IP Library Granted Patent US 11,713,061
Granted Patent B2
US 11,713,061 · App. 17/001,949 · Granted Aug 1, 2023

Hopper railroad car having top hatch cover assembly

Inventors: Peter L. Jones (Southlake, TX); Victor Mankarious (Euless, TX); James A. Warwick (North Richland Hills, TX); Steven James Knight (Mission Hill, SD); Jordan Paul Liske (Yankton, SD)
Assignee: Gunderson LLC
B61D7/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,713,061
App. No.
17/001,949
Granted
Aug 1, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various embodiments provide a hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly including a hatch cover and a hatch cover securer configured to secure the hatch cover in a closed position engaging a coaming of the hopper railroad car. Various embodiments provide a hopper railroad car having a top hatch cover assembly including a hatch cover and a hatch cover securer configured to secure the hatch cover in a closed position engaging a coaming of the hopper railroad car.

Claims (51)

1. A hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly for a hopper railroad car including a roof including an upwardly extending coaming, wherein each of the hopper railroad car, the roof, and the coaming extend from end to end in a longitudinal direction and from side to side in a transverse direction, the hopper railroad car hatch cover assembly comprising:

a hatch cover pivotally connectable on one side of the coaming and including a movable hatch pivotally movable from a closed position engaging the coaming to an open position disengaged from the coaming; and

a hatch cover securer movably connectable on an opposite side of the coaming and including a hatch cover engager movable from a hatch cover engagement position in which the hatch cover engager secures the movable hatch in the closed position engaging the coaming to a hatch cover non-engagement position in which the hatch cover engager allows the movable hatch to move to the open position, wherein the hatch cover engager is pivotable, along a longitudinal axis that extends in the longitudinal direction, from the hatch cover engagement position to the hatch cover non-engagement position.

2. The hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hatch cover securer includes a hatch cover engager rotator connected to the hatch cover engager and configured to pivot the hatch cover engager about the longitudinal axis from the hatch cover engagement position to the hatch cover non-engagement position.

3. The hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hatch cover engager is configured to engage a pivot arm of a hinge of the hatch cover when the hatch cover engager is in the hatch cover engagement position.

4. The hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly of claim 3 , wherein the hatch cover engager is also configured to engage a hatch of the hatch cover when the hatch cover engager is in the hatch cover engagement position.

5. The hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hatch cover engager is configured to engage a hatch of the hatch cover when the hatch cover engager is in the hatch cover engagement position.

6. The hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hatch cover includes a plurality of additional hatch engagement members extending between and rotatably connected to and between pairs of respective pivot arms of the hinges of the hatch cover.

7. The hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hatch cover includes a sealer and the hatch cover and the hatch cover engager are configured to co-act apply a substantially even amount of pressure on the sealer when the hatch cover is in the engagement position and when the hatch cover engager secures the movable hatch in the closed position engaging the coaming.

8. The hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly of claim 1 , which includes a bumper connected to the roof and configured to support one of the hinges of the hatch cover.

9. A hopper railroad car comprising:

a frame;

spaced apart side walls supported by the frame;

spaced apart end wall supported by the frame;

a roof supported by the side walls, the roof includes a panel and a coaming supported by and upwardly extending from the panel, the coaming partially defining an opening in the roof, wherein each of the hopper railroad car, the roof, and the coaming extend from end to end in a longitudinal direction and from side to side in a transverse direction; and

a top hatch cover assembly including:

a hatch cover pivotally connectable on one side of the coaming and including a movable hatch pivotally movable from a closed position engaging the coaming to an open position disengaged from the coaming, and

a hatch cover securer movably connectable on an opposite side of the coaming and including a hatch cover engager movable from a hatch cover engagement position in which the hatch cover engager secures the movable hatch in the closed position engaging the coaming to a hatch cover non-engagement position in which the hatch cover engager allows the movable hatch to move to the open position, wherein the hatch cover engager is pivotable, along a longitudinal axis that extends in the longitudinal direction, from the hatch cover engagement position to the hatch cover non-engagement position.

10. The hopper railroad car of claim 9 , wherein the hatch cover securer includes a hatch cover engager rotator connected to the hatch cover engager and configured to pivot the hatch cover engager about the longitudinal axis from the hatch cover engagement position to the hatch cover non-engagement position.

11. The hopper railroad car of claim 9 , wherein the hatch cover engager is configured to engage a pivot arm of a hinge of the hatch cover when the hatch cover engager is in the hatch cover engagement position.

12. The hopper railroad car of claim 11 , wherein the hatch cover engager is also configured to engage a hatch of the hatch cover when the hatch cover engager is in the hatch cover engagement position.

13. The hopper railroad car of claim 9 , wherein the hatch cover engager is configured to engage a hatch of the hatch cover when the hatch cover engager is in the hatch cover engagement position.

14. The hopper railroad car of claim 9 , wherein the hatch cover includes a plurality of additional hatch engagement members extending between and rotatably connected to and between pairs of respective pivot arms of hinges of the hatch cover.

