Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02246887 1998-09-09
FLEXIBLE CLOSURE ASSEMBLY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to articulated
railway cars for transporting automotive vehicles, and
more particularly to a flexible enclosure for covering
the space between units of the articulated railway car
and to a method of assembling and installing the
flexible enclosure.
2. Background and Description of Related Art
In articulated railway cars, car units are
generally connected in such a way that a gap exists
between car units at each articulation. To efficiently
use available space for transporting automotive vehicles
in articulated railway cars, and more particularly to
utilize the area between the car units, a pivot plate
assembly of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
5,657,698 issued to Black, Jr. et al., the disclosure of
which is incorporated by reference herein, may be
located at each articulation. The pivot plate assembly
allows automotive vehicles to be positioned over the
articulation during transport.
To secure the interior of the railway car and
to restrict the flow of particle laden air into the
railway car, it is desirable to provide an enclosure
across the space between car units. Any such enclosure
must be flexible enough to accommodate pivoting of the
car units relative to one another. Further, in order to
be commercially acceptable, the enclosure must satisfy
several criteria. It must be lightweight yet
sufficiently strong and durable to withstand years of
rail service involving exposure to harsh weather
conditions, e.g., temperature extremes, direct sunlight,
ice and snow accumulations, wind-driven precipitation of
various forms, etc. and various other mechanical loads,
while remaining flexible, and remaining effective to
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shield automotive vehicles from the effects of weather.
It must also be effective to provide security against
efforts to gain unauthorized entry to the railway car at
the enclosure.
The enclosure must be resistant to outward
distortion, i.e., bowing or bending away from the
interior, to avoid interference with trackside
equipment, railcars on adjacent tracks, or other
obstacles. Where automotive vehicles are loaded across
70 the articulation, the enclosure must also avoid inward
distortion, as even minor contact could result in damage
to the finish of newly-painted automotive vehicles.
It is a general object of the invention to
provide a durable, lightweight enclosure which is
economical to assemble and which does not interfere with
interior or exterior clearances. A further object of
the invention is to provide an enclosure that is
suitable for incorporation in mass-produced railway cars
for commercial use in transporting automotive vehicles
by railroad in the United States. Additional objects of
the invention are addressed below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention there
is provided a lightweight, flexible enclosure for
attachment between two car units of an articulated
railway car and a method of installing the flexible
enclosure.
The flexible enclosure may be fabricated of
a lightweight, flexible, cut-resistant, elastomeric
material or the like, and may be supported by a light-
weight support structure. A pleated configuration
allows the enclosure to bend and stretch as needed.
The flexible enclosure may comprise three
sections: two side wall sections extending between side
walls of the car units and a roof section extending
between roofs of the car units. Each section preferably
comprises an integral, unitary piece of flexible mate-
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rial extending from one unit to the other, eliminating
the need for joinder of a plurality of strips of
material to span the gap between the units. Each
section preferably is integrally molded in one piece in
an accordion-pleated configuration without seams or
joints, with one end attached to one unit and an
opposite end attached to the other unit. With this
arrangement, the area between units may be effectively
enclosed with the use of only three pieces of material.
To limit inward and outward distortion or
flexure of the enclosure, a dynamic, interactive support
assembly constrains the flexible side wall sections and
the roof section relative to the car units. The support
assembly preferably interacts with the enclosure and
with other components of the car at predetermined
locations. The support assembly preferably includes a
plurality of components which are movable relative to
one another, but effective to constrain the flexible
enclosure against lateral displacement, i.e., limiting
its lateral displacement within a predetermined range.
The support assembly preferably comprises a series of
elongated supports, each of which is positioned within a
respective one of the pleats of the flexible material in
engagement with the interior surface thereof so as to be
movable therewith, and a plurality of movable retainers
which are secured to one or more of the elongated
supports and secured to a guide in the car interior for
limited movement therealong. The supports prevent the
flexible material from bowing excessively inward and
outward while the movable retainers limit transverse
displacement of the supports. To provide the requisite
support without unduly increasing the weight of the
railcar, and without unduly increasing the cost of
assembly, the supports may be disposed in fewer than all
of the pleats, and/or the supports may be of differing
lengths, with some of the supports extending
substantially the full height of the enclosure side
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walls, and others extending only a portion of the side
wall height. The supports may comprise lightweight,
tubular members.
The flexible enclosure is believed to be
suitable for economical and efficient assembly and
installation in commercial mass production of railway
cars; with the integral side wall and roof members
avoiding the need for joinder of multiple strips of
material arranged in a series extending from one car
unit to the other. The support structure is believed to
be capable of preventing outward buckling of the pleats,
and avoiding outward distortion of the flexible
enclosure beyond standard railway clearance
requirements. The side portions of the flexible
enclosure may be preassembled with components of the
support structure pre-attached thereto to facilitate
assembly of the side wall portions with the respective
car units, and high strength clamping members may be
pre-attached to linear vertical end edges of the
flexible enclosure to improve durability and strength
at the joint between the flexible enclosure and the body
of each car unit.
Additional features of the invention are set
forth below, and shown in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a
flexible enclosure attached between two car units;
FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the
flexible enclosure of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the flexible
enclosure of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the roof
section of the flexible enclosure of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially
along line 5-5 in FIG 2;
FIG. 6 is a sectional elevational view of the
bottom portion of the flexible enclosure;
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FIG. 7 is a sectional elevational view of the
bottom portion of the flexible enclosure of FIG. 6
illustrating connection of the flexible enclosure to the
floor of the unit;
FIG. 8 is a sectional elevational view of an
intermediate portion of the side wall of the flexible
enclosure illustrating its connection to the upper deck
of the unit; and
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially
70 along line 9-9 in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, the invention generally
is embodied in a lightweight, flexible enclosure 10 for
covering the space between two adjacent units 12, 14 of
an articulated railway car for transporting vehicles.
The flexible enclosure 10 may comprise one or more
integral flexible members that span the gap between the
car units 12, 14 to limit ingress of particulate laden
air and to limit unauthorized access to the railway car.
The invention also relates to a method of assembling the
flexible enclosure 10 between the car units 12, 14.
In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible
enclosure 10 comprises a roof section 16 and two side
wall sections 18. The side wall sections 18 and the
roof section 16 overlap and preferably are fastened
together by bolts or other suitable fasteners at the
overlap 32.
Referring now also to FIGS. 2 through 5, each
of the sections 16, 18 is a one-piece, unitary member
which extends between adjacent ends 20 and 22 of the .car
units. A first end of the flexible enclosure 10 is
attached to the end 20 of the first unit 12 at the side
walls 24 and the roof 26. The opposite end of the
flexible enclosure 10 is attached to the end 22 of the
second unit 14 at the side walls 28 and the roof 30,
thereby enclosing the space between units 12, 14. In
the preferred embodiment, the static length of each
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section 16, 18, i.e., the undeformed dimension in the
direction of the longitudinal dimension of the railway
car, is between 2 ft. and 3 ft., and may be, e.g., about
2 ft., 10 in. .
Bolts 31 or other fasteners may be used to
attach the flexible enclosure 10 to the car units 12, 14
along the edges of the flexible enclosure 10. To
facilitate attachment of the flexible enclosure sections
16 and 18, and to increase strength and durability at
70 the connection, clamping members such as stainless steel
retainer strips 33 extend along their edges. To distri-
bute fastener loads on the flexible enclosure fabric
material, each of the strips preferably extends substan-
tially the entire height of each side portion, spanning
a plurality of openings in the side edges, avoiding any
need for washers or the like along the edges. The
stainless steel strips may also help to maintain the
edges of the side portions in a linear configuration
immediately prior to and during fastening. The clamping
members may be preassembled to the flexible enclosure
side portions by frangible plastic fasteners such as
cable ties, placed in each of the openings along the
edges of the side portions, with corresponding openings
being provided in the clamping members.
Each of the integral flexible sections is
formed with a pleated configuration, which allows the
flexible enclosure 10 to expand and contract to
accommodate for the pivoting of the car units 12, 14
relative to each other. The pleats extend vertically up
both side wall sections 18, and transversely across the
car at the roof section 16. The configurations of the
pleats on the roof section 16 and the side wall sections
18 are similar so, that the pleats are in alignment where
the sections overlap 32. Thus, a continuous pleated
configuration 35 is formed along the flexible
enclosure 10.
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The flexible enclosure 10 preferably is fabri-
cated from a cut-resistant material, which may comprise,
e.g., a polymer matrix having a wire grid embedded
therein. Alternatively, the flexible enclosure 10 may
comprise a multiple-ply wire fabric comprising a first
layer having wires oriented in one direction embedded
therein, and a second layer having wires oriented in a
direction different from those of the first layer and
preferably generally perpendicular to the wires of the
first layer. If desired, additional layers having wires
oriented in alternating directions from layer to layer
also can be included.
