US2019910A - Car end construction - Google Patents

Description

G. T. JOHNSON CAR END CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 1, 1930 Nov. 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 v F 0 0 fl N a, E v Q? MW N x W a a L s & Q mwmw Nov. 5, 193. 5. T. JOHNSON K E CAR END CONSTRUCTION w Filed Oct. 1, 1930 45heets-Sheet 2 zm m N O S N H O J G CAR END CONSTRUGTION Filed Oct. 1, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 r G. T. JOHNSON CAR END CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 1, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 5, 1935.

Patented Nov. 5, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CAR END CONSTRUCTION George T. Johnson, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Ohio Application October 1, 1930, Serial No. 485,773

6 Claims. (Cl. 105-406) This invention relates to improvements in railway car ends, and more particularly to a car end construction for freight cars of the gondola type.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide such cars with hinged end doors that are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the floor of the car in such manner that they may be swung inwardly and downwardly on the floor to facilitate loading; to permit lengthy articles to project beyond the ends of the car; and, where necessary, to allow extremely lengthy articles to extend from one car into an adjacent similar car. In cars of this type, it has been the practice to provide each of the end sills with an upstanding apron against which the lower edge portion of the door abuts. As such an apron is subjected to rough usage, it frequently becomes battered down and weakened, and consequently, the end door, when subjected to strong forces, has a tendency to bulge the apron outwardly, and this is a disadvantage that was tolerated over a considerable period of time.

In such cars, the car end was usually constructed almost entirely of metal sheets, rolled shapes and pressings held together by rivets, and the metal corner posts rose from the car underframing and were riveted thereto. In a closed end car, the ends aresolid walls which not only tie the car sides together against bulging, but stiffen it as a whole. On the other hand, open end cars of the type with which we are dealing, must depend on the intermediate side stake or post construction, and the master stakes (corner posts) at the ends, to resist the bulging tendency of the lading, since the end door is not tied to the car sides, except by light hand latches. The 'serviceability of the car, therefore, depends to a large extent upon the corner connections between the corner posts and the under-framing. This corner connection has been a source of weakness.

' As a matter of fact, it was usually the custom at the ends of open end gondola freight cars, to make the end sill, corner posts, door abutment apron, coupler striker, etc., of separate metal castings and pressings, and to connect these parts together by rivets or the like, with the result that strains placed on the parts have a tendency to shear the rivets, loosen the parts, or damage the same to such an extent that such parts become defective, and eventually practically useless for their intended purposes.

In my prior application Serial No. 322,284, filed November 27, 1928, I have disclosed a one-piece 5 car end construction for eliminating the disadvantages noted, and the present invention relates to improvements in such car ends.

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel car end construction formed 10 of two main metal castings, especially shaped and connected together to obtain advantages over the constructions heretofore known- The present construction enables me to dispense with the end sill because of the rigid connection of 15 the new construction to the center sill and side sheets.

A further object is to furnish such a construction, a slight alteration of which will enable the same to accommodate either wood floors or steel 20 plate floor cars.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in de- 25 tail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one of the two similar 30 castings which I have devised as a car end construction for use with gondola type cars having wood floors.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fi 1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but of a modification designed for use with cars having metal floors. I

Fig. 6 is a top plan view.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View of a detail on the line 88 of Fig. 5. 45 In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, one of the two main castings which make up the car .end is illustrated,- and it will be understood that a similar casting is arranged at the opposite side of such casting. 5o

Each casting is of L-shape and includes a vertical arm I0 which forms a corner post and a horizontal arm II which takes the place of part of the end sill. These arms are formed by a main L-shaped vertical web I2 provided at the outer side with an outwardly extending vertical flange I3 which merges at its lower end into an outwardly extending horizontal flange I4. Vertical ribs I5 and I6 are positioned on the outer side of the horizontal arm, and extend upwardly and downwardly from the flange I4, and the ribs I5 terminate at their upper ends in a reinforcing bead I! which extends along the upper edge of the horizontal arm.

A latch bracket I8 projects upwardly and outwardly from the upper portion of the web I2, and is reinforced by the flange I 3.

It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the corner of the casting is deepened for added strength, and in the corner, below the flange I4, a push pole pocket I9 is formed and is joined to the flange by a tie rib 20.

The casting also includes a second outwardly extending edge flange 2I which extends downwardly from the bracket I8 and continues about the push pole pocket before it terminates adjacent the longest one of the ribs I6. Tie ribs 22 connect the flange 2| to the push pole pocket.

Horizontal ribs 23 extend inwardly from the flange I3 to the inner edge of the arm Ill, and form reinforcements for the corner post.

