Patent ID: 9694828
Date: 2017-07-04
CPC Classifications: B61D,F16K,Y10T

Claim:
1. In combination with a railroad tank car body having a centerline and including a manually operated bottom valve, a manual valve operating mechanism comprising: (a) a valve operating shaft separate from the bottom valve and extending laterally outward and away from the centerline of the tank car body and away from the bottom valve, outside the tank car body, and having an outer end; (b) a support bearing supported by the car body, the support bearing supporting said outer end of the valve operating shaft; (c) a valve operating lever mounted adjacent the support bearing, on a sleeve that surrounds the valve operating shaft and that is coaxial with a central longitudinal axis of the valve operating shaft; (d) a normally-disengaged drive mechanism, associated with the valve operating lever and requiring manual engagement with the valve operating shaft to connect the valve operating lever selectively to the valve operating shaft, in such a way that movement of the valve operating lever is effective to rotate the valve operating shaft.