Hopper door operating mechanism

• US 5,606,916 A
• Filed: 04/25/1995
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRN Business Trust
• Original Assignee: Difco Incorporated
• Inventors: Murray, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARTZ, CLIFFORD T
• Application Number:
  US08/428,666
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 105/240, 105/239, 105/241.2, 105/286, 105/250, 105/252, 105/280, 105/284, 105/304, 105/306, 105/294, 105/241.1, 105/282.1, 105/291, 222/504, 298/35 M, 298/27, 298/29, 298/31, 298/33, 298/35 R, 298/36, 74/25, 74/47, 74/89, 74/105, 92/68, 49/326-330
• US Class Current: 105/286
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 7/28 hydraulic or pneumatic

Abstract

A hopper door operating mechanism includes an arcuate closing plate mounted on an internal shaft pivotably connected to the frame of the hopper door. An operating crank has one end connected to the internal shaft and the other end pivotably connected to a link arm. The link arm has motors pivotably connected at opposite ends of the link arm. The closing plate can be rotated to open the hopper door in either direction depending on the discharge direction. To open and close the closing plate in a first direction, the first motor is operated to move the link arm and rotate the closing plate while the second motor is maintained in a closed position to retain one end of the link arm as a fulcrum point. To open and close the closing plate in the opposite direction, the second motor is operated to move the link arm while the first motor is maintained in a close position to retain end of the link arm as a fulcrum point.

Claims

1. A hopper door operating mechanism for rotatably moving a hopper door to selectively open and close a discharge opening of a hopper car, said hopper door operating mechanism comprising:

a) a pair of spaced apart support members mounted on opposite sides of a discharge opening of a hopper car;

b) a hopper door mounted between said support members, said hopper door including a shaft rotatably connected to said support members and extending across the discharge opening, and including a closure plate mounted on the shaft such that the closure plate closes the discharge opening;

c) an operating crank connected to one end of the shaft of the hopper door;

d) a link arm, said link arm including a pivotable connection at an intermediate point on said link arm which connects said operating crank to said link arm;

e) a first motor mounted on a support member and coupled to said link arm between the pivotable connection and a first end of said link arm, and

f) a second motor mounted on the support member and coupled to said link arm between the pivotal connection and a second end of said link arm, whereby said first and second motors and said closure plate are arranged in a manner that when said first motor is operated and said second motor is retained in a closed position, the closure plate is rotatably moved to one side of the discharge opening, and, when said second motor is operated and said first motor is retained in a closed position, the closure plate is rotatably moved to the opposite side of the discharge opening.

2. The operating mechanism defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second motors are pressure fluid operated.

3. The operating mechanism defined in claim 2 wherein said each of motors includes an extensible piston which extends transversely to the shaft of said hopper door.

4. The operating mechanism defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second motors are hydraulic motors.

5. The operating mechanism defined in claim 1 wherein said operating crank is a bell crank.

6. The operating mechanism defined in claim 1 wherein said link arm is a curved arm mounted about one end of the shaft of said hopper door.

7. The operating mechanism defined in claim 1 wherein the closure plate of said hopper door is an arcuate plate.

8. The operating mechanism defined in claim 1 wherein said hopper door includes a pair of discharge plates positioned in spaced-apart relationship on opposite sides of the shaft, said discharge plates extending along opposite longitudinal edges of the closure plate and connecting to the shaft of said hopper door.

9. The operating mechanism defined in claim 1 wherein the closure plate of said hopper door includes an axial extension at both ends of the closure plate.

10. A hopper door operating mechanism for selectively opening and closing a hopper door at a discharge opening of a hopper car by rotatably positioning a shaft-mounted closure plate, said hopper door operating mechanism comprising:

a) a pair of spaced apart support members mounted on opposite sides of a discharge opening of a hopper car;

b) an operating crank connected to one end of a shaft of a hopper door mounted between said support members;

c) a link arm, said link arm including a pivotable connection at an intermediate point on said link arm which connects said operating crank to said link arm;

d) a first motor mounted on a support member and coupled to said link arm between the pivotable connection and a first end of said link arm; and

a second motor mounted on the support member and coupled to said link arm between the pivotal connection and a second end of said link arm, whereby said first and second motors and said closure plate are arranged in a manner that when said first motor is operated and said second motor is retained in a closed position, the closure plate is rotatably moved to the opposite side of the discharge opening.

11. A hopper door operating mechanism for rotatably moving a hopper door to selectively open and close a discharge opening of a hopper car, said hopper door operating mechanism comprising:

a) a pair of spaced apart support members mounted on opposite sides and extending downwardly from a discharge opening of a hopper car;

b) a hopper door mounted between said support members, said hopper door including a shaft rotatably connected to said support members and extending across the discharge opening, and including a closure plate mounted on the shaft such that the closure plate closes the discharge opening, and a pair of discharge plates extending longitudinally on opposite sides of the shaft;

c) an operating bell crank connected to one end of the shaft of the hopper door;

d) a curved link arm, said link arm including a pivotable connection at an intermediate point on said link arm which connects said operating crank to said link arm;

e) a first motor mounted on a support member and coupled to said link arm between the pivotable connection and a first end of said link arm; and

a second motor mounted on the support member and coupled to said link arm between the pivotal connection and a second end of said link arm, whereby said first and second motors and said closure plate are arranged in a manner that when said first motor is operated and said second motor is retained in a closed position, the closure plate is rotatably moved to one side of the discharge opening, and, when said second motor is operated and said first motor is retained in a closed position, the closure plate is rotatably moved to the opposite side of the discharge opening.