Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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RAILROAD WELL CAR
Field of Invention
This invention relates to cross members for supporting containers
carried in a rail road well car and to a rail road freight car including a
longitudinal
well for carrying intermodal cargo containers that has container support cross
members.
Background of Invention
Intermodal cargo containers are standardized in various lengths such
as 20, 24, 40, 45, 48 and 53 ft. The standardized cargo containers are
regularly
stacked one on top of another on a railway freight car for transport.
The ever increasing demand to increase the payload of railway cars
and commercial competitiveness has forced manufacturers to design lighter
railway
cars which can still safely withstand the various dynamic forces which act
upon the
cargo containers during transport.
United States Patent No.4,599,949, discloses a light weight container
car. The container car comprises a pair of longitudinally extending side sills
of
double web construction welded to a plurality of transverse beams and cross
beams for strengthening the side sills from lateral deflection. Two cross
beams
are welded to a centred pad and extend between adjacent transverse beams.
United States Patent No. 4,771,706, discloses a container carrying
railroad car with supporting castings. The car body has opposing side walls
and
end walls defining a well in which a container can be received. The supports
for
the bottom of the container within the well have a plurality of metal casings
joined
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to each side wall. Each casting has a substantially vertical leg jointed to an
exterior stiffener on the side wall and an arm extending substantially
horizontally
inward under the side chord or angle towards the centre of the car on which a
container bottom can be supported.
United States Patent No. 4,909,157, discloses a railway car having
a plurality of spaced metal castings jointed to each side wall. Each casting
has an
L-shape with the vertical leg joined at the bottom of the side wall to an
exterior
stiffener and the arm of the casting extending laterally horizontally inwardly
under
the side bottom chord or angle to aid in supporting a container in the well.
In order to stack two cargo containers, the railroad car must have
a well to carry the two stacked containers as low as possible to meet the
height
restrictions of the rail system. The load bearing surfaces are generally
vertically
offset from the support points and the coupling points of the railroad car. As
a
result, unbalanced moments are created which must be counterbalanced with an
opposite moment.
United States Patent No.4,599,949, discloses an end bulkhead joined
to the side sills. The bulkhead has a plurality of strengthening baffles.
United States Patent No. 4,807,722, discloses a railway car wherein
each end of the car has a stub sill knee to transfer loads from the coupling
to a
lower horizontal shear plate in the well area which can collect snow which
must
be cleared before loading the car.
Although these patents effectively counterbalance the unbalanced
moments, the structure has not been fully satisfactory.
Intermodal cargo containers are also standardized in terms of width.
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A cargo container can have either a 96 inch or 102 inch width. A well of a
railroad freight car is generally manufactured to receive the larger width
container. However, if a narrower width container is loaded into the wider
well,
the narrower container is prone to overturn within the container well.
Retractable
guides have been proposed to effectively narrow the width of the container
well.
United States Patent No. 4,754,709, discloses a rai.lro$d car for
carrying a container. The car body has opposing side walls having guides
mounted
along each side for reducing the width of the wells spaced therebetween so as
to
centre in the well, a container having a width less than the well width so as
to
limit sideward movement of the container in the well when the car rocks.
However, such guides must be deployed prior to the container being deposited
in
the well, since the guide pivots through a space which is occupied by the
container
after it has been deposited in the well.
United States Patent No. 4,930,426, discloses a device for changing
the effective width of a container well of a freight car. A guide body is slid
laterally inwardly and locked in the inner position for guiding a narrower
container. A latch comprising a bar and aperture is used to lock the guide
body
in either the inner or outer position. However, the latch is prone to jam with
ice
under freezing conditions and therefore wilI lock in a particular position.
Summary of the Invention
The disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by providing
a retractable guide assembly which is deployable regardless of whether a cargo
container has been loaded and which is not prone to rust or jam.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a
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retractable guide assembly for changing the effective width of a container
well
of a railroad freight car. The guide assembly comprises a housing having a
pair of
spaced apart walls, each having an inverted U-shaped slot, and a guide for
slidably
mounted between the walls for translational movement relative to the housing.
The guide is slidable between a retracted position and an extended position in
which a portion of the guide projects beyond the housing. The guide has a bar
for
extending through each slot of the walls for travelling therealong in a cam
relationship as the guide slides between the retracted positions and the
extended
position.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
retractable guide assembly for attachment to an upper edge of a wall of a
railroad
car. The retractable guide assembly comprises a housing and a guide. The
housing has a base and a pair of spaced opposed walls mounted on the base.
Each wall has a matching, inverted generally U-shaped slot with downwardly
depending slot arms, one of which is angled away from the other and the other
has a basal abutment. The guide is slidably mounted between the walls. The
guide has a convex bumper face extending between the walls, a bar extending
from the guide adapted for sliding travel in each of the walls slots, and a
downwardly depending protrusion formed below the convex bumper face. The
convex bumper face is extendable beyond the housing by seating the bar in the
slot arm having the basal abutment and is retractable by seating the bar in
the slot
arm angled away from the other.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
retractable guide assembly for changing the effective width of a container
well
of a railroad freight car. The guide assembly comprises a housing and a guide.
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The housing has a pair of spaced apart walls, each having an inverted U-shaped
slot. The guide is pivotally mounted between the walls for rotational movement
relative to the housing. The guide is pivotable between a retracted position
and
an extended position in which a portion of the guide projects beyond the
housing.
The guide has a radially extending slot and a bar slidably engaging the
radially
extending slot for reciprocal movement relative to an axis of rotation of the
guide.
The bar extends through each of the U-shaped slots of the walls for travelling
therealong in a cam relationship. When the bar is in a radially inward
position,
the guide is pivotable between the retracted and extended positions and when
the
bar is in a radially outward position, the guide is restrained in either of
the
retracted and extended positions.
According to still another aspect of the invention there is a cross member
assembly for a rail road well car. The well car has a pair of end structures
and a
pair of first and second side beams extending between the end structures and
has a
cargo carrying well defined therebetween. The side beams have an upper region
and a lower region. The lower region has an upwardly extending portion and a
laterally inwardly extending arm, wherein the cross member assembly comprises
a first end fitting, a second end fitting, and a medial portion extending
rigidly
between the end fittings. The first end fitting is attachable to the first
side beam
and the second end fitting is attachable to the second side beam. The first
end
fitting has a first portion formed to mate with the upwardly extending portion
of
the side beam, and a second portion formed to locate above the laterally
inwardly
extending arm of the side beam. The first end fitting has bolt holes defined
therein to permit the first end fitting to be bolted to the first side beam.
In another aspect of the invention there is a cross member assembly for a
rail road well car. The well car has a pair of end structures and a pair of
first and
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second side beams extending between the end structures and has a cargo
carrying
well defined therebetween. Each of the first and second side beams have a top
chord, a bottom chord, and a web extending between the top chord and the
bottom
chord. Each of the bottom chords is an angle having an upwardly extending arm
and an inwardly extending arm, wherein the cross member assembly comprises a
first container support bracket, a second container support bracket, and a
transverse beam member mounted rigidly between the first and second brackets.
The first bracket is attachable to the bottom chord of the first side beam and
the
second bracket is attachable to the second side beam. The first bracket has a
first
portion formed to mate with the upwardly extending arm of the bottom chord of
the first side beam, and a second portion formed to locate above the laterally
inwardly extending arm of the bottom chord of the first side beam. The first
portion of the first bracket has bolt holes defined therein to permit the
first portion
of the first bracket to be bolted to the upwardly extending arm of the first
side
beam.
In another aspect of the invention there is a cross member assembly for a
rail road well car. The well car has a pair of end structures and a pair of
first and
second side beams extending between the end structures and has a cargo
carrying
well defined therebetween. The side beams have an upper region and a lower
region. The lower region has an upwardly extending portion and a laterally
inwardly extending arm, wherein the cross member assembly comprises a first
end fitting, a second end fitting, and a medial portion extending rigidly
between
the end fittings. The first end fitting is attachable to the first side beam
and the
second end fitting is attachable to the second side beam. The first end
fitting has
a body having a first end for attachment to the first side beam, and a second
end
located laterally inboard of the first end when the first end is attached to
the first
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side beam. The second end is rigidly attached to the medial portion of the
cross
member assembly. The first end of the first end fitting has a flange formed
thereacross for mating connection with the upwardly extending portion of the
side
beam. The body has a downwardly facing surface formed to locate above the
laterally inwardly extending arm of the side beam. The body has an upwardly
facing surface upon which lading can bear. The flange has bolt holes defined
therein to permit the flange to be bolted to the first side beam.
