Patent ID: 8596203

Claim:
A railroad car having a body for carrying lading in the form of particulate matter, said car body being carried upon railroad car trucks for motion along railroad tracks in a longitudinal direction, said body having at least one discharge through which the lading may be disgorged under the influence of gravity, said discharge being governed by a door mechanism, said door mechanism including a door panel movable from a first position to a second position, said first position defining a closed position of said discharge in which said door panel obstructs exit of the lading, said second position defining an open position of said discharge; said door panel is movably connected to said car body by at least a first linkage member and a second linkage member, said car body, said linkage members and said door panel defining a four bar linkage; said first linkage member is mounted to said car body further laterally outboard than is said second linkage member; one of: (a) said second linkage is mounted to said railroad car body at first pivot fulcrum, and depends therefrom to a pivot connection with said door panel downwardly thereof; (b) said first linkage member passes through a first angular displacement between said closed position and said open position; said second linkage member passes through a second angular displacement between said closed position and said open position; and said first angular displacement is larger than said second angular displacement; (c) said second linkage member passes through a second angular displacement between said closed position and said open position; and during displacement of said second linkage member said second linkage member passes through a position in which said second linkage member is vertically oriented; and said door panel extending length-wise relative to said car body, and said door mechanism is a longitudinal door operating mechanism operable to move said door panel in a cross-wise direction relative to said railroad car body.