PARTIAL CLOSURE PLATES FOR HOPPER CARS

Abstract

Car bodies for a covered hopper railroad freight car are shown and disclosed. The car bodies include one or more bulkheads extending transversely between opposite sides separating two or more hoppers from each other. Each of the bulkheads includes a plurality of spaced corrugations each having a trough surface disposed between opposed first and second crest surfaces. The car bodies further include a partial closure plate attached to one or more corrugations. Each of the partial closure plates includes a base portion and one or more side portions attached to, or formed with, the base portion, a shape that corresponds to the shape of the corresponding corrugation such that a surface of the base portion is parallel with each of the first and second crest surfaces and the one or more side portions are attached to the trough surface, and a width less than a width of the corresponding corrugation.

Claims

1. A car body for a covered hopper railroad freight car, the car body comprising: a pair of opposite sides; a pair of opposite ends; one or more bulkheads extending transversely between the opposite sides separating two or more hoppers from each other, wherein each of the bulkheads includes a plurality of spaced corrugations with each corrugation of the plurality of spaced corrugations having a trough surface disposed between opposed first and second crest surfaces; and a partial closure plate attached to one or more corrugations of the plurality of spaced corrugations, wherein each of the partial closure plates includes a base portion and one or more side portions attached to, or formed with, the base portion, each of the partial closure plates having a shape that corresponds to the shape of the corresponding corrugation of the one or more corrugations such that a surface of the base portion is parallel with each of the first and second crest surfaces and the one or more side portions are attached to the trough surface, and each of the partial closure plates having a width less than a width of the corresponding corrugation of the one or more corrugations.

2. The car boy of claim 1, wherein the surface of the base portion is co-planar with each of the first and second crest surfaces.

3. The car body of claim 2, wherein the base portion includes opposed first and second end portions, the at least one side portion having first and second side portions, the first side portion being attached to, or formed, with the first end portion of the base portion, the second side portion being attached to, or formed with, the second end portion of the base portion.

4. The car body of claim 3 wherein each of the one or more corrugations includes a first transition surface between the trough surface and the first crest surface and a second transition surface between the trough surface and the second crest surface, and the first side portion being attached to the first transition surface and the second side portion being attached to the second transition surface.

5. The car body of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more corrugations is a rectilinear corrugation.

6. The car body of claim 5, wherein the first and second crest surfaces are planar and are co-planar to each other, and the trough surface is planar and parallel to the crest surfaces. 7 The car body of claim 6, wherein each of the one or more corrugations includes opposed first and second sloped transition surfaces disposed between the trough surface and the crest surface.

8. The car body of claim 7, wherein the one or more side portions include first and second side portions and the base portion is disposed between the first and second side portions, and the first side portion being attached to the first sloped transition surface and the second side portion being attached to the second sloped transition surface.

9. The car body of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second side portions of the partial closure plates has a trapezoidal prism shape.

10. The car body of claim 9, wherein the base portion has a rectangular prism shape.

11. The car body of claim 1, wherein one or more of the partial closure plates and the corresponding corrugation define a hollow interior volume therebetween.

12. The car body of claim 1, wherein the one or more side portions are 90 degrees from the base portion.

13. The car body of claim 1, wherein each of the partial closure plates has a width that is about 20% to about 60% of the width of the corresponding corrugation.

14. The car body of claim 13, wherein each of the partial closure plates has a width that is about 20% of the width of the corresponding corrugation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example to the accompanying drawings, which:

[0005] FIG. 1 is a side view of a covered hopper car;

[0006] FIG. 2 is an end view of the covered hopper car of FIG. 1;

[0007] FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the covered hopper car of FIG. 1;

[0008] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a corrugated partition wall having an example of partial closure plates of the covered hopper car of FIG. 1;

[0009] FIG. 5 is a partial exploded sectional view of the corrugated partition wall of FIG. 4 taken along lines 5-5 in FIG. 4;

[0010] FIG. 6 is the partial exploded sectional view of FIG. 5 showing another example of a partial closure plate;

[0011] FIG. 7 is the partial exploded sectional view of FIG. 5 showing a further example of a partial closure plate;

[0012] FIG. 8 is the partial exploded sectional view of FIG. 5 showing yet another example of a partial closure plate; and

[0013] FIG. 9 is a partial reverse view of the corrugated partition wall of FIG. 4 showing an example of doublers used in combination with the partial closure plate of FIGS. 4-5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Referring now to the drawings that form a portion of the disclosure herein, FIGS. 1-2 show a railroad freight car 10 of the covered hopper type. The covered hopper car 10 includes a car body 12 carried on a pair of wheeled trucks 14 and having a pair of opposite ends or end walls 16 and 18 and a pair of opposite sides or side walls 22 and 24. A roof 30 is attached to and supported by the ends 16 and 18 and the sides 22 and 24 and may include a centrally-located, longitudinally-extending hatch 32 providing access to, for example, three separate cargo hoppers 34, 36, and 38 defined within the car body 12. A pair of transversely-extending partition walls or bulkheads 40 and 42 extend between the sides 22 and 24, separating the cargo hoppers 34, 36, and 38 from each other. The bulkheads provide lateral support to sides 22 and 24.

