Plug assemblies and methods for plugging holes in railroad autorack cars

A double plug assembly for plugging holes in the deck of railroad autorack cars, comprising

• a plug base having
• a first plug base portion connected to a second plug base portion by a connector portion,
• the second plug base portion having a bolt opening in its center portion for receiving a bolt and having a nut recess for receiving a nut and having depending sidewalls,
• nut recess means in the bottom portion of the second plug base portion for receiving the nut and preventing the nut from turning,
• a first inboard plug integrally mounted on and extending upwardly from the first plug base portion and adapted to be installed into a first inboard deck hole from beneath the deck,
• a detached second outboard plug having an upper cover plate with an upper surface and a lower surface with a hole in its center for receiving the bolt and holding the head of the bolt and passing the stem of the bolt through the bolt hole and attaching the bolt to a nut in the nut recess,
• a pair of spaced-apart flanges depending downwardly from the lower surface of the upper plate for stradling the sidewalls of the second plug base portion for preventing the upper cover plate from turning,
• said deck holes having a top surface, and edge portions,
• said upper cover plate of the second plug being wider and longer than the second outboard deck hole so that the edge portions of the lower surface of the cover plate are adapted to rest on the edge portions of the top surface of the second outboard deck hole,
• whereby the deck plug assembly may be installed by one person, and may be installed from the top surface of the deck by attaching the second outboard plug loosely to the second plug base portion with a nut positioned in the nut recess and a bolt inserted partway into the nut, holding the deck plug assembly by the second plug base portion and inserting the first plug base portion downwardly through the second deck hole and inserting the first inboard plug into the first inboard deck hole from below, and tightening the bolt to hold the first plug in the first inboard deck hole to close the first inboard deck hole, and to hold the second plug over the second outboard deck hole to close the second outboard deck hole.

A method of plugging holes in the deck of railroad autorack cars (49) from the top of the deck, comprising providing

• a plug base having
• a first plug base portion connected to a second plug base portion by a connector portion,
• the second plug portion having a bolt opening in its center portion for receiving a bolt and having a nut recess for receiving a nut and having depending sidewalls,
• nut recess means in the bottom portion of the second plug base portion for receiving the nut and preventing the nut from turning,
• a first inboard plug integrally mounted on and extending upwardly from the first plug base portion and adapted to be installed into a first inboard deck hole from beneath the deck,
• a detached second outboard plug having an upper plate with an upper surface and a lower surface with a hole in its center for receiving the bolt and passing the stem of the bolt through the bolt hole and attaching the bolt to a nut in the nut recess,
• a pair of spaced-apart flanges depending downwardly from the lower surface of the upper plate for stradling the sidewalls of the second plug base portion for preventing the upper plate from turning,
• said deck holes having a top surface and edge portions,
• said upper plate of the second plug being wider and longer than the second outboard deck hole so that the edge portions of the lower surface of the plate are adapted to rest on the edge portions of the top surface of the second outboard deck hole,
• said method comprising the steps of:
• attaching the second outboard plug loosely to the second plug base portion by positioning a nut in the nut recess, and inserting a bolt partway into the nut,
• holding the deck plug assembly by the second plug base portion and inserting the first plug base portion downwardly through the second deck hole,
• inserting the first plug into the first inboard deck hole from underneath the deck,
• and tightening the bolt to hold the first plug in the first inboard deck hole to close the first inboard deck hole and to hold the second plug to cover the second outboard deck hole to close the second outboard deck hole.

A double plug assembly plugging holes in a deck of a railroad autorack car, comprising:

• a first plug means for plugging a first of said deck holes from the bottom of the deck,
• said first plug means including a first plug,
• a second plug assembly means for plugging a second of said deck holes from the top of the deck,
• connecting means connecting the first plug means to the second plug assembly means,
• said second plug assembly means including a second plug,
• said connecting means being located beneath the plugs,
• and said second plug assembly means including clamping means for clamping the second plug to the second deck hole and for holding the first plug in the first deck hole.