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US 4,686,907 AGranted
Low level freight car
AssigneeHawker Siddeley Canada Ltd.
InventorsRonald F. Woollam, Maurice L. MacDougall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A low-level freight car for carrying trailers and containers at a low overall height combines a low center sill with relatively light side sill assemblies to provide a rigid structure having low deflection characteristics under the expected buff, draft and vertical load combinations, while keeping overall tare weight to reasonable levels and providing an adequate safety factor.
Claims17
A low-level freight car comprising:
- (a) a center sill extending the full length of the car and having a depressed low-level intermediate section and opposing raised end sections having a goose-neck configuration;
- (b) a pair of side sill assemblies each of substantial depth and beam strength disposed in spaced flanking relation to said center sill;
- (c) a low-level floor structure including a plurality of spaced lateral members connected between said low-level depressed center sill intermediate section and lower portions of each of said side sill assemblies for supporting at least a portion of the vertical loadings produced by a load being carried by the freight car in such a manner that these vertical loadings are transmitted via said lateral members to both said center sill intermediate section and to said side sill assemblies so that these vertical loadings are shared between them;
- (d) end frame structures at opposing ends of the car interconnecting the center sill raised end sections to said side sill assemblies such that longitudinal buff and draft forces applied to said center sill end sections are in part transmitted to said side sill assemblies whereby such longitudinal forces are also shared between said center sill and the side sill assemblies;
- (e) the side sill assemblies having upper extremities which are located at a level substantially above the level of said low-level center sill intermediate section to define together with said low level floor structure and said end frame structures an elongated well for receiving cargo.
2 more elements
A low-level freight car comprising:
- (a) a center sill extending the full length of the car and having a depressed low-level intermediate section and opposing raised end sections having a goose-neck configuration;
- (b) a pair of side sill assemblies disposed in spaced flanking relation to said center sill;
- (c) low-level floor structure including a plurality of spaced lateral members connected between said low-level depressed center sill intermediate section and lower portions of each of said side sill assemblies and a platform located on a plurality of said lateral members for supporting at least a portion of a load being carried by the freight car and transmitting such loadings via said lateral members to both said center sill intermediate section and to said side sill assemblies;
- (d) end frame structures at the opposing ends of the car interconnecting the center sill raised end sections to said side sill assemblies such that buff and draft forces applied to said center sill end sections are in part transmitted to said side sill assemblies whereby such forces are shared between said center sill and the side sill assemblies;
- (e) each said side sill assembly comprising an elongated top side tube and an elongated bottom side member in spaced parallel relation to said top side tube, and a plurality of spaced apart vertical posts interconnected between said top side tube and bottom side member;
- (f) said top side tubes of the side sill assemblies being located at a level substantially above the level of said low level center sill intermediate section to define, together with said low-level floor structure and said end frame structures, an elongated well extending lengthwise of said car for receiving cargo;
- (g) said spaced lateral members comprising spaced apart transverse co-planar cross bearers having inner ends welded to the center sill intermediate section and outer ends welded to the bottom side member of the side sill assembly, said platform including a grating or floor plate extending lengthwise of said car and a plurality of additional lateral members in the form of tubes located intermediate said cross bearers in the region of the grating or floor plate to provide additional support therefor;
- and
- (h) said end frame structures including a shear plate extending the width of the car at each end thereof and each affixed to a respective center sill end section and to the opposing side sill assemblies, the end frame structures further including a transverse stiffener member at each end of the car of transmitting vertical loadings inwardly from the side sill assemblies to said center sill.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.