In another aspect of the invention there is a railroad freight car including a
longitudinal well for carrying intermodal cargo containers, comprising a
structural
frame having side beams, end structures and a floor. The side beams are
connected to the end structures at opposite ends of the side beams. Each of
the
side beams has a top chord and a bottom chord and a web extending between the
top chord and the bottom chord. The floor extends between the lower chords of
the side beams. The floor includes a plurality of load supporting transverse
beam
members spaced along the car body at container support points. The load
supporting transverse members extend between container support brackets
mounted on the lower chords of the side walls. The bottom chords of the side
beams are a first bottom chord and a second bottom chord respectively. The
first
bottom chord has an upwardly extending arm, and an inwardly extending arm
extending toward the second bottom chord. The first bottom chord has an
upwardly extending arm and an inwardly extending arm extending toward the
second bottom chord. A first of the container support brackets is mounted to
the
first bottom chord member. A second of the container support brackets is
mounted to the second bottom chord member opposite to the first bracket. One
of
the transverse members is a first transverse member rigidly mounted between
the
first and second container support brackets. The first container support
bracket
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has a first portion mounted against the upwardly extending arm of the first
bottom chord, and a second portion mounted above the inwardly extending arm of
the first bottom chord. The second container support bracket has a first
portion
mounted against the upwardly extending arm of the second bottom chord, and a
second portion mounted above the inwardly extending arm of the second bottom
chord. The first portion of the first container support bracket is bolted to
the
upwardly extending arm of the first bottom chord member. The first portion of
the second container support bracket is bolted to the upwardly extending arm
of
the second bottom chord member.
Description of the Drawings
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention,
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a railroad car of the present
invention loaded with stacked intermodal cargo containers;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the railroad car of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a section view of a main transverse member of the
railroad car of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a sectional view of an intermediate transverse member of
the railroad car of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a pair of container support brackets
for connecting the main transverse member of Figure 3;
Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of one of the pair of the
connecting brackets of Figure 5;
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Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view of the side wall of the railroad
car of the present invention, illustrating a first embodiment
of a retractable lateral guide in a retracted position;
Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view of the connection between the
main transverse member, the container support bracket and
the side wall of the railroad car of Figure 1;
Figure 9 is a sectional view of the container support bracket of Figure
8 along the lines 9-9;
Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the end structure of the railroad
car of Figure 1;
Figure 11 is an end elevational view of the end structure of the
railroad car of Figure 1 illustrating a second embodiment of
the retractable lateral guide;
Figure 12 is a partial side sectional view of the bulkhead portion of the
end structure of Figure 10 from the reverse angle;
Figure 13 is a detailed top plan view of a longitudinally inner section
of the frame structure of Figure 2;
Figure 14 is a detailed top plan view of a longitudinally outer section
of the frame structure of Figure 2;
20. Figure 15 is a transverse elevational view of the second embodiment of
the retractable lateral guide;
Figure 16 is a top plan view of the retractable lateral guide of Figure
15;
Figure 17 is an end elevational view of the end structure of a railroad
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car of the present invention illustrating the retractable lateral
guide of Figure 7.
Description of the Invention
The railroad freight car of the present invention is illustrated in
Figures 1 to 17. The freight car is constructed in accordance with standard
practice, the car having a longitudinally extending load bearing frame
structure
formed by opposing side beams comprising top chords 12, bottom chords 14, side
walls 16 and end structures 18. The frame structure is mounted at its ends on
trucks 20 which run on tracks. The side walls 16 and bulkhead wal168 (Fig. 12)
define a well for receiving intermodal cargo containers 7, 8 and 9.
Referring to Figures 2, 13 and 14, the floor of the well extends
between bottom chords 14 and comprises load supporting transverse members 22,
intermediate transverse members 24 and end sills 26. Extending
between adjacent transverse members are diagonal struts 28 and 30 which are
symmetrical about the centre transverse member 22. Diagonal struts 28 are
approximately parallel to each other on one side of the centre transverse
member
but symmetrically opposed on opposite sides of the centre transverse member.
Diagonal struts 30 extend opposite to the adjacent diagonal strut 28.
Since the floor of the well is open, safety regulations require that
some support be provided in the event that the bottom of the cargo container
falls
out. Safety struts will support the cargo container load in such event.
Safety struts 32 and 34 extend longitudinally between transverse
members 24 and end sills 26. One end of the safety strut 32 is rigidly mounted
while the opposite end is slidingly mounted. In the preferred embodiment,
safety
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struts 32 are welded into a bracket 36 at one end and pinned to bracket 38.
The
struts 32 have a slot at the pinned end and are so located that the strut
receives
no axial loads when the bottom chord 14 is strained. Pin 39 extends from the
end
of struts 32 and travels in the slot at the pinned end. As bottom cord 14 is
strained, pin 39 is able to travel along the slot preventing axial loads from
being
transferred to struts 32. The welded end is thus protected from high fati:gue
loads.
Both ends of struts 32 may be pin connected with some increase in strut
weight.
Bracket 38 preferably receives both diagonal strut 28 and the pinned
end of safety strut 32. Bracket 38, preferably receives both diagonal strut 30
and
the end of safety strut 34. Bracket 38 and 38, and bracket 36 and 36, are
identical except that bracket 38, and 36, are sized to receive the smaller
diagonal
strut 30 and safety strut 34, respectively.
The combination of opposed diagonal struts and transverse members
produces a relatively light weight and rigid frame structure of the freight
car.
Transverse members 22 and intermediate transverse members 24
are preferably connected to the bottom chord 14 by bolts. Preferably, each
intermediate transverse member 24 is a hollow rectangular beam (Fig. 4) having
a flange on each side thereof for bolting to the bottom chord 14.
In the preferred embodiment, bottom chord 14 is a 90 open corner
angle having one arm welded to the side wall 16 which is welded to top chord
12.
Top chord 12 is preferably a square or rectangular box beam. Extending between
top chord 12 and bottom chord 14 perpendicular to side wall 16 are vertical
side
wall braces 42.
Referring to Figure 5, container support bracket 40 has a horizontal
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platform 44 having a flange 46 at one end extending perpendicular thereto and
merging with a horizontal flange 48 on each side thereof. Flanges 46 and 48
have
bolting holes 50 extending therethrough. The bolting holes in flange 46 are
preferably countersunk. The end opposite the flange 46 is a hollow 52. The
mouth of the hollow is narrowed to fit inside of hollow transverse member 22
and
provide backing for a weld joint. Bracket 40 can be cast, forged or machined,
but
is preferably cast.
During assembly, transverse member 22 is welded to brackets 40 at
each end thereof. Brackets 40 are then bolted to both the vertical and
horizontal
arms of bottom chord 14. An impact stop block 53 is mounted on the vertical
arm of bottom chord 14 beyond the outer transverse members 22. (Figure 8)
On the brackets of the longitudinally outermost transverse member
22 is a container guide 54 and a locating cone 56. (Figure 9) The spacing
between cones and guides is the positioning distance of a standard cargo
container
to position the four corners of a cargo container within the well.
Referring to Figures 10, 11, 12 and 14, the end structures 18 are
more particularly illustrated. Both end structures are identical; however, for
simplicity only one end is illustrated. Top chord 12 extends from the well
longitudinally outwardly to overlap the body bolster 64 under which the
railroad
truck means 20 is pivotally connected. Stub centre sill 66 extends from the
bulkhead wall 68 to the extreme end of the car. The stub centre sill 66 is the
main draft load connection between railroad cars. The connection can either be
drawbars or standard couplings.
Extending between side walls 16 is shear plate 60 which forms the
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top surface of body bolster 64 and stub centre sill 66. Optionally, an upper
bolster
64 may be incorporated. Main bolster 64 is connected to side walls 16. Shear
plate 60 is integrally connected to bulkhead wall 68 which is connected to
end sills 26 and side walls 16. Extending upwardly from shear plate 60 is
fixed
container guide assembly 70 which comprises a plate 72 and a perpendicular
flange 74. Fixed guide assembly 70 protects the end structures 18 from damage
during loading and unloading of the cargo containers.
The bottom flange 76 of side sill ends extends downwardly towards
the bottom chords 14. Flanges 78 and 79 reinforce the bend in flange 76.
Member
69 lies outboard of side wall 16 in line with bulkhead wall 68.
The outer edge of the shear plate 60 is defined essentially by the
body bolster outer webs 61 and the stub centre sill webs 63 with a large
transition
curve 65 between the two lines. A diagonal stiffening member 67 is provided
near
the curved edge.
As illustrated in Figures 7 and 17, the retractable lateral guide
assemblies 82 are shown in a retracted position (solid lines) and an extended
position (broken lines 82a). Retractable guide assemblies 82 comprises a
housing
84 having two side walls 88, a tie bar 98 and a fixed locking bar 99 to
provide
structural integrity. Each side wall 88 has a matching inverted U-shaped slot
90.
