US2049989A - Railway car type container - Google Patents

Description

' Aug. 4, 1936. c. H. WILLIAMSON I 42,049,989

V RAILWAY CAR TYPE CON'l-AINER Filed July 19, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q Inno 'Ilka N i do l. w1 l :S Nfl' 0cuneo-eeuuaoaecooooeoveavoaaaoo ovoanaaaoovaaouaoaaaooqaau Q W N MILF IUFM |IIO- Il' |O Ir'o Aug. 4, 1936. c. H. WILLIAMSON RAILWAY CAR TYPE CONTAINER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jul 19 1952 n N. .E

Aug., 4, 19316. c. H. WILLIAMSON RAILWAY CAR TYPE CONTAINER Filed July 19, 1932 '4 Sheets-Sheet KJ U' KJ LJ k/ K.) 114 Aug. 4, 1936. c. H. WILUAMSON RAILWAY CAR TYPE CONTAINER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 19, 1952 Jil H71. la@ ,day

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES RAILWAY CAR TYPE CONTAINER Clarence H. Williamson, Cleveland, Ohio. assignor to The Youngstown Steel Door C'ompany, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohiol Application July 19, 1932, Serial No. 623,430

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in railway car type containers. Containers of the vrailway car type, as well known, are subject to extremely hard service, 5,; particularly in loading and unloading on the trucks, cars, boats, etc., and which usually necessitates handling by cranes. In Vcrane handling, it is a common occurrence for the containers to be laid down in tilted positions on one corner or an edge with more or less of a jar, thus imposing severe stresses, tending to buckle, indent or weave the container. To guard against such damage to the containers, the containers must be made extremely rigid and, heretofore, to obn tain the necessary rigidity, it has been the general practice to form the framework of the superstructure of the usual mechandise container of relatively heavy rolled sections for the corner and door posts, side and end plates and several carlines for lthe roof, the latter primarily to prevent collapse orV crushing whenthe container is lifted. The roofs have generally consisted of plain sheet rnetal panels riveted to the plates and carlines and the walls likewise have generally consisted of plain sheet metal panels, but with reinforcing sections riveted to the outside thereof. With such prior known constructions, twov se rious disadvantages result. For a container of given capacity, desired strength and rigidity, the weight is extremely high, thus involving not only excessive initial cost for the material but urlnecessary expense in the transportation of the unproductive weight. The second disadvantage arises because of the excessive number of rivets required to unite the many frame sections and sheets which not only increases the cost of fabrication and assembling but increases the dangers from corrosion and also damage to certain classes of merchandise co-ming in contact with the rivet heads on the interior of the container.

One object of this invention is .to provide a container of `the railway car type which, for a given capacity, strength and. rigidity, will be of less weight; comprised of fewer parts; and re- 45 quire a radically less number of rivets than heretofore for containers of similar capacity, strength and rigidity, whereby the costs of material, fabricating, transporting and maintenance are greatly reduced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the character indicated, wherein the usual rolled section posts and wall reinforcements are entirely eliminated and the necessary strength and rigidity obtained by integrally incorporating post and rigidifying formations in the wall and roof sheets to thereby minimize the cost of fabricating, assembling and the number of rivets. Y Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the character indicated such that, for a given weight of material employed, the metal is distributed in the most advantageous manner and particularly by increasing the thickness of the wall and roof sheets to thereby greatly increase the life thereof as against the effects of corrosion.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a container of the type indicated, a structure wherein the usual sets of corner post, door post and intervening side sheet are consolidated into Y a single formed sheet and in such manner that inwardly projecting flanges or other projections along the door edges are eliminated to thereby not only decrease the costs as to this particular part of the container, increase the wall strength as against shifting lading, but also minimize danger of damage to lading Within the container.

Another object of the invention is to improve those portions of the container structure which dene the usual door openings in such manner that the lower edges of the doors are protected against injury that might otherwise result from the containers being dropped on the door edges and also. afford a better weather protection and seal for the top edges of the doors and door post formations.

