U.S. patent application number 11/385128 was filed with the patent office on 2006-10-05 for counterbalanced deck for railroad freight car.
This patent application is currently assigned to Gunderson, Inc.. Invention is credited to James J. Jarvis.
Application Number | 20060219129 11/385128 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32469164 |
Filed Date | 2006-10-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060219129 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jarvis; James J. |
October 5, 2006 |
Counterbalanced deck for railroad freight car
Abstract
A railroad car includes a body having a pair of side walls and
at least a pair of parallel horizontal support beams extending
along the side walls at substantially the same height. A movable
end portion of a deck built as a lightweight composite structure
may pivot with respect to the pair of support beams. A respective
counterbalance apparatus is arranged between each of the pair of
side walls and the movable deck portion at a location spaced apart
from the pivot axis so as to provide a lifting force acting on the
movable end portion to urge it to pivot upward about the pivot
axis.
Inventors: |
Jarvis; James J.; (Portland,
OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHERNOFF, VILHAUER, MCCLUNG & STENZEL
1600 ODS TOWER
601 SW SECOND AVENUE
PORTLAND
OR
97204-3157
US
|
Assignee: |
Gunderson, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
32469164 |
Appl. No.: |
11/385128 |
Filed: |
March 20, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10401153 |
Mar 27, 2003 |
7055441 |
|
|
11385128 |
Mar 20, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
105/404 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B61D 3/187 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
105/404 |
International
Class: |
B61D 17/00 20060101
B61D017/00 |
Claims
1. In combination with a railroad freight car body having a length,
a deck having a selectively raisable end portion comprising: (a) a
core of low density material, said core having a length oriented
along said length of said car body; and (b) a skin of fiber
reinforced plastics adhered to said core, wherein said end portion
has a concave bottom surface.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said end portion has a convex
top surface.
3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said lightweight end portion
comprises a longitudinally extending central portion and a pair of
opposite side portions located alongside said central portion and
extending laterally therefrom.
4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said central portion and said
side portions have respective thicknesses, said thickness of said
central portion being greater than said thickness of said side
portions thereof.
5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said railroad freight car
comprises a body, including a pair of side walls and at least a
pair of parallel horizontal support beams, each extending along a
respective one of said side walls at substantially equal heights,
said end portion including a pair of oppositely located
longitudinally-extending lateral margins, said end portion having
ample strength to carry an automobile supported on its own tires
and straddling said central portion when said lateral margins are
resting on said horizontal support beams.
6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said depth of said side
portions is tapered from a minimum depth adjacent said lateral
margins to a greater depth adjacent said central portion of said
end portion.
7. The combination of claim 5 wherein said side portions have
respective thicknesses no greater than about 1.875 inches at
locations adjacent said lateral margins thereof.
8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said top and bottom skins are
reinforced by fibers of which about 70 percent are oriented
transversely with respect to said length of said end portion.
9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said skin is reinforced by
woven roving of glass fibers, at least a portion of said woven
roving having a warp oriented transversely relative to said end
portion.
10. The combination of claim 9, wherein said end portion has a pair
of lateral margins and wherein said skin includes two plies of said
woven roving, each of said plies having a warp oriented
transversely with respect to said end portion.
11. The combination of claim 1 wherein said central portion has a
depth of approximately 4 inches.
12. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least said central
portion of said core includes a plurality of parallel,
upright-transverse arrays of fiber-reinforced plastic.
13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said at least said central
portion of said core includes an array of slender diagonal support
members of fiber-reinforced plastic resin.
14. A selectively raisable end portion of a deck for a railroad
freight car body, said end portion comprising: (a) a core of low
density material having a length and width oriented to correspond
with said length and width of said railroad freight car; (b) a skin
of fiber reinforced plastics material adhered to said core, said
skin having a nominal thickness; and (c) said end portion being
movably engaged with an interior portion of said deck about a pivot
axis defined by a hinge member mounted to said end portion by at
least one fastener, and said skin having a thickness around said
fastener that is greater than said nominal thickness.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of patent application Ser. No.
10/401,153, filed on Mar. 27, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to railroad freight cars and
in particular to a freight car for carrying motor vehicles on
multiple levels.
[0003] Railroad freight cars have long been used for transporting
newly manufactured automobiles long distances from either the place
of manufacture or a port of arrival to a place where the
automobiles are reloaded onto trucks that deliver the automobiles
to dealerships. In order for such railroad freight cars to be most
economical it is desirable to carry a maximum number of motor
vehicles on each railroad car, but it is also desired to be able to
carry several different types of motor vehicles on each car and to
be able to reconfigure the railroad freight car to carry such
different types of vehicles without undue difficulty.
[0004] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,743,192, 5,794,537 and 5,979,335, the
specifications of which are incorporated herein by reference, are
owned by the assignee of the present invention and each discloses a
multi-unit railroad freight car for carrying motor vehicles on
multiple levels. In each of the disclosed freight cars, a plurality
of motor vehicle decks are spaced apart inside the respective car
bodies, wherein the decks are adjustable in height.
