US3205835A

US3205835A - Railway car

Info

Publication number: US3205835A
Application number: US222405A
Authority: US
Inventors: William H Peterson
Original assignee: Pullman Inc
Current assignee: Pullman Standard Inc; Pullman Inc
Priority date: 1962-09-10
Filing date: 1962-09-10
Publication date: 1965-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-14

Description

Sept. 14, 1965 w. H. PETERSON 3,205,835

RAILWAY CAR Filed Sept. 10, 1962 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILLIAM H. PETERSON Sept. 14, 1965 w. H. PETERSON RAILWAY CAR 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 10, 1962 w s Qm mm QM ME WM 1+ I W Q 1 1F Pm .3 tR Q 2: H ,llr l II n |.L r M W, R w a m 3 R Q i m S m a, M w mm E L ww 8 W Q N3 3w J h% m m m. h hm hm Q, J k [I m 6% g Y Hm mm W p u 3 mm Sept. 14, 1965 w. H. PETERSON RAILWAY CAR 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 10, 1962 INVENTOR. WILLIAM H. PETERSON BY I Gwnuujml7iflmdwv Sept. 14, 1965 w. H. PETERSON RAILWAY CAR 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 10, 1962 INVENTOR. WILLIAM H. PETERSON BY awmwfifi fimoziif/mdwt Sept. 14, 1965 w. H. PETERSON 3,205,835

RAILWAY CAR Filed Sept. 10, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 .N a N EE w m m 3 U r f *6 E w L 3? E Q m J an s m 0 U mi u 9W m Y 2 J; *3 2 m R w 3 Q m hm m Sept. 14, 1965 w. PETERSON 3,205,835

RAILWAY CAR Filed Sept. 10, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. WILLIA M H PETERSON mfg/1m wmdem/ was.

W RSON Sept. 14, 1965 Filed Sept A *5 I (a 3 m L i N w N n! m 1 o E2 1 8 8 35 W ll g "I I I U1 8 f .111

a K 1. w m to In so w "W 35 f v WILLIAM 0w1Z W &M$Wm (II/HHS.

United States Patent 3,205,835 RAILWAY CAR William H. Peterson, Homewood, lll., assignor to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 222,405 Ciaims. (Cl. 105-368) This invention relates to a new and improved body structure for trailer-type vehicles, particularly railway cars, the body structure being especially adapted for use as a part of an open deck railway flat car in piggyback operations involving the transportation of wheel supported vehicles such as trailers or the like.

More specifically, the invention deals with a special railway car structure utilizing a unique underfrarne and deck design including specially arranged vertical Web supports for load bearing deck portions as well as accommodation of a coupler carrying sliding sill arrangement including unique operational and structural features.

Conventional railway fiat car design has involved the utilization of three parallel beams consisting of the main structural center sill beam and outboard side sill beams tied in by longitudinally spaced, and transversely extending cross bearers located between the outer side surfaces of the center sill beam and underlying the deck of the car in fixed attachment with the side sill beams. Various modifications of this basic car design have been proposed in an effort to reduce the amount of materials involved in car fabrication, thereby reducing the over-all cost and weight of the car, while maintaining adequate car strength. The advent of substantial piggyback trailer operations has raised new considerations, particularly the consideration of structurally accommodating concentrated loads at trailer wheel and fifth wheel stand locations. With variation from basic fiat car design, consideration has also been given to the design of low level cars which are capable of accommodating trailers of increased height within railway operational overhead clearance limitations.

