Importance

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Abstract

A rail car having an interior cavity defined partially by vertical rail car side walls and a roof structure with an inwardly and upwardly directed portion to improve car clearance is disclosed. Access to the cavity for loading and unloading lading is through an end opening. A pair of door assemblies, each of which includes a plurality of panels, each panel of which is pivotally movable with respect to the others, are included for closing the end opening. Pivot means for mounting each of the door assemblies are provided to move the door assemblies between their respective folded open positions and unfolded closed positions. The pivot means are mounted for movement toward and away from the interior of the rail car to permit storage of the folded door assemblies within the rail car along the car side walls. Top panel portions extend from the top of the door assemblies angularly inwardly relative to the opening and in spaced relation with each other and the roof structure. The angle of the top panel portions, the space between each of the top panel portions and every other top panel portion and the spacing of the top panel portions from said roof structure all being of such magnitude that when said door assemblies are in the unfolded closed position, the end opening portion above the door assemblies is substantially closed, and when the panels are pivotally moved from the unfolded closed position to the folded open position and to storage along the rail car side walls and back, each of the top panel portions clears every other top panel portion and the roof structure sufficiently for movement relative thereto.

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First Claim