Abstract: A hatch assembly for use with a railway hopper car. The railway hopper car includes sidewalls, end walls, and bottom walls for defining an interior volume. The bottom walls define a cargo well that has an opening for discharging materials transported by the hopper car. The hatch assembly includes a support frame that is coupled proximate to a bottom of the cargo well. A hatch is slideably coupled to the support frame. The hatch is moveable between a closed position and an open position for selectively covering the cargo well opening. A hatch positioning system including a drive shaft that is coupled to the support frame, a locking assembly that is coupled to the drive shaft and is configured to selectively engage a locking bar, a positioning assembly that is coupled to the drive shaft, and a drive assembly that is coupled to the drive shaft.

Abstract: A system on a railroad hopper car for providing an indication, observable by a person located either proximate to or remote from the hopper car, of a condition of a lock arranged in operable combination with a mechanism on the hopper car for controlling discharge of material from the hopper car. The system includes electric circuitry and a sensor for providing a signal when each discharge mechanism lock on the railcar is in the locked condition and for producing another signal when each discharge mechanism lock on the railcar is in the unlocked condition. An illuminable indicator, mountable on a side of the railroad hopper car, is responsive to signals from the circuitry for displaying the condition of the discharge mechanism locks. A method for visually displaying a condition of a lock on a railroad hopper car as through use of illumination is also disclosed.

Abstract: An open/close control system for an inspection lid adapted not to open while a vehicle travels. An emergency release device is provided behind the inspection lid, where the emergency release device disables power transmission of a driver which opens and closes a side entrance/exit door of a railway vehicle. The emergency release device is installed in a space inside a wall surface inside the vehicle, and the space can be opened and closed by the inspection lid. The open/close control system has a locking device provided in the space inside the wall surface in order to restrict rotation of the inspection lid, and also has an open/close controller which detects traveling of the railway vehicle to actuate the locking device.

Abstract: A mechanism for controlling opening of doors on a hopper car underside. The mechanism includes a pair of stationary hook assemblies located outboard of a discharge opening and having a proximal end affixed to the hopper car and a distal free end. Each hook assembly includes a locking cavity bounded by a cam locking surface and a distal slide surface. Included also is a pair of locking cam assemblies having an upper and lower cam surface matable with the hook cam locking assembly and having a slot. An elongate member has ends affixed to the pair of locking cam assemblies and extends through each of the annular end bearings. A pair of annular end bearings is disposed adjacent to the locking cam assemblies and each affixed to a door.

Abstract: An actuating system for operating transverse doors of a railroad hopper car. The mechanism includes an operating member which is coupled to a door or doors of the car by a shaft and a linkage which couples a power source to the operating member, where the operating member rotates to move the door away from the hopper. The mechanism can operate doors which open in opposed direction with a single power source. The mechanism can be used in new car construction, and can be retrofitted onto existing hopper cars.

Abstract: A lock assembly kit including components capable of being assembled to a railcar gate assembly including a frame defining a discharge opening and having a pair of generally parallel, free ended and stationary rigid racks extending from one end of the frame away from said discharge opening, a gate mounted on said frame for sliding movements along a predetermined path of travel between open and closed positions and relative to the discharge opening, and a drive mechanism for moving and movable with the gate between the open and closed positions thereof. The lock assembly kit includes a control shaft mounted adjacent the free ends of the racks and which is provided with operating handles radially extending from and secured to the control shaft. A stop mounted for movement between locking and unlocking conditions. The stop extends into the path of travel of the gate when in the locking condition thereby operably preventing inadvertent movement of the gate from the closed position toward the open position.

Abstract: A locking mechanism for releasably and positively locking a hinged door of a railroad hopper car in a releasably closed position or condition is disclosed. The locking mechanism for each hinged door on the hopper car includes a lock carried on the hopper car adjacent a discharge opening, a pivotal locking element carried by the discharge door and movable therewith into releasable but positive locking engagement with the lock when the door is swung into a closed position or condition, and a door release mechanism for controllably releasing the locking element from engagement with the lock thereby permitting the discharge door to swing to an open condition or position. When a series of doors are arranged in end-to end relation along a bottom of the car, the door release mechanisms for the discharge doors are operated substantially simultaneously thereby opening substantially an entire bottom of the hopper car.