US3410228A - Freight car construction with recessed load securing means - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 12, 1968 BURR ETAL FREIGHT CAR CONSTRUCTION WITH RECESSED LOAD SECURING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1966 INVENTOR.

LINTON B. BURR WILLIAM R. YOKEL DON R. WILLIAMS FRANK E. cufydi BY I WATTORNEM Nov. 12, 1968 L. B. BURR ETAL 3,410,228

' FREIGHT CAR CONSTRUCTION WITH RECESSED LOAD SECURING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1966 DON R. WILLIAMS FRANK E. CgIRE BY 44.45 ATTORNE nited States Patent Office 3,410,228 Patented Nov. 12, 1968 3 410 228 FREIGHT CAR coNsrRUcTroN WITH RECESSED LOAD SECURING MEANS Linton B. Burr, William R. Yokel, Donald R. Williams, and Frank E. Cheshire, Evansville, Ind., assignors to International Steel Company, Evansville, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Aug. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 575,610 Claims. ('Cl. 105-409) This invention relates broadly to railway freight car body construction and more particlularly to a single sheathed car side with recessed load securing means.

In the freight transportation industry standard size packaging has been developed which it is hoped Will be adopted internationally so that all freight by ground, sea, or air will be shipped in standard container sizes. This standardized packaging has been developed to fully utilize a nine-foot, six-inch wide area, and at present in the railway industry there are no freight cars equipped with continuous horizontal securement bars and transverse retaining bars having a width of this magnitude, so at present it is not possible for the railway industry to gain the full advantages afforded by the standardization of freight packaging, The problem cannot be overcome merely by increasing the overall Width of the freight cars because the maximum exterior widths of the cars have already reached the limit beyond which they cannot be enlarged as the width is limited by railway obstacles, such as bridges, tunnels, closeness of adjacent tracks, etc. Therefore, at present, space is Wasted in existing freight cars when containers having dimensions of the adopted standard sizes are shipped, because most existing freight cars do not have interior widths that are fully compatable with the standard size packaging and thus the floor space in the freight car cannot be fully utilized. When the standard packaging sizes have been in use for a period of time carriers will no longer be faced with the problem of how to load particular sizes of lading or packages because there will be a standard way to stack packages of standard cooperating sizes in railway cars, vehicle trailers,

ships and air cargo planes. This system will also insure that proper size equipment is available at both the loading and unloading points of a freight carrier for lifting and moving the standard size packaging, thus reducing delays in freight transportation time.

The railroad freight industry is thus in great need of a house-type car having an increased interior width from most presently-known in the art, namely, in interior width of nine-feet, six-inches, with no obstructions protruding from the interior walls which would reduce the interior loading area. Providing such a car construction presents several problems. A relatively thin car side assembly is the only construction that will provide increased interior car width'without increasing the exterior car width. However, providing a thinner car side assembly thus presents the problem of how to obtain suflicient car side rigidity, because a car side of the type contemplated has a length dimension of over fifty-feet and a height dimension of over eleven-feet, and it is difficult to provide sufiicient rigidity to such a large structure when it is only approximately three-inches thick. The rigidity problem is further compounded by the necessity of providing continuous belt rails along the interior walls for securing lading in position in the car, and these belt rails and other lading anchor means must be recessed in the already relatively thin car sides, so as not to reduce the interior load space, and the car sides must then be rigid enough to support the lading loads transferred thereto.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a construction of a house-type railroad car which provides an interior car width of nine-feet, six-inches,

while at the same time provides recessed securing means in the car side.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of single sheathed railway car side which is rigid in construction and relatively thin in overall wall thickness.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of railway car side which provides greater interior width for a set maximum exterior width car.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a construction of single sheathed car side which enables standardized packaging sizes to be fully utilized without waste of space in a railway freight car while at the same time provides packaging securing belt rails extending substantially the length of the car sides.

Other and further objects of the invention are set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following and will become apparent to one skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a freight car side according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged foreshortened longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of FIG. 1 and showing the belt rail exploded from the car side;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged foreshortened longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the exterior of the railway car side according to the invention; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the interior wall of the railway car side according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 3, the top of the single sheathed car side, for house-type railroad cars, such as box cars, refrigerator cars, and the like, consists of a horizontally extending side header 1 having a downwardly sloping web portion 2, an upwardly extending vertical flange portion 3 connected to one end thereof, and a downwardly extending vertical flange portion 4 connected to the other endthereof. Side header member 1 is a formed member, with the top terminal edge of flange portion 3 provided with a downwardly sloping top flange portion 5 extending in the same direction from flange portion 3 as web portion 2. Top flange portion 5 comprises the connecting member between the roof assembly of the house-type railroad car and the single sheathed car side assembly of the invention.

A plurality of vertically extending, formed hollow post members consisting of corner posts 6, at each end of the car side assembly, side posts 7, notched side posts 8, and door post 9 and 10, are welded at the upper terminal ends to the back and under sides of flange portion 4 and web portion 2 of side header member 1, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3. Each of the posts 6, 7, 8 and 9 is formed in the same configuration, as indicated in the drawings, having a pair of side web portions 11 connected at one end to opposite ends of a main web portion 12, and extending in the same direction therefrom in angular relation with the main web portion with the terminal ends of side web portions 11 each provided with an outwardly turned flange portion 13 disposed in substantially parallel relation with main web portion 12. Corner posts 6 and door posts 9 and 10, as indicated by the door posts in FIGS. 4 and 5, are constructed of somewhat heavier material than side posts 7 and notched side posts 8 to provide greater reinforcement for the ends and the door opening in the car side assembly. For instance, corner posts 6, and door posts 9 and may be constructed of inch formed material, while the remaining posts may be constructed of 4; inch formed material. Door post 10 is of known construction in the art and is provided with a nailer strip 14- which enables the use of grain doors (not shown), when desired, to be nailed to the door post. It will be noted that door post 9 is provided with a larger flange 13, extending toward the door opening, than the other post members, as this larger flange aids in forming and strengthening the door opening, and also provides the sealing surface for the plug type side doors (not shown).

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 7 it will be noted that both side web portions 11 of notched side posts 8, and a single side web portion 11 of door post 9, as well as the outer notched side posts 8 at each end of the car assembly adjacent side posts 7, are provided with cut out notches, indicated generally at 1-5, having a main edge portion 16, disposed substantially parallel with main web portion 12, and a pair of side edge portions 17 diverging therefrom toward the inner side of the car side assembly. The flange portion 13, for a short interval, below each notch is cut away to form a small recess indicated at 18 in the side web portion 11, the purpose of which is explained further in this specification. The provision of notches and recesses 18 along the length of the post members results in the outwardly turned flange portions 13, in the notched posts, actually constituting outwardly turned tab portions, as best illustrated in FIGS 1, 2 and 6. By way of example, the side posts may have an overall depth dimension of approximately three inches with the notches 15 recessed therein from the inner side of the posts a depth in the range of approximately one third the depth of the posts.

From FIG. 1 it will be noted that the door opening is oflset in the car side, with the door openings in opposite sides of the house-type car being offset to opposite ends of the car so that both doors can be used simultaneously in loading the car. With this arrangement, as indicated, the right hand portion of the car side assembly shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a greater number of notched side posts 8 than the portion of the car side assembly to the left of the door opening. The notched side posts 8 on each side of the door opening are generally uniformly spaced relative to each other, but since the car side area to the right of the door opening is larger than that to the left of the door opening it may be desirable to place the notched side posts 8 somewhat closer together on the right hand portion of the car side than on the left hand portion of the car side to insure suflicient rigidity. Referring to the car side to the right of the door opening, the sheathing for the single sheath car side assembly consists of a plurality of side sheathing sheets 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, having relatively small vertical or width dimensions extending from approximately the edge of one notch 15 to the edge of the adjacent notch 15 and having relatively great longitudinal dimensions extending from door post 10 to the farthest notched side post 8. The overall concept contemplates location of opposite doors on the center line of the car if so desired. The side sheathing is constructed of relatively narrow sheets with their lengths extending longitudinally of the car. As best shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7 each of the side sheathing sheets 19-23 is provided with a longitudinally extending recess 24, therein adjacent the lower edge of the sheet, with the recesses having sloping side wall portions, and being of a depth and shape to conform with the contour of the cut out notches 15 in notched side posts 8, so as to meshingly engage within the notches 15. The sheets are thus formed with a relatively broad flat portion 27 adjacent the top edges 26 thereof and a relatively narrow flange 28 adjacent the lower edge 25 thereof, with the vertical plane of narrow flange 28 being slightly oflset toward the exterior of the car side from the vertical plane of broad flat portion 27, as best illustrated in FIG. 2.

