Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2167328
MULTIPURPOSE RAILROAD WELL CAR
Background of the Invention
The present invention relates to railroad
freight cars, and particularly to a multi-unit railway
freight well car of lightweight construction, for
optionally carrying either intermodal cargo containers
stacked one upon another or over-the-highway freight
trailers supported on their own running gear in a cargo
well of any car unit of the multi-unit car.
Railroad car units for carrying over-the-
highway freight trailers are well known, as are multi-
unit railroad freight cars defining cargo or container
wells for carrying various combinations of intermodal
cargo containers stacked one upon another in two tiers.
Because the total weight which can be carried upon the
rails limits the net amount of cargo which can be carried
on a railroad freight car unit, it is desirable for a
well car unit to be constructed in a configuration having
a minimum tare weight consistent with the strength
required to safely support a combination of cargo
containers and trailers for which the car unit is
configured. It is also necessary, however, to provide an
adequate surface to support the tires of trailers carried
in the cargo well. Additionally, it is necessary for a
car unit to be strong enough to withstand the many forces
resulting from movement of the laden car unit as part of
a train.
Some highway freight trailers are longer than
the cargo wells commonly provided for receiving stacked
containers in the car units of such multi-unit well cars,
but it is preferred not to build car unit bodies with
longer wells to accommodate such trailers because of the
limitation of cargo capacity resulting from the extra
weight of such a longer car unit body. Nevertheless, it
is desired to be able to carry such longer trailers
safely in such multi-unit well cars. At the same time,
2167328
it is desirable to provide in a railroad freight car the
ability to carry a widely variable mix of containers and
trailers of various sizes, and thus to minimize the
number of spaces for trailers or containers left empty in
loading the car units of a train.
To carry trailers efficiently in a well car
unit it is necessary to provide a shallow well depth from
a floor top surface to the top of a side sill, to give
trailer loading equipment access to the bottom of a
trailer floor above the side sills so that trailers can
handily be inserted into and extracted from the well.
The reduction of bending resistance resulting from
shallower side sills must be restored by other structure.
Well car units utilize inter-box connectors
(IBCs) to interconnect upper and lower containers when
they are carried stacked one atop another in a well car
unit. IBCs are usually located at a standard position
between such stacked containers, corresponding to the
location of an end of a standard intermodal container 40
feet long, for example, even though it is possible that a
container more than 40 feet long may be carried.
It is necessary for a person to reach the IBC
to operate it to interconnect or disconnect containers
when a container is being loaded onto or removed from
atop a lower tier container carried in a well of such a
car unit. Since some containers are over 9' high, it may
be difficult to reach the IBCs when standing atop a side
sill of a well car unit, particularly one which has
relatively low side sills. There is additional risk of
falling where a well car unit is intended to carry
containers having lengths greater than 40 feet. Some car
units for carrying stacked containers therefore include
walkways on which a person can stand to reach IBCs.
Some railroad freight car units are designed to
carry trailers, or chassis and attached intermodal cargo
containers, in a cargo well also equipped to carry
stacked containers. The structure of such well car units
2167328
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must satisfy certain requirements. First, any walkways
intended to provide access to IBCs interconnecting
stacked containers carried in such a car unit should be
located where they will not interfere with the proper
operation of cranes used to move trailers into or out of
such car units.
Second, it is necessary for the car unit
structure to carry loads, imposed upon the car unit by
the weight of containers or trailers, from the side sills
to the wheeled trucks supporting the car unit. However,
such loads are concentrated in the side sill structure of
the car unit near the ends, because of the need for
clearance for the wheeled trucks to pivot.
What is needed, then, is an improved multi-unit
railroad car including cargo wells for optionally
carrying either stacked containers or trailers of various
lengths, including trailers longer than the cargo well in
a car unit, yet without restricting availability of the
cargo well of an adjacent car unit, and in which a well
floor structure and the connection of such a well floor
to other parts of the car provide adequate strength
without unnecessary weight, yet with shallow well depth
and small floor thickness, and in which provision is made
for a person to reach and operate inter-box connectors
safely when containers are stacked in the cargo well.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention provides an answer to the
needs enumerated above and overcomes the aforementioned
shortcomings of the prior art by providing a multi-unit
railroad freight car including at least two
interconnected car units each including a body defining a
cargo well. Preferably, a shared wheeled truck supports
adjacent ends of respective adjacent car units. One
embodiment of a multi-unit railroad freight car having a
shared wheeled truck is set forth in U.S. Patent Number
5,207,161 assigned to applicant's assignee.
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In one embodiment of the present invention a
trailer hitch is mounted on a body bolster of a first one
of the interconnected car units, and the road wheels of a
trailer can be carried in the cargo well of the second
one of the car units, with the front end of the trailer
spanning the shared truck, and with the trailer hitch
kingpin secured to the trailer hitch carried on the first
one of the interconnected car units. The location of the
trailer hitch on the car unit adjacent the car unit in
whose cargo well the wheels of the trailer are supported
allows carriage in the multi-unit car of a trailer longer
than the maximum length trailer which could be carried
otherwise in a car unit of the same length.
In one embodiment of the invention the trailer
hitch defines a hitch kingpin location above the shared
truck and between the respective body bolsters of the
adjacent ends.
Preferably, each cargo well is defined in part
by a pair of longitudinal side sills interconnected with
a respective transverse body bolster at each end of the
respective car unit. In one embodiment of the invention
a longitudinally-extending side sill reinforcing
structure is mounted atop a top chord of the side sill
and extends along a portion of the top chord, alongside a
portion of the cargo well adjacent one of the opposite
ends of the car unit body. Preferably, a horizontal top
of the reinforcing structure includes a raised walkway
for supporting a person safely in the vicinity of
interbox connectors used with containers stacked in the
cargo well of such a car body.
