543,612. Railway vehicle undercarriages. BUDD MANUFACTURING CO., E. G. Aug. 31, 1940, No. 13690. Convention date, Sept. 22, 1939. [Classes 103 (iv) and 103 (vi)] A rail car underframe comprises a centre sill 10 formed from a number of deeply longitudinally ribbed members of sheet metal joined together at their margins to form a box section structure to which bolsters 11 and floor beams 16 are secured. The centre sill terminates a little beyond the bolsters and is connected to the end sills 14 by built up sheet metal structures 13 overlapping the ends of the centre sill and provided with lateral extensions at their outer ends. The side walls of the body are separately assembled with the side sills and are finally secured to the ends of the floor beams. Fig. 13 shows the bolster and centre sill construction. The centre sill comprises two side plates 17 having flanges 21 and deep ribs 18 connected together by members 19 which are reinforced by bent plates 23. At its connection to the bolster the comers are further reinforced by bent strips 46. In a modified construction the parts 23 are omitted and the flanges of the members 19 extended up the sides of the plates 17, which may be further reinforced by correspondingly ribbed plates nested outside them. The bolster comprises upper and lower plates 25, 26 connected by channel-section plates 27 with out-turned flanges reinforced by plates 33 .. 36, angle section strips 38, 391, gusset plates 39 having flanges 40, 41, deep angle-plates 28 the lower flanges of which rest upon the centre sill and by bracing tubes 31 with flanged rings 32. The centre bearing casting 42 and side bearings 37 are secured to the reinforced lower flanges of the bolster. Fig. 7 shows the inner part of the end sill 14, which is of channel-section, and its connections to the centre sill extensions shown in plane in Fig. 21. Figs. 22 and 23 are sections on the lines 22 .. 22 and 23 .. 23 of Fig. 21. Deep Z-shaped plates 47 are secured to the sides of the centre sill and extend above it to floor level. These plates are reinforced by J-shaped members 55 and wide flanged members 53. The lower parts of the members 47 are cut away towards the end sill to allow the coupling 48 to swing. Between the end sill 14 and a subsidiary sill 15 additional flanged plates 62 are provided braced to the members 53 by plates 69 and reinforced by channel members 63 and angle plates 64 forming a box girder. Towards the end sill the plates 62 are deepened and secured to castings 86 for supporting a transverse casting 88 upon which the coupling 48 slides. The reduced ends of posts 81 on the end wall of the body are secured to the forward ends of the castings 86 which are further braced to the end sill and to other posts 89 by flanged plates 75. A buffer casting is secured between the posts 81. Other plates 66, 66<SP>1</SP>, 68 secure the centre sill extensions to the web of the end sill. The parts 53, 47 are braced together where shown by plates 109, 110 and by plates 106 secured to channel members 55, welded to the webs of the members 47. The coupling is mounted between castings secured to the inner sides of the members 47 which are reinforced by channel members 57. The floor beams comprise C-shaped members resting on the centre sill and additionally secured by vertical channel strips welded to the web of the floor beam and to the sides of the centre sill. Subsidiary beams are made shallower and an L-shaped plate is interposed between the beam and the channel members, the flange of the plate resting on the centre sill. The transversely corrugated floor plates 105 are secured to Z-section members 95, Fig. 13, resting on the floor beams and the bolsters, those opposite the floor beams and the bolsters, those apposite the side extensions of the centre sill terminating at the bolster and the floor being secured directly to the members 47, 53, 62. The side sills comprise members 98 .. 104, Fig. 7, previously secured to the posts and plating 97 of the body sides, and finally secured to the ends of the sills 14, 15, the bolsters, and floor beams.