US2910015A

US2910015A - Elevator freight car

Info

Publication number: US2910015A
Application number: US425136A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jack E Gutridge; Jr William E Gribnitz
Original assignee: Pullman Inc
Current assignee: Pullman Inc
Priority date: 1954-04-23
Filing date: 1954-04-23
Publication date: 1959-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 1976-10-27

Description

Oct. 27, 1959 J. EQUTRIDGE rs1-Ax. 2,910,015

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ELEVATOR FREIGHT CAR Filed April 23, 1954 l0 Sheets-Sheet l0 ELEVATOR FREIGHT CAR Jack E. Gutridge, Munster, Ind., and William E. Grbnitz, Jr., Chicago, Ill., assgnors to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application April Z3', 1954, Serial No. 425,136

1 Claim. (Cl. 10S-368) This invention relatesto elevator type freight cars for carrying vehicles,` such as truck trailers, and is primarily concerned' with mechanismV for the elevators.

Some truck trailers have a height so great that when loaded onr a railway freight car they will not clear railroad underpasses, `so thatprovision must bel made for clearance between the trailer and the underpass. This is accomplished by providing the oor and underframe of the car'with elevators which may be lowered from a position ilush with the Hoor ofthe car. The rear wheels of theV trailer are locatedV onv the elevators and the front end of the trailer rests uponv a verticallyv adjustable stand mounted on the floor of the car so that the trailer is loweredl relative to the car and the necessary clearance established so that the trailer will' clear railroad under'- passes.

The invention proposes an elevator type` flat car for carrying truck trailers. The car has awell in its floor and underframe in which a; platform is horizontally disposed. A cylinder is positioned in the well and is pivotally connected tothe car with a piston disposedin the cylinder and connected to the center of the platform. Means are provided between each end ofthe platform and the center of the platform','c'omprised of a pair of vertically disposed racks positioned in the well and secured to theI car and another pair of vertically disposed racks depending from' and secured to the platform. A pair of horizontally disposed tubes are positioned inthe Well and a" gear wheel i's tixedly secured on each. end of each tubemeshing with one of the racks on the `car and one of the racks on the platform. The racks and gear wheels and tubes. together prevent rotational movement of the platform about a horizontal axis extending-transverselyrof the car. Interengaging means are provided on each end of the platform and on the adjacent bounding wall' ofthe well to prevent rotational movement of the `platform about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the car.

The invention furtherproposes an underframe for a railway freight. car adapted to carry truck trailers.` The underfrarne comprises a center sill positioned longitudinally ofthe `car and extending the fulllength of the car. Each side sill is comprised of a pair of endy sections and a center section, with the end sections on the same levely asthe center sill and the center section belovv'the level of the end sections. A. cross member having the same depth as the center sill is positioned between each side' sillr end section and the side silll center section and extends from the side sill to4 thev lcenter sill. Other cross membersextend between thesidev sill end sections and the center sill and these'cross members are disposed'belowthe center sill. Stringers on the same level as the center sill extend between each ofthe iirst-named cross members andthe adjacent' bolsterand are disposed upon the second-named cross members. vA pl-urality of horizontally disposed beams having a depth not greater than "arent O l 1 car.

2,91 0,015 Patented' Oct. 27,1959A the` side sill center section extend between the center rsection and the center sill. f'

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved type of mechanism for the elevators of an elevator type freight car.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for maintaining an elevator in a horizontal position d'url ing loading or unloading or during transportation of a truck trailer.

