US1681819A

US1681819A - Railway-car roof

Info

Publication number: US1681819A
Application number: US218732A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur E Small
Original assignee: PH Murphy Co
Current assignee: PH Murphy Co
Priority date: 1927-09-10
Filing date: 1927-09-10
Publication date: 1928-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 1945-08-21

Description

Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,819

A. E. SMALL RAILWAY CAR ROOF Filed Sept. 10. 1927 HiiOflZgZ/ flri/u/r E. Sm all 2 series of flat planes (apexed).

Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. SMALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO I. H. MURPHY COMPANY, OF

NEW IKENSINGJI.ON PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY CAR noon.

Application filed September 1 0, 1927. Serial No. 218,732.

This invention relates to railway freight car roofs,'and more particularly to the all metal type of roof wherein a plurality of relatively thick roof sheets span the distance between the opposite side walls of the car and are so formed and arranged as to not only act as a roof in protecting the lading from the weather but also to perform the functions of the usual carlines, ridge pole and purlins which, in the ordinary car, constitute the roof framing.

A railway car in motion weaves and rocks and the rectangular frame composed of the side plates and end plates becomes distorted into a parallelogram; the cars also twist on their longitudinal axis setting up torsional strains and the roof sheets tend to slide past each other at their adjoining edges. Therefore, the seams between the adjoining edges of adjacent roof sheets must be wellseoured to each other or made flexible so that they will 1 not tear-and cause a leaky roof.

The object of my device is to provide integral depressions or corrugations in a metallic plate whenused as a roof for a railway car which transmit any stresses impo ed thereon to the opposite side plates of the car, which sideplates, with the end plates, form a rectangular frame for the roof. And a further object is to so form and shape such embossments or corrugations as to impart strength and rigidity to the plate adjacent the center of thecar and to impart resiliency and flexibilityto the plate adjacent the opposite ends of the corrugations which are positioned adjacent the opposite side plates. -Such corrugations also restrict the buckling of the lates when acting as gussets to prevent the roof framing (side and end plates) from getting out of square.

j The roof sheets are made higher adjacent the center line of the car so as to form a watershed and also toform an arch or cambered bea-m'to transmit any load imposed upon them to the opposite side plates of the car. It is immaterial to my invention whether thi v watershed or arch is given to the sheets by forming them on a curve (arcuate) or a e I have used the term arch herein to define either structure or any similar structure thereto. Besides the weaving and racking stresses to which a car roof is subjected, it must also sustain the vertical loads of snow slush and rain as well as the weight of men on the running boards.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view of a car with my improved roof applied thereon.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on lines 2-2 and 33, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged sections on lines ll;. 5- 5 and 66 respectively, of Fig. 1.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are modifications of Fig 4, 5 and 6, respectively.

Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, show the preferred form wherein the plate is provided with a plurality of parallel depressions, each depression comprising a plurality of relatively shallow sinuous minor corrugations 2 formed therein which are spaced apart distances substantially equal to their respective widths and the port-ions 3 of the plate between the respective adjacent minor corrugations are also sinuous so that these minor corrugations merge together to form a contiguous, sinuous configuration, symmetrical in cross section about a line midway between the outermost portions of these minor corrugations so that this line is the neutral axis of the section. Such a section is very resilient and has a spring like action under loads, and, furthermore, produces a very strong section for the amount of metal used. These minor corru gations merge into the plane of the plate at by means of terminal portions 5 of any desired formation. A plurality of such minor corrugations merge together adjacent the middle of the plate (or center of the car) to form a plurality of fewer major corrugations 6 preferably relatively deep with substantially flat apices 7, which corrugations are spaced apart distances substantially equal to their respective widths and the portions 8 of the plate between these major corrugations are also substantially flat, thus forming a configuration symmetrical in cross section about a line midway between the outermost portions of these maj or corrugations so that this line is the neutral axis of the section. The secondary oppositely projecting ribs or corrugations 9 formed by the merging of the minor corrugations are equal in Width to the adjacent minor corrugations and decrease in width as the minor corrugations merge to gether to form the major corrugations. These secondary oppositely projecting ribs 9 also preferably decrease in depth so that any concentrated stretch of metal is eliminated where the minor corrugations merge together. Such a section 4e) stronger and relatively rigid as compared to the section (Fig. 6) of the sinuous minor corrugations because more metal is positioned away from the neutral axis and the increased depth also increases the strength of the beam. By such an arrangement a car root is provicedwhich is relatively rigid adjacent the center of the car and relatively resilient adjacent the opposite side plates of the car.