In one embodiment of the invention the side
sills of a body of a car unit are shallow and of light-
weight construction and support a well floor of unified,lightened and stiffened structure attached to the side
sills to form a light, yet strong and stiff, car body
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_ 5
structure. Such a car unit is capable of withstanding
the concentrated loads imposed by cargo containers and
has the necessary floor area of sufficient strength to
support the wheels of trailers at any longitudinal loca-
tion, and still is sufficiently light in overall weightto permit carriage of stacked intermodal cargo containers
without undue limitation of their net cargo weight.
In one embodiment of the invention the side
sills include a deep rectangular top chord and a web of
thin metal plate extending diagonally down to a well
floor assembly. The well floor assembly is attached to
the web continuously along its length, so that the well
floor acts as a lower chord for the side sill, but is
suspended beneath the top chord of the side sill along
the entire length of the well floor.
The foregoing and other objectives, features,
and advantages of the invention will be more readily
understood upon consideration of the following detailed
description of the invention, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a railroad
freight car embodying the present invention and laden
with a pair of semi-trailers carried in a cargo well
defined in the car body.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the railroad car
shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view, at an enlarged
scale, of a portion of the car shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the body of the
railroad freight car shown in FIGS. 1-3, taken along line
4-4 in FIG. 3, at an enlarged scale.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a
detail of the portion of a railroad freight car body
shown in FIG. 4.
2167~28
.
_ 6
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the
body of the railroad freight car shown in FIGS. 1-3,
taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3, at an enlarged scale.
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a portion
of a side sill of the railroad freight car shown in
FIG. 1, at an enlarged scale.
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view, at an
enlarged scale, of a portion of a side sill shown in
FIG. 1, taken in the direction indicated by the line 6-6
in FIG. 3.
FIG. 9 is a partially cut-away, top plan view,
at an enlarged scale, of a portion of the well floor
assembly of the railroad freight car shown in FIGS. 1-3.
FIG. 10 is a bottom view of part of the portion
of a well floor assembly shown in FIG. 10.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view, at an enlarged
scale, of a portion of the well floor assembly shown in
FIG. 9, taken along line 11-11.
FIG. 12 is a sectional view, at an enlarged
scale, of a portion of the well floor assembly shown in
FIG. 9, taken along line 12-12.
FIG. 13 is a sectional view, at an enlarged
scaIe, of a portion of the well floor assembly shown in
FIG. 9, taken along line 13-13.
FIG. 14 is a sectional view, at an enlarged
scale, of a portion of the well floor assembly shown in
FIG. 9, taken along line 14-14.
FIG. 15 is a sectional view, at an enlarged
scale, of a portion of the well floor assembly shown in
FIG. 9, taken along line 15-15.
FIG. 16 is a sectional view, at an enlarged
scale, of a portion of the well floor assembly shown in
FIG. 9, taken along line 16-16.
FIG. 17 is a sectional view, at an enlarged
scale, of a portion of the well floor assembly shown in
FIG. 9, taken along the line 17-17.
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_ 7
FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of a portion
of a railroad freight car which is an alternative embodi-
ment of the present invention, together with portions of
a trailer and a loading crane engaging a lift point along
a lower longitudinal frame member of the trailer.
FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the body of the
portion of a railroad freight car shown in FIG. 18.
FIG. 20 is a sectional view, taken along line
20-20 of FIG. 19, showing a portion of a side sill and an
associated reinforcing walkway structure which is part of
the railroad freight car shown in FIGS. 18 and 19.
FIG. 21 is a top plan view, at an enlarged
scale, of the reinforcing walkway structure shown in
FIGS. 18-20, at an enlarged scale.
FIG. 22 is a side elevational view of the
reinforcing walkway shown in FIG. 21, taken from within
the cargo well of the car shown in FIGS. 18 and 19.
FIG. 23 is a sectional view of the reinforcing
walkway structure shown in FIGS. 18-22, taken along line
23-23 of FIG. 21, at a further enlarged scale.
FIG. 24 is a sectional view of the reinforcing
walkway structure shown in FIGS. 18-22, taken along line
24-24 of FIG. 21, at a further enlarged scale.
FIG. 25 is a top plan view of a detail of the
reinforcing walkway structure shown in FIGS. 18-24, at a
further enlarged scale.
FIG. 26 is a sectional view, taken along line
26-26 of FIG. 19.
FIG. 27 is a detail view, at an enlarged scale,
of the reinforcing walkway structure according to the
present invention, taken along line 27-27 of FIG 20.
FIG. 28 is a diagram showing the proper
relative arrangement of FIGS. 29A and 29B.
FIGS. 29A and 29B, taken together are a side
elevational view of a preferred embodiment of a multi-
unit railway freight car for carrying either intermodal
cargo containers or over-the-highway freight trailers.
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_ 8
FIG. 30 is a top plan view, at an enlarged
scale, of an interconnection between two car units of the
multi-unit railway freight car shown in FIGS. 29A and
29B.
FIG. 31 is a side elevational view, at an en-
larged scale, of adjacent portions of two interconnected
car units of the car shown in FIGS. 29A and 29B, jointly
supporting a front end of an over-the-highway freight
trailer.
FIG. 32 is a end view of the body bolster and
trailer hitch of the car unit shown in FIG. 30, taken
along line 32-32, at an enlarged scale.
FIG. 33 is a sectional view of the body bolster
and trailer hitch shown in FIG. 32, taken along line
33-33, at a further enlarged scale.
FIG. 34 is a sectional view of the body bolster
and trailer hitch shown in FIG. 33, taken along line
34-34.
FIG. 35 is a simplified side view of an
embodiment of a multi-unit railway freight car comprised
of alternate embodiment car units.
Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the
drawings which form a part of the disclosure herein, a
railroad freight car 20 has a car body 21 of welded steel
which includes a cargo well 22 adapted to be laden by
receiving trailers 24. As shown in phantom line in
FIG. 1, the wheels 25 of the trailer rest on a floor
assembly 26 which helps to define the cargo well 22, and
a hitch kingpin portion near the front end 2 3 of each
trailer 24 is secured to and supported on a fifth wheel
trailer hitch 28 mounted atop a body bolster 30 located
at a respective end of the car 20. Alternatively,
intermodal cargo containers 32, also shown in phantom
line in FIG. 1, may be carried in the cargo well 22,
where two of such cargo containers can be stacked upon
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g
one another, supported by the floor assembly 26, within
the vertical clearance space available along most
railroads.
The well 22 has a width 33, defined between a
pair of opposite side sills 34, and a length 36, defined
between a pair of vertical transverse stiffeners 38. The
length and width are great enough to receive a cargo
container having a long st~n~rd length such as 48 feet,
and a wide standard width such as 102 inches, or to
receive a pair of short standard containers each 20 feet
long.
A conventional four-wheeled truck 40 located
under each body bolster 30 supports the car 20 on a rail-
road track (not shown), and conventional couplers 42 are
provided at the ends of the car 20.
As may be seen in FIGS. 3-8, each of the side
sills 34 includes a deep rectangular top chord 44 in the
form of a longitudinal channel 45 of bent plate, 9/16
inch thick, for example, including a pair of flanges 46,
extending horizontally outward. A 1/4-inch-thick (for
example) web plate 48 of the side sill 34 is welded to
the flanges 46 extending vertically between them to close
the top chord 44 and extends thence diagonally downwardly
and inwardly as a lower panel 50 acting as a web of the
side sill 34. A reinforcing angle member 49 welded to
the plate 48 extends horizontally between the flanges 46
to reinforce the top chord 44 against buckling without
adding an undesirable amount of weight. The lower panels
50, however, are essentially planar between the point of
attachment to the respective lower flange 46 and lower
margins of the panels 50, and thus carry bending forces
from the floor assembly into the top chords 44 of the
side sills 34. The side sills 34, thus, are very clean
structurally with no additional major reinforcement
members.
The well floor assembly 26 is of welded metal
construction and is attached to and supported by lower
2167328
-- 10
panels 50 of the side sills 34, extending horizontally
between them. Opposite end transition portions 52 of the
floor assembly 26 are also attached to the lower panels
50 as well as to the vertical transverse stiffeners 38
which define the length 36 of the well 22. The end
transition portions 52 carry longitudinal loads from the
main portion 54 of the floor assembly 26 to the side
sills 34 and to the transverse stiffeners 38 at each end
of the car body 21.
Between the well floor end transition portions
52, the main portion 54 of the well floor assembly 26 is
an integral rigid welded assembly, including a bottom
plate 56 which may be in the form of two opposite side
portions each about half the width of the floor assembly
26, extending horizontally for the length of the main
portion 54 of the floor assembly 26 and joined together
along a longitudinal center joint. The bottom plate 56
may be, for example, 5/32 inch thick.
A longitudinally extending transition channel
member 58, of bent plate 3/8 thick, for example, extends
along the top of each lateral margin of the bottom plate
56. The transition channel members 58 are specially
configured, with a cross-section shape that includes a
V-shaped channel portion 60 which has a pair of sides
including a diagonally upwardly-and-outwardly directed
outer flange portion 62. As may be seen best in FIG. 5,
a bottom portion of the V-shaped channel 60 is welded to
the lateral margin 64 of the bottom plate 56, while an
upper margin of the outer flange portion 62 overlaps and
is welded to the inner side of a lower margin 66 of the
lower panel 50 of the web sheet 48, so that the floor
assembly 26 is suspended from the top chords 44 and
extends horizontally between the two side sills 34. Each
transition channel member 58 further includes a hori-
zontal transverse portion 68 connected with the otherside of the channel 60, and a vertical flange portion 70
extending down from the transverse portion 68 and whose
2167328
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11
margin is welded to the top side of the bottom plate 56.
Thus, the transition channel members 58 resemble a
radical, or square root, sign.
The well floor end transition portions 52 each
include a pair of transition plates 72 forming the
lateral margins of the end transition portions 52. The
transition plates 72 are 3/8 inch thick, for example, and
extend from each end of the main portion 54 of the floor
assembly 56 toward the respective vertical transverse
stiffener member 38. Each transition plate 72 is welded
to the inwardly extending transverse horizontal lower
flange 74 of the respective stiffener 38, as may be seen
best in FIG. 3.
A pair of diagonal box beams 76 extend from
respective portions of the transition plates 72 adjacent
the main portion 54 of the floor assembly 26, converging
toward each other, and are welded to a central portion of
the horizontal lower flange 74 of the respective trans-
verse stiffener 38. The box beams 76 may be two inches
by four inches overall in cross-section size, with a wall
thickness of 1/8 inch, for example. A top cover plate 78
is welded to the tops of the beams 76. The top cover
plate 78 extends down alongside the outer ends of the box
beams 76 and is also welded to the flange 74 to further
strengthen the attachment of the outer ends of the beams
76 to the transverse stiffener 38.
Similarly, as shown also in FIGS. 3 and 6, a
top attachment plate 80 is welded to the top of the
other, or longitudinally inner, end of each of the beams
76 to attach it to the top of a respective transition
ramp member 82 which forms a part of the attachment of
the main portion 54 of the floor assembly 26 to the
transition plate 72. A bottom attachment plate 84 also
cooperates in attachment of the inner ends of the beams
76 to the transition plates 72, through a doubler plate
86 which is attached to the lower faces of the bottom
plate 56 and the transition plate 72. The cover plates
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12
78 and attachment plates 80 and 84 may all be 3/16 inch
thick, for example.
