A bottom discharge open topped hopper car has a center sill with a bottom flange having laterally protruding edges. A shed plate assembly is provided to discourage accumulation of product on the exposed upwardly facing shelf otherwise presented by the bottom flange protrusions. The shed plate assembly may be mounted to the center sill in a manner that avoids impairment of the stress performance of the flanges of the center sill, whether by mechanical fastenings to other objects, or welding to objects that are not the center sill. The shed plate assembly may have walls having upper margins that are higher than the upper extremity of the hopper discharge opening such that the shelf of the center sill bottom flange is in the lee of, or sheltered by, the shed plate. The lading may thereby move under the influence of gravity past the shed plate to its desired unloading receptacle.

A bottom discharge open topped hopper car has a center sill with a bottom flange having laterally protruding edges. A shed plate assembly is provided to discourage accumulation of product on the exposed upwardly facing shelf otherwise presented by the bottom flange protrusions. The shed plate assembly may be mounted to the center sill in a manner that avoids impairment of the stress performance of the flanges of the center sill, whether by mechanical fastenings to other objects, or welding to objects that are not the center sill. The shed plate assembly may have walls having upper margins that are higher than the upper extremity of the hopper discharge opening such that the shelf of the center sill bottom flange is in the lee of, or sheltered by, the shed plate. The lading may thereby move under the influence of gravity past the shed plate to its desired unloading receptacle.

The invention provides an engineering vehicle having a ballast unloading device (100) and a ballast leveling device (200). The engineering vehicle includes a vehicle body (10), and the ballast unloading device (100) and the ballast leveling device (200) arranged on the vehicle body (10). The ballast unloading device (100) includes: a ballast carrying portion (20) provided with ballast unloading openings (21), and the ballast carrying portion (20) being arranged on the vehicle body (10); ballast unloading doors (30) capable of rotating relative to the ballast carrying portion (20), inner unloading passages (31) and outer unloading passages (32) being arranged on the ballast unloading doors (30), the ballast unloading doors (30) further including stop portions (33) located between the inner unloading passages (31) and the outer unloading passages (32). The ballast leveling device (200) includes: a plough piece (220) slidably fixed to the vehicle body (10) so as to ascend or descend relative to the vehicle body (10), and a plough head (224) used for leveling ballasts being arranged on the plough piece (220); a first crank (230) rotationally fixed to the vehicle body (10); a connecting rod (240), with one end being rotationally connected with the first crank (230), and the other end being rotationally connected with the plough piece (220); and a driving part (250) used for driving the first crank (230) to rotate.

The present invention provides a railway wagon (100) comprising: a pair of bogies (106a, 106b), each bogie having wheels (108) configured in use to run on rails; a frame (104) supported by the pair of bogies (106a, 106b); and a bin (102) supported by the frame (104). The bin (102) has: a base portion (110) defining at least one catchment area (124); a substantially upright first end wall (114a); a substantially upright second end wall (114b) two longitudinal sidewalls (116a, 116b) extending between the first end wall (114a) and the second end wall (114b); an interior volume (118) for carrying product therein, the interior volume (118) being at least substantially defined by the first end wall (114a), the second end wall (114b), the two longitudinal sidewalls (116a, 166b), and the base portion (110); and an opening (120) opposite the base portion (110). The bin (102) is formed from at least two sections (103a, 103b) joined together, each section (103a, 103b) being formed at least substantially of composite materials and moulded as a single structure.

The present invention provides a railway wagon (100) comprising: a pair of bogies (106a, 106b), each bogie having wheels (108) configured in use to run on rails; a frame (104) supported by the pair of bogies (106a, 106b); and a bin (102) supported by the frame (104). The bin (102) has: a base portion (110) defining at least one catchment area (124); a substantially upright first end wall (114a); a substantially upright second end wall (114b) two longitudinal sidewalls (116a, 116b) extending between the first end wall (114a) and the second end wall (114b); an interior volume (118) for carrying product therein, the interior volume (118) being at least substantially defined by the first end wall (114a), the second end wall (114b), the two longitudinal sidewalls (116a, 166b), and the base portion (110); and an opening (120) opposite the base portion (110). The bin (102) is formed from at least two sections (103a, 103b) joined together, each section (103a, 103b) being formed at least substantially of composite materials and moulded as a single structure.

