US2837036A - Container car - Google Patents

Description

June 3, 1958 5. J. FRAENKEL 2,837,036

CONTAINER CAR Filed Feb. 14, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S. J. FRAENKEL CONTAINER CAR June 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1956 IIIVVENTORL 52 hen JF/czeHkeZ,

/aiflm United States Patent CONTAINER CAR Stephen J. Fraenkel, Wilmette, 1ll., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application February 14, 1956, Serial No. 565,364

3 Claims. (Cl. 105-366) This invention relates to a railway car, and more particularly to a railway rolling stock in which a carrier mounts a plurality of containers.

Inthe recent past the piggy-back type of transportation'has become increasingly popular. A plurality of containers, which may be loaded at the consignor, are hauled by truck to the railway carrier and placed thereon for shipment to the destination, and then unloaded from the carrier to a truck, if necessary, for delivery to the consignee. Various types of railroad rolling stock have been proposed for hauling these containers. In every known instance the containers have rested on decking or other structure supported by an underframe.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a carrier for containers.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a failway car for containers in which the containers may be readily loaded and unloaded.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a carrier for the containers which protects the containers and the lading against stresses and shocks when in transit on the railway, and particularly to afford protection in addition to the usual draft gear.

It is another object of the invention to provide a carrier for containers which eliminates side sills, cross-bearers, stringers, and decking.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a railway carrier in which the ladiug is suspended in containers above its center of gravity, and more specifically to a carrier in which the containers are hung so as to allow a certain amount of swinging movement.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a carrier for containers which does not lower the safety factors in the railway car construction.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become evident as the description proceeds and from an examination of the accompanying drawings which illustrate several embodiments of the invention and in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of a railway carrier with container thereon, embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an alternative form of railway car and containers thereon embodying the invention.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end view of the device shown in Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates a carrier for shipping containers. The carrier has the usual car trucks 11 provided with truck bolsters 12. A center sill 15 extends longitudinally between the car trucks and is supported by the bolsters thereon.

A suspension structure 16 in the form of an A-frame in a vertical plane is rigidly connected to the center sill ICE 15 with the ends 17 of the frame fixed in invarying angular relationship thereto substantially above the truck bolsters 12. A center supporting post 19 at the middle of the A-frame rests on the center sill to provide added support for the suspension structure. The A-vframe is formed of an I-beam comprising an horizontal beam 21 and two end supporting posts 20. The posts are secured to the center sill so that the frame and center sill form a rigid truss. A plurality of containers 30 are suspended from the beam 21 by a suitable latching mechanism, such as hooks 31 carried by the beam and eyes 32 on the containers. 1

It will be seen that by supporting the containers from a single point from the horizontal beam 21 of the A- frame movement of the containers is permitted about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the carrier in response to longitudinal impact. This arrangement utilizes gravity to oppose the motion induced by such impacts. The use of gravitational resistance of the lading decreases the requirement for physical spring resistance, such as is employed in the draft gear. It is further pos sible to provide intentional friction resistance to such movement or rotation and to provide damping through energy absorption devices.

Movement of the containers about the longitudinal axis of the carrier permits the containers to adjust themselves to the inclination corresponding to the force components associated with weight and centrifugal force which arise during travel on a curved track. The suspension above the center of gravity of the container causes the resultant force on the point of suspension that would be normal to the plane of the superelevated track. This condition permits higher speeds on curves than would be permissible with containers supported below their center of gravity, such as at floorlevel, which would have a tendency to separate from the floor and overturn.

Swinging movements of the containers may be restrained by springs fastened between the carrier and containers. Springs 33 may be fastened between the containers and center sill. Springs 34 may be secured between the end containers and the end posts. Springs 35 may be mounted between the middle containers and center post, and springs 36 may be fastened between adjacent containers.

The vertical force .component on the carrier, due to the dead weight of the container and contents thereof, is supported by the A-frame. The A-frame rests in turn on the center sill, being mounted thereto substantially at the intersection of the bolster. The end posts 20 of the A-frame may be vertical or inclined. The beam 21 of the frame is also supported by a vertical center post 19 which rests in turn on the center sill. The total assemblage is a rigid frame or webless truss with moment resisting joints of the Vierendeel type. This design utilizes the strength of the center sill primarily, in addition to its usual function, as a lower chord of a truss, and permits a reduction of strength and material, as compared with a carrier beam freely spanning from end to end support. Thus a reduction in total material is achieved by replacing the usual boxcar sides, fish-belly side sills, etc., by a single beam 21 in a truss, and by forc- The truss includes a 3 base leg which may be the bolster 52 mounted on the center sill and two legs 63' which meet directly above the center sill 55 and are secured at their lower ends to the bolster.

' A' number of'containersare fastened together at their ends by flanges 73' to form a continuous beam. The

beam is supported on members 71 at its horizontal axis. In this way the containers are joinedtogether into an integral structure which supports thecontainers and lad- It may 'be desirable to insert blocks 77 beneath the containers so as to support them above the center sill, such as when one of the containers is removed. These blocks conceivably could'be mounted: between the containers and center'sill.

In,the drawing and specification, there have. been set forth several embodimentsofj the invention, and although specific terms areemployed, they are used in a generic and, descriptive sense only. and not for purposes 0f 1imitation. Changes in forrnand in theproportion of parts,

as well as the substitution of equivalents are contemplated,

as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, withoutdeparting from,the spirit or scope of thisinvention as further, defined in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway car for transporting lading, a center sill extending from end to end of said car, a frame having end columns rigidly fixed to the center sill, a beam rigidly fixed to said end columns, said lading being supported by the frame and oifset from the connections of the frame with the center sill;

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein the center sill is the lower chord of said frame.

3. In a railway car, a center sill extending fromcnd to end of said car, an integral A-frame structuredisposed in a vertical plane and having end columns rigidly fixed to the centersill, the A-frame and the center sill comprising an integral load carrying rigid frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 124,734 Gird Mar. 19 18 72 446,065 Henning -,Eeb. 10,1891 454,099 Whitner Iune16; 1891 2,197,375 Dafnis Apr. 16,1940

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