US2188171A

US2188171A - Floor rack for refrigerator cars

Info

Publication number: US2188171A
Application number: US193742A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bonsall Charles David
Original assignee: Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1938-03-03
Filing date: 1938-03-03
Publication date: 1940-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1957-01-23

Description

Jan. 23, 1940. Y c. D. BoNsALL 2,188,171

` FLOOR RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed March 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l V7 f/ ik 32 I F/g. /4L Afm/776g Jan. 23, 1940. c. D. BONSALL FLOOR RACK FOR RE'FRIGERATOR CARS Filed March 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED 2,188,171 FLooItv RACK. Foa miraranmrrou GARS Charles David Bonsall, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigner to Standard Railway Equipment Manufactur ing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of y Delaware Application March -3, 1938, Serial No. 193,742

9 Claims.

The invention relates to insulated refrigerator cars used to transport `perishable commodities, such as vegetables, fruits, berriesfmeats, eggs, frozen sh, etc., and to maintain such commodities while in transit Within a predetermined range of temperature, thus necessitating the use of a cooling means in the summer and a` heating means in the winter. It has been found that perishable commodities which have not been a1- loWed to get'too cold (freeze) or too hot (bake) have a high market value because they have a longer storage life.

The object of `the invention is to provide a floor rack for a refrigerator car Whichis very strong to support vertical loads and has great strength in a horizontal direction (to resist the tendency of a shifting load to move the oor rack sidewise) without materially retarding the flow of air below the floor rack or materially reducing the amount of air flow through the floor rack.

In the drawings: Figs. 1 and 2 are longitudinal and transverse sections respectively of a refrigerator car show-` ing the correlation of my device tok the other elements of a car.

Fig. 3 Iis a perspective view of `my fioor rack. y y Fig. 4 isa section on line 4-34 of Fig. 3. vFig.4 5 shows a modified construction.

improved Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modication` of my fioor rack.` .I

. Fig. 7 is a section on line 'L -1.0i Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a' section on line 8-8 of Fig.16.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modification of my floor rack. -Y

Fig. 10is asection on line Ill-I0 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11,is av section on line II-IIof Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a modification of the construction shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 13 is a section on line I3-I3 of Fig. 12. Fig; 14is a section on line I4-I4 of Fig. 12.

In the form of my invention illustrated the re frigerator car is provided with a bulkhead 2 separating the refrigerant chamber 3 from the lading compartment 4. with an aperture 5 Vadjacent the floor Grof the carand an aperture 'I adjacent the ceiling 8 of the car with a solid wall 9 therebetween.

A refrigerant is supported by the grates I0 in the refrigerant chamber 3 in spaced relation to the oor 6 of the car and the basket (or netting) II spaces the refrigerant from the end wall I2 and bulkhead 2 to provide theflues I3I4.` The apertured iioor rack I5 supports therladingso as The bulkhead .2 is providedl to provide the space or flue I6 which communi- Cates with the fiues I3-I4. A refrigerant, such as ice, in the refrigerant chamber induces a convection circulation of air from the flues I3-I4 through the flue space I6 and the aperture I'I in the floor rack I5, and as the air is warmed by ,the lading, it rises and passes through the bulkhead upper opening l and thence through the fiues I3-I4, and being cooled by the refrigerant, repeats the convection cycle.

Figs. 3 and 4 show my improved floor rack I5 comprising a foraminous oor supported upon the insulated or main floor 6 ofthe car by a plurality of parallel stringers 2| to provide the plurality of spaces or fiues I6 between the foraminous oor 2U and the insulated or main floor 6 which communicate with the flues I3`I4 in the refrigerant chamber.

Each stringer 2I preferably is made of a me tallic plate pressed to form a channel shaped member comprising spaced apart walls 24 connected by a web 25 and outwardly projecting upper lateral flanges 2S. Such a Stringer provides I avery strong member to support vertical loads, especially when the walls are prevented from spreading. The walls are preferably provided with` apertures 21 for air circulation. The spaces 28 between the walls rThe foraminous floor I5 comprises a plurality of metallic panels 30 with the margins of 'each 24 also provide ues which A communicate with the flues I3--I4.

panel preferably downwardly offset as at 3| and underlying a margin of an adjacent panel and secured thereto preferably by welding. Such a construction provides a smooth upper surface for the foraminous floor which is essential in a refrigerator car because any projection on the iioor `Would jag a lading container when the load is shifted or when the load is being squeezed place by the wedge bracing at the doorway. This Wedge bracing compresses the load 'in opposite directions toward the ends of the car to obtain a compact or tight lading to eliminate shifting ofthe `lading in transit. The underlying margins of some of said panels are formed with a ange 32 which preferably rests upon and is secured to the stringers 2I to provide a plurality of beams between the stringers 2I. The flanges 32 may be Welded directly to the stringers.

The anges are preferably provided `with reflanges 33 to materially increase the tension sides of the beams and increase the bearing areas of beams upon the stringers; also to provide meansfor riveting the beams to` the'stringers The foraminous oor 5 comprises an apertured metallic sheet and some of the apertures |1 are preferably positioned over the rei-langes 33 of the flanges 32 to facilitate riveting or welding the flanges (or reilanges) -to the stringers.- Y

The apertures I1 are preferably formed with depending peripherical anges 35 to strengthen the metallic sheet between adjacent flanges 32.-

These anges preferably extend from one flange y 32 to adjacent another flange 32.

Fig. 5 shows a modification wherein each of the panels is provided with a relatively deep marginal flange attached to the stringers 2| f and a relatively shallow marginal flange 4| secured to the deep flange 40 of the adjacent,

panel, preferably by welded `material at 42.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show a modification of my invention in which the foraminousfloor comprises a'continuous vperforated metallic plate 50 sup-- ported on and secured to a plurality of beams 5| extending between the stringers 52. The plate 'is provided with `a. plurality of integrally formed rib-like depressions 53 extending transversely to the beams 5|, the purpose being to stiifen the plate over the span between said beams. The apertures 58 in the plate 50 are preferably formed with depending peripherical flanges to strengthen the plate 5B between the beams 5I. These flanges preferably extend from one beam 5| to adjacent another beam 5I. The beams 5| are offset to provide depressions 51 for seating the strengthening ribs 53. The beams 5| are preferably formed with a vertical web 5 4, a horizontal flange for securing, by welding or riveting, to the plate 50, and a horizontal flange 5 6 `for securing to the Stringer v52.

Figs. 9, 10 and l1 show a modification of my 'invention in which the foraminous oor comprises a continuous perforated metallic plate 60 supported on and secured to a plurality of beams 6l yarranged substantially parallel to the string- 'I'he apertures 61 in the plate 60 are preferably formed with depending peripherical flanges to strengthen the plate BIJ between the beams 6|. from onebeam 6| to adjacent another beam 6|.

Said beams 6 l are preferably formed with a vertical' web .65, an upper horizontal flange '6 4 vand a lower horizontal flange 65 and rest upon yand l beams 6|.

"loi

`are secured to a plurality of preferably similar beams 66 arranged transversely to said upper t The lower beams 56 rest'upon and are secured to the stringers 62. 'I'he distance between the upper beam 6l is less thanr the distance between the beams 66 and the distance between v the beams 66 is less than the distance be# .l tween the stringers 62.

Figs. 12-14 show a modification of Fig. 3 in whichhave been added depressed stiifeners 10 extending across several panels 30 transversely to the flanges 32.

.The drawings illustrate the iioo-r rack supported on channel-shapedstringers made of a metallic plate. Other types of stringers, such as, forV example, wood, may be used in their place.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the' preferred vform `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.

These flanges preferably extend( I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car, the combination of an insulated oor, a foraminous floor, a plurality of parallel stringers supporting the foraminous floor above the insulated floor to provide a space between said oors, and means to induce an air current in said space, said foraminousfloor comprising a plurality of perforated rlfietallic panels with a margin of each panel underlying a margin `of Ian adjacent panel and secured thereto, the

jcurrent vin said space, said foraminous floor comprising a plurality of perforated metallic panels with a margin of each panel underlying a margin of an adjacent panel and secured thereto,

thevunde'rlying margin of each panel formed' with a flange provided with a reange, said re-l flanges extending betweenand secured to said stringers.

3. In a refrigerator car, the combination of an' insulated floor, a foraminous floor, a plurality of parallel stringers supporting the foraminous floor abovethe insulated licor to provide a space between said floors, and means to induce an air current in said space, each of said stringers cornprising substantially parallel walls connected by a web, said foraminous oor comprising a plurality of perforated metallic panels with a margin of each panel underlying a margin of an adjacent panel and secured thereto, the underlying margin of each panel formed with a flange, said flanges extending between said stringers and secured vto both walls thereof.

4. In a refrigerator car, the combination of an insulated floor, aforaminous floor, a plurality of parallel stringers's'upporting the'foraminous floor above the insulated floor to provide a space between said oors, and'means to induce an air current in said space, said foraminous floor comthe underlying margin 'of each panel formed with a flange provided' witha reflange, said'reflanges extending between and fsec'uredto said stringers, s'aidforamin'aus' oor provided with apertures'above the intersections 'of the reflanges with the stringers to facilitate securing the' reflanges to the stringers. y l' i 5. In a refrigerator "car, the-combination of''an insulated floor, a foraminousoor, a plurality of parallel stringers "supporting the foraminous floor above the insulated oor to `provide a space between said floors, and means 4to induce an air current in said space, said foraminous licor comprising a plurality of' perforated metallic panels with a marginof each panel -downwardly offset andunderlying a margin of an adjacent panel andsecured thereto' to provide a smooth upper an air' current in said space, said foraminousy floor comprising a plurality of perforated metallic panels, each of said panels having a relatively deep marginal iiange secured to the stringers and a relatively shallow marginal ange secured to the deep flange of the adjacent panel.

7. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said metallic panels are formed with a continuous corrugation extending normally to and crossing the flanges of these metallic panels to form stiffeners therebetween.

8. In a refrigerator car, the combination of an insulated oor, a foraminous floor, a plurality of parallel stringers supporting the foraminous floor above ther insulated floor to provide a space between said floors, and means to induce an air current in said space, said foraminous oor comprising a plurality of perforated metallic panels with a margin of each panel formed with aydepending ange extending between and secured to said stringers, the margin of each panel opposite the iianged margin thereof being secured to the vflanged margin of the adjacenty panel. v

9. A structure as deiined in claim 8 wherein said metallic panels are provided with apertures extending substantially between the depending flanges of adjacent metallic sheets with the portions of the metallic sheets around said apertures being bent to form continuous flanges which function as beams between said depending flanges.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL.