Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
so;
RAILROAD CAR DIAPHRAGM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTOR
This invention relates to flexible
diaphragms for enclosing the space between
adjoining ends of two railroad cars so as to
provide a passageway between the cars being mated.
In the past, the need has been identified
to encompass the space between adjacent railroad
cars to permit the convenient movement of
passengers there between. Prior art approaches to
fulfill such need are described in U. S. patent No.
3,399,632 to Dean and in U. S. Patent No. 3,410/226
to Croup. According to such prior art disclosures,
diaphragms are attached to the ends of adjacent
cars and then the diaphragms are mated to each
other to protect the space between adjacent
railroad cars from the weather and noise while
permitting the convenient movement of passengers
there through. Such prior art approaches have
traditionally entailed the usage of large,
expensive structures with walls of solid resilient
material coated with a sealing elastomers and
contoured to permit expansion, contraction and
torsional movement of the diaphragms with respect
to each other and with respect to the cars during
movement of the train. Such prior approaches were
neither adequately efficient nor economical for
their intended purpose.
Such prior art approaches to the problem
were characterized by high initial cost of
construction as well a high costs for
refurbishment. The turn-around time for
refurbishment was consistently too lengthy with
the cost and labor to replace such a diaphragm
being excessive Further, the prior art
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constructions require replacement of the entire die-
from in the event of significant damage to any part
thereof.
The railroad car diaphragm, constructed
according to the present invention, overcomes the
aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art.
In accordance with the invention there is
provided a diaphragm for a railroad car comprising a
mounting plate couple able to the end face of a rail-
road car. A face plate exterior of the mounting plate is couple able to a diaphragm of an adjacent
railroad car. A sheet means coupling the mounting
plate and the face plate. A resilient sponge like
means is located between the mounting and face plates
to provide resilience to the diaphragm.
In particular the diaphragm is a flexible
diaphragm which is U-shaped in configuration with two
side portions and a bridging portion, the sides being
connected to the mounting plate and the bridging portion
secured to the face plate.
In a particular embodiment the invention
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is characterized by a thin rubber sheet, in an
arch-like configuration. The sheet is arranged to
couple an interior mounting plate, mountable to a
train car, and an exterior face plate, which mates
with a diaphragm on an adjacent car. A wear plate
is located on the exterior surface of each face
plate. A removable section of resilient material
is provided across the top of the arch of the
diaphragm within the confines of the sheet material
and mounting plate to assist in the resilient
characteristics of the diaphragm during operation.
The wear plate of each diaphragm is mated with the
wear plate of the next adjacent diaphragm to
complete the passageway between cars. Step plates
are also provided over which pedestrians may walk
when passing through thy diaphragm from car to car
The diaphragm is designed for attachment
Jo the vertical end wall of a railroad car at its
mounting plate and encloses a doorway into the
car. It extends axially toward the corresponding
mating doorway of the next adjoining car. In its
axial extent the body is designed to mate axially
with the corresponding diaphragm on the adjoining
car with some compression and pressure on the
diaphragm when the cars are normally coupled.
These mating diaphragms thus cooperate tug provide a
passageway between adjoining cars above the normal
car coupling.
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The construction of the diaphragm is such
that its body portion at the sill of the doorway
provides a step plate or walkway between adjoining
cars without the necessity for the use of-other
independent plates or structures.
The diaphragm further includes resilient
shear mount type spring cushions to provide support
for the diaphragm as well as resistance to vertical
and horizontal displacement of the diaphragm
resulting from either persons walking on the floor
of the diaphragm or from the adjacent railway cars
moving uphill, downhill or sideways.
The materials and constructions employed
further act as an excellent sound absorber and
thermal insulator to thereby reduce the possibility
of undesirable noise and external weather
conditions inconveniencing passengers in the
diaphragm or at the ends of adjoined Rowley cars.
The axial compression characteristics of
these diaphra~rns assure that the mating wear plates
remain in contact under most conditions including
the periods when the train is rounding sharp
curves, thereby preventing weather leaks and air
noises at the mating faces of the diaphragms.
I The vertical rubber supports in the
diaphragm provide a high resistance to vertical
deflection without imparting the axial flexibility
of the diaphragms. These vertical supports also
provide flexibility to the diaphragm walls when the
train is rounding a curve.
Moreover these diaphragms provide a smooth
cosmetic appearance, which is applicable to both
the interior of the diaphragm passageway and the
exterior of the diaphragm. The exterior appearance
features of the diaphragm provide computability
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with the streamlined design of the exterior of
modern trains.
Perhaps, most importantly, the specific
designs and constructions of the present invention
provide for modularity of the various components to
minimize construction, mounting, repair and
refurbishing activities in terms of time, cost,
labor and parts. The initial cost of construction-
and mounting is reduced and the customer can now,
due to the modularity of the diaphragm, repair worn
or damaged parts without replacing the entire
assembly.
Consequently, it is an object of the
present invention to provide a modular diaphragm
for adjacent railroad cars which are more efficient
and more economical than prior art structures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following description and drawings
illustrate a preferred embodiment of this present
invention.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation Al view ox
adjacent railroad cars coupled together, each car
employing a diaphragm constructed in accordarlce
I with the principles of the present invention
Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of
a railroad car having a diaphragm attached to one
vertical end of the car with the railroad car shown
in phantom lines
Figure 3 is a front elevation Al view of
the diaphragm assembly with sections removed to
show internal constructions thereof.
Figure 4 is a side elevation Al view of the
diaphragm as shown in Figure 3 taken along line 4-4
of Figure 3 but with areas removed to show certain
internal constructions
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the lower
portion of the face plate taken along line 5-5 of
Figure 3, again with parts removed to show certain
internal constructions.
Figure 6 is a sectional Yew through the
top of the diaphragm taken along line 6-6~~o~~Figur~
3.
Figure 7 is a detailed view of a bolt
assembly taken along line 7-7 of Figure 6.
Figure 81 which appears on the same sheet 2.c
Figure 4, us an exploded perspective view ox the lower
portion of the vertical sheet material showing the
coupling with the lower horizontal sheet material piece.
Shown in Figure 2 are a pair of railroad cars
10 and 12 mounted and mated together by the conventional
coupling means 14. The car are mounted for movement
on wheels along a track, again in the conventional
fashion.
With further reverence to Figures 1, 2
and 3, each railway car terminates with a
passageway 18. for the movement of pedestrians
there through. The passageway is surrounded by an
attached reinforced aperture end wall 20. To this
end wall is mounted the diaphragm 24 through a
mounting plate 26. The mounting plate is located
at the outboard end of each railway car which
constitutes the inboard end of each diaphragm,
30 Each mounting plate and end wall of the car have
mating bolt holes to permit the attachment of the
mounting plate of the diaphragm to the end wall of
each car through suitable bolts 28. The end wall
and mounting plate ore made of appropriate wear
resistant rigid metal materials.
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The mounting plate is made up of sections
having an upper arched portion 36 and vertical side
portions 38 and 40 which are welded as a unit.
- Next exterior from the mounting plate are
the rubber diaphragm sections of sheet material.
The rubber diaphragm sheets 42 are flexible and
consist of a neoprene compound about 1/4 inch in
thickness. The construction is reinforced--in-the -
center with a high tensile nylon fabric. The
neoprene compound has good flame resistant
characteristics and meets the Roar Specification S
80000 Group III sheeting material for inter car
closures.
The major portion of the body of the
diaphragm is made up of this flexible sheet
material. These flexible portions couple the
interior mounting plate with the exterior face
plate A polyurethane sponge segment is inserted
across the top of the arch like diaphragm in a
manner to be later described. The body it
particularly designed to accommodate a high degree
of axial compression. The interior and exterior of
the body of the diaphragm is capable of
substantial for example, over 50 percent overall
axial deformation without substantial distortion of
the interior, exterior wall surfaces. The upper
corners of the sheet are formed with grooves 34 to
facilitate the bending action.
Extending parallel with, and tug the same
extent as, the mounting plate is an aluminum flange
44 for securing the sheets to the mounting plate.
The flange is riveted to the mounting plate.
Aperture retainer strips 46, 48J 50, So and 126
accept bolts I for attachment to the flange with
the sheets there between Although only three
retaining strips are shown in Figure 2 and three in
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Figure 5, a total of ten are utilized. Two
interior and two exterior along the vertical
extents of the sheet material and one interior and
one exterior of the top horizontal extent and four
on the lower horizontal sections.
