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Abstract

An apparatus for actuating and locking pairs of hopper doors of a railroad hopper car of the type having a longitudinal center sill and pairs of longitudinally extending chutes, located opposite each other and on each side of the center sill, configured to discharge lading to each side of the hopper car, and each provided with a hopper door. Each chute of a pair is provided with a longitudinally extending shaft rotatively mounted on the underside thereof with first and second end portions extending beyond its chute. Both end portions of the shaft have an operating cam assembly non-rotatively mounted thereon and connected to the adjacent hopper door by an operating link. The operating cam assemblies at corresponding ends of the shafts are joined by connecting links. The first end of each shaft has a ratchet wheel and a capstain non-rotatively mounted thereon. Each chute of the pair has a ratchet pawl pivoted thereto and cooperating with its respective ratchet wheel. The ratchet pawls are interconnected so that both are simultaneously shifted between ratchet wheel engaging and releasing positions from either side of the hopper car. Each shaft and its operating cam assemblies is rotatable between door-open and over-center, door-closed positions. With the ratchet pawls in their releasing positions, both doors can be opened from either side of the hopper car by prying one of the operating cam assemblies on one of the shafts to its door-open position with an appropriate prying tool. With the ratchet pawls in their engaging positions, each door can be shifted to its over-center, door-closed position individually by means of its respective capstain and an appropriate tool.

First Claim