US2200240A - Panel construction - Google Patents

Description

May 14, 1940.

G. G. GILPIN PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 17. 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aff/7 May 14, 1940. G. G. GILPIN PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 17. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 @aff/7 May 14, 1940. G. G. GlLPlN PANEL CONSTRUCTION led Fe'b. 17, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 afin ril/r4; 1

IIII vm/ Patented May 14, 1940 I; UNITED "STATES PA'IENTI oll-ficl PANEL coNs'raUc'rxoN Garth G.. Gilpin, Riverside, Ill., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Dela- Application February 17, 1938, Serial No. 190,913

' 9 Claims. (Cl. 105-409) 'I'he invention relates to panels used particularly as parts of railway cars, such as end walls, side walls, roofs, floors, drop end gates for mill type gondola cars, bulkheads for refrigerator cars, hatch plugs and side doors for box or automobile cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a panel comprising a metallic sheet formed with a plurality of substantially parallel corrugations extending between and toopposite edges of the sheet, which corrugations are formed in the metallic sheet by the folding process without stretching panel having corrugations merging into the metallic plate and, of course, materially increasing the strength of the panel as a whole. In such a construction a relatively thin metallic plate or sheet may -be` used to ,obtain the same strength as a relatively thick plate formed with the corrugations terminating into the body of the plate because more metal may be positioned away from -theneutral axis of the structure and also because the material is' notstretched in corrugating it.

A further object of the invention is to provide means to stiffen each of the above mentioned edges of the' corrugated metallic sheet by previding a member extending normally to the length of the corrugations and secured to such corrugations to form a beam so that a load imposed upon the corrugations is transmitted to such stili'eners, and a further object of the invention is to associate such stifieners with other parts lof the railway car so that such load will be transferred from the stiffeners to the car structure.

A further object of the invention is to so form such stiffener and secure it to the corrugated metallic sheet as to provide a box shape beam having great strength for the amount of material used, and a further object is to form the stiffener so that it can be secured to the corrugated metallic plate to form a weatherproof structure. y

A further object of the invention is to provide the stiffener with a diagonally disposed scallop or serrated margin on each side of the corrugated plate and to secure such margins together through the corrugated plate to provide cooperation therebetween in beam action.

In forming a metallic plate or metallic sheet with corrugations extending between opposite edges thereof, by the folding process, the plate is alternately bent in opposite directions on substantially parallel lines, and owing to the various stiffnesses of various metallic plates (of the same metal) and owing to the various degrees of stiffness in the same metallic sheet (due to the varying chemical composition of the metal)y the lseveral corrugations will not be exactly the same depth, nor will the distances between the several corrugations in the same plate be the same in all cases, therefore, I position the serrations or scallops at an oblique angle to the plane of the panel so that as the stiffener is assembled with y tlrie corrugated plate these scallops or serrations will readily adjust themselves to the variations in the contour of the several corrugations due to the fact that the angularity of the several serrations or scallops may differ relative to each other according to the diierence in depth 0r width of the corrugations. This difference in angularity may be small so it will not affect the appearance of the finished panel, but, nevertheless, a tight fit between the serrations or scallops and the corrugated plate is essential so that the several elements will cooperate mechanically, and secondly, so that welded material may be applied at the edges of the serrations and the scallops, and thirdly, to provide a weatherproof structure.

Another object is to form the serrations or scallops described in the preceding paragraph in a semi-spherical surface so that as a scallop or serration is pressed into place it will expand or contract to accommodate the variation in distances between adjacent corrugations and the variations in depths of the corrugations. The semi-spherical planes may be concave or convex. `4,0

The permissible variation in the angularity of the several scallops or serrations and the provision of semi-spherical scallops or serrations provides a contact between the edges of the scallops or serrations and the corrugations in the metallic plate so that welded material may be easily applied to secure the edges of the scallops or serrations to the corrugations. This is important because welded material cannot be economically applied unless the materials are substantially in contact.

