Methods and systems are provided for a door-actuating assembly that utilizes a pick-up shoe and a rechargeable battery to minimize the occurrence of rail sparks inside dump sites. The door-actuating assembly includes a pick-up shoe, a battery electrically connected to the pick-up shoe, a hermetically sealed switch electrically connected to the battery, and an electro-pneumatic valve electrically connected to the hermetically sealed switch. The battery is rechargeable via the pick-up shoe when the pick-up shoe is biased into an active position having physical contact with a wayside conductor rail; the electro-pneumatic valve actuates the bottom discharge door between an open position and a closed position, after the battery is charged beyond a pre-determined state of charge, and after the pick-up shoe is biased into an inactive position not having physical contact with the wayside conductor rail. Railroad hopper cars comprising such door-actuating assemblies, and methods of operation are also provided.
Method for actuating discharge doors of railroad hopper cars
2018-07-24
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
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