Rapid discharge hopper car

Claim 1

IN A HOPPER CAR HAVING A BODY THE BOTTOM OF WHICH COMPRISES A DISCHARGE OPENING CLOSED BY A SERIES OF HOPPER DOOR ARRANGED IN OPPOSING PAIRS HINGEDLY SECURED TO DOOR SUPPORTING MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEN THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, THE HOPPER DOORS IN EACH OPPOSING PAIR BEING MOVABLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM A FULLY OPENING POSITION IN WHICH THE SAID HOPPER DOORS HANG DOWNWARDLY TO A CLOSED POSITION IN WHICH THE SAID HOPPER DOORS SWING UPWARDLY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER SO AS TO CLOSE THE PORTION OF THE DISCHARGE OPENING COVERED THEREBY, DOOR ACTUATING MEANS OPERATIVE TO MOVE THE PAIRS OF DOORS FROM THE OPEN TO THE CLOSED POSITION, TO LOCK THE PAIRS OF DOORS IN THE CLOSED POSITION AND, UPON UNLOCKING MOVEMENT, TO RELEASE THE PAIRS OF DOORS SO THAT THEY WILL DROP TO THE FULLY OPEN POSITION, SAID ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A SERIES OF LOCKING UNITS MOUNTED BETWEEN THE OPPOSING DOORS IN EACH PAIR OF HOPPER DOORS, SAID LOCKING UNITS EACH COMPRISING A ROCK SHAFT EXTENDING LENGTHWISE BETWEEN THE OPPOSING DOORS, A BELL CRANK FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON THE ROCK SHAFT WITH ITS OPPOSITE ENDS EXTENDING TOWARD THE OPPOSING HOPPER DOORS, RIGID LINKS PIVOTED TO THE ENDS OF SAID BELL CRANK, THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID LINKS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSING DOORS, SAID BELL CRANK BEING MOVABLE BY SAID ROCK SHAFT FROM A FULLY CLOSED POSITION IN WHCIH SAID LINKS BIAS THE OPPOSING DOORS TO THEIR CLOSED POSITION, TO AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICH SAID LINKS RELEASE SAID OPPOSING DOORS FOR OPENING MOVEMENT, STOP MEANS POSITIONED TO CONTACT AN ARM OF SAID BELL CRANK TO ESTABLISH THE FULLY CLOSED POSITION OF THE BELL CRANK, IN WHICH POSITION THE BELL CRANK AND LINKS LIE IN BEYOND DEAD CENTER RELATION AND THE OPPOSING DOORS ARE LOCKED CLOSED, AND ROCK SHAFT ACTUATING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID ROCK SHAFTS, SAID ROCK SHAFT ACTUATING MEANS BEING MOVABLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND INCLUDING LINKAGE MEANS OPERATIVE WHEN SAID ROCK SHAFT ACTUATING MEANS IS MOVED IN ONE DIRECTION TO ROTATE SAID ROCK SHAFT SO AS TO MOVE THE BELL CRANKS FROM THEIR OPEN TO THEIR FULLY CLOSED BEYOND DEAD CENTER POSITION AND, WHEN SAID ROCK SHAFT ACTUATING MENS IS MOVED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, TO ROTATE THE ROCK SHAFTS IN THEIR OPPOSITE DIRECTION SUFFICIENTLY TO RETURN SAID BELL CRANKS AND LINKS FROM THEIR BEYOND DEAD CENTER POSITION, WHEREUPON THE ROCK SHAFTS ARE FREE TO ROTATE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE BELL CRANKS AND LINKS AS THE OPPOSING PAIRS OF DOORS ARE RELEASED FOR OPPOSING MOVEMENT.