RAILROAD TANK CAR BALL VALVE

• US 3,591,131 A
• Filed: 08/01/1966
• Issued: 07/06/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1966
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edwin S. Carlson
• Original Assignee: Edwin S. Carlson
• Inventors: Carlson, Edwin S.
• Application Number:
  US04/569,313
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• US Class Current: 251/144
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 5/008 Trackside means for assisting charge or discharge for hopper cars B61D7/32
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/067 with spherical plugs
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/07 of cutting-off parts of tanks, e.g. tank-cars
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0668 Single packings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8811 Frangible

Abstract

A railroad tank car has a ball valve operable from its underside mounted within the car tank in a manner that permits complete drainage.

Claims

1. A railroad tank car comprising:

I. a container having a discharge opening in the bottom thereof and a lowermost interior surface; and

II. valve means for controlling flow through said opening comprising;

A. housing means having 1. a flange portion attached to the outside of said container adjacent said opening;

And 2. a conduit portion extending upwardly from said flange portion through said opening into the interior of said container beyond the lowermost interior surface of said container, there being an entrance port into said conduit portion, a substantially horizontal first channel leading from said entrance port and communicating with a generally vertical second channel which communicates with a discharge port;

B. flow control means mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis in said first channel, there being a substantially horizontal passage through said flow control means;

C. means rotatable about a generally vertical axis operable from the outside of said container at the underside of said container for rotating said flow control means between a first flow-blocking position and a second position in which one end of said passage communicates with said entrance port and the other end communicates with said second channel; and

D. said horizontal passage of said flow control means having 1. an uppermost surface above said lowermost interior surface of said container; and

2. a lowermost surface below said lowermost interior surface of said container.

2. a conduit portion extending upwardly from said flange portion through said opening into the interior of said container beyond the lowermost interior surface of said container, there being an entrance port into said conduit portion, a substantially horizontal first channel leading from said entrance port and communicating with a generally vertical second channel which communicates with a discharge port;

B. flow control means mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis in said first channel, there being a substantially horizontal passage through said flow control means;

C. means operable from the outside of said container for rotating said flow control means between a first flow-blocking position and a second position in which one end of said passage communicates with said entrance port and the other end communicates with said second channel;

D. said conduit portion being spaced inwardly from the edge of said opening so as to define a sump around said flow control means;

E. resilient sealing means compressed against said housing means rotatably supporting said flow control means in said first channel;

F. said flow control means being generally spherical;

G. said opening having a predetermined diameter, and said flange portion being larger in diameter than said opening;

H. a reinforcing ring having an inwardly extending shoulder portion beinG welded to the outside of said container around said opening, and said flange portion being bolted to said shoulder portion;

I. a protective plate member located below said housing member being bolted to said reinforcing ring;

J. a discharge outlet fitting adapted to be coupled to means receiving the contents of said container being secured to said protective plate member, a passage through said fitting communicating with said second channel; and

K. said means for rotating said flow control means including a vertical stem having an end connected to said flow control means and rotatable about the same generally vertical axis as said flow control means.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein A. said means for rotating said flow control means comprises stem means having one end passing through said housing means and being connected to and movable with said flow control means, and an opposite end actuable from the exterior of said container;

B. said stem means is rotatable about the same generally vertical axis as said flow control means; and

C. said flow control means is generally spherical.

4. A railroad tank car comprising:

I. a container having a discharge opening in the bottom thereof, said container in the vicinity of said opening having the configuration of a right circular cylinder with a horizontal longitudinal axis, and said container being constructed to handle fluids at pressures greater than atmospheric pressure; and

II. valve means for controlling flow through said opening comprising;

A. housing means having

5. A railroad tank car comprising:

I. a container made of metal of predetermined thickness having A. a discharge opening in the bottom thereof and a lowermost interior surface; and

B. an annular metal reinforcing ring having an inwardly extending shoulder portion welded to the outside of said container around said opening, the thickness of said ring being greater than that of said container; and

II. valve means for controlling flow through said opening comprising;

A. housing means having

6. The invention defined in claim 5 wherein A. said container is constructed to handle fluids at pressures greater than atmospheric pressure;

B. a protective plate member located below said housing member is bolted to said reinforcing ring; and

C. a discharge outlet fitting adapted to be coupled to means receiving the contents of said container is secured to said protective plate member, a passage through said fitting communicating with said second channel.

7. A railroad tank car comprising:

I. a container made of metal of predetermined thickness having A. a discharge opening in the bottom thereof;

B. an annular metal reinforcing ring having an inwardly extending shoulder portion welded to the outside of said container around said opening, the thickness of said ring being greater than that of said container; and

C. a protective plate member located below said housing member removably secured to said reinforcing ring; and

II. valve means for controlling flow through said opening comprising;

A. housing means having