AU626795B2 - Railway freight car - Google Patents

Description

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RALLAh Ll- Form PATENTS ACT 1352 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

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FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. CI: ,plication Number: *.eLodged: or. ~mplete Specification-Lodged: of* Accepted: erei.:Lapsed: Published: 62679 Priority: S S u*

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0 0 *OS*0 bew Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Complete Specificaticin TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the Sta--e of DEilawa-e, of 2525 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas, United States of America.

HAROLD E. HESCH PHILLIP G. PRZYBYLYNSKI ROBERT P. SELLBERG CcaZe of: COWIE, THOMSON CARTER, Patent Attorneys, 71 Queens Road, Melbourne, Vic., 3004, Australia.

for the invenlion entitled RAILWAY FRE'IGHT CAR Tho following statement is a full description of this inver~ion, including the best method of performing it known mo me:- Note: The description is to be typ~ed in double spacing, pica type face, in an area not exceeding 250 mm in depth and 160 mm in width, on tough white paper of good quality and It is to be Inserted inside this form, 14599/78-L 145978LPnted by C.LJTitohIPSON, Commrronwealth Government Printer, Canberra RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application is a continuation of the United States Patent application of Harold E. Hetch, 5 Phillip G. Przybylinski, and Robert P. Sellberg filed October 28, 1987, having serial no. 114,7 5 and entitled "RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR." This invention pertains to railroad cars and more particularly to a structure of a freight 10 spine car.

Spine cars carry freight containers mounted on a spine-like car platform. A spine car generally includes a center beam with a series of parallel crosssbearers extending transversely of the beam.

The rcontainers are generally detachably secured on a spine car by container locks on crossbearers or bolsters on the car. These locks receive e rtical loads for the weight of the containers.

The locks also receive impact loads in a horizontal plane in resisting the tendency of a container to slide off the car during acceleration, deceleration, or cornering of the car.

Weight of a railway car is at a great prewmum, and reducing weight is an important goal of railway car design. To reduce weight by reducing the number of wheeled trucks needed in a railway car train, it is well known in the prior art to provide an articulated connection between two cars wherein an end of each car is pivotally supported on a truck. To

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2limit tilt of the car with respect to the truck, the cars are usually provided with side bearing arms extending over the truck laterally outward of the pivotal connection. The side bearing arms contact bearings on the truck, preventing significant tilting of the car with respect to the truck.

However, no spine car is presently available which supports containers while taking advantage of the use of articulation between ca's, and more pirticularly provides an efficient railway car structure for bearing horizontal impact loads from container locks and loads from side bearing arms.

Various spine cars heretofore disclosed are exemplified in the following patents. U.S.

Patent No. 3,616,764, issued to ohnson et al., shows a railway container car including a pair of I-beam side sills and j xlike center sill interconnected by an angle cross member.

Another U.S. Patent No. 4,274,776, issued to Paton el al., teaches a container railcar with a depressed midsection and a four point truck suspension.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 15 Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an articulated spine car for the transport of containers.

It is further an object of this invention to provide an efficient end structure for such a spine car..

In one particular aspect of the invention there is provided a railway freight car for transporting containers comprising a single continuous load-opposing center sill extending along a longitudinal axis of said freight car from end to end thereof and having an upper load carrying side lying in a horizontal plane a series of webs extending transversely of the center sill and having upper edges spaced below said plane; light stiffener members interconnecting the ernds of said webs; and an end frame structure located at each end of the car; each said end frame structure including straight cantilevered bearing beams projecting toward an adjacent car and beyond the respective end frame structure.

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-3y r I a r In another aspect of the invention there is provided an articulated railway trains including a series of freight railcars, and comprising: spine cars each having a center sill with transverse parallel webs, a crossbearer and bolsters extending across the center sill, said center sill crossbearer and bolster having load bearing areas lying in a common plane above the upper edges of said webs; a swivel truck supporting ends of adjacent cars; i pair of straight cantilevered bearing beanms projecting outwardly from each car end, at least one car having a rectangular end frame .ructure and a trapezoidal end frame structure; top plate means covering said center sill, crossbearer, bolster and said trapezoidal end frame structure; said bearing beams freely extending toward the laterally offset with respect to opposing bearing beams of an adjacent car and l;'ing therewith in a common horizontal plane; and relatively light side stiffeners interconnecting ends of said webs.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a railway freight car comprising: a pair of railway trucks rollingly supported on rails; a first car body including: a generally longitudinally extending center sill being supported on said trucks and having two opposite longitudinal ends; a pair of longitudinally spaced end structures each supported adjacent a respective end of the center sill; said end structures each comprising a bolster structure extending laterally outwardly from the center sill, said bolster structures each having container securement means thereon for securing a container on said railway freight car for transport, said container securement means being spaced laterally outwardly from the center sill; a pair bearing beams flanking said center sill and spaced laterally thereof and