[0005] Each end portion of the middle level deck in each unit of
the cars disclosed in the mentioned patents is mounted on a pivot
axis at its inner end so that the outer end portion of the deck,
located at the end of the car unit, may be raised and lowered to
facilitate the loading and unloading of vehicles on the lowest
level of the car. A cable and a hand-driven winch system are used
to raise and lower the hinged portion of the deck. The deck is
heavy, and many operators have difficulty raising and lowering it
with only a manually operated mechanical winch.
[0006] It is therefore desired to be able to raise the end of the
deck without having to rely on the hand-cranked winch system, using
the limited amount of available space within such a railcar, while
keeping the weight of the car as low as practical.
[0007] What is needed, then, is an improved railroad freight car in
which a movable end portion of a load-carrying deck is of ample
load-bearing strength, yet lower in weight than previously used
decks, and wherein such a movable portion is arranged to be raised
and lowered directly.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention overcomes the aforementioned
shortcomings of prior art railroad cars for carrying motor vehicles
on multiple levels and meets the aforementioned needs by providing
an improved car body including a motor vehicle deck spaced upwardly
above a lowest load carrying floor, and provides a movable end
portion of such a deck which is significantly lighter in weight
than previously known movable end portions for such railroad
freight cars.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one or more
deck-supporting counterbalance mechanisms, each including a spring,
are arranged to partially support the weight of the movable end
portion as it is being raised or lowered. The disclosed
counterbalance mechanism has an elongate tension-carrying member
coupled to the movable end portion of the deck for applying a
lifting force from a spring to enable the movable end portion of
the deck to be raised with mere hand pressure. The lifting force
provided by the counterbalance mechanism assists the persons
raising the movable end portion of the deck by carrying most of its
weight as it is moved between its raised and lowered positions.
[0010] The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages
of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration
of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention,
the counterbalance mechanism for a movable end portion of a deck is
arranged adjacent the end post of the sidewall of the car unit
body, with the spring and its associated guide tube occupying
interior space between the vertical support posts for the side wall
of the railroad car body.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the movable end
portion of a deck is of a lightweight composite sandwich
construction with top and bottom skins of fiber reinforced plastic
resin and with a core of low density material.
[0013] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, such a
lightweight sandwich deck structure has a core including
transversely extending vertical arrays of fiber reinforced plastic
and diagonal arrays of fiber-reinforced plastic resin strands or
rods interconnecting the vertical arrays with each other and with
the top and bottom skins.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the deck has a shape that
provides ample strength for supporting motor vehicles, but also
provides ample space to accommodate motor vehicles of various
heights that the car is intended to carry.
[0015] In an embodiment of the invention, a lightweight deck of
composite sandwich-like construction includes a longitudinally
extending central portion with a significantly greater depth than
that of adjacent side portions, on which the tires of motor
vehicles rest when the motor vehicle straddles the center
portion.
[0016] It is one feature of the lightweight deck according to the
present invention that a significant majority of the reinforcing
fibers included in the skins extend in a transverse direction with
respect to the deck.
[0017] The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages
of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration
of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a multi-unit railroad
freight car incorporating one preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of one car unit and a part
of the other unit of the car shown in FIG. 1, at an enlarged
scale.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a cutaway side elevational view of a portion of
one unit of the multi-unit railroad freight car shown in FIG. 1
showing the motor vehicle-carrying decks of the car body with a
movable end portion of one of the motor-vehicle-carrying decks in
an upwardly inclined position.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a cutaway end view of a car body of one unit of
the multi-unit railroad freight car shown in FIG. 1 showing the
locations of two units of an exemplary counterbalance apparatus
that may be used with the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a movable end portion of a deck
for a railroad freight car that embodies one aspect of the present
invention.
[0023] FIG. 6 is an exploded top plan view of the movable end
portion of the deck shown in FIG. 5.
[0024] FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG.
5.
[0025] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a block of a reinforced foam
core material suitable for use as part of a composite deck
structure in accordance with the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG.
5.
[0027] FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG.
5.
[0028] FIG. 11 is a detail view, at an enlarged scale, of the
uppermost portion of one side wall of the body of one unit of the
railroad car shown in FIG. 1, showing the location of sheaves for a
cable supporting the movable deck portion at one end of the car
body and also showing a counterbalancing support apparatus.
[0029] FIGS. 12A and 12B are views showing an alternate arrangement
used to interconnect the cable shown in FIG. 11 to the spring
included in the counterbalance arrangement.