15. The hopper railroad car of claim 9 , wherein the hatch cover includes a sealer and the hatch cover and the hatch cover engager are configured to co-act to apply a substantially even amount of pressure on the sealer when the hatch cover is in the engagement position and when the hatch cover engager secures the movable hatch in the closed position engaging the coaming.

16. The hopper railroad car of claim 9 , which includes a bumper connected to the roof and configured to support one of the hinges of the hatch cover.

17. A hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly for a hopper railroad car including a roof including an upwardly extending coaming, the hopper railroad car hatch cover assembly comprising:

a hatch cover pivotally connectable on one side of the coaming and including a movable hatch pivotally movable from a closed position engaging the coaming to an open position disengaged from the coaming; and

a hatch cover securer movably connectable on an opposite side of the coaming and including a hatch cover engager movable from a hatch cover engagement position in which the hatch cover engager secures the movable hatch in the closed position engaging the coaming to a hatch cover non-engagement position in which the hatch cover engager allows the movable hatch to move to the open position, wherein the hatch cover securer includes a hatch cover engager mover connected to the hatch cover engager and configured to linearly move the hatch cover engager from the hatch cover engagement position to the hatch cover non-engagement position.

18. The hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly of claim 17 , wherein the hatch cover engager is configured to engage a pivot arm of a hinge of the hatch cover when the hatch cover engager is in the hatch cover engagement position.

19. The hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly of claim 18 , wherein the hatch cover engager is configured to engage a hand of a pivot arm of a hinge of the hatch cover when the hatch cover engager is in the hatch cover engagement position.

20. A hopper railroad car comprising:

a frame;

spaced apart side walls supported by the frame;

spaced apart end wall supported by the frame;

a roof supported by the side walls, the roof includes a panel and a coaming supported by and upwardly extending from the panel, the coaming partially defining an opening in the roof; and

a top hatch cover assembly including:

a hatch cover pivotally connectable on one side of the coaming and including a movable hatch pivotally movable from a closed position engaging the coaming to an open position disengaged from the coaming, and

a hatch cover securer movably connectable on an opposite side of the coaming and including a hatch cover engager movable from a hatch cover engagement position in which the hatch cover engager secures the movable hatch in the closed position engaging the coaming to a hatch cover non-engagement position in which the hatch cover engager allows the movable hatch to move to the open position, wherein the hatch cover engager is linearly movable from the hatch cover engagement position in which the hatch cover engager secures the hatch cover to the hatch cover non-engagement position.

21. The hopper railroad car of claim 20 , wherein the hatch cover securer includes a hatch cover engager mover connected to the hatch cover engager and configured to linearly move the hatch cover engager from the hatch cover engagement position to the hatch cover non-engagement position.

22. The hopper railroad car of claim 21 , wherein the hatch cover engager is configured to engage a pivot arm of a hinge of the hatch cover when the hatch cover engager is in the hatch cover engagement position.

23. A hopper railroad car top hatch cover assembly for a hopper railroad car including a roof including an upwardly extending coaming, the hopper railroad car hatch cover assembly comprising:

a hatch cover pivotally connectable on one side of the coaming and including a movable hatch pivotally movable from a closed position engaging the coaming to an open position disengaged from the coaming, wherein the hatch cover includes a plurality of additional hatch engagement members extending between and rotatably connected to and between pairs of respective pivot arms of the hinges of the hatch cover; and

a hatch cover securer movably connectable on an opposite side of the coaming and including a hatch cover engager movable from a hatch cover engagement position in which the hatch cover engager secures the movable hatch in the closed position engaging the coaming to a hatch cover non-engagement position in which the hatch cover engager allows the movable hatch to move to the open position.

24. A hopper railroad car comprising:

a frame;

spaced apart side walls supported by the frame;

spaced apart end wall supported by the frame;

a roof supported by the side walls, the roof includes a panel and a coaming supported by and upwardly extending from the panel, the coaming partially defining an opening in the roof; and

a top hatch cover assembly including:

a hatch cover pivotally connectable on one side of the coaming and including a movable hatch pivotally movable from a closed position engaging the coaming to an open position disengaged from the coaming, wherein the hatch cover includes a plurality of additional hatch engagement members extending between and rotatably connected to and between pairs of respective pivot arms of hinges of the hatch cover, and

a hatch cover securer movably connectable on an opposite side of the coaming and including a hatch cover engager movable from a hatch cover engagement position in which the hatch cover engager secures the movable hatch in the closed position engaging the coaming to a hatch cover non-engagement position in which the hatch cover engager allows the movable hatch to move to the open position.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 21, 2025
From: GUNDERSON LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 071186/0114 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 31, 2020
From: JONES, PETER L.; MANKARIOUS, VICTOR; WARWICK, JAMES A.; KNIGHT, STEVEN JAMES; LISKE, JORDAN PAUL
To: GUNDERSON LLC
Reel/Frame 053639/0977 →
Continuity (1)
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