Hopper car having double-curved side walls

Abstract

A hopper car having double-curved side walls for transporting bulk solids. The car has side walls, end walls, and a bottom which are all joined to present a container for transporting the bulk solids. The bottom presents at least one opening for discharge of the bulk solid. Each side wall presents upper and lower convex sections forming an indentation at approximately the vertical center of the side wall.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Not Applicable.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not Applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]1. Field of the Invention[0004]The present invention is related in general to a hopper car for transporting bulk solids and more particularly to a hopper car with double-curved side walls for increasing the cargo carrying volume.[0005]2. Description of Related Art[0006]Hopper cars are commonly used to transport and sometimes store bulk materials. Hopper cars are typically constructed from a series of joined hoppers having side walls and end walls. A typical hopper car side wall is convex with an apex at the wall's vertical center. Each hopper has a bottom surface with a discharge opening in order to discharge the cargo. A gate is coupled to each hopper bottom to control the cargo discharge through the opening. Depending on the type of cargo, the hopper car may have a cover.[0007]The dimensions of hopper cars ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]Each side wall presents upper and lower convex sections which form an indentation at approximately the vertical center of the wall. The upper and lower convex sections increase the cargo carrying capacity of the hopper car. The bottom of the car presents at least one opening for discharge of the bulk solid carried within the car.

[0011]In another embodiment, each side wall includes a concave portion which extends in a longitudinal direction to reduce the width of the car's midsection. This width reduction provides additional clearance on curved portions of track, ensuring that the side walls do not extend over established clearance lines. The upper and lower convex sections enhance the rigidity of the side walls to counteract any weakening created by forming the concave portions.

Problems solved by technology

However, lengthening the distance between the trucks or wheels of a hopper car creates a problem when the car travels around curved portions of track or road.

However, in a typical hopper car with convex side walls, forming such a concave portion weakens the side walls such that they might fail when subjected to the forces of carrying cargo.

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