In addition to the foregoing, ca-r coupler cushioning arrangements have been devised and used successfully in protecting lading from damage caused by operational shock developed during car operation. A highly eifective form of cushioning arrangement includes the utilization of a longitudinally continuous sliding sill mounting at opposite ends thereof the conventional couplers with the sill being of sufficient length to provide for relative movement between the car body and couplers in either direction of a length adequate to permit substantial dissipation of operational shock by utilization of suitable cushioning means operative between the sliding sill and the car body. The addition of equipment of this nature adds to the over-all cost and weight of the car thus necessitating new economies in cost and weight in the design of the car body or other basic elements of the car structure. In this respect it has been rather conventional to add the separate sliding sill structure to a standard car by housing the same in the conventional center sill structure thus additionally creating a problem of accessibility to the operating parts of the sliding sill structure, especially the cushioning means thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved body structure for trailer-type vehicles and the like, particularly railway cars, the structure utilizing design concepts accommodating concentrated loads while maintaining cost and over-all weight within desirable limits.

Still a further object is to provide a new and improved body structure for a railway car making use of uniquely improved design concepts especially adapting the same for piggyback operation in the transportation of wheel supported lading.

A further object is to provide a new and improved rail- 3,235,835 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 Way car including a body structure of special design permitting the ready accommodation of concentrated loads along the open deck area thereof, and further providing for special and improved mounting of a sliding sill cushioning arrangement permitting ready accessibility for cushion installation and maintenance.

Other objects not specifically set forth will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the railway car of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of a central portion of the body structure of the car;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the cushion mounting area of the central portion of the car;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the cushion mounting area of the car;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the cushion mounting area of the car taken generally along line 5-5 in FIG. 4; i

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of a portion of the sliding sill arrangement of the car illustrating the operative arrangement of cushion abutment means;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective of one of the sliding sill members and cushion abutment means forming a part thereof;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective of a cushion abuti ment means carried by the body structure of the car;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective of a part of the sliding sill mounting and guide arrangement of the body structure;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged transverse section of one bolster end portion of the car taken generally along line 1010 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective of a bolster end portion of the car illustrating body structure design features forming a part thereof;

FIG. 12 is a partly sectioned enlarged end view of the car as viewed generally along line 1212 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of one end portion of the body structure illustrating a preferred form of movable end sill and telescopic deck portion especiaily adapted for use with the structure.

The railway car 20 as shown in FIG. 1 is of general fishbelly design including a relatively deep central portion between the wheel trucks 21 of the car and opposite end, relatively shallow bolster portions from which couplers 22 project. The car 20 is of open deck, flat body structure design including a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally continuous deck plates 23 receiving therebetween a sliding sill structure generally identified by the numeral 24, the inner edge portions 25 of the deck plates 23 being directed vertically upwardly along opposite sides of the sliding sill structure 24 and defining along their outer surfaces rub rail areas for the guiding of wheel supported vehicles along the car. Opposite ends of the car are provided with movable end sills 26 attached to raised coupler housings 27 and having fixed thereto extensible and retractable deck plate portions 28 which are telescopically received in raised deck housings 29 carried by the deck plates 23 at opposite ends thereof. The movable end sills 26 also carry thereon pivotally mounted bridge plates 30 which are used in the conventional manner to interconnect the deck plates of a series of cars 20 for continuous operation of Wheel supported vehicles therealong during loading and unloading of trailers or the like.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the basic structural features of the central deep portion of the body structure of the car 20. .This structure includes the transversely spaced deck plates 23 which terminate along their inner edge portions in the upstanding longitudinally continuous rub rail areas 25. Located substantially centrally of each of the deck plates 23 is a depending support web 31 which is fixed along its upper edge to the undersurface of the deck plate and which extends substantially vertically downwardly therefrom being slightly inwardly inclined in a downward direction. Each support web 31 is longitudinally continuous of at least the central deep portion of the body structure and the bottom edge thereof is fixed centrally to the top surface of a longitudinally continuous transverse flange plate 32 defining the bottom side margin of the body structure.

