US2009895A - Convertible railway freight car - Google Patents

Description

July 30, 1935. c. L. MADDEN ET AL CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR Filed Nov. 26, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Charles 1... Madden and July 30, 1935. c. 1.. MADDEN ET AL CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR Filed Nov. 26, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 d n, Q n GU R d 12 ALU L1 CA July 30, 1935. c. 1.. MADDEN ET AL I 2,009,895

CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR Filed Nov. '26, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 &

o o o 1* \fi v F gvwq/wfmb Char-lee L. Madden and ArH ur J. Herseq I Jufiy 30, 1935. c. L. MADDEN El AL CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 26, 1954 ChaHes L. Madden and v Arkhur d4 Herseq Jufiy 3%, 1935. c. L. MADDEN El AL CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR Filed Nov. 26, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 L. Madden and Herseq r P mm 8 Jufiy 30, 1935. I c. L. MADDEN ET AL 2,009,895

I CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR Filed NOV. 26, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 5: 55 Charles L. Madden find L 55 49 AvHqur d. Herseq Patented July 30, 1935 ITE M T TE a 2,009,895 I g CONVERTIBLE unway FaEIGHToAa Charles L. Madden and Arthur J. Hersey, -Minneapolis, .Minn.

Application Noveniber 26, 19 3 4, Serial No. 754,770 16 Claims. (o1. 105-376) Ourinvention relates to improvements in convertible railway freight cars, particularly the type of box car having double side doors.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved freight car of the present character in which standard practices in general construction and use prevail and in which traveling par titioning means are employed to divide the car into compartments for the use of individual ship pers. of less than carload lots, another object of the invention being to provide a freight car, as above, in which the partitioning means may 'be employed as inner closures for the doorways of the car.

The invention is especially advantageous in its application to the so-called automobile car which has wide and relatively staggered doorways closed by double sliding doors which meet midway of the doorways. Although in great seasonal demand, the automobile car is not favored for general use because of the wide double door construction which is more or less ineffective in protecting the freight from the weather and which presents practical difficulties in the application to a car ofinner. doorway closures as-for the shipment of grain. Through our invention, the automobile car, like other types of double door cars, is made usable as an ordinary car not only for the shipment of automobiles and otherbulky non-perishable freight such as poles, rails and the like, but also for grain and the less bulky freight, even though perishable, such as the general run of packaged goods.

In providing one form of convertible car, we employ two traveling partition members', one member at either side of the car, each member being-movable from one position to another, one position being that of disuse against the inner side of the car removed from the doorway, an-

other being a position providing an inner closure in back of one of the two doors for the doorway, and still another being a position crosswise of the car and lapping the companion partition member to divide the car into two compartments which are individually accessible at both sides of the car. I

In providing another form of convertible car, we employ a single traveling partition movable back and forth from a position of disuse against one side of the car to a position dividing the car into two compartments which are individually accessible, through the doorways at opposite sides of the car. 7 V

In the drawings, Fig. l is a vertical transverse sectional view of. arailway freight carem'bodying one form of'our'inventio'n, said view being taken as on the line l-I of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, taken as. on the line 2-2.'of Fig. 1; Fig. 3isa'plan sectional 5 View of the embodiment of our invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the partitioning member or panels being shown in full lines in positions forming a partition acrossthe interior of the car; Fig. 4is a fragmentary plan sectional view generally corresponding with a portion of Fig. 3 and showing one of the partition panels in two of the-positions occupied thereby; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fignfl, the partition panelbeing shown in still another of the positionsintowhich it is movable; Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 2, the same being a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a car embodying an alternate form of our invention in which a single panel constitutes the partition; Fig. '7 is a vertical transverse sectional view ofthe car shown in Fig. 6, the same being taken as on' the line 11. of Fig. 6; Fig. 8

is a detail sectional 'view of oneof the car door locks, thesa'me being taken as onthe line 8-4 of Fig. 6; Fig.9 is'an elevational view of the lock shown in Fig. 8; Fig.10 is a fragmentary plan sectional view of. the form of our inven- .tion' shown in Figs. ,6 and '7; Fig. 11 is a detail view corresponding withfla portion of Fig. 10, the single partitioning panel being shown in retracted position; Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional View in detail taken as on .the line I2'l2 of Fig.