A diagonally upwardly-and-outwardly extending
flange 88 is a portion of each transition plate 72 and is
welded to the lower margin 66 of the lower panel 50 of
the web sheet 48 to attach the laterally outer margins of
the transition plates 72 to the side sills 34.
A stub transverse stiffener 90 (FIGS. 4, 6, and
8) similar in thickness to the transverse stiffeners 38
supports the lower panel 50 of each web sheet 48 beneath
the top chord 44 immediately.adjacent the transverse
stiffener 38, and is welded to the transverse stiffener
38 to interconnect it securely with the side sills 34 and
define the end of the cargo well 22. A gusset 92 of
similar material interconnects the stub transverse stif-
fener 90 with the channel 45 of the top chord 44, and a
gusset 94 interconnects the upper margin of the outer
flange portion 62 of the transition channel member 58
with the stub transverse stiffener 90.
The outer ends 98 of the side sills 34 are
welded to each of the body bolsters 30. The body
bolsters 30 are transversely-extending box beam struc-
tures similar to those used in other railroad well cars
of recent design for carrying stacked intermodal cargo
containers. The longitudinally outer portions of the
lower panel 50 of each side sill 34, the portions extend-
ing beyond the transverse stiffeners 38, are diagonally
tapered upwardly toward the top chord 44, providing
clearance for the truck 40. A doubler plate 96 is
provided on the outer side of the lower panel 50 to
reinforce the margins of the lower panel 50 on each side
of the transverse stiffeners 38.
Large, generally triangular, horizontal gusset
plates 100 extend from the top flange of the transverse
stiffener 38 to the lower portion of the body bolster 30.
The gusset plates 100 carry substantial loads to the body
bolster 30, and are therefore of substantial thickness,
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13
for example 3/4 inch. An outer side margin portion of
each gusset 100 extends beneath and is welded to the
lower flange 46 of the respective top chord channel
member 45, as seen best in FIG. 4. Reinforcing plates
102 strengthen the interconnection of the top flange 46
of the chord 44 of each side sill to the body bolsters,
as shown in FIG. 3.
Referring now also to FIGS. 9-17, the
longitudinally centrally located main portion 54 of the
floor assembly 26 includes a pair of downwardly-open
longitudinal channels 110, extending longitudinally of
the floor assembly 26, each spaced laterally inward from
and parallel with a respective transition channel member
58. Each longitudinal channel 110 may be of bent plate
3/8 inch thick, for example, and has a horizontal web 112
and a pair of vertical flanges 114 of equal size so that
the web 112 is parallel with the bottom plate 56. The
height of the longitudinal channels 110 is equal to that
of the horizontal portion 68 of the longitudinal
transition channels 58.
A generally rectangular top plate 116 extends
horizontally between the longitudinal channels 110 and
has its lateral margins 118 welded respectively to the
inboard shoulder of the downwardly open longitudinal
channel 110 on each side, so that the top plate 116 of
the floor assembly 26 is spaced upwardly apart from the
bottom plate 56 by a distance equal to the height of the
longitudinal channel 110.
A cover plate 120, 3/8 inch thick, for example,
is welded atop the confronting shoulders of each
transition channel 58 and the nearby downwardly open
longitudinal channel 110 to form an upper surface. The
cover plate 120 is additionally supported by heavy
doubler plates 122 5/8 inch thick, for example, located
between the confronting vertical flanges 114 and 70 at
the positions along the length of the floor assembly 26
where concentrations of weight are to be expected.
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14
Doubler plates 122 are thus provided where the ends of a
pair of end-to-end cargo containers are to be supported
at the mid point of the length 36 of the well 22, and at
the ends of the main portion 54 of the floor assembly 26,
adjacent the transition plates 72, where the corner posts
of the outer ends of containers are to be supported on
locator cones. At the locations where the container
corner castings are to be located the cover plate 120
is omitted, to provide a small amount of additional
clearance.
The transition channel member 58, the cover
plate 120, the doubler plate 122, and the longitudinally
extending channel 110 all cooperate with the lower panel
50 of the web sheet 48 of the respective side sill 34 to
carry loads which would be carried by a lower chord of
the side sill 34 if one existed. Additionally, the hori-
zontal transverse portion 68 of the transition channel
members 58, the cover plates 120, and the horizontal webs
112 of the longitudinal channels 110 include suitably
strong upper surfaces of the floor assembly 26 to support
the wheels 25 of trailers 24 carried in the well as shown
in FIG. 1.
The floor assembly 26 is further strengthened
by several transversely extending beams in the form of
downwardly-open channels 124, of bent plate 1/4 inch
thick, for example, whose flanges are welded to the
bottom plate 56 at locations spaced apart longitudinally
along the main portion 54 of the floor assembly 26. The
top plate 116 is welded to the web of each transverse
channel 124 through conventional openings provided for
that purpose. A similar but wider transversely extending
end channel 134 is located at each end of the main
portion 54 of the floor assembly, as shown in FIGS. 6
and 10.
In order to provide additional stiffness while
also reducing the weight of the bottom assembly 26, the
bottom plate 56 and the top plate 116 each respectively
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define several large openings 126 and 128, preferably
circular in shape, of equal size, and located directly
above one another. A stiffener 130 extends vertically
between the bottom plate 56 and top plate 116 and sur-
5 rounds the large openings 126 and 128. The stiffener 130
is of metal plate material 1/4 inch thick, for example,
forming a circular wall enclosing the large openings 126
and 128. The stiffener 130 is welded to both the bottom
plate 56 and top plate 116 about the entire periphery of
the large openings 126 and 128, interconnecting the top
plate 116 and the bottom plate 56 as a stiff structure.