The top edge 26 of side sheathing sheet 19 is connected to the back of vertical flange portion 3 of side header member 1, FIG. 3, by means of a continuous weld along the top of the sheet, with the longitudinally extending recess 24 thereof, throughout its length, fitting within the uppermost notches 15 of the plurality of notched side posts 8, since the notches of all the side posts are disposed in registration with each other. Narrow flange portion 28 of sheet 19 extends into recess 18 of the plurality of posts 8 and its lower edge 25 is welded to the top edge of tab flange portion 13, FIG. 6, with the main edge portions 16, and side edge portions 17 of notches 15, as well as the edges of recess 18 being welded at appropriate places to the outer surface of sheathing sheet 19 to securely connect the sheet to each of the posts 8. It will be noted that narrow flange 28 is disposed in the same plane with flange portions 13 of the notched posts, so that the next sheathing sheet 20 can be connected flush against the back of the post members 8.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the top edge 26 of side sheathing sheet 20 is disposed in overlapping relation with the narrow flange of sheathing sheet 19 with the edge connected thereto by means of a continuous weld joint or the like. Flat portion 27 of the sheet fits flush against post flange portions 13, with the longitudinally extending recess 24 thereof, throughout its length, fitting within the registered notches 15 of the plurality of posts 8. The lower narrow flange 28 is connected within recess 18 and the lower edge 25 is welded to the top portion of the preceding flange 13, with the other portions of the sheet being welded at appropriate places to the side web portions 11 and flanges 13 of the posts 8.

In like manner, the top edges 26 of side sheathing sheets 21, 22 and 23, respectively, are connected in overlapping relation, by means of continuous weld joints, to the narrow flanges 28 of side sheathing sheets 20, 21 and 22, respectively, with the broad flat portions 27 of each sheet disposed flush against the backs of flange portions 13 of the posts and with the longitudinally extending recesses 24 of the respective sheets connected by means of Weld joints within the respective notches 15 of the various side posts throughout the lengths of the longitudinal recesses 24. Similarly, the narrow flanges 28 of each side sheathing sheet fit within the respective recesses 18 of each post 8 and are secured by welding or the like to the adjacent flange portions 13 and side web portions 11 of the posts. Each of the sheets is also welded at appropriate places to the flange portions 13 and this arrangement of a plurality of side sheathing sheets longitudinally welded together throughout their lengths and integrally welded at a plurality of points to a plurality of vertical posts 8 provides a car side structure of great strength, which can withstand greater stresses than a car side constructed of only a single side sheathing sheet.

The base of the single sheath car side assembly is completed by a flat sheet 29 welded along its top edge to the back of narrow flange 28 of side sheathing sheet 23 and welded at appropriate places, such as by plug or seam welds to the flanges of notched side posts 8, as well as the flange of door post 10. Each of the side sheathing sheets 19-23 is also welded to the flange of door post 10, with an end closure bracket 30, FIG. 5, also welded t the flange of door post 10 at the end of each longitudinally extending recess 24, to form a closure for the ends of the recesses. In a similar manner, an end closure bracket 31 is welded to the interior surface of the outer flange 13 of the notched side posts 8 closest to the end of the car side assembly to close the end of each longitudinally extending recess 24. A separate closure bracket 31 is provided for each of the recesses 24.

The side sheathing of the car side assembly is completed at each end of the assembly by a single piece corner sheet 32 welded to the flanges 13 of corner post 6, side post 7, and the notched side posts 8 adjacent side post 7. At the extreme end of the structure the terminating edge of corner sheet 32 is turned inwardly normal to itself around the corner and forms a connecting member for the ends of the car (not shown) and reinforcing gussets 33 are connected between corner posts 6 and corner sheet 32.

The sheathing for the car side assembly connected to the notched side posts 8 and door post 9 to the left of the door opening is connected in a similar manner as the side sheathing sheets 19-23 and flat sheet 29, and corresponding elements are designated with corresponding primed numerals.