Each of the sections 16 and 18 preferably
is molded from a synthetic rubber, natural rubber,
elastomer or polymer material and has steel wire
embedded therein. In one particular embodiment, the
enclosure 10 is made of a non-flammable elastomeric
material which is known commercially as Neoprene.
Preferably, the material is about 1/8 inch to about 3/8
inch thick and in one embodiment is about 1/4 inch
thick. The material is available from Engineered
Fabrics Corporation of Rockmart, Georgia. Reinforcement
may be provided at points of contact, such as at the
floor 44 and upper deck 46, to provide increased
abrasion resistance for the material, which would
otherwise be likely to wear more quickly at such points.
In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible
enclosure 10 is,formed with multiple pleats 35 which
define channels on the interior surface of the
enclosure. To maintain the shape of the flexible
enclosure 10 by preventing the sections of the flexible
enclosure 10 from bowing outward or inward, a plurality
of lightweight supports 34 and 37 are positioned within
some of the interior channels of the flexible enclosure
10. Full-length supports 34 extend up both side wall
sections 18 and across the roof section 16. Partial-
length supports 37 are provided adjacent the upper deck
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46 at locations where constraint against outward
distortion is needed, but full-length supports are not
necessary.
The pleats 35 are configured to accommodate
the pivoting of the units 12, 14 relative to one another
by allowing the sides and top of the flexible enclosure
to contract and expand as needed. The dimensions of
the inwardly convex pleats 36 may differ from those of
the outwardly convex pleats 38. In the illustrated
10 embodiment, the outwardly convex pleats 38 are larger
than the inwardly convex pleats 36. The dimensions of
the outwardly convex pleats 38 are large enough to
accommodate the supports 34 and 37. Preferably, the
pleats are spaced at intervals of about 3-1/2 inches and
have a depth of about 2 to 3 inches.
The number of pleats and supports may vary.
Because of the importance of maintaining a light tare
weight for railway cars, the extent and thus the amount
of material used for the flexible enclosure 10 is
preferably minimized and the total weight of the
supports 34 limited. The outwardly convex pleats 38
allow for placement of an appropriate number of supports
34 to provide sufficient reinforcement across the entire
width of the flexible enclosure 10. In the illustrated
embodiment, full-length supports 34 are positioned only
in non-adjacent outer pleats 38. In the illustrated
embodiment, each flexible section has seven outwardly
convex pleats 38 and three full-length supports 34,
placed in the center pleat 38 and in the second pleat 38
from each end. The partial-length supports 37 are
disposed immediately adjacent the center support 34.
The supports 34 are preferably composed of a
lightweight material such as, e.g., aluminum pipe, PVC
tubing, or composite materials. In one embodiment, the
full-length supports 34 are made of 3/4 inch schedule 40
aluminum pipe, and each full-length support 34,
comprising two side wall supports 50 and one roof
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support 52, has a total weight of between about 17
pounds and about 18 pounds. The partial-length supports
37 may be made of the same material, but are preferably
much shorter, e.g., about. l8 in. in length.
Each of the side wall supports 50 is substan-
tially linear and vertical except that it curves inward
near its lower end and extends horizontally inward near
its lower end, beneath the floor 44 of the car unit, to
provide increased security so that unauthorized entry
may not be gained at the bottom of the enclosure, while
also inhibiting entry of dust or other foreign matter.
To fasten the side wall supports 50 to the
roof support 52, pivot pins 56 are inserted into the top
support 52 and the side supports 50 on both sides of the
car unit at the top of the side walls 24. The pivot pin
56 is slidable insertable within the hollow center of
the side support 50 to join the top support to the side
support. The pivot pin 56 is preferably an aluminum
part having an upper portion that is insertable in the
top support 52 and a lower portion that is insertable in
the side support 50. Preferably, the pivot pin 56 is
about 1 foot long, with the lower portion being about 9
inches long.
Fasteners such as bolts 58 attach the side
wall sections 18 to the side wall supports 50. At high
stress points where increased forces may be experienced,
such as at the bottom of the side wall sections 18 or
where the side wall support 50 engages the unit 12, 14,
each fastener 58 extends completely through the support.
At other points, the fastener 59 extends through only
one side of support, engaging a threaded insert within
the interior of the tubular support.
