US 5,657,698 AGranted

Pivot plate assembly for articulated railway cars

AssigneeThrall Car Manufacturing Company

InventorsJames E. Black, Jr., Donald J. Blunden, Michael J. Rench, Ralph H. Schorr

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Abstract

A pivot plate assembly for supporting vehicles over the articulation between pivotably interconnected railway car units, and allowing rolling transport of vehicles from one railway car unit to the next. Platforms are pivotably attached to respective railway car units adjacent their interconnected ends. A vehicle has its front end portion secured to one of the pivotal platforms and its rear end portion secured to the other platform while the platforms are oriented collinearly with respect to one another. The vehicle thereby maintains the pivotal platforms collinear with one another as the railway car units pivot with respect to one another. Accordingly, the pivotal platforms remain substantially stationary with respect to the vehicle supported thereon throughout pivotal movement of the railway car units to stably support the vehicle straddling the articulation between pivotably interconnected railway car units during transport. Bridge plates are slidably engaged to both of the railway car units and span the pair of pivotal platforms to allow rolling transport of vehicles over the articulation from one railway car unit to the next. The platform assembly remains in place throughout loading, transport, and unloading of vehicles. Each of the pivotal platforms and bridge plates may comprise one or more molded polymeric structures having a ribbed bottom surface to provide light weight, high strength, and durability.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An articulated railway car for cost-effective shipment of automotive vehicles comprising adjoining first and second vehicle-transporting railway car units and a pivot plate assembly for spanning said adjoining first and second vehicle-transporting railway car units at their articulation to support a vehicle having a front portion and a rear portion stradding the articulation during transport in which the railway car units move between a straight position in which the railway car units are generally collinear with respect to one another, and a curved position in which the railway car units are angled with respect to one another, the first and second railway car units having respective longitudinal axes and car decks, and the pivot plate assembly comprising:

a first platform having a longitudinal axis and being pivotably engaged to the first railway car unit adjacent the end thereof adjoined to the second railway car unit, to allow pivotal movement of the first platform between a straightened position in which the longitudinal axis of the first platform aligns with the longitudinal axis of the first railway car unit and an angled position in which the longitudinal axis of the first platform extends at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the first railway car unit;
a second platform having a longitudinal axis and being pivotably engaged to the second car adjacent the end thereof adjoined to the first railway car unit to allow pivotal movement of the second platform between a straightened position in which the longitudinal axis of the second platform aligns with the longitudinal axis of the second railway car unit, and an angled position in which the longitudinal axis of the second platform extends at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the second railway car unit;
said first and second platforms each having means for engaging a respective one of the front and rear portions of the vehicle straddling the articulation;
and
the first and second platforms being maintainable in substantially collinear relation to one another by the vehicle during movement of the first and second railway car units with respect to one another between said straightened and angled positions, to stably support the vehicle on the platforms straddling the articulation during transport.

2 more elements

An articulated railway car for cost-effective shipment of automotive vehicles comprising a pair of adjoining first and second vehicle-carrying railway car units and a pivot plate assembly for spanning said pair of adjoining first and second vehicle-carrying railway car units at their articulation to allow rolling loading and unloading of vehicles between the first and second units across the articulation, the rack comprising:

a first platform pivotably engaged to the first unit adjacent the end adjoining the second unit, to allow pivotal movement of the first platform between a straightened position in which the first platform extends generally parallel to the first unit and an angled position in which the first platform extends at an angle with respect to the first unit;
a second platform pivotably engaged to the second unit adjacent the end adjoining the first unit to allow pivotal movement of the second platform between a straightened position in which the second platform extends generally parallel to the second unit and an angled position in which the second platform extends at an angle with respect to the second unit;
a first bridge plate slidably engaged with the first and second units and disposed between the first and second platforms and their respective units adjacent the first side of the units;
a second bridge plate slidably engaged with said first and second units and disposed between the first and second platforms and their respective units adjacent the second side of the units;
first platform biasing means for biasing said first platform to its straightened position;
second platform biasing means for biasing said second platform to its straightened position;
and
the first and second platforms being in overlapping relation to both the first and second bridge plates during angular movement of the first unit with respect to the second unit to allow rolling loading and unloading of vehicles across the articulation both with the first car extending at an angle, and extending parallel with respect to, the second unit.

5 more elements

An articulated car for transporting vehicles by rail, comprising:

a first vehicle-transporting railway car unit;
a second vehicle-transporting railway car unit pivotably connected to said first railway car unit to allow movement of the first and second railway car units between a straight position in which the railway car units are generally collinear with respect to one another and an angled position in which the railway car units are angled with respect to one another, said first and second railway car units having respective longitudinal axes and railway car unit decks;
a first platform having a longitudinal axis and being pivotably engaged to the first railway car unit adjacent the end thereof adjoined to the second railway car unit, to allow pivotal movement of the first platform between a straightened position in which the longitudinal axis of the first platform aligns with the longitudinal axis of the first railway car unit and an angled position in which the longitudinal axis of the first platform extends at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the first railway car unit;
a second platform having a longitudinal axis and being pivotably engaged to the second railway car unit adjacent the end thereof adjoined to the first railway car unit to allow pivotal movement of the second platform between a straightened position in which the longitudinal axis of the second platform aligns with the longitudinal axis of the second railway car unit, and an angled position in which the longitudinal axis of the second platform extends at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the second railway car unit;
said first and second platforms each having means for engaging a respective one of the front and rear portions of a vehicle straddling the articulation;
and
the first and second platforms being maintainable in substantially collinear relation to one another by the vehicle during movement of the first and second railway car units with respect to one another between said straightened and angled positions, to stably support the vehicle on the platforms straddling the articulation during transport.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.