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3c projecting longitudinally outwardly from the adjacent end of the car and having inner ends connected to the adjacent bolster structure, and a pair of braces extending from opposite ends of the adjacent bolster structure and converging toward the respective adjacent end of the center sill and connected to respective bearing arms at a juncture intermediate the ends thereof.

In a still further aspect of the invention there is provided a freight rail car for transporting containers comprising a single load-opposing center sill extending along a longitudinal axis of said freight car from end to end thereof and having an upper side lying in a horizontal plane, j 0 support beams connected to said center sill and extending laterally outwardly Stherefrom, container supports on said support beams, a series of webs extending transversely from opposite sides of the center sill and terminating in distal ends, 15 said webs having upper edges spaced below said plane, light stiffener members interconnecting said distal ends of said webs at each side of the center sill, and an end frame structure located at each end of the car, at least one of said frame structures including straight cantilevered bearing beams projecting toward an adjacent car and beyond the respective end frame structure, said upper side of the center sill adapted to support portions of a container in the event of rupture of the container of failure of said supports.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a train of articulated spine cars of the invention; Figure 2 is a top view of an intermediate spine car in the train; Figure 3 is a side view of the spine car shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a top view of the articulated connection structure with the shear plate and articulation partially cut-away to show the supporting end frame structure; him.

3b- Figure 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the articulated connection structure between two spine cars; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 1-1 of Figure 2; Figure 7 is an enlarged detail view of the center crossbcarer shovn in Figure 6 and shows the connection of the top of the crossbearcr to the center sill top flange; and Figure 8 is an enlarged view of an intermediate crossbearer and its attachment to the center sill.

*i e i i pSOr O *Oe I -9 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Fig. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a train 3 formed of five serially connected articulated spine cars. It would be understood that articulated trains may have varying numbers of cars, ranging from a two car train having two cars articulatedly connected to each other to a train having considerably S. 'more than five cars.

In the five-car train embodiment shown in Fig. 1, a first end car A is provided with a coupler S connection end 5 for connection with a conventional 'coupler railway car (not shown). The opposite end of :the first end car A is connected with an end of intermediate car E to form an articulated connection 7. Intermediate cars E, D, C, and B are serially connected by articulated connections 7. End car B S. has a coupler connection end for connection to a second conventional coupler railway car (not shown).

Fig. 2 shows a car 10 which is exemplary of the intermediate cars C, D, and E. The car includes a longitudinally extending center sill 12.

A pair of end frame structures 14 are supported on the center sill 12 at the car ends to facilitate articulated interconnection between the cars. Light side sills 15 extend longitudinally between the end frame structures 14. The side sills 15 iere connected to the lateral ends 16 of intermediate crossbearers 18. The adjacent ends of cars share a common doubleaxle swivelable truck 22 (shown in phantom lines).

The articulated connections shorten the length of the train and reduce cost and weight by reducing the number of trucks needed. i A central load bearing crossbearer assembly 24 located in the middle of the car transfers loads bI in the side sills 15 laterally inward to the center sill 12. The crossbearer assembly 24 includes a pair of section crossbearers 26 each of which has a pair of generally triangular sections 28 rigidly secured to the center sill 12. A top plate 30 covering the crossbearer 26 is connected with the center sill top wall 32, and with the triangular sections 28 and bottom plate 33 forms a box-like structure exit tending laterally from the center sill 12. The 10 lateral ends 34 of the crossbearers 26 each support a container guide or support shoe structure 38.

o 9. The box-like crossbearers 26 act as torque tubes to transmit impact loads in the shoes 38 to the center sill 12.

15 The centersill 12 has a top wall 32, bottom wall 42 and a pair of side walls 44. The center sill height is decreased adjacent the longitudinal ends 46 thereof, shown in Fig. 4 to accommodate mounting of the car 10 on the respective trucks.