The height of the longitudinal channels 110, establishing
the distance separating the bottom plate 56 from the top
plate 116, may be 2-9/32 inch, for example, and the
stiffener 130 correspondingly has a height of
2-9/32 inches.
In a car 20 in which the length 36 of the well
22 is slightly greater than 48 feet, in order to receive
a nominally 48-foot-long cargo container, preferably
eight sets of corresponding vertically aligned large
openings 126, 128 are provided, each having a diameter
132 of 44 inches, with the circular stiffeners 130 having
an inside diameter of 45 inches, providing an overhang of
about 1/2 inch of the margins of the top plate 116 and
bottom plate 56 inside the stiffeners 130 to allow for
convenient welding and stress relief.
As shown also in FIGS. 9, 10, 12 and 13, the
transverse channel members 124 are located between the
adjacent pairs of large openings and the similar, but
wider, transverse end channels 134 are located between
the top plate 116 and bottom plate 56 at each end of the
main portion 54 of the floor assembly 26, adjacent the
well floor end transition portions 52.
In order to provide adequate strength for
transfer of loads from the main portion 54 of the well
floor assembly 26 to the end transition portion 52 at
each end, and ultimately to the body bolster 30, a
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16
respective doubler plate 86 is welded to the underside of
the bottom plate 56 adjacent each end of the main portion
54, extending about two feet toward the center of the
length of the car body 21. A portion of the doubler
plate 86 extends longitudinally outward beyond the wide
transverse end channel member 134 at each end of the main
body portion 54 and is welded to the bottom side of the
respective transition plate 72 at each side of the floor
assembly 26. The respective bottom attachment plate 84
for each diagonal box beam 76 is bent to fit closely
along the bottom side of the doubler plate 86 and extends
thence along the bottom side of the transition plate 72.
An end cap 136 extends vertically and
transversely across the ends of the transition channel
member 58 and the downwardly open longitudinal channel
110 on each side at each end of the main portion 54.
Each transition ramp 82 is welded to the respective end
cap 136 and extends slopingly from it to the top surface
of the transition plate 72.
Groups of transverse reinforcing pieces 138 and
140 extend vertically between the bottom plate 56 and the
underside of the transition channel member 58 and the
doubler plate 86, respectively, near each corner of the
main portion 54 of the floor assembly 26, as shown in
FIGS. 9, 15, and 16. A transition plate 142, shown in
FIGS. 9 and 14, provides additional support for the
longitudinal channel member 110 at each end of the main
portion 54, extending vertically and laterally adjacent
the end cap 136.
A "J"-shaped doubler 146 is located on the
outer side of the floor assembly 26, below a part of the
horizontal portion of each doubler plate 96 near the
lower margin of each side sill 34. The J-shaped doublers
146 extend longitudinally over a distance extending
slightly beyond the doubler plate 86, and thus reinforce
a portion of the outer flange 88 of each transition plate
72 and a portion of the outer flange 62 at each end of
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17
each transition channel member 58. The outer diagonal
flange 88 of each transition plate 72 also aids in the
transmission of forces from the main portion 54 of the
floor assembly 26 to the end transition portions 52.
As shown in FIG. 17, except at the mid-length
location along the floor assembly 26 the two
longitudinally-extending halves of the bottom plate 56
are joined by a weld 148 and a reinforcing cover strip
150 extending longitudinally of the floor assembly 26 on
the bottom side, at the ends of the main portion 54 and
between the large openings 126 at places other than the
mid-length location. However, at the mid-length position
the cover strip 150 is preferably not used where track
clearance height beneath the car is most critical.
Standard cargo container locator cones 152 are
supported upon the reinforced portions of the corners of
the main portion 54 of the well floor assembly 26, where
the doubler plates 122 are not covered by the cover
plates 120. At the mid-length portion of the car,
between the middle pair of large openings 126, 128, the
doubler plates 122 are also partially exposed as a land-
ing spot for the corner posts of each of a pair of short
containers carried end-to-end within the cargo well 22 as
shown in FIG. 1.
Referring now to FIGS. 18-27, one end is shown
of a railroad freight car 160, similar in most respects
to the freight car 20. Except as to those elements which
differ from corresponding elements of the freight car 20
previously described, the reference numerals used in
FIGS. 1-17 will be used in FIGS. 18-27 to refer to like
parts of the car 160.
Extending atop each side sill 34 of the body
21' of the car 160 is a respective side sill reinforcing
structure 162 mounted atop the top chord 44 of the side
sill 34. The side sill reinforcing structure 162 has a
length 164, and extends longitudinally of the car and
along side a portion of the cargo well 22, from a
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18
location adjacent the outer end 98 of the side sill 34,
where it is connected with the body bolster 30. An end
166 of the side sill reinforcing structure 162 is aligned
with the cargo container locator cone 152, which is
located at the position longitudinally of the cargo well
22 where inter-box connectors (IBCs) are located to
interconnect upper-tier and lower-tier containers 32 to
each other in the cargo well 22. A trailer 24 is located
in the cargo weIl 22, and a loading crane leg 168 is
shown extending downward alongside the trailer 24, with
its trailer-engaging foot 170 engaged with the bottom
longitudinal frame rail of the trailer 24. The portion
of the foot 170 which extends downward lower than the
bottom of the trailer 24 has a thickness 172.
A trailer hitch 28' is mounted atop the body
bolster 30 and is oriented, as shown best in FIG. 19, so
as to receive the hitch kingpin (not shown) of the
trailer 24 as it moves into engagement with the trailer
hitch 28' from the direction of the center of the car
160. In other respects, the trailer hitch 28' is similar
to the trailer hitch 28 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The top
surface of the trailer hitch 28', on which the bottom of
the trailer 24 rests, has a height 174, of several inches
above the top of the top chord 44, for example, as much
as 12-1/2 inches.
The reinforcing structure 162 has a horizontal
top 176, located above the top of the top chord 44 at a
height 178, which is less than the height 174. The
height 178 is smaller than the height 174 by a distance
great enough to leave, at a minimum, sufficient clearance
for the thickness 172 of the foot 170 of the loading
crane leg 168. The difference between the height 178 and
the height 174 may preferably be greater, as shown in
FIG. 18, in order to accommodate a trailer 24 in which
the bottom longitudinal frame rail may be located lower
than the turntable surface on the bottom of the trailer.
At the same time, however, the height 178 is great enough
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19
so that a person standing atop the horizontal top 176 of
the reinforcing structure 162 will be able to reach an
IBC used to attach an upper-tier container 32 to a
lower-tier container 32.
A transverse horizontal walkway 180 extends
between opposite reinforcing structures 162 and is
supported, in part, by attachment to the reinforcing
structure 162 on each side of the car 160. A support 182
is mounted on the body bolster 30 and supports a central
portion of the transverse walkway 180. A respective one
of a pair of longitudinal walkways 184 extends toward the
end of the car 162 from the transverse walkway 180, on
each side of the car 160, as may be seen in FIG. 19.
Preferably, as may be seen in FIG. 20, the
reinforcing structure 162 includes a main member in the
form of a channel having the shape of an inverted U, with
the horizontal top 176 forming the base of the U. The
legs of the U are an inner leg 186 extending longitu-
dinally of the car 160 and oriented vertically, and an
outer leg 188 which extends diagonally downwardly and
inwardly toward the top chord 44 of the side sill 34.
The width 190 of the horizontal top 176 is thus greater
than the width 192 of the top chord 44, so that the hori-
zontal top 176 of the reinforcing structure provides a
greater area than that of the top of the top chord 44,
for a person to stand upon while operating IBCs. Because
the reinforcing structures 162 are close to the ends of
the car 160, there is sufficient room for such laterally
outward protrusion of the reinforcing structure 162,
despite the need for the longitudinally central portions
of the side sills to be spaced closer together in order
for the car 160 to negotiate curves safely.
The channel member of the reinforcing structure
162 is preferably manufactured of steel plate, for
example 1/4 inch thick, bent to the required shape. The
channel is reinforced by three intermediate stiffener
plates 198 and a pair of end stiffener plates 200, each
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welded to the channel at the appropriate location. The
lower margins of the inner leg 186 and outer leg 188 of
the reinforcing structure 162 are welded to the top chord
44, preferably along substantially their entire length,
as shown at 194 and 196, respectively. The reinforcing
structure 162 is welded atop the top chord 44 with the
inner leg 186 spaced outwardly from the inner face 202 of
the top chord 44 by a distance 204 of, for example, 1.25
inches, in order to reduce somewhat the likelihood of the
reinforcing structure 162 being struck by a container 32
or trailer 24 being moved into or out of the cargo well
32. At the same time, however, the reinforcing structure
162 is strong enough to withstand the weight of a con-
tainer 32 or trailer 24, should it be lowered acci-
dentally onto the horizontal top 176, and is substantial
enough to strengthen the side sill 34 where its lower
margin slopes upward to provide clearance for the
truck 40.
The horizontal top 176 is perforated, defining
a pattern of large, generally circular holes 206 each
having a diameter of, for example, about 1 inch,
surrounded by a pattern of smaller holes 208, each having
a diameter of, for example, 1/4 inch. Each of the
smaller holes 208 is surrounded by a raised annular rim
210, the holes 208 and rims 210 together forming a raised
perforated dimple having a diameter 212 of, for example,
5/8 inch. The arrangement of holes 206 and surrounding
perforated dimples,-as shown in FIG. 25, provides ample
space for rain or slush to fall downward through the
horizontal top 176, clearing the horizontal top 176
sufficiently that it provides a reliable non-skid walkway
surface.
Alternatively, another type of non-skid surface
(not shown), such as use of non-skid paint or other
surface covering, or a non-skid surface configuration of
raised ridges in a basket-weave pattern, commonly known
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as "diamond tread," might be used atop the horizontal top
176.
The pattern of holes 206 and 208, on the other
hand, leaves most of the metal of which the horizontal
top 176 is made. Ample strength, then, is still provided
by the reinforcing structure 162, both to carry some of
the structural loads in that portion of the side sills 34
and to resist damage from inadvertently being struck by
containers 32, trailers 24, or equipment used to handle
them.
As may be seen more particularly in FIG. 22,
the reinforcing structures 162 are symmetrical, and
include a pair of keyhole-shaped openings 214 near each
end of the inner leg 186 to receive a fastener such as a
bolt 216 attaching a bracket 218 to support the trans-
verse walkway 180. The transverse walkway 180 may be of
a conventional construction of expanded metal providing
ample strength to support a worker, but, since it is not
intended to add significantly to the structural strength
of the car body, the transverse walkway 180 need not be
of such substantial material as the reinforcing structure
162.
Referring now to FIGS. 28-35, a multi-unit
railway freight car 218 embodying the invention
preferably includes at least two car units 220 semi-
permanently interconnected. More specifically, in an
embodiment having three car units 220, the three car
units 220 may be identified as a front end or first car
unit 232 (which may be referred to as an A end unit in
the industry), an intermediate or second car unit 230
(which may be referred to as a c unit in the industry),
and a rear end or third car unit 234 (which may be
referred to as a B end unit and usually includes the hand
brake mechanism of the freight car 218). Except as to
those elements which differ from corresponding elements
of the freight cars 20 and 160 previously described, the
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22
reference numerals used in FIGS. 1-27 will be used in
FIGS. 28-35 to refer to like parts of the car units 220.
As may be seen in FIGS. 29A and 29B (arranged
as shown in FIG. 28), the multi-unit railway freight car
218 includes three interconnected car units 220 which are
adapted for carrying either intermodal cargo containers
222 of various sizes (such as the upper-tier containers
32 and lower-tier containers 32 discussed above) or over-
the-highway freight trailers 24. Accordingly, a multi-
unit railway freight car 218 may carry various
combinations of intermodal cargo containers 222 and
freight trailers 24. A freight trailer 24 generally
includes a hitch kingpin 224 (FIG. 31) at a front end 23
of the trailer 24 and road wheels 25 at the back end of
the trailer 24. A freight trailer 24 may also include
landing gear 226 shown in phantom line in FIG. 31, spaced
a small distance rearward from the hitch kingpin 224.
As discussed previously, some freight trailers
are longer than cargo wells 22 of the car units 220.
Accordingly, a multi-unit railway freight car 218 of the
present invention is designed to carry over-length
freight trailers 24' which are longer than the cargo
wells 22 of the car units 220, as shown in FIGS. 29A and
29B, by using a pair of adjacent interconnected car units
220 to jointly support a single long freight trailer 24'.
As shown in FIG. 30, adjacent car units 220 of the car
218 are preferably interconnected by an articulated
connector 236 to connect one end of a first car unit 232
to an end of an adjacent, second, or intermediate car
unit 230. Such articulated connectors 236 are well known
in multi-unit freight cars and allow adjacent ends of the
car units 220 interconnected thereby to be supported by a
single shared wheeled truck 238. A suitable articulated
connector 236 and shared wheeled truck 238 are disclosed
in U.S. Patent No. 5,207,161, owned by the assignee of
this application.
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Each end of the multi-unit railway freight car
218, as shown in FIGS. 29A and 29B, may further include a
conventional wheeled truck 40 which supports the
respective free, or unarticulated, end of each of the end
car units 232 and 234.
FIGS. 30 and 31 show a trailer hitch 28 which
may receive and pivotally secure a hitch kingpin 224 of a
trailer 24'. The trailer hitch 28 is shown supported on
the first car unit 232 of two interconnected car units
220. The end of the first unit 232 which supports the
trailer hitch 28 preferably includes a body bolster 240
extending transversely to the first car unit 232.
FIGS. 32-34 show the internal support structure
of a body bolster 240 supporting a trailer hitch 28. A
body bolster 242 constructed similarly to body bolster
240 is similarly included in the interconnected adjacent
ends of each of the car units 220 not supporting a
trailer hitch 28. Body bolsters 240 and 242, like body
bolsters 30, discussed above, interconnect the side sills
34 (FIG. 30) and the st.ub center sill 256 of each of the
car units 220.
As shown in FIGS. 30 and 31, the trailer hitch
28 supported by the body bolster 240 of the first car
unit 232 defines a hitch kingpin location 228 (also shown
in FIG. 34) situated longitudinally between the body
bolster 240 of the first end car unit 232 and the body
bolster 242 of the second or intermediate car unit 230.
As shown herein, the interconnected car units 220 share a
wheeled truck 238, and the hitch kingpin location 228 is
preferably located above the shared wheeled truck 238.
FIG. 30 also shows the relative positions of a
trailer 24' (shown in phantom line) and the car units 230
and 232 located on a length of a railroad track (not
shown) curved at a minimum radius, as shown by the broken
line 260 representing the center line of the track. As
the multi-unit railway freight car 218 negotiates such
curved track, there should be sufficient clearance along
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24
both sides for the car and its load to fit within the
appropriate American Association of Railroads clearance
plates. Accordingly, the sideways displacement 261 of
the trailer 24' resulting from negotiating a curve
preferably does not cause the trailer 24' to extend
beyond the outside of the side sills 34. To limit the
sideways displacement 261, the horizontal distance 263,
measured longitudinally of the car 218, between the
center of the hitch kingpin location 228 and the center
of the articulated connector pin location 262, is
relatively short, for example, 8-13/16 inches.
Finally, as the car 218 negotiates curves the
front end 23 of the trailer 24' should not contact
containers 222 or other cargo carried in the well 22 of
the car unit 232 on whose body bolster 240 the front of
the trailer 24' is supported. To prevent this contact,
there should be a minimum distance 244 (FIG. 29B) of
approximately 14 inches between the front of the long
trailer 24' and containers 222 in the adjacent car unit
220, when the loaded car 218 is on a tangent track.
The second, or intermediate car unit 230 of the
two interconnected car units 220 includes a cargo well 22
which preferably includes trailer road wheel-supporting
floor structure 26 to support the road wheels 25 of the
trailer 24', as shown in FIG. 29A and discussed above in
relation to FIGS. 1 and 2. The floor structure 26
preferably has cargo container support structure
associated therewith, also as discussed above. Also,
each end of the car unit 230 should be low enough to
allow for clearance 276 (FIG. 29A) beneath a chassis of a
trailer 24 carried on its road wheels 25 in the well 22
and, accordingly, will generally not include a trailer
hitch 28.
It should be noted that, in the three-unit car
218 shown herein, the trailer 24' may be carried in the
well 22 of the intermediate unit 230, facing toward
either end of the multi-unit railway freight car 218, by
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supporting the front end 23 of the trailer 24' on the
trailer hitch 28 located on the body bolster 240 of the
adjacent end of the end unit 232 or 234, whichever is the
one closer to the front end 23 of the trailer 24'. The
body bolsters 242 at both ends of the intermediate unit
230 are free of trailer hitches and other upwardly-
extending structure, thus providing the necessary
clearance 276 (FIG. 29A) for either end of the trailer
24' to overhang either of the body bolsters 242. For
this reason, a car consisting of two end units 232, 234
and a single intermediate unit 230 is the preferred
combination of car units. Additional intermediate units
230 interconnected by articulated connectors 236 and with
their interconnected ends supported by shared wheeled
trucks 238 could be included in a multi-unit car
according to the invention.
