Patent ID: 7493865

Claim:
An apparatus for controlling discharge of commodity from a railcar having a longitudinally elongated centersill defining a longitudinal axis for said railcar, a hopper supported on said centersill, said hopper defining at least two discharge openings arranged in generally transversely aligned relation on opposite lateral sides of said axis and through which commodity is gravitationally discharged from said hopper, with said railcar further including two laterally spaced doors mounted on said hopper and which are joined by an elongated connector, with each door being mounted for pivotal movement between closed and open positions relative to a discharge opening defined by said hopper whereby controlling discharge of commodity from said hopper, said control apparatus comprising: an operating shaft mountable on said railcar for rotation about a fixed axis extending transverse to said centersill; a linkage system operably connectable to said operating shaft and said elongated connector such that said linkage system simultaneously pushes said doors into their closed position in response to rotation of said operating shaft in a first direction and simultaneously pulls said doors from their closed position in response to rotation of said shaft in a second direction, with said first and second directions being opposed to each other, and wherein said linkage system consists of two interconnected links including a first link connected toward one end to and movable with said operating shaft and with a second link being connected to said elongated connector, and a drive mechanism operably connectable to said linkage system, said drive mechanism including a longitudinally mounted and powered driver arranged at least partially within said longitudinally elongated centersill for selectively operating said linkage mechanism to either simultaneously push said doors into their closed position or to simultaneously pull said doors from their closed position, and wherein said drive mechanism further includes a lever radially extending from and rotatable about said fixed transverse axis and with said operating shaft along a predetermined path of travel, with said lever being operably connected to said driver; and a lock assembly arranged in operable combination with said driver, said lock assembly including a displacable stop which, when the doors are in the closed position extends into the predetermined path of travel and positively engages with said lever to prevent rotation of said operating shaft and thereby prevent movement of said doors from their closed position, and wherein said stop is driven in timed relation to movement of said doors such that upon actuation of said driver to move said doors from their closed position said stop is automatically removed from the predetermined path of travel of said lever prior to movement of the doors from their closed position.