Inwardly-facing formed channels or C sections 34, FIGS. 1 and 2, are rigidly welded to the interior surfaces of flat sheet members 29 and 29 and corner sheet members 32, adjacent the lower edge of the car side assembly and being substantially coextensive with the length of said sheet members. Formed member 34 are preferably welded to the respective sheets in the area of flanges 13 of the respective posts to form a more rigid structure, and these members are adapted to receive and support the car floor 35. Further, this construction serves to attach, connect and support the side component at the underframe. In the area of the door opening, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 5, relatively wide threshold member 36 is connected to door post and formed member 34, by welding or the like, along the lower edge of the car side assembly and outwardly of member 34. Threshold 36 and its corresponding formed section 34 terminate at 37 intermediate the door posts 9 and 10 with the terminal ends thereof connected to the terminal end of corresponding formed section 34 adjacent door post 9, FIG. 4, by narrow threshold member 38 which is disposed in axial alignment with both formed sections 34.

As indicated in FIG. 2, when a pair of car side assemblies of the invention are assembled to form a housetype car, flat sheets 29, 29, corner sheets 32, threshold members 36 and 38, and formed sections 34 connect with the main car framing 39.

A door header member 40 is rigidly connected by welding or the like to side header member 1 and door posts 9 and 10 to form the top portion of the door opening and this member may comprise a formed Z-section. The members 1, 40 and 9 and 10 cmprise the supporting means to which sliding plug door assembly 105, not shown, are connected, and members 36 and 38 form the thresholds for the door assembly. The single sheath car side assembly is completed by continuous belt rail members 41 rigidly welded in each of the longitudinally extending recesses 34 of the respective side sheathing sheets with the belt rails being recessed completely within the recesses 24, and being substantially coextensive therewith, to provide continuous lading anchoring means throughout substantially the entire length of the car side assembly. The belt rails are welded into the recesses and are preferably welded to the side sheathing sheets particularly at their point of contact with the side web portions 11 of the various posts so that the belt rail members are integrally connected and supported by the notched side posts 8 and the door posts 9 and 10. It is to be noted that the continuous belt rails are recessed within the various posts with the inner surface of belt rail members 41 being flush with the inner surfaces of flat portions 27 of the various side sheathing sheets 19- 23, 19-23', flat sheets 29, 29' and corner sheets 32, as best illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. The outwardly turned flange portions 13 of the various posts, and the relatively narrow flange portions 28 of the various sheathing sheets, are disposed in an adjacent vertical plane to the flat portions 27 of the side sheathing sheets, fiat sheets 29, 29' and corner sheets 32.

Each of the belt rails 41 is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 43, extending the length thereof, and an upturned flange 44 for receiving in locking relation the coupling portions 45, shown in phantom in FIG. 2 of the cross bar members 46, used to variably partition adjacent cargo-receiving space and to support cargo or lading in layers, in a manner well-known in the art. In addition, a plurality of lading strap anchor devices, one of which is shown at 47, are recessed in the side sheathing sheets and mounted flush with the same in the area of the post members so that they protrude into the hollow portions of the post rather than the exterior of the car. These lading strap anchors 47 are used to anchor flexible tie means, such as ropes or straps, for securing lading in place, so that it will not shift during transportation.

By way of example, all of the sheathing sheets may be constructed of high strength, low alloy material having a thickness of approximately one-eighth inch. This construction eliminates any car liner, provides a flush interior wall with cross bar belt rail members mounted flush within the interior walls to provide and maintain throughout the car an interior width of nine-feet, six inches which is substantially larger than the interior width of most cars available on the commercial market. The sheathing sheets 1923, 19'-23', 29, 29 and 32, in addition to forming the interior wall surface of the car, also form the exterior Wall surface of the car to provide a single sheath housetype car side assembly. The plurality of sheets forming the sheathing welded together and integrally welded to the vertical post give the car side construction substantially great rigidity. A car constructed in the manner prescribed for the first time enables the interior loading space of a car to be fully utilized by the standardized packaging developed for a nine-foot, six-inch width area.

The exterior surfaces of corner post 6 and side post 7 may be provided with keyhole slots 42, or the like, for the connection of grab-irons and exterior ladders. While the invention has been shown and described in certain preferred embodiments, it is realized that certain modifica tions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is to be understood that no limitations upon the invention are intended other than those imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a house-type railroad car, a car side assembly comprising: a plurality of spaced vertical formed car side posts having coplanar flanges toward the car interior disposed in a common vertical plane, a header member extending longitudinally of the car side connected to the upper terminal ends of said plurality of car side posts, metallic wall sheathing means connected in flush relation with said coplanar flanges and said header member, said car side posts having recessed notches therein opening toward the car interior with the notches of adjacent side posts substantially along the length of the car disposed in registration, a recessed portion opening inwardly of the car formed in said wall sheathing means and extending longitudinally of the car and connected throughout the length thereof in the registered recessed notches of said car side posts, and continuous securing rail means connected in said recessed portion and being substantially coextensive therewith and having an inner surface toward the car interior disposed flush with said wall sheathing means, whereby said wall sheathing means forms the interior and exterior walls of said car side assembly and said securing rail means is recessed within the vertical posts longitudinally of the car.