Other objects of the invention are to provid a rigidied roof structure consisting of minimum number of parts; to provide a more rigid underframe or base for `the container and, in general,v to simplify the construction throughout.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a container having the improvements incorporated therein. Figure 2 is a broken side elevational view of the container shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a broken vertical sectional view corresponding to the line 3 3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a broken horizontal sectional view, corresponding to the line 4-4 of Figure 3. Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view corresponding to the line 5-5 of Figure 2. Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view corresponding to the line 6-6 of Figure 2. Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to the line 1-1 of Figure 2, parts being broken away to accommodate the figure on the sheet. Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11 are detailed,

horizontal sectional views corresponding to the lines 8 8, 9 9, |0-|0, and l, respectively, all on Figure 2. And Figure l2 is a top plan view of part of the roof.

In said drawings, the container is shown as having an underframe designated generally by the reference character A; end walls B; side walls C; a roof D; and two sets of doors, one set in each side wall, the doors shown being two in ynumber and each of the pivoted double leaf type of which two and part of a third only are shown designated generally by the reference characters E, F, and G. Other features pertaining to the locking and latching devices and sealing arrangements for the doors will be referred to in detail hereinafter.

The underframe A, referring vmore particularly to Figures 1, 3, and 7, as shown, comprises two channel end sills 29 with the flanges thereof facing inwardly; two channel side sills 2|with their flanges also facing inwardly; and a series of intermediate sills V224 extending from end sill to end sill. The side and end sills are rigidly united at the four corners of the underframe by gusset plates 23. Each of the intermediate sills 22 is of more or less U-cross section or bath tub section with a bottom web 2li and upper out-turned flanges 25-25 and of such over-al1 height that the same are adapted to be extended between the upper and lower flanges of the end sills and riveted to both of said flanges through the bottom section 24 and flanges 25 ofthe intermediate sill, the flanges 25 being offset the thickness of the upper flange of the channel end sill 25 where entered under the latter so that the upper surfaces of the intermediate, end and side sill flanges are all inthe same plane to provide for securing of the floor planking 2B and 2l thereto. With this construction, a very rigid underframe is providedand in which the intermediate sills have their ends shrouded and protected by the end sills. Each of the side sills 2|, intermediate its ends and for a distance corresponding, to the width of the door opening, is inwardly offset as indicated at |23 for the purpose hereinafter described, the inwardly offset portion |23 being united to the end portions of the side sill by inclined portions 223 conforming to the door post formation hereinafter described.

Each end wall of the container, particular reference being hadto Figures 1, 3, and 4, is

shown comprised of two sheet metal panels 28-28 united centrally of the end wall at their meeting edges by a post structure hereinafter described. Each of the sheet metal panels 28 is riveted at its lower edge to the corresponding end sill, as indicated at 29; along its outer vertical edge to the corresponding corner post, as indicated at 30; and` along its top edge to the end plate 3|y and roof Y sheet by the line of rivets indicated at 32. To

provide the necessary strength and rigidity to resist buckling, weaving and collapse without the necessity of employing separately applied reinforcing. bars, each panel 28 is provided with a plurality of preferably vertically extending outwardly disposedcorrugations 33 rounded at their ends so as to avoid sharp corners and extending approximately from the floor line to the end plate.

before referred to which comprises. an inner vertically extending flat plate 34 and outer cor.- rugatedplate35, the latter extending down over the end sill and riveted thereto, as indicated'at 36, and extending also upwardly so as to underlie the' roof "sheetwhereit'is'riveted thereto and The two adjacent vertical edges of theV A panels 28V are united by the post structure hereinl purlin 54.

to the end plate, as indicated at 31. The post structure described performs an important function in that, when stresses are directed from the corners upwardly and inwardly toward the center of the end walls when the container is lifted by the corner hooks 38, said stresses are transferred not only through the end panels 28 but also through the post structure directly down to the underframe as will be apparent.