Bolsters 50 extend laterally outwardly from the center sill 12 adjacent the longitudinal ends of the car 10. Each of the bolsters 50 supports container support structures 52 secured to upper flange 54 of the bolster 50. Containers (not shown) de- S. 25 posited on the -ar are secured to anchors or mounts indicated schematically at 56 to prevent undesirable displacement of the containers during the train movement. These anchors 56 may include one of a variety of container securement structures such as a T-shaped, eyelet or hooklike structure attached to corner plate 58 carried by the bolster Series of parallel crossbearers 18 are welded to the top portion of the center sill 12 and the channel-shaped side sills 15. Crossbearer 18, side sills 15, crossbearer 26, and bolsters form a grid supporting the load and absorbing forces -6applied to the cr in the event that the structure of the container should sag below the container mounts. The top flange or plate 32 of the center sill 12 and top portions 54 of bolsters 50, crossbearer 26, webs 18 and side sill top flange 62 lies substantially in one plane.

The car 10 is configured to receive thereon a single container between and 48 feet in length or two 20-foot containers. When two 20-foot containers are placed on the car, each container has one end secured to the anchors 58 on a respective bolster 50. The opposite end of each container rests on pad 64 on crossbearer 24, and is secured against lateral movement by container guides or shoes 38 engaging the lateral side of the end of each container. To support the lateral loads, guiding shoes 38 are provided with a vertical face panel 65 and a brace portion 66.

The channel-shaped side sills 15 may be replaced by box-like or Ibeam structures which would increase the car weight. The use of light upright channels reduces the car weight without losing the effectiveness of the car operation.

The light side sills 15 rigidify the car grid and participate in the container weight distribution among other supporting members. The side sills span between and abut the crossbearer sections 28 and are connected with plates 67 supported on the container support structures 52 on a pair of channel-like stiffeners or reinforcing beams 70 attached to the center sill side walls 44 run on both sides thereof through the cut-off opening 72 in the crossbearer sections 28. These beams 70 serves as supports and connection for tne inner ends of the webs 18 with the center sill. They S. are narrow and are substantially centered between the top and bottom walls of the o center bolster and are spaced therefrom.

A method of attachment of a crossbearer 28 or a web 18 to the center sill 12 is illustrated by Figs. 6 and 7. A portion 74 of a metal mount plate 76 is welded to the center sill top plate 32 and the sill side wall 44. Then the top surface 78 of O J e, w U/ ,Z e' -z 7 the plate 76 secured by a filet weld 79 to the edge 80 of the s.ill top plate 32. A cantilevered portion 82 of the mount plate 76, extends outwardly from top plate 32 and supports a top plate 30 of the crossbearer 24 during assembly. The crossbearer top plate 30 projecting above a cut-out corner 84 of the crossbearer 28 slides on the mount plate portion 82 during assembly and rests thereon while the top plate 32 of the center sill 12 is welded to top plate 10 of crossbearer 24 by butt weld 86, which provides a structure well suited to bearing the generally tensile forces in the upper plate 30 to upper plate 32 of the center sill 12. The cut-out portion 84 in the a' body of the crossbearer follows a contour of the 15 mount plate.

The end frame structure 14, best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, includes a pair of parallel brackets or side bearing arms '90 cantilevered to extend longitudinally outward -rom the bolster 50. Brackets 90 extend above the body 91 of the truck 22. Each 0'0* bracket 90 has a wear plate connected with its lower wall. Each wear plate engages respective bearings 92 on support structures 93 on the truck body 91 t limit tilt of the car with respect for the truck 22.

Each wear plate is secured to the bracket by fasteners such as bolts connecting with the lower wall of the bracket 90. An opening is provided in the top wall of the bracket 90 which opening is substantially directly above the longitudinally inward fastener to provide access thereto for replacement of the wear plate. The tube-like brackets have a generally rectangular crosssection.

The end sill or frame enclosure member 94 covers the end of the car and extends between the walls 44 of the center sill 12 and the inward side walls 96 of brackets 90. The frame enclos o .iember 94 8 includes a lower flange 97 which extends below the bracket 90 to support member 98 engaging the outer wall 99 of the brackets 90 as shown in Fig. Diagonal braces 100 are provided extending between brackets 90 and container support structures 52 on bolster 50. Braces 100 may be angle or channel members, or be beams of a variety of configurations.

