US3418771A

US3418771A - Metal floor construction for railway cars and method of forming same

Info

Publication number: US3418771A
Application number: US603289A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul G Kinnecom
Original assignee: ACF Industries Inc
Current assignee: ACF Industries Inc
Priority date: 1966-12-20
Filing date: 1966-12-20
Publication date: 1968-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1985-12-31

Description

Dec. 31, 1968 p, G, KlNNECOM 3,418,771

METAL FLOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS AND METHOD OF FORMING' SAME Filed Dec. 20, 1966 Sheet of :5

PAUL G. KlNNECOM ya )LM ATTORNEY 3,418,771 METAL FLOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS AND Sheet 2 Qf Dec. 31, 1968 P. G. KINNECOM METHOD OF FORMING SAME Filed Dec. 2o, 196e IIIIILLIHINMKL .vb

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METAL FLOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME Sheet 3 of 5 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 United States Patent 3,418,771 METAL FLOR CONSTRUCTIUN FOR RAILWAY CARS AND METHOD 0F FORMING SAME Paul G. Kinnecom, St. Charles, Mo., assignor to ACF Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 603,289 2 Claims. (C1. 52--377) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A metal floor construction for railway freight cars and a method of forming same comprising a plurality of intertting metal panels having suitable nailing grooves and being secured to the underframe of the railway car from a position above the underfrarne or floor. Each panel includes a plurality of planks formed from single metallic sheets of a generally uniform thickness, each plank having a generally horizontal upper body portion and an integral upwardly opening generally channel-shaped side portion which receives an adjacent plank in interftting relation and provides a support for the adjacent plank intermediate the width of the adjacent plank.

Background of the invention Heretofore, in metal floor constructions for vehicles, such as railway cars illustrated in Patent No. 2,910,016, dated Oct. 27, 1959, a separate member has been employed to support or stitfen metal planks intermediate their width and the planks have been secured to the stringers from a position beneath the underframe. The use of such a separate support member and the securing of the planks from a position beneath the underframe requires additional time and labor in the fabrication and securement of a metal floor.

Summary of the invention The present invention is directed to a metal floor construction formed of a plurality of preformed panels which are secured to the subjacent stringers and sill members from a position above the underframe. Each preformed panel comprises a plurality of connected metal planks, each plank being formed from a single metallic sheet and having, a generally horizontal upper body portion, a generally channel-shaped side portion adjacent one side of the body portion terminating in an upper generally horizontal flange which is positioned beneath and supports the body portions of the adjacent plank intermediate its width. The upwardly opening channel-shaped side portion along one side of each preformed panel has its lower web in contact with subjacent stringers and sill members and is arc welded thereto. After a panel is welded to the underframe, the open channel-shaped side portion thereof receives an interlitting side portion of an adjacent panel and is welded thereto from a position above the underframe whereby all of the floor panels are secured to the underframe from a position above the underframe and are formed from a plurality of connected interfitting planks thereby eliminating the use of any separate support members for the planks.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the floor constniction of a railway freight vehicle comprising the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragment of FIGURE 1 illustrating intertting adjacent floor planks spaced from each other to provide nailing grooves;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged section taken generally along line 3*3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged section taken generally along line `4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged section taken generally along -line 5 5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a section taken generally along line 6-6 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragment of FIGURE 6 illustrating the securement of a floor plank to a subjacent Stringer.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention, a railway box car is generally indicated 10 having an end wall 12, a pair of side walls 14, and an underframe generally indicated 16. Underframe 16 includes side sills 18, an angle-shaped end sill 20 and xed center sill members 22. Crossties 24 and crossbearers 26 extend between center sill members 22 and side sills 18. Stringers 28 extend longitudinally of the railway box car 10.

