment, useful for high volume or automated operations, a roller may run along the top edge of the railcar tripping a paddle trigger to effect opening and closing of the hatch.

Hatch covers placed on railcars tend to be very long and narrow due to the shape of the top of a railcar. In other applications with a long hatch cover, hydraulics can be used to maintain an even operation. Generally speaking, only pneumatic systems are available in the railway environment, and pneumatics are very difficult to balance in this way. The result is one end of the hatch cover may move at a different rate as the other. This can cause hatch covers to fail or stick.

One aspect of the present invention is a passive cable alignment system to ensure that both ends of the hatch cover will move in an identical fashion. In addition, it makes it possible to drive a hatch cover from one end of the hatch only, with no need to have an additional mechanism or air supply at the far end. As noted in the drawings, a single air cylinder is employed in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As best seen in Figs. 13 and 14, the cable alignment system includes two cable networks involved with each hatch cover, an opening cable network and a closing cable network. In both cases, the cables will run through sheaves attached to the ends of the hatch. Additional sheaves may be located on the guide rail assemblies and the corners of the trough coaming. The cables then will pass through conduits in the hatch. The cables themselves are fixed in place with no movement relative to the railcar, but as the hatch cover moves, the sheaves will rotate and the cables will pass through the hatch. It should be noted that as the hatch moves, one cable will move relative to the other cable if observed from the perspective of the hatch. As shown in Figs. 13-15, the cable network is adjustable with turnbuckles for opening and closing adjustments.

In operation, a pressurized air cylinder is used to move one end of the hatch cover, and the other end of the hatch is moved by the cable alignment system with no need for a secondary air cylinder at the opposite end of the hatch.

The automated hatch system of the present invention may be retrofit to existing equipment with removal of an existing man-walk on only one side of the railcar.