Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
L541
BACI~GROUND OF INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metal sheet
construction for use in lining walls, and particularly,
but not exclusively, walls of freight railway cars, where
it is necessary to attach strapping, or the like, to the
walls.
(b) Description of Prior Art
It is known to provide railway freight cars with
anchorin~ devices secured to the side walls whereby to
attach strapping in order to secure cargo rigidly within
the railway car. However, in many instances, the anchoring
devices are merely secured to the wall surface and not
attached to the framework. Consequently, these anchoring
elements are often torn out of the wall or deform themselves
or the wall by excessive force applied to the strapping by ;;;
shifting loads.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION `
It is a feature of the present invention to pro-
vide a metal sheet for wall lining incorporating anchor
bars therein which are rigidly securable in close proximity
to wall supports.
A further feature of the present invention is to -~
provide a corrugated metal sheet for wall lining wherein
wall sections of the railway freight car or an entire wall
can be fitted with a single sheet having provided therein
a plurality of anchor bars and wherein the sheets are
secured to wall supports by welds or other fastening means
in the sheet and in close proximity to the anchor barsO
A further feature of the present invention is to
provide an improved corrugated metal sheet for wall lining
and wherein the sheet is secured to wall supports by means
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of welds or other fastening means formed along cavities
positioned at predeteremined intervals within the sheet,
the corrugated sheet forming a plurality of spaced-apart
channels adapted to receive therein one or more anchor bars.
According ~o the above features, from a broad
aspect, the present invention provides a corrugated metal
sheet for linin~ at least opposed side walls of a freight
compartment having a plurality of spaced-apart vertical
wall supports, The metal sheet comprises a plurality of
spaced-apart elongated channels formed across a smooth
top surface of the sheet. The channels extend horizontally
and transverse to the vertical wall supports, Each of
the channels has a flat bottom wall spaced from said sur-
face and opposed connecting walls extending from the
bottom wall to the top surface. A plurality of spaced-
apart apertures are provided in the bottom wall of at
least some of the channels to permit an attachment means
to connect the sheet to a plurality of the vertical wall
supports. The channels are configured to receive individual
anchor bars for ~ecurement therein. Each anchor bar has
an attachment part and oppo~ed weldable end supports se-
curable to a respective opposed connecting wall of the
channel. The weldable end 5upports are welded in close
non-interferring proximity to an associated one of the
apertures so that the anchor bar is rigidly connected
through its weld and the bottom wall in close proximity
to the support whereby cargo retaining means may be
attached to the attachment part to secure cargo in the
freight compartment. The anchor bar also fills the
associated channel in a bridge area to add rigldity to
the corrugated metal sheet.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTIO~ OF DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention
will now be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which: `
FIGURE 1 is a fragmented plan view of the metal
sheet of the present invention,
FIGURE 2 is a sectional end vhew of a portion of
the metal sheet of Figure 1,
FIGURE 3 is a plan view illustrating a portion of
the metal sheet where the anchor bar is secured,
FIGURE 4 is a side view of Figure 3, --;
FIGURE 5 is a plan view of an end ~ection of the
sheet of Figure 1 showing a feature thereof: and
FIGURE 6 is a bottom end view along section lines `:
VI-VI of Figure 5.
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawi,ngs, and more particu-
larly to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown generally at 10,
the metal sheet of the present invention for lining walls
having spaced-apart vertical supports. The sheet comprises
generally a plurality of cavities herein constituted by a
plurality of spaced-apart elongated channels 11 forme~
across the sheet with each channel 11 extending parallel
to one another. Each channel has a flat bottom wall 12
and outwardly tapering side walls 13 extending from the
bottom wall 12 to the flat top surface 14 of the sheet 10.
~ A plurality of apertures 15 extend at spaced-
apart intervals along each of the channels 11 and extend
transverse to the longitudinal axis of the channels 11.
~ ~ As hereinshown, the ~ 15 are provided in pairs 16, -
each pair 16 consisting of two ~losely sp~ced elongated slot
apertures 15~ Each pair 16 of slot apertures 15 of each
channel 11 are in transverse alignment with one another.
The spacing between the long axis 17 of the aligned pairs
~0 of apertures is predetermined whereby t,hese' pairs of aper-
tures are in alignment with wall supports 18 to which the
sheet 10 is to be secured.
Referring now additionally to Figures 3 and ~,
there is shown a plurality of anchor bars 20 secured within
~5 the channels 11 and in alignment with the pairs 16 of aper-
tures 15. Although Figure 1 shows anchor bars 2d associated
with each pair of apertures, it is clearly understood that
these could be secured with random pairs 16 of apertures or
with the pairs of apertures in every second one of the
channels 11.
The anchor bars 20 are each provided with an ,~
attachment part, hereinshown as a bridge section 21 having
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securement means or end supports 22 which are weldable to
a respective one of the tapering side walls 13 of the
channels 11. As seen more clearly in Figure 4, the bridge
section 21 is spaced forwardly of ~he bottom wall 12 and
the end supports 22 are provided with angulated bearing sur-
~aces 23 which lie ~lat on the an~ulated side walls 13 of
the channels. The end supports 22 are secured within the
channels 20 by means of securement welds 24 which may be
provided on opposed sides 25 of each end support 22 and
additionally about its outer end 26. Thus, the anchor bar
20 is rigidly secured across the channel 11.
