HOPPER DISCHARGE OUTLET AND METHOD

摘要

Title of the Invention HOPPER DISCHARGE OUTLET AND METHOD A railway car hopper having downwardly and inwardly inclined side walls and end walls defining a rectangular hopper discharge opening is provided with a downwardly extending discharge chute. A gate for opening and closing the hopper discharge opening is supported for reciprocable movement by the discharge chute. The discharge chute has a pair of integral cold formed steel members defining the side walls and integral cold formed steel members defining the end walls. The discharge chute side walls each have an upper inwardly and downwardly directed flange. The top surfaces of the flanges each engage an outside surface of one of the downwardly and inwardly inclined side walls of the hopper. The bottom surfaces of the flanges each define a gate receiving and supporting elongated groove with a remaining portion of its respective integral cold formed member. The grooves each include a downwardly and inwardly directed surface for slidingly and sealingly supporting upwardly and outwardly turned edges of the gate. One of the discharge chute end walls also has an upper inwardly and downwardly directed flange with a top surface engaging an outside surface of one of the downwardly and inwardly inclined end walls of the hopper. The other integral cold formed end wall of the discharge chute has an upper gate supporting flange member.