Further, it should be noted that the heights
174 and 178 discussed above in connection with trailer
hitch 28' and shown in FIG. 18 are generally applicable
to the multi-unit railway freight car 218. More
specifically, the height 174, between the top surface of
the trailer hitch 28' on which the bottom of the trailer
24 rests and the top chord 44, is as much as 12-1/2
inches. Height 178 is smaller than the height 174 by a
distance great enough to leave, at a minimum, sufficient
clearance for the thickness 172 of the foot 170 of the
loading crane leg 168.
FIGS. 32-34 show an exemplary structure of body
bolster 240. On either side of the trailer hitch 28 is a
side bearing support arm 246 mounted to the face 248 of
the body bolster 240. Trailer hitch 28 is attached to a
central portion 278 of the body bolster by an
intermediate hitch support assembly 280 which has an
essentially upside-down L-shaped interconnection to the
upper-outer corner of the central portion 278. The lower
edge of the central portion 278 and the intermediate
hitch support assembly 280 connect with and are attached
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26
to a stub center sill 256 which facilitates
interconnections between car units 220. The body bolster
240 has internal support structure to provide additional
support and rigidity. Such internal support structure
may include internal web structures such as transverse
bracing plate structures 250 to add stiffness to the
hitch support structure 280. Diagonal bracing members
252 are also included to support the hitch support
structure 280. The stub center sill 256 has attached to
its outer end a casting 258 which is a part of the
articulated connector 236.
When an over-length trailer 24' is situated in
the multi-unit railway freight car 218, the hitch kingpin
224 of the trailer 24' is secured to the trailer hitch 28
of a first car unit 232 and the road wheels 25 of the
trailer 24' are situated atop the floor structure 26
within the well 22 of a second car unit 230 so that the
front end 23 of the trailer 24' spans the interconnection
between the two adjacent car units 220. Since the car
units 220 as shown share a common truck 238, the front
end 23 of the trailer 24 spans the shared truck 238. The
two adjacent car units 230, 232 should be loaded so that
the front end 23 of the trailer 24' is a minimum distance
244 which provides enough clearance to prevent the front
end 23 of the trailer 24 from contacting the containers
222 or other cargo as the multi-unit car 218 negotiates
curves in the track.
The multi-unit railway freight car of the
invention may consist of any number of interconnected car
units 220. For example, the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 29A and 29B is a three-unit railway freight car 218
which consists of a front end car unit 232, an
intermediate car unit 230, and a rear end car unit 234.
Each of the end car units 232 and 234 is adjacent to one
of the opposite ends of intermediate car unit 230, and
each of the end car units 232 and 234 has one respective
articulated connector end. Both of the opposite ends of
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the intermediate car unit 230 are articulated connector
ends. Respective shared trucks 238 support the
articulated connector end of each of the end car units
232 and 234 and a respective one of the articulated
connector ends of the intermediate car unit 230. The
intermediate car unit 230 of the multi-unit railway
freight car 218 includes a cargo well 22. Further, the
articulated ends of the end car units 232 and 234 of the
multi-unit railway freight car 218 shown in FIGS. 29A and
29B support trailer hitches 28. The intermediate car
unit 230 in these figures does not include a trailer
hitch 28. Thus, the embodiment of the invention shown in
FIGS. 29A and 29B allows a long trailer 24' to be carried
in the intermediate car unit 230 and either shorter
trailers 24 or containers 222 to be carried in the end
car units 232 and 234.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 35, a multi-
unit railway freight car 218' according to the invention
could comprise a larger number of car units 220 each
having one, two, or no trailer hitches 28. A car unit
264 having two trailer hitches 28 may carry two shorter
trailers 24. Three car units 266, 268, and 270 can be
arranged so that the end car units 266 and 270 which have
no trailer hitches 28 each support trailer wheels 25 and
the corresponding trailer hitch kingpins 224 (not shown)
are connected to the trailer hitches 28 on either end of
the intermediate car unit 268. The intermediate car unit
268 may then carry one or more containers 222 in its
cargo well 22. Car units 272 and 274 which each include
only one trailer hitch 28 may also be included and can
support either trailers 24 or containers 222. These
combinations are meant to be exemplary and are not meant
to limit the scope of the invention.
The present invention also includes a method of
carrying cargo, including an over-length freight trailer
24' having road wheels 25, in a multi-unit railway
freight car 218. The first step of the method is to
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~ 28
place and support the road wheels 25 of the trailer 24 on
a cargo well floor 26 in a second car unit 230 of a pair
of adjacent car units 220 having respective articulated
connector ends supported on a shared wheeled truck 238.
Next, a hitch kingpin 224 of the trailer 24' is coupled
to a trailer hitch 28 mounted on an articulated connector
end of a first car unit 232 of a pair of adjacent car
units 220 so that the trailer hitch 28 supports a front
end portion 23 of the trailer 24 above the articulated
connector end of the first car unit 232 of the pair of
adjacent car units, but without the front end portion 23
of the trailer 24' interfering with placement of cargo
into a cargo well 22 of the first car unit 232. Finally,
other cargo such as additional freight trailers 24 or one
or more intermodal cargo containers 222 may be carried in
the cargo well 22 of the first car unit 232 while the
over-length trailer 24' is carried with its weight shared
by the two adjacent car units.
The terms and expressions which have been
employed in the foregoing specification are used therein
as terms of description and not of limitation, and there
is no intention, in the use of such terms and expres-
sions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and
described or portions thereof, it being recognized that
the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by
the claims which follow.