Directly opposite to the flange I3, the casting is provided on its inner side with an inwardly extending vertical flange 24 that is provided with rivet holes 25. This flange projects downwardly below the horizontal flange I4, and below the latter flange, it is widened as shown at 2B, and this widened portion has rivet holes 21.

A corner post cap 28 covers the angles formed between the flange 24 and the web I2, andis provided with rivet holes 29.

Directly opposite to the flange I4, at the corner portion of the casting, an inwardly extending corner bracket 30 is arranged, and this is connected to the flange 24 and the web I2, and it is provided with rivet holes 3I. I prefer to join one edge of the plate 30 to the web I2 by means of a depending rib 32 which is directly in alignment with the longest one of the ribs IS.

The portion of the web along the horizontal arm II, and which projects above the flange I4, forms an apron against which the end gate (not shown) abuts, and apertured ears 33 project inwardly from the web to receive a hinge pintle of such a gate.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and2, the web at the end of the horizontal arm II is offset or rabbeted, as shown at 34, to receive a tie plate 35, which functions to join the adjacent ends of the two castings. For joining purposes, the offset portion of the web has rivet holes 36 to receive rivets used in connecting the casting to the tie plate 35.

Projecting outwardly from the end of the offset portion of the web, is a flange 37 having holes 38 to receive rivets that are employed in joining the adjacent flanges 31 of the two castings together.

Between the longest one of the ribs I 5 and the flange 31, the horizontal flange I4 is projected outwardly as at 39, and this projecting portion has holes 40 to receive the rivets which are used to connect the casting to a separate center sill and striker members 4| and 42.

From the foregoing it will be understood that in the present construction, the car end and corner posts are formed of two castings instead of one, and the two castings which make a complete end, are secured to each other and to the usual draft sill construction, by means of the 5 tie plate and rivets which pass through the holes 36, 38 and 40, and the draft sill is made up of the usual striking casting 42 and rolled steel center sills 4|, which are separate from the castings. 10 By this construction, I am able to dispense. with the end sill because of the rigid connection to the center sills 4| and side sheets (not shown) which are riveted to the flange 24. With such a construction, I employ diagonal braces (not 15 shown), which are riveted to the integral brack- 'ets 30, and extend back to the center sill and body bolster. This construction, together with the stiffness and strength of the steel castings, all make a heavy end sill construction unneces- 20 sary.

The flange I4 and ribs I5 and I6 reinforce the lower part of the casting. The door apron formed by the lower portion of the casting is reinforced by the ribs I5 and bead I1, and as the offset at 5 34 receives the tie plate 35, a smooth surface is presented to the drop-end door.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figs.

1 to 4 inclusive is for cars with Wood floors. When steel plate floorsare used, provision must be made 30 for riveting or attaching the floor plates to the end casting. The construction shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive is modified for this purpose, and in this modification, the lower portion of the casting is provided with an inwardly extending 5 floor flange 50 having rivet holes 5I. The floor flange is braced by depending ribs 52 that join the under side of the flange to the vertical web In this form of the invention, I have not shown corner brackets corresponding with the bracket 36 of Fig. 2, for with steel floor plate, the diagonal brace connection is not necessary. The other details of construction in Figs. 5 to 8 are about the same as in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. 7

While I have disclosed what I now consider to be preferred embodiments of the invention in such manner that the same may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y

1. A car end construction comprising a sub- 5 stantially L-shaped casting forming a vertical corner post and a horizontal arm, the corner post and arm comprising a vertical web and an L-shaped flange, and ribs tying said flange to the portion of the web included in the corner post.

2. A one-piece car end casting comprising a corner post and a. horizontal arm, said arm provided at its end with means to facilitate its connection to the similar end of the arm of a like casting, a substantially L-shaped vertical web forming a part of the post and a part of the arm,

a push pole pocket formed in the web at the point where the post meets the arm, flanges arranged partially on the post and partially on the arm, and ribs tying said flanges to the push pole pocket.

3. A one-piece metal car end casting comprising a corner post and a horizontal arm, and a diagonal brace bracket projecting inwardly from the casting at the point where the corner post and arm intersect.

4. A one-piece metal car end casting comprising a corner post and a horizontal arm, said arm including a vertical web having horizontal flanges on opposite sides thereof, one of said flanges being apertured, and ribs tying said flanges to said Web.

5. A one-piece metal car end casting compris- 10 ing a corner post and a horizontal arm, and

ing a corner post and a horizontal arm, said arm 5 having a floor flange projecting inwardly therefrom and braced by ribs, said corner post having I a portion substantially cruciform in horizontal cross section.

GEORGE T. JOHNSON. 10

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