US782979A - Freight-car construction. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

F. MATHBWS. FREIGHT GAR CONSTRUCTION.

Patented February 21, 1905A PATENT OFFICE.

FRED MATHEVVS, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS.

FREIGHT-CAR CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 782,979, dated February 21, 1905.

Application file! September 10,1904. Serial No. 223,997.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED MATHEws, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Harvey, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Freight-Car Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification.

My invention relates to freight-car construction wherein metal sheets are provided upon the car-roofs, and has for its objectthe provision Vof improved means whereby the metal sheets may be anchored and whereby the joints between the outside longitudinal edges of the roof and the corresponding sides of the car are protected against the weather, and has for its further object the provision of means whereby the metal sheets are anchored at the ends of the cars and a similar protection is afforded for the joints between the ends of the roof and the end walls of the car.

There has hitherto been devised a construction comprising' metal sheets extending along the sides of the car at the upper longitudinal edges thereof having interlocking or interweaving engagement with the metal sheets upon the car-roof for the purpose specied. In order to carry out the object of the aforesaid invention, the metal sheets were projected from the car-roofs beyond the longitudiv nal strips of wood at the upper longitudinal edges of the car, known as faciasin railroad practice and in carpentering as "molding or cleats The extended portions of the metal sheets upon the car-roof were bent downwardly and then upwardly to form a U- shaped fold, while the corresponding sheet of metal upon the side of the car was also bent to form a U-shaped fold, the free side of each U-shaped fold extending between the sides of the companion U-shaped fold. By the construction of the aforesaid invention the very important advantage was secured of permitting' suiiicient relative motion between the sheets of metal upon the roof of the car and those upon the sides of the car, while properly anchoring the metal sheets, without impairing the weatherproof protection afforded by these sheets of metal, even though the car roof and sides are subject to severe twisting and warping movement, as when the car rounds curves and is traveling over uneven track. This construction, however, did not permit of the desired weather-proofing of the joints between the end walls of the car and the car-roof. Another objection to the aforesaid construction resided in the fact that the interlocking marginal portions of the roof-plates and the side plates were upon the outside of the facias, so that the joints between the roofplates and the side plates were liable to severe injury, as in the case of corner-ing.

By means of my present invention I am enabled to employ as the sheet metal upon the sides of the car long angle-irons, one side of each angle-iron being vertically disposed and the other side disposed substantially parallel to the incline of the roof and being interposed between the sides of the U-shaped marginal portion of the corresponding plates. I preferably adopt this same construction in weatherprooiing the joints between the end walls of the car and the car-roof. In order that the joints between the roof-plates and the side plates may not extend beyond the car structure to be subject to injury, such as is occasioned by cornering, I place each vertical side of each angle-iron between the corresponding facia and the side of the car. The thickness of the metal composing the sheets upon the roof and the sheets upon the sides of the car will vary according to conditions. The sheet metal is preferably fairly flexible and is desirably of such a thickness as to permit of the penetration of nails, screws, or the like, which may readily be passed through the facias into the timbers of the car and through the metal strips intervening between the strips and such timbers.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a freight-car constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line a rt of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa sectional View on line of Fig'. l.

' Fig. 5 is a detail view, on a larger scale, of a portion of the structure illustrated in F ig. 3.,

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different iigures.

The car-roof is provided with a covering of metal 1, which may, if desired, be held thereupon in a manner well understood to those skilled in the art, the transverse neighboring marginal portions of the adjacent sheets of metal preferably interweaving or interlocking, as-indicated at 2. I do not wish to be limited, however, to any particular way in which the sheets of metal are held upon the roof and arc caused to latch. The outer edges of the sheets of metal, preferably both lengthwise of the car and at the ends of the car, are turned to form U -shaped bends 3. These U -shaped bends preferably extend partially over the facias 4, provided upon the sides of the car, and the facias 5, provided upon the ends of the car. The metal strips 6 that are to cooperate with the metal sheets l to weatherproof the joints between the roof and the sides and the ends of the car are desirably interposed between the facias t and the sheathing of the car. These strips are continuously coextensive with the sides and ends of the car to secure the weatherprooiing action. They may be formed in sections, but, in effect, they are unbroken in length. The sheet-metal elements 6 are angular in formation, the vertical sides of these angular sheets being of course interposed between the facias and the sheathing', while the remaining side 7 of each element 6 is bent to partake of the same general direction in which the roof slopes. This side 7 is interposed between the sides of the U-shaped bends 3. As seen most clearly in Fig. 5, there is a clearance between the vertical side of each sheet 6 and the opposing edge of the lower or free side of the corresponding U-shaped bend 3, while there is a corresponding clearance between the bite of the bend 3 and the opposed edge of -the side 7. These clearances permit the warping and twisting of the sides, the roof, and the ends of the car, as there is thereby provided a slippage between the sides 7 and the bottom or free wall of the corresponding U-shaped bends 3. There is preferably provided intimate contact between the bottom walls or sides of the bends 3 and the bottom surfaces of the sides 7.