A series of longitudinally spaced, preferably channelshaped, cross bearer plates 33 extend transversely between the support webs 31. Opposite ends of each cross bearer plate 33 is in fixed engagement with inner surface portions of the spaced support webs 31 and the cross bearer plate is also preferably in fixed engagement with the adjacent surfaces of the spaced transverse flange plates 32. The cross bearer plates 33 are preferably spaced substantially below the deck plates 23 thus defining a space between the deck plates, support webs and top sur faces of the cross bearer plates. FIG. 9 best illustrates the provision of pairs of reinforcing angles 34 which at their uppermost ends are fixed to the adjacent undersurfaces of the upstanding rub rail plates including the top horizontal continuous flanges 35 thereof. The bottom ends of the angles 34 are attached to the top horizontal flanges 36 of the cross bearer plates 33 thus providing vertical supports for the rub rail plates 25 and yet maintaining a substantial longitudinal area centrally of the body structure to receive therein the sliding sill structure 24. The angle supports 34 are preferably located at each cross bearer plate 33 longitudinally of the car.

The basic cross bearer means of the car structure including the cross bearer plates 33 are completed by the provision of diagonal support beams 37 extending up wardly and outwardly from fixed attachment with the outer central portions of the support webs 31 into upper end fixed attachment with longitudinally continuous angle beams 38 fixed to the deck plates 23 below the same just inwardly of the outer edge portions thereof. The diagonal support beams 37 are longitudinally spaced and may be located in transverse alignment with each of the cross bearer plates 33.

The sliding sill structure 241is basically of conventional design including a pair of longitudinally continuous, outwardly opening channel-shaped beams 39 which are transversely interconnected at suitably spaced intervals therealong by web plates 40 (FIG. 11) and at opposite ends thereof have fixed thereto the raised coupler housings 27 best shown in FIG. 13. The couplers 22 are suitably mounted in the raised coupler housings 27 for limited pivotal action in the known manner. The sliding sill structure 24 is located longitudinally of the car in supported relation on the cross bearer plates 33 recessed relative to the deck plates 23 and positioned between the vertical support angles 34. The beams 39 of the sliding sill are guided and supported directly by I-shaped

beam segments

41 and 42 which are fixed to the top flange 36 of the respective cross bearer plates 33 and which are spaced longitudinally along the car to provide adequate support and guiding action for the sliding sill beams.

FIG. 9 illustrates one short pair of guide beam segments 42 located longitudinally of the car in association with a cross bearer plate 33 spaced from the cushion mounting area of the car, this latter area being shown in FIGS. 25. Another pair of sliding sill guide and support beam segments 42 is shown in FIG. 13 located along side one of the raised coupler housings 27. It will be understood that any suitable number of longitudinal pairs of beam segments 42 may be utilized to provide proper guiding of the sliding sill beams 39 longitudinally of the car. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, suitable wear plates 43 may be fixed to the opposed surfaces of the sliding sill beams 39 and

guide beam segments

41 and 42 to provide for ready sliding operation of the sliding sill structure 24. The guide beam segments 42 of each pair are preferably interconnected along their top surfaces by transverse tie strips 44 for fixed positioning thereof. Such a strip is shown in FIG. 9.

The guide beam segments 41 are of sutficient continuous length to define therebetween a cushion pocket 45 receiving therein a known type of cushioning means 4-6 as best shown in FIG. 5. Such cushioning means is of the hydraulic type basically including a cylinder 47 and a piston 48 surrounded by a return spring 49, the outer end closure of the cylinder 47 being in the form of a circular plate 50 and the outer end of the piston 48 also including a similar circular plate 50.

The cushion pocket 45 as best shown in FIG. 3 is defined along the sides thereof by the sliding sill beams 39 and elongated guide beam segments 41, and is defined along its bottom surface by a generally concave plate 51 centrally received in a cut-out portion 52 formed in the central upper surface portion of the adjacent cross bearer plates 33 and attached along its opposite edges to the inner bottom flange portions of the guide beam seg ments 41. Bracing gussets 53 are preferably fixed to the bottom plate 51 and to the opposite side surfaces of the adjacent cross bearer plates 33 to further stabilize the cushion pocket structure. A removable cover plate 54 extends over the top of the cushion pocket 45 and is provided along opposite side margins with upstanding flanges 55 engaged by a series of removable fasteners 56 with co-operating flanges 57 attached along the inner marginal top surfaces of the guide beam segments 41.