A metal floor structure indicated generally 32 is mounted over stringers 28 and center sill members 22. Floor structure 32 is formed of a plurality of preformed panels generally indicated 34 as shown in FIGURE 4, each panel having a plurality of interfitting connected floor planks 36. Preformed panels 34 may comprise any desired number of planks 36, such as three, four, or five planks. Each plank 36 is formed from a generally at metallic sheet of a uniform thickness and comprises an upper generally horizontal main body portion 38 having an arcuate downwardly and inwardly directed side portion 40 adjacent one side of body portion 38 and terminating in a generally horizontal lower flange 42. Forming an integral portion of plank 36 adjacent the other side thereof is a generally channel-shaped side portion 44 which terminates in a generally horizontal extending upper liange 46. Channel-shaped side portion 44 faces or opens upwardly and is adapted to receive an interfitting side portion 40 of an adjacent plank 36. Channel-shaped side portion 44 includes

vertical legs

48, 50 connected by a lower horizontal web 52.

Projecting outwardly from each side portion 40` is a plurality of embossments or dimples 54 which fit against and contact leg 50 of the adjacent floor plank 36 to space leg 50 from adjacent side portion 40 for forming a nailing groove 56 therebetween. The arcuate contour of side portion 40 easily bends the nails as the nails are driven into groove S6.

To secure a predetermined number of planks 36 together for forming a panel 34 such as a three plank panel shown in FIGURE 4, or a four plank panel as shown in FIGURE 2, bridge welds 58 are provided at embossments 54 between each side portion 40 and leg 50 of an adjacent plank 36 as shown particularly in FIGURE 2. Embossments 54 are of a length around three inches while welds 58 over the embossments are of a length -around two and one-half inches. Thus, embossments 54 form a support for welds 58. Additionally, a fillet weld S9 is provided adjacent flange 46 and the undersurface of body portion 38 of the adjacent plank 36 as shown particularly in FIGURE 4. To secure each panel 34 to the underframe, the plank 36 adjacent one side of each panel 34 has an open channel-shaped side portion 44. Lower web 52 of the open side portion 44 is arc spot welded at 60 to subjacent stringers 28 and

sill members

18 and 22. Welds 60 are ,made intermediate the width of the upper horizontal anges of stringers 28 and

sill members

18, 22

from the upper surface of web 52. An interfitting side portion 40 along a side of the adjacent intertting panel 34 has a plurality of raised portions 64 along lower flange 42 to provide clearance for welds 60 as shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7. The :adjacent panels 34 are then bridge welded to each other at e-mbossments 54 of the respective

interitting side portions

40 and 50.

As illustrated in FIGURE 3, a bridge plank indicated generally 66 has an upper horizontal portion 68 and a downwardly and inwardly turned side portion 70. A stepped support generally indicated 72 has a support ledge 74 on which bridge plank 66 is secured by welding. Extending downwardly from ledge 74 is a lower vertical leg 76 welded to a horizontal leg 77 of end sill 20. An upper horizontal leg 78 of support 72 is welded to vertical leg 80 of end sill 20. Thus, bridge plank 66 constitutes the last plank adjacent each end of car 10 and Vcompensates for variations in distances between the end sill 20 and the adjacent oor plank 36.

Referring to FIGURE 5 of the drawings, a center key oor plank indicated generally 82 is arranged centrally of the length of underframe 16 and includes an upwardly opening channel-shaped side portion 44A along each side thereof. Each side portion 44A receives an interfitintg side portion 40 of an adjacent oor panel 34 thereby permitting construction of the floor starting from each side of the transverse center line of the car. Side portions 40 are welded at embossments 54 to key plank 82. Additional panels 34 are then added to extend to end floor planks 66.

As an example of a floor plank 36 which has been found to be satisfactory, plank 36 may be cold-pressed from a at steel sheet of eleven (ll) gauge (.12 inch) thickness with a span or width W of horizontal upper main body portion 38 of around five (5) inches as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

To construct the present floor arrangement, each floor plank 36 of the present invention is rst formed from a single steel sheet. Then a plurality of intertting oor planks are secured to each other to provide preformed oor panels 34. Center key panel 82 is then secured by welding to the underframe. Next, preformed panels 34 are laid from each side of key panel 82 and are secured to the Au'nderframe of the railway car by welding from the upper side of the car as the open upwardly channelshaped portion 44 of each panel provides a contact area for arc spot welding to subjacent support members of the underframe. The intertitting panels are welded at the embossments of the interlitting adjacent side portions. End bridge panels 66 are welded to end stepped supports 72 to complete the oor structure.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results obtained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is lintended that all matter contained in the above descripion or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a railway car having an underframe including an end sill, a plurality of laterally spaced generally parllel support members extending longitudinally of the underframe, a plurality of metal Hoor panel supported on said support members, each oor panel comprising at least a pair of intermediate interting planks over said support members extending generally transversely of the underframe, each of said intertting planks being generally identical and formed from a single metallic sheet having a generally uniform thickness, each plank having a generally horizontal upper main body portion, an integral arcuate downwardly and inwardly directed side portion adjacent one side of said main body portion, and an integral generally-shaped side portion adjacent the other side of said main body portion terminating in an upper generally horizontal flange, said channel-shaped side portion opening upwardly and having a generally horizontal lower web supported on said support members, the arcuate downwardly and inwardly directed side portion of one plank being received and closely nesting within the adjacent upwardly opening channel-shaped side portion of an adjacent plank and underlying the main body portion of an adjacent plank and underlying the main body portion thereof with the upper horizontal ange of the `adjacent plank positioned beneath and intermediate the width of the main body portion of said one plank to support the body portion thereat, spaced, outwardly extending embossments on each downwardly directed side portion contacting the interlitting side portion of the adjacent plank to space the ntertting side port-ions for providing a nailing groove, said inerlitting side portions of adjacent floor planks being welded to each other at said embossments at a position immediately above the embossments, a stepped floor panel support secured to said end sill and having .an upper horizontal support web thereon, and a connecting J-shaped end plank extending between said upper support web and the adjacent floor plank to secure the adjacent floor plank to` the end sill, said J-shaped end plank being received and nesting within the adjacent upwardly opening channel-shaped side portion of the adjacent floor plank.

2. In a railway box car having an underframe including a lgenerally angle-shaped end sill having a lower inwardly extending horizontal web, a plurality of laterally spaced support members extending longitudinally of the underframe and having their upper surfaces disposed in a single generally Ihorizontal plane, a metal oor structure over said support members comprising a key plank secured to said support members intermediate the length of the underframe and having an upwardly opening channelshaped side portion along each side thereof, a plurality of intertting oor panels extending from each side of said key plank, the panel adjacent each side of said key plank having a side portion received within and secured to the adjacent channel-shaped side portion, each panel including at least a pair of inter-fitting planks extending generally transversely of the underframe, each of said intertting planks I'being generally identical and formed from a single metallic sheet having a uniform thickness, each plank having a generally horizontal upper supporting body portion, an integral downwardly and inwardly curved side portion underlying the main @body portion and forming a support adjacent one side of said Ibody portion, and an integral generally channel-shaped side portion adjacent the other side of said Ibody portion terminating in an upper generally horizontal flange, said channelshaped side portion opening upwardly and having a generally horizontal lower web supported on said support members, the downwardly and inwardly curved side portion of one plan-k being received and nesting within the adjacent upwardly opening channel-shaped side portion of the other plank and lbeing spaced therefrom to provide a nailing groove therebetween, the upper horizontal flange of the other plank Ibeing positioned beneath and intermediate the width of the main body portion of said one plank to support the main body portion thereat, welds securing the upwardly opening channel-shaped side portion of each panel to the sub-jacent support members at a position intermediate the width of the support members, a stepped oor panel support secured to said end sill and having an upper horizontal support web thereon over the lower horizontal web of said end sill, and a connecting J-shaped end plank extending between said upper support web of the stepped oor panel support and the adjacent floor panel to secure the adjacent floor panel to the end sill, the J- shaped end plank including a downwardly and inwardly turned side portion nested in the upwardly opening channel-shaped side portion of the immediately adjacent plank of the oor panel.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Levaur 52-588 Breguet 287--189.36 X Gregoire 52-588 Brown 52-588 Bnunning 52-377 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 539,549 7/1955 Belgium.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R.