US3543693A

US3543693A - Movable guide rail structure for rail way flat cars

Info

Publication number: US3543693A
Application number: US726127A
Authority: US
Inventors: Duane V Thornton; Jan D Holt
Original assignee: ACF Industries Inc
Current assignee: ACF Industries Inc
Priority date: 1968-05-02
Filing date: 1968-05-02
Publication date: 1970-12-01
Anticipated expiration: 1987-12-01

Description

i Q United States Patent on 3,543,693

[72] Inventors HIV-MM; 3,437,056 4/1969 OLeary l05/368(B)UX Jlll D. "0, 8!. Charles, Mlflttlll'i 3,440,971 4/1969 O'Leary et al. ..l05/368(B)UX E; 9 Primary Examiner-Drayton E. Hoffman I 0 4s Patented Dec. 1, mo 4W? [73] Assignee ACF Industries, Incorporated New York, New York a corporation oINew Jersey ABSFRACT: A guide rail structure for a railway flat car com- [54] MOVABLE GUIDE RAIL STRUCTURE FOR prislng a pair of spaced rails each including a plurality of ahned sections. The guide rail sections are mounted for move- RAILWAY FLAT CARS I 5 cm, 8 Dam" a. ment between a wheel guide posmon extending longitudinally of the deck for guldlng wheels of roadway vehicles and a load 105/358, support position extending transversely of the deck for sup- [Os/36$ .4 l l9. porting ladings thereon. Releasable locking means adjacent an 7": end of each movable guide rail section secures the guide rail 5/ 361d 47/00 section at the transverse and longitudinal positions and is 1 Helium lifted upwardly to release the guide rail section for pivotal M), 9 movement between the load support position and the wheel 2 I 292/! guide position. A downward extending projection on the guide rail section is received within an associated slot when the rail [56] section is properly positioned and the locking means then UN STATES PATENTS moves'by gravity into the associated slot to automatically lock 1,570,]95 H1926 Ausdal 292/136 the guide rail section in position. v

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l atented Dec. 1, 1970 Sheet 3 of5 FIG. 4.

FIG. 7.

Patented Dec. l,'

Sheet 4 015 FIG. 6.

FIG. 5.

Patented 'Dec. 1, 1976 Sheet 1 MOVABLE cums RAIL srrwcruas rou RAILWAY FLAT cAas BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Copending application Ser. No. 602,65l filed Dec. 19,1966 and entitled Guide Rail Structure for Railway Flat Cars", now US. Pat. No. 3,437,056, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by this reference, discloses a guide rail structure in which guide rail sections are movable between a wheel guiding position extending longitudinally of the deck and a load supporting position extending transversely of the car for supporting loads, such as lumber or containers.

The present invention is directed to a specific guide rail section which is adapted for use with the general arrangement illustrated in application Ser. No. 602,65l and particularly to means for securing-the movable guide rail sections insuch predetermined positions. A downward extending projection on the end of the movable guide rail sections is adapted to be receivedby a slot at each of the positions for accurately positioning the guide rail section. A releasable locking means comprising a handle or locking member maybe gripped about its upper endandlifted upwardly for releasing the guide rail section. The locking member is mounted on the guide rail section for generally vertical relative movement and has a lower end which fits in the associated. slot for releasably securing the guide rail section at the predetermined'positions after the associated downwardly extending projection is received within a slot. A detent on the lower end of the locking member moves beneath the adjacent surface defining the slot to releasably secure the guide rail section upon the downward movement of the locking member by gravity when positioned over an associated slot. An upward lifting movement of the locking member removes the locking member from the slot to permit pivoting of the guide rail section.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one form of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a plan of a railway flat car embodying the present invention illustrating a portion of the length of the'flat car;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan of a guide rail section embodying the present invention; t

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the guide rail section shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section taken generally along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the guide rail section shown in FIGS. 2-3 illustrating the releasable locking member in locked position;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating the releasable locking member in an unblocked position;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan of the cooperating slotted structure on the side sill to receive the releasable locking member;

and

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the guide rail section in an unlocked and released position for pivotal movement between transverse and longitudinal positions on the railway car deck.

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 car generally indicated 10 is illustrated in FIG. land includes an underframe having a deck 12. A side sill 14 of the underframe extends along each side of deck 12. Mounted on deck 12 are a pair of guide rail structures generallyindicated 16 and extending longitudinally of car 10 to guide the wheels of roadway vehicles and the like moving along deck 12. A suitable collapsible hitch generally indicated 13 may be mounted between guide rail structures 16 and is adapted to secure the kingpin of trailers when flat car 10 is employed in the transit of trailers.

Each guide rail'structure 16 includes a plurality of movable guide rail sections generally indicated 20 of a length generally one-half the width of deck 12 and arranged in an end-to-end relation extending longitudinally of deck 12 when employed as a guide rail structure as shown in FIG. 1. Movable guide rail sections 21 similar to sections 20 are mounted adjacent hitch 18 and are of a length shorter than the length of movable sections 20 to provide clearance for hitch 18 when sections 21 are'moved to a transverse position with respect to deck 12. A

.flxed short length guide rail section 22 is secured to deck 12 adjacent each end of guide rail structure 16.

Each guide rail section 20 is generally channel-shaped forming an upper wall 24 and integral sidewalls 26. An opening 28 in upper wall 24 provides a handhold for gripping section 20 for manual movement. A transverse reinforcing web 30 extends between walls 26 adjacent an outer end of guide rail section 20. A lower intermediate web 31 between walls 26 extends horizontally from web 30 closely adjacent deck 12 and has an upturned end flange 32 adjacent the inner end of section 20. An opening 33 in web 31 adjacent end flange 32 receives an upstanding pivot 34 formed of a cylindrical section secured by welding to deck 12. An upper circular end 36 secured to pivot 34 has a circumferential marginal rim 38 extending outwardly from pivot 34 to prevent removal of section 20 from pivot 34. As shown in FIG. 4, rim 38 is positioned closely adjacent sidewalls 26 and prevents overturning of guide rail section 20. Adequate clearance is provided between the edge of web 31 defining opening 33 and cylindrical pivot 34 to permit tilting of guide rail section 20 as shown in FIG. 8.

A tapered end portion 39 on the outer end of guide rail section 20 includes an end plate 40 having a lower projection or lip 41 extending downwardly below sidewalls 26 of section 20. Deck 12 has slots 42 therein as shown in FIG. 1 and projection 41 is received within an associated slot 42 when guide rail section 20 extends in a direction longitudinally of car 10. Mounted along each side sill 14 adjacent each

guide rail section

20, 21 is a stop plate 44 having an outwardly facing slot 46 therein and retainer lugs 48 defining slot 46 and projecting outwardly from the outer face of sidesill 14 a distance of around 1 inch. Upon pivoting of

guide rail sections

20, 21 from a position extending longitudinally of car 10 to a position extending transversely of car 10, projection 41 is received within slot 46 and adjacent lugs 48 restrain horizontal movement ofguide

rail sections

20, 21.

To restrain upward movement of guide rail section 20 when associated projection 41 is received within

slot

42 or 46, a releasable locking member or lock plate generally indicated 50 is mounted on the outer face of end plate 40.

Headed studs

52 and 54 are secured to the outer face of end plate 40 and lit within associated

respective slots

56 and 58 of locking member 50. An elongate opening 60 in member 50 provides a handhold for manually gripping member 50 and moving member 50 vertically upward. Each

slot

56, 58 has an upper vertical slot portion 61 and a lower inclined slot portion 62. The lower end of locking member 50 is of a width substantially less than the lengthwise dimension of

elongate slots

42 and 46 and an outwardly extending lip 64 forms a detent which contacts the lower surface of superjacent lug 48 to limit upward vertical movement of guide rail section 20 until locking member 50 is lifted. Elongate slots 42 are of the same dimensions as slots 46 and lip 64 likewise prevents removal of projection 41 from slots 42 before locking member 50 is manually lifted. Upon a manual lifting of locking member 50, inclined slot portions 62 direct locking member 50 laterally to remove lip 64 from beneath the adjacent surface of lugs 48 when guide rail section 20 extends transversely of deck 12 and from beneath the superjacent surface of deck 12 when guide rail section 20 extends longitudinally of deck 12 to form a guide for the wheels of roadway vehicles.

When

guide rail sections

20 and 21 extend transversely of deck 12, ladings, such as banded lumber, may be loaded onto locking member 50 is'lifted by gripping about opening 60,

then guide rail section-20 may be lifted manually by gripping 'at handhold 28 to withdraw projection 41 from slot 42. Proje'ction 41 may then be positioned on the upper surface of the deck as shown in FIG. 8 and moved along the deck surface about cylindrical pivot 34 to slot 46. Projection 41 is received within slot 46 with locking member 50 in a raised position. As projection is supported on the deck, no loads are transmitted through locking member 50. Upon projection 41 being received within slot 46,1ocking member 50 may be released and will move downwardly by gravity to the position of HO. with lug '64 moving beneath adjacent lug 48 for releasably securing guide rail section in position. The procedure is reversed to move guide rail section 20 from a transverse position to a longitudinal position with respect to deck 12.

in view of the above, it will beseen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results obtained.

