US3416464A

US3416464A - Mounting arrangement for demountable containers on railway cars

Info

Publication number: US3416464A
Application number: US662770A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jack E Gutridge
Original assignee: Pullman Inc
Current assignee: Pullman Standard Inc; Pullman Inc
Priority date: 1967-08-23
Filing date: 1967-08-23
Publication date: 1968-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 1985-12-17

Description

D66 1963' J. E. GUTRIDGE Filed' Aug. 23, 1967 Y uvvsmron yRIDGE JACK E. y

United States Patent Office I 3,416,464 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 3,416,464 MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR DEMOUNT- ABLE CONTAINERS ON RAILWAY CARS Jack E. Gutridge, Dyer, Ind., assignor to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 662,770 4 Claims. (Cl. 105366) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A railway car having upstanding side sills providing tire guides for highway trailers carried hereon includes container mounting brackets which are movable from a rest position to an erect operative position wherein they coact with the four corner brackets of a container carried on the car. The brackets include supporting beams which cooperate with the upstanding side sills of the car and which may be disposed in a non-used or rest position lying fiat on the deck of the car so as to permit loading and unloading of trailers with the mounting brackets providing a minimum obstruction relative to the rolling of the wheels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to railway cars of the flat deck type which are suitable for both trailer-on-flat-car operation (TOFC) and container-on-fiat-car operation (COFC). Where the railway car is used for COFC the containers are carried on mounting brackets which are disposed at the four corners of each container and provides a mounting means to resist the longitudinal and lateral forces to which the container is subjected during transport. The mounting means or brackets are generally located in the area of the trailer over which the wheeled chassis roll and therefore the mounting brackets must be adapted to accommodate this travel with a minimum of obstruction.

Description of the prior art The prior art has recognized the difliculty of providing suitable container brackets on railway cars alternately carrying TOFC or COFC. Thus container brackets have been provided which are hinged at the outer edges of the railway car and are movable from a position below the car to a position on top of the car for carrying the containers. Such arrangements have design limitations as well as the various designs wherein the brackets are recessed in pockets within the deck structure. The prior art most pertinent with respect to the present invention is applicants Patent 3,257,970, patented June 28, 1966'. The par- .ticular container bracket design shown in the aforementioned. patent is particularly adaptable to fiat cars having downwardly extending side sills with rub rails disposed in the central portion of the car for guiding the trailer wheels. The present invention is particularly concerned with container brackets for a railway flat car having upwardly extending side sills which include rub rails or tire guides performing the guiding function for guiding trailer wheels.

SUMMARY The invention here relates to a simplified container bracket or mounting arrangement for supporting a container on a flat car which is also adapted for TOFC operation. The mounting arrangement is provided to support each container at four corner positions and includes a first beam which engages the ends of the containerto provide longitudinal support. The beam in turn is hingedly connected to a second transverse beam which is secured to the upper flanges of the side sills of the car and in this manner the first beam is maintained in an upright operative position by the support provided by the second beam. During TOFC operations the first beam is positioned fiat on the deck and the second support beam is disengaged from its connected arrangement to the side sill and is also laid flat on the deck of the fiat car. The transverse support beam includes abutment means for normally engaging the sidewalls of the container to support them against transverse shifting movement and in the flat-ondeck or rest position of the beams the abutment means is disposed in a recess provided in the floor of the car.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is primarily concerned with a railway flat car generally designated by the reference character 10 in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The type of railway car 10 is disclosed in applicants above mentioned patent, the primary difierence in the present car illustrated being that it is constructed with upstanding side sills 14 which extend upwardly from a flat deck 11. The car is of a type that is generally utilized both for trailer-on-flat-car operation (TOFC) and which also can be used for container-onflat-car operation (COFC). For trailer operation the trailers and their wheel suspensions are supported on the deck 11 and the units are suitably secured to the railway car by means of trailer hitches (not illustrated). The loading and unloading of the TOFC operation is by driving the trailers up onto the deck 11 utilizing the rub rails 15 or the inner guide surfaces 16 for guiding the wheels. The deck 11 is supported on and by the stringers 12 in turn supported by cross supports 13. The wheels of the trailer generally roll in the area of the deck 11 immediately adjacent to the rub rail 15. It is to be understood that the rub rail 15 is a spacer for narrow width trailer suspensions and that the side sills 14 inner guide surfaces 16 may be utilized by removal of the rub rail 15 for trailer suspensions of greater width.

For container operations the container is lowered onto the flat deck of the car and is supported at its four corners by means of an equal number ofmounting supports or bracket arrangements generally indicated by the reference character 17.

