US2574410A

US2574410A - Floor rack

Info

Publication number: US2574410A
Application number: US685426A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur F O'connor
Original assignee: Union Asbestos and Rubber Co
Current assignee: Union Asbestos and Rubber Co
Priority date: 1946-07-22
Filing date: 1946-07-22
Publication date: 1951-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 1968-11-06

Description

NOV- 6, 195l A. F. ocoNNcnRl FLOOR RACK Filed July 22, 1946 WIM..

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Patented ov. 6, 1951 FLOOR RACK Arthur F. OConnor, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, a corporation of Illinois Application July 22, 1946, Serial N0. 685,426

4 Claims.

This invention relates to oor racks and more particularly to lading supporting racks for railway refrigerator cars and the like.

In railway refrigerator cars it has been customary to support the lading on racks resting on thecar iloor and hinged to the sides of the car so that they can be raised for cleaning the floor. When operating over rough tracks or at high speeds with cars of this type, the lading has frequently been damaged due to bouncing of the car. It is accordingly one of the objects of the present invention to provide a floor rack for use in railway refrigerator cars and the like in which damage to the lading during operation on rough tracks or at high speed is minimized or eliminated.

Another object is to provide a iloor rack which is vertically resilient to absorb vertical shocks incurred during operation.

Still another object is to provide a oor rack including stringers supporting slat .means above a car iioor in'which stringers are so constructed as to be vertically resilient. Preferably the stringers are formed by supporting blocks to which supporting strips are connected for yielding vertical movement.

Still another object is to provide a fioor rack which is vertically resilient and which provides a snubbing action to minimize or eliminate bouncing of the lading.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with vthe accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a partial section through a portion of a railway car and a floor rack embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a partial plan view;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a, view similar to Figure 1 of an alternative construction; and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 1 the rack is mounted in a refrigerator car having a oor I Il and a side wall II supported by an elongated side beam I2. The. construction illustrated is a conventional refrigerator car structure, and it will be understood that the rack of the present invention might be applied to any desired type of car.

The floor rack comprises two or more parallel stringers each extending the full length of the rack and each of which includes a supporting block I3 which may be formed of any desired ma- (Cl. 10S-375) terial such as wood and an inverted channelshaped supporting strip I4 which fits slidably over the block I3. A bolt I5 secured to the sides of the strip I4 extends through a vertically elongated slot I6 in the block so that the strip can move vertically relative to the block through a limited distance. The rack is completed by cross slats Il which may be in the form of inverted metal channels preferably perforated to provide for air circulation which extend across and are secured to the supporting strips I4 as by welding or the like. It will be understood that a plurality of substantially identical racks are provided to form a complete lading supporting floor for the car.

In order that the lading may be yieldingly supported, spring means are provided within the channel shaped supporting strips to urge the supporting strips upward relative to the blocks I3. As shown in Figures 1 and \3 the spring means may comprise one or more elongated sinuous spring strips I8 which engage the lower surface of the web of the channel shaped supporting strips I4 and which rest on a metal Wear strip I9 on top of the block I3. To prevent shifting of the spring strips as they elongate under load, each strip may be secured at one point to the wear strip I9 by a rivet 2B.

The construction is shown in Figures 1 and 3 in fully expanded position with the supporting strip I4 raised to its maximum elevation relative to the block I3. When the rack is loaded, the spring I 8 will be deected to permit the supporting strip to move downward on the block. The spring I8 may .be so designed as to permit the supporting strip I4 to move down so that the edges of its flanges Will seat against the floor of the car under normal load conditions or it may, as preferred, be of a strength to hold the supporting strip yieldingly above the car floor. In either case the supporting strip and the slat structure I'I will move u-p and down on the supporting blocks as the car encounters vertical bumps or other rough conditions yieldingly to absorb shocks so that they will not be transmitted to the lading to damage the lading. Due to the frictional engagement of the loops in the spring strip I8 with the supporting strip I4 and the wear strip I9, a snubbing action will be produced which will prevent development of harmonies in the spring to cause bounding of the lading. Thus with this construction the lading is yieldingly supported so that it will not be damaged When operating on rough track or at high speed.

The rack, as shown, may be pivotally connected to the car so that it can be swung upward for cleaning the car floor in the same manner as a conventional rack. For this purpose hinge brackets 2| are secured to the supporting strips I4 which lie adjacent one edge of the car and carry horizontal hinge pins 22.V U-shaped hinge parts 23 are secured to the side of the car as, for example, to the beam I2 as shown in Figure 1 and are formed with vertically elongated slots 24 into which the ends of the pins 22 extend. With this construction the rack may move vertically without interference from the hinge and still may be swung to a vertical position for conventional cleaning of the car oor.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate an alternative structure which is substantially similar to that shown in Figures l to 3 and in which like parts. are designated by the same referencenumerals. In this construction the sinuous spring I8 of Figures 1 to 3 is replaced by rubber blocks or strips 25 which lie on top of the supporting block I3 and engage the lower surface of the channel web. If desired, individual spaced rrubber blocks 25 may be employed 01 the blocks may be formed with openings therethrough, as shown at 26, to provide for flow of the rubber. This construction operates in substantially the same manner as that of Figures 1 to 3 except that the vertical loads are absorbed by resiliency of the rubber rather than by ilexing of the spring strip. It will be noted that the rubber itself provides a certain inherent snubbing eiect, and additional snubbing is produced by friction of the rubber against the sides of the channel I4 and against the upper surface of the supporting block I3 as the rubber distorts during operation.

While two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail herein, it

wil1 be understood that they are illustrative only and are not intended as a denition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A floor rack for railway cars and the like comprising a plurality of stringers and slats supported on and connecting the stringers, each of the stringers comprising an elongated supporting block coextensive in length with the floor rack to rest on the floor of the car, an inverted channel shaped supporting strip coextensive with and iitting slidably over the block, means connecting the strip and block for limited vertical movement, and resilient means connecting the strip and block to urge the strip upward relative to the block.

2. A floor rack for railway cars and the like comprising a plurality of stringers and slats supported on and connecting the stringers, each of the stringers comprising an elongated supporting block coextensrve in length with the oor rack to rest on the floor of the car, an inverted channel shaped supporting strip coextensive with and fitting slidably over the block, means connecting the strip and block for limited vertical movement, and spring means within the channel shaped strip engaging the top of the block to urge the strip upward relative to the block.

3. A floor rack for railway cars and the like comprising a plurality of stringers and slats supported on and connecting the stringersi, each of the stringers comprising an elongated supporting block coextensive in length with the floor rack to rest on the oor of the car, an inverted channel shaped supporting strip coextensive with and tting slidably over the block, means connecting the strip and block for limited vertical movement, and an elongated sinous spring stri-p within the channel shaped supporting strip resting on the block to urge the supporting strip upward relative to the block.

4. A floor rack for railway cars and the like comprising a plurality of stringers and slats supported on and connecting the stringers, each of the s-tringers comprising an elongated supporting block coextensive in length with the floor rack to rest on the floor of the car, an inverted channel shaped supporting strip coextensive with and tting slidably over the block, means connecting the strip and block for limited vertical movement, and a resilient block of rubber-like material within the channel shaped supporting strip and resting on the block to urge the supl porting strip upward relative to the block.

ARTHUR F. OCONNOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the,

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS