US2060156A - Railway hopper car - Google Patents

Description

' W. E. WINE RAILWAY HOPPER CAR Nov. 10, 1936.

2 Sheecss--Sheetl l Filed May 20, 11.935

Nov. 10, 1936. w, E, W|NE 2,060,156

RAILWAY HOPPER CAR Filed May 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. l0, 1936 UNITED STATES marianiI OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to railway cars, more particularly to railway cars of the hopper type. The center sills of such cars are customarily provided with hoods which prevent lading from lodging on top of the center sills and the principal objectV of the invention is to provide improved means for reinforcing the car construction in the regions where the center sill hood adjoins the Ainclined floors of the car and for rigidly connecting adjacent portions of the hood and floor.y I

Specific features of the invention residing in advantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts will hereinafter appear and be pointed out more particularly in the claims.

In the drawvings,` illustrating the preferred embodiment of thel invention,

Figure l is a plan View of a portion of a railway hopper car.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the car reinforcing member.

Figure 5 is an end view thereof.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the same.

Figure 7 is ra sectional View taken on line 1-1 of Figure 4.

In the drawings, I designates a center sill of `usual construction involving spaced beams 2 having upper flanges 3 projecting toward each other and rigidly connected by the cover plate 4. Embracing the upper portion of the center sill is a hood 5 having downwardly diverging portions 6 which terminate in substantially vertical flanges l rigidly secured to the sides of the sill.

In hopper cars, as is well known, the floors incline downwardly from the ends of the car and continue down past the center sill on opposite sides thereof. The cars are also formed with additional downwardly inclined sheets commonly referred to as cross ridge sheets which extend transversely of the car intermediate the hoppers. These intermediate floor sheets, as well as the main or end floor sheets of the car, usually extend from above the top of the center sill hood to below the same and in the past, as there is always some relative movement between the center sill and oor sheets due to weaving and wracking of the car not only in its passage along the rails, but also when used in dumping machines, difficulty has been experienced in effecting and maintaining a rigid connection be- (Cl. S-249) tween the floor sheets and the center sill hood as both are relatively flexible.

The portion of the car chosen to illustrate the invention is adjacent one end of the car where the center sill passes beyond the floor sheets, but it will be readily appreciated that the invention is equally well applicable to portions of the car where the cross ridge sheets adjoin the center sill.

The portion of the oor of the car illustrated in Figure 1 is formed by a sheet 8 which preferably extends continuously from one side of the car to the other and from a point adjacent the body bolster (not shown) of the car to a point slightly below the top of the center sill. Secured to the lower edge of floor sheet 8 on opposite sides of the center sill are sheets 9 forming the bottom or slope sheet of the hoppers which, as is well known, are arranged on opposite sides of the sill. The car hoppers are also formed with outer side sheets Ill and with inner side sheets II which preferably extend upwardly between the center sill and the vertical flanges 'I of the hood, so that one set of rivets may be employed for connecting both the hood and inner hopper sheets to the sill. The side sheets of the hoppers are usually formed with inturned flanges I2 underlying and secured to the slope sheet 9.

The means for connecting adjoining portions of the inclined floor of the car to the center sill hood and for also rigidifying the car construction at this point is preferably formed as a unitary casting and it is provided with downwardly diverging top walls I3 respectively disposed in planes paralleling the corresponding portions 6 of the hood for overlapping attachment thereto. While this attachment may be effected by welding, it is preferred to employ rivets and, in order that the hood and casting may be connected at the apices of their diverging portions, the casting may advantageously be formed with an upwardly extending boss I 4, the upper surface of which is preferably flush with the top of the hood and affords a flat surface constituting an adequate abutment for the adjacent head of the attaching rivet. Adjacent the boss I4, the upper portions of the top walls I3 are preferably reinforced by a depending transversely extending flange I9.

