Over Center Lock Indicator For Railway Car Door Operation Mechanism

Abstract

A railway car and indicator operable to show the status of at least one component of an associated discharge control system. The railway car may have at least one hopper for transporting lading. A respective door assembly may be mounted adjacent to a discharge opening formed proximate a lower portion of the hopper to control the flow of lading from the hopper. The discharge control system may move each door assembly between a first position and a second position relative to the discharge opening. The indicator may extend from at least one side of the railway car to indicate the status of the at least one component of the associated discharge control system.

1 . A railway car having an underframe and at least one hopper for transporting lading, the railway car comprising: 
 the underframe including a center sill;    at least one discharge opening formed proximate a lower portion of the hopper;    a respective door assembly mounted on the center sill adjacent to each discharge opening to control discharge of lading from the hopper;    a discharge control system operable to move each door assembly between a first, closed position and a second, open position relative to the respective discharge opening;    the discharge control system including a power source, a primary linkage and at least one secondary linkage assembly;    the power source operable to move the primary linkage and the at least one secondary linkage assembly between a respective first position and a respective second position relative to the center sill;    an indicator assembly operably coupled to the primary linkage to extend and retract at least one indicator from at least one side of the railway car as the primary linkage moves between the respective first position and the respective second position; and    a portion of the indicator visible from the at least one side of the railway car when the primary linkage moves to either the respective first position or the respective second position.    
     
     
         2 . The railway car of  claim 1  further comprising an open hopper car.  
     
     
         3 . The railway car of  claim 1  further comprising a closed hopper car.  
     
     
         4 . The railway car of  claim 1  wherein the power source for the discharge control system further comprises an air cylinder coupled to the underframe.  
     
     
         5 . The railway car of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator assembly further comprises a pair of indicators operable to move between first, retracted positions and second, extend positions.  
     
     
         6 . The railway car of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator assembly further comprises: 
 an operating rod slidably coupled with the center sill and operable to move in response to movement of the primary linkage;    the operating rod coupled with a pivot plate and operable to rotate the pivot plate in response to movement of the primary linkage; and    the at least one indicator engaged with the pivot plate whereby movement of the primary linkage between a first position and a second position results in movement of the pivot plate to extend and retract the at least one indicator from the at least one side of the railway car.    
     
     
         7 . The railway car of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 the pivot plate having a first position corresponding with a first, retracted position for the indicator; and    the pivot plate having a second position corresponding with a second extended position of the indicator.    
     
     
         8 . The railway car of  claim 6  further comprising a spring coupled with the pivot plate to extend the indicator from the at least one side of the railway car when the primary linkage moves from its first position to its second position.  
     
     
         9 . The railway car of  claim 1  further comprising a highly visible coloration disposed on the portion of the at least one indicator extending from the at least one side of the railway car.  
     
     
         10 . A railway car having an underframe and at least one hopper for transporting lading comprising: 
 the underframe having a center sill which defines in part a longitudinal axis of the railway car;    at least one longitudinal discharge opening formed proximate a lower portion of the hopper;    a respective longitudinal door assembly mounted adjacent to the respective longitudinal discharge opening to control discharge of lading from the hopper;    each longitudinal door assembly operable for movement between a first, closed position and a second, open position relative to the respective discharge opening;    a discharge control system including a power source, a primary linkage and at least one respective secondary linkage assembly extending between the primary linkage and each longitudinal door assembly;    the power source operable to move the primary linkage and each secondary linkage assembly from respective first positions corresponding generally with the first, closed position of each longitudinal door assembly and respective second positions corresponding generally with the second, open position of each longitudinal door assembly;    an indicator assembly coupled to the primary linkage and operable to extend and retract at least one indicator from at least one side of the railway car as the primary linkage moves between the respective first position and the respective second position; and    a portion of the at least one indicator visible from the at least one side of the railway car when the primary linkage moves to either of the first position or the second position.    
     
     
         11 . The railway car of  claim 10  further comprising an open hopper car.  
     
     
         12 . The railway car of  claim 10  further comprising a closed hopper car.  
     
     
         13 . The railway car of  claim 10 , wherein the power source for the discharge control system further comprises: 
 an air cylinder operably coupled with one end of the primary linkage; and    the indicator assembly operably coupled to the primary linkage opposite from the air cylinder.    
     
     
         14 . The railway car of  claim 10 , wherein the indicator assembly further comprises a pair of indicators operable to move between first, retracted positions to second, extend positions.  
     
     
         15 . The railway car of  claim 10 , wherein the indicator assembly further comprises: 
 an operating rod slidably coupled with the primary linkage and operable to move in response to movement of the primary linkage;    the operating rod coupled with a pivot plate and operable to rotate the pivot plate in response to movement of the primary linkage;    a pair of indicators engaged with the pivot plate;    the pivot plate and the attached indicators having a first position with one end of each indicator retracted from the respective side of the railway car; and    the pivot plate and the attached indicators having a second position corresponding with the one end of each indicator extending from the respective side of the railway car assembly.    
     
     
         16 . The railway car of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 the operating rod operable to allow a spring to move the pivot plate and indicators from their first position to their second position; and    the operating rod operable to move the pivot plate and the indicators from their second position to their first position in response to the primary linkage moving from its first position to its second position.    
     
     
         17 . The railway car of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 a head disposed on one end of the primary linkage opposite from the power source;    a bracket attached to the head and extending therefrom;    a generally hollow sleeve attached with one end of the bracket opposite from the head;    the operating rod slidably disposed in the hollow sleeve; and    a nut securely engaged with the operating rod to hold the operating rod in a first position when the primary linkage is in its first position and the nut spaced from the hollow sleeve to allow longitudinal movement of the operating rod relative to the hollow sleeve when the primary linkage is in its second position.    
     
     
         18 . The railway car of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 a pivot plate coupled with and extending from the center sill; and    rotation of the pivot plate operable to translate longitudinal movement of the primary linkage relative to the center sill into lateral movement of the at least one indicator relative to the center sill.    
     
     
         19 . A method of indicating status of a discharge control system associated with a railway car, comprising: 
 moving a primary linkage between a first position and a second position using the discharge control system;    rotating a pivot plate between a first position and a second position in response to movement of the primary linkage; and    extending and retracting a portion of an indicator from at least one side of the railway car in response to rotation of the pivot plate.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising moving the primary linkage to release an operating rod and allow a spring to rotate the pivot plate and extend the portion of the indicator from the at least one side of a railway car.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising retracting the portion of the indicator from the at least one side of the railway car when at least one component of the discharge control system is in a locked position.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising extending the portion of the indicator from the at least one side of the railway car when at least one component of the discharge control system is in an unlocked position.