Patent ID: 6237505
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: B61D

Abstract:
A large capacity car body for a pressure discharge railway hopper car having an interior chamber, comprising:first and second end slope plates;a plurality of intermediate slope sheet units, each having a generally inverted ""V"" shape;the intermediate slope sheet units and the end slope plates forming sloping walls of a plurality of hoppers in a lower portion of the car body;first and second side sheets forming sides of the car body and respectively attached to the intermediate slope sheet units;each side sheet having a convex curvature, outwardly with respect to the interior chamber;a top sheet forming a top of the car body and attached to end structures of the car body, the top sheet having a generally convex curvature with respect to the interior chamber;a crossridge frame associated with each of the intermediate slope sheet units;each crossridge frame having first and second side reinforcing ribs and a top reinforcing rib extending between upper ends of the respective side reinforcing ribs;a corner connector joining the upper end of each side reinforcing rib to an end portion of the respective top reinforcing rib;the first and second side sheets respectively attached to the first and second side reinforcing ribs; andthe top sheet attached to the top reinforcing ribs, the top sheet and at least one side sheet being joined proximate the corner connector.