Another object is to provide means to stiien ythe edges of a metallic plate or sheet which has been strengthened and reinforced by a plurality of corrugations, as disclosed and claimed in Patent 66 corrugated plate, as, for instance, when the panel is usedas a hopper door in a hopper car the scallops may be used on the upper side only; that is, the side in contact with the lading, to obtain free discharge of the lading, and also when the panel is used as a sliding side door for a box carV the scallops may be used on the outside only to reduce wind resistance. When used as side wall units of a hopper car the scallops would be on the inside to assure discharge of the lading.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows one-half of my improved panel. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an yend view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. l.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Fig. l. Fig. 8 shows a front elevation of a railway car wherein my improved panel forms the end Wall thereof.

Fig. 9 shows a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a partial side elevation of the car shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Figs. 11 to 16 inclusive show a plurality of my improved panels integrally connected to form walls, floors or roofs.

Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive show my improved panel wherein the metallic sheet 2 is formed with a plurality of corrugations 3 comprising crests 4, valleys 5 and side walls 6, which corrugations 3 extend to the opposite edges 1 of the metallic sheet. The corrugations may be parallel and of equal width and equal depth. In the form illustrated I have shown relatively deep major corrugations I0 which decrease in depth and width toward the edges I of the plate in combination with a plurality of minor corrugations II positioned between the major corrugations I0 which increase in width andl depth toward the edges 'I of the plate, thus obtaining a plate of relatively great strength and rigidity adjacent the middle of the plate and relatively great resiliency adjacent the edges of the plate. At the edges I of the plate the corrugations are -preferably of equal depth and spaced apart distances equal their widths. .These varying depth and varying width corrugations IIJ-I I are preferably positioned and formed so that the length of thecenter line of the material at any cross section (normal to the corrugations) is substantially the same as any cross section parallel thereto, so that the opposite edges 1-1 are straight, parallel and normal to the length of the corrugations, thus facilitatingI the application of my improved stiffeners. Such varying depth and varying width corrugations are disclosed in Patents No. 1,638,172 and No. 1,681,818 mentioned before.

The means shownv for stiffening each ledge 'I of the corrugated sheet comprises a channel shape stitfener I5 having a web I6 and spaced apart flanges I1 wherein the flanges I7 overlap and are preferably secured (I8) to the ends of the corrugations 3 and wherein the margin of disposed scallops or serrations 26 extending 'between and.preferably secured to the crests 4, valleys 5 and side walls 6 of the corrugations 3.' Welded material is preferably applied at the edge of the scallops 20 to secure them to the adjacent corrugations. The scallops or serrations are diagonally disposed or positioned at an angle to the plane of the plate for reasons hereinbefore mentioned.

The opposite scallops or serrations 26 and' 2l are positioned so that the planes thereof intersect and means areprovided (preferably welded material) to secure such scallops or serrations to the corrugated sheet at the line of intersection of to the side wall 32 of the car and overlapping the ends of the corrugations 3 secured thereto'(33),

which outer member 3l is provided with scallops A or serrations 20. The inner member 36 is secured to the side wall 32 of the car and underlies the end of the corrugations 3 and is preferably secured thereto (31), which inner member 36 is also provided with scallops or serrations 2l. Welded material is preferably applied at the edge of the scallops 20 and2I to secure them to the adjacent corrugations.

Panels lmay be made with stifleners having scallops or serrations on one side of the corrugated plate only and still come Iwithin scope of the invention;

Figs. 11 to 16 'inclusive show my improved means of stiffening the. edges ofcorrugated metallic sheets (wherein the corrugations extend to 16. in which case, the means of stiiening andconnecting thev corrugated metallic sheet may form corner posts or eave mouldings.

In the construction shown in Fig. 11 the member 40 is positioned on one side of the corrugated metallic sheets 4I and 42 and overlaps and is secured to the metallic sheets by the welded material 43 and 44.. The opposite margins of the member are each provided with a plurality of diagonally disposed scallops 45-46 which extendv between and are secured by welding 41.-48 to they 'disposed angularly to each other and the element 56 has angularly disposed arms 51 and 58 secured (59 and 60) to the respective, sheets 54-55. 'I'he member 62 is preferably formed on a large radius to form an arch. f

In Fig. 13 the constructionis similar to Fig. 11,

the i .means may form a post of a wall when the planes y but shows the outer member 86 fiat and the inner element i1 serrated or scalloped. Fig. 14 shows the sheets 54 and 55 are disposed angularly to each other and the serrated or scalloped inner element .l is fiat.

In Fig. the outer member 'l0 and the inner element 1I,- are both provided with opposite serrated or scalloped margins fitting within and secured to the corrugations of both of the corrugated metallic sheets lI-I2. Fig. 16 shows a construction similar to Fig. 15 wherein the sheets 54 and 55 are disposed angularly to each other. In this arrangement the inner element Il is flat.

'I'he 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, withinlthe scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled inthe art.

I claim:

1. Means for stiening the edge of a corrugated metallic sheet adapted for use as an end gate of a railway car wherein the corrugations extend to the edge of the sheet comprising a channel shaped stiifener with the flanges thereof overlapping the end portions of the corrugations, one of said anges having a diagonally disposed mar .gin formed with scallops which nest in and are rigidly secured along the edges thereof to the ,crests and troughs of said corrugations.

2. Means for stiiening the edge of a corrugated metallic sheet wherein the corrugations extend to the edge of the sheet comprising a channel shaped stiffener with the anges thereof overlapping the ends of the corrugations, each of said flanges having a diagonally disposed scalloped margin extending between and secured to said corrugations, said scalloped margins positioned so that the planes thereof intersect, and means to secure said scalloped margins to the corrugated sheet at the line of intersection of said planes to form a box sectional stiifener.

3. Means for stiffening the edge of a corrugated metallic sheet adapted for use as an end gate of a railway car wherein the corrugations extend to the edge of the sheet comprising a channel shaped stiifener with the flanges thereof overlappingv the end portions of the corrugations, one of said flanges having a diagonally disposed margin formed with scallops which nest in and are rigidly secured along the edges thereof to the crests and troughs of said corrugations, each scallop of the scalloped margin being a semispherical surface for the purpose specified.

4. Means for stifIening the edge of a corrugated metallic sheet adapted for use as an end gate of a. railway car wherein the corrugations extend to the edge of the sheet comprising a channel shaped stiffener with the flanges thereof overlapping the end portions of the corrugations, one of said flanges having a diagonally disposed margin formed with scallops which nest in and are rigidly secured continuously along the edges thereof to the crests and troughs of said corrugations,

5. Means for stiiening the edge of a corrugated metallic sheet adapted for use as an end gate of a railway car wherein the corrugations extend to the edge of the sheet comprising a channel shaped stiifener with the flanges thereof overlapping and secured to the end portions of the corrugations, one of said flanges having a. diagonally disposed margin formed with scallops which nest in and are rigidly secured along the edges thereof to the crests and troughs of said corrugations.

6. Means for stiifening the edge of a corrugated sheet adapted for use as an end gate of a railway car. wherein the corrugations extend to the edge of the sheet comprising a channelshaped stiffener with the flanges thereof overlapping the end portions of the corrugations and diagonally disposed scallops on said flanges which nest in and are rigidly secured along the edges thereof to the crests and troughs of said corrugations on opposite sides of said sheet.

7. Means for stiflening the edge of a corrugated sheet adapted for use as an end gate of a railway car wherein the corrugations extend to the edge of the sheet comprising a stiifener traversing said corrugations near the ends thereof and scallops on said stiiener which nest in and are rigidly secured along the edges thereof to the crests and troughs of said corrugations.

8. Means for stiffening the edge of a corrugated sheet adapted for use as an end gate of a railway car lwherein the corrugations extend to the edge of the sheet comprising a stiifener traversing said corrugations near the ends thereof and diagonally disposed scallops on said stiil'erier which nest in and are rigidly secured along the edges thereof to the crests and troughs of said corrugations.

9. Means for stifl'ening the edge of a corrugated sheet adapted for use as an end gate of a railway car wherein the corrugations extend to the edge of the sheet comprising a stiffener traversing said corrugations near the ends thereof in fiatwise relation with the general plane of the sheet, said stiffener having an angularly disposed part for reinforcement thereof, and scallops on said stiffener which nest in and are rigidly secured along the edges thereof to the crests and troughs of said corrugations.

GARTH G. GILPIN.

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