Patent ID: 7523708
Filing Date: 2009-04-28
Classification: B61D

Abstract:
1. A railroad hopper car having a first end and a second end and having transverse doors for closing the hoppers, comprising: a body; a power source; a plurality of hoppers along the underside of said body; a plurality of doors situated in a transverse direction to said body for opening and closing said hoppers, said doors rotatable between a first closed position and a second open position, with at least one of said doors rotating in an opposite direction from said other doors when moving from said first closed position to said second open position; a center sill, affixed to the underside of the hopper car, extending along the length of the car; a plurality of operating members, each rotatably coupled to said center sill, with each operating member comprising: an actuating beam having a series of downwardly depending extensions and coupled between said power source and said central portion of each of said operating members and an upwardly extending extension; and a curved link coupling said central portion of one of said operating members to one of said downwardly depending extensions of said actuating beam; and at least one reversing linkage connected to a door, said linkage comprising: wherein when said power source is activated, said operating members rotate such that connecting links, between said operating members and said doors, rotate said doors from said first closed position to said second open position.