Hopper railcar with door deflector for transverse pivoted outlet gate, door deflector and method of retrofitting hopper railcar to include door deflector for transverse pivoted outlet gate

Abstract

A hopper railcar includes a plurality of hoppers for carrying material laden material, wherein each hopper has a lower discharge chute formed by converging side sheets and end sheets defining a transverse opening; and pivoted transverse door for each transverse opening for selectively opening and closing and closed by a pivoted door, the pivoted door having a pivot axis perpendicular to a longitudinal length of the railcar, and lateral deflectors on lateral sides of the doors with each of the deflectors having a side face extending above an interior facing surface of the doors upon which laden flows with the door in the open position. A method of retrofitting hopper railcars to include deflectors is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hopper railcar comprising:
 a plurality of hoppers for carrying material laden material, wherein each hopper has a lower discharge chute formed by converging side sheets and end sheets defining a transverse opening; and   A pivoted transverse door for each transverse opening for selectively opening and closing and closed by a pivoted door, the pivoted door having a pivot axis perpendicular to a longitudinal length of the railcar, and lateral deflectors on lateral sides of the doors with each of the deflectors having a side face extending above an interior facing surface of the doors upon which laden flows with the door in the open position.   
     
     
         2 . The hopper railcar according to  claim 1 , wherein the face of each deflector is angled laterally away from the interior facing surface of the doors. 
     
     
         3 . The hopper railcar according to  claim 2 , wherein the face of each deflector is angled laterally away from the interior facing surface of the doors between 65 and 85 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The hopper railcar according to  claim 2 , wherein a top edge of each deflector moves from a position closer to the interior facing surface of the doors near the pivot axis than at an apex which is further from the pivot axis. 
     
     
         5 . The hopper railcar according to  claim 4 , wherein each deflector includes a mounting base parallel to the door. 
     
     
         6 . The hopper railcar according to  claim 5  wherein the top edge of each deflector is over four times the distance from the mounting base at the apex than at an end closet to the pivot axis. 
     
     
         7 . The hopper railcar according to  claim 6  wherein with each door in the closed position the side face of each deflectors is adjacent the side sheets. 
     
     
         8 . A method of retrofitting a hopper railcar comprising the steps of:
 Providing a hopper railcar having a plurality of hoppers for carrying material laden material, wherein each hopper has a lower discharge chute formed by converging side sheets and end sheets defining a transverse opening, and a pivoted transverse door for each transverse opening for selectively opening and closing and closed by a pivoted door, the pivoted door having a pivot axis perpendicular to a longitudinal length of the railcar; and   Coupling lateral deflectors on lateral sides of the doors with each of the deflectors having a side face extending above an interior facing surface of the doors upon which laden flows with the door in the open position.   
     
     
         9 . The method of retrofitting a hopper railcar according to  claim 8 , wherein the face of each deflector is angled laterally away from the interior facing surface of the doors. 
     
     
         10 . The method of retrofitting a hopper railcar according to  claim 9 , wherein the face of each deflector is angled laterally away from the interior facing surface of the doors between 65 and 85 degrees. 
     
     
         11 . The method of retrofitting a hopper railcar according to  claim 9 , wherein a top edge of each deflector moves from a position closer to the interior facing surface of the doors near the pivot axis than at an apex which is further from the pivot axis. 
     
     
         12 . The method of retrofitting a hopper railcar according to  claim 11 , wherein each deflector includes a mounting base parallel to the door. 
     
     
         13 . The method of retrofitting a hopper railcar according to  claim 12  wherein the top edge of each deflector is over four times the distance from the mounting base at the apex than at an end closet to the pivot axis. 
     
     
         14 . The method of retrofitting a hopper railcar according to  claim 13  wherein with each door in the closed position the side face of each deflectors is adjacent the side sheets. 
     
     
         15 . Lateral deflectors for a pivoted transverse door of a hopper railcar configured for attachment on lateral sides of the doors with each of deflectors having a mounting base configured to be mounted parallel to the door and a side face configured to extend above an interior facing surface of the doors upon which laden flows with the door in the open position. 
     
     
         16 . The lateral deflectors according to  claim 15 , wherein the face of each deflector is angled laterally away from the mounting base. 
     
     
         17 . The lateral deflectors according to  claim 16 , wherein the face of each deflector is angled laterally away from the mounting base between 65 and 85 degrees. 
     
     
         18 . The lateral deflectors according to  claim 16 , wherein a top edge of each deflector moves from a position closer to the mounting base at one end than at an apex. 
     
     
         19 . The lateral deflectors according to  claim 18  wherein the top edge of each deflector is over four times the distance from the mounting base at the apex than at one end. 
     
     
         20 . The lateral deflectors according to  claim 13  wherein with each door in the closed position the side face of each deflector is configured to be adjacent side sheets.