GB2179630A

GB2179630A - Containers

Info

Publication number: GB2179630A
Application number: GB08618605A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Walter Schmidt; Paul Kotsch
Original assignee: Linke Hofmann Busch GmbH; Linke Hofmann Busch Waggon Fahrzeug Maschinen GmbH
Current assignee: Alstom Transport Deutschland GmbH
Priority date: 1985-07-31
Filing date: 1986-07-30
Publication date: 1987-03-11
Also published as: DE3527325C2; CH670996A5; GB2179630B; DD258969A1; BE905145A; DE3527325A1; AT398951B; NL8601733A; ES295080U; ATA173586A; ES295080Y; FR2585654B1; GB8618605D0; FR2585654A1

Abstract

A container which may form part of a covered railway freight wagon has a fixed roof 4, fixed end walls 3 and side walls 6 which can be opened. Each side wall 6 has a sloping portion 9 which is hinged to the roof 4 so that it can be swung upwards and a flexible wall portion 10 which forms a vertical part of the side wall 6 and can be lifted upwardly towards its connection with the sloping portion 9 to open the side wall 6 over its full loading height. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Containers The invention relates to a container which may form part of a vehicle, in particularacovered railway freight wagon, said container having a fixed roof and fixed end walls and side walls which are capable of being opened.

German Patent Specification No. 2832353 discloses railway freight wagons of thins kind which partially open the usable loading length by displacing sliding walls made oftwo or more parts. The useful loading height, i.e. the clearance height for loading, extends to the lower edge of the roof beam of the roof section, whilst the simultaneously usable loading length is only about 50% of the total length in the case oftwo-partslidingwalls. Indesignswhichallowthe side walls to slide beyond the end wall to the buffer disks, the useful percentage is somewhat higher Howeverslidable side walls ofthis kind which can be slid beyond the end walls expose the operating and shunting staff to danger and are therefore usually no longer permitted.Even multi-part sliding wall arran gements only ailow up to about70% simuitaneously usable loading length in designs which have been tested in practice, and require a high technical outlay.

Designs of railway freight wagons are known, in which the side walls can be swung out on arti culations, which are fixed above the roof, overtheir full height and length. The large swivelling region which projects far beyond the side clearance when the side walls are swung upwards, even when, as is usual the top part of the side wall slopes inwardlyto itsjunction with the roof, has been found to be disadvantageous.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a container, which may form part of a vehicle, in particular a railway freight wagon of the kind referred to above in which, whilst avoiding the disadvantages of the previously known wagons, the lateral loading space can be opened over substantially the whole usable loading length and loading height, if required, in which the opened side wall does not protrude laterally into the standard clearance and in which the simultaneous opening ofalmosttheentire loading space is rendered possible, in particular, in multi-section train units.

According to the invention, there is provided a con tainer comprising a fixed roof, fixed end walls and side wails which can be opened for loading or unloading, each said side wall having at least one upper portion which is hinged to a respective side of the roof at its upper end, so that it can be pivoted upwardly, and which at its other lower end supports a flexible wall portion which, in the closed position, forms a lower vertical portion of the side wall and which can be moved upwardlytowards its connection with the lower end ofthe sloping portion.

One exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure lisa schematic side view of a shortcoupled freight wagon unit comprising two wagons having containers in accordance with an embodi ment ofthe invention, one freight wagon being shown with thesidewall closed andthe otherwith the side wall open; and Figure2 is a schematic sectional end view of a wagon as shown in Figure 1,the left-hand sidewall being shown in the open position and the right-hand sidewall in the closed position.

In the exemplary embodiment ofthe invention which is illustrated inthedrawingthewagon bodyor container 1 of each of the railway freight wagons 2 has fixed end walls 3, afixed roof 4, afloor5 and side walls 6 capable of being opened. The end walls 3 sup portthe roof 4with orwithout additional supports7 depending upon the type of construction used. The roof beams 8 (Figure 2) of the roof 4 support the roof plate 8a and are offset inwardly towards the longitudinal central planeofthefreightwagon 2 in relation to the lateral cross-sectional boundaryformed by the sidewalls 6.Atthe top, each side wall 6 has a separate sloping portion 9 which in the closed position, bridges the offset and can be pivoted upwardly towards the roof4to provide a loading cross-section which is as large as possible and approaches the permissible moving roof profile. Each side wall 6 is formed by the sloping portion 9, a vertical portion 10 and, if required, a loading edge 1 1.At its roofend,the sloping portion 9 is pivotably mounted on there- spective roof beam 8 of the roof 4.At its other end, theslopingportion9carriesaflexiblewall portion 10 which in the closed position forms the vertical portion ofthe side wall Sand which can be lifted up wardlyinthedirectiontowardsitsjunction l2with the sloping portion 9.

Respective adjusting means 13 and actuating devices 14which are preferablyarranged on the end walls 3, swivel upwards when the respective side wall sloping portion 9 is opened and lift up theflexiblewall portion 10towardsits junction 12. The swivelling and lifting motions preferably occur atthe same time. When the sloping portion 9 has been swivelled upwards and the flexible wall portion 10 has been brought into its upper end position, the side wall 6 leaves open the maximum usable clearance height H.

The flexible wall component 10may, for exam ple, be in the form ofa tarpaulin or a roller blind and can be fixed at its lower end in the region of the floor5 when in the closed position.

In the case of railway freight wagons having loading edges 11 which protrude upwardlyabovethe floor 5 and are eitherfixed or capable of being pivoted outwardly or lowered, fixing of the flexible wall portion 10 may be effected at the loading edges 11. If required, the ioading edge 11 mayform the lower end and part of the flexible wall portion 10; the floor 5 can then be designed without a loading edge 11. In the vicinity ofthe point of hinging of the sidewall sloping portion 9, safety devices 15 which adjustably limit the pivoting travel ofthe sidewall sloping portions are arranged on the roof beams 8.

The side wall on each side of the railway freight wagon 2 can be formed bya single sidewall 6 or bya pluralityofsimilarsections arranged one beside another in the longitudinal direction, overthe loading length. Each side wall 6, or each section of the side wall, is allotted at least one actuating device 14and one adjusting means 13.

In orderto open the closed sidewall, the particular adjusting means 13 and thus both the side wall sloping portion9andtheflexiblewall portion 10are acted upon by the particular actuating device 14. The flexible wall portion 10 is lifted towards its junction 12 with the sloping portion 9 and the latter portion is pivoted upwards. The clearance height H which is maximum usable forthe railway freight wagon 2 is opened for loading when the wall portions are in the upper end position.

Claims

1. A container comprising a fixed roof, fixed end walls and side walls which can be opened for loading or unloading, each said side wall having at least one upper portion which is hinged to a respective side of the roof at its upper end, so that it can be pivoted upwardly, and which at its other lower end supports a flexible wall portion which, in the closed position, forms a lower vertical portion ofthe side wall and which can be moved upwardlytowards its connection with the lower end ofthe sloping portion.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each said upper portion ofthe side walls slopes inwardly towards the roof.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein upwardly pivotal movement of said upper portion ofthe sloping side wall and lifting of the flexible wall portion to the upper end position, opens the side wall so as to expose the maximum usable clearance height for loading or loading.

4. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein each side wall extends in one piece along the loading length in the longitudinal direction ofthe container.

5. A container as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein each side wall consists of a plurality of similar sections arranged side by side in the long itudinal direction ofthe containeralong the loading length thereof.

6. A container as claimed in any one of the pre- ceding Claims, wherein the opening of the side walls is effected by means of actuating devices and adjusting means which act to swing outthe upper portion ofthe side wall in question and simultaneously to lift the flexible wall portion in the direction towards its connection with said upper portion.

7. A container as claimed in any one ofthe preceding Claims, wherein said actuating devices are arranged on the end walls of the container.

8. A containeras claimed in any one ofthe pre- ceding Claims, wherein each sidewall or each section of the side wall in the case of a multi-section wall is allotted at least one actuating device and one adjusting means.

9. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein each said flexible wall portion is in the form of a tarpaulin.

10. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein each said flexible wall portion is in the form of a roller blind.

11. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein in the closed position, each flexible wall portion can be fixed at its lower end in the region ofthefloor.

12. Acontainerasclaimed in any one of the pre- ceding Claims, wherein in the closed position, each flexible wall portion can be secured at its lower end in the vicinity of the floorto a respective loading edge which protrudes above the floor of the container and is fixed or so mounted that it can be pivoted out- wardly or lowered.

13. Acontainerasclaimed inanyoneofthepreceding Claims, wherein said loading edge forms the lower end ofsaidflexiblewall portion.

14. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the pivotal travel of the upper portion of the side wall is limited by safety devices fixed on the roof beams of the roof.

15. Avehiclecomprising acontainerasclaimed in any one of the preceding Claims.

16. A railway freight wagon as claimed in Claim 15.

17. A railway freightwagon substantially as here- inbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the drawings.