The'connecting and rigidifying casting is also formed with substantially vertical side walls I5 for attachment to the sides of the center sill and with a bordering ange I6 which is inclined in a plane parallel. with the :door for connection thereto. The flange I6 has substantially parallel portions I'I which project laterally from the respective side walls I and convergent portions I8 which extend upwardly along the top walls I'I and meetl at the apex of the latter. All portions of the ange are preferably disposed in the same plane and overlap the upper surface of adjoining portions of the oor sheet 8.

Each of the side walls I5 extend on opposite sides of the adjacent portion I'I of the flange I6 and thereby alford portions 20 and 2I which are rigidly secured to the neighborhing side of the center sill above and below the car floor. Each of the portions 2I is preferably of such size as to receive a plurality of connecting rivets and the portion 20 is offset slightly outwardly to receive between it and the center sill portions of the adjacent vertical flange 'I of the hood and the upper end of the inner side sheet II of the hopper. By rigidly connecting the side walls of the casting to the sides of the center sill, and it will be appreciated that the rigidity of this connection is materially increased by having the side walls extend on opposite sides of the car floor, and by also rmly connecting the casting to both the center sill hood and the car floor, the construction of the car is greatly reinforced and strengthened.

Depending downwardly from adjacent the apex of the top walls I3 and preferably formed integrally with the casting is a bracket 22 affording a support for a train line pipe 23. The bracket is preferably provided with a plate portion 24 which may be conveniently formed with apertures for receiving a U-shape bolt 25 whereby the train line pipe may be rmly connected with the bracket. The apertures for receiving the U-bolt are preferably located below the flange I6 of the casting and the bracket may be suitably reinforced by an outwardly and downwardly inclined flange 26. By forming the bracket rigid with the casting, it will be perceived that a sturdy and convenient support is provided for the train line pipe.

What I claim is:

1. In a railway hopper car the combination with a center sill having a hood, of an inclined floor extending transversely of the car on opposite sides of the center sill, and means rigidly connecting adjacent portions of the floor and center sill hood, said means comprising an integral casting including downwardly diverging top walls secured to said hood, substantially vertical side walls secured to the sides of the center sill, and a downwardly inclined flange having parallel portions projecting laterally from the respective side walls and convergent portions extending upwardly along said top walls, each of said portions of the flange being disposed in substantially the same plane and being rigidly secured to the car floor.

2. In a railway hopper car the combination with a center sill having a hood, of an inclined floor extending transversely of the car on opposite sides of the center sill, and means rigidly connecting adjacent portions of the iloor and center sill hood, said means comprising an integral casting including downwardly diverging top walls secured to said hood, substantially vertical side walls secured to the sides of the center sill above and below the car floor, and a bordering flange inclined downwardly in a plane parallel to the floor rigidly secured to the latter.

3. In a railway hopper car the combination with a center sill having a hood, of an inclined iloor extending transversely of the car on opposite sides of the center sill, and means rigidly connecting adjacent portions of the oor and center sill hood, said means comprising an integral casting including downwardly diverging top walls secured to said hood, substantially vertical side walls, and a downwardly inclined ange secured to the floor having parallel portions projecting laterally from said side walls and convergent portions extending upwardly along said top Walls, each of said side walls extending on opposite sides of the portion of the flange adjacent thereto and being rigidly secured to the adjoining side of the center sill above and below the car floor.

4. In a railway hopper car the combination with a center sill having a hood, of an inclined iioor extending transversely of the car on opposite sides of the center sill, means rigidly connecting adjacent portions of the oor and center sill hood, said means comprising an integral casting including a top wall secured to the hood, side walls secured to the sides of the center sill and a bordering flange secured to the floor, and means rigid with and depending from said top wall affording a support for a train line pipe.

5. In a railway hopper car the combination with a center sill having a hood, of an inclined floor extending transversely of the car on opposite sides of the center sill, means rigidly connecting adjacent portions of the floor and center sill hood, said means comprising an integral casting including a top wall secured to the hood, side walls secured to the sides of the center sill, and a bordering flange secured to the car floor, and a bracket depending from the top wall, said bracket having a plate portion provided with means for receiving a train line supporting device.

WILLIAM E. WINE.

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