Stack supporting container car

A stack supporting container railway car unit for selectively supporting upper and lower containers of the same length, or upper and lower containers with the upper container being longer than the lower container, each container having four upright corners defined by side and end walls, and also having top and bottom walls with the bottom of the lower container being spaced as close to the top of the railroad tracks as believed safe, comprising:

• (a) first and second trucks having wheels adapted to be supported on railroad tracks;
• (b) a first body bolster pivotally supported on said first truck;
• (c) a second body bolster pivotally supported on said second truck;
• (d) a pair of parallel side sills rigidly secured to said body bolsters, said body bolsters and said side sills defining an opening of sufficient size to permit the bottom of a lower container to pass therebetween;
• (e) means defining corner supporting feet each including a generally horizontal container supporting surface and adapted to receive the corners of said lower container for solely supporting the weight of the containers and transmitting the weight to said side sills, said corner supporting feet including upstanding transverse surface means for assisting the side sills to restrain longitudinal and transverse movement of the lower container in said car unit;
• (f) a first bulkhead rigidly secured to said first body bolster and to said side sills;
• (g) a second bulkhead rigidly secured to at least said side sills;
• (h) restraining means, included in each of said first and second bulkheads, including fixed longitudinal and transverse bulkhead walls positioned respectively on each bulkhead to restrain at least the lower portions of associated corners of the upper container, for maintaining an upper container in transport position upon a lower container within the railway car unit;
• and
• (i) a plurality of movable corner engaging mechanisms adapted to be moved to a container restraining position in which respective parts thereof extend transversely inward of respective ones of said longitudinal bulkhead walls to restrain longitudinal and lateral movement of the upper container when subjected to severe container dislodging forces, when both containers are of the same length, and said movable corner engaging mechanisms being adapted to be moved out of said container restraining position and said longitudinal and transverse bulkhead walls being effective to assist in restraining movement of the upper container while said corner supporting feet, assisted by said side sills and body bolsters, restain longitudinal and lateral movement of the lower containers when the upper container is longer than said lower container.