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US 11,878,724 B2Granted
Autorack cars
AssigneeGunderson LLC
InventorsJon B. Zaerr, Brant Alec Buchanan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Autorack cars, may include a car body and a pair of wheeled trucks supporting the car body. The autorack cars may additionally include a stationary deck segment fixedly attached to the car body and at least one pivoting deck segment that is adjacent to the stationary deck segment and that is pivotably connected to the stationary deck segment such that the at least one pivoting deck segment is pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the stationary deck segment. The at least one pivoting deck segment may be adapted to support at least one vehicle in the lowered and raised positions. The autorack cars may further include at least one pivot assembly for moving the at least one pivoting deck segment between the lowered and raised positions.
Claims19
An autorack railcar, comprising:
- (a) a car body having a pair of opposed sides and a pair of opposed ends;
- (b) a pair of wheeled trucks supporting the car body, each of the trucks being located adjacent a respective one of the pair of opposed ends;
- (c) a stationary deck segment fixedly attached to the car body;
- (d) at least one pivoting deck segment that is adjacent to the stationary deck segment and that is pivotably connected to the stationary deck segment such that the at least one pivoting deck segment is pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the stationary deck segment, wherein the at least one pivoting deck segment is adapted to support at least one vehicle in the lowered and raised positions;
- and
- (e) at least one pivot assembly for moving the at least one pivoting deck segment between the lowered and raised positions, wherein the at least one pivot assembly includes:
- (i) a base fixedly attached to the car body,
- (ii) a pivot arm having opposed first and second end portions, the first end portion being pivotably connected to the at least one pivoting deck segment, and
- (iii) a handle having opposed third and fourth end portions, the third end portion being pivotably connected to the base and to the second end portion of the pivot arm, and the fourth end portion being sized to be grasped by a hand,
- wherein the pivot arm is sized such that a longitudinal axis of the pivot arm is substantially vertical when the at least one pivoting deck segment is in the raised position, and
- wherein the third end portion includes a first aperture that receives a first coupler to pivotably connect the third end portion to the base, and a second aperture that receives a second coupler to pivotably connect the third end portion to the second end portion of the pivot arm, the first and second apertures being positioned on the third end portion such that the first and second apertures are along a substantially vertical axis when the at least one pivoting deck segment is in the raised position.
8 more elements
An autorack railcar, comprising:
- (a) a car body having a pair of opposed sides and a pair of opposed ends;
- (b) a pair of wheeled trucks supporting the car body, each of the trucks being located adjacent a respective one of the pair of opposed ends;
- (c) a stationary deck segment fixedly attached to the car body;
- (d) at least one pivoting deck segment that is adjacent to the stationary deck segment and that is pivotably connected to the stationary deck segment such that the at least one pivoting deck segment is pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the stationary deck segment, wherein the at least one pivoting deck segment is adapted to support at least one vehicle in the lowered and raised positions;
- (e) at least one pivot assembly for moving the at least one pivoting deck segment between the lowered and raised positions, wherein the at least one pivot assembly includes:
- (i) a base fixedly attached to the car body,
- (ii) a pivot arm having opposed first and second end portions, the first end portion being pivotably connected to the at least one pivoting deck segment, and
- (iii) a handle having opposed third and fourth end portions, the third end portion being pivotably connected to the base and to the second end portion of the pivot arm, and the fourth end portion being sized to be grasped by a hand;
- and
- (f) a locking mechanism that includes:
- (1) a locking plate fixedly attached to the third end portion of the handle, the locking plate including a first aperture, and
- (2) a locking arm having fifth and sixth end portions, the fifth end portion being fixedly attached to the car body, and the sixth end portion having a pin sized to be received in the first aperture, wherein the first aperture receives the pin when the at least one pivoting deck segment is in the raised position such that the at least one pivoting deck segment is secured in the raised position.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.