The end plates 50 of the cushioning means 46 are in engagement with a plurality of stop means which confine the cushioning means in the cushion pocket 45 and which are operative therewith to provide for dissipation of operational shock during relative movement of the sliding sill structure 24 and the remainder of the car 20. FIGS. 6-8 best illustrate the series of co-operating cushion stops which are located at opposite ends of the cushioning device 46. Each channel beam 39 of the Sliding sill structure carries on the inner surface thereof a fixed vertical plate 58 which is reinforced by a pair of longitudinal plates 59 also fixed to the inner surface of each beam 39. The stop plates 58 project inwardly into the cushion pocket along opposite sides thereof and are freely received alongside an upstanding I-b-eam member 60 which at the bottom end thereof is fixed to the bottom plate 51 of the cushion pocket. The I-beam 60 includes an abutment surface 61 located between the abutment surfaces of the adjacent stop plates 58. As best shown in FIG. 6, the end plates 50 of the cushioning device 46 are of suflicient diameter to overextend the abutting surfaces of the co-operating abutment means 58 and 60. As mentioned above, this arrangement is repeated at opposite ends of the cushioning device 46.

To provide the special cushion pocket design described above with the requisite strength and adequately stabilize the vertical abutment members 60, a special assembly arrangement is utilized. This arrangement is best illustrated in FIG. 6, FIG. 4 generally illustrating this arrrangement at opposite ends of the cushion pocket. The vertical I-beam abutment member 60 is fixed to the bottom plate 51 of the cushion pocket as previously described. In order to permit ready assembly of the various components and yet fix the top end of the abutment member 60 to provide adequate strength thereto, a special cover plate section 62 spans the top surfaces of the guide beam segments 41 directly over the abutment member 60. The cover plate is provided with a centrally located, longitudinally extending slot 63 permitting access to the top surface of an intermediate flat plate 64 fixed to the top edge of the abutment member 60. The intermediate plate 64 is welded to the top of the abutment. memb r 60 prior to installation of the latter in fixed connection with the bottom plate 51. The cover plate 62 is then applied with the opposite edges thereof overlapping the stop surfaces of the guide beam segments 41 and these opposite edges are suitably fixed to the guide beam segments such as by welding. The central slot 63 is then utilized to fix the intermediate plate 64 to the cover plate 62 such as be welding around the engaged surface portions of the combined plates. This arrangement provides for stabilization of the special abutment members 60 and yet permits ready assembly of the various components of the cushion pocket.

To further stabilize the cushion pocket structure, bearing in mind that substantial force application occurs in this area of the body structure upon operational impact in buff or draft, additional stablizing plates or tie strips 65 extend in overlapping fixed relation with the outer marginal top surface portions of the guide beam segments 41 and along opposite margins are suitably fixed to the adjacent inner surfaces of the rub rails 25. This feature is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Operation of the sliding sill structure 24 is conventional. An impact in buff or draft created at the couplers 22 will result in sliding movement of the sill beams 39 relative to the remainder of the car structure. The stop plates 58 move with these beams and a pair of such plates will compress the cushioning device 46 against the opposite abutment member 60 of the cushion pocket with the result that the cushioning device will contract and force dissipation will occur in the known manner. The spring 49 provides for the return of the cushioning device to its original length accompanied by neutral relative repositioning of the sliding sill and body structure.

