Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090189046 | Restraint device for a tire - A restraint device for securing approximately cylindrical objects to an apertured surface is presented. The restraint device generally includes a base, a support, an abutment and an activation system. The restraint device may further include a lateral restraint and a cover. The base, along with the activation system, secures the restraint device to an apertured surface. The abutment, which is placed adjacent the outer edge of the object, acts as a barrier to the object, thus reducing or preventing movement of the object in the direction of the restraint device. The abutment and the support may be moved relative to the base by the activation system. To engage and disengage the restraint device from an apertured surface and the generally cylindrical object, the activation system may include a rotational device such as a lever. | 07-30-2009 |
20090302065 | SYSTEM AND DEVICE FOR UNLOADING BULK MATERIALS FROM A HOPPER - This application discloses a device for urging bulk material to flow from a hopper such as the hopper of a railway car. The device includes a rotating axle that can be rotated by a power wrench, and one or more rotating agitators having auger coils disposed near the bottom outlet of a hopper and which are rotatably connected to the axle. Rotating the axle causes the agitators to rotate, thereby breaking up and urging bulk material to flow downward through the bottom outlet. Also disclosed is a system for emptying a hopper such as the hopper of a railway car, wherein a device with rotatable agitators having auger coils is integrated with a sliding gate assembly situated at the bottom outlet of the hopper. A power wrench can be used both to open and close the gate assembly, and to rotate the agitators in the hopper so as to break up and urge bulk material downward and out of the hopper through the opened gate assembly. | 12-10-2009 |
20120080576 | RESTRAINT DEVICE FOR A TIRE - A restraint device for securing a tire to an apertured surface and which fits in a safe space under a vehicle includes a base, a support, an abutment and an activation system. The base secures the restraint device to an apertured surface. The abutment, which is attached to the support, which in turn is slidably attached to the base, is moved into engagement with the tire using the activation system to prevent movement of the tire. The activation system has a rotational device such as a lever. The abutment may have a wedge shaped lateral support, and a positioning spring to maintain the abutment in a retracted or extended position. The restraint device may have an indicator to show that the device is properly set in the apertured surface, and a handle that collapses into the safe space when not in use. | 04-05-2012 |
20120138719 | SYSTEM FOR BREAKING CAKED MATERIALS IN A RAILROAD HOPPER CAR - A system for breaking up caked materials in a hopper car having a gravity discharge outlet is shown. The system includes an agitator that is a compressible strut linked through a rod to an externally driven crank shaft and a crank arm disposed above the discharge outlet. The system further includes at least one energizing coil coupled with the strut that provides irresistible force to caked material in the vicinity of the strut to initiate crumbling when the crank shaft is rotated, and to progressively crumble caked material along the length of the coil. The system further may have scrubbing panels along slope sheets of the hopper coupled with the coil, and may have arch members coupled with the energizing coils to provide further progressive agitation of caked material in the hopper car. | 06-07-2012 |
20140263472 | MOBILE DRIVE UNIT FOR DRIVING A SYSTEM FOR BREAKING CAKED MATERIALS IN A RAILROAD HOPPER CAR - A system for breaking up caked materials in a hopper car having a gravity discharge outlet is shown. The system includes an agitator that is a compressible strut linked through a rod to an externally driven crank shaft. The crank shaft is operated by a mobile drive unit that has a floating drive unit comprising a motor driven, rotating spindle with a nut configured to couple with the crank shaft. The floating drive unit is mounted on movable struts and is capable of being adjusted upward or downward. | 09-18-2014 |