The face plate 56 is located next outboard
from the sheets. The face plate is made in two
sections, an upper arch-shaped channel 58 and a
lower channel 60, secured together by bolts 86 for
ease of construction and replacement of damaged
sections.
Located below the joining area of the
channel segments of the face plate are lower
straight diaphragm sheet segments 32 in a
horizontal disposition which couple with the lower
ends of the vertical segments 42 of the arch-shaped
diaphragm of sheet material.
Figure 8 shows the co~lplin~ of the lower
horizontal straight channeled sheets 32 in their
Unshaped configuration which is coupled through
bolts to the contoured lower segments I of upper
sheet material through appropriate bolt holes 6?.
The upper portion of Figure 8 is the lower
portion of the vertical segment of the sheet
material and constitutes a vertical U-shaped
channel with a horizontal surface 76 for mating
with the upper portion of the lowermost horizontal
seginent of sheet material. A injury I
horizontally extends inwardly for attachment
through jolts to the central portion ox the
U-shaped lower sheet member. This E'iguFe thus
illustrates one corner of thy attachment ox the
lower sheet material to an upper sheet material. A
similar arrangement is on the opposite lower corner
of the sheet Muriel sections and is seen in
Figure 3.
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Wear plate 74 covers the outboard surface
of the face plate and is constructed of segments
64, 66, 68 and 70 which together match the surface
shape of the face plate to which it is bonded and
bolted. Bolt holes 72 are provided for coupling
the wear plates to the face plate. The mating
diaphragms, with the wear plates there between, are
held in a highly compressed condition when coupled
thereby reducing the possibility of external noises
between abutting ends of the mating diaphragms.
The wear plate is constructed of a
suitable smooth plastic material for contact and
sliding with the wear plate of the next adjacent
diaphragm for completing the passageway between
cars.
Resilience it provided to each diaphragm
through the use of resilience sponge material
within the diaphragm across the top segment
-- thereof. This sponge section 82 is removable
during repair and refurbishing and is constructed
preferably ox a polyurethane sponge grade UU-44
fire retardant type material. The sponge is not
sprayed and it is not bonded to the rubber or metal
constructions. The sponge section is completely
covered and enclosed by the mounting plate and the
neoprene rubber diaphragm sheet construction, Its
purpose is to provide resilience to the upper
diaphragm corners.
Also located within each diaphragm is a
step plate 84. Each step plate is constructed of a
rigid material such as stainless steel and is
welded to the lower face plate. The outboard ends
of the step plate are tapered so as not to
interfere with the car construction as the
diaphragm moves with respect to the train during
operation.
so
Shown in Figure 5 is the attachment
between the end plate of the car and the lower
horizontal outboard portion of the face plate. The
end plate of the car is provided with outwardly
extending steel, truncated support assemblies 90
and 92 located adjacent to an inwardly extending
stainless steel, truncated support assembly 94
secured as through welding to the lower horizontal--
segment of the diaphragm face plate. These
assemblies are coupled one to another through shear
mounts 96 and 98 of highly vulcanized rubber to
effectively provide the horizontal support for the
face plate and hence the entire diaphragm with
respect to the car. The buffer plates are secured
by bolts 100 at each respective end to the
truncated support assemblies as shown for a secure
coupling of the railway car to the diaphragm. The
resilient shear mounts thus support the majority of
the weight of the diaphragm when mounted on a jar
and provide additional security for passengers in
motion between cars as they move through the
diaphragm over the step plates.
Attachment plates 104, 106, 108, 110, 112,
114, 116, 118 and 120 are utilized inside the sheet
material far support as shown in Figure 3. These
plates are bonded inside the rubber sheet and then
bolted to the face plate and wear plate with the
sheet material there between to provide support to
the sheet material when in operative position. The
upper corner plates 104 and 106 also span the
sections of the wear plate. Lower plates 116 and
118 provide the support for the lower horizontal
segments 32 of the sheet material.
While the present invention has been
described above with regard to a particular
preferred embodiment thereon, it will be readily
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apparent from this disclosure that variations from
this preferred constructions may be made which will
be within the spirit and scope of the appended
claims.