[0030] FIG. 13 is a view showing a bridge unit for coupler ends of
freight cars that incorporate the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 14 is a view showing a bridge unit extending between
adjacent ends of car units interconnected by an articulated
coupling in a freight car that incorporates the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0032] Referring to the drawings, which form a part of the
disclosure herein, FIGS. 1-4 show a multi-unit railroad freight car
10 that incorporates one preferred embodiment of the present
invention. The freight car 10 includes two adjacent car units 12
and 14. Each respective car unit 12 and 14, in turn, includes a
cargo well 20, a middle deck 16, and an upper deck 18 for
selectively supporting and storing automobiles in a tri-level
arrangement as shown in FIG. 2. The cargo well 20, the middle deck
16, and the upper deck 18 are sometimes referred to as the "A",
"B", and "C" decks, respectively. Each deck 16, 18, and 20
preferably has a shape that provides ample strength for supporting
motor vehicles, while providing sufficient space to accommodate
motor vehicles of the various heights that the car is desired to
carry.
[0033] As can be seen in FIGS. 2-3, the automobiles stored on the
lowest level of the freight car 10 rest in the respective cargo
well 20 of each car unit 12 and 14. In order to maximize the
available vertical space in the upper two cargo levels, the middle
deck 16 is positioned such that it would prevent the loading and
unloading of automobiles from the cargo well 20 were it not for a
hinged end portion 22 of the middle deck 16 that may be selectively
raised when automobiles are loaded or unloaded from the cargo well
20. Though FIG. 2 depicts only car unit 14 and FIG. 3 only depicts
a portion of car unit 14, it is to be understood that each of the
car units 12 and 14 has a middle deck 16 and an upper deck 18, and
that the middle deck 16 in each car unit may include a hinged end
portion 22 at either or both ends.
[0034] Because of the loads that they must support, the middle deck
16 and the upper deck 18 must be of sturdy construction and
therefore the weight of the hinged end portion in previously
existing railroad freight cars can be significant, making it
impossible to raise and lower the hinged end portion by hand. The
disclosed freight car 10, though, improves over such previously
existing rail cars in two distinct respects.
[0035] First, the freight car 10 includes a hinged end portion 22
of a novel, lightweight composite construction having a core of low
density material and a skin of fiber reinforced plastic resin
adhered to the core of low density material. The skin of fiber
reinforced plastic resin provides tensile and compressive strength
to the compositely constructed hinged end portion 22 while the core
of low density material provides shear strength to the compositely
constructed hinged end portion 22. Further, by constructing the
hinged end portion 22 using a core of low density material, the
weight of the hinged end portion 22 can be made substantially less
than that of corresponding hinged end portions in existing freight
cars.
[0036] Second, the freight car 10 includes a novel counterbalance
apparatus 24 that may support most of the weight of the hinged end
portion 22. Together with the lightweight construction of the
hinged end portion 22, the counterbalance apparatus 24 allows the
hinged end portion 22 to be raised manually.
[0037] Preferably, the core of low density material is completely
enclosed by the skin of fiber reinforced plastic. This ensures that
the hinged end portion 22 has sufficient strength on both its upper
and lower surfaces to accommodate the significant stress that
occurs as vehicles are loaded and carried upon the hinged end
portion 22. Preferably, a significant majority -around 70%- of the
reinforcing fibers within the skin of fiber-reinforcing material
may be oriented in a transverse direction with respect to the
middle deck 16 to provide the strength required to withstand the
expected static and dynamic loading of hinged end portion 22.
[0038] Also, the core of low density material may preferably
include upright-transverse vertical arrays of fiber-reinforced
plastic and diagonal arrays of fiber-reinforced plastic resin
strands or rods interconnecting the vertical arrays with each
other.
[0039] Broadly, each counterbalance apparatus 24 may include a
force-transmitting member 26 such as a cable that interconnects and
transmits forces between the hinged end portion 22 and a
force-generating element 28 such as a spring 74. The force
generating elements 28 will together preferably generate a force
that is slightly less than the weight of the hinged end portion 22.
Each force-transmitting member 26 may include a first elongate
tension carrying member 27 operatively connected to, and extending
upward from, the hinged end portion 22 and a second elongate
tension carrying member 29 operatively interconnected with the
force-generating element 28 such that tension in the first elongate
tension carrying member 27 is caused by tension in the second
elongate tension carrying member 29, which in turn is caused by the
force-generating element 28. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the
counterbalance apparatus 24 is preferably located adjacent to a
corner post 60 of the car body 15, with the force-generating
element 28 occupying interior space between the corner post 60 and
the nearest side post 56 along the side wall of the railroad car
body 15.
[0040] In a simple embodiment, the force transmitting member 26 can
be a cable and the force-generating element 28 can include a
spring. In that instance, it may be appropriate to include a
direction changing force transfer device, such as one or more
sheaves 30. The direction changing force transfer devices may be
positioned between the first elongate tension carrying member 27
and the second elongate tension carrying member 29. In more complex
embodiments, an appropriate force transmitting member 26 could
include gears, rigid members, etc.
Freight Car Construction
[0041] Referring to FIG. 1, the multi-unit railroad freight car 10
includes a pair of car units 12 and 14, with a conventional
two-axle truck 32 and a coupler 34 at an outer, or coupler end of
each of the car units 12 and 14. A shared truck 36 supports both of
a pair of adjacent ends 38 and 40 of the car units 12 and 14,
respectively. The adjacent ends 38 and 40 are interconnected with
each other and with the shared truck 36 through an articulated
coupling.
[0042] The car units 12 and 14 each have enclosed bodies with
upright side walls 44 and roofs 46, and a flexible cover or
diaphragm 42 interconnects the side walls 44 and roof 46 of the car
unit 12 with those of the adjacent car unit 14.
[0043] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the car unit 14, which is
essentially identical to the car unit 12, includes a car body 15
whose structure includes a body bolster 48 at its coupler end 49,
and a body bolster 50 at its opposite, or articulated end 51,
supported by the previously-mentioned shared truck 36. The railroad
car body 15 includes a side wall 44. While only one such side wall
is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it should be understood that the
opposite side of the railroad car has an essentially similar, but
symmetrically opposite construction, as will be described herein
with respect to the side wall 44. Automobiles, such as automobiles
54 (shown in phantom outline), are carried inside the railroad
freight car 10. Only one such automobile 54 is shown in FIG. 3 and
this automobile is stored inside the cargo well 20.
[0044] Decks 16 and 18 are provided above the cargo well 20 to
support automobiles 54 in the car units 12 and 14 at multiple
levels. Each deck may optionally be capable of adjustment to a
selected one of several available heights in relation to the cargo
well 20. The heights of decks 16 and 18 are suitably adjustable, as
is explained for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,335, of which the
disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. When adjustable,
decks 16 and 18 may be moved to their respective heights
independently of one another, or alternatively, the adjustable
positioning of decks 16 and 18 may be coordinated, such that the
upper deck 18 is moved to a lower position as the lower deck 16 is
moved to a higher position and vice versa. In this latter
arrangement, a freight car 10 may be loaded with automobiles of
relatively small height on three levels, or loaded with automobiles
of relatively large height after decks 16 and 18 are squeezed
together, creating the required clearance in the cargo well 20 and
above the upper deck 18, respectively.
[0045] The side walls 44 are preferably of welded sheet metal
construction including upright side posts 56 in the form of flanged
rolled channels, so that the side walls 44 are light, yet strong
enough to support the weight of the decks 16 and 18 and the
automobiles 54 carried thereon. A top chord 58 extending
longitudinally of the car unit 14, between corner posts 60 located
respectively at each end of the car unit 14, interconnects the
upper ends of the side posts 56.
[0046] The decks 16 and 18 are both provided in the form of three
segments arranged end-to-end, and, at any of the available heights,
each of the segments is fastened securely and tightly to the side
posts 56 by bolts or other releasable but tight fasteners so that
the decks 16 and 18 are incorporated structurally in, and add
rigidity to, the entire car unit 14 as well as being solidly
supported by the side walls 44.
[0047] A hinged end portion 22 is included in each end of the
middle deck 16 of each car unit 12 and 14. Preferably, those
portions of the decks 16 and 18 other than the hinged end portions
22 of deck 16 are of steel construction, transversely arched to
provide an upward camber. This structure allows the decks 16 and 18
to have a very small vertical depth so that a maximum vertical
clearance is available for motor vehicles to be carried.
[0048] Hinges 68 pivotally attach the hinged end portion 22 to two
horizontal support beams 64 that extend longitudinally along the
opposite side walls 44 of the car at equal heights and that are
rigidly fastened to the side walls 44 by bolts. Each of the
horizontal support beams 64 extends inwardly from the side walls 44
so that when the hinged end portion 22 is in a lowered position,
the hinged end portion 22 is supported along its lateral margins by
the horizontal support beams 64. In this manner, the horizontal
support beams 64 support that portion of the weight of the hinged
end portion 22 and any motor vehicles or other cargo carried on the
hinged end portion 22 that is not supported by the counterbalance
apparatus 24. Each of the horizontal support beams 64 is positioned
at a vertical height along its respective side wall 44 such that
the hinged end portion abuts the fixed portion 17 of the middle
deck 16 at a pivot axis 70 defined by the hinges 68 through which
the inner end of the hinged end portion 22 is attached. The hinges
68 should preferably allow an outer end of the hinged end portion
22 of the middle deck 16 to be raised as much as about 4 feet to an
inclined position above the horizontal support beams 64. Handles
136 may optionally be fastened to the hinged end portion 22 so that
it may be raised and lowered manually. Raising the hinged end
portion 22 of the middle deck 16 while deck 16 is empty allows
automobiles to be moved over the two-axle trucks 32 and the body
bolsters 48 and 50 into or out of the well 20 during loading and
unloading of the freight car 10.
Construction of the Hinged End Portion
[0049] Referring to FIGS. 5-10, the hinged end portion 22 may
include a longitudinally extending central portion 102 and a pair
of opposite side portions 104 that are located alongside the
central portion 102 and extend laterally therefrom. The hinged end
portion 22 is preferably constructed so as to have a generally
convex upper surface 98 and a generally concave lower surface 100
as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. This shape has been found to be
generally suitable for the storage of automobiles for transport and
corresponds to the typical shape of previously existing decks of
freight cars.
[0050] The width of the central portion should preferably be no
larger than can be straddled by automobiles. The lateral side
portions 104 should taper to a minimum thickness 107 at their outer
lateral edges, respectively. In the construction herein described,
this minimum thickness 107 at the outer lateral edges of the
lateral side portions is approximately 1.875 inches. The hinged end
portion 22 is supported upon the horizontal support beams 64 at its
outer lateral margins 106.
[0051] The hinged end portion 22 comprises a lightweight composite
structure having a core of lightweight material and a skin of fiber
reinforced plastic resin bonded to the core of lightweight
material. The material that forms the core of the hinged end
portion 22 preferably has a low density and has sufficient shear
strength so that, when reinforced with skins of fiber-reinforced
plastic resin, the hinged end portion 22 may durably withstand the
loading stresses to which they will each be subjected over an
extended period of use. Materials that may be suitable to form the
core of any or all of these members include balsa or one of a
variety of types of plastic foam core materials, preferably
including a closed-cell synthetic plastic foam with suitable
reinforcing structure incorporated, such as "Tycor B" foam core,
which is commercially available from WebCore Technologies, Inc., of
Dayton, Ohio.
[0052] Referring to FIG. 8, the core of lightweight material of the
hinged end portion 22 may comprise Tycor-B 13-weight foam core 160,
where 13-weight indicates that the core has a density of 13
lbs/ft.sup.3. The foam core 160 includes a parallel fiber array 162
that is vertically oriented within the foam core 160 and that
partitions the foam core 160 into sections 164 of approximately
equal width. The fiber array 162 is composed of strands of fibers,
such as glass or carbon fibers. The Tycor-B foam core further
includes a diagonal fiber array 166, also composed of strands of
glass or carbon fibers.
[0053] The core of the hinged end portion 22 may be made up of
individual members that include a longitudinally extending central
member 108, two longitudinally extending side members 109, a nose
assembly 110, two side portion transition members 112, and a
central portion transition member 114. The aforementioned
transition members are shaped to conjoin the respective central and
side portions of the hinged end portion 22 with the corresponding
central and side portions of the lower deck 16. The nose assembly
110 comprises a nose 116 and insert members 118.
[0054] In the preferred construction, the central member 108, as
well as the transition member 114, may each be shaped from a
section of 4'' thick Tycor B 13-weight foam core material 160. Each
of the two side members 109, as well as the transition member 112,
may be constructed of a 1 5/8' thick section of Tycor B 13-weight
foam core material. The nose 116 may be made from a section of 2''
thick Tycor B 13-weight foam core material. The 4'' thick foam core
material 160 for the members 108 and 114 may be assembled by
conjoining a 1 5/8'' thick section and a 23/8'' thick section of
Tycor B foam core material, or may instead be constructed as a
single 4'' thick section of foam core material.
[0055] A skin 168 of fiber reinforced plastic that surrounds the
core of the lightweight material may be formed through any
appropriate method, such as a Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer
Molding (VARTM) process, which is well known in the industry. Other
methods may also be used to form the skin 168, including such
methods as RTM vacuum bagging. If the VARTM process is used to form
the skin 168 of fiber reinforced plastic, one or more layers of
reinforcing fiber are placed in a mold that corresponds to the
shape of the top of the hinged end portion 22. The individual
members of the core of the hinged end portion 22, such as 108, 109,
110, 112, and 114, are then appropriately positioned in an
upside-down configuration on top of the layer or layers of
reinforcing fiber within the mold. Then a second layer or layers of
reinforcing fiber is positioned on top of the lower surface of the
individual members of the hinged end portion 22. The assembly is
then covered by a vacuum bag. Calculated quantities of resin and
catalyst are mixed to form an appropriate quantity of liquid
uncured plastic resin which is then drawn into the vacuum bag,
which acts to evenly distribute the plastic resin throughout the
layers of reinforcing fiber of the skin 168 and the reinforcing
fiber strands of the foam core material, and to keep the resin in
place while it cures.
[0056] During the VARTM process, the fiber arrays 162 and 166
absorb some of the plastic resin, which is then cured along with
the skin 168. Once infused with cured plastic resin, the fiber
arrays 162 and 166 add strength to the core. Preferably, the foam
core 160 is positioned so that the fiber array 162 is oriented
upright-transverse with respect to the hinged end portion 122 and
the fiber array 166 is oriented upright-longitudinal with respect
to the hinged end portion 22.
[0057] Where a VARTM process is used to form the hinged end portion
22, the insert members 118 may be formed during that process by
positioning five plies of resin-impregnated BTI 62 oz E-glass woven
roving into the spaces 119, prior to the application of the skin
168 of fiber reinforced plastic that encloses the hinged end
portion 22. Referring to FIGS. 5, 6, and 13, the insert members 118
form the base of the cavities 129 and 134 into which brackets 128
and 130 are positioned and attached to the hinged end portion
22.
