Template door and wing assembly with break-away feature for rail ballast regulator

A template door configured for connection to an outer door of a rail ballast wing assembly having at least one hinge edge, said template door pivotably secured to said at least one hinge edge, a positioning means associated with the outer door and said template door for maintaining an angular orientation of said template door to the outer door, and a breakaway mechanism connected to the positioning means and said template door and configured for temporarily disengaging said template door from the positioning means upon exposure to impact forces, said template door comprising:

• a main panel having a front side, a rear side, a free edge and a hinge edge;
• a plurality of spaced, axially aligned hinge bores, each secured to said hinge edge with a transversely extending reinforcement tab for fastening to said template door;
• at least one attachment point for receiving a positioning means for positioning the angular orientation of said template door to the outer door and
• a bracket projecting from said rear side and defining a space for receiving a breakaway plate, said bracket being configured for securing the plate by at least one shear pin.

An outer door for use with a rail ballast regulator having a boom and wing assembly with at least one said outer door having at least one template door pivotable relative to each said at least one outer door and a positioning means associated with said outer door and the template door for maintaining an angular orientation of the template door to said outer door, and a breakaway mechanism connected to the positioning means and the template door and configured for temporarily disengaging the template door from the positioning means upon exposure to impact forces, said outer door comprising:

• a main wall having a front surface, a rear surface and a pair of hinge edges;
• a generally perpendicularly disposed shoulder plate secured to an upper edge of said main wall;
• a top pin secured to and projecting from said shoulder plate, said top pin having a radially extending upper lip defining a space between said lip and said shoulder plate;
• and
• a plurality of spaced, axially aligned hinge bores, secured to each said hinge edge with a transversely extending reinforcement tab for fastening to said wall, said hinge bores constructed and arranged for engaging corresponding bores on template doors associated with said outer door.

A rail ballast wing assembly, comprising:

• a outer door with at least one hinge edge;
• a template door pivotably secured to said at least one hinge edge;
• positioning means associated with said outer door and said template door for maintaining an angular orientation of said template door to said outer door;
• a breakaway mechanism connected to said positioning means and said template door and configured for temporarily disengaging said template door from said positioning means upon exposure to impact forces, and
• said breakaway mechanism includes a plate pivotable relative to at least one of said outer door and said template door, and being configured to form a breakaway connection with said template door.