Another object of the invention is to provide meansattained by the construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein? Y@ Figs. l, 2 and 3 lare complemental plan views ofthe 'major portion'of a railway at car for carrying truck trailers; y

Figs. 4, 5 and 6. are complemental side'elevational views of the car shown in Figs. l to 3, with two truck trailers being shown loaded onthe car;`

Figs. 7 and 8 are complemental plan views of one the elevators and th'ej adjacent portion of the car;

Figs. 9 andl l0 are longitudinal `sectional'views through the elevator and theV adjacent portion of the car takenon the lines 9'-9 and 1li-10 of Figs. 7 and 8 respectively. Fig. 1l` is a cross sectional View taken on the line 11--111 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l2 is a cross sectional View taken! on the rline 12-12 of Fig. ,8; A y

Fig. 1'3' is a View similar to Fig. `l2, but with the elevator shown in a position ilushl with the oor of the car;

Pig. 14

.is a cross sectional view taken on the line lrit-14 of Fig. 7;,

Fig. l5 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 15-1'5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 16 is a sectional view taken on the line 16-16 of Fig. 10; and l Fig. 17 is a bottom View of one of the elevators showingits construction.

In the drawings, 10 generally designates a railway llat car adapted to carry two

truck trailers

11 and 12. The `underframe has a sh belly type center sill made up. of a pair of spaced I-beams 13 extending full length of the a dropped center section'lS and all three sections are-of channel form. A spacer 16 is disposed under each end section 14 ofthe side sill adjacent the center sectionlS and is welded to the respective end section, andA agusset 17 extends between the respective end of the center sectionand the adjacent spacer and is welded to the center section and the spacer. The underframe has the usual end sills 18, double web holsters 19,`and I-shaped stringers 2.0 extending between and welded to the end sill and the adjacent web of the bolster. A substantially rectangular plate 21 having the same depth as the center sill Each'side sill consists of two end sections 14 and A horizontally disposed support or angle 22 is welded to each plate 21. Cross members 23 are arranged in spaced relation between t-he plates 21 and the bolsters 19 and each cross member consists of a vertical plate and an angle welded to the plate'along its top edge-and an angle welded to the plate along its bottom edge,

Each cross member has its top edge horizontal and spaced below the tops of the center sill I-beam 13. Each cross member 23 extends between the side sill end section 14 and the adjacent center sill I-beam 13 and rests upon4 the outer flange of the beam and the lower ange of the end section and is welded to the beam and the end section. A plurality of I-shaped stringers 24 have Ytheirjtops on the same level as the topsof the center sill I-beams 13 and extend between each` plate 21 and the adjacent web of the adjacent bolster; 19. The stringers are disposed upon the horizontal ange of the angles 22 and upon the cross members 23 and are welded to the plates and angles and cross members and to the adjacent web of the bolster. The tops of the end sections 14 are on the same level as the tops of the center sill I-beams 13 and the top of the center section is disposed below the level of the tops of the end sections and the center section has a depth less than the depth of the center sill I-beams.` A holding device 25 is positioned midway between the plates 21 and extends across the width of the car and is xedly secured to the underframe. Midway between the holding device 25 and the plates 21 on the left side of the holding device as viewed in the drawings, a pair of beams 26 I-shaped in cross section extend between the center section 15 of the side sill and the adjacent center sill I-beam 13. The beams 26 are disposed upon the lower flange of the center side sill section 15 and upon the lower outer flange of the adjacent center sill I-beam 13 and are welded to the center section and the center sillI-beam. Between the beams 26 and the plates 21, a horizontally disposed I-shaped beam 27 extends from the center section 15 to the adjacent center sill I-beam 13 and is disposed upon'the lower outer ange of the center sill I-beam and is welded to the center section and the center sill I-beam.

Other beams

26 and 27 are disposed opposite and aligned with the beams just discussed and secured in a similar manner. Midway between the holding device 25 and the plates 21 on the right side of the holding device, still

other beams

26 and 27 are disposed similarly to thebeams 26 and 27 on the left side of the holding device. All Vof 'the

beams

26 and 27 have a depth not greater than, and as illustrated in the drawings a depth less than, the depth of the center 7 sectionY 15 of the side sill. A plurality of metal floor sheets 28, more specifically seven oor sheets, are used for the flooring of the car. Since thefholding device 25 extends across the car, four wells are defined by'plates 21, side sill center sections 15, holding device 25; and 'center sill 13. f