[0015] A center sill 44 may extend through the entire length of the car body, and an appropriate protective structure 46 may extend along the top of the center sill 44 within each hopper to assure that cargo is free to slide out of each hopper, rather than being able to remain atop the center sill 44 when the hopper is emptied.

[0016] Referring to FIGS. 3-4, bulkheads 40 and 42 include a plurality of corrugations 48 that are built into or integral with the bulkheads, which reduces the stress and deflection caused by large pressure applied or imparted on the bulkheads, such as during longitudinal impact events. The corrugations include a trough surface 50 disposed between crest surfaces 52. The corrugations may be any suitable shape(s). In the example shown in FIGS. 3-4, the corrugations are trapezoidal, having sloped transition surfaces 54 disposed between the trough surface and the crest surfaces. In other words, a first transition surface 54 is between trough surface 50 and a first crest surface 52, and a second transition surface 54 is between trough surface 50 and a second crest surface 52 different from the first crest surface. However, corrugations 48 may alternatively, or additionally, have a curved or curvilinear, or a zigzag or other rectilinear shape. Additional examples of corrugations that may be used for the bulkheads are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 11,820,407, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. Although bulkheads 40 and 42 are shown to include corrugations 48 of the same shape, other examples of bulkheads 40 and/or 42 may include a combination of shapes.

[0017] However, the corrugations can be crippled by buckling if the impact event is large enough. Therefore, covered hopper car 10 also includes one or more partial closure plates 56 that have a shape that corresponds to the shape of the corrugations to allow for the partial closure plates to be received in and/or attached (e.g., welded) to the corrugations. The partial closure plates include at least a base portion 58 having opposed end portions 60 and 62 and one or more side portions 64 attached to, or formed with, the opposed end portion(s). In the examples shown in FIGS. 3-4, partial closure plates 56 include base portion 58 disposed between first and second side portions 64.

[0018] The base portion and/or side portion(s) are attached to and/or received in the corrugations. In the examples shown in FIGS. 3-4, at least opposed ends 66 of base portion 58 are attached to sloped transition surfaces 54. Additionally, a bottom end 68 of side portion(s) 60 is attached to trough surface 50, and side ends 70 of the side portions are attached to sloped transition surfaces 54. Base portion 58 includes a surface 72 that is parallel to crest surfaces 52. Additionally, surface 72 may be co-planar with the crest surfaces (as shown in the example of FIGS. 3-4) or may be above or below the plane defined by those crest surfaces.

[0019] The base portion and side portion(s) may be any suitable shape(s). In the example shown in FIGS. 3-4, the base portion is planar and has a rectangular or rectangular prism shape and the side portions are planar and has a trapezoidal or trapezoidal prism shape with the end attached to the trough surface having a smaller width than the opposed end adjacent the base portion. The partial closure plates and the corresponding corrugation may thus define a hollow interior volume 74 therebetween. The side portion(s) may be at any suitable angle(s) from the base portion. For example, FIG. 6 shows a partial closure plate with one or more side portions that are at right angles (or 90 degrees) with the base portion. Other suitable angles include 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 120 degrees, etc.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 7, side portions 60 are shown to include cutouts 76 such that each side portion is generally U-shaped. Alternatively, partial closure plates 56 may include only base portion 58, as shown in FIG. 8. Although particular shapes are shown for the partial closure plates, the plates may alternatively, or additionally, have any suitable shape(s) that are received in the corrugations. Additionally, although the partial closure plates are shown to have a horizontal orientation, one or more (or all) of the partial closure plates may alternatively have a vertical orientation, such as having the side portions extend transverse of the corrugation (instead of along the longitudinal axis of the corrugation).

[0021] Partial closure plates 56 may be any suitable width relative to the width the corresponding corrugation (i.e., as measured along or parallel to the longitudinal axis formed by the corrugation). For example, the partial closure plates preferably have a width that is about 20% to about 60% of the width of the corresponding corrugation, and more preferably a width that is about 20% of the width of the corresponding corrugation.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 9, covered hopper car 10 may include doublers 78 that are attached to the crest surfaces or apex of the corrugations. Other apparatus may alternatively, or additionally, be used in combination with the partial closure plates of the present disclosure.

[0023] The partial closure plates of the present disclosure enhance structural integrity and buckling resistance while adding only a minimal weight. In stress simulations, the above partial closure plates have shown that they can more than double the resistance to buckling with a modest weight gain. Other prior art methods are either heavier or not as effective as stiffening and reducing buckling.

[0024] It will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment that has been described, and that variations may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appending claims, as interpreted in accordance with principles of prevailing law, including the doctrine of equivalents or any other principle that enlarges the enforceable scope of a claim beyond its literal scope. Unless the context indicates otherwise, a reference in a claim to the number of instances of an element, be it a reference to one instance or more than one instance, requires at least the stated number of instances of the element but is not intended to exclude from the scope of the claim a structure or method having more instances of that element than stated. The word comprise or a derivative thereof, when used in a claim, is used in a nonexclusive sense that is not intended to exclude the presence of other elements or steps in a claimed structure or method.