[0058] In the preferred construction, the skin 168 may have a
varying number of layers of fiber reinforced plastic surrounding
different members of the hinged end portion 22. Referring to FIGS.
9 and 10, for example, the nose 116, the insert members 118, the
central portion transition member 114, and the side portion
transition members 112 are each surrounded by an inner layer 170 of
two plies of resin-impregnated BTI 60 oz. E-Glass woven roving, a
central layer 172 of 2-plies of 30 oz. E-Glass unidirectional, and
an outer layer 174 of two plies of resin-impregnated BTI 62 oz.
E-Glass woven roving. In contrast, the central portion 102 and the
side portions 104 are surrounded only by the outer layer 174 of two
plies of resin-impregnated BTI 62 oz. E-Glass woven roving.
Preferably, the E-Glass woven roving in both of the inner layer 170
and the outer layer 174 has its warp oriented transversely to the
deck. Further, an anti-skid compound may be selectively applied to
regions of the assembly where desired. Rodda anti-skid epoxy W/#46
Aluminum oxide aggregate has been found to be suitable. Particular
regions where an anti-skid compound is appropriate are the side
members 109 and the transition member 112.
[0059] In the construction of the hinged end portion 22 shown in
FIGS. 5-10 the portions of the skin 168 that surround the central
portion transition member 114, the side portion transition members
112, and the nose assembly 120 have additional layers of
reinforcing fiber and hence have a greater thickness than the other
components of the hinged end portion 22. The locations of these
additional layers of reinforcing fiber correspond to either the
locations in the disclosed freight car 10 where wheels of loaded
automobiles will be expected to create high stress, e.g. the
transition member 112 and the nose 116, or locations where bolts or
other fasteners are required to assemble the hinged end portion 22,
e.g. the nose assembly 110 and specifically the insert members 118.
The extra layers of reinforcing fiber provide the extra thickness
and strength needed to support bolts or other fasteners. Further,
by concentrating those additional layers of reinforcing fiber only
in the particular locations where they are needed minimizes the
weight of the hinged end portion 22 that must be counterbalanced by
the counterbalance apparatus 24.
[0060] Another method of improving the strength of the hinged end
portion 20 is to orient the layers of fiber reinforced plastic such
that most of the fibers are oriented transversely to the
longitudinal axis of the hinged end portion 22. In the freight car
10, the hinged end portion 22 extends from a pivot axis 70 at the
junction with the middle deck 16 and is supported by the horizontal
support beams 64 when the middle deck 16 is in a lowered position,
as it would be when automobiles are loaded onto it. Thus the weight
of the hinged end portion along with the weight of any automobiles
on top of it during transport will create bending stress in the
hinged end portion in the transverse direction. By orienting a
majority of the fibers--around 70% --in the transverse direction,
the hinged end portion is made better able to resist these
stresses. In other embodiments, it may be preferable to orient the
layers of fiber-reinforced plastic parallel to the longitudinal
axis of the hinged end portion 22.
Structure of the Counterbalance Apparatus
[0061] Referring to FIG. 3, a counterbalance apparatus 24 is used
to support most of the weight of the hinged end portion 22 so that
it may be easily raised and lowered manually. The counterbalance
apparatus 24 applies a lifting force from the force-generating
element 28 to the outer end of the hinged end portion 22 through a
force-transmitting member 26, which in this instance is a flexible
5/16'' diameter steel lifting cable. Though FIG. 3 shows only one
counterbalance apparatus, located adjacent to side wall 44, a
symmetrically opposite counterbalance apparatus, shown in FIG. 4,
is preferably located in a similar position on the opposite side of
the freight car unit 14, adjacent the near side wall. The lifting
cable 26 extends upward and around sheaves 30 which may be mounted
in fixed locations, preferably between the comer post 60 and that
side post 56 that is adjacent to the comer post 60 along the side
wall 44 in the direction toward the mid-length of the car unit 14.
The cable 26 operatively connects the hinged end portion 22 to the
force-generating element 28.
[0062] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 11, the force-generating element 28
preferably includes a generally helical compression spring 74
positioned in a vertically oriented guide tube assembly 76 so that
the compression spring 74 is free to extend and be compressed. The
compression spring 74 and the guide tube assembly 76 extend into an
interior space that lies between the comer post 60 and the adjacent
side post 56. In this way, the counterbalance apparatus 24 is
situated in what is otherwise unused space inside the railroad car
and does not interfere with any other structure or cargo inside the
car. The guide tube assembly 76 comprises a cylindrical sleeve 77,
an upper fitting 79 and a lower fitting (not shown) that together
surround the compression spring 74. The cylindrical sleeve 77 is
preferably made from, or at least lined with, a layer of polymeric
resin such as UHMW polyethylene so that friction and wear may be
minimized as the compression spring 74 oscillates across the inner
surface of the sleeve 77. The upper fitting 79 defines an opening
78. The lifting cable 26 extends through the opening 78 and through
the compression spring 74, and is secured to a plunger 80 that is
slidably fitted within the sleeve 77 below the compression spring
74. In this manner, movement of the hinged end portion 22 can cause
the plunger 80 to slide vertically within the sleeve 76. Movement
of the plunger, in turn, compresses the compression spring 74 or
allows it to extend downward, depending on the direction the
plunger 80 is moving. The length of the cable 26 should be such
that the compression spring 74 applies a lifting force to the
hinged end portion 22 that is slightly less than that which would
lift the outer end of the hinged end portion 22 when the hinged end
portion 22 is in the lowered position. Furthermore, the compression
spring 74 is preferably long relative to the distance through which
a point on the cable 26 will oscillate when the hinged end portion
22 is raised or lowered, so that the lifting force suppled by the
counterbalance apparatus 24 remains within a small range during
raising and lowering of the hinged end portion 22. The hinged end
portion 22 of the deck 16 can thus be raised easily during loading
of motor vehicles into the cargo well 20 to provide ample overhead
clearance above the body bolster 48 or 50 as motor vehicles pass
over the truck 32 at each end of the multi-unit freight car 10 or
over the shared truck 36 between car units 12 and 14.
[0063] The cable 26 may be attached to the plunger 80 in any
convenient manner. For example, FIG. 11 shows that the cable 26
passes through the plunger 80 and is secured to the plunger 80 at
the lower surface of the plunger 80 using a swaged fitting 81.
FIGS. 12A and 12B show an alternative arrangement of attaching the
cable 26 to the plunger 80. In this arrangement an eye defined by
the cable 26 is attached around a bolt 82 that passes through a
short piece of pipe 84 or other rigid member that, in turn, is
affixed to the upper surface of the plunger 80.
[0064] On occasion, it might be desired to remove the cable 26 from
the hinged end portion 22. For example, the cable may need to be
replaced, or it may be desired to squeeze the decks 16 and 18
together to provide space for carrying high-clearance vehicles on
two levels. However, during normal operation of the hinged end
portion 22 there will not typically be sufficient slack in the
cable to remove it. Accordingly, the counterbalance apparatus 24
preferably includes a spring stop bar 86 that may be inserted into
an opening 87 in the sleeve 76 located at a position just below
that occupied by the plunger 80 when the hinged end portion 22 is
in the lowered position. When the spring stop bar 86 is inserted in
the opening 87 while the hinged end portion is in the lowered
position, the spring stop bar 86 prevents the plunger 80 from
moving downward as the hinged end portion 22 is raised. In this
manner, sufficient slack may be created in the cable 26 so that it
may be removed. Optionally, the sleeve 76 may include a second
opening (not shown) near the bottom of the sleeve, below the point
to which the plunger 80 will drop when the hinged end portion 22 is
in the raised position. The spring stop bar 86 may be inserted into
this second opening for storage when the cable 26 is attached to
the hinged end portion 22.
[0065] Similarly, the cable 26 may be attached to the hinged end
portion 22 of the middle deck 16 in any convenient manner.
Preferably the cable 26 is attached to the hinged end portion 22
through a safety catch arrangement shown best in FIG. 11. The cable
26 is attached to a lever 88 through a shackle 90. The lever 88, in
turn, is rotatably mounted to the hinged end portion 22 by a pin 92
that extends through holes in the sides of a bracket 94 affixed to
the outer end of the hinged end portion 22. A spring (not shown)
operatively engaged with the lever 88 will cause the lever 88 to
engage a safety arm 96 so long as there is not a requisite amount
of tension in the cable 26. In this manner, should the cable 26
unexpectedly break or otherwise fail during manual operation of the
hinged end portion 22, the lever 88 will engage the safety arm 96
and support the hinged end portion 22, potentially avoiding
injury.
[0066] Though FIG. 3 shows only one such hinged end portion 22
located at the outer end 49 of the car unit 14 in freight car 10,
it should be recognized that each two-unit freight car 10 may
ideally contain four such hinged end portions 22. Each car unit 12
and 14 in the freight car 10 may have a hinged end portion 22 at
its outer or coupler end, i.e. the outer ends of the freight car.
In addition, the freight car 10 may include a hinged end portion 22
at the articulated end, i.e. the inner end, of each of the car
units 12 and 14, respectively. Each of the four hinged end portions
22 facilitates the loading and unloading of automobiles through the
freight car 10, particularly when automobiles are circus loaded
from one freight car 10 to another. Thus, as can be seen easily
with reference to FIGS. 1-3, the hinged end portion 22 at the
coupler end 49 of the car unit 14 should be in its raised position
while automobiles are being loaded into the cargo well 20 from
either an adjacent, coupled freight car, or if freight car 10 is
uncoupled, from a ramp or other external device. Similarly, a
hinged end portion 22 at the articulated end 51 of the car unit 14
as well as a hinged end portion 22 at the articulated end of the
car unit 12 should preferably be raised as automobiles are moved
over the body bolsters 50 between the respective cargo wells 20 of
each car unit 12 and 14. Finally, a hinged end portion 22 at the
coupler end of the car unit 12 should be raised as automobiles are
being loaded from the freight car 10 onto an adjacent freight car
coupled to freight car 10.