A platform 29 is positioned in each well and is'adapted for vertical movement beween a position liush with the -floor of the car and a position below the oor of the car. Three longitudinally aligned door sheets 28 are positioned Von the I-beams 13 with two of these floor sheets extendingVv from the end sills tothe adjacent platforms 29 while the third floor sheet occupies the spa'ce between the platforms. Two other iioor sheets 28 extend from the adjacent platforms 29 to the adjacent end'sill and two more` floor sheets extend from the adjacent platforms to the other end sill. The floor sheets 28 on the I-beams 13 are spaced from the platforms 29 and from the other floor sheets to provide a pair of longitudinally extending slotson opposite sides of the beams extending full length der 32 is positioned in the well and a ring 33v extends around the cylinder adjacent its lower end and is welded to the cylinder. The ring 33 has opposing studs which project into the apertures in the blocks 31 thus pivotally connecting the lower end of the cylinder to the car. The cylinder 32 has an opening 34 in its lower end in communication with the interior of the cylinder and a source of fluid under pressure is adapted to be connected to the opening. A piston 35 is disposed in the cylinder 32 with its upper end projecting above the upper end of the cylinder through the sealing means 36. 'Ihe upper end of of the piston 35 is rounded and a bearing 37 having a spherical recess 38 in its lower face is positioned on the upper end of the piston. A bolt loosely extends through the bearing and is in threaded engagement with a threaded opening in the upper end of the piston. The platform 29 is comprised of an inverted U-shaped plate 39 consisting of a base and a pair of anges integral with the base. A pair of spaced parallel I-shaped beams 40 extend longitudinally of and are welded to the base of the plate. A channel 41 is postioned horizontally at each end of the plate 39 with the ends of the beams 40 welded thereto and extends transversely of the plate and is welded to the base of the plate, the end positions of the channels 41 outwardly of the beams 40 being cut away as best shown `in Figs. 12 and 13 for clearance. Spaced horizontal braces 42 extend between the beams 40 and are welded to the beams and the plate 39, and spaced diagonal braces 43 extend between each beam 40 and the adjacent ange on the plate 39 and are welded to the respective beams and flange. The bearing 37 is disposed at the center of the platform 29 and is welded to the upper inner flanges of the beams 40.

Means are provided between each end of the platform 29 and the center of the platform for maintaining the platform in a horizontal position. A verticallly disposed plate 44 is positioned at each beam 27 and has the same depth as the beam and extends from the center section 15 of the side sill to the adjacent center sill I-beam 13 and is welded to the beam 27 and the beam 13. A pair of vertically disposed channels 45 have their flanges welded to each other so as to form a box section and this box section is welded tothe plate 44. The channels 45 extend from the bottom` of the adjacent beam 27 to a location slightly above-the center section 15 of the side sill. A pairjofvertically disposed racks 46 are bolted to the webs of the channels 45 to secure the racks to the car. A pair of vertically disposed I-beams 47 are disposed opposite the racks 46 and the upper ends of these beams are welded to the beams 40 on the platform 29 and a plate 48 having an opening 49 through which the channels 45 and the racks 46 can pass is welded to the lower ends Vofthe beams. Another pair of vertically disposed racks 50 arranged in opposition to the racks 46 are bolted to the webs of the I-beams 47 being thus secured to the platform 29. A pair of horizontally disposed members or tubes 51 are longitudinally positioned in each of the wells on opposite sides of the cylinder 32 and a gear wheel 52 is fixedly secured on each end of each tube. Each gear wheel 52 is adapted to mesh with the adjacent one of the racks 46 on the car and the adjacent one of the racks 50 on the platform 29. The

racks

46 and 50 and gear wheels 52 and tubes 51 prevent rotational or tilting movement of the platform 29 about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the car and if this rotational movement could take place it would be at the pivot point of the cylinder 32 at the ring 33 or between the upper end of the piston 35 and the bearing 37 or both.