To provide for wheel truck operation, the bolster end portions of the car 20 are designed as best illustrated in FIGS. and 11. The support webs 31 at opposite ends thereof are formed with diagonally inwardly directed portions 66 (FIGS. 11) provided with bottom transverse flange plates 67 fixed thereto on each side of the sliding sill structure 24. The

plates

66 and 67 extend into fixed attachement with a longitudinal I-beam 68 extending over the wheel trucks 21 and to the fixed end of the body structure. Preferably the transverse flange plate 67 has fixed at the inner end thereof an additional flange plate 69 which is fixed to the bottom surface of the adjacent I-beam 68 for strengthening purposes. This arrangement provides for a pair of closely transversely spaced beams 68 housing the beams 39 of the sliding sill structure 24 immediately over the wheel trucks 21 and to the fixed ends of the body structure. In effect, the co-operating beams 68 constitute another segment of sliding sill support and guide beams similar to the beam segments 41 previously described. However, for structural rigidity longitudinally of the car, the support webs 66 and transverse flange plates 67 interconnect the beam segments 68 with the support webs 31 and transverse flange plates 32.

In the bolster end portions the body structure is formed with suitable cross bearer plates 70 which extend from connection with the center beams 68 below the deck plates 23 in fixed engagement therewith and into connection with the longitudinal reinforcing angle members 38 adjacent the outer edge portions of the deck plates 23. The cross bearer plates 70 preferably include bottom transverse flange portions 71 with the vertical support angles 34 extending downwardly into bottom edge attachment therewith. A bolster top cover plate 72 extends across the top surfaces of the center beams 68 and spans the intermediate area through which the sliding sill beams 39 are received. A known type of center bolster plate 73 is fixed across the bottom of the center beams 68 and cross bearer plates 70 and is formed with a central aperture 74 adapted to receive the king pin of a wheel truck 21.

The telescoping end structures of car 20 including the movable end sills 26, movable deck portions 28 and raised housings 29 are of the type disclosed in my co-, pending application Serial No. 222,404, filed September 10, 1962. The disclosure of my co-pending application is incorporated herein by reference and only the basic structural features of the movable end sill arrangement will be described herein.

FIGS. 12 and 13 best illustrate each movable end sill arrangement as including the end sill 26 fixed to the outer end of the raised coupler housing 27 adjacent the striker plates 75. The ends of the sliding sill beams 39 are fixed to the opposite sides of the raised coupler housing 27 and the entire coupler housing and end sill 26 form a part of the sliding sill structure 24. Attached to the top flat flange portions 76 of the end sill 26 on opposite sides of the coupler housing 27 are the movable deck portions 28 which are in the form of a plurality of longitudinal inverted channels 77 including fixed longitudinal reinforcing angles 78 located inside the same. The outer ends of the various vertical portions of the elements of each deck portion are pivotally mounted on a transverse rod 79 journaled at opposite ends through apertures 80 in journal blocks 81 fixed on the top flange 76 of the end sill 26. The journal blocks 81 are also provided with an outer pair of aligned apertures 8-2 by means of which the conventional bridge plates 30 may be pivotally mounted on the end sill 26.

Referring particularly to the right hand portion of FIG. 12 as viewed, the bottom horizontal portions of the supporting angles 78 are slidably received between the bottom surfaces of longitudinal angle members 83 fixed at their upper ends to a flat plate 84 defining the raised deck housing 29 located on opposite sides of the sliding sill structure 24 and constituting a continuation of the deck plates 23 at the ends thereof. As shown in FIG. 13, each raised deck housing 29 is supported on transverse plates 85 suitably attached to the closely spaced center beams 68 at their inner ends and attached with a longitudinal angle member 86 at their outer ends. The top horizontal flange portion of the angle member 86 has fixed thereto a transverse sleeve journal 87 receiving therein the outer end of a rod 88 extending through suitable apertures in the vertical wall portions of the various longitudinal angle members 83. journaled in any suitable manner in the adjacent center beam 68. The innermost transverse edge of the raised housing plate 84 is in the form of an inclined ramp 89 to assist in the introduction of wheel supported vehicles onto the plate 84 during loading and unloading operations.

For adequate support of the deck plates longitudinally between the cross bearer plates 70 from the diagonal support webs 66 to the ends of the car, suitable floor stringers (not shown) of known type may be attached to the undersurface of the deck plates between or through the cross bearer plates 70. Preferably, such floor stringers will be longitudinally aligned with the angle members 83 of the deck housings 29.