In the container shown, theY same is provided with doors on each side thereof and it is deemed necessary to describe only the structure on one side, it being understood that both sides will be of the same construction. Referring more particularly to Figures 2, 4, 5, and 6, each side wall is comprised of two sheet metal panels, one at each side of the door opening and extending therefrom tov the corresponding adjacent corner. Each of said panels 39 extends from the corresponding side sill to which it is riveted, as indicatedat 40, to the corresponding side plate 4| to which it is also riveted, as indicated by the series of rivets 42. Each panel 39 further is-provided withv an integrally formed door post inwardly offset from the general plane of the panel, said post being formed with a flange section 43 extending perpendicular to the wall, an inner narrow iat bottom 44 and an outwardly inclined section 45 merging with the main section of the panel. Along its other vertical edge, the panel 39 is provided with a corner post in the form of a right-angular flange 46, which overlaps and is secured to the adjacentV edge of the end sheet by said rivets 30. Preferably, an inner lapping plate 41 is also employed at said corsill hereinbefore referred to. With this construction of side wall, the corner posts and door posts are integrally formed with the wall sheathing proper, thus eliminating a great many rivets heretofore thought necessary and allowing also of the thickness of the panel to be materially increased over sheet metal side wall panelsl heretofore used, while at the same time allowing of a decrease in weight of metal used in this section of the container. Another advantageous feature, apparent from Figures 4 and 6, is that no sharp angles or corners are provided on the interior surface of the car at the door post location,

thus minimizing possibility of injury to certain those in line with the lifting hooks 38, extend partially over the top flanges ofy the end plates 3|, thus providing for an extremely rigid connection to the end plates by theouter series of rivets yand the inner series of rivets 5| located between the corrugations. Along their outer edges; each of the panels48 is riveted to the upper inwardly extended ange of the corresponding side plates, as indicated at 52, itV being understood that said side plate flange is sloped to accord with the pitch of the roof. Along their adjacent inner edges, the roof panels 48 are riveted to the upper out-turned flanges 53 of a single purlin 54 extending from end plate to end'plate Vand riveted at its ends thereto'. A cover plate 55 is secured over the adjacent edges of the panels and to the By employing the corrugated roof sheets or panels, the roofframe eliminates the necessity of the usual carlinesand instead comprises merely the side and end plates and 'a single purlin as described, again reducing the number 0f parts, the number of rivets which are particularly objectionable on the roof because of the dangers from corrosion, and permitting of the use of a heavier gauge sheet ymetal panel than heretofore, without increase of weight or loss of strength.

Referring now to the door construction on each side of the container, it will be understood that each double leaf door is of the same construction except as to the meeting edges of the two outer leaves and the description will be confined to the two leaves E and F, except as to the differences at the meeting edges of the two leaves F and G.-

The inner door leaf E comprises an upper casting 56; a lower casting 5l, side angl-es 58 and 59 and a sheet metal panel 69 secured to the castings and angles. Each of the castings 59 and 5l is provided at its ends with a series of hinge lugs 6I and 62, the hinge lugs 6l being pivotally connected to links 63, which in turn are pivotally Connected to hinge butts 64 seated within and fitted to the corresponding side door post, as best illustrated in Figure 6. As will be understood, the links 63 are provided in orderto accommodate the outer door leaf F when the latter is folded over the leaf E and the two leaves swung back against the side wall.

The outer door leaf F is quite similar to the door E, except that the upper and lower castings 65 and 69 are provided with hinge lugs 6l at one end only for pivotal connection to the hinge 'lugs 62 of the castings 56 and 5l and, at their other ends, the castings 65 and 66 are specially formed to provide upper and lower guides 68 and 69 for the vertically moving latching bars 19 and ll, respectively. The outer ends of the castings 65 and 66 are further formed with outwardly inclined sections 12 conforming and riveted to correspondingly inclined flange 'i3 of the vertical angle and with overhanging weather sealing flanges 14, as best shown in Figure 10. The corresponding adjacent end of the door G has its angle 15 and top and bottom castings l complementally formed with inclined sections 'Vl and 18, respectively, so that when the door leaf G has been moved to closed position and the leaf F is thereafter moved to closed position, the leaf F will overlie and retain the leaf Gr in position. In each of the door joints, a weather seal is provided preferably in the form of a rubber strip i9 extending lengthwise of and secured to the corresponding door angle, each of said strips 'l9having loop edge formations -80 providing a double line of seal between each adjacent pair of door edges or door edge and door post, as clearly shown in Figure 9. For a more detailed description of the door structures proper insofar as hereinabove described, reference may be had to my prior pending application, Serial No. 602,146, filed March 31, 1932.

T0 provide a weather seal along the top edges of the doors, the following construction is employed, reference being had to Figures 2 and 7. The side plate lll, which has a depending flange extending in the same plane Yfrom corner to corner, is provided with an integral outwardly and up-turned lip or gutter 8i for catching and draining off moisture, said lip extending a short distance beyond each side post, as shown in Figure 2. Secured to the inner face of the side plate and extending the full width of the door opening and abuttingthe doorvpost, is a sealing or hood strip 82, having an inwardly koffset depending flange 83, which is overlapped by upstanding flanges 84 formed on the top castings of the door leaves, said flanges 84 each carrying a rubber sealing strip 85 adapted to make weather-tight contact with the ange 83 when the doors are in closed position and as shown in Figure-7.

Also secured to the inner face of the side plate 4l and of a length corresponding substantially to that of the lip 3l, is a lintel or header plate 86 of approximately Z-cross section, the upper flange 8l being directly riveted to the side plate 4I, the web 88 extending horizontally over the tops of.

vthe doors and also over the tops of the door post formationaand the other wider flange 89 depending downwardly and inwardly offset from the side plate. Said flange 89 is conformed, at each end of the header, to the door post formations, as indicated at 89 in Figure 5, so that there is thus provided a weather-tight closure or shroud o for the upper ends of the door post formations,

preventing admission of rain or other foreign matter to the interior of the container.

In line with the joints between each pair of door leaves, of which only one is shown in connection with the door leaves E and F, the header l 86 has secured thereto on the outer side of the depending flange 89, a latch element 99 having an outwardly projecting ange 9| and a ange 92 at right angles thereto.

The flange 92 provides an inwardly facing shoulder for cooperative engagement with a sector shaped upwardly projecting lug 93, formed integral with the top casting 69 of the outer door leaf F so that, when the leaf F is in closed position as best shown'in Figthe two double doors, that is, centrally of the door opening. Said element 94 may be, in'order toreduce costs, identical with the latching element 99 but is applied differently, that is, by turning it so that the flange 95 thereof extends downwardly and behind which is adapted to engage the upper end of. the latching bar 10, as best shown in Figure 7.

To latch the doors at their bottom edges, each of the lower castings 66 and 16 of the respective outer door leaves is preferably formed with an inwardly extended hook shaped lug 96 adapted to venter corresponding slots in the threshold plate 91 and hook behind the latter, as the leaves F and G are swung to closed position. To further similar form and is riveted to its corresponding.

door angle 53 or 59 on the outer side of the door and has a lug |96 projecting through an opening in the corresponding'angle to which it is secured and adapted to enter an alined opening IDI of G the adjacent door leaf angle or door post flange, as the case may be, when the doors are swung Vto closedpo'sition, the lug being preferably tapered at its outer end to facilitate entrance, as clearly shown in Figure l1. By employing the lug castings 98 and 99, which are located midway of the heightV of the doors, the latter are interlocked and braced so as to effectively combine each adjacent pair of. door angles or door angle and door post in `resisting any outward pressure that may beapplied to either `door leaf.

.The latching bars l0 and I, as shown,-are pivotally vconnected at theiradjacent ends to a plate r|02 rotatably mounted in a suitable housing |03 secured to the door leaf F, said plate having pivotally'connected thereto an operating hasp |04, adapted to take over a staple |05 carried by another plate |06 secured to the adjacent door leaf G. The hasp is held in its latched position by a `vertically moving pin |01, slidably mounted and secured to the plate |06, as will be understood.

To provide an effective weather seal for the lower edges of the doors and also to protect the same against possible injury when the container is dropped in a tilted position, a special form of threshold plate 91 is employed. Said plate, which extends from door post to door post, has a bottom vertical flange |08 riveted to the side sill 2|, an upwardly and outwardly inclined striking or guard section |09, a horizontal section ||0 positioned beneath the bottom edges of the door, a vertical section overlying the edges of the floor planking, and a top flange ||2 ilush with the wood Yoor. lAs will be evident, the outwardly projecting more or less triangular formation comprised of the sections |09 and ||0 will prevent the bottom edges of. the doors from coming into contact with any platform or article thereon as the container is lowered and as the sloping section |09 may meet any such projection, it is evident that it will glance offV therefrom. Incidentally, the horizontal section H0 is apertured as indicated at I3 to receive the lower latching bar as shown in Figure 7. To facilitate drainage and also to increase the eiectiveness of the weather seal along the bottom edges of the doors, the lower castings thereof are provided with outwardly and downwardly turned lips ||4, as shown in Figure 7.

"From the preceding description, it will be seen that,'as compared with former types of merchandise containers of the railway car type, the present invention eliminates many hundreds of rivets heretofore thought necessary in connection with separately formed corner and side door posts, Wall braces and carlines; the number of parts is very materially reduced; the thickness of the wall and lroof sheets may be made greater than heretofore for corresponding parts for a container of similar weight or, stated conversely, for a container of -desired strength and rigidity, the present invention permits of the use of a materially lesser weight, all of which factors contribute to an appreciably lesser initial cost and greater life. Further, the weight may be so distributed as to increase the thickness of those parts where it is most advantageous, that is, in the wall and roof sheets which not only increases their strength but, because of the greater thickness, minimizes the corrosion effects and, as obvious, the lesser number of rivets employed also decreases the possibility of corrosion effects.

Although the invention has been described with particularity as to what is now considered the preferred embodiment, it will 'be understood that the'same is by way of descripti-on only and not by way of limitation, since it is evident that various changes and modicationsmay be made without -departing from the spirit of the invention. All Ysuch changes and modications are contemplated as come within the scope of the claims appendedhereto.

I claim: Y .1. In a container of the character described,

vthe .combination with an .underframe; of sheet metal side and end walls secured along their lower edges to said underframe; side and end plates secured along and to the upper edges of said walls; a purlin extending between and secured to the end plates midway between the side plates; two sheet metal roof panels having their meeting edges secured to said purlin and the opposite side edges to the side plates, said panels having corrugations extending parallel to the purlin, some of said corrugations being 0f such length as to overlapV the end plates; and means securing the ends of said panels to the end plates comprising two lines of rivets, one line disposed beyond the ends of said ccrrugations and the other line between the corrugations.

2. In a railway car type of merchandise container having a door opening in a side wall thereof, the combination with an underframe including a side sill inwardly offset intermediate its ends from the general plane of the side wall and for a distance correspon-ding to the width of the door opening; of sheet metal panels forming the vertical walls of the container body; a door in the door opening; and means Vfor protecting the lower edge of the door comprising a plate extending lengthwise of and secured to said oifset portion of the side sill and positioned beneath the door.

3. In a railway car type of merchandise container having a door opening in a side wall thereof, the combination with an underframe including a side sill inwardly offset intermediate its ends from the general plane of the side wall and for a distance corresponding to the width of the door opening; of sheet metal panels forming the vertical walls of the container body; a door in the door opening; and a threshold plate extending lengthwise of and secured to said offset portion of the side sill, said threshold plate having an outwardly projecting ledge positioned beneath the door, said ledge having an outwardly and upwardly sloping underside and a horizontal top side.