In order to secure the sheet 10 to the wall sup-
ports 18, the sheet is fitted whereby the pairs 16 of aper-
tures 15 are aligned with a respective one of the supports
18. This is more clearly shown in Figure 3 and it can be
seen that the sheet 10 is attached to the support 18 by
attachment welds 28 interconnecting a marginal portion 29
of the flat bottom wall 12 near each slot aperture 15 to a
mf~d~,kh~ portion 30 of the support 18. Of course, a plug
weld could interconnect all of the circumference of the
slot aperture 150 As can be seen, the apertures 15 extend :
along a substantial transverse portion of the flat bottom
wall 12 whereby the opposed ends 31 of each aperture 15 are
in close proximity to the securement weld 24 of the end sup-
ports 22. Thus, the anchor bar 20 is rigidly connected
through the welds 24 and 28 and, of course, the channels of
the sheet 10, in close proximity to the wall support 18.
This provides for a rigid anchoring of the anchor bar 20 as
any force exerted thereon i5 also exerted on the wall sup-
port 18.
As shown in the preferred embodiment of the pre-
sent invention described herein, each pair 16 o apertures
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15 are spaced-apart whereby each aperture 15 lies on a
respective side of the bridge section 21 of the anchor bar
20. This facilitates the formation of the weld 28. Fur-
ther, the anchor bar 20 could be welded in the channel 11
after the sheet 10 is welded to the wall supports 18. If
the wall supports 18 are constructed of material not cap-
able of receiving the weld 28, then a metal bracket (not
shown) could be secured to the wall su~port to receive the
weld.
It is also foreseen that the cavities, herein
channels 11 of sheet 10, may be constituted by rectangularly
shaped cavities extending in transverse alignment in the top
surface 14 of the sheet and being of the same cross-section
as the channels 11 whereby to receive the anchor bars 20 in
the same manner as described hereinabove. ALSol a single
aperture 15 may be provided and of different configuration
than that herein describedO For example, the aperture could
also be rectangular and extending entirely across the width
of the bridge section 21 whereby a weld could be made on
each side of the cavity and in close proximity to the se-
curement weld 24 on each side of the end suppor~s 22 of the
anchor bar 20. Still further, the anchor bar 20 may be of
different configuration and instead of a bridge section,
there could be provided an attachment ring adapted for
attachment of strapping ropes, or the like thereto. The
shape of the bottom wall and side walls of the cavity could
also vary from the one disclosed herein provided that the
anchor bar is attached to the sheet and the sheet attached
to the post in such a manner as to provide attachment of
the anchor bar in close proximity to the wall supports 18.
The above description discloses a particular
attachment means to connect the sheet 10 to the wall supports
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18. However, in the construction of new walls where an
outside sheet is not already secured to the supports 18,
the sheet 10 may be welded to the supports in its back side
where the channel bottom wall 12 abuts the supports 18.
Thus, thè slot apertures 15 would not be required. Also,
instead of slot apertures 15 there may be provided circular
holes such as shown at 50 in Figure 5 to receive therein a
fastener such as a screw or rivet, as shown at 51~ If the
supports 18 are wood pieces, the fasteners could be nails
or screws. In all instances, the fasteners are positioned
in the channels 11 to be recessed from the top surface 14
not to interfere with commodity placed against the sheet 10.
Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, there is shown
the construction of the end edge 35 of the sheet 10. As
lS can be shown, a slot 36 extends from the end edge 35 of the
sheet in the flat surface 14 thereof immediately adjacent
the tapering side wall 13 of the channel 11. This will
permit the end portions 37 of the sheet to be bent inwardly,
as shown in Figure 6, to have a smooth edge weldable to a
corner post structure such as 38.
As shown in Figure 1, the top and bottom edges
39 and 40 of the sheet 10 are severed at predetermined
locations i.e. at the junction of a side wall 13 and bottom
wall 12 of a channel 11, whereby the sheets can be stacked
one on top of the other with the joint between sheets sub-
stantially concealed and repeating the corrugated pattern.
Also, this type of edge~ permits the shee-t 10 to be neatly
fitted in the bottom portion of a wall wherein the top part
is constructed of wood panelling. Thus, the top edge por-
tion 39 could be secured under the bottom edge rear wall of
the bottom plank (not shown). This -type of sheet can also
find utility in refittlng existing railway cars with a new
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inner wall lining, as such railway cars are already pro-
vided with spaced vertical wall supports. The sheet lO is
roll formed and can be of any desired length~ Also, the
sheet is very rigid as it is provided with corrugations
and the channels between corrugations are ~urther provided
with the anchor bars 20 which adds to the rigidity of the
entire sheet as these bars 20 fill the cavities in bridged
areas. A further advantage of this sheet structure is that
it is easy and quickly assembled and is hard-wearing. Fur-
ther , the cavities in the sheet lO do not need to be chan-
nels ll and could be spaced-apart depressions with substan-
tially vertical side walls extending at right angles to
the top surface 14. Similarly, the channels ll may have
vertical side walls 13 rather than angularly sloping ones.
An advantage of the angular side walls 13 is that they are
easier to clean. It is also foreseen that the sheets lO
may be secured with the channels ll extending vertically
and the wall supports 18 extending horizon-tally.
It is within the ambit of the present invention
to provide any other obvious modifications of the metal
sheet, provided such modifications fall within the ambit
of the broad claim as appended hereto.
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