Patent ID: 8850991

Claim:
A hopper car gate assembly for discharging cargo from a hopper car, comprising: a frame comprising opposed side walls coupled with opposed end walls, wherein said frame presents top and bottom openings; a door comprising a lower section comprising a top surface and a bottom surface that is supported by said frame, a middle section that is joined to and extends upward from said lower section, and an upper section that is joined to and extends away from said middle section, wherein said upper and lower sections are vertically spaced, wherein said upper and lower sections are generally parallel, wherein said middle section is positioned at an angle with respect to each of said upper and lower sections, and wherein said door is moveable between a closed position in which said lower section blocks said bottom opening and an open position in which cargo can exit through said bottom opening; and a drive mechanism that engages said upper section of said door to move said door between its closed and open positions.