Railroad freight car access fittings
AssigneeNational Steel Car Limited
InventorsMaryam Mansouri Nasrabad, Mohamed Al-Kaabi, Max Vanderby, Kenneth Wayne Black, Tomasz Bis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A railroad freight car may have external fittings, such as trackside-accessible ladder fittings that permit personnel to climb onto the decks and walkways of the car. Several embodiments of movable ladder assemblies are described that provide an extended or deployed or raised position of a handhold, and a retracted or lowered, or stored position. In other embodiments, the assembly is provided with a compliant member that allows the handhold resiliently to flex when encountered by solid objects such as shipping containers.
Claims22
A trackside access assembly for a railroad freight car, said access assembly comprising:
- a fixed portion mounted to body structure of said railroad freight car;
- a movable portion mounted to said fixed portion;
- said movable portion including left hand and right hand handholds;
- said movable portion being resiliently displaceable relative to said fixed portion;
- and
- said left hand handhold is mounted to a first spring and said right hand handhold is mounted to a second spring.
A trackside access assembly for a railroad freight car, said access assembly comprising:
- a fixed portion mounted to body structure of said railroad freight car;
- a movable portion mounted to said fixed portion;
- said movable portion being resiliently displaceable relative to said fixed portion;
- said movable portion includes left hand and right hand handholds;
- and
- said left hand handhold is mounted to a first spring and said right hand handhold is mounted to a second spring, said first and second springs being mounted to said fixed portion.
A trackside access assembly for a railroad freight car, said access assembly comprising:
- a fixed portion mounted to body structure of said railroad freight car;
- a movable portion mounted to said fixed portion;
- said movable portion being resiliently displaceable relative to said fixed portion;
- said movable portion includes at least one spring, said spring being connected to one of (a) said fixed portion;
- and (b) said body portion;
- and
- said spring has a first end rigidly welded to said fixed portion and a second end rigidly welded to said movable portion.
A trackside access assembly for a railroad freight car, said access assembly comprising:
- a fixed portion mounted to body structure of said railroad freight car;
- a movable portion mounted to said fixed portion;
- and
- said movable portion being resiliently displaceable relative to said fixed portion;
- said movable portion includes at least one spring, said spring being connected to one of (a) said fixed portion;
- and (b) said body portion;
- said spring is a coil spring;
- one end of said coil spring defines a socket for an upper part of said fixed portion;
- and
- an opposite end of said spring defines a socket for a lower part of said movable portion, said coil spring defining a flexible coupling between said fixed portion and said movable portion.
A trackside access assembly for a railroad freight car, said access assembly comprising:
- a fixed portion mounted to body structure of said railroad freight car;
- a movable portion mounted to said fixed portion;
- and
- said movable portion being resiliently displaceable relative to said fixed portion;
- said movable portion includes at least one spring, said spring being connected to one of (a) said fixed portion;
- and (b) said body portion;
- said spring has a first portion that is cylindrical, and a second portion that is tapered, said fixed portion and said movable portion had a ball and socket engagement within said spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.