Railroad car |
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| 申请号 | US3690272D | 申请日 | 1971-05-17 | 公开(公告)号 | US3690272A | 公开(公告)日 | 1972-09-12 |
| 申请人 | OGLE PAUL E; KENNETH L COLEMAN; O T D CORP; | 发明人 | OGLE PAUL E; COLEMAN KENNETH L; WAGNER ROSS W; HARTER LYNN J; | ||||
| 摘要 | An improved railroad car for transporting a plurality of sets of containers, stacked one on top of the other, which are utilized for shipping relatively heavy materials, such as bales of synthetic rubber. The railroad car includes a floor on which the lower ends of the sets of stacked containers rest during transport, upstanding bulkheads located at each end of the floor, and a vertically movable, upper assembly which overlies the upper ends of the sets of stacked containers and which in its lower or transport position, secures the upper ends of the sets of stacked containers against relative movement with respect to the railroad car. The floor includes a means for restraining relative movement between the lower ends of the sets of stacked containers and the floor during transport. When the upper assembly is in its upper position, containers can be loaded onto or unloaded from the car through the open sides of the car by, for example, fork lift trucks. The upper ends of the bulkheads are connected together by structural members during transport so that forces imposed on upper assembly by the containers, and particularly those occurring when the railroad car is bumped, are transmitted and distributed between both of the bulkheads. In some embodiments described herein, the upper assembly includes and carries these structural members; whereas, in other embodiments, the upper assembly carries a portion of the structural members while others of these structural members are stationary. | ||||||
| 权利要求 | 1. An improved railroad car for transporting a plurality of containers useful for shipping relativEly heavy materials, such as bales of synthetic rubber, the improved railroad car having front and rear ends and comprising: a substantially horizontal floor means, including supporting frame means therefor, for receiving the containers to be transported on the railroad car, the floor means having first and second ends which are adjacent to the front and rear ends, respectively, of the railroad car; first and second vertically disposed bulkheads located adjacent to the first and second ends, respectively, of the floor means, with the bulkheads being secured, at their lower end, to the floor means and with the upper ends of the bulkheads being disposed above the plane of the floor means; means positioned adjacent to the front and rear ends of the railroad car for coupling the railroad car to other railroad cars or the like, the coupling means including shock absorbing means; means for restraining relative movement between the lower ends of the containers and the floor means during transport; substantially horizontally disposed upper assembly means positioned above and overlying the lower restraining means; means for selectively moving the upper assembly means between a first position wherein the upper assembly means is positioned above the floor means a distance substantially equal to the height of the upper ends of the containers above the floor means and a second position wherein the upper assembly means is spaced from the upper ends of the containers so as to permit facile loading and unloading of containers onto and from the floor means of the railroad car; means for preventing relative movement between the upper ends of the containers and the upper assembly means when the upper assembly means is in its first position; means for holding the upper assembly means in its first position during transport of the railroad car; and means connecting the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads for transmitting and distributing forces acting in the first and second bulkheads between the first and second bulkheads, particularly when the railroad car is bumped. 2. The improved railroad car described in claim 1 wherein the railroad car is designed to transport a plurality of sets of at least two containers stacked one on top of the other; wherein the floor means includes an upper surface on which the lower ends of the lowermost containers in the sets of stacked containers are supported; wherein the upper assembly means holds the containers against vertical movement with respect to the floor means when the upper assembly means is in its first position; and wherein at least a portion of the means for preventing relative movement between the upper ends of the uppermost containers in the sets of stacked containers and the upper assembly means is carried by the upper assembly means. 3. The improved railroad car described in claim 2 wherein the upper assembly means includes a plurality of movable structural members which extend longitudinally between the first and second bulkheads when the upper assembly means is in its first position. 4. The improved railroad car described in claim 3 wherein the connecting means includes at least one structural member which extends longitudinally between the first and second bulkheads; and wherein the movable structural members of the upper assembly means act as tension members when the railroad car is bumped; wherein the structural member of the connecting means acts as a compression member when the railroad car is bumped. 5. The improved railroad car described in claim 3 wherein the connecting means includes at least one structural member which extends longitudinally between the first and second bulkheads; and wherein the movable structural members of the upper assembly means act as compression members when the railroad car is bumped; wherein the structural member of the connecting means acts as a tension member when the railroad car is bumped. 6. The improved railroad car described iN claim 2 wherein the upper assembly means functions as a roof for the railroad car and overlies the floor means between the first and second bulkheads when the upper assembly means is in its first position. 7. The improved railroad car described in claim 6 wherein the upper assembly means is moved substantially vertically between its first and second positions. 8. The improved railroad car described in claim 2 wherein the upper assembly means is positioned above the floor means a distance greater than the height of the upper ends of the stacked containers when the upper assembly means is in its second position. 9. The improved railroad car described in claim 2 wherein the connecting means includes at least one structural member which extends longitudinally between the first and second bulkheads. 10. The improved railroad car described in claim 9 wherein the structural member is tubular in cross-section. 11. The improved railroad car described in claim 3 wherein means are positioned between the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads and the adjacent end portions of the structural members of the upper assembly means for causing engagement between the upper ends of the firs and second bulkheads and the adjacent end portions of the structural members of the upper assembly means when the upper assembly means is in its first position so as to prevent relative horizontal movement between the first and second bulkheads and the end portions of the structural members of the upper assembly means so that the structural members of the upper assembly means acts as at least a portion of the means for connecting the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads together for transmitting and distributing forces acting on the first and second bulkheads between the first and second bulkheads when the upper assembly means is in its first position. 12. The improved railroad car described in claim 11 wherein at least a portion of the one and the other ends of the structural members of the upper assembly means overlies the upper ends of the bulkheads adjacent thereto. 13. The improved railroad car described in claim 12 wherein first and second rack means are mounted on the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads, respectively; wherein third and fourth rack means are mounted on the one and the other overlying end portions of the upper assembly means, respectively; wherein the rack means are positioned and arranged so that the first and second rack means are in engagement with the third and fourth rack means, respectively, when the upper assembly means is in its first position. 14. The improved railroad car described in claim 12 wherein each end portion of each of the structural members includes a bearing surface; wherein the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads include bearing surfaces which are complimentary to and are adapted for surface-to-surface contact between the bearing surfaces on the adjacent structural members of the upper assembly. 15. The improved railroad car described in claim 12 wherein each end portion of each of the structural members includes a bearing surface, the plane of which is inclined with respect to the vertical and with respect to the bearing surface on the opposite end portion of the structural member; wherein the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads include bearing surfaces which are complimentary to and are adapted for surface-to-surface contact between the bearing surfaces on the adjacent structural members of the upper assembly. 16. The improved railroad car described in claim 15 wherein each end portion of each of the structural members includes a pair of bearing surfaces, the planes of which are inclined with respect to the vertical and with respect to each other; wherein each of the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads include a pair of bearing surfaces which are complimentary to and are adapted for surface-to-surface contact between the pair of bearing surfaces on the adjacent end porTion of the structural member of the upper assembly. 17. The improved railroad car described in claim 11 wherein the connecting means includes at least one structural member which extends longitudinally between the first and second bulkheads; and wherein the movable structural members of the upper assembly means act as tension members when the railroad car is bumped; wherein the structural member of the connecting means acts as a compression member when the railroad car is bumped. 18. The improved railroad car described in claim 11 wherein the connecting means includes at least one structural member which extends longitudinally between the first and second bulkheads; and wherein the movable structural members of the upper assembly means act as compression members when the railroad car is bumped; wherein the structural member of the connecting means acts as a tension member when the railroad car is bumped. 19. The improved railroad car described in claim 2 wherein the lower restraining means includes a plurality of substantially horizontally disposed floor retaining members mounted on the upper surface of the floor means, wherein the upper edges of the floor retaining members are spaced above the plane of the upper surface of the floor means; wherein the floor retaining members define a plurality of compartments on the upper surface of the floor means, with the size and shape of each such compartment being substantially the same as the size and shape of the lower ends of the lowermost containers in the sets of stacked containers so that the lower end of lowermost container may be fit within a compartment and be restrained therein against horizontal movement relative to the upper surface of the floor means. 20. The improved railroad car described in claim 19 wherein floor retaining members are spaced between adjacent sets of stacked containers and together with the means for preventing relative movement between the upper ends of the containers, prevent the adjacent sets of stacked containers from contacting each other during transport. 21. The improved railroad car described in claim 2 wherein the means for preventing relative movement between upper ends of the uppermost containers of the sets of stacked containers includes a plurality of mounting means carried by the upper assembly means and adapted to contact upper portions of the uppermost containers of the sets of stacked containers and to prevent vertical movement of the sets of stacked containers. 22. The improved railroad car described in claim 21 wherein pins project upwardly from and extend upwardly above the horizontal plane of the upper ends of the uppermost containers of the sets of stacked containers; wherein the mounting means includes a plurality of mounting assemblies which are carried by the upper assembly means, the mounting assemblies having recesses formed therein which are positioned and constructed so as to receive the pins therein. 