Vehicle carrying rail road car and bridge plate therefor

A rail road car bridge plate operable to permit a vehicle to be conducted between respective vehicle decks of a pair of first and second longitudinally coupled rail road cars, said bridge plate comprising:

• a beam locatable in a longitudinal orientation relative to the rail road cars to span a gap therebetween, said beam having first and second ends;
• said beam having a surface upon which the vehicle can be conducted;
• said beam having a fitting by which to mount said beam to the first of the rail road cars;
• said fitting being operable to accommodate yawing of said beam relative to the first rail road car when said beam is located in the longitudinal orientation and the rail road cars are in motion;
• and
• said fitting permitting movement of said beam from said longitudinal orientation to a cross-wise orientation relative to the first rail road car when said beam is disengaged from the second rail road car,
• wherein said second end of said beam has the form of a bifurcated toe.

A bridge plate for spanning a length-wise gap between corresponding vehicle decks of a pair of first and second releasably coupled rail road cars, said bridge plate comprising:

• a beam member for supporting the weight of a wheeled vehicle, said beam member having an upwardly facing surface upon which the vehicle can be conducted between the rail road cars, said beam having first and second ends;
• a first fitting for engaging the first rail road car;
• a second fitting for engaging the second rail road car;
• said first fitting being mountable to connect said first end of said beam to the first rail road car, said first fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the first rail road car about a first axis normal to said surface;
• said second fitting being mountable to connect said second end of said beam to the second rail road car, said second fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the second rail road car about a second axis normal to said surface;
• said second fitting being operable to accommodate variation of distance between the first and second axes while said rail road cars are coupled together and in motion and one of said first and second fittings being disengageable,
• wherein said second end of said beam is bifurcated to form a pair of toes, and said second fitting is a slot defined between said toes.

A bridge plate for spanning a length-wise gap between corresponding vehicle decks of a pair of first and second releasably coupled rail road cars, said bridge plate comprising:

• a beam member for supporting the weight of a wheeled vehicle, said beam member having an upwardly facing surface upon which the vehicle can be conducted between the rail road cars, said beam having first and second ends;
• a first fitting for engaging the first rail road car;
• a second fitting for engaging the second rail road car;
• said first fitting being mountable to connect said first end of said beam to the first rail road car, said first fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the first rail road car about a first axis normal to said surface;
• said second fitting being mountable to connect said second end of said beam to the second rail road car, said second fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the second rail road car about a second axis normal to said surface;
• said second fitting being operable to accommodate variation of distance between the first and second axes while said rail road cars are coupled together and in motion and one of said first and second fittings being disengageable,
• wherein said beam includes a top flange, a bottom flange, and webs extending therebetween.

A bridge plate for spanning a length-wise gap between corresponding vehicle decks of a pair of first and second releasably coupled rail road cars, said bridge plate comprising:

• a beam member for supporting the weight of a wheeled vehicle, said beam member having an upwardly facing surface upon which the vehicle can be conducted between the rail road cars, said beam having first and second ends;
• a first fitting for engaging the first rail road car;
• a second fitting for engaging the second rail road car;
• said first fitting being mountable to connect said first end of said beam to the first rail road car, said first fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the first rail road car about a first axis normal to said surface;
• said second fitting being mountable to connect said second end of said beam to the second rail road car, said second fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the second rail road car about a second axis normal to said surface;
• said second fitting being operable to accommodate variation of distance between the first and second axes while said rail road cars are coupled together and in motion and one of said first and second fittings being disengageable,
• wherein said beam has a bottom flange, and a plastic pad mounted to said bottom flange.

A bridge plate for spanning a gap between corresponding vehicle decks of a pair of first and second releasably coupled rail road cars, said bridge plate having:

• a first pivot fitting mountable to the first rail road car, said pivot fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the first rail road car about a first vertical axis;
• a second fitting for engaging the second rail road car, said second fitting including a linear extension member permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to a second vertical axis fixed relative to the second rail road car;
• said first fitting being tolerant of yaw motion of the bridge plate relative to the first rail road car when said first fitting is mounted thereto;
• said second fitting being disengageable relative to the second rail road car;
• said second fitting being tolerant of yaw motion of the bridge plate relative to the second rail road car when said second fitting is engaged thereto;
• and
• said linear extension member tolerating variation in distance between the first and second axes,
• wherein said bridge plate is a beam having an upper flange, a lower flange, and vertical webs extending therebetween.

A bridge plate kit for spanning a gap between respective vehicle decks of a pair of first and second releasably coupled rail road cars, said kit comprising:

• a bridge plate;
• a first pivot pin having a first pivot axis, said first pivot pin being mountable to the first rail road car with said first pivot axis in a vertical orientation;
• a second pivot pin having a second pivot axis, said second pivot pin being mountable to the second rail road car with said second pivot axis in a vertical orientation;
• and
• said bridge plate having
• a track surface upon which a vehicle can be conducted between the railroad cars when said bridge plate is mounted to span the gap;
• a first fitting in engagement with said first pivot pin, said bridge plate being pivotable relative to said first pivot axis;
• a second fitting in engagement with said second pivot pin, said bridge plate being pivotable relative to said second axis;
• said bridge plate being translatable relative to said second axis;
• and
• one of said pivot pins being disengageable,
• wherein said bridge plate includes a beam member for supporting loads to be conducted between said first and second rail road cars, said beam has a pair of toes at one end thereof, and said second fitting is an open ended slot defined between said toes.