l and showing principally a. carrier for a partitioningpanel, a portion of the carriage being broken away to reveal otherwise hidden construction; Fig. 13is a detail sectional view taken as on the line |3l3 of Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is an elevational view in detail of one of the locks at the bottoin f a partitioning panel; Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view taken on line I5l5 of Fig. 14 and Fig. 16 is a perspective view in detail of a panel shoe. 7 3 f' 7 Reference being had to, the drawings, it will be seen that the carstructure proper, as shown in both of the illustrated'adaptations of our invention, consists of a standard form of boxcar cons t'ruc'tion having a floor 20,side1walls 2| and a roof 22 supportedby carlines'f23. At the sides of the .car are doorways 24, each doorway being provided with double sliding doors 25, 26 which,when 5 closed, meet at the middle of thedoorwayt The door. 26' of each pair of doors carries a post 21,

which, in-the closed positionfofsaid door, isjreleasably anchored to the doorway frame in any suia em rm The ogma a e lat v staggered, each being equally offset from the middle of the car longitudinally thereof. The door 26 of each pair and upon which the post 21 is carried slides toward the near end of the car upon the opening of said door. Thus, the post equipped door 26 at one side of the car slides open in a direction opposed to that of the post equipped door 26 at the other side of the car. The two doors 25, 26 of each pair are releasably secured together by the conventional hasp lock 28 which may or may not be sealed in the usual manner, it being our purpose to seal the two doors of each pair individually. Accordingly, we provide a door locking and sealing device 29 for each door, the construction of which is shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 9. Near the bottom of each of the doors 25, 26 is an outwardly projecting eye 39 cooperate to form a car dividing partition.

which is received in an opening 3| of the vertically hinged leaf 32 of a hasp 33, said hasp be'-,

ing secured'to the lower track 34 upon which the door slides. Above the eye 30 is 'a lock pin 35, said pin being slidable vertically on a mounting bolt 36 and adapted to be passed through the eye 39 and over the hasp leaf 32. Thus positioned, the pin 35 keeps the hasp leaf 32 in position embracing the eye 30 with the result that-the door is held .closed by said hasp. Near its lower end, the pin 35 is formed with a small transverse bore (not shown) to receive the sealing wire 31 of a seal 38 which is employed to protect the door against being opened by anyone'without authority.

In the form of our invention shown in Figs. 1-5, the car structure is supplied with a pair of traveling partitioning panels 39. Each panel has an overhead carrier 40 therefor including a rail 4| (Figs. 12 and 13), I-shaped in cross section. This rail structure affords upper and lower tracks at either side of the upright web, said rail being suspended from carlines 23 through a number of hangers 42. Mounted on each rail 4| is a-carriage 43 consisting of a frame 44 formed with upstanding yoke arms 45 arranged in pairs at the opposite ends of said frame. Mounted on and at the inner sides of the yoke arms 45 are flanged wheels 46, the two wheels of each set rolling between the upper and lower tracks of the rail 4| at opposite sides of the web. The rails 4| are correspondingly arranged at the opposite sides of the car, each being opposite the adjacent portion of its respective doorway 24 which is closed by the post equipped door 26. Each partitioning panel 39 is swivelly suspended from its'respective carriage 43 by means of an upright hanger stud 41 (Fig. 12) revolubly mounted in'the carriage frame 44 at the center thereof, the lower end of said stud being secured toa hanger clip 48, which, in turn is fastened by rivets 49 tothe panel 39 at its upper margin near an upper corner of the panel. Near the diagonally opposite corner of the panel is a shoe 50 (Fig. 16) said shoe having an upright shank 5| which isriveted to the panel to hold the' shoe in place thereon. This shoe is adapted to ride on and slidably'support the panel at the floor .of the car. I 7,

Figs. 3 to 5 illustrate various positions in which a panel 39 may be disposed. In Fig.4, one of the panels 39 is shown in solid lines in retracted position flatwise against the'side wall 2| of the car and removed from the doorway. 24, this being the position assumed by said panel when it is not in use. Fig. 5 shows one of the panels 39 in position that portion of the doorway 24, whichis closed from the outside by the post equipped dor'26. In'using the panels 'els in its carriage frame.

