Railway car body structural arrangement

A railway car body having:

• a center sill having an upper surface
• said center sill being a stub center sill;
• a bottom closure member having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface of said bottom closure member engaging the upper surface of the center sill;
• said upper surface defining a cargo engaging surface;
• said bottom closure member having two sides laterally outwardly spaced from said center sill;
• a pair of side sill members, each engaging and fixedly connected with a respective side of the bottom closure member and having a pair of opposing longitudinal ends;
• said bottom closure member serving as a shear plate member for beaming draft and buff force loadings to the sides of the bottom closure member;
• a pair of side wall members each connected with a respective side sill member and extending upwardly therefrom;
• the side wall members, the side sill members, and the bottom closure member defining a cargo carrying space therebetween;
• a pair of bolster post members each supported adjacent the bottom closure member and fixedly connected with a respective side sill member intermediate the longitudinal ends thereof and connected with a respective side wall member for receiving loads therefrom;
• and
• a body bolster extending transversely with respect to said center sill and extending between said bolster post members;
• said bolster being fixedly engaged with said upper surface of said bottom closure member and with said bolster post members;
• the bolster comprising:
• a pair of bolster side plate members continuously extending from one of said sides of said bottom closure member to the other of said sides of said member;
• each of said bolster side plate members having a lower edge portion rigidly engaged with said upper surface of said bottom closure member and each of said bolster side plate members having an upper edge portion;
• and
• a top plate member being rigidly affixed to said side plate members adjacent said upper edge portion of each of said side plate members and forming a beam with said plate members and said bottom closure member for transmitting loads inwardly from the bolster post members;
• and
• each of said side plate members and said top plate member having end portions, said bolster post members being located outwardly of the end portions of the side and top plate members, said end portions abutting and rigidly affixed to the bolster post members to securely connect the bolster post members to the bolster for transferring loads therebetween.

A railway car comprising:

• a stub center sill;
• a bottom closure member having a lower surface portion fixedly engaging the center sill;
• a truck pivotally connected with and supporting said center sill;
• means for limiting tilt of the railway car being connected with the lower surface portion of the bottom closure member and extending downwardly therefrom to engage the truck as the railway car tilts;
• the bottom closure member having an upper surface portion and two opposing lateral side portions;
• said upper surface portion defining a cargo engaging surface;
• a pair of side sills extending longitudinally with respect to the car, each of said side sills engaging and being connected with a respective lateral side portion of the bottom closure member;
• said bottom closure member serving as shear plate member for bearing draft and buff force loadings to two side portions of the bottom closure member;
• a pair of side wall members each connected with a respective side sill and extending upwardly therefrom;
• the side wall members, the side sills and the bottom closure member defining a cargo carrying space therebetween;
• a pair of bolster post members each supported on a respective side sill, the side sill extending substantially continuously below the bolster post member;
• a bolster structure extending laterally with respect to the railway car connected to the upper surface of the bottom closure member substantially above the means for limiting tilt;
• said bolster structure including a pair of laterally extending longitudinally spaced bolster side walls having a lower end thereof fixedly connected to said bottom closure member, said bolster side walls abutting and being fixedly engaged with the bolster post member;
• said bolster structure further including an upper wall being fixedly connected with an upper portion of each of the bolster side walls and forming a beam with said bolster side walls and said bottom closure member for transferring loads laterally inwardly from the bolster post members;
• said bolster post members each engaging and being fixedly connected with the bolster side walls and upper wall for securely connecting the bolster post members to the bolster structure for transferring loads therebetween;
• reinforcement means supported between said bolster side walls substantially above the means for limiting tilt for reinforcing the bolster structure for receiving loads applied to the means for limiting tilt as the railway car tilts on the truck.

A railway car body having:

• a stub center sill;
• a bottom closure shear plate member having an upper surface portion and a lower surface portion, said lower surface portion being rigidly engaged with said center sill,
• said upper surface portion defining a cargo engaging surface;
• said bottom closure shear plate member having first and second sides laterally outwardly spaced from said center sill and beaming draft and buff force loadings to said sides;
• first and second side sill members rigidly engaged with said first and second sides respectively, and
• a pair of sidewall members each connected with a respective side sill member and extending upwardly therefrom
• the side wall members, the side sill members, and the bottom closure shear plate member defining a cargo carrying space therebetween;
• first and second bolster posts each being supported substantially above a longitudinally intermediate portion of a respective side sill member and rigidly engaged therewith, said side sill members extending substantially continuously beside the bottom closure shear plate member and extending substantially continuously below said bolster posts whereby the resulting structure has additional strength provided by the substantially continuous side sill members not interrupted by cross sectional strength detractive welds;
• and
• a body bolster comprising:
• first and second bolster side plate members, each of said side plate members having a first end abutting and rigidly engaged with said first bolster post and a second end abutting and rigidly engaged with said second bolster post, said first and second bolster posts each being positioned laterally outward of the respective end of the bolster side plate member engaged therewith;
• and
• said bolster side plate members having a lower edge portion rigidly engaged with said upper surface portion of said bottom closure shear plate member whereby said bottom closure shear plate member serves as a bottom structural closure plate for said bolster and
• a top plate member fixedly connected to upper portions of the bolster side plate members and extending therebetween, said top plate member being fixedly connected with the bolster posts for receiving loads therefrom;
• said top plate member and side plate members forming a box-like beam for transferring loads laterally inwardly from the bolster posts.