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US 11,608,091 B2Granted
System and method for reconfiguring an autorack
AssigneeTrinity Rail Group, LLC
InventorsKyle R. Coston, David W. Higginbotham, Robert J. DeGroot
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Abstract
A method comprises removing a first deck of a plurality of decks and a second deck of the plurality of decks from an autorack. The method further comprises removing one or more of a plurality of posts of the autorack and coupling a cross-brace assembly to one or more of the plurality of posts, wherein the cross-brace assembly is coupled to the one or more of the plurality of posts at a location above an existing brace bay of the autorack. The method also comprises coupling the second deck of the plurality of decks to the autorack at a location above or below the cross-brace assembly.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- removing a first deck of a plurality of decks from an autorack, each deck of the plurality of decks comprising a driving surface for an automobile;
- removing a second deck of the plurality of decks from the autorack;
- removing one or more of a plurality of posts from the autorack;
- coupling a cross-brace assembly to two or more of the plurality of posts of the autorack, the cross-brace assembly extending longitudinally from a first post of the plurality of posts to a second post of the plurality of posts, the first and second posts located on a same side of the autorack, wherein the cross-brace assembly is coupled to the two or more of the plurality of posts at a location above an existing brace bay of the autorack;
- increasing a width between a third post of the plurality of posts and a fourth post of the plurality of posts, the third post located near a first side of the autorack and the fourth post located near a second side of the autorack, the second side opposite the first side;
- and
- coupling the second deck of the plurality of decks to the autorack at a location above or below the cross-brace assembly.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- removing a first deck of a plurality of decks from an autorack, each deck of the plurality of decks comprising a driving surface for an automobile;
- removing a second deck of the plurality of decks from the autorack;
- removing an existing roof section from the autorack;
- removing one or more of a plurality of existing side screens from the autorack;
- increasing a width of a first end portion of a flatcar of the autorack such that the width of the first end portion of the flatcar is greater than a width of a center portion of the flatcar;
- increasing a width of a second end portion of the flatcar of the autorack such that the width of the second end portion of the flatcar is greater than the width of the center portion of the flatcar;
- increasing a width between a first post of a plurality of posts and a second post of the plurality of posts, the first post located near a first side of the first end portion of the flatcar and the second post located near a second side of the first end portion, the second side opposite the first side;
- increasing a width between a third post of the plurality of posts and a fourth post of the plurality of posts, the third post located near a first side of the second end portion of the flatcar and the fourth post located near a second side of the second end portion, the second side of the second end portion opposite the first side of the second end portion;
- coupling a cross-brace assembly to two or more of the plurality of posts of the autorack, the cross-brace assembly extending longitudinally from a fifth post of the plurality of posts to a sixth post of the plurality of posts, the fifth and sixth posts located on a same side of the autorack, wherein the cross-brace assembly is coupled to the two or more of the plurality of posts at a location above an existing brace bay of the autorack;
- coupling the second deck of the plurality of decks to the autorack at a location above or below the cross-brace assembly;
- coupling one or more of a plurality of replacement side screens to one or more of the plurality of posts;
- and
- coupling a replacement roof section to the autorack.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.