23. The improved railroad car described in claim 22 wherein the material which defines the recesses in the mounting assemblies is a relatively resilient material so that the material can take the moments imposed upon the mounting assemblies by the pins as a result of the railroad car being bumped. 24. The improved railroad car described in claim 23 wherein the material is an elastomer having upper and lower horizontally disposed layers, with the layers having different hardnesses. 25. The improved railroad car described in claim 24 wherein the upper layer of the elastomer is less resilient than the lower layer thereof; wherein the use of the elastomer provides compensation for differing heights of the sets of stacked containers; and wherein the elastomer tends to absorb or dampen the forces imposed thereon. 26. The improved railroad car described in claim 2 wherein the means for moving the upper assembly means includes a power actuated linkage assembly which is connected with the upper assembly means. 27. The improved railroad car described in claim 26 wherein a plurality of linkage assemblies are utilized to raise and lower the upper assembly means vertically while maintaining the plane of the upper assembly means substantially parallel to the plane of the upper surface of the floor means; and wherein each of the linkage assemblies comprise: first and second substantially identical links which are pivotally connected at their upper ends to opposite sides of the underside of the upper assembly means; third and fourth substantially identical links which are pivotally connected at their one ends with the lower ends of the first and second links, the other ends of the third and fourth links being pivotally connected to fixed pivot points which are spaced from each other and which are spaced between the upper surface of the floor means and the upper assembly means; fifth and sixth substantially identical links which are pivotally connected at their one ends to the one ends of the third and fourth links and which are pivotally connected at their other ends to the reciprocally movable power output shaft. 28. The improved railroad car described in claim 27 wherein the axes of the fixed pivot points are parallel, horizontally disposed and spaced from the upper surface of the floor means a distance slightly greater than the length of the second and third links; wherein the power output shaft is vertically movable, is positioned between the fixed pivot points and is arranged so that its axis is perpendicular to the plane of the fixed pivot points and intersects the longitudinal centerline of the railroad car; wherein at least one of the linkage assemblies is disposed between adjacent sets of stacked containers; and wherein the lengths of the first and second links are adjustable. 29. The improved railroad car described in claim 3 wherein the connecting means includes at least one structural member which extends longitudinally between the first and second bulkheads; wherein the upper assembly means is positioned above the floor means a distance greater than the height of the upper ends of the stacked containers when the upper assembly means is in its second position; and wherein the upper assembly means is moved substantially vertically between its first and second positions. 30. The improved railroad car described in claim 29 wherein the movable structural members of the upper assembly means act as tension members when the railroad car is bumped; and wherein the structural member of the connecting means acts as a compression member when the railroad car is bumped. 31. The improved railroad car described in claim 29 wherein the movable structural members of the upper assembly means act as compression members when the railroad car is bumped; and wherein the structural member of the connecting means acts as a tension member when the railroad car is bumped. 32. The improved railroad car described in claim 29 wherein the structural members are tubular in cross-section. 33. The improved railroad car described in claim 29 wherein the upper assembly means functions as a roof for the railroad car and overlies the floor means between the first and second bulkheads when the upper assembly means is in its first position. 34. The improved railroad car described in claim 29 wherein the lower restraining means includes a plurality of substantially horizontally disposed floor retaining members mounted on the upper surface of the floor means; wherein the upper edges of the floor retaining members are spaced above the plane of the upper surface of the floor means; wherein the floor retaining members define a plurality of compartments on the upper surface of the floor means, with the size and shape of each such compartment being substantially the same as the size and shape of the lower ends of the lowermost containers in the sets of stacked containers so that the lower end of the lowermost container may be fitted within a compartment and be restrained therein against horizontal movement relatiVe to the upper surface of the floor means. 35. The improved railroad car described in claim 34 wherein the means for preventing relative movement between upper ends of the uppermost containers of the sets of stacked containers includes a plurality of mounting means carried by the upper assembly means and adapted to contact upper portions of the uppermost containers of the sets of stacked containers and to prevent vertical movement of the sets of stacked containers; wherein floor retaining members are spaced between adjacent sets of stacked containers and together with the means for preventing relative movement between the upper ends of the containers, prevent the adjacent sets of stacked containers from contacting each other during transport. 36. The improved railroad car described in claim 35 wherein means are positioned between the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads and the adjacent end portions of the structural members of the upper assembly means for causing engagement between the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads and the adjacent end portions of the structural members of the upper assembly means when the upper assembly means is in its first position so as to prevent relative horizontal movement between the first and second bulkheads and the end portions of the structural members of the upper assembly means so that the structural members of the upper assembly means acts as at least a portion of the means for connecting the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads together for transmitting and distributing forces acting on the first and second bulkheads between first and second bulkheads when the upper assembly means is in its first position. 37. The improved railroad car described in claim 36 wherein at least a portion of the one and the other ends of the structural members of the upper assembly means overlies the upper ends of the bulkheads adjacent thereto; wherein each end portion of each of the structural members includes a bearing surface; wherein the upper ends of the first and second bulkheads include bearing surfaces which are complementary to and are adapted for surface-to-surface contact between the bearing surfaces on the adjacent structural members of the upper assembly. 38. The improved railroad car described in claim 37 wherein the means for moving the upper assembly means includes a power actuated linkage assembly which is connected with the upper assembly means; wherein the upper assembly means functions as a roof for the railroad car and overlies the floor means between the first and second bulkheads when the upper assembly means is in its first position; and wherein the upper assembly means is moved substantially vertically between its first and second positions. 39. The improved railroad car described in claim 38 wherein pins project upwardly from and extend upwardly above the horizontal plane of the upper ends of the uppermost containers of the sets of stacked containers; and wherein the mounting means includes a plurality of mounting assemblies which are carried by the upper assembly means, the mounting assemblies having recesses formed therein which are positioned and constructed so as to receive the pins therein. 40. The improved railroad car described in claim 39 wherein the material which defines the recesses in the mounting assemblies is a relatively resilient material. 41. The improved railroad car described in claim 40 wherein the material is an elastomer material having upper and lower horizontally disposed layers, with the layers having different hardnesses; wherein the upper layer of the elastomer is less resilient than the lower layer thereof; wherein the use of the elastomer provides compensation for differing heights of the sets of stacked containers; and wherein the elastomer tends to absorb or dampen the forces imposed thereon by the pins as a result of the railroad car being bumped. 42. The improved railroad car described in claim 38 wherein a plurality of linkage Assemblies are utilized to raise and lower the upper assembly means vertically while maintaining the plane of the upper assembly means substantially parallel to the plane of the upper surface of the floor means; and wherein each of the linkage assemblies comprise: first and second substantially identical links which are pivotally connected at their upper ends to opposite sides of the underside of the upper assembly means; third and fourth substantially identical links which are pivotally connected at their one ends with the lower ends of the first and second links, the other ends of the third and fourth links being pivotally connected to fixed pivot points which are spaced from each other and which are spaced between the upper surface of the floor means and the upper assembly means; fifth and sixth substantially identical links which are pivotally connected at their one ends to the one ends of the third and fourth links and which are pivotally connected at their other end to the reciprocally movable motor output shaft; wherein the axes of the fixed pivot points are parallel, horizontally disposed and spaced from the upper surface of the floor means a distance slightly greater than the length of the second and third links, wherein the power output shaft is vertically movable, is positioned between the fixed pivot points and is arranged so that its axis is perpendicular to the plane of the fixed pivot points and intersects the longitudinal centerline of the railroad car; and wherein at least one of the linkage assemblies is disposed between adjacent sets of stacked containers. 43. The improved railroad car described in claim 42 wherein the lengths of the first and second links are adjustable; wherein pins project upwardly from and extend upwardly above the horizontal plane of the upper ends of the uppermost containers of the sets of stacked containers; and wherein the mounting means includes a plurality of mounting assemblies which are carried by the upper assembly means, the mounting assemblies having recesses formed therein which are positioned and constructed so as to receive the pins therein; wherein the material which defines the recesses in the mounting assemblies is a relatively resilient material so that the material can take movements imposed upon the mounting assemblies by the pins as a result of the railroad car being bumped; wherein the resilient material is an elastomer having upper and lower horizontally disposed layers, with the layers having different hardnesses; wherein the upper layer of the elastomer is less resilient than the lower layer thereof; wherein the use of the elastomer provides compensation for differing heights of the sets of stacked containers; and wherein the elastomer tends to absorb or dampen the forces imposed thereon by the pins. 44. The improved railroad car described in claim 43 wherein the movable structural members of the upper assembly means act as tension members when the railroad car is bumped; and wherein the structural member of the connecting means acts as a compression member when the railroad car is bumped. 45. The improved railroad car described in claim 43 wherein the movable structural members of the upper assembly means act as compression members when the railroad car is bumped; and wherein the structural member of the connecting means acts as a tension member when the railroad car is bumped. 46. The improved railroad car described in claim 43 wherein a motor means actuates the linkage assembly which is connected with the upper assembly means; and wherein the motor means is positioned adjacent to the upper surface of the floor means and between the upper surface of the floor means and the upper assembly means. |
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