US2263510A - Housing structure - Google Patents

Description

1941- H. B. LINDSAY HOUSING STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 26, 1938 Nov. 18, 1941.

H. B. LINDSAY HOUSING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 26, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 18, 1941. H. B. LINDSAY HOUSING STRUCTURE Filed Jan.' 26, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 18, 1941. H. B. LINDSAY 9 5 HOUSING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 26, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .IIIIIIQIIIIII Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOUSING STRUCTURE Harvey B. Lindsay, Evanston, Ill.

Application January 26, 1938, Serial No. 187,056

1 Claim.

My invention relates to housing structures, in general, but more especially to the general type of housing structures shown in U. B. Letters Patent No. 2,017,629, granted to me October 15, 1935, and involving, generally stated, skeleton framework and plates of' sheet metal secured to the framework and extending across openings therein, my present invention relating to the construction of the corner portions of the housing.

The invention has application to a wide range of housing structures including refrigerator structures especially of the transport type, and passenger and freight car bodies. I

One of my objects is to provide a housing structure of the general character shown in said patent whereby objectionable protruding'parts' of the means fastening the sheet metal plates to the framework, are eliminated to the end of improving the appearance of the structure and in addition, in the case of vehicular housing structures, rendering the surfaceof the structure of streamline contour.

Another object is to improve upon the corner construction of structures involving the framework and plate feature referred to, to the end of reducing the number of shapes required for producing the structure with consequent economy of construction; producing a stronger corner construction with a given amount of metal than hitherto possible; permitting of the variation in the shape of the corners within a wide range; and producing, if desired, a construction view taken at the line 8 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken at the line 9 on Fig. 8 and viewed in the direction of the arrow showing the plate-securingbar in separated relation to the structure with which it cooperates; and

Figure 10, a fragmentary view like Fig. 9 illustrating a modification of the flanged edge of the sheet metal plates.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention as incorporated in a railway car body, as for example a refrigerator car, but without any intention of limiting it thereto.

Referring to the particular illustrated construction, the car body is shown as supported on an underframe comprising cross bearers ll supported on car trucks (not shown) and a surrounding frame formed of channel side sills, one of which is represented at l2, and end sills.

Extending over, and along, the end and side sills are angle irons one of which is shown at I 3, with a sheet metal plate hereinafter referred to interposed therebetween, the angle irons and sills being secured together in any suitable way, as for example by bolts or rivets.

Superposing; and secured to, the underframe is a skeleton car-body-forming framelike structure comprising portions of the side walls, end

of streamline" contour; and other objectsas Figure 4 is a plan view of one end of a blank from which certain of the plates at Junctions of the side walls and roof, are formed.

Figure 5 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the blank formed into its final condition.

Figure 6 is a broken enlarged sectional view taken at the line 6 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure '7 is a section taken at the line I on Fig. 6 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Some of the bars forming the skeleton i'ramework referred to extend horizontally along the side and end wallsof the car adjacent the upper and lower edges of these walls as represented at l5 and I6 and in curved condition at the several vertical corners of the structure as shown of the upper portion of the car at ll, the lower bars l6 being connected with the angle irons IS in any suitable way as for example by welding them thereto as represented at i8 and i9. Others 20 and 2| of these bars extend horizontally along the central line of the roof portion of the car and adjacent its lateral Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional edges, respectively, and others 22 crosswise of the roof adjacent the end walls of the car and at intervals along the roof. Still others 22 of these bars, secured at their lower ends to the bars l6, extend vertically from the bars l8 to the horizontal bars l at opposite sides of the vertical corner portions of the structure and also at intervals along the walls; and others shown at 24, of curved contour, from the upper bars l5 and H to the corner portions of the roof frame formed of the bars 2| and 22 and also at intervals along the walls.

The various bars forming the skeleton framework referred to are shown as continuous across all points of intersection between bars, the various bars being rigidly secured together to form the framework in any desired way, preferably being braced at the various points of intersection by gusset plates 25, as shown, if the framing is desired to be knock-down, or by welding for example, if the framing is desired to be permanent.

The framework at the roof portion of the car is shown as reinforced by crosswise disposed Z- bars 26 extending the full width of the roof portion and to which the bars of the roof framework above described are secured.

If desired the several bars may be reinforced at suitable intervals to prevent spreading in the securing thereto of the sheet metal plates, as by providing clips 2'! shown as of U-shape applied to straddling position on the bars as represented of the clip in Figs. 8 and 9 where one such clip is shown as applied to one of the vertical channel bars 23, the clips being secured to the bars in any desirable way, as for example by welding them thereto.

The various openings provided by the framework are filled with sheet metal plates the marglnal edges of which, inwardly flanged as shown,

extend into the channels of the several frame bars referred to in which they are rigidly clamped by clamping bars, preferably of channel shape, engaging the marginal edges of the plates; those portions of the clamping bars which cooperate with the straight frame bars being straight as represented at 28, 28, 20, ll, 32 and 32' and those portions which cooperate with the curved frame bars being curved as represented at 23, 34 and 35, whereby these clamping bars are caused to nest with the frame bars with which they cooperate.