One arm 92 of the slot is angled away from the other arm 94. At the base of
arm
94 is a basal abutment 96. Bar 99 has a square cross section which is rotated
presenting a detent.
Slidably extending between the two walls 88 is guide 100 which
has two side walls connected by a contoured plate top and inner surface. In
the
preferred embodiment, guide 100 has a generally chevron shape presenting a
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bumper surface 89. The top plate of guide 100 has a hand hold aperture for
gripping and moving the guide. Guide 100 has a bar 102 through the two side
plates and extends outwardly therefrom for slidingly engaging slot 90 ht a cam
relationship. Guide 100 has a lower edge having a protrusion 104 defining two
notches 106 and 108.
As illustrated in Figures 7 and 17, housing 84 is mounted onto the
top of a side beam angular reinforcement 86 which is part of the top chord 12.
A plurality of like lateral guides are spaced about the perimeter of the well
of the
freight car 10.
In a retracted position, bar 102 is slid towards.the end of arm 92 of
slot 90, whereby notch 106 will rest upon bar 99. T'he length of arm 92 and
notch
106 will stably retain the guide in a retracted position. To move the guide
into
an extended position, the operator may lift the guide 100 by the hand hold or
push laterally on bar 102 and move the guide relatively transversely inwardly.
Bar
102 will move along slot 90 into arm 94. Protrusion 104 will extend forwardly
until notch 108 rests on bar 99. Abutment 96 will restrain the bar 102 from
travelling transversely outwardly while fixed locldng bar 99 will abut
protrusion 104
stably retaining the guide in the extended position.
To retract the guide 100, the operator lifts the guide 100 by the
hand bold to clear bar 99 and bar 102 out of slot arm 94, and then moves guide
100 laterally outward to the position in Figure 7.
When the guides 100 are in the extended position the effective width
of the well is reduced. Narrower cargo containers will abut against the
guides.
When the guides 100 are in the retracted position, wider cargo containers may
be
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loaded into the well.
Referring to Figures 15 and 16, a second embodiment of a
retractable guide assembly 120 is illustrated. Guide assembly 120 is mountable
on the top chord 12 of a railroad freight car. Guide assembly 120 comprises a
housing 122 and a pivotally mounted guide 124. Housing 122 has an open
transverse outer face, a sloped face 125 and side walls 128. Each side wall
128
has an inverted U-shaped slot 126. Slot 126 is sized to slidably receive bar
130
which extends outwardly from guide 124.
Guide 124 has a pivot pin 132 which pivotally connects guide 124
to housing 122. Guide 124 has an offset shape such that when the guide is in
an
extended position as illustrated in Figure 15, a bumper surface 134 is
presented.
Bumper surface 134 directs a container away from the side wall of car and
effectively reduces the width of the well.
Guide 124 has side wall walls 136. Each side wall 136 has a slot
'15 138 radially extending from the axis of rotation of pivot pin 132 and
sized to
slidingly receive locking bar 130. Locking bar 130 reciprocally slides
relative to
pivot pin 132.
The inner corners of the U-shaped slot 126 are shaped so that when
lateral forces are applied to the bumper surface 134 the weight of the guide
124
will tend to force locking bar 130 to the remote ends of the U-shaped slot
126.
In use, the operator can slide locking bar 130 relative to pivot pin
132. In a position radially inwardly, guide 124 can pivot about the axis of
rotation of pivot pin 132 between and extended position (solid lines) to a
retracted
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position (broken lines) as locking bar 130 travels along slot 126. The
operator
then urges locking bar 130 to one of the remote ends of slot 126 locking the
guide
124 in either the extended or retracted position.
When the guide 124 is in the extended position, the effective width
of the well is reduced to retain narrower containers. If the container rocks,
it wdl
bear against the bumper surface 134 of guide 124.
When the guide 124 is retracted, the well is suitable for wider
containers. Wider containers will also bear against bumper surface 134 or
against
the housing inner flange 127.
The retractable lateral guides of the first and second embodiment
can be deployed and retracted before or after the narrower container has been
installed. As the container bears against the bumper surface, the forces will
tend
to urge the locl.dng mechanism into a locked or seated condition reducing the
possibility of the lateral guides from releasing.
Additionally, the placement of the movable parts reduces the
possibility of injuring the operator.
Although the disclosure describes and illustrates the preferred
embodiments of the invention, it is understood that the invention is not
limited to
these particular embodiments. Many variations and modifications will now occur
to those skilled in the art. For definition of the invention, reference is
made to
the appended claims.
.
