MXPA00005332A - Motor-vehicle carrying railcar with offset h-frame - Google Patents

Abstract

A novel sidewall structure for a motor-vehicle carrying railway car wherein at least one upper deck is supported principally by longitudinal beams that are themselves supported by end structures,without the need for large, heavy vertical posts to support the decks between the end structures. To provide a lightweight car body with sufficient strength and durability for commercial rail service, the car body may be of monocoque construction. Each sidewall preferably has a plate girder structure that employs the horizontal beams as its principal supports, with the beams tied together by sidewall panels or plates. A plurality of light stiffeners may be employed to limit flexure of the sidewalls. Each of the end structures preferably comprises an offset H frame that includes a draft sill joined to a body bolster, and inner and outer cross bearers joined to the draft sill. In the offset H frame, the draft sill slopes downward and inward, with the inner cross bearer being at a lower elevation than the outer one. Vertical posts extend upward at the ends of the cross bearers to support end portions of the longitudinal beams. The ramps may be of compound configuration, comprising a plurality of generally planar segments sloped at varying angles to provide increased bottom clearance for motor vehicle ends during loading and unloading

Description

CAR OF RAIL CARRIER OF MOTOR VEHICLES WITH FRAME IN H DISPLACED BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to rail cars, and more particularly to an improved rail car for carrying motor vehicles. One of the challenges in the design of rail cars for the transport of motor vehicles is to provide enough free space inside the rail car to allow the doors of the vehicles to be opened to a sufficient extent so that the drivers can enter and exit vehicles easily in the course of loading and unloading operations. In the past, the large, heavy vertical poles that supported the upper platforms of the typical railcar cars carrying cars have excelled considerably inland. The vertical poles, along with cross braces, knee braces and brackets, restrict the interior clearance available to open car doors, and also restrict the movement of workers inside the rail car. Contact with the structural components of the rail car can damage the finish on the doors of new motor vehicles. It generally applies to interior of the rail car protection for the edges of the doors, comprising foam pads or the like, to prevent such damage, but has the disadvantage of reducing the available free space to open the doors. In recent years, free space has been improved in certain rail car designs. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 5,765,486. However, there is still room for improvement in this area. The width and height of the bodies of rail cars are limited by industry regulations, based on the spacing between adjacent rails and the clearance required to avoid equipment on the sides of the rails, signs, tunnels, etc. The interior width is further limited by the need to include sufficient structure in the side walls to support one or more top platforms loaded with motor vehicles, and to accommodate the dynamic loads encountered in commercial rail service. In addition to the vertical loads due to the weight of the upper platforms and the motor vehicles supported therein, such loads may also include substantial longitudinal impact loads, as well as lateral loads encountered due to the bustle of the bodies of the cars, and due to the displacement in non-linear rail configurations. Any effort to provide an increased width must take these factors into account. & amp; x ** s & S * £ i? »& ^. «? P W ^ # fS ^ Barnt3tei Another aspect found in the development of rail cars to carry motor vehicles is to increase the vertical dimension of the space available for motor vehicles on each platform. This is of particular interest with respect to three-tier railcars. To increase the vertical clearance in the lower platform (platform "A"), the platform may have a central portion lowered, providing ramps for carrying motor vehicles between the lowered central portion and the end portions. It is generally desirable to maximize the length of the lowered central portion of platform A, and concomitantly limit the lengths of the ramps. However, if the slope of the ramps is too large, the lower clearance for the ends of certain motor vehicles may be insufficient. The invention is generally directed to these and other aspects related to increasing the interior free spaces in rail cars for transporting motor vehicles. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a novel side wall structure for a railway carriage carrying motor vehicles., wherein at least one upper platform is supported mainly by longitudinal beams that are themselves supported by end structures, without the need for large, heavy vertical poles, to support the platforms between the end structures. The illustrated form of modality comprises a car! of three-level railway, where each side wall includes first and second longitudinal beams arranged generally parallel to and separated from each other, directly connected to respective upper and middle platforms. The invention can be incorporated alternatively in a two-level carriage. In order to provide a lightweight trolley body with sufficient strength and durability for commercial rail service, the trolley body may comprise a monohull. Each side wall preferably has a plate holding structure that employs horizontal beams as its main supports, the beams tied together by panels or side wall plates. A plurality of light stiffeners may be employed to limit the bending of the side walls. Among the end structures, the invention preferably provides an interior width considerably greater than that of conventional designs of car shelves. New platform height readings are used to provide each platform with sufficient vertical clearance to accommodate a variety of different types of vehicles and engines. The lower platform or platform "A" has a central portion lowered. To facilitate the loading and unloading of vehicles --- ^ .... ^ &t -. ^ - ^ and from the central portion of the lower platform, each of the end structures preferably comprises' a displaced H-frame including a floor attached to an cross body of inclined body, and internal and external crossed struts attached to the floor at different elevations. In the displaced H-frame, at least a portion of the hearth is tilted downward and inward, with the internal cross-strut being at a lower elevation than the external one. This arrangement allows a low ramp angle to be used on the ramp segment between the internal cross-strut and the central portion of the lower platform without the ramps unduly restricting the length of the lower central portion of platform A. The vertical poles extend upwards at the ends of the cross struts to support end portions of the longitudinal beams. The ramps may be of composite configuration, comprising a plurality of generally flattened segments, inclined at various angles, to provide an increased lower headroom for ends of motor vehicles during loading and unloading. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a rail car according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic view, amplified in plan, of an end of the rail car of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the end structure of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a cross sectional view, in elevation, of a central portion of the rail car of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a schematic elevational view of a ramp of the rail car of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional view, in elevation, of the edge of a platform of the rail car; and Figure 7 is a sectional view of a rail and roof top rail of the rail car. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment The invention is generally incorporated into a rail car or van 10 for transporting motor vehicles. In the illustrated embodiment, the carriage comprises a single unit. However, it should be appreciated that the invention may alternatively be incorporated in an articulated van comprising two or more units. In the illustrated embodiment, the carriage includes a floor or platform "A" 12, a second platform or platform "B" 14, and a third platform or platform "C" 16. A roof 18 extends over the top of the rail car. The interior of the car is substantially enclosed by walls * aAtaa ^ * ^ ». .... ^. MS * ¿; < * «,« ^., -? A.i * »as-ifc ** J-tt - * ---- h« '- .. laterals 20 and end doors 22. Although the illustrated embodiment comprises a three-level rail car, it should be appreciated that the invention can alternatively be incorporated in a two-tier van. In the past, rail cars or vans or wagons for transporting motor vehicles have generally been based on large, heavy vertical poles to support one or more platforms along the length of the car. According to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the upper platforms 14 and 16 of the railway carriage 10 are supported between end structures 17 by longitudinally extending upper and lower beams 24 and 26, rather than by large vertical posts and heavy. Vertical posts used in the past reduce the interior width. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, an increased interior width is maintained along the length of a central portion 28 of the rail car, by a substantial portion of the height of the loading area on each platform, by elimination of such posts. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, each side wall of the rail car includes upper and lower longitudinal beams 24 and 26 arranged generally parallel to and spaced apart from each other, directly connected to platforms B and C. Each of the beams is configured to provide ^^ * at, support to its associated platform without unnecessarily reducing internal free spaces, and without unduly increasing the weight of the rail car. In addition, beams are intended to be capable of economic manufacture, so as to be suitable for use in commercial mass production of rail cars. Although various different configurations of beams can satisfy these criteria, the beam configuration illustrated is described below in detail for purposes of example. Each beam in the illustrated embodiment is preferably composed, ie comprises a plurality of longitudinally co-extensive sections. Each beam further comprises a generally rectangular, hollow external portion 94 and an inwardly extending portion 96 that attaches to the platform to form an elongated, hollow structure of generally trapezoidal shape. Turning to a more detailed description of the illustrated embodiment, each of the illustrated beams comprises outer and inner sections 30 and 32. The outer section has a narrow profile, with its vertical dimension being substantially greater than its width. The internal section comprises a vertical external frame 34, a horizontal upper wall 36, a vertical internal flange 38, which depends on the upper wall 36, and a horizontal lower wall 40 which extends inwardly from the lower part of the external frame. The inner section 32 comprises a vertical weft 42, a horizontal bottom wall 44, extending therefrom, an angled support wall 46 extending in and out of the lower wall '44 to link the lower part of the platform, and a flange 48 extending inwardly along the bottom of the platform. Each of the inner and outer sections is preferably a rolled, integral, unitary, integral steel member. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower wall 44 of the inner section covers a portion of the lower wall 40 of the outer section and is continuously welded thereto. An upper portion of the frame 42 of the inner section overlaps with the flange 38 of the outer section and is continuously welded thereto. As shown in Figure 6, the inner section further includes a closure plate 51 which extends inwardly from the inner frame 42 to the lower part of the platform. The closure plate 51 preferably extends inwardly to the inner flange 48, cooperating with the weft 42 and the walls 44 and 46 to form a closed tube. A flange 49 may extend from the inner weft 42 to the upper part of the platform as an alternative, or in addition, to the closure plate 51. The closure plate and / or the flange may be welded to both the weft 42 and the weft. the platform. To facilitate the welding of the internal section 32 to the external section 30, the lower wall 40 of the external section it preferably extends inwardly beyond the lower wall 44 of the inner section, defining an inner lip or spine 53 below a portion of the angled wall 46. The beams 24 and 26 preferably have sufficient strength to support the weight of the pallets loaded without relying on the large, heavy vertical support posts 24 and 26 between the end structures 17. To provide the beams 24 and 26 with sufficient strength, they can be rolled out of, for example, 3/8 or 5 steel. / 16 inch. The external surface of the side wall is preferably devoid of foot supports that would facilitate climbing the side wall of the carriage. For this purpose, the outer surface of the outer weft 34 is preferably substantially co-flattened with respect to the outer surface of the surrounding side wall structure. Each side wall preferably has a plate holding construction that employs the horizontal beams as its main supports. In the illustrated embodiment, the beams 24 and 26 are attached to side wall panels or plates 50 and a plurality of light vertical and horizontal stiffeners 52 and 54. The plates may have openings there formed for light and ventilation. To eliminate the need for the many mechanical fasteners used in the typical automotive shelves of the state of the art, the preferred side walls are welded construction, all the joints between the ^^ r ^ tsSsßSiÁ ^? M? ^^ t ^ c-If several components are soldered. The illustrated stiffeners comprise channel members welded continuously along their lengths with the interiors of the sidewall plates, the vertical channels 52 being welded at their ends to the longitudinal beams 24 and 26. To limit their intrusion into the interior of the rail carriage while still providing sufficient strength, the stiffeners 52 and 54 preferably have a transverse dimension of no more than about 1.5 inches and the side wall plates 50 have a preferred thickness of less than 1/4 inch, preference between about 0.11 and 0.15 inches. In the preferred embodiment, the side wall plates are substantially flat or flattened, in contra-distinction to the corrugated side wall panels commonly used in the past, and made of steel plates or sheets of 9, 10 and 11. of gauge, having nominal thickness of around 0.1196, 0.1345 and 0.1495 inches, respectively. The side wall plates of platform A are 9-gauge plates; platform B, caliber 10; Y? platform C, gauge 11. In the preferred embodiment, stiffeners 52 and 54 are standard 4-inch steel channels, ie channels having a width of about 4 inches, a flange dimension of about 1.5 inches , and a weight of around 5.4 lbs / ft. In other embodiments, other stiffeners, for example 3-inch channels, may be used in the present 4-inch channels, or stiffeners of other cross-sections. Also, the side wall plates can be of uniform thickness, ie the three platforms can employ 11-gauge steel plates. In contrast to the typical rail cars of the state-of-the-art car rack, the rail car 10 includes upper ropes along the upper edges of the side walls. The upper ropes 91 and the roof rails 92 extend along the upper ends of the side walls 20, and side rods 82 extend along the lower ends. As shown in Figure 7, each upper chord 91 preferably has a generally "b" shaped cross section, comprising a lower tubular section 110 of rectangular or square cross