The clamping bars are held in assembled relation to the framework and plates by any suitable means, as for example screws, rivets or bolts 38 which render the clamping bars and consequently the respective plates individually removable for replacement or substitution in the event they become damaged.

The'plate hereinbefore referred to as interposed between the side and end sills of the underframe and the angle irons I3, is represented at 31 this plate forming a floor for the car body with its marginal edges bent upwardly and thence inwardly to form flanges 38 which extend at their extremities into the lower portions of the channels of the frame bars l6 and in which they are clamped in place by the clamping bars cooperating with these frame bars.

The provision of the framework generally as shown contemplates the provision of a car body the vertical corner portions of which between the adjacent pairs of vertical bars 23, and the upper marginal edges of the roof of which between the bars l5 and the bars 2| and 22, are of curved shape in cross section and the corners of the roof margins between the bars I! and 24 are of segmental spherical shape, whereby the car body is rounded at all of its corners presenting much the same form as that of a basket.

These rounded portions of the car body are formed by providing the plates for use at these locations and represented at 39, 40, 4|, and 42 at one of the similar four comers of the car body, of the desired contour, the plates which are used at the other openings of the framework being flat, such of the flat plates as are shown being represented at 43, 44 and 45. The flanges on the sheet metal plates for cooperation with the clamping bars are illustrated at 48, these flanges on the curved edges of the several curved and segmental spherical plates.

39, 40, 4| and 42 being formed by slitting the edges of the plate in flat condition as shown at 41 in Fig. 4 and bending the tongues 48 thus provided between the slits to flange forming condition as shown in Fig. 5, the tongues thus edgewise abutting to form a continuous flange when the plates are deformed into the desired curved condition.

As will be understood from the foregoing the inner edge portions of the clamping bars as they are forced inwardly into the channels in the frame bars and into engagement with the flanges 46 on the sheet metal plates, tend to draw these plates into taut condition and hold them in place.

Except in the case of extremely thin metal plate it is desirable to bend the marginal edges of the plates into flange form preliminary to the application of the clamping bars.

'I have found that to produce substantial tension inthe plates in clamping them to place it is necessary not only that the plates be preliminarily bent generally as shown either by the full lines at 50 or the dotted lines at 5|, to generally conform to the adjacent edge portions of the frame bars over which they extend; but that, unless the sheet is very stiff, the inner edges of the plate flanges 46 should be definitely bent in an inward direction into curved form as for example as shown by full lines at 52 or by the dotted lines at 52 and H, where very stiff metal is used the bend may approximate that shown at 55 in Fig. 10.

It has been found that the closer the bend I2, 53 or 54 extends to the bottom wall 56 of the frame bar, the less the resulting tension on the plate when flnally assembled, and the farther this bend from this bottom wall, the greater the resulting plate'tension. Furthermore, that for a given tension inthe plate the thinner the sheet the closer the bend 52- should conform to the engaging edge of the adjacent leg of the clamping bar, and the heavier the plate the more open this bend should be.

By providing the frame members as of channel form and the clamping bars of similar form, the clamping bars extend substantially flush with they plates producing a streamline surface free of projections which not only makes for a desirable appearance of any structure in which the invention may be embodied, but also lends itself to the streamline effect of vehicle bodies.

The provision of the car body framework as shown and described permits 01' the forming of the rounded exterior surfaces of any desired radius or curvature, and even of practically square form if desired, the construction being of stresses at the corners of the structure and What I claim as new and desire to secure by which occurs where three comer members meet, is avoided.

Furthermore, by constructing a housing in accordance with my invention, the number of structural shapes required for the entire structure is greatly reduced inasmuch as the only two shapes required are those for the channel framebars and the fastening bars resulting in great reduction in heavy rolling mill die costs, as compared with structures as hitherto provided.

No claim is made herein to the feature whereby the sheets or plates are tensioned in the assembling of the parts of the structure, nor to the feature of tensioning the sheets or plates more or less as desired, as these features are claimed, by structure and method claims, in my pending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 214,785, flied June 20, 1938, which was filed as a continuation in part of the present application.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying my invention I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the same may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Letters Patent is:

In a housing structure: a self-sustaining frame the superstructure thereof formed throughout of channel members of uniform cross section defining flat side and roof surface portions with curved surfaces at certain of the corners of the structure; said members formed as relatively shallow channel members of rolled steel shapes comprising bottom web members, side flange members and outwardly directed margins projecting from said channel flanges; certain of said web members continuous across intersections with meeting flange and margin members mitered at their junctions at said intersections to provide channels continuous across each of said intersections; gusset plates underlying and secured to each of the webs at such intersections; and with curved frame members defining said curved surfaces forming continuations of the fiat surface defining members in said side and roof portions.

HARVEY B. LINDSAY.

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