A vertically disposed channel 53 is disposed on one face of the plate 21 and a vertically disposed rib 54 is disposed onthe other face of the plate and both the channelA and the rib extend from the bottom of the plate to the door of the car and bolts extend through the rib and the plate and the channel thus securing the rib and the climi-1.19 the Car- Anotheryertically disposed channel 55 has its upper end welded to the channel 41 at the end of the platform and gussets are welded to the channel 55 and the beams 40 on the platform 29. A vertically disposed bar 56 has a vertically extending guideway 57 therein and the bar is bolted to the channel 41 and the channel 55. The rib 54 and the bar 56 form an interengaging means on the end of the platform 29 and on the adjacent bounding Wall of the well to prevent rotational or tilting movement of the platform about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the car, which movement would tend to be about the upper end of the piston 3S and the bearing 37. This interengaging means is provided at each end of each platform 29. A single set of controls and a single pump, which are not shown but may be of any suitable type, are used for all four platforms 29. Actuation of the controls in one direction will raise or lower the two platforms 29 under one trailer at the same time and actuation of the controls in the opposite direction will raise or lower the other two platforms under the other trailer at the same time.

To load a trailer 11 on the ilat car, the platforms 29 are disposed in a position flush with the floor of the car and a turntable 58 is pivotally mounted at its center on one of the platforms. A lift truck backs the trailer 11 diagonally onto the car so that the rear wheels on one side of the trailer roll onto the turntable 5S. The lift n it longitudinally of the car until the rear end of the trailer is close to the holding device 25. The platforms 29 are then lowered resulting in the lowering of the rear end of the trailer 11. Lowering of the platforms 29 is continued until a channel 59 on the rear end of the trailer 11 is opposite the projections 60 on the holding device 25. The lift truck then backs the trailery 11 onto the projections 60 on the holding device 25. A fifth wheel stand 61 is mounted on the floor of the car and is slidable longitudinally of the car and is vertically adjustable. The stand 61 is slid until it is under the fth wheel pin of the trailer 11 and then it is adjusted vertically so that the trailer will be level during its transportation on the car. Then the lift truck lowers the front edge of the trailer 11 onto the stand 61 to complete the loading of thev trailer on t-he car. To unload the trailer 11 from the car the fro-nt end of the trailer is lifted olf the fifth wheel stand 61 by a lift truck and the lift truck then pulls the trailer forward so that the channels S9 on the trailer are movedoif the projections 60 on the holding device 25. The two platforms 29 under the trailer 11 are then raised to a position flush with the floor of the car. 'Ihe lift truck then swings the front end of the trailer 11 off the car with the rear wheels at one side of the trailer pivoting with the turntable 58 and the rear wheels at the other side of the trailer rolling on the oor of the car. The lift truck then pulls the rear end of the trailer 11 olf the car. The trailer 12 is loaded on and unloaded from the car in a similar manner.

The distance from the rear end of a trailer to its rear wheels varies with different trailers, therefore the rear wheels of a trailer will not be bearing upon the center of the platforms 29 and there will be a movement about the center of the platform when the trailer wheels are located at one end of the platform as shown in Fig. 5. It would be possible to support each platform by a plurality of piston and cylinder assemblies; however, this would mean that a greater amount of liquid would have to be carried under the car and such a large number of controls would be required that raising and lowering o-f the platforms would be a tedious and time-consuming operation and there might not be enough space under the car in which to store the liquid and carry the controls since the amount of available space is limited by brakes, trucks, and

G other equipment.A To solve this problem, applicant has provided a single piston and cylinder assembly at the center of each platform and a single set of controls and a single pump for all four platforms, which means that the car will have to carry only a small amount of liquid for all of the cylinders and the liquid can be stored in, and the pump and controls can be disposed in, a small amount of space under the car. When the trailer is loaded on the car its rear wheels will not be at the center of the platforms and will cause -a downward force to be exerted o-n one side of the center of the platform. This force will be transmitted to the racks 50 dependingfrom the platform 29 between the center and one end of the platform and this will tend to cause the gear wheels 52 to turn and the torque on the gear Wheels will be transmitted `to the tubes 51. The tubes 51 are elastic and will twist and this twist will be transmitted to the gear Wheels at the opposite ends of the tubes and the gear wheels willl urge the adjacent end of the platform 29 downwardly. In other words, la' downward force on one side of the center of thejplatform 29 Will be transmitted through the tubes Eiland cause a downward pull to be exerted on the platform on the other side of its center.