39, as in the position shown in Fig. 5, they serve as inner weather doors and make the car more readily usable for standard shipments of the less bulky perishable freight. With said panels 39 disposed as just mentioned (Fig. the car is also conveniently adapted for use in standard grain shipments. In such case, the usual grain door boards 52 (dotted lines) would be employed to supplement the panels 39 and provide inner closure forthose portions of the doorways 24 not covered by said panels. In applying such grain door boards 52 to a doorway, the ends thereof, at the middle of the doorway, would be snugly received'between the door post 21 and the panel 39 and would require little if any nailing. In Fig. 3, the panels 39 are shown in solid lines in positions wherein they overlap at their free margins and The following provision is made for releasably securing the partitioning panels 39 in the several above described positions thereof. Each panel 39 at each corner, except the upper corner attached to the panel supporting carriage 43, is supplied with an upright lock bolt- 53 (Figs. 14 and 15) slidably mounted in vertically spaced guides 54 riveted to a marginally inset portion 55 0f the panel. The inner end of each bolt 53 is turned at right angles to the bolt proper to provide a handle 54 for sliding the bolt 53 to retract it from and project it into locking positicn.- A rafter stay 56 for each panel, secured to carlines 23 of the car, is formed with an opening therein (not shown) to receive the end of the projected upper bolt 53 of its respective panel. Two pairs of floor sockets 51, one pair for the two lower lock bolts 53 of each panel, receive the projected lower bolts 53 and together with the upper bolts 53 and the carriers 40 secure the panels 39 in partition forming relation. The functioning of each carrier 49 as a panel securing medium, is brought about by the construction shown .in Fig. .12. There it will be seen that a stop block 58 is fastened to the rail 4|. One of the wheels 46 of the carriage 43 abuts against thisblock, while a spring pressed pawl 59 on'the carriage frame 44 abuts against an opposing shoulder of a camthis construction, the carriages 43 are held immovable in the positions occupied thereby when their respective panels are disposed in partition forming relation. Thus, the lock ,bolts 53 are assisted by the carriers 40 in securing the panels 39 in position forming a dividing partition for the car. Each bolt 53 may be held and sealed in its projected locking position by turning the handle 54 thereof between spaced keeper lugs 6| (Figs. 14 and 15) fastened to the panel 39 and by threading the wire 62 of a seal 63 through aligned apertures in said lugs. In sealing the lock bolts 53, the panels 39 are guarded against being .moved from their partition forming position without authority. The lock bolts 53 at the lower corners of the panels 39 directly beneath the carriages 43 have a function other than that of securing the panels in place. They also serve as lower hinge pins for their respective panels, the axis of each such bolt being in coincidence with the axis about which its panel swiv- In this disposition of said lower bolts 53, the panels 39 may be released for free swinging movement into position across the car or back to the sides of the car by simply releasing the upper bolts 53 from the rafter stays 56 and the correspondinglower bolts 53 from their floor sockets 51.

- In the partitioning positionof each panel. 39, the hinged margin. thereof overreaches the post 21 of its respective postequippeddoor v26, .It is to be noted, however, that this post equipped door 26, upon being opened, carries its post 21 away from the panel, wherefore said door 26. as well. as its companion door 25, maybe opened without'being interfered with by said panel. 1

Upon swinging the panels 39 back to the sides of the car, they take temporary positions, corresponding with the position of thelpanel 39 shown in dottedlines'in Fig. 4, from which temporary positions theyare slid into the previously described closure positions of which an illustration appears in Fig. 5. Prior to the sliding of a panel 39 from itstemporary position (dotted lines Fig. 4) to its closure position (Fig. 5), the pawl 59 offits carriage 43 is released from the coacting cam stop 60 and the lower hinging lock bolt 53, withdrawn from its floor socket 51 (Fig. 4). Proceeding with the sliding of the panel, the lower margin thereof is directed into a channel guide.63 at the floor of the car, the pawl 59 on the-carriage 43 being at the same time guided into a notch- 64 (Fig. 12) formed between-the facing shoulders of opposed cam stops 65, 66 provided at the lower side of the rail 4|. When said pawl 59 enters said notch 64, the panel 39 is caught in its closure forming position (Fig. 5) and held in that position through thecarrier 40 and channel guide 63 and also through the panel hinging lock bolt 53, such bolt at such time being projected into a socket 61 (Fig. 4) in the floor of the car. When it is desired to further move the panel 39 intofully retracted position (solid lines, Fig. 4) the carriage pawl 59 is released from the cam stops 65, 66 on rail 4! and the panel hinging lock bolt '53 is withdrawn from its coacting floor socket 61 (Fig. 4). Thereupon, the panel 39 may be slid into'its retracted position of disuse. A stop block 68 (Fig. 2) on the rail 4|, like theaforesaid block 58 (Fig. 12), limits the retracting movement of the panel 39 and a cam stop (not shown) on said rail, similar to the cam stop 60 (Fig. 12) cooperates with the carriage pawl .59 releasably to hold the carriage 43 in retracted position against said stop block 68. Thus, the carrier 40 at the top and the channel guide 63 at the bottom secure said panel 39 in retracted position. 7 M

In the form of our invention shown in Figs. 6, 7, l0 and 11, a single partitioning panel 69 is employed. This wide single panel 69 has two carriers 10, H, the same being generally similar to the carriers 49 in the form of our invention first described, but differing in some respects in the form and arrangement of theoverhead rails. In the carrier 19-, a straight rail- 12 is disposed longitudinally of the car directly opposite that portion of the adjacent doorway closed by thedoor 25., A single channel guide 13 is arranged at the floor at the sameside and same end of the car as said rail 72. A portion of the rail .14 of the other carrier H superimposes the end portion of the channel guide 13 remote from theadjaoent doorway, another portion of said rail 14 extending across the car. With the carriages 15 of thecarriers Iii, 1| disposed as shown in Fig. 10, the panel 69 is suspended in partitioning position in'a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the double doors at the sides of the car. In this disposition of the panel 69, each upright margin thereof stands in the reentrant angle between the door and the post 21 on the companion door 125. Either door, herefore. of either p ikm y be opened without interference by the panel 69 in its partitioning position. The reach of the rail 14 extending across the caris for the greater portion thereof curved in an arc struck from the swiveling axis of the carriage 15 of carrier" in that disposition of said carriage supportingzthe panel 69 in partitioning position. The panel 69 is shifted from its partitioning position (solid lines, Fig. 10) into its retracted position of dis-. use (Fig. 11) by first swinging said panel intothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig.10 and then moving the panel on both rails l2, 14 to fully re1 tract it. In shifting said panel 69 from its retracted intoits partitioning position; this operation is reversed. The carriages," are releasably secured to their respective rails", 14 in the said two positions of said panel 69, in HIE-883181113411:

her that the carriages 43 are releasably secured to the rails 4| in the first described form of our invention. And the lower end of the panel 69 is titioning position, by locking bolts 16 as in the cases of the panels 39 of said first described form of the invention.

In both of the described forms of our invention, the partitioning panels may be retracted into positions of disuse, wherein they offer nointerfer ence with standard practices in the shipment of carload lot freight and, too, in both forms of the invention, the panels may be readily moved into partitioning position dividing a car into compartments for the shipment byv difierent shippers of less than carload lots, each compartment being accessible at either side of the car, but only to its respective shipper. In the form of the invention employing double partitioning panels, said panels have the additional function of providing inner closures for portions of the doorways.

Through our improvement, double door cars may be put to convenient use in the shipment of goods in less than carload lots to the great financial benefit not only of the railroads, but also of those who ship goods in relatively small quantitles, and such cars may be desirably put to standard uses in the shipment of grain and of the less bulky freight including packaged goods even though of a perishable nature.

Changes in the specific form of our invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope ofv whatis claimed without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim I as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A car having doorways at its opposite sides oppositely offset from the center of the car, each doorway having a pair of horizontally sliding doors meeting midwidth thereof, the door of each pair opening toward the near end of the car carrying an inset post adjacent its meeting edge, two partition panels supported for move ment into positions of disuse against opposite sides of the car and for movement into partitioning relation, diagonally of the car, substantially in a plane intersecting the meeting lines of the opposed paired doors, the outer upright margins of said'panels lapping the opposed door posts, each at the side of its respective post facing the far end of the car.

2. A car having doorways at its opposite sides, each doorway having a pair of horizontally sliding doors meeting midwidth thereof, one door of each pair carrying an inset post adjacent its meeting edge, two partition panels supported for movement into positions of disuse gainst opp 20' releasably secured to the floor 20 of the car in para site sides of the car and into partitioning posi-.

tions lapping each other. substantially in a plane intersecting the meeting lines of the opposed paired doors, the extreme upright margins of said panels lapping the opposed door posts at sides thereof in the clear of said posts.

3. A car having doorways at its opposite sides, each doorwayj having a pair of horizontally sliding doors meeting midwidth thereof, one door of each pair carrying an inset post adjacent its meeting edge, and a partition panel supported for movement into and out of partitioning position substantially in a vertical plane intersecting the meeting lines of the paireddoors at opposite sides of the car,'the opposed upright margins of said p'anel'lappi'ng their corresponding door posts at sides thereof inthe clear of said posts.

4. A car having doorways at its opposite sides,

I each doorway" having a pair of horizontally sliding doors meeting midwidth'thereof, one door of each pair carrying aninset post adjacent its meeting edge, and a partition panel supported for movement into and out of partitioning position substantially in a vertical plane intersecting the meeting lines of the paired doors at opposite sides of the car, one upright margin of said panel lapping one of the door posts at the side thereof in the clear of said post.

5. A railway freight car having doorways at opposite sides thereof and having double doors for each doorway, two partition panels, two carriers, one for each panel, each carrier including an overhead track, and a carriage thereon swivelly supporting its respective partition panel,

each panel being supported by its respective carrier for movement into a position against one of the inner walls of the car and for movement into a position in registry with a portion of said doorway to form an inner closure membertherefor, and for movement into another position crosswise of the car to lap the correspondingly disposed companion partition member and divide the car substantially in a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the double doors at theopposite sides of the car, and means for securing each of said partition panels in each of their said named positions.

6. A-railway freight car having doorways at opposite'sides thereof and double doors for each doorway, two partition members, one at either side of the car, each member being supported for movement into a retracted position of disuse against the inner side of the car and into a second position wherein the partition member forms an inner closure for the doorway and into a third position crosswise of'the car, wherein it laps the correspondingly disposed companion partition member, and together therewith divides the car substantially in a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the double doors at the opposite sides of the car, and means forsecuring each of said partition members in each of their said named positions. v

.7. A railway freight'car having doorways at opposite sidesth'ereof and having double doors for each doorway, two partition panels, two carriers, one for each panel, each carrier comprising an overhead track, and a carriage thereon swivelly supporting its respective panel, each panelbeing supported by its respective carrier formovement into a position against one of the inner walls of the car and for movement into artitioning. position crosswise .of the car and lapping the correspondingly disposed companion panel to divide the car substantially in a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the double doors at the. opposite sides of the car, and devices for releasably' securing each of said partition panels to the floor of the car, one such device for each panel being a hinging struc ture accommodating swinging movements of the panel about its swiveling axis.

8. A railway freight car having doorways at opposite sides thereof. and having double doors for each doorway, a partition panel, a carrier for said panel comprising an overhead track and a carriage thereon swivelly supporting the panel, said panel being movable into a position against one of the inner walls of the car and into a partitioning position crosswise of the car substantially in a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the opposed double doors, and releasable means for securing the panel in its said partitioning position, said means including a lock for securing the carriage to said track and a. loci; forsecuring the panel to the floor of the car, said latter lock accommodating swinging movements of the panel about its swiveling axis.

9. A railway freight car having doorways at opposite sides thereof and having double doors for each doorway,- a partition panel, a carrier for said panel comprising an overhead track, and. a carriage thereon swivelly supporting the panel, said panel being movable into and out of a re tracted position against one of the walls of the car and swingable into and out of a position crosswise of the car to divide the same substantially in a vertical .plane passing through the meeting lines of the double doors at the opposite sides of the car, and releasable means for securing the panel to the floor of the car, said means accommodating swinging movements of the panel about its swiveling axis.

10. A railway freight car having doorways at opposite sides thereof and having double doors for each doorway, a partition panel, a carrier for said panel comprising an overhead track and a carriage thereon swivelly supporting the panel, said panel being movable into a position against one of the inner walls of the car and into a partitioning position crosswise of the car substantially in a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the double doors at the opposite sides of the car, and releasable means for securing the panel in its said partitioning position, said means including a lock for securing the carriage to said track and a lock for securing the panel to the floor of the car.

11. A railway freight car having doorways at opposite sides thereof and double doors for each doorway, two partition members, one at either side of the car, each member being supported for movement into a retracted position of disuse against the'inner side of the car and into another position crosswise of the car, wherein it laps the correspondingly disposed companion partition member and together therewith divides the car substantially in a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the double doors at the opposite sides of the car, and means for securing each of said partition members in each of their said named positions.

12. A car having doorways at its opposite sides, each doorway closed by double doors meeting between the sides thereof, separate, complementing, partitioning panels supported for movement into positions of disuse at opposite sides of the car and into complementing partitioning relationship substantially in a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the opposed double doors.

13. A car having doorways at its opposite sides, each doorway closed by double doors meeting between the sides thereof, separate, complementing, partitioning panels supported for movement into and out of complementing partitioning relationship substantially in a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the opposed double doors.

14. A car having doorways at its opposite sides,

each doorway closed by double doors meeting between the sides thereof, a partitioning panel supported for movement into a position of disuse at one side of the car and into partitioning position substantially in a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the opposed double doors.

15. A car having door openings at its opposite sides, each door opening closed by double doors meeting between the sides thereof, a partitioning panel rigid in the direction of its width and wider than the car proper, said panel being supported for movement from a position of disuse unob structing the interior of the car into partitioning position substantially in the plane of the meeting lines of the opposed double doors and with the ends of said panel projecting into the opposed door openings.

16. A car having doorways at its opposite sides, each doorway closed by double doors meeting between the sides thereof, separate, complementing, partitioning panels supported for movement into and out of complementing partitioning relationship substantially in a vertical plane passing through the meeting lines of the opposed double doors, each panel, in its partitioning relationship, extending into its respective door opening.

CHARLES L. MADDEN. ARTHUR J. HERSEY.

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