Quik-loc end arrangement for pneumatic outlet gates

摘要

Rail hopper cars have loading gates which is a way of controlling the flow of material that is in hopper cars out through a connection tube. There are control rods for opening and closing the loading gate. There is an end cap that fits over the open end of the connection tube. The cap, in the present invention, has outwardly extending radially spaced locking lugs each having a locking convex surface. A separate locking lug concave surface is positioned on each handle of the control rods for mating with the convex surfaces on the cap. When the end cap is placed over the tube and is rotated to a position where the locking convex surfaces are adjacent the locking lugs on the operating handles of the control rods, the control rod handles cannot turn. Also when in this position the locking lugs on the handles prevent the cap from being removed. A spring loaded locking lever on the end cap engages a locking slot on the end tube and prevents rotation of the end cap when it is positioned thereon. When it is desired to remove the end cap, the spring loaded locking lever is removed from the locking slot and the end cap rotated about 40 degrees to where the locking lugs thereon are out of alignment with the locking lugs on the control rod handles. The cap can be readily removed and the control rod handles are then operable.