We claim:

1. In a railway flat car, an underframe including a deck, at least one elongate rail section extending longitudinally-of the deck and being of a length less than the width of the railway car, means adjacent an end of the rail section mounting the rail section for generally pivotal movement in a generally horizontal plane between the position extending longitudinally of the deck and a position'in which the section extends transversely of the deck, a downwardly extending projection adjacent the other outer end of the guide rail section and an elongate, slot at each of the positions to receive the projection for positioning the guide rail section thereat, a locking member on the outerend of the rail section adjacent said projection and having a slot therein extending in an angular relation with respect to the vertical, means mounting the lockingmember for generally vertical movement with the lower end of the member adapted to be received within the associated elongate slot with the projection upon downward movement of the locking member, the lower end of said locking member being of a width substantially less than the length of the associated slot and having a laterally extending lower lip thereon, said mounting means for said locking member including a stud extending within the angular slot of the locking member for effecting a simultaneous transverse movement of said locking member lengthwise of the associated elongate slot upon the downward vertical movement of said locking member to move the laterally extending lip beneath a superjacent underframe surface thereby to prevent an upward lifting of the associated movable rail section when the locking member is received within the associated slot.

2. In a railway flat car as set forth in claim 1, said underframe including a side sill extending'longitudinally along each side of the car, and an outwardly facing slotted plate secured to the upper surface of the side sill defines the slot at the transversely extending position of the elongate rail section.

3. In a railway flat car as set forth in claim 1', said means adjacent an end of the rail section mounting the rail section for generally pivotal movement comprising, a cylindrical section secured to the upper surface of the deck and projecting upwardly therefrom, and a circumferential rim extending laterally outwardly from the upper end of said cylindrical section, said rail section having a generally horizontally extending e pi web with an opening therein receiving the cylindrical section.

4. In a railway flat car, a deck, a side sill extending along each side of the deck, a pair of spaced generally parallel rails extending longitudinally of the deck,-each rail including a plurality of alined sections arrangedin a generally continuous endto-end relation, means mounting at least some of the rail sections of each rail to the deck for pivotal movement in a generally horizontal plane between a guide position in which the sections extend longitudinally of the deck and a load support position in which the sections extend transversely of the deck, a downwardly extending projection on the outer end of each movable rail section and an elongate slot at each of the positions to receive the projection for positioning the rail section, the elongate slot at the load support position being on the associated side sill, a locking plate on the outer end of the movable rail section adjacent said projection, means mounting the locking plate on the elongate rail section for vertical and transverse movements with the lower end of the plate being received within an associated elongate slot when the projection is positioned within the slot and the locking plate moves downwardly, thelower end of said locking plate being of a width less than the length of the associated slot and having a laterally extending lower lip thereon, said mounting means for said locking plate effecting a transverse movement of said plate upon the downward vertical movement of said plate within the slot, and means adjacent each-slot adapted to engage said laterally extending lip and restrain movement of the associated movable rail sections after the lower end of the locking plate is received within the slot.

5. In a railway flat car having, a deck, a pair of spaced generally parallel rails extending longitudinally of the deck and projecting above the deck, each of said rails including a plurality of alined sections arranged in agenerally continuous end-to-end relation, and means mounting at least some of the rail sections of each rail to the deck for pivotal movement in a generally horizontal plane over the deck between a guide position in which the sections extend longitudinally of the deck and a load support position in which the sections extend transversely of the deck; the improvement comprising securing means for releasably securing the movable rail sections at the load support and guide positions, said securing means including a projection mounted on an end of each movable rail section and extending downwardly below the associated section, a slot at each of the positions to receive the projection for positioning the associated movable rail section, a separate lock plate on the movable. rail section adjacent the projection, means mounting the lock plate alongside the projection for vertical and transverse movements with the lower end of the plate being received within an associated slot when the projection is positioned within the slot and the lock plate moves downwardly, and an outwardly extending extension adjacent the lower end of the lock plate adapted to extend beneath a superjacent surface adjacent the associated slot upon the transverse and downward movements of the lock plate within the slot thereby to prevent upward lifting of the associated movable rail section until the lock plate is raised, said lock plate including a manual grip for moving the plate upwardly for unlocking thereof with further vertical movement after unlocking resulting in lifting of the projection and section from the slot for movement of the section.