Chafing reduction device for a center beam railway car
AssigneeTRN Business Trust
InventorsJames Stephen Clark, Charles L. Van Auken
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is directed to a center beam railway car adapted for reducing chafing between lading and a center beam structure of the railway car. According to an embodiment of the invention, lading may be stacked against rollers provided along the center beam structure to reduce friction between the center beam structure and the lading. In an embodiment of the invention, the rollers may be adapted to accommodate both horizontal and vertical relative movement between the lading and the center beam structure of the railway car.
Claims24
A center beam railway car capable of transporting lading in commercial rail service, the railway car having a support surface for supporting the lading, a pair of bulkheads proximate opposite ends of the support surface, and a longitudinally extending center beam structure extending between the bulkheads having outwardly facing lateral surfaces, and
- at least one roller engaging the lading to reduce chafing contact between the lateral surfaces and the lading.
A center beam railway car capable of transporting lading in commercial rail service, the railway car having a support surface for supporting the lading, a pair of bulkheads proximate opposite ends of the support surface, and a longitudinally extending center beam structure extending between the bulkheads having outwardly facing lateral surfaces, and
- at least one friction reducing member positioned between the lading and the center beam structure effective to reduce chafing contact between the lateral surfaces and the lading due to both vertical and horizontal relative movement between the lading and the center beam structure.
A method of reducing chafing of lading on a center beam railway car, the center beam railway car having a longitudinally extending center beam with a plurality of vertical posts and a top chord connecting the vertical posts, the method comprising:
- mounting at least one roller relative to the center beam;
- and
- resting lading against the roller such that at least a portion of the lading contacts the roller, the roller being effective to reduce chafing between the vertical posts and the lading.
A center beam railway car for transporting lading, the railway car having a generally planar support surface, a pair of bulkheads proximate opposite ends of the support surface, and a longitudinally extending center beam structure extending between the bulkheads having outwardly facing lateral surfaces, and
- means positioned between the lading and the centerbeam structure for reducing chafing between the lateral surfaces of the center beam structure and the lading.
A center beam railway car capable of transporting lading in commercial rail service, the railway car comprising:
- a longitudinally extending center beam structure having a plurality of vertically extending posts with outwardly facing surfaces and a longitudinally extending top chord connecting the posts;
- and
- at least one roller extending substantially parallel to the outwardly facing surfaces of the vertical posts effective to reduce chafing contact between the outwardly facing surfaces and the lading.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.