US1397674A - End reinforcement for railroad box-cars - Google Patents

Description

R. W. BURNETT.

END REINFORCEMENT FGR RAILROAD BOX CARS.

APPLICATlON FILED JULY 3,1919- Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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END REINFORCEMENT FOR RAILROAD BOX CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, I9 I9- 1,397,674. PatentedNov. 22, 1921.

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END REINFORCEMENT FOR RAILROAD BOX CARS.

I APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1919.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921';

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RICHARD WEBB BURNETT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

END REINFORCEMENT FOR RAILROAD BOX-CARS.

Application filed July 3,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD Winn: Bun- NETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in End Reinforcements for Railroad Box-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in end reinforcement for railroad box cars.

In the operation of railway cars, there are many thousands of wood box cars now in service that are proving entirely inadequate for the severe conditions now being en countered, particularly with respect to the ends of the cars which are broken out or distorted becauseof the shifting of the load during transit. On account of the present high cost of new equipment, the railroads are not able, financially, to buy new cars, and, consequently, are forced to adopt expedients to repair or reinforce the old wood cars.

Many such expedients have been attempted, particularly the substitution. of an all metal end for the old wood ends, these substituted metal ends taking a large variety of forms. Such metal ends, however, are quite expensive and entail an unnecessary loss on the part of the car owners, since the original wood ends are taken out and destroyed and their strength value not utilized. The cost of labor for applying such all metal ends is also high. I

The ob 'ect of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive method of reinforcing the ends of wood box cars and whereby I utilize the inherent strength of the old wood ends and brace the latter sufficiently to adequately withstandthe severe service conditions to which the cars are subjected.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide reinforcement for end walls of wood box cars wherein not only the end wall itself is utilized but also the strength of the side walls, particularly in the bracing of the upper portions of the end walls.

The invention, furthermore, consists in the improvements in parts and devices and in the novel combinations of the parts and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921..

1919. Serial No. 308,373.

larged horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. is a vertical sectional view, upon an enlarged scale, corresponding to the section line 3-3 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away in order to better accommodate the view on the sheet. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, parts being broken away, the section corresponding to the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the outer reinforcing members shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the reinforcing members being indicated as detached from the car and as the same would be fabricated prior to application to the car. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4: illustrating another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 7 is another view in horizontal section taken centrally of the end wall illustrating another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view corresponding substantially to Fig. 3 illustrating another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view corresponding substantially to Fig. 4 illustrating a still further embodiment of the invention. Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9. And Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail view illustrating a portion of the construction shown in Fig. 4:.

In said drawings, and referring first to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4i and 5, the end wall of the wood box car is shown as formed in the usual maner, comprising corner posts 20-20, diagonal braces 21-21, end posts 2222, the latter differing somewhat from the usual practice, as hereinafter particularly described, usual outer sheathing 23, usual inner sheathing 24, channel end sill 25, end plate 26, end facia board 27 and roof 28. The side walls of the car are of the usual construction in that their upper portions are provided with the usual side plates 29-29. So-called end posts 22 are preferably formed each with a central vertically extending steel bar 30 and side joists 31-31 on each side thereof, said parts being bolted together so as to form a strong post and particularly well adapted to resist bending strains applied in a direction parallel to the length of the car. The box car isalso shown as provided with ah end door, indicated at 32, which may be of any well-known form, the same being indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 1.

For reinforcing the end wall, I preferably employ the following arrangementp Two vertically extending Z-bars, indicated gen erally by the reference AA, are applied to the outer sheathing 23 preferably parallel to the end posts 22-22. Said Z-bars A have their inner flanges 33 bolted through the posts 22, inner; and outer sheathings2et and 28, and also the inner additional heavy lining 180. Said Z-bars extend from the top of the end sill to a point slightly above the lower edge of the end plate 26, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3. 1 To obtain the benefit of the strength of the end sill and underframe, the lower ends of the Z-bars A are anchored to the end sill by anchor castings, indicated generally by the reference B. Each of said anchor castings B comprises a horizontal web 34 riveted to'the upper flange of the end sill 25, a vertically extending flange 35 riveted to the web of the Z-bar, a transversely extending flange 36 extending behind the inner flange of the Z-bar and riv eted thereto, and a pa'irof inwardly extending' spaced horizontal flanges 37-37, each of the latter having a downturned lip 38 engaging behind the end sill. The flanges 3737 are spaced so as to straddle the bar 30, which constitutes a portion of the corresponding end posts. By employing the anchor castings B, constructed as above mentioned,it is evident that any outward endwise thrust on the Z-bars at their lower ends will be effectively resisted by the end sill to which the strain is communicated by means of the anchor castings 13. Furthermore, any tendency for transverse shifting or bending of either end post 22 or Z-bar A will be effectively resisted because of the connection with the anchor casting B with the end sill and also because said casting B straddles the bar 30. V v

To permit the Z bars to lie flat against the outersheathing 23 throughouttheir entire length, the end 'facia board 27 may be cut away-fer a short distance, as indicated at 39 39. To 'botlicOmbine the stren th of the zen-s themselves and. to seeurely unite tliii upper ends with the uppier portion of the end of the car, employ a combined bracing and tie member, indicated generally the reference C. This inenibetC is shown as Z shaped in vertical section, as clearly indicated in Fig. The web of said Z sectio'n' lies on top of the Z-bars and the outer flange thereof isturne'd downwardly to overlap the outer fiang'es'of the Z' bars he rivetedlthereto, as indicated at 40. The inner flange of the member e 'liesagainst the end facia board 27, extends upwardly and is bolted through said facia board 27 and the end plate 26. Preferably the upturned flange 41 is left longer than the downturned flange, which overlaps the Z-bars A, so as to provide for diagonal tension members hereinafter described.

To further brace the reinforcing n'iembers I may employ gussets between the Z-bars A. and the downturned flange 140 of themember C, as clearly indicated in Fig. these gussets obviously strengthening the fabricated reinforcement against twisting or distortion.

By providing the cross member C, above described, it is evident that the two main Z-bar reinforcing members are rigid united at their upper ends,'and, being rigidly united to the end sill 25 at their lower ends, a rectangular framework is, in effect, formed, so that the reinforcement not only serves to prevent breaking out or bulging of the end wall, but effectively prevents lat eral shifting or'weaving of the end wal of thecar. The cross member C also serves an additional function in that it acts as a weather protection for the end door 32and thus minimizes the tendency of rain to pass through said end door to the interior of the car.

To utilize the strength of theside walls of the car, I employ diagonally arranged tension rods shown most clearly in Fig. 4. Each of these tension rods 43 extends through the upwardly extending flange 4L1 of the cross member C, through the facia board. outer sheating and end plate 26. At their inner ends, the tension rods 43 are anchored to the side plates 29in any suitable manner.as, for instance. by the plate .44 and bolts 45. Because of the angular rela tion between the rods 43 and cross member G, I preferably employ a special washer. shown most clearly in the detail view of Fig; 11.2 Said washer 46, as thereshown. is of substantially triangular shape. having one face 47 parallel to the end wall of the car and the other face 48 perpendicular to the axis of the rod. To prevent twisting and also to prevent slip age of the washer 46,

the latter is provided withan inwardly ex tended lug 49 adapted to engage in a corresponding hole provided in the adjacent flange of the cross member C. To still further utilize the strength inherent in the end and side walls of the car, I employ corner gussets, as indicated at 50 most clearly in Fig. 4. These gussets may be 'forgings or pressings and are; bolted to the end plate and side plates, as clearly indicated in Fig; 41, there preferably being outer washer plates, shown at 51, through whichthe bolts extend topre'vent the same from pulling threagn the wood.

In order that any distortion of the superstructure of the car may occur. it is evident that one corner must become greater than a right angle, and it will be noted that the reinforcing arrangement which I have shown will effectively prevent this. 'I he gussets 5O obviously tend to prevent such increase of angle at the corners and will eifectivelyprevent the angle becoming any less than Any tendency of the corner angle to become greater than 90 is resisted by the tension rods 43, so that there is an effective cooperation between the gussets 50 and the ten sion rods I3 to prevent the distortion above indicated. This is additional to the strength obtained from the side walls of the cal against outward thrusts on the end wall of the car.

All of the parts utilized in the reinforcement are obviously inexpensive to manufacture; the same may be readily applied to a car without any radical or extensive changes to the car other than the mere boring of holes; all parts of the original car are retained and their strength utilized, thereby minimizing the cost of the reinforcement; and, in addition to the end wall being reinforced against outwardly bulging, the entire super-structure of the car is reinforced against weaving or distortion.

Referring next to the construction shown in Fig. 6, the same general principles are employed, but instead of employing diagonal tension rods 43, I employ a single strap, indicated by the reference D. This strap has diagonal portions 52 and central por tion 53 extending along the inner face of the end plate at the center of the latter, and end portions 54 where it is bolted to the side plates of the car. At the central portion 53 of the tension element, an angle iron 55 is employed, the connecting bolts passing through said angle iron 55, the strap D, the wood parts of the car and the outer cross member C.

In the construction illustrated in F ig. 7, the arrangement on the outer side of the end wall is the same as shown in previous fig-' ures, and for the diagonal corner tension members, I employ rods 56 secured at their outer ends in any suitable manner to the side plates of the car and provided at their inner ends with eyes 57 from which extend the bolts 58 passing through an inner plate 59, the wood parts of the wall and the outer cross member C. The plate 59 obviously serves to prevent spreading or separation of the eye bolts 58 and the rods 56.

In the construction shown in Fig 8, I have indicated the employment of an angle iron E in lieu of the cross member C of 2 section Where an angle iron E is employed, one flange 60 thereof will extend over the tops of the vertical Z-bars and the other flange will be extended downwardly on the inner sides of the Z-bars and riveted to the inner flanges of the Z-bars, as indicated at 61.. It is obvious that the securing bolts through the end plate can be passed through the cross member E at any point there-along and the wide securing area obtained in the same manner as with the cross member C In the construction illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, I omit the diagonal tension members shown in the other figures and employ in stead a bracing bulb angle F which extends entirely across the car and is bolted throughout its length to the inner face of the end plate. At the ends of the angle F, gussets 62 are employed riveted to the angle F and bolted to the adjacent portions of the car corners. Said angle F is, of course, bolted through to the reinforcing elements at the center of the end wall so as to effectively tie the latter to the super-structure of the car. One important feature of my construction will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 3. Ordinarily, 4-inch Z-bars will be em ployed for the vertical members and a 3-inch Z-bar for the cross member C. By placing the cross member 0 shown in Fig. 3, that is, with the outer flange thereof overlapping the flanges of the vertical Z-bars A, the inner face of the inner flange of the cross member 0 will be in a vertical plane substantially 1% inches from the surface or. the

outer sheathing of the end wall. This will avoid the necessity of cutting away or otherwise weakening the end facia board 27 since the latter is, in actual practice, almost uniformly L} inches thick.

I claim:

1. In car construction, the combination with a box car having an end wall including intermediate end posts, outer wood sheathing, end sill, and end plate; of means for reinforcing said end wall comprising, Z- bars applied to the outside of said sheathing and extending between the end sill and the end facia board, means for anchoring the lower end of each Z-bar individually to the end sill, and a relatively short cross member of Z-shape in cross section secured to and connecting the tops of said Z-bars,one flange of said cross member being rigidly united with the outer flanges of the Z-bars and the other flange of said cross member being secured to the outer side of said facia board.

2. In car construction, the combination with a box car having an end wall including intermediate end posts, outer wood sheathing, end sill, and end plate; of means for reinforcing said end wall comprising, vertically extending Z-bars between the end sill and the end plate and applied to the outside of said sheathing in alinement with said intermediate end posts, and a relatively short cross member of Z-shape in cross section secured Cir to and connecting the tops of said Z-bars, one fiange of said cross member overlapping and being secured to the outer flanges ot the Z-bars, the other flange of said cross memher being secured to the outer side of the car end Wall. As an article'ot' manufacture, a fabricated reinforcement adapted for application to the outside o'lan end Wall or a Wood box 7 car, said reinforcement comprising: a pair of laterally spaced commercially rolled shapes each of a length adapted to extend from the end sill to the end facia boar-dot the box car end; a relatively short cross connecting piece at the tops of said shapes, said cross connecting piece having a horizontally extending Web, a downturned flange on the outer side riveted to said shapes, and an upwardly extending flange on the inner side adapted to lie against the outer face of said 7 end facia board of the car, said last named ends of said Z-bars, said connecting piece being alsoofZ cross section and having one flange thereof extending over flanges of the Z-bars and riveted thereto, the other flange of said cross piece extendingupwardly and adapted to lie against a portion of the car end Wall, said'pair of Z-bars being each of a length adapted to extend from the end sill to the end plate of a car end all and of :a depth greater than the depth of the cross piece corresponding substantially to the usual thickness of the end facia; and gussets secured to the pair of Z bars and cross piece. I

5. In car construction, the combination with a box car having an end Wall including Wood intermediate end postsfouter Wood sheathing, end-sill, end plate and end facia board; of means for reinforcing said end Wall comprising, a pair of substantially vertically extending reinforcing beams of flanged commercial shape applied to the outer side of said Wall and extending between said end sill and end plate, a flanged relatively short cross member extending across the tops of saidshapes and united thereto, said cross member having a flange lying against the outer side of the adjacent portions of the end wall, said cross member being rigidly secured to said commercial shapes, and tension elements connected at their inner ends to the side plates of the car at points remote from corners of the car, the opposite ends of said tension elements being directly connected to said cross member and extending through said end plate and end facia board.

In itness that I claim the foregoing 1 havehereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of July, 1919.

RICHARD WEBB BURNETT.

Witness: r i V 'Josnrrr HARRIS.

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