Stop mechanism with dual pawls for gear operated door

A railcar door assembly comprising:

• a substantially planar door;
• at least one elongated support member rotatable mounted to said door;
• a drive mechanism associated with said door and operatively connected to said support member for selectively rotating said support member about its length to partially open or fully close said door;
• and,
• a stop mechanism associated with said door for preventing movement of said drive mechanism when said door is in one of a partially opened and fully closed position, said stop mechanism including a first rotatable mounted ratchet wheel and first and second pawls disposed in a side-by-side relation for selective alternating engagement with said ratchet wheel to selectively prevent movement of said ratchet wheel in one direction of rotation;
• and,
• wherein each of said pawls includes a grooved area extending to the pawl outer extremity from a pivot pin mounting opening for preventing debris buildup between said pawls and said pivot pin.

A stop mechanism for a railcar door having a gear mechanism and a lever operatively connected thereto for rotating the gear mechanism to open and close the door, said stop mechanism comprising:

• a ratchet wheel having a plurality of teeth extending generally radially from the outer circumference thereof and adapted for rotatable mounting to said railcar door;
• a first pawl disposed for selective operative engagement with said ratchet wheel teeth;
• a second pawl disposed for selective operative engagement with said ratchet wheel teeth;
• and,
• said first and second pawls being configured and dimensioned so that one of said pawls is always disposed in operative engagement with one of said ratchet wheel teeth for selectively preventing undesired movement of said ratchet wheel in one direction of rotation;
• wherein each of said first and second bawls has first and second ends, said first ends each including a portion for selective engagement with said ratchet wheel teeth;
• and,
• said first and second pawls being mounted in side-by-side relation on a common pivot pin and wherein said first ends of said pawls are configured and dimensioned such that when the first end portion of one pawl is in engagement with a ratchet wheel tooth the first end portion of the other pawl is disengaged from said ratchet wheel teeth.

A stop arrangement for a railcar door having a gear mechanism and a lever operatively connected thereto for rotating the gear mechanism to open and close the door, said stop arrangement comprising:

• a ratchet wheel having a plurality of teeth extending generally radially outward at predetermined spaced intervals around the outer circumference thereof and adapted for rotatable mounting to said railcar door;
• said ratchet wheel teeth each having a leading edge and a trailing edge with a land area disposed between the leading and trailing edges of adjacent teeth;
• first and second pawls each having a first end portion disposed for selective alternating operative engagement with said ratchet wheel teeth;
• and,
• said first end portions of said first and second pawls being configured and dimensioned so that one of said first end portions is always disposed in operative engagement with one of said ratchet wheel teeth intermediate the leading and trailing edges thereof for selectively preventing undesired rotation of said ratchet wheel in a direction against the trailing edge of said one of said ratchet wheel teeth while the other first end portion engages one of said land areas.

A stop mechanism for a railcar door having a gear mechanism and a lever operatively connected thereto for rotating the gear mechanism to open and close the door, said stop mechanism comprising:

• a first ratchet wheel having a plurality of teeth extending generally radially from the outer circumference thereof and mounted to said railcar door in a spaced relationship to said first ratchet wheel;
• a second ratchet wheel having a plurality of teeth extending generally radially from the outer circumference thereof and adapted for rotatable mounting to an associated railcar door;
• first and second pawls configured and dimensioned so that when one of said first and second pawls is in operative engagement with one of said first ratchet wheel teeth for selectively preventing undesired movement of said first ratchet wheel in a first direction of rotation the other of said first and second pawls is disengaged from said one of said first ratchet wheel teeth;
• and,
• a third pawl configured and dimensioned for selective operative engagement with one of said second ratchet wheel teeth for selectively preventing undesired movement of said second ratchet wheel in a second direction of rotation.