2. A car side assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said securing rail means is integrally connected to said wall sheathing means and said side posts.

3. A car side assembly as set forth in claim 1 including an inwardly opening channel-shaped floor attaching member extending longitudinally of the car side assembly and integrally connected to said wall sheathing means and said coplanar flanges adjacent the lower end of said side posts.

4. A car side assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said securing rail means includes an upstanding terminal flange extending substantially the length of said recessed 7 portion and in substantially the same vertical plane as said wall sheathing means.

5. A car side assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said car side posts include a plurality of said recessed notches spaced along the vertical lengths thereof, and a plurality of said recessed portions formed in said Wall sheathing means in substantially parallel relation and connected throughout the lengths thereof in the respective registered and recessed notches of the car side posts in substantially normal relation.

- 6. A car side assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said metallic wall sheathing means comprises a plurality of side sheathing sheets having the lengths thereof extending transversely of said side posts, and the top and bottom edges thereof connected in overlapping relation along the vertical lengths of said side posts.

7. A car side assembly as set forth in claim 6 in which said car side posts include plural spaced recessed notches along the vertical lengths thereof, a said longitudinally extending recessed portion formed in each of said plurality of side sheathing sheets overlying the recessed notches, said recessed portions connected throughout the lengths thereof in the respective side post recessed notches, and a continuous securing rail means connected in and substantially coextensive with each of said recessed portions.

8. A car side assembly as set forth in claim 7 in which each of said side sheathing sheets includes an upper relatively broad portion on one side of said recessed portion and a relatively narrow portion on the other side of said recessed portion, and said relatively narrow portions and relatively broad portions of said plurality of side sheathing sheets disposed in separate adjacent common vertical planes.

9. A car side assembly as set forth in claim 8 in which said relatively narrow portions are connected to and disposed in the same vertical plane as said side post coplanar flanges.

10. A car side assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said formed car side posts are channel-shaped having a main Web portion and a pair of side web portions terminating in said coplanar flanges, and said recessed notches formed in said flanges and pair of side web portions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1959 Bock et al -409 5/1967 Pulcrano 105-409

Claims (1)

1. IN A HOUSE-TYPE RAILROAD CAR, A CAR SIDE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF SPACED VERTICAL FORMED CAR SIDE POSTS HAVING COPLANAR FLANGES TOWARD THE CAR INTERIOR DISPOSED IN A COMMON VERTICAL PLANE, A HEADER MEMBER EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CAR SIDE CONNECTED TO THE UPPER TERMINAL ENDS OF SAID PLURALITY OF CAR SIDE POSTS, METALLIC WALL SHEATHING MEANS CONNECTED IN FLUSH RELATION WITH SAID COPLANAR FLANGES AND SAID HEADER MEMBER, SAID CAR SIDE POSTS HAVING RECESSED NOTCHES THEREIN OPENING TOWARD THE CAR INTERIOR WITH THE NOTCHES OF ADJACENT SIDE POSTS SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE CAR DISPOSED IN REGISTRATION, A RECESSED PORTION OPENING INWARDLY OF THE CAR FORMED IN SAID WALL SHEATHING MEANS AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CAR AND CONNECTED THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF IN THE REGISTERED RECESSED NOTCHES OF SAID CAR SIDE POSTS, AND CONTINUOUS SECURING RAIL MEANS CONNECTED IN SAID RECESSED PORTION AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE THEREWITH AND HAVING AN INNER SURFACE TOWARD THE CAR INTERIOR DISPOSED FLUSH WITH SAID WALL SHEATHING MEANS, WHEREBY SAID WALL SHEATHING MEANS FORMS THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR WALLS OF SAID CAR SAID ASSEMBLY AND SAID SECURING RAIL MEANS IS RECESSED WITHIN THE VERTICAL POSTS LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CAR.

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