The arrangement described provides for controlled extension and contraction of the effective deck of the car 20 at opposite ends thereof during impact in buff or draft. Movement of the end sill 26 with the sliding sill structure 24 relative to the remainder of the car body results in either extension of the deck portions 28' from the raised deck housings 29 or retraction of the deck portions 28 therein depending upon the direction of movement of the specific end sill. During such movement any binding between the relatively telescoping parts is eliminated by the pivotal mounting of the deck portions 28 and housings 29. In this respect it will be understood that the deck portions 28 are attached to the structure solely through the rods 79 at the outer ends thereof whereas the raised housings 29 are attached to the structure solely through the rods 88 at the inner ends thereof. The tele- The inner end of the rod 88 may be I scoping action of the deck portions and housings provide for the maintaining of these structures in their fully operative position as deck extensions at all times.

The raised housings 29 provide means whereby the axles of wheel supported vehicles are raised during passage thereof over the coupler housings 27. The telescoping end portions of the car permit utilization of the particular form of sliding sill structure 24 in a piggyback operation type railway car. In other words, the telescoping action of the deck portion 28 and housings 29 provide continuous spanning means between the movable end sills 26 and the deck plates 23 of the body structure.

The car described is specially designed for utilization with wheel supported lading, such as trailers or the like, which impart concentrated loads to the deck portion of a car in the areas of wheel engagement therewith. While fifth wheel stands have not been illustrated, such stands being used in the well known manner to support and attach trailers on a flat car, the particular design described readily accommodates the operative mounting of fifth wheel stands at any location therealong except in the area of the cushion pocket 45. It will be understood that fifth wheel stands may be readily mounted on the guide beam segments, such as the segments 41, which would be of sufficient length to accommodate a stand and would be located in any suitable area along the car. Such stands would in their collapsed condition be readily received between the rub rail plates 25, and in their raised operative position would adequately project thereabove for an eflicient connection with a trailer. Other conventional apparatus, such as brake rigging and the like, is readily accommodated by the car structure of the invention. This apparatus, with the exception of a suitable hand brake unit 90 of FIG. 12, has not been illustrated. However, the car structure provides readily available areas for brake rigging mounting such as adjacent the cross bearer plates 33 either inwardly or outwardly of the supporting webs 31. Trainlining of air hoses and the like is readily accommodated well within the car structure, such as below the deck plates 23 and inwardly of the support webs 31, thus permitting complete protection of equipment which is readily subject to damage.

The body structure throughout the most critical central portion of the car is in the form of two parallel beams with each beam consisting of a deck plate 23 as the top flange thereof, a vertical intermediate support web 31, and a bottom transverse flange plate 32. The parallel beams are transversely tied together for unified torsional operation by the cross bearer plates 33. Inspection of FIGS. 1-3 and 9-11 illustrates the lack of any direct connection between the deck plates 23 in the central portion of the car. This permits each beam supporting the associated wheel track area to have longitudinal independence of the other. While the beams are torsionally rigid due to their lateral spacing and lateral interconnection below the deck, they are relatively independent for deflection along the longitudinal axis in response to applied loads. With this arrangement the deck plates 23, which in eflect constitute the top flanges of the parallel beams, can be of substantial width merely by the utilization of low cost and uncomplicated additional rigidifying elements. in this respect the vertical support angles 34 rigidity the deck plates 23 along their inner edge portions and the uncomplicated diagonal supports 37 rigidify the deck plates 23 along their outer edge portions. Still further, the particular design permits advantageous utilization of the raised inner edge portions of the deck plates '23 both structurally and functionally, these portions defining the rub rails and the top horizontal flanges thereof further constituting rigidifying compression members extending longitudinally of the car.

