Patent ID: 7793595
Filing Date: 2010-09-14
Classification: B61D

Abstract:
1. A railcar gate assembly multipiece operating shaft assembly mountable for rotation on a railcar gate assembly and operably coupled to a gate mounted on a gate assembly frame, said railcar gate assembly multipiece operating shaft assembly, comprising: an elongated operating shaft; and a two-piece capstan assembly provided at each end of said operating shaft, each two-piece capstan assembly including a first member releasably coupled in non-rotatable relation relative to an end of said operating shaft and mountable on said gate assembly frame for rotation about a fixed axis, and with said first member having a first end portion disposed proximate to said gate assembly frame and an axially spaced second end portion; and wherein each two-piece capstan assembly further includes a second member having a first end portion releasably coupled in non-rotatable relation relative to the second end portion of said first member such that rotational movements imparted to said second member are transferred to said first member and to said operating shaft coupled thereto, with said second member having a free terminal end with an enlarged head portion defining an opening axially aligned with the fixed axis of rotation of said first member, with the opening defined by said head portion of said second member having a closed and non-circular marginal edge extending axially inward from a free terminal end of said second member for releasably accommodating a drive spindle of a mechanical opener.