The invention provides an engineering vehicle having a ballast unloading device (100) and a ballast leveling device (200). The engineering vehicle includes a vehicle body (10), and the ballast unloading device (100) and the ballast leveling device (200) arranged on the vehicle body (10). The ballast unloading device (100) includes: a ballast carrying portion (20) provided with ballast unloading openings (21), and the ballast carrying portion (20) being arranged on the vehicle body (10); ballast unloading doors (30) capable of rotating relative to the ballast carrying portion (20), inner unloading passages (31) and outer unloading passages (32) being arranged on the ballast unloading doors (30), the ballast unloading doors (30) further including stop portions (33) located between the inner unloading passages (31) and the outer unloading passages (32). The ballast leveling device (200) includes: a plough piece (220) slidably fixed to the vehicle body (10) so as to ascend or descend relative to the vehicle body (10), and a plough head (224) used for leveling ballasts being arranged on the plough piece (220); a first crank (230) rotationally fixed to the vehicle body (10); a connecting rod (240), with one end being rotationally connected with the first crank (230), and the other end being rotationally connected with the plough piece (220); and a driving part (250) used for driving the first crank (230) to rotate.

A hopper car discharge outflow is controlled by closure members, at least one of which is movable. The doors are hingeless, being mounted on four bar linkages, such that the distal edge of the doors sweeps predominantly horizontally while the proximal edge of the door moves predominantly upwardly. The doors move through noncircular arcs, such that the size of the vertically projected door opening is abnormally large compared to the clearance heights of the door. The doors are driven by a longitudinal shaft that is mounted within the center sill. It drives a set of single input, double output bell cranks that drive adjacent pairs of doors, and that employs an over-center toggle to hold the doors in the closed position when the car is laded. The actuators may be mounted in shelters midway along the car, and may be offset from the centersill. The actuators may be mounted predominantly vertically such that gravity may obviate the need for a secondary lock. The doors of a transverse car need not all be of the same size. The over center may include a manual release having a fulcrum with a progressive decrease in mechanical advantage.

A hopper car discharge outflow is controlled by closure members, at least one of which is movable. The doors are hingeless, being mounted on four bar linkages, such that the distal edge of the doors sweeps predominantly horizontally while the proximal edge of the door moves predominantly upwardly. The doors move through noncircular arcs, such that the size of the vertically projected door opening is abnormally large compared to the clearance heights of the door. The doors are driven by a longitudinal shaft that is mounted within the center sill. It drives a set of single input, double output bell cranks that drive adjacent pairs of doors, and that employs an over-center toggle to hold the doors in the closed position when the car is laded. The actuators may be mounted in shelters midway along the car, and may be offset from the centersill. The actuators may be mounted predominantly vertically such that gravity may obviate the need for a secondary lock. The doors of a transverse car need not all be of the same size. The over center may include a manual release having a fulcrum with a progressive decrease in mechanical advantage.

A hopper car discharge outflow is controlled by closure members, at least one of which is movable. The doors are hingeless, being mounted on four bar linkages, such that the distal edge of the doors sweeps predominantly horizontally while the proximal edge of the door moves predominantly upwardly. The doors move through noncircular arcs, such that the size of the vertically projected door opening is abnormally large compared to the clearance heights of the door. The doors are driven by a longitudinal shaft that is mounted within the center sill. It drives a set of single input, double output bell cranks that drive adjacent pairs of doors, and that employs an over-center toggle to hold the doors in the closed position when the car is laded. The actuators may be mounted in shelters midway along the car, and may be offset from the centersill. The actuators may be mounted predominantly vertically such that gravity may obviate the need for a secondary lock. The doors of a transverse car need not all be of the same size. The over center may include a manual release having a fulcrum with a progressive decrease in mechanical advantage.

A hopper car discharge outflow is controlled by closure members, at least one of which is movable. The doors are hingeless, being mounted on four bar linkages, such that the distal edge of the doors sweeps predominantly horizontally while the proximal edge of the door moves predominantly upwardly. The doors move through noncircular arcs, such that the size of the vertically projected door opening is abnormally large compared to the clearance heights of the door. The doors are driven by a longitudinal shaft that is mounted within the center sill. It drives a set of single input, double output bell cranks that drive adjacent pairs of doors, and that employs an over-center toggle to hold the doors in the closed position when the car is laded. The actuators may be mounted in shelters midway along the car, and may be offset from the centersill. The actuators may be mounted predominantly vertically such that gravity may obviate the need for a secondary lock. The doors of a transverse car need not all be of the same size. The over center may include a manual release having a fulcrum with a progressive decrease in mechanical advantage.