For the reason that the rear wheels of the trailer will not be on the exact center laterally of the platform 29 the wheels will cause a force to be exerted on the platform about its longitudinal axis orabout an axis extending longitudinally of the car. The ribs 54 on the ends of the platform 29 sliding in the guideways 57 of the bars 56 on the car will prevent any rotational or tilting movement of the platform 29 about an axis extending longitudinally of the car. It is important that the platforms 29 be kept in a horizontal plane, since tilting movement of the platform would cause unnecessary forces to be exerted on the projections 60 of the holding device 25 and upon the fifth wheel stand 61 and forces upon the fifth wheel stand might cause 4the fifth wheel pin on the trailerto be detached from the trailer. The U-shaped plate 39, l-beams 4t), channels 41, braces 42, yand braces 43 together form a platform 29 of great strength which Will support the largest of truck trailers whether they be loaded or unloaded.

The underframe construction provides four wells, and when the platforms 29 are in their lowermost positions the beams 49 on the platform rest upon the beams 27 of the underframe and when in this position the platform is spaced from the beams 26 of the underframe. The beams 27 are reinforced by the gussets 62 which are welded to the adjacent center sill I-beam 13 and the respective one of the beams 27. The beams 26 extend between the upper and lower outer flanges of the adjacent center sill I-beam 13 and they decrease in depth for a short distance and under the platform 29 and on to the center section 15 of the side sill they are of substantially constant depth.

A plurality ofxspaced vertical tie plates 63 extend between and are welded to the I-beams 13 (Fig. ll). The center sill I-beams 13, cross members 23, stringers 24, rectangular-shaped plates 21, beams 26, and beams 27 all cooperate together to provide an underframe of great strength particularly adapted to canry truck trailers. The underframe may be of the type having a stationary center sill, in which case the l-beams -13 will function -as the stationary center sill. The underframe may instead be of the type having a sliding'center sill, in which case a sliding center sill 64 would be inserted between l-beams 13 and would slide upon the vertical tie plates 63, as shown in Fig. ll. Y

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided means for preventing rotational or tilting movement of the elevator about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the car or about a horizontal axis extendinglongitudinally of the car, as well as an elevator of novel construction and an underframe of novel construction particularly adapted to carry trailers,

What is claimed is:

In a railway car, an underframe and a oor provided with a well, a vertically disposed cylinder positioned in the well and having its lower end connected to the car, a piston disposed in the cylinder, a horizontally disposed platform positioned longitudinally of the car in the well and secured at its center to the upper end of the piston and movable between a position flush with the floor and a position below the floor, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinder to raise and lower the piston whereby the platform may be moved between the'position ush with the door and the position below the oor, means between each end of the platform and the center of the platform comprising a trst pair of vertically disposed rack structures disposed back to back in the well and secured to the car and a pair of vertically disposed racks depending from and secured to the platform disposed in opposed relation to the respective rack structures, a pair of horizontally disposed shafts positioned in the well extending longitudinally of the car on opposite sides of the cylinder and between each of said rack structures and the respectively opposed rack, a gear wheel tixedly secured on each end of each shaft adapted to mesh with the adjacent one of the racks on 4the car and the adjacent one of the racks on the platform whereby to prevent roftational movement 0f the platform about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the car, and interengaging vertical guide means on each end of the platform and on the adjacent bounding wall of the well to prevent rotational movement of the platform about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the car.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 93,995 Huntington Aug. 24, 1869 1,350,087 Trapp Aug. 17, 1920 2,047,503 Wilson et al. July 14, 1936 2,121,181 Bayerl June 21, 1938 2,246,543 Smith June 24, 1941 2,489,024 Gaynor Nov. 22, 1949 2,585,126 Holland Feb. 12, 1952 2,605,064 Davis July 29, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 671,064 Germany Jan. 30, 1939 du. M.