Vent cover assemblies for railroad hopper cars

Abstract

Vent cover assemblies for a railway car are shown and disclosed. In one embodiment, the vent cover assembly includes a base housing having opposed first and second end portions. The second end portion includes opposed first and second walls and an opening therebetween. The first wall includes a first slot and the second wall includes a second slot. The vent cover assembly additionally includes a cover that spans the opening and includes opposed first and second tabs. The first tab is sized to be received in the first slot and the second tab is sized to be received in the second slot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vent cover assembly for a railway car, comprising:
 a base housing having opposed first and second end portions, the second end portion having opposed first and second walls and an opening therebetween, the first wall having a first slot and the second wall having a second slot; and   a cover that spans the opening and includes opposed first and second tabs, the first tab is sized to be received in the first slot and the second tab is sized to be received in the second slot.   
     
     
         2 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising filter media disposed within the base housing. 
     
     
         3 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the filter media is an open-celled foam filter. 
     
     
         4 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base housing includes first and second opposed walls and a base wall disposed between the first and second walls. 
     
     
         5 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the first wall includes the first slot and the second wall includes the second slot. 
     
     
         6 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cover includes an elongate cover base having opposed first and second end portions, and wherein the first tab is attached to, or formed with, the first end portion, and the second tab is attached to, or formed with, the second end portion. 
     
     
         7 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the elongate cover base includes a plurality of openings. 
     
     
         8 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 7 , wherein one or more of the plurality of openings is stadium-shaped. 
     
     
         9 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second tabs includes an aperture. 
     
     
         10 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising a cable seal having a cable and a locking mechanism, the aperture of the at least one of the first or second tabs being sized to receive the cable. 
     
     
         11 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first and the second tabs includes the aperture. 
     
     
         12 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 1 , wherein one of the first or second tabs is C-shaped. 
     
     
         13 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 12 , wherein one of the first or second tabs includes parallel and opposed first and second portions and a third portion disposed between and perpendicular to the first and second portions. 
     
     
         14 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first, second, and third portions are sized to be received in the first or second slots. 
     
     
         15 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the cover is movable between a closed position in which the first tab is received in the first slot and the second tab is received in the second slot, and an open position in which the first tab is spaced from the first and second slots and the third portion of the second tab is received in the second slot. 
     
     
         16 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a middle wall attached to, or formed with, one or more internal walls of the base housing. 
     
     
         17 . The vent cover assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the base housing and the middle wall define a filter area sized to receive filter media. 
     
     
         18 . A railcar having an end wall with a vent opening, wherein the first end portion of the vent cover assembly of  claim 1  is attached to, or formed with, the end wall adjacent to the vent opening such that the base housing is in fluid communication with the vent opening. 
     
     
         19 . The railcar of  claim 18 , wherein the railcar is a railroad hopper car.