US1374111A

US1374111A - putnam

Info

Publication number: US1374111A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1921-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 1938-04-05

Description

E. I. PUTNAM.

CONCRETE CAR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLTCATION mEn Nov. 14, 191B- Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. j. PUTNAM.

CONCRETE CAR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATloN FILED Nov. 14. 1918.

1,374,1 1 1. Paten-1aed Apr. 5, 1921.

5 SHEETS*SHEET, 2.

Emma J, Pu www@ E. J. PUTNAM.

CONCRETE CAR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I4, 191s.

1,374, l1 l Patented Apr. 5, Im

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

simi/immo E. j. PUTNAM.

CONCRETE CAR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATTON HLED Nov.14,1918.

1,374,1 l 1. Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

5 SHEF'TS-SHEET 4A V'Www i PatentedrlApr. 5, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

I X Y I X X I I PUTNAM.

CONCRETE CAR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-14,191r

attoznw www J. Pu WIW/g futurs-D i STATES PATENT .ioFFlciE.

EDWARD .TENNEss PUTNAM, or ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

To all whom t may concern.' 1

Be it knownthat LEDWARD J. PUTNAM, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Atlantain`the county `of Fulton and Sttate of Georgia," have invented certain new and useful Improvements in` Concrete Car Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

`This invention relatesto railway rolling stock, and-more particularly to an improved concrete car construction especially adapted for freight use.`

i The problem of providing freight cars of maximum serviceability has. long been a diflicult one, and while it has been the general practice heretofore to construct freight cars of both `wood and steel, the exceedingly high demand for both of these materials in other fields renders it especially desirable that some other means be resorted toin thebuilding of freight carrying railway rolling stock. Although it has been heretofore proposed to construct cars of concrete, no substantial advances have been made forthe` development of this type of car, but, owing to the unusual condition of the raw material market with respect to the availability of materials for building cargo carrying `vehicles and ships the use of concrete in thisffield promises to be of great importance;

Accordingly, the present invention has primarily in view a concrete car construction which has the advantage of being read-4 ily and quickly constructed from materials available in the open market, and without the aid of highly skilled or expert labor, thus materially reducing the production cost, and at the same time. providing a construction of maximum strength, stability and lightness..`

Aspecial` object'` aside from the foregoing general object.` is to provide a fabricated car structure" which includes a self-sustaining metallicmeshed-fabric frame,` or in 4other words, `a frame which requiresl no special studding or likeV form-work which would add to the weight of the completed` car structure and `also would `materially contribute to its cost. `Thus, the presentin- 'r ventionj fundamentally differs from structures which employ a more or less rigid form-Work of I-beams or other metalshapes or strips about which the balance of the structureis fabricated.

l Speecaton of Letters Patent.

`coivcniii'rn CAR coNsTaUcTIoN.

patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed November 14, 1918. Serial No. 262,497.

With the above and other objects .in view which will more readily appear asA the nature of the invention is `better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed. i

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a concrete car constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the iioor, illus.

trating the general character of the bed frame-work in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the linel 3 3 of Fig. l.;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail horizontal section "of the side of the car body, illustrating the construction at the side of the doorV frame which carries the stop abutment` for the sliding door, the latter also being partly shown.

A Fig. `5 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of `the upper and lower corner portions of one side of the car body taken at the point where the doors occur therein; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail elevation, partly in `section taken at the lower corner .of one of the doors, and showing the reinforced expanded metal structure employed in fabricating the present car construction. Fig. 'r' is a detailcross sectional view taken onthe line 7--7 of Fig. 5 showing the interlocking or interlitting of the reinforcing expanded metal units.

f `Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures Iof the drawings.

As previously indicated, one of the objects set` forth :in producing a fabricated concrete car `structure islto effect a saving of woodand steel almost universally em` ployed for this purpose in the past, and at the same time obtain the benefit of the many advantages which are incident to a concrete structure. That is `to say, cars built of concrete not only have the advantage of being much lighter and cheaper than of steel and stronger and more fire-proof than of wood, but the expense usually incurred in painting the exposed surface of these cars to protect them from the weather is entirelyeliminated with a great saving,

Q y Y 1,374,111

` while at the same time no interior bolts,

braces or other projections are leftto in any way menace the contents of the cars. In` the event of the concrete shell becoming damaged it may be easily and quickly re-v paired without the necessity of sending the lL car to the repair shop, and in the cases of element of construction a small-mesh expanded sheet metal form permitting of the proposed economical system of concrete car construction without form-work. This eX- panded sheet metal form is intended to entirely dispense with any and all character of form-work, and to constitute itself the shape or form about which the concrete structure is fabricated, while at the same time providing substantial and necessary reinforcement and an extensive area of effective keys for the concrete. In other words the use of the small-mesh expanded sheet metal product as the form and main supporting element of the concrete car body permits of the utilization of said product to give the necessary shape to the car structure, and at the same time carry a substantial line of reinforcement in directions to best withstand the shocks and strains incident to the use of the car. Also thel product or material referred to provides a large keying area for bonding the concrete throughout the entire structure. These desirable features in a fabricated car body construction are rendered possible by the general character of the said product which primarily is made up of a series of substantially U-shaped high-ribs connected by intervening areas of expanded metal of relatively small diamond mesh. A

' By reference to Figs. 4 and 6 of the drawings the character of this form material may be more clearly observed. It will be seen that the same vconsists of the solid or imperforate high-ribs a suitably spaced apart and connected by an open diamond mesh metal fabric b which provides an extensive keying surface giving a perfect bond for the concrete and. at the same time insuring .the greatest reinforcing value, diffusing strain from concentrated loads, and by its perfect continuity also insures that all of the metal therein is in tension. This small-mesh material, by reason of these characteristics and the formation which permits of sheets thereof being interlccked at the sides and ends is capable of utilization in suoli a manner that it is self-sustaining. That is, the said material is capable of taking and keeping the form of the vertically disposed car wall, roof and iioor, without the aid of special studding, the longitudinally disposed ribs of the material itself constituting all the necessary reinforcement and performing all of the functions of studding or like framework. To further strengthen the material in its set-up condition and prevent lateral separation, the crowns of the ribs (L may be suitably notched as at c to receive the lateral or cross ties (l .which may be spot welded or otherwise suitably secured to the ribs (L, at the notches (see Figs. 5 and G).

Referring now to the general structural features and characteristics of the present construction which utilizes the novel plasticmaterial holding and reinforcing structure previously described, it will bc observed from Figs. 2 and 3 that it is proposed to construct a bed frame designated generally as F of suitable longitudinal reinforced concrete side beams 1 with an intermediate longitudinal beam 2 of similar construction. These side and intermediate beams l and 2 may be connected as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 with the cross beams 3 also of reinforced concrete. Proper provision is made in forming the bed frame for accommodating the draw bar construction as indicated by the sockets 4t Fig. 2, and also accommodating the master pivots 5 of the usual ear trucks. Accordingly, it will be apparent that the entire bed frame of the car may be constructed of reinforced concrete` and upon this bed frame is erected the entire fabricated superstructure which constitutes the car body proper. Although the construction shown in the drawings is that of a box car` it will of course be readily understood by those familiar with the art that the same principles of construction may be applied with equal facility to gondolas, tank and other cars.

Upon the bed frame F it is proposed to lay the interlccked sheets or sections of reinforced expanded metal material designated generally as M, the same consisting of a plurality of the longitudinally disposed arched rib portions and the intervening diamond mesh strands, and then upon this material, which is laid with the crowns of the ribs downward, are placed longitudinally of the car suitable sleepers (l, whereby after the floor section of the car has been filled with a body 6 of concrete a suitable floor surface 7 may be laid thereon. This floor surface may be of the usual wood flooring or it may be of concrete with suitable reinforcement laid at right angles to the sleepers 6, according to the type of car lOll PJ A

being-l built, and other requirements of the "car builders specifications.

j Upon the floorrsection, the side and end sections S ofthe car may be built, the same consisting of the expandedm'etal form S consisting of a plurality of interlocked sheets of the mesh material previously described, theribs of which are disposed outwardly and preferably connected by the `cross tie members d Fig. 6. That is to say,

the wallsof the car may be formed of laterally interlocked ribbed expanded metal sections whose arched ribs interlock at their lower end with the ribs of the upturned ends of the reinforcement of the bottom section.

In building the said `side sections it is proposed toprovide doorways adjacent each end of the car as shown in Fig. l of thei drawings. Thisarrangement of doors has the advantage of `giving vthe intermediate portion `of the car between the trucks greater strength, and at the same time facilitates loading and unloading of the car contents.

. Furthermore this arrangement permits of loading poles, shafts, or the like of substantially the entire length of the car `since the doors on both sides of the car may be utin lized in shifting the pieces insuch a manner thatfthey may be readily placedwithin the car.

The door ways D are preferably steel frames properly anchored to the expanded metal `side walls and include the` relatively wide door-sills 8., The arcuate reinforcing plates 9which extend 'around the entire bottomy edge vof the car also serve to prevent the chipping of the concrete which would otherwise be exposed at this point to loading and unloading operations. ,j Suitable metallic door supporting tracks and rails 10 and l1 may be employed whereby doors l2 of the same general construction of the car body may be readily used. The said rails 10 and ll may be secured to the plates 9 by any suitable and convenient fastening means such as screws, bolts or the like, and this said plates 9 may be held in position by the aid of lugs or other suitable anchoring devices which maybe embedded in the concrete of the floor of the car.

The top or roof section R of the car is also formed of the diamond mesh ex oanded metal material of which the body anc doors are formed 'but with the ribs thereof upstanding, and as shown it is proposed toI give the material forming the roof section a substantially arched formation (see Figs. 3 and 5) whereby the ends R of the troughed or arched ribs of the roof section may readily interiit with the similar or outstanding ribs of the side sections and thus provide an effective joint. Obviously, L owing to the ribbed formation of the expanded metal material used, both the floor and roof sections of expanded metal material may be readily interlocked at their meeting ends, and with the aid of suitable fastening clips w'ellknown to theart or even wire of suitable gage,`the entire fabricated metal structure Amay be held in place without the aid of any special wooden frame-work or other support. The entire fabricated metal structure may be readily assembled by workmen simply placing lthev various properly shaped sections ofmaterial into position and fasteningzthem together initially with .clips or Wires, and finally by the cross tie rods CZ previously referred to.

Afterthe entire metallic meshed-form is thus erected it is proposed to cover and fill the same in the well-known manner with a plastic material such as concrete. This material will readily remain in place owing to the extensive key surface provided by the relatively small diamond mesh fabric which constitutes the base and form to which the plastic material is applied. `In practice the concrete surface preferably consists of two layers, one applied to the exterior side of the material and the other on the inner side, the outer layer being applied first and the inner or under layer being applied after the first layer has thoroughly set. This procedure however may be varied as desired or required. y j Without further description it is thought that the many features and advantages of the .present concrete car construction `will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, andw it will 'of course be` understood that slight changes in the minorv details of construction may beresorted to without` departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A fabricated concrete car structure comprising a metallic form having projecting reinforcing ribs and expanded small metal fabric sections connecting the ribs, and a concrete envelop.

2. A fabricatbd concrete car structure comprising a metallic meshed-fabric forni having reinforcing ribs projecting downwardly at the bottom part of the body, and a concrete envelop.

3. A fabricated concrete car structure comprising a Vmetallic meshed-fabric form having vertical outstanding reinforcing ribs at the sides of the body, and a concrete" envelop.

4. A fabricated concrete car structure comprising a metallic meshed-fabric form having upstanding ribs at the top of the body, and a concrete envelop. l

A fabricated concrete car structure comprising a metallic form having a series of projecting imperforate reinforcing ribs and expanded small-mesh fabric sections connecting the ribs, and a concrete envelop.

6. A fabricated concrete car structure `7. A fabricated concrete car structure including afloor section consisting of a metallic meshed-fabrie form having downwardly projecting reinforcing high ribs, a concrete filling on top of said form, and a surfacing flooring arranged on said concrete filling. l

8. A fabricated concrete car structure consisting of a metallic skeleton frame com prising floor., side, end, and roof sections of expanded metal having spaced arched rib portions whereby the terminal ends of said several sections may interfit, means for connecting the crown portions of adjacent ribs of the-expanded metal material to brace the same laterally, and a plastic covering for said metallic skeleton frame.

9. A fabricated concrete car structure including a bed frame, a flooring base including ribbed expanded metal plastic keying means, a metallic skeleton frame including side, end and roof sections, and a concrete covering for said frame. v

. 10. A fabricated concrete car structure including a reinforced concrete bed frame, a

members and ribbed expanded metal plastic keying means, and a self-sustaining metallic body frame supported on said base, said metallic body frame consisting of relatively small mesh expanded metal sheets having integral regularly spaced arched longitudinally disposed reinforcing ribs adapted to interfit with the ribs of adjacent sheets, means for connecting the crowns of the ribs to brace the same laterally, and a concrete covering forvsaid self-sustaining body.

l2. A fabricated concrete ear structure including a reinforced concrete bed frame, a

.said sheets being curved upwardly, sleeper members laid upon the diamond mesh side of the ribbed expanded metal sheets, a concrete covering for said sleeper members and the ribbed expanded metal sheets of the flooring base, self-sustaining side sections also of ribbed expanded metal supported. upon and interitting with the upturned ribs of the iooring base section, metallic door frames positioned in the side sections, a roof section consisting of laterally interlocked sheets of ribbed expanded metal also interloekedat the ends with the ribs of the vertically disposed side section, and a concrete covering for the said side and roof section.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD JENNESS PUTNAM.

Witnesses: x

L. G. BERRY j Mrs. R. B. lJEwIs.