Braces 100 form a truss structure with brackets which supports brackets 90 and stiffens shear plate JO. 10 101, beaming impact loads received at the container i support structure 52 to the end wall 94 and to the center sill 12. The loads include torsional loads in the bolster 50 created by the longitudinal con- S tainer impact loads being applied at the container I: 15 mounts 56 above the center of the bolster The container support structure 52 is vertically deeper than the brace 100. To enhance load transfer therebetween, a sloping member 103 extends between the bottom plate of the container support 20 structure and the brace 100.

The shear plate 101 is welded to the center sill top plate 32, the end sills 94, the bolster the brackets 90, and the braces 100 and serves to transfe) the longitudinal impact loads at the lateral 25 ends 0o the bolster 50 laterally inward to the center isill 12, and to reinforce the frames defined by these members. The shear plates 101 cover and reinforce the trapezoidal frames formed by the diagonal braces 100, enclosure member and bolster 50, and center sill 22. The trapezoidal frames taper longitudinally outwardly to the brackets The hollow brackets 90 and a center sill end 46 project outwardly of the end frame 20. The end 46 carries either a female or male part of an articulate connector 102. The brackets 90 of one car project into the space defined by the opposing brackets 104 on the adjacent car. Each intermediate i 9 car has a narrow-spaced set of brackets 90 at one end and a wide-spaced set 104 at another. The end frame structure supporting the narrow-spaced brackets and the wide-spaced brackets 104 is essen+"''-1the same.

The above described arrangement permits greater articulation of the adjacent cars, reinforces the rigidity of the end frame structure, and decreases the weight of the car by eliminating the corners of 10 conventional end frames having a rectangular configuration. Still another advantage is that the trapezoidal end frames better withstand angular and shear forces applied to the moving car. The shear plates distribute the dynamic buff and draft loadings between the 15 bolster 50 and the center sill 12.

Another advantage of the subject invention is that the side sills are light channel-like stif- **'fenars interconnecting the ends of the crossbearers.

The center sill is reinforced with longitudinal side stiffeners which also serve to support the connection of the intermediate crossbearers to the center sill.

The parallel webs or ribs mounted near the top of the center sill serve as braces. The side sill *ga is attachcd to the crossbearer and the bolsters in an 25 area located between the center sill and the outer ends of the crossbearer and bolsters.

While one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appenided claims.

Claims (26)

1. A railway freight car for transporting containers comprising a aingle continuous load-opposing center sill extending along a longitudinal axis of said freight car from end to end thereof and having an upper load carrying side lying in a horizontal plane a series of webs extending transversely of the center sill and having upper edges D spaced below said plane; light stiffener members interconnecting the ends of said webs; and an end frame structure located at each end of the car; each said end frame structure including straight cantilevered bearing beams projecting toward an adjacent car and beyond the respective end frame structure.

2. A railway freight car acccrding to claim 1, including a swivelable truck supporting adjacent ends of said cars; and an articulated connector located between said cantilever bearing beams; and thin i reinforcing beams on opposite sides of the center sill connected thereto and having top and

3. A railway freight car according to either claim 1 or 2 wherein said end frame structures having a tr'apezoidal configuration; a transverse bolster connected to the center sill, angled braces reinforcing said cantilevered bearing beams and located outside thereof so as to form sloping sides of said trapezoidal frame, said braces extending toward the respective bearing beams from opposite ends of the bolster and connected thereto. 20 4. A railway freight car according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said center sill has a boxlike cross-section and reinforcing beams comprising a channel beam welded to each side of the center sill and extending lengthwise thereof. A railway freight car according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and including a center crossbearer nornal to said center sill dividing said car and comprising a plate having a substantially triangular shape attached to each side of said center sill, and reinforcing beams extending through said plate and connected therewith.

6. A railway freight car according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein each of said cc.,i has a ;e~:~s~~!achside~ ofte etr ilan xenig ghws heef A, E A alayfeih cracodngt nyoe fclis1 o4 n icuin cne -;rmmr~nnur,., V wwywi^ 11 webs has a substantially triangular configuration; one side of each of said webs being rigidly secured to said centei sill and terminating in a lower notched edge, and a combined reinforcing and mounting beam secured to a side of said center sill intermediate the top and bottom thereof and extending through said notched edge.

7. A railway freight car according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and including a shear plated covering said end frame structure and having a substantially trapezoidal configuration, and said bearing beams projecting straight outwardly ot the respective end portion, and a support member extending laterally from the center sill and supporting a respective bearing beam from intermediate its ends. S 8. A railway freight car according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and including heavy load bearing pair of bolsters and crossbar extended across the center sill; said center sill having a thick center portion and decreased depth end portions; said bolsters of the pair disposed at the opposite ends of said thick portion; and guides for preventing undesirable displacement of cargo being mounted on said and crossbearer.