Attachment of the top section to the top
supports is achieved by the use of flexible, non-
metallic fasteners such as plastic cable ties 60 which
preferably are either secured to the top section during
the molding process, or securely attached to the inner
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surface thereafter, with portions of the cable ties 60
extending freely inward to be wrapped around or
otherwise secured to the top supports. After securing
the cable ties to the supports, excess length may be
trimmed from the cable ties directly adjacent the
tubular support. The cable ties 60 shown in FIG. 4 are
illustrated prior to trimming of the excess length
therefrom. The use of cable ties in this manner avoids
the need to have fastener holes in the top section 16 of
the flexible enclosure, except at its edges.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5-9, to limit lateral
displacement of the side wall supports while permitting
longitudinal displacement, the side wall supports 50 are
slidably attached to the car units 12, 14 by guide
assemblies 40 mounted at the floor 44 and at the upper
deck 46. Each guide assembly 40 comprises retainers 42
extending inward from the side wall supports 50. Each
guide assembly 40 further comprises a pair of pipes 48,
or other elongated guide members such as bars, rods,
tracks or the like, which are mounted to a bridge plate
45. The retainers 42 slidably engage the pipes 48 to
constrain the side wall sections 18.
Each retainer 42 preferably comprises a strap
62 and a ring 64 extending therefrom. The strap 62 may
be made of a flexible material, such as 1/8 inch thick
Neoprene embedded with wire mesh. The ring 64 may be
made from 1/4 inch aluminum. In other embodiments, the
retainer 42 may consist of an integral piece of a stiff
material, or may comprise a length of stainless steel
cable .
In the illustrated embodiment, the strap 62 is
wrapped around the side wall support 50. Fasteners 66
secure it to itself adjacent the support 50, and
additional fasteners 66 secure the ring 64 to the strap
6 2 .
Retainers 42 preferably are located at two
points on each side wall support 50, adjacent guides 48
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which are mounted on bridge plates 45 associated with
the floor or lower deck 44 and the upper deck 46
parallel to and proximate to the side wall sections 18.
Each guide 48 may comprise, for example, a length of 3/4
inch Schedule 40 aluminum or stainless steel pipe. The
guide assembly is preferably positioned adjacent the
edge of the floor or deck surface on which it is
mounted. The guide is preferably mounted adjacent the
edge of a bridge plate 45, close to the side wall, e.g.,
within about 7 inches of the side wall, so as to be
clear of anticipated travel of automotive vehicle tires
during loading and unloading. Positioning of the guide
a short distance above each deck is believed to be
preferable to positioning of the guides at other
locations, e.g., below each deck, which might reduce
headroom or interfere otherwise with clearances.
Brackets 70 secure the guide 48 above the deck
surface to provide for clearance for the ring 64 between
the guide 48 and the deck. Guards 72 cover the ends of
the pipe 48. Preferably, the bracket 70 and the guard
72 are made of aluminum. As shown in FIG. 9, the
partial-length supports 37 are connected by retainers 42
to the guide 48 at the upper deck only.
As an alternative to the guide assembly
described above for constraining the side walls of the
flexible enclosure against lateral displacement, other
constraints, e.g., stainless steel cables, can be
attached to the side wall supports 50 and to an interior
member of the railway car. In one alternative
arrangement, one or more stainless steel cable may
extend from below each deck of each car unit to the side
supports. The outer end of each cable may be attached
to one of the side supports.
However, it is believed that the arrangement
shown in the accompanying drawings is superior, in that
attachment of cables to the underside of the upper deck
may restrict headroom or clearance, and in that the
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outer limits of displacement of the supports that are
engaged by the cables are arcuate, centered about a
point on one of the car units. Also, sagging of the
cables due, e.g., to inward flexure of the enclosure,
might result in contact between the cables and the newly
painted finish of an automotive vehicle. The preferred
embodiment as described above eliminates this concern.
It is contemplated that variations on the
structure of the side wall supports may be made to
ensure provision of sufficient structural support for
the flexible closure side walls without unduly
increasing the weight of the railway car.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the illustrated
embodiment employs three full-length supports 34 which
extend the full height of both sides and across the
entire width of the top of the flexible enclosure, along
with a pair of partial-length supports on each side. In
other embodiments, additional supports may be employed
to provide further control over lateral deformation of
the flexible enclosure. The additional supports may be
full-length supports or partial-length supports.
In the preferred embodiment, all of the
supports, as well as the guides 48, may comprise 3/4
inch Schedule 40 pipe, having a nominal outer diameter
of 1.05 inch and a nominal inner diameter of 0.824 inch.
Various other alternative materials might be used for
the side supports, top supports, and guides, subject to
the requirements of strength, durability over several
years of commercial railway service, light weight, and
corrosion resistance.
