US 6,289,822 B1Granted

Auto rack railway car

AssigneeThrall Car Manufacturing Company

InventorsJames E. Black, Jr., Andrew B. Eaker, Mark L. Litherland, Michael J. Rench, James C. Robertson, Ralph H. Schorr

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Abstract

A railway car for transportation of motor vehicles. The railway car may be articulated, comprising two or more units. The railway car may have end doors which are pivotally attached to the roof of the railway car. Flexible seals may be provided along the inner and outer edges of the end doors. Ventilation in the side walls of the railway car may be provided by small diameter perforations grouped at elevations near the top and bottom of each level. The side walls may be constructed by a combination of load bearing side wall panels which function as shear plates, and vertical posts. Protection for the door edges of motor vehicles being carried in the railway car may be provided by providing a plurality of parallel horizontal strips of a relatively soft material along the inside of each side wall on each level. A flexible enclosure may be provided between adjacent car units. A heat-reflecting corrosion-resistant coating may be provided on the galvanized steel corrugated roof to extend the life of the roof.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A railway car capable of transporting automobiles in commercial rail service, said car comprising a floor, a roof, a pair of upstanding side walls, a pair of end doors, and at least one upper deck spaced above the floor of the car so that automobiles may be supported on at least two levels;

each of said upstanding side walls comprising a plurality of substantially vertical posts supporting said at least one upper deck and roof, and
a plurality of side wall panels connected to said substantially vertical posts;
said side wall panels functioning as shear plates to tie said vertical posts together and to bear substantial loads in the plane of said side wall;
each of said side wall panels extending substantially the entire height of said side wall, and some of said side wall panels having a plurality of separate groups of perforations for ventilation and lighting formed therein, with other portions of the side wall panels being imperforate to reduce admission of airborne particulates
said groups of perforations including a horizontal series of groups along the bottom of at least one level to provide lighting and ventilation for workers adjusting wheel chocks at the floor of the level;
said groups of perforations being spaced inward from the edges of the panel and being spaced vertically from one another in each panel.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.