4. In a container -of the character described having a door opening in a side wall thereof', means defining said door opening comprising door posts, a bottom sill, a side plate, and a door header, the bottom sill for a distance corresponding to the width of the-door opening, being disposed inwardly of the plane of the side wall, said header being of angular .formation and secured to the inner face of the side plate and overlying the tops of the door posts.

5. In a container of the character described having a door opening in a side wall thereof, means dening said door opening comprising a bottom sill, door posts, a side plate and a door header, said door header being of substantially Z-cross section and having its outer flange extending vertically upward and secured to the inner face of the side plate, the web of the header overlying and forming a shroud for the tops of the door posts, said web being also located above the lower edge of the side plate.

6. A container of the character described having a door opening dened by a bottom sill, door posts, side plate and door header secured to the side plate the posts and -side sill between' the posts being inwardly offset from the plane of the side wall; a door Vfor said opening pivotally mounted to swing about a vertical axis adjacent one-of the door posts, said door comprising .two

leaves pivotally connected; and means for latching the outer door leaf adjacent its pivotal connection with the inner leaf, said means comprising an angular element secured to the header and a lug carried by said outer leaf arranged for shouldered engagement with said element when the outer leaf is in close-d position.

7. In a container of the railway car type, the combination with an underframe including a side sill; of a superstructure mounted on the underframe and having a side wall with a door opening therein, the side wall including a sheet metal panel having an integral door post formation along one vertical edge thereof, said door post formation being inwardly offset from the general plane of the panel, said side sill being inwardly offset in line and in conformity to the contour of the post formation, the lower edge of the panel including that of the post formation being secured to and along the sill.

8. In a container of the railway car type, the combination with an underframe; of a superstructure mounted on the underframe and having a side wall with a door opening, said side wall including two sheet metal wall panels, one at each side of the door opening, a top longitudinally eX- tending plate, and a door header, each panel having an integral door post formation along the inner vertical edge thereof, each said post formation being inwardly offset from the general plane of the panels, said header at each end having portions thereof conformed and secured to the upper ends of the post formations, the upper edges of the panels including the post formations thereof, being united to the top plate and header.

9. As an article of manufacture, a sheet metal wall panel for the side of a container of the railway car type, said panel comprising a main wallforming panel portion proper, an integral ange along one vertical edge thereof adapted to constitute with the main portion a corner post, the panel being formed along the opposite vertical edge of the main portion with an initially inwardly inclined section merging with a flat section and thence extended outwardly with a vertical flange section, said sections constituting a post formation inwardly offset from the general plane of said main portion of the panel.

10. A container of the character described having a door opening in a side wall thereof, and including door posts, a door header and threshold plate, said door header having a horizontally extending section and a vertically depending flange from the inner edge of said horizontal section; a door for said opening pivotally mounted to swing about a vertical axis adjacent one of the door posts, said door, when in closed position, being disposed beneath said horizontal section of the door header; and means for latching the free edge of the door in closed position, said means including manually operable vertically moving latch bars on the door and a bracket secured to the outer face of said depending flange of the door header, said bracket having an inwardly facing shoulder arranged to cooperate with the upper of said latching bars when the latter is moved to its upper latching position, said threshold plate being apertured to receive the lower of the latching bars when the latter is moved downwardly.

11. In a container of the character described having a door opening in a side wall thereof, means defining said door opening comprising a bottom sill, door posts and a side plate, a door header, said door header being secured to the inner face of the side plate and having a horizontally inwardly extending section overlying the tops of the door posts and an inner depending flange, the end portions of said header having a configuration like that at the upper endsof said posts, said end portions of said header being secured to and forming a shroud for the upper ends of said posts.

CLARENCE H. WILLIAMSON.

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