9. An articulated railway trains including a series of freight railcars, and comprising: S: .spine cars each having a center sill with transverse parallel webs, 20 a crossbearer and bolsters extending across the center sill, said center sill crossbearer and bolster having load bearing areas lyirg in a common plane above the upper edg. of said webs; a swivel truck supporting ends of adjacent cars; a pair of straight cantilevered bearing beams projecting outwardly from each car end, at least one car having a rectangular end frame structure and a trapezoidal end frame structure; top plate means covering said center sill, crossbearer, bolster and said trapezoidal end frame structure; cC 12 said bearing beams freely extending toward and laterally offset with respect to opposing bearing beams of an adjacent car and lying therewith in a common horizontal plane; and relatively light side stiffeners interconnecting ends of said webs.

10. A railway freight car in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein: said railway freight car further including: a bolster locate, at each end of the car; said end frame structures attached to said bolsters; an enclosure wall extending across said cantilevered bearing beams of said end frame structures, a shear plate covering said bearing beams and said enclosure wall, and said bearing beams freely projecting outwardly of said enclosure wall in a longitudinal direction; and a supl ort wall connected to said enclosure wall and extending under the inner ends of said bearing beams, and a second support beam extending from a side of said center sill 15 under each bearing beam intermediate the ends thereof and connected therewith.

11. The railway freight car according to claim 10 wherein said enclosure wall includes a cror ,-beam extending between said bearing beams.

12. A railway freight car according to claim 11 wherein said crossbeam of said enclosure wall having a rectangular cross section. 20 13. The railway freight car of any one of the claims 10 to 13 wherein the railway freight car includes a pair of center sill stiffeners attached to each side of said center sill and having a width substantially less than the depth of the center sill.

14. A railway freight car according to any one of claims 10 to 13 when appended to claims 10 and 5 wherein said a top plate of said crossbearer and said top plate of said center sill being substantially coplanar with said shear plate. 'n.3 1992 cC S f Y: h 13 A railway freight car according any one of the preceding claims wherein the depth of said center sill decreases at each end thereof.

16. A railway freight car according to claims 10 to 14 when appended to claim including said webs being shorter than said crossbearer and said bolsters.

17. A railway freight car according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said cantilevered bearing beams are arranged at the ends of said railway freight car such that a set of narrow-spaced cantilevered bearing beams are located at one end of said railway freight car and a wide-spaced set at another.

18. A railway freight car according to any one of claims 10 or claims 11 to 17 when appended to claim 10, wherein said center crossbearer being c terminous wit,, said bolsters; and said webs being mounted to said center sill, connecting means extr-ding from the top of said center sill beyond the lateral sides thereof, each web having a cut-out beneath the connecting means for admitting the same therein, and means including weld-means connecting the web at said cut-out to said connecting means.

19. A railway freight car comprising: a pair of railway trucks rollingly supported on rails; a first car body including: a generally longitudinally extending center sill being supported on said trucks and having two opposite longitudinal ends; a pair of longitudinally spaced end structures each supported adjacent a respective end of the center sill; said end structures each comprising a bolster structure extending laterally outwardly from the center sill, said bolster structures each having container securement means thereon for securing psa25/VO3ti'.i Ju~n. 3,1992 4\ cc, IK 14- a container on said railway freight car for transport, said container securement means being spaced laterally outwardly from the center sill; a pair bearing beams flanking said center sill and spaced laterall) thereof and projecting longitudinally outwardly from the adjacent end of the car and having inner ends connected to the adjacent bolster structure, and a pair of braces extending from opposite ends of the adjacent bolster structure and converging toward the respective adjacent end of the center sill and connected to respective bearing arms at a juncture intermediate the ends thereof. A railway freight car in accordance with claim 19 wherein: said first car body further including: a shear plate member connected with said bolster structure adjacent said securement means and extending outwardly from the bolster structure, said shear plate member being connected with said center sill for transferring longitudinal impact loads laterally inward from the container securement means to the center sill, and one of said structures further comprising a brace member connected with the bolster Sstructure adjacent the end thereof proximate the container securement means and with the I: shear plate member reinforcing the bolster structure and the shear plate member for transferring impact loads to the center sill, said brace member secured to the adjacent bearing arm intermediate the ends 20 thereof.

21. A railway freight car according to either claim 19 or claim 20 including, a second car body being supported on one of said railway trucks adjacent said one of said end structures to form an articulated unit with said first car body. S22. A railway freight car according to claim 21, and said truck having bearing means thereon; said bearing arms engaging said bearing means for limiting tilt of the first car body with respect to the truck.

23. A railway freight car according to any preceding claim, including a grid structure cc Ci- -lliaREI 15 extending between the end structures for supporting the container in the event that the container sags below the container securement means.

24. A railway freight car according to claim 19 and a shear plate member connected with said bolster structure adjacent said securement means and extending outwardly from the bolster structure, said shear plate member being connected with said center sill for transferring longitudinal impact loads laterally inward from the container securement means to the center sill. A railway freight car according to claim 19 and, an end sill extending from opposite sides of a center sill and connected to said bearing arms adjacent to said juncture.

26. A railway freight car according to any one of the preceding claims comprising: said center sill pivotally supported on the truck; an end member connected with the center sill and extending generally laterally therefrom; a bolster member connected with the center sill longitudinally inward from th,' end I 15 member and extending generally laterally from the center sill; the truck having bearing means thereon; a cantilever supported bearing arm member fixedly connected with the end member, said bearing arm member extending above and engaging the bearing means for limiting tilt of the railway car with respect to the truck, and 20 support means extending from said center sill beneath said arm member and said bolster member.

27. The railway freight car according to claim 26 including a shear plate nember connected with the center sill, the end member, the bearing arm member, and the bolster member to aid in support of loads thereon.

28. The railway freight car according to claim 26 or 27 including the bolster member having a container support structure thereon, said container support structure including a CC. N p'59k 19 securing means for si a brace meml member to form a tl iI structure. 4 16- ecuring a container on the railway car; and ber connected with the bolster member and with the bearing arm russ structure for supporting impact loads in the container support

29. A railway freight car according to any one of claims 26 to 28, including said shear plate member connected with the end member, the center sill, the bolster member, and the brace member for reinforcing the railway car to bear impact loads in the container support structure. A railway freight car according to any one of claims 19 to 29 wherein: said center sill extending from end to end of the car having top and bottom and lateral sides; said center sill having a strong deep load-supporting center portion and shallow end portions; a plurality of crossbearers extending laterally from opposite sides of said center portion and having inner edges connected to adjacent lateral sides thereof, and narrow reinforcing beams connected to the lateral sides of the center portion intermediate the top and bottom sides thereof and extending longitudinally of the center sill through apertures in said crossbearers and providing a connection and support therefore.

31. A railway freight car according to claim 30, and said reinforcing beams being 20 channel-shaped and having upper and lower legs butted against the adjacent lateral side of center portion of the beam and weld-connected thereto.

32. A railway freight car according to claim 30 or 31 including end sections connected with the center sill end portions, transverse end bolsters connected to said center sill at the juncture of said center 25 section with said end sections, and means providing load-carrying areas on the opposite ends of said bolsters. cC pSIOU'I.rr i 2, I9W -V 17

33. A railway freight car according to claim 32 including an intermediate bolster connected to said center section of the center sill section intermediate the end thereof and having apertures intermediate its top and bottom sides admitting said reinforcing beam therethrough.

34. A freight rail car for transporting containers comprising a single load-opposing center sill extending along a longitudinal axis of said freight car from end to end thereof and having an upper side lying in a horizontal plane, support beams connected to said center sill and extending laterally outwardly therefrom, container supports on said support beams, a series of webs extending transversely from opposite sides of the center sill and terminating in distal ends, said webs having upper edges spaced below said plane, light stiffener members interconnecting said distal ends of said webs at each side i i15 of the center sill, and an end frame structure located at each end of the car, at least one of said frame structures including straight cantilevered bearing beams projecting toward an .:..adjacent car and beyond the respective end frame structure, 5, said upper side of the center sill adapted to support portions of a container in the event of rupture of I'he container of failure of said supports. 20 35. A freight rail car according to claim 34 wherein said supports normally mounting said container at an elevation with its bottom side above the upper side of the center sill. S36. A railway freight car substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

37. An articulated railway train substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings. AM G6. pe/of r r s 18 DATED this May 14, 1992 CARTER SMITH BEADLE Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia Pateiit Attorneys for the Applicant: TRINITY INDUSTRIES INC. 0 A ~ZS~8U3&,s .4 MOQ13Z