US 10,766,505 B2 · Railroad car and end door assembly therefor

Abstract

A gondola car has a door and an associated door frame the end. The door hangs hingedly from the header of the frame. The header runs across the top of the door opening and is connected to the top chords at either side. The door posts are positioned inside the side sheets and tie into the header at each upper corner. The side sheets lap onto the door posts to allow longitudinal adjustment of the side assemblies and the door frame relative to each other, at assembly. The side posts are connected to the header with a tie plate that is bolted to both members. The car may also have a tarp dome at each end. The tarp dome has non-welded connections that have play to permit the tarp dome to accommodate movement of the top chords.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A railroad car comprising:

a car body mounted on railroad car trucks for rolling motion in a longitudinal direction along railroad tracks;
said car body having first and second sidewalls running length-wise therealong, each of said sidewalls having an upper margin;
said car body having first and second ends;
said car body having a lading receptacle defined between said first and second sidewalls and said first and second ends;
at least said first end including a lading discharge door assembly;
said lading discharge door assembly including a headframe member, and a door mounted below said headframe member, said door being movable between a closed position in which to discourage discharge of lading, and an open position in which to permit discharge of lading;
said headframe member being connected to said upper margins of said first and second sidewalls at motion tolerant connections, said motion tolerant connections having a degree of freedom accommodating lateral angular deflection of said upper margins of said first and second sidewalls.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Railroad car and end door assembly therefor

Life of this patent

Railroad car and end door assembly therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26