Each mounting arrangement 17 comprises a longitudinally extending hinged beam 18 provided with hinge ears 19. The hinge ears 19 are connected to hinge brackets 20 supported on the deck and hinging movement is effected by hinge pins 21. Thus the beam 18 may be moved to the vertical or container support position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Each beam 18 also comprises a vertical projecting abutment means 22 having a vertically extending abutment surface 23 and a relatively horizontally supporting surface 24. An inclined guide surface 25 is provided on the abutment means 22. The abutment means 22 also supports a lock pin 26 which may be moved in sliding relation with respect to a bore 27 provided on the abutment means. The pin 26 also includes a handle 28 for operator actuation.

As best shown in FIG. 3 the surface 24 includes an undercut or recessed portion 29. The beam 18 may be maintained in a vertical operative position by means of a beam 30 which is hingedly mounted within the recess or undercut 29 by means of a hinge pin 31 supported by the beam 18. The beam 30 extends transversely and includes an intermediate upwardly inclined section 32 connected to a horizontal section 33 overlying a flange 14 as shown in FIG. 3 of the side sill 14. As best shown in FIG. 1 the section 33 is provided with an opening 34. The beam 30 is also provided with abutment means 35 having an inclined surface 36 and a vertical abutment surface 37.

An upwardly extending tapered cylindrical member 38 is securely fastened to the flange 14 of the side sill 14. In the position indicated in FIG. 3 the cylindrical member 38 is securely engaged in the opening 34 which is shaped to substantially complement the shape of said cylindrical member. A latch element 39 may be pivoted about a vertical pivot 40 supported on the flange 14 OPERATION Referring to FIG. 1 the

beams

18 and 30 are in a rest position on the deck 11 of the car. The deck has been recessed as indicated at 41 to provide a pocket 42 in which the intermediate section 32 and horizontal section 33 of the member 30 are positioned. As indicated in FIG. 3 the rub rail 15 is suitably apertured at 43 to accommodate the intermediate section 32 of the beam 30 in its supporting position.

In the rest position shown in FIG. 1 the mounting arrangement is disposed fiat upon the deck and trailer wheels may be readily driven over the substantally flat beams without their providing any appreciable obstruction. When the railway car is utilized for container operation each of the four mounting arrangements for each container are placed into the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The beam 18 is first raised to the position indicated in FIG. 3 and the beam 30 is then pivoted into the position where the cylindrical member 38 engages the opening 34 whereupon the beam 18 is rigidly held in the vertical position against hinging movement. The latch element 39 is then rotated into the position shown in FIG. 3 so that the beam 30 is held against vertical displacement. The container 50 is now lowered onto the support surfaces provided by the

beams

18 and 30. The

inclined surfaces

25 and 36 provide for guiding movement of the corners of the container into proper position. The

abutment surfaces

23 and 37 cradle the corners of the container 50 in such a manner as to prevent longitudinal and lateral displacement thereof due to the forces to which the car may be subjected. The operator then inserts the pins 26 into openings provided in the corner fittings of the container these fittings being standard and not being illustrated. Thus the containers 50 are held against vertical displacement. To return the railway car to TOFC operation it is simply necessary to disengage the latch 39, pivot the beam 30 and place the

beams

18 and 30 in the position indicated in FIG. 1.

What is claimed is:

1. A container mounting bracket for a railway car having a floor, upwardly extending side sills adjacent opposite sides of said floor, and said side sills including longitudinally extending tire guide means on the inner sides of said side sills, comprising:

a first flat beam extending longitudinally of said car, means turnably mounting said first beam on the floor for hinging movement between a horizontal rest position on said floor to an erect position substantially normal thereto, a second beam pivotally connected to said first beam about a longitudinal axis, said second beam extending transversely from said first beam to one of said side sills, means detachably connecting said second beam to said side sill whereby said second beam in the attached position supports said first beam in the erect position, abutment means on said first beam adapted to engage an end wall of a container resisting horizontal forces applied on said container longitudinally of said car, and abutment means on said second beam in said supporting position relative to said first beam adapted to engage a side wall of said container to resist horizontal load forces on said container applied laterally of said railway car, and said first and second beams being pivotal relative to the floor and to each other to the rest position upon detachment of said second beam from said side sill whereby both beams lie fiat relative to said floor. 2. A container mounting bracket in accordance with claim 1,

said floor having a recessed pocket disposed beneath the top of said floor, said pocket receiving said abutment means of said second beam in the rest position. 3. A container mounting bracket in accordance with claim 2,

said detach-able connecting means comprising an opening provided adjacent one end of said second beam, and a vertical projecting element on said side sill engageable in said opening. 4. A container mounting bracket in accordance with claim 3,

said detachable connecting means including a releasable latch element engaging said second beam to retain said projecting element within said opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1964 Willison et al. 366 6/1966 Gutl'idge l05-366 U.S. Cl. X.R. 105368; 2481l9