The design readily accommodates eflicient and uncomplicated mounting of the sliding sill unit 24. This unit is adequately supported by the surrounding structure, particularly the cross bearer plates 33. The unit may be of light weight fabrication as the

guide beam segments

41 and 42 need not extend continuously throughout the length of the car. The design permits construction of a low level car making use of the raised coupler housings 27 to locate the couplers 22 at conventional height. However, the design features may also be advantageously used in a car of any suitable height bearing in mind that the raised coupler housings may be eliminated if the sliding sill unit 24 is located at conventional coupling height.

Obviously certain modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope'thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A railway car for use in transporting wheel-support lading, said car comprising a body structure having a relatively deep central portion and opposite end relatively shallow bolster portions, said central portion being formed from a pair of deck plates extending longitudinally of said structure in transversely spaced relation, a pair of transversely spaced vertical support webs attached to said deck plates substantially centrally thereof, longitudinally extending transverse flange plates attached along the bottom edges of said webs, the spacing of said deck plates and support webs being selected to place the same in direct load bearing relation with the wheels of lading adapted to be transported on said car, a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse channel-shaped cross bearer means engaging said webs and said flange plates above said flange plates, the top edge portion of each of said cross bearer means being spaced substantially below said deck plates, the inner edge portions of said deck plates projecting upwardly along said structure continuously longitudinally thereof, vertical supports interconnecting said inner edge portions with said cross bearer means, the outer edge portions of said deck plates being tied to said webs by diagonal support means, coupler carrying sliding sill means extendingly longitudinally of said structure below said deck plates and over said cross bearer means in supported relation thereby, and cushion means in said sliding sill means and in opposite end confinement between abutment means carried by said sliding sill means and by said cross bearer means for cushioning relative longitudinal movement between said sliding sill means and the remainder of said structure in response to operational force application in buff and draft, each of said bolster portions including a pair of longitudinally continuous and closely spaced center sill beams housing said sliding s1ll means and to which said deck plates and webs and flange plates are connected, said webs and flange plates extending diagonally inwardly to establish said connection, and further cross bearer means extending transversely from said center sill beams outwardly under said deck plates in supporting engagement therewith.

2. An open deck railway car for use in transporting wheel supported lading, said car comprising a body structure at least the central portion of which is formed from a pair of laterally spaced and longitudinally extending beams of generally I-beam configuration with each including single vertical webs and top and bottom horizontal flanges, said top and bottom flanges being spaced laterally from one another without direct lateral interconnection therebetween 1110! adjacent to the horizontal planes of said top flanges at least throughout a substantial part of the overall length of said body structure to permit limited independent relative deflection of each of said beams under load, the lateral spacing of said beams locating said webs and top flanges in direct load bearing relation with the wheels of lading adapted to be transported on said car, and flanged cross bearer means extending transversely of said body structure and between the vertical webs of said beams and fixed thereto in longitudinally spaced relation, at least one longitudinal margin of each top flange having formed therewith a body structure rigidifying longitudinally continuous vertical flange contributing to the top chord of the over-all beam defined by said body structure.

3. The railway car of claim 2 wherein said cross bearer means are recessed below the area of lateral spacing of said top flanges, coupler carrying sliding sill means are mounted on said cross bearer means, through said area and extend longitudinally of said body structure in supported relation on said cross bearer means, and cushion means are carried by said body structure in operative engagement therewith and with said sliding sill means for cushioning relative longitudinal movement between said sliding sill means and said body structure in response to operational force applied to said car.

4. An open deck railway car for use in transporting wheel supported lading, said car comprising a body structure at least the central portion of which is formed from a pair of laterally spaced and longitudinally extending beams of generally I-beam configuration with each including single vertical webs and top and bottom horizontal flanges, said top and bottom flanges being spaced laterally from one another without direct lateral interconnection therebetween in or adjacent to the horizontal planes of said top flanges at least throughout a substantial part of the over-all length of said body structure to permit limited independent relative deflection of each of said beams under load, the lateral spacing of said beams locating said webs and top flanges in direct load bearing relation with the wheels of lading adapted to be transported on said car, flanged cross bearer means extending transversely of said body structure and between the vertical Webs of said beams and fixed thereto in longitudinally spaced relation, at least one longitudinal margin of each top flange having formed therewith a body structure rigidifying longitudinally continuous vertical flange contributing to the top chord of the over-all beam defined by said body structure, and means interconnecting both longitudinal margins of each top flange with said cross bearer means to impart torsional stability to said top flanges and beams.

5. The railway car of claim 4 wherein said cross bearer means are recessed below the area of lateral spacing of said top flanges, coupler carrying sliding sill means are mounted on said cross bearer means through said area and extend longitudinally of said body structure in supported relation on said cross bearer means, and cushion means are carried by said body structure in operative engagement therewith and with said sliding sill means for cushioning relative longitudinal movement between said sliding sill means and said body structure in response to operational force applied to said car.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

LEO QUACKENBUS'H, Examiner.

Austgen 392.5

Claims

1. A RAILWAY CAR FOR USE IN TARANSPORTION WHEEL-SUPPORT LADING, SAID CAR COMPRISING A BODY STRUCTURE HAVING A RELATIVELY DEEP CENTRAL PORTION AND OPPOSITE END RELATIVELY SHALLOW BLOSTER PORTIONS, SAID CENTRAL PORTION BEING FORMED FROM A PAIR OF DECK PLATES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID STRUCTURE IN TRANSVERSELY SPACED RELATION, A PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY SPACED VERTICAL SUPPORT WEBS ATTACHED TO SAID DECK PLATES SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY THEREOF, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TRANSVERSE FLANGES PLATES ATTACHED ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID WEBS, THE SPACING OF SAID DECK PLATES AND SUPPORT WEBS BEING SELECTED TO PLACE THE SAME IN DIRECT LOAD BEARING RELATION WITH THE WHEELS OF LADING ADAPTED TO BE TRANSPORTED ON SAID CAR, A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED TRANSVERSE CHANNEL-SHAPED CROSS BEARER MEANS ENGAGING SAID WEBS AND SAID FLANGES PLATES ABOVE SAID FLANGES PLATES, THE TOP EDGE PORTION OF EACH OF SAID CROSS BEARER MEANS BEING SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID DECK PLATES, THE INNER EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID DECK PLATES PROJECTING UPWARDLY ALONG SAID STRUCTURE CONTINUOUSLY LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, VERTICAL SUPPORTS INTERCONNECTING SAID INNER EDGE PORTIONS WITH SAID CORSS BEARER MEANS, THE OUTER EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID DECK PLATES BEING TIED TO SAID WEBS BY DIAGONAL SUPPORT MEANS, COUPLER CARRYING SLIDING SILL MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID STRUCTURE BELOW SAID DECK PLATES AND OVER SAID CROSS BEARER MEANS IN SUPPORTED RELATION THEREBY, AND CUSHION MEANS IN SAID SLIDING SILL MEANS AND IN OPPOSITE END CONFINEMENT BETWEEN ABUTMENT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SLIDING SILL MEANS AND BY SAID CROSS BEARER MEANS FOR CUSHIONING RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID SLIDING SILL MEANS AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID STRUCTURE IN RESPONSE TO OPERATIONAL FORCE APPLICATION IN BUFF AND DRAFT, EACH OF SAID BOLSTER PORTIONS INCLUDING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY CONTINUOUS AND CLOSELY SPACED CENTER SILL BEAMS HOUSING SAID SLIDING SILL MEANS AND TO WHICH SAID DECK PLATES AND WEBS AND FLANGE PLATES ARE CONNECTED, SAID WEBS AND FLANGE PLATES EXTENDING DIAGONALLY INWARDLY TO ESTABLISH SAID CONNECTION, AND FURTHER CROSS BEARER MEANS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY FROM SAID CENTER SILL BEAMS OUTWARDLY UNDER SAID DECK PLATES IN SUPPORTING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH.