Handle for valve assembly

A handle assembly for an outlet valve of a tank car, the outlet valve having a valve stem rotatable about an axis and being operative to open and close the outlet valve, the handle assembly comprising:

• a valve handle for rotating the outlet valve stem;
• a rotatable shaft extending from the handle;
• said shaft supported in a support tube for axial and rotational movement;
• a shaft rotation control structure configured to permit the shaft to move axially generally parallel to the axis of the valve stem between a valve closed position and a shaft rotatable position and to rotate about the axis of the valve stem and relative to said support tube between the valve closed position and a valve open position at the shaft rotatable position,
• wherein the shaft is rotatable between the valve closed position and the valve open position only at the shaft rotatable position and
• said shaft rotation control structure includes a movement control slot in said support tube having an axial section that is generally parallel to the axis of the stem of the outlet valve and a circumferential section and said shaft includes a guide, said guide disposed within said axial section of said movement control slot when the valve stem is in said valve closed position and disposed in said circumferential section when said shaft is in said shaft rotatable position, and
• wherein said shaft is coupled to said valve stem when said guide is in said circumferential section.

A rotation control structure for an outlet valve of a tank car, the outlet valve having a valve stem rotatable about an axis and operative to open and close the outlet valve, a handle for manually operating the outlet valve, a rotatable shaft on said handle, a support member supporting said shaft for axial and rotatable movement relative to said support member, said rotation control structure comprising:

• a movement control slot on one of said shaft and support member;
• a movement control guide on the other said shaft and support member, said movement control guide disposed within said movement control slot;
• and
• said movement control slot configured to permit said shaft to move axially generally parallel to the axis of the valve stem between a non-rotatable position and a rotatable position and to rotate about the axis of the valve stem relative to said support member between a valve closed position and a valve open position only at the rotatable position, and
• wherein said shaft is coupled to said valve stem when said guide is in said circumferential section.