[0067] In similar fashion, each of the hinged end portions 22
should be in a lowered position when automobiles 54 are being
loaded onto the middle deck 16 from a ramp or from the middle deck
of either an adjacent, coupled freight car or adjacent car units 12
and 14 within freight car 10. To facilitate the loading of
automobiles 54 between middle decks 16 of either adjacent freight
cars or adjacent car units 12 and 14, the hinged end portions 22
may optionally be equipped with bridge units that selectively
traverse the distance between adjacent middle decks 16 of either
adjacent, coupled freight cars or adjacent car units 12 and 14.
[0068] To illustrate one preferred bridge unit 122 suitable for use
with the hinged end portion 22 on the coupled end of a freight car
10, FIG. 13 shows two coupled, adjacent freight cars 10, each
equipped with a hinged end portion 22 at the coupler end of the
freight cars 10, respectively. To facilitate the transfer of
automobiles between the middle decks 16 of the freight cars 10,
bridge plates 124 may be selectively securable to the hinged end
portions 22 so that each bridge plate 124 traverses the gap between
the middle decks 16 of the adjacent, coupled freight cars 10. The
respective bridge plates 124 should be spaced apart an appropriate
distance along the width of the middle decks 16 to provide support
for the wheels of automobiles as they are rolled from the middle
deck 16 of one freight car 10 to another.
[0069] Each bridge plate 124 includes a spring-loaded elongate
shaft 126 that may be selectively engaged with brackets 128 and 130
by compressing the ends of the shaft 126 together while aligning
the ends of the shaft 126 with gudgeons in the brackets 128 and
130. The shaft 126 is secured to the bridge plate 124 within a
centrally positioned sleeve 132 from which the ends of the shaft
126 protrude. The bracket 128 may be attached to the hinged end
portion 22 at a fixed location within a cavity 129 while the
bracket 130 may be pivotally mounted to the hinged end portion 22
such that it is moveable between an extended position and a
retracted position within a cavity 134 defined by the hinged end
portion 22. The cavity 129 may be more easily viewed in FIG. 5.
[0070] In the configuration shown in FIG. 5, one end of each bridge
plate 124 is engaged with the brackets 128 and 130 of the hinged
end portion 22 of one of a pair of adjacent freight cars 10. The
other end of each bridge plate 124 simply rests on the hinged end
portion 22 of the other one of the pair of adjacent freight cars
10. The spring loaded shaft 126 on bridge plate 124 may be
selectively engaged with the brackets 128 and 130 associated with
the hinged end portion 22 of either of the adjacent, coupled
freight cars 10.
[0071] The bridge plates 124 that traverse the gap between two
adjacent, coupled freight cars 10 may be selectively removed and
stored so that the doors of the respective freight cars may be
closed while the freight car 10 is moving. With respect to bridge
units that traverse the gap between the adjacent, articulated ends
38 and 40 of two rail cars units 12 and 14, however, bridge plates
may be permanently affixed to a hinged end portion 22 with no
significant disadvantage.
[0072] FIG. 14 shows one preferred bridge unit 138 suitable for use
between the articulated ends 38 and 40 of car units 12 and 14.
Bridge unit 138 comprises two symmetrically opposite lateral bridge
plates 140 located opposite each other alongside a central bridge
plate 142. Two fixed hinges 144 pivotally secure the central bridge
plate 142 to the hinged end portion 22 of car unit 14. The central
bridge plate 142 includes a raised center member 146 and a
respective downwardly projecting side member 148 located on each
side of the center member 146.
[0073] Each of the lateral bridge plates 140 may include a rod 150
affixed to its end 152 at a location near that side of the bridge
plate 140 adjacent to the central bridge plate 142. Each rod 150
may be selectively inserted into a sleeve 154 mounted to the hinged
end portion 22 of car unit 14. On the end 152 of each lateral
bridge plate 140, at a location spaced apart from the rod 150, is a
gudgeon 156 that may selectively be engaged with a rod 158 mounted
to the hinged end portion 22 of car unit 14. When the rods 150 and
the gudgeons 156 are engaged with the sleeves 154 and the rods 158,
respectively, each lateral bridge plate 140 may pivot between a
first position that traverses the gap between the car units 12 and
14 and a second position where the lateral bridge plates 140 rest
entirely on the hinged end portion 22 of car unit 14.
[0074] The terms and expressions which have been employed in the
foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description
and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of
such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the
features shown and described or portions thereof, it being
recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited
only by the claims which follow.
* * * * *