Operating mechanism for rail car door

A rail car comprising:

• a rail car door;
• an upper rail and a lower rail each extending in a longitudinal direction of the rail car;
• a first support bar and a second support bar extending parallel to the first support bar, the first and second support bars each having a respective longitudinal axis, the rail car door being mounted to the first and second support bars;
• a pair of upper roller assemblies engaging the upper rail for travel along the upper rail, each of the pair of upper roller assemblies including an upper crank, wherein an upper end of the first support bar and an upper end of the second support bar are respectively fixed to the upper cranks of the pair of upper roller assemblies;
• a pair of lower roller assemblies engaging the lower rail for travel along the lower rail, each of the pair of lower roller assemblies including a lower crank, wherein a lower end of the first support bar and a lower end of the second support bar are respectively fixed to the lower cranks of the pair of lower roller assemblies;
• wherein the first support bar is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the first support bar relative to the rail car door to operate the upper and lower cranks fixed to the first support bar and the second support bar is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the second support bar relative to the rail car door to operate the upper and lower cranks fixed to the second support bar, and wherein rotation of the first and second support bars about the respective longitudinal axes displaces the rail car door between a closed position and an open position;
• and
• an operating mechanism usable by an operator to simultaneously rotate the first and second support bars about the respective longitudinal axes of the first and second support bars, wherein the operating mechanism includes:
• a first torque lever attached to the first support bar and a second torque lever attached to the second support bar;
• a first link connected to the first support bar by way of the first torque lever and a second link connected to the second support bar by way of the second torque lever, wherein the first link includes a first elongated slot and the second link includes a second elongated slot at least partially overlapping with the first elongated slot;
• a first cam received by the first elongated slot and a second cam received by the second elongated slot, the first cam and the second cam being rotatable as a unit about a rotational axis, wherein the rotational axis is eccentrically arranged relative to the first cam and relative to the second cam and passes through both the first elongated slot and the second elongated slot;
• and
• an actuating lever operably connected to the first cam and the second cam, the actuating lever being manually movable by the operator to rotate the first cam and the second cam about the rotational axis;
• wherein the actuating lever is movable such that the first link and the second link are retracted relative to one another to simultaneously rotate the first and second support bars in first opposite rotational directions about the respective longitudinal axes of the first and second support bars;
• and
• wherein the actuating lever is movable such that the first link and the second link are extended relative to one another to simultaneously counter-rotate the first and second support bars in second opposite rotational directions about the respective longitudinal axes of the first and second support bars.