A railroad hopper car body includes a set of hopper and hopper discharges. Egress of lading from the discharges is governed by movable doors that swing between a closed position and an open position. The motion is driven by a mechanical transmission that is itself driven by an actuator. Each pair of doors is driven by a single actuator. The actuator is mounted to act through the center sill. A portion, or substantially all, of the actuator may be mounted in a predominantly squat, vertical orientation within the center sill. In alternate embodiments, the transmission output may be bifurcated. The center sill bottom flange may be narrower adjacent to the doors. The mechanism may have a secondary lock. The mechanism may have an auxiliary manual release.

According to some embodiments, a compression strut comprises a first strut body comprising a threaded end and a hollow end, and a second strut body comprising a threaded end and a shaped end. The hollow end of the first strut body is slidably coupled to the shaped end of the second strut body. A spring is disposed between the first strut body and the second strut body configured to resist longitudinal compression of the compression strut. The first strut body is rotationally coupled to the second strut body so that rotation of the first strut body also rotates the second strut body and rotation of the second strut body also rotates the first strut body. A first ball end is threaded to the first strut body and a second ball end is threaded to the second strut body.

According to some embodiments, a compression strut comprises a first strut body comprising a threaded end and a hollow end, and a second strut body comprising a threaded end and a shaped end. The hollow end of the first strut body is slidably coupled to the shaped end of the second strut body. A spring is disposed between the first strut body and the second strut body configured to resist longitudinal compression of the compression strut. The first strut body is rotationally coupled to the second strut body so that rotation of the first strut body also rotates the second strut body and rotation of the second strut body also rotates the first strut body. A first ball end is threaded to the first strut body and a second ball end is threaded to the second strut body.

A left hopper door and a right hopper door are associated with a hopper of a railroad hopper car that includes an operating beam which is longitudinally moveable within a center sill. A door operating mechanism for such doors includes an operating arm that includes a longitudinal slot, and a fulcrum that is attached to the operating beam. The fulcrum includes a pin that is adapted to slide within the slot of the operating arm. A V-lever is pivotally mounted on the center sill. The V-lever includes a left arm that is attached to the left hopper door and a right arm that is attached to the right hopper door. The right arm of the V-lever also include an intermediate pivot mount to which the operating arm is pivotally attached. An arming assembly is configurable in an armed configuration in which longitudinal movement of the operating beam will cause the left hopper door and the right hopper door to move between opened and closed positions, and in a disarmed configuration in which longitudinal movement of the operating beam will not cause the left hopper door and the right hopper door to move.

A railroad hopper car body includes a set of hopper and hopper discharges. Egress of lading from the discharges is governed by movable doors that swing between a closed position and an open position. The motion is driven by a mechanical transmission that is itself driven by an actuator. Each pair of doors is driven by a single actuator. The actuator is mounted to act through the center sill. A portion, or substantially all, of the actuator may be mounted in a predominantly squat, vertical orientation within the center sill. In alternate embodiments, the transmission output may be bifurcated. The center sill bottom flange may be narrower adjacent to the doors. The mechanism may have a secondary lock. The mechanism may have an auxiliary manual release.

A railroad hopper car body includes a set of hopper and hopper discharges. Egress of lading from the discharges is governed by movable doors that swing between a closed position and an open position. The motion is driven by a mechanical transmission that is itself driven by an actuator. Each pair of doors is driven by a single actuator. The actuator is mounted to act through the center sill. A portion, or substantially all, of the actuator may be mounted in a predominantly squat, vertical orientation within the center sill. In alternate embodiments, the transmission output may be bifurcated. The center sill bottom flange may be narrower adjacent to the doors. The mechanism may have a secondary lock. The mechanism may have an auxiliary manual release.

A mechanism for operating a discharge gate assembly mounted on a railcar. The gate assembly includes a frame defining a discharge opening, a door slidably positioned on the frame for a generally horizontal range of movements between a closed position and an open position. An operating shaft assembly is mounted on the frame for rotation about a fixed axis and is operably coupled to the door such that the door moves in response to rotation of the operating shaft assembly. The mechanism for operating the discharge gate assembly includes a mount carried by and with the railcar and an actuator carried by the mount outside a range of travel of the slidable door. A force transfer mechanism is operated by the actuator for rotating the operating shaft assembly to slidably move the door between the closed and open positions in response to operation of the actuator.

Disclosed is a railway hopper car comprising a car body (6), a top cover (1, 2), a bogie (24), a braking device (21), a coupler buffer device (22), and a bottom door (25, 28) and a bottom door opening and closing mechanism (23) mounted at a discharge port at the bottom of a chassis. The railway hopper car further comprises a longitudinal saddle (31) disposed in the center of the car body (6) in the length direction thereof and arranged along the longitudinal direction of the car body (6). By providing the longitudinal saddle (31), the sequential requirement to close the left bottom door (25) and the right bottom door (28) is eliminated, thereby simplifying the structure of the linkage bottom door opening and closing mechanism and reducing manufacture and maintenance costs thereof.

Modeling process and structural repair of a railway or metal car to assemble a hopper with a self-supporting body different from the original hopper that is formed from steel plates on the structure of the car.

Modeling process and structural repair of a railway or metal car to assemble a hopper with a self-supporting body different from the original hopper that is formed from steel plates on the structure of the car.