RAILROAD HOPPER CAR DISCHARGE GATE ASSEMBLY AND RELATED METHOD FOR INFLUENCING GRAVITATIONAL DISCHARGE OF MATERIAL FROM A RAILROAD HOPPER CAR

摘要

A railcar gate assembly is arranged in material receiving relation relative to a hopper on the railcar and includes a slide gate movable between a closed position and an open position relative to a discharge opening for controlling the discharge of material from the hopper car. From an operational perspective, a first portion of the gate assembly is operably disposed above the slide gate and a second portion of the gate assembly is disposed below the slide gate. A boot adapter is releasably suspended below the discharge opening for influencing the discharge of material from the second portion of the gate assembly. A method for influencing gravitational discharge of material from a railroad hopper car is also disclosed.

主权项

1. A 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 a pair of end frame members in a generally rectangular design and defining a discharge opening through which commodity is adapted to gravitationally pass; a gate 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 an 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, and wherein said each side frame member and each end frame member includes a boot flange, with the boot flanges on said side frame members and end frame members being arranged below a lower surface of the gate and in generally coplanar relation relative to each other; and an adapter including a horizontally slanted surface extending inwardly from a marginal edge of said discharge opening, and with said adapter further including a lower boot flange for allowing a discharge boot to be abutted thereagainst; and structure for releasably suspending said adapter in material receiving relation below the discharge opening defined by said gate assembly frame .