section, with a flange 112 extending upwardly as long on one side. The roof rail 92 has a generally "L" -shaped cross section, comprising a horizontal flange 118 and a vertical weft 120, and sits on top of the upper chord, abutting the flange 112 and the upper wall of the roof. tubular section 110. An upper edge portion 114 of the roof rail frame is angled inward to join an inclined edge portion 116 of the roof. The upper rope preferably functions as a structural member of the side wall plate holding construction between the end structures 17. The upper rope 91 preferably extends continuously along the upper part of the rope. the side wall 20, and preferably comprises a single continuous member welded to vertical stiffeners 52 and side wall panels 50. In other embodiments, the side walls may have other configurations. For example, instead of the illustrated network of stiffeners, stiffness may be provided by diagonal members, or by vertical members. Alternatively, the sidewall panels 50 themselves can be made strong enough to eliminate the need for additional stiffeners, for example by increasing their thickness, or by making sidewall panels of non-flattened configuration, such as by incorporation of ribs or other integral structure. to add rigidity. Each of the end structures 17 preferably comprises a displaced H-frame 56 that includes a longitudinally extending floor 58 coupled to a body cross member 60., and internal and external cross struts 162 and 64, respectively coupled to the hearth. In the frame 'in H offset, the sill is inclined downwards and inwards, with the internal cross-strut 62 being at a lower elevation than the external one. The internal and external posts 66 and 68 extend upward at each end of each cross strut to support the longitudinal beams.

Between the end structures 17, the central portion 28 of the rail car preferably has an interior width of slightly more than 9 feet, 7 inches, which is more than 6 inches greater than the corresponding width in the conventional car rack designs of the state of the art. The side sills 82 extend along the lower side edges of the van body between the internal cross struts 62. The side sills may comprise, for example, heavy steel angles or other elongated members. In a particular embodiment, the side sills are angles of 0.5 inches. The side sills transmit various loads along the central portion of the van or wagon. The various loads are transmitted to the side solerams from the hearth 58 through the internal cross strut 62, the body cross member 60, one or more of the floor plates 84, 86 and 88, which can act as shear plates, and top side sill extensions 90. As shown in Figure 3, the sill 58 has a substantially horizontal segment 98 at an appropriate elevation for support of the gear compatible with that of other rail cars, an intermediate segment that slopes forward 100, and a generally horizontal internal segment 102. The lower part of the sill curves downward at its inner end to join the lower wall 108 of the internal cross-strut, -tr t * ±, x.JH, ~ W * w ^^ * g * ^^^^ ¡^^^^^? s ^^^^^^^^ that works like a plate of shear to transmit loads various to the side sills 82. The illustrated body cross member 60 is integrated with the sill 58 to some extent as a central portion of the body cross member 60 comprises a portion 104 of the inner segment 102 of the sill. The body cross member 60 shown in Figure 3 has a pair of arms 106 for supporting side bearings, and in the illustrated embodiment extends to the side hearth extensions 90 and is welded thereto. In other embodiments, the width of the body cross member can be reduced, for example it can be extended only as much as necessary to support the side bearings, without extending the entire width of the rail car. In the preferred embodiment, the floor plate 84 on the inner segment 102 of the hearth functions as a shear plate, and is attached to the upper part of the body cross member. To allow the floor plate 84 to support the shear stresses and other loads encountered during use, the floor plate 84 is preferably a heavy steel plate. For example, a 3/8 inch plate can be used. To increase the available free space for vehicles being loaded and unloaded from platform A, the end portions of platform B 14 are capable of pivoting upwards. The increased vertical clearance is also provided by the shifted H-frame, and specifically by the downward sloping segment of the sill, and by placing the internal cross-sill at a lower elevation than the external crosstie. As shown in Figure 1, inclined ramps 70 facilitate the loading of motor vehicles on platform A, and specifically, facilitate the movement of vehicles between the lower, central portion 78 of platform A and the upper end portions 80 of The trucks. To avoid free space problems between the ends of the vehicles and the ramps, as the vehicles are in transition on and off the ramps, each ramp preferably includes a compound inclined configuration, with a first portion or lower portion 72 of the ramp being inclined to a first angle a, and a second portion 74 of the ramp being inclined at a second angle ß with the horizontal. As shown in figure 5, the second angle ß is greater than the first angle, so that a vehicle first encounters a relatively shallow inclination as it begins to travel the ramp, then finds a greater inclination when its tires make contact with the second portion of the ramp. In other embodiments, the ramp may include one or more additional portions inclined at other angles. Each portion of the ramp in the illustrated embodiment is substantially linear. That is, each portion is inclined at a substantially constant angle over its length. In the illustrated embodiment, the composite ramp has its lower portion inclined at an angle to 5 °, and its upper portion at an angle β of about 10 '. The platform elevations of the rail car are preferably selected to provide sufficient vertical clearance to accommodate a wide variety of vehicles, including large cars and minivan trucks. In the preferred embodiment, each platform has at least about six feet of vertical clearance. In the upper (end) portions of platform A, the clearance may be less than six feet when the ends of platform B are in their lowered positions for use, but the lower (central) portion of platform A preferably It has a vertical free space greater than six feet. The lower portion of platform A is preferably about one foot above the top of the rail. Platform B is preferably about seven feet above the lower portion of platform A, and platform C is preferably about six feet above platform B. The overall height of the carriage (on top of the rail) is about 20 feet. In the preferred embodiment, the platform elevations on top of the rail, measured on the upper surface of the platform, on the centerline of the carriage, midway between the side walls, are as follows: platform A below , 1"V; platform B, 8 'V; Platform C, 14 ', 11/16"The overall height of the rail car on top of the rail is around 20' 1.75". In other embodiments, the platform lifts may be the same as those of conventional three-level rail cars, manufactured in the past, or at other elevations suitable for the transport of private vehicles. From the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the invention provides a novel and improved design of rail car or van or wagon. It is believed that the rail car is capable of carrying automotive vehicles in commercial rail service, and it is believed that the structure is capable of supporting several years of service without suffering undue wear or damage due to fatigue. The invention is further described and pointed out particularly by the following claims. i. «« J-t- aMm »» -. - • - - ^ jJe ^ aswafifM.MlM-Tl.Ml ^ iMitft ^ t ^^

Claims (20)

1. CLAIMS 1. A railway carriage carrying motor vehicles, comprising a pair of erect side walls, a lower platform and at least one upper platform capable of carrying motor vehicles in commercial rail service, said rail car comprising in addition first and second end structures, and a central portion between said end structures, said upright side walls including a pair of 10 longitudinal beams extending along opposite sides of said at least one upper platform, said upper platform having a central portion between said end structures supported mainly by said longitudinal beams, each of said end structures comprising a crossbar of body and a displaced H frame associated with said body cross member, each of said displaced H frames comprising a longitudinally extending floor attached to its associated body cross member, and struts 20 internal and external crusades coupled to said hearth, said internal criss-cross struts being at a lower elevation than said external criss-cross struts, said rail car further comprising vertical poles associated with each of the end structures 25 to hold said longitudinal beams and to transfer ^^ tfi ^ ti ^^^ a &^ 3 ^^ g3 ^ g ^ eg ^ ej¡ ^ íg ^ gj ^^^^^^ loads of said beams to said cross struts, each of said cross struts having a respective vertical post extending upwards from each of its ends.
2. 2. A railway carriage carrying motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said upper platform is immediately adjacent to said longitudinal beams and connected directly thereto, without intermediate vertical posts, and wherein said hearth has an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein said external cross-strut is coupled to said upper portion of said hearth and said internal cross-strut is coupled to said lower portion of said hearth.
3. 3. A railway carriage carrying motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said upright side walls comprise plate holding structures.
4. A railway carriage carrying motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said pair of side walls are spaced apart from each other by at least about 9 '2"over a substantial portion of the height of the side walls as length of substantially the entire length of said central portion
5. 5. A rail car carrier of motor vehicles i according to claim 1, wherein said central portion includes a pair of side walls spaced apart from each other by at least about 9 '.
6. 6"over a substantial portion of the height of the side walls along the entire length of said central portion. A rail car carrying motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein each of said upright side walls includes an upper chord and a roof rail extending along its upper end, and a side sill extending along its lower end, along substantially the entire length of said central portion.
7. 7. In a rail car capable of carrying automotive vehicles in commercial rail service, said rail car comprising a pair of erect side walls, a floor having a lower central portion, upper end portions, and ramps connecting said central portion lower with said upper end portions, said railway carriage further comprising at least one upper platform, and a pair of body cross members, the improvement comprising a pair of displaced H frames associated respectively with said body cross members, each of said displaced H frames comprising a longitudinally extending floor attached to its associated body cross member, and internal and external cross struts coupled to said floor, said floor including an upper portion and a lower portion, and an inclined portion therebetween, said external cross strut being coupled to said upper portion of said hearth and said internal cross-strut being coupled to said lower portion of said hearth, said internal criss-cross struts being at a lower elevation than said external criss-cross struts, said upper portions of said floor covering said hearth, and each of said portions above said floor having an inner portion covering the lower portion of said floor, an external portion covering the upper portion of said floor, and a portion inclined over said inclined portion of said floor, said internal portion of said floor being a lower elevation than said outer portion of said floor.
8. The improvement of claim 7, wherein each of said cross struts has vertical posts extending upwardly from their opposite ends to hold said at least one upper platform.
9. The improvement of claim 8, wherein said upright side walls include a pair of longitudinal beams extending along opposite sides of said at least one upper platform, or said upper platform having a central portion between said sustained end structures by said longitudinal beams, said longitudinal beams being supported by said vertical posts.
10. 10. The improvement of claim 9, wherein each of said internal portions of said upper portions of said floor functions as a shear force plate and is attached to the upper part of said body cross member.
11. The improvement of claim 10, further comprising side sills extending between said internal cross struts and transmitting various loads therebetween.
12. 12. The improvement of claim 11, further comprising upper extensions of side sills.
13. The improvement of claim 12, wherein said various loads are transmitted between said floor screed and said lateral floor screeds through said internal cross brace.
14. The improvement of claim 13, wherein said various loads are transmitted between said hearth and said lateral solerails through said internal cross-strut, said body cross-member, said upper floor portions, and said upper lateral hearth extensions.
15. 15. The improvement of claim 14, wherein said hearth is integrated with said body cross member.
16. 16. The improvement of claim 15, wherein said internal cross-strut includes a bottom wall that functions as a shear plate.
17. 17. In a rail car capable of carrying automotive vehicles in commercial rail service, said rail car comprising a pair of erect side walls, a floor having a lower central portion, ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ a ^ ^ ^ ^^^^^^ end, and ramps connecting said lower central portion with said upper end portions, said rail car further comprising at least one upper platform, and a pair of body cross members, the improvement comprising a pair of displaced H frames associated respectively with said body crosspieces, each of said displaced H frames comprising a longitudinally extending floor plate coupled to its associated body cross member, and external crossed struts coupled to said floor plate.
18. The improvement of claim 17, further comprising vertical posts extending upwardly at opposite ends of each said cross struts.
19. 19. The improvement of claim 18, further comprising side sills extending between said internal cross struts and transmitting various loads therebetween. The improvement of claim 19, wherein said at least one top platform is supported by said vertical posts. Res \ imen A novel side wall structure for a railway car carrying motor vehicles, where at least one upper platform is supported mainly by longitudinal beams that are themselves supported by structures! of end, without the need for large and heavy vertical poles to hold the platforms between the end structures. In order to provide a lightweight rail car body with sufficient strength and durability for commercial rail service, the rail car body may be of monocoque construction. Each side wall preferably has a plate holding structure that employs the horizontal beams as their main supports, the beams tied together by panels or side wall plates. A plurality of light stiffeners may be employed to limit the bending of the side walls. Each of the end structures preferably comprises a displaced H-frame including a floor attached to a body cross member, and internal and external cross struts attached to the floor. In the displaced H frame, the sill is tilted downwards and inwards, with the internal cross brace being at a lower elevation than the external one. Vertical posts extend upward at the ends of the cross struts to hold end portions of the longitudinal beams. The ramps may be of composite configuration, comprising a plurality of Generally, flattened segments inclined at various angles will provide increased lower headroom for motor vehicle ends during loading and unloading.