Figs. 1, 5 and 6 are detail enlargements of portions of the plate taken on lines at, 5 and 6, respectively, of Fig. 1 showing the flat apex i' of the major corrugation split or divided by the secondary rib or corrugation 9 into two contiguous, sinuous minor corrugations 2. The portions 8- of the plate between the respective major corrugations are also substantially flat.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are detail enlargements of a modified form of corrugation similar to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, respectively, wherein the apex 10 of the major corrugation is arcuate and the portions 11 of the plate between the respective major corrugations are also arc uate.

The metallic plate forming the main element of the roof is thus formed with a plurality of corrugations which are preferably relatively deep and relatively wide adjacent the center of the car and perhaps for a distance on each side thereof so as to form a relatively strong structure and relatively rigid structure where greater strength is required, some of these corrugations having their opposite ends divided or bifurcated to form a section modulus can be made commensurate with the bending moments, and, furthermore, the rib .9 can be so proportioned that thesection modulus of all cross: sections of the cortions, and, furthermore, the. formation of the secondary rib is preferably such that the lengths of the center lines of all cross sections of the corrugated portion of the plate are equal. 1

In my application Serial No. 595,634, filed October 19, 1922, I have disclosed and claimed broadly the particular formation of the me tallic plate and specifically the use of such a structure as a wall for a railway car.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art. 7

1 claim:

1. A roof sheet for a railway ca-r, comprising one of a plurality of members to form the roof, consisting of substantially an arch between the opposite side plates of the car, said sheet provided with a plurality of corrugations adjacent said side plates, said corrugations merging together adjacent the middle of the sheet to form a plurality of, fewer corrugations.

2. A roof sheet for a railway car, compris ing one of a plurality of members to form the roof, consisting of substantially an arch between the opposite side plates of the car, said sheet provided with a plurality of corrugations adjacent said side plates, said corrugations merging together adjacent the middle of the sheet to form a plurality of fewer, deeper corrugations.

3. A roof sheet fora railway car, comprising one of a plurality of members to form the roof, consisting of substantially an arch between the opposite side plates of the car, said sheet provided with a plurality of'corrugations adjacent said side plates, said corrugations merging together adjacent the middle of the sheet to form a plurality of fewer, wider and deeper corrugations.

i. A roof sheet for a railway car, comprising one of a plurality of members to form the roof, consisting of substantially an arch between the opposite side plates of the car, said sheet provided with a plurality of corrugations spaced apart distances substantially equal to their widths adjacent said side plates, said corrugations merging together adjacent the middle of the sheet to form a plurality of fewer corrugations also spaced apart distances substantially equal to their widths.

5. A roof sheet for a railway car, comprising one of a plurality of members to form the roof, consisting of substantially an arch between the opposite side plates ofthe car, said s.-eet provided with a plurality of corrugations adjacent said side plates, said corrugations merging together adjacent the middle of the sheet to form a plurality of fewer, deeper corrugations, the length of the center line of the metal of across section of the shallowest corrugations being substantially equal to the length of the center line of the metal of a cross section of the deepest corrugations.

6. A roof sheet for a railway car, comprising one of a plurality of members to form the roof, consisting of substantially an arch between the opposite side plates of the car, said sheet provided with a plurality of corrugations adjacent said side plates, said corrugations merging together adjacent the middle of the sheet to form a plurality of fewer corrugations which are of constant cross section equi-distant on each side of the center line of the car.

7. A roof sheet for a railway car, comprising one of a plurality of members to form the roof, consisting of substantially an arch between the opposite side plates of the car, said sheet provided with a plurality of sinuous and contiguous corrugations adjacent said side plates, said corrugations mergin together adjacent the middle of the sheet to form a plurality of fewer corrugations with substantially flat a ices.

8. A roof sheet or a railway car, comprising one of a plurality of members to form the roof, consisting of substantially an arch between the opposite side plates of the car, said sheet provided with a plurality of corrugations adjacent said side plates, said corrugations merging together adjacent the middle of the sheet to form a plurality of fewer, deeper corrugations, the lengths of the center lines of each cross section of the corrugated portion of the plate being equal to each other.

9. A roof sheet for a railway car provided with a plurality of corrugations adjacent the middle of the plate having their opposite end portions divided to form a plurality of more corrugations adjacent the opposite sides of the plate.

10. A roof sheet for a railway car, comprising one of a plurality of members to form the roof, consisting of substantially an arch between the opposite side plates of the car, said sheet formed with a plurality of corrugations which have their opposite ends divided so as to provide a relatively rigid structure adjacent the center of the roof and a relatively resilient structure adjacent each of said side plates.

ARTHUR E. SMALL.