1t will be observed that by means of the construction herein specified the sheet metal upon the car-roofs may be held down without the aid of nails or the like, as the angle-strips 6 interlock with the corresponding metal sheets upon the roof to hold the same in position, while at the same time affording the weatherproof joints that are desired.

l believe it to be broadly new with me in the present invention to provide interlocking action between the metal strips upon the ends of thc car and the sheets at the ends of the car upon the car-roof irrespective of the peculiar formation of the joints between these metal elements, though l prefer the precise form of joint that is illustrated most clearly in Fig. 3. The construction of the aforesaid invention was not applicable to the end walls of the cars.

1t will be seen that l have provided as the preferred embodiment of my invention a structure comprising metal sheets upon the carroof and downwardly-turned at their edges extending lengthwise of the car to form U- shaped bends, companion sheets of metal angularly bent secured to the sides and ends of the car and extending along the same, one wall of each latter sheet being vertically disposed upon a side of the car, while the remaining wall of said latter sheet is interposed between the walls ofthe U-shaped bend of the corresponding roof-plates, clearance intervening between the edge of the free y or bottom side of the U-shaped bend and the vertical side of the corresponding angular sheet, while clearance also intervenes between the bite of the U-shaped bend and the opposed edge of that side of the angular sheet that is interposed between the sides of the U-shaped bend, facias being placed over the vertical sides of the angular sheets and located below the U- shaped bends.

It is obvious that changes in the details of construction may be made in the precise embodiment of my invention herein shown without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the precise construction illustrated; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentv 1. In freight-car construction, the combination with metal sheets provided upon the freight-car roof and down-wardly turned at their edges extending lengthwise of the car to form U-shaped bends of companion sheets of metal angularly bent and secured to the sides of the car and extending along the same, one wall of each latter sheet being vertically disposed upon a side of the car, while the remaining' wall of said latter sheet is interposed between the walls of the U-shaped bend of the corresponding roof -plates, and facias placed over the vertical sides of the angular sheets and located below the U-shaped bends, substantially as described.

2. In freight-car construction, the combination with metal sheets provided upon the freight-car roof and downwardly turned at their edges extending lengthwise of the car to form U-shaped bends of companion sheets of metal angularly bent and secured to the sides of the car and extending along the same, one wall of each latter sheet being vertically disposed upon a side of the car, while the remaining wall of said latter sheet is interposed between the walls of the U-shaped bend of TOO IOS

IIO

the corresponding roof-plates, clearance intervening between the edge of the free or bottom side of the U-shaped bend and the vertical side of the corresponding angular sheet, while clearance also intervenes between the bite of the U-shaped bend and the opposed edge 'of that side ofthe angular sheet that is interposed between the sides of the U-shaped bend, and facias placed over the vertical sides of the angular sheets and located below the U-shaped bends, substantially as described.

3. In freightcar construction, the combination with metal sheets provided upon the freight-car roof and downwardly turned at their edges extending along the ends of the car to form U-Shaped bends of companion sheets of metal angularly bent and secured to the walls .of the car and extending along the same, one wall of each latter sheet being vertically disposed upon an end wall of the car, while the remaining wall of said latter sheet is interposed between the walls ofthe U-shaped bend of the corresponding roof-plates, and facias placed over the vertical sides of the angular sheets and located below the U-shaped bends, substantially as described.

4. In freight-car construction, the combination with metal sheets provided upon the freight-car roof and downwardly turned at their edges extending' along the ends of the car to form U-shaped bends of companion sheets of metal angularly bentand secured to the walls of the car and extending along the same, one wall of each latter sheet being vertically disposed upon an end wall of the car, while the remaining wall of said latter sheet is interposed between the walls ofthe U-shaped bend of the corresponding roof-plates, clearance intervening between the edge of the free or bottom side of the U-shaped bend and the vertical side of the corresponding angular sheet, while clearance also intervenes between the bite of the U-shaped bend and the 0pposed edge of that side of the angular sheet that is interposed between the sides of the U-shaped bend, and Tacias placed over the vertical sides of the angular sheets and l0- cated belowthe U-shaped bends, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day of September, A. D. 1904.

Y FRED MATHEWS. Witnesses:

G. L. CRAGG, G. R. BURKDOLL.

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