Trough hatch arrangement

Claim 1

IN A HOPPER CAR HAVING A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED HOPPERS PROVIDED WITH A CONTINUOUS HATCH OPENING WHICH IS DEFINED BY A CONTINUOUS UPSTANDING RIM, AND A SINGLE HATCH COVER PLATE ENCLOSING SAID OPENING WITH MARGINAL PORTIONS THEREOF IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RIM, THE PROVISION OF A HATCH COVER PLATE OPERATING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID OPENING AND COMPRISING, A FIRST HOUSING JOINED TO SAID RIM PORTION AND PROJECTING INWARDLY THERETHROUGH INTO SAID HATCH OPENING, GEAR MEANS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION OF SAID HOUSING ABOUT A TRANSVERSE HORIZONTAL AXIS, A SECOND HOUSING INTERSECTING SAID FIRST HOUSING AT RIGHT ANGLES WITH RESPECT THERETO, RACK MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID SECOND HOUSING HAVING TOOTH PORTIONS THEREOF IN MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GEAR MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL DIRECTION IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID GEAR MEANS, AND HORIZONTAL COVER PLATE SUPPORT MEANS HAVING A FIRST END PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID RACK MEANS AND RECIPROCABLY MOVABLE THEREWITH WHILE BEING PIVOTALLY MOVABLE RELATIVE THERETO, SAID HORIZONTAL COVER PLATE SUPPORT MEANS HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION JOINED TO SAID SINGLE HATCH COVER PLATE BETWEEN THE SIDE MARGINAL EDGES THEREOF TO PROVIDE FOR RAISING AND LOWERING OF SAID COVER PLATE UPON OPERATION OF SAID GEAR MEANS, A FLEXIBLE BOOT HAVING ONE END ATTACHED TO SAID RACK MEANS FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND THE OTHER END OF SAID FLEXIBLE BOOT BEING JOINED TO SAID SECOND HOUSING AT THE UPPER END THEREOF, AND MEANS CAPPING OFF THE LOWER END OF SAID SECOND HOUSING, SAID FLEXIBLE BOOT AND SAID MEANS CAPPING OFF THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING PERMITTING VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID RACK MEANS AND PIVOTING MOVEMENT OF SAID COVER SUPPORT MEANS WHILE MAINTAINING SAID SECOND HOUSING SEALED AGAINST THE INGRESS OF FOREIGN MATERIAL.