Railway hopper car bolster assembly

A railway hopper car comprising:

• a car body defined by opposite arcuate side sheets having a side sill extending longitudinally along the lower margin of each side sheet and at least one inclined end slope sheet partially defining an end hopper compartment;
• and,
• an end support structure for the end hopper compartment, the end support structure including a bolster assembly defined by a horizontally disposed shear plate having opposite end portions attached to the side sills, said shear plate forming a channel provided by a first laterally extending end portion forming a first end sill attached to said slope sheet and a second laterally extending end portion forming a second end sill spaced from said first end sill;
• a stub center sill disposed subjacent the shear plate in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the car body having an end portion attached to the slope sheet and having a side portion attached to the shear plate;
• a bolster beam extending laterally on either side of the stub center sill and interconnecting the stub center sill with each side sill;
• a vertical bolster web extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the car on either side of the stub center sill and interconnecting the stub center sill, the shear plate, and the bolster beam;
• and, a plurality of gusset plates each having a first edge portion attached to the slope sheet and a second edge portion attached to the shear plate, the gusset plates projecting in perpendicular relation to the shear plate and being laterally spaced substantially in parallel relation with respect to each other in an array which extends laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the car.

A modular bolster assembly for attachment to an end hopper compartment of a railroad hopper car of the type including opposite arcuate side sheets having a side sill extending longitudinally along the lower margin of each side sheet, said modular bolster assembly comprising, in combination:

• an inclined end slope sheet for closing the end hopper compartment;
• a substantially horizontally disposed shear plate being substantially channel shaped as provided by a first upturned end portion forming a first end sill attached to the slope sheet and a second upturned end portion spaced from said first end portion and forming a second end sill, said shear plate having opposite side portions for attachment to the side sills;
• a stub center sill disposed subjacent the shear plate in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the car having an end portion attached to the slope sheet and having a side portion attached to the shear plate;
• a bolster beam extending laterally on either side of the stub center sill for interconnecting the stub center sill with each side sill;
• a vertical bolster web assembly extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the car on either side of the stub center sill and interconnecting the stub center sill, the shear plate, and the bolster beam;
• and,
• a plurality of gusset plates each having a first edge portion attached to the slope sheet and a second edge portion attached to the shear plate, the gusset plates being laterally spaced substantially in parallel relation with respect to each other in an array which extends laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the car.

A modular bolster assembly for attachment to an end hopper compartment of a railway car of the type including generally arcuate side sheets having a side sill member extending longitudinally along the lower marginal portion of each side sheet, the modular bolster assembly comprising, in combination:

• an inclined end slope sheet for closing the end hopper compartment;
• a substantially horizontally disposed shear plate having spaced apart upturned integral end portions forming a channel shaped section, one of said end portions being attached to the slope sheet, and said shear plate having opposite side portions for attachment to the side sill members;
• a plurality of vertical gusset plates each having upper terminal edges secured to the slope sheet and lower terminal edges secured to the shear plate, the vertical gusset plates projecting in perpendicular relation to the shear plate and being laterally spaced substantially in parallel relation with respect to each other in an array which extends laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the car;
• and,
• draft sill assembly means secured to the bolster assembly.

In a railway hopper car of the type including a car body defined by opposite arcuate side sheets having a side sill extending longitudinally along the lower margin of each side sheet and at least a first end slope sheet partially defining an end hopper compartment, the combination with the car body of an end support structure for the end hopper compartment, the end support structure including a bolster assembly comprising:

• a substantially horizontally disposed shear plate having opposite side portions secured to the side sills and an end portion secured to the first end slope sheet;
• a stub center sill disposed subjacent and connected to the shear plate substantially in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the car body;
• a bolster beam extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the car body on either side of the stub center sill and interconnecting the stub center sill with each side sill;
• a bolster web assembly interconnecting the stub center sill, the shear plate and the bolster beam;
• a plurality of vertical gusset plates interconnecting the first end slope sheet and shear plate, each of the gusset plates having a first edge portion connected to the first end slope sheet and a second edge portion connected to the shear plate, the gusset plates being disposed in spaced parallel relation with respect to each other in an array which extends laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the car;
• and
• an end sill having opposite end portions connected to the side sills and a side edge portion connected to the shear plate, the end sill extending laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the car body;
• and the gusset plates each have a third edge portion connected to the end sill.