RAIL CAR COVER SYSTEM

摘要

A cover assembly for covering an open-top, railroad freight car is presented that may include opposing sideboards projecting above the top edges of the rail car and a cover moveable between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, a containment volume may be accessible from above for the loading of a bulk commodity into the containment volume. In the closed position, the cover may substantially cover at least a majority of the containment volume from above. The cover may be elevated above a top edge of the rail car.

主权项

1. A top-loading railroad freight car for bulk commodity haulage, comprising:
an open-top containment structure to contain a bulk material within a containment volume open at the top to accommodate top-loading of the containment volume, the containment structure comprising vertically-projecting sidewalls disposed on opposing sides of the containment volume, each said sidewall having a top edge; opposing sideboards attached to the sidewalls, wherein the sideboards projecting at an elevation of least 0.1 meter higher than the top edges of the sidewalls at least along substantially all of a first portion of a length dimension extending from 3 from the first longitudinal end of the containment volume to 3 meters from the second longitudinal end of the containment volume, and wherein the sideboards comprise ramped portions at a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end of each of the sideboards that each extend from the elevation of the first portion toward the top edge of the sidewall at a corresponding longitudinal end of the containment structure; a cover moveable between an open position and a closed position, wherein when the cover is in the open position at least most of the cover retracts into a roll adjacent to one of a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end of the containment volume and the containment volume is accessible from above to accommodate open-top loading of bulk material, and when the cover is in the closed position at least a majority of the containment volume is covered from above, with the cover being supported by the sideboards above the containment volume at the elevation of at least 0.1 meter higher than the top edges of the sidewalls at least along substantially all of the first portion of the length dimension extending from 3 meters from the first longitudinal end of the containment volume to 3 meters from the second longitudinal end of the containment volume; the sideboards comprising tracks that guide movement of the cover between the open and closed positions, wherein the tracks and the sideboards extend continuously from at least adjacent the first longitudinal end of the containment volume to adjacent the second longitudinal end of the containment volume; wherein when the cover is in the open position, access into the containment volume is free of obstructions at least along the first portion of the length dimension.