To allow for changes to be made in the support
structure, the flexible enclosure side wall members
preferably are molded with rows of holes provided at
each of the outwardly convex pleats 38. Unused holes
provide capability for additional support members to be
readily attached, without the extensive, labor intensive
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modifications required to form additional openings for
attachment.
As an alternative to the embodiment described
above, the partial-length, supports may be eliminated.
However, in the absence of partial-length supports as
shown, the pleats in which the partial-length supports
are disposed may buckle outward during use of the car
and may remain in stable equilibrium in an outwardly
distorted position, which is, of course, undesirable.
Accordingly, the preferred embodiment of the invention
as described and illustrated herein is believed to be
superior insofar as it avoids this problem.
Each side wall section preferably is
preassembled before attachment to the car units. Thus,
the side supports 34 and 37 preferably are pre-attached
to the side members of the enclosure, and the clamping
members preferably are temporarily pre-attached by cable
ties or the like. Installation of the side wall members
of the closure may be facilitated by provision of a
series of preformed, molded openings in the closure
material, with corresponding openings being preformed in
the side walls and roof of each of the car units to
which the closure members are attached. The closure
members may be bolted directly to structural members
such as vertical posts of the car unit side walls. To
facilitate attachment of the flexible closure, it is
desirable that at least some of the preformed openings
are vertically elongated slots. In one embodiment, all
of the openings are vertically elongated slots except
for the second opening from the top at each end, which
is a circular locating hole. During attachment, the
flexible closure fabric is first attached to the car
units at each end at the locating holes, and thereafter
bolts or other fasteners are inserted through the slots
and through the corresponding openings in the car units,
with the slots providing a margin for error in
manufacturing tolerances, sagging, or other deformation
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of the fabric, etc. Preferably, the clamping members
have preformed openings corresponding to those of the
underlying fabric. When tightening the fasteners used
to secure the flexible sections 16 and 18 either to the
car units 12, 14 or the supports 50, the flexible fabric
material should not be compressed more than about 1/32
inch by the fasteners.
The brackets 70 which support the guides 48
may be mounted to the bridge plates of the upper deck 46
and the lower deck or floor 44 prior to installation of
the bridge plates.
After the side walls of the flexible enclosure
10 are in place, the top or roof is installed. First,
the top supports 52 are installed and secured in place.
The pivot pins 56 extending from each end of the roof
supports 52 are inserted into the hollow ends of the
side wall supports 50. In the interest of efficiency in
commercial mass-production of railway cars employing a
flexible enclosure in accordance with the invention, it
may be desirable to position the top wall or roof
section 16 of the flexible enclosure on the roof of one
of the car units adjacent the articulation, so that
after the top supports 52 have been installed and
secured in place, the roof section 16 may be placed in
its proper position simply by sliding it longitudinally
off of the roof of the car unit into position on the
supports 52. After the roof section 16 is placed in its
desired position, its opposite ends are bolted or
otherwise attached to the respective car units 12 and
14. The flexible sections 16, 18 are fastened to one
another at the overlap 32. The roof section 16 is
secured to the roof supports 52 by cable ties. The ties
60 used to secure the roof section 16 are then tightened
and trimmed.
The central portions of the roof members are
provided with clamping members 33 along their edges to
increase strength and durability where they are bolted
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or otherwise fastened to the respective car units.
The clamping members 33 may comprise stainless steel
retainer strips similar to those employed with the side
wall members, as with the.side wall members, the
clamping members 33 for the roof portion of the flexible
enclosure may be temporarily attached by cable ties or
the like prior to installation, and are held in place by
bolts or other fasteners after installation.
Retainers 42 are positioned on the side wall
70 supports 50 and secured loosely in place. The guides 48
then are mounted between the brackets 70, sliding one
end of each guide 48 through each of the rings 68 at the
corresponding height before securing the guide 48
between the brackets 70.
It is believe that the invention provides an
improved lightweight flexible enclosure which is
sufficiently strong and durable to withstand many years
of rail service, and which can be manufactured and
assembled economically and efficiently so as to be well-
suited for use in mass production of articulated railway
cars. Various other modifications and variations in
practice of the invention are expected to occur to those
skilled in the art upon consideration of the foregoing
detailed description of the invention. Although a
preferred embodiment has been described above and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, there is no
intent to limit the scope of the invention to this or
any other particular embodiment. Consequently, any such
modifications and variations are intended to be included
within the scope of the following claims. The invention
is described further and pointed out by the following
claims.
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