Abstract:
A rack defining receptacles for holding railroad car wheelsets arranged in an echelon pattern with the axles of the wheelsets oriented obliquely with respect to the width of the rack. The rack is of strong yet light construction. The rack has a length and width about equal to those of a 20-foot ISO intermodal cargo container and is equipped with corner fittings compatible with conventional container-handling and container-carrying equipment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to handling, carriage, and storage of heavy pairs of wheels connected by axles, such as railroad car wheelsets, and relates particularly to apparatus for use in storage and carriage of such pairs of wheels and that is compatible with the handling of intermodal cargo containers. 
     Railroad car wheels are permanently mounted on axles that extend beyond the wheels. Bearings are mounted on the outer ends of such axles. A pair of wheels, an associated axle, and the associated bearing assemblies are called a wheelset, and such a wheelset is usually handled as a unit. A wheelset for a railroad freight car usually has a weight in the range of roughly 2,400 pounds, for a pair of 33-inch wheels, to roughly 3,500 pounds for a pair of 38-inch wheels. Most railroad freight car wheels are 36-inch wheels, with 33-inch and 38-inch wheels being somewhat less common. 
     During normal use railroad car wheels may wear unevenly, requiring the wheels to be resurfaced to an acceptable profile and circularity. New wheelsets, wheelsets needing reworking, and wheelsets that have been reworked must be transported to or from car building or repair facilities. 
     The axial length of a wheelset for use on standard-gauge North American railroad track is up to about 89⅝ inches. This is greater than the interior width of a conventional ISO cargo container, so railcar wheelsets have not previously been carried in cargo containers with the axles oriented parallel with the width of such a container, although handling a container carrying a group of wheelsets in a single operation would be preferred. Instead, wheelsets have usually been loaded individually onto a flatbed highway trailer or a railroad flatcar for transport, with the axles aligned perpendicular to the direction of travel. The wheelsets have usually had to be handled and secured individually to keep them properly in place. Securing wheelsets for carriage in that way requires personnel to be on a flatcar or trailer while it is being loaded, although this procedure risks serious injury to such personnel. In case of a collision involving the truck or flatcar carrying wheelsets in this manner the wheelsets have been likely to break loose and roll about uncontrollably. 
     To utilize available space economically on a flatcar or trailer wheelsets have been carried in staggered arrangements, with adjacent wheelsets offset from each other axially of the wheelsets, in alternating directions. Such arrangements, however, risk damage to a bearing assembly of a wheelset, which may be struck by a wheel of an adjacent wheelset as it is moved by a crane during loading or unloading of a flatcar or trailer. 
     In order to keep a trailer or railcar available for transporting other loads, wheelsets have been unloaded from the flatcar or trailer for storage at a facility where the wheels are to be reworked or are to be installed on a railroad car. This has required each wheelset again to be handled individually, resulting in significant associated costs for labor and the use of cranes or other handling equipment, and requiring allocation of space for temporary storage of wheelsets, as well as later handling of wheelsets one-by-one when they are to be reworked or installed. 
     Specially-equipped railcars for carrying wheelsets have included sets of rails on which wheelsets can be carried, either aligned with each other or in staggered arrangements, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,626,709, but such railcars have not been widely used, and wheelsets have still had to be secured individually on such railcars and are still susceptible to rolling off in case of a collision that causes the railcar to be stopped abruptly. 
     What is needed, then, is a way to handle, carry, and store railroad car wheelsets more safely and economically than has previously been possible. It is also desirable to be able to carry and store such wheelsets in apparatus that is compatible with handling, storage, and transport of intermodal cargo containers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present invention provides an answer to some of the aforementioned needs, as defined by the claims appended hereto. 
     As a primary aspect of the present invention a rack or support apparatus is provided that can receive and carry or hold a plurality of railcar wheelsets and that can be handled, stored, and transported in the same manner as an intermodal cargo container. 
     In one embodiment disclosed herein the previously mentioned support apparatus or rack includes a main longitudinal member with a top member that defines an opening shaped to receive a portion of a wheel of a railcar wheelset, with the axle of such a wheelset oriented horizontally and at an oblique angle to the width of the rack. 
     In one embodiment of such a wheelset support apparatus or rack as disclosed herein a plurality of pairs of such openings are provided, spaced apart from one another along the length of the rack. 
     In one embodiment, the rack or support apparatus disclosed herein is equipped with intermodal cargo container corner fittings in locations compatible with standard intermodal cargo container handling equipment, so that the apparatus can be handled by conventional intermodal container-handling cranes and can be carried and secured in conventional intermodal container-carrying trailer chassis, railcar container wells, or container cells of a ship, to be carried thus to a desired destination. 
     In one embodiment, the apparatus disclosed herein has a height equal to about half that of a standard intermodal cargo container, so that a pair of such apparatus can be stacked and transported in place of a standard cargo container. 
     In one embodiment of the apparatus disclosed herein, corner posts are supported by diagonal braces and are constructed with sufficient strength to permit stacking of such apparatus when fully loaded with wheelsets, so that the support apparatus can be placed on the ground and stacked to store wheelsets in a small area. 
     The foregoing and other features of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a portion of a railroad freight car body designed for carrying intermodal cargo containers, and showing a pair of wheel racks for carrying railroad freight car wheelsets stacked in the container well of the car body. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of a portion of a railroad flatcar carrying racks loaded with railroad freight car wheelsets. 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view from above one end of a rack such as those shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , with freight car wheelsets located on the rack. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the rack shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of a main longitudinal member and portions of a pair of fork-lift receiving tubes that are part of the rack shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the longitudinal member shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional view taken along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional view taken along line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 13  is an isometric view of a portion of the rack shown in  FIG. 3 , at an enlarged scale. 
         FIG. 14  is a side elevational view of a pair of racks such as that shown in  FIG. 4 , stacked one atop the other and interconnected. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings which form a part of the disclosure herein, in  FIG. 1 , a railroad freight car body  20 , of which only one half is shown, includes a container well  22  in which are stacked a pair of wheelset-carrying racks  24  and  26 . Seven railroad freight car wheelsets  28  are carried in each of the racks  24  and  26 . The lower rack  24  is located within the container well  22 , resting on the usual container supports (not shown), while an upper rack  26  is stacked atop the lower rack  24  and is interconnected with it in the same fashion in which conventional intermodal containers are stacked upon and interconnected with each other for carriage in a railroad freight car container well, but the two racks  24  and  26  together have a combined height  27  of about 8 feet, the same as the height of an ordinary ISO 20-foot intermodal cargo container. 
     In  FIG. 2 , part of a flatcar  30  is shown with four similar wheelset supporting racks  24  and  26  shown carried atop the flatcar  30 . Depending upon the length and capacity of the flatcar  30 , additional such racks  24  and  26  might also be carried on the same flatcar  30 . As in  FIG. 1 , each of the racks  24  and  26  carries seven wheelsets  28 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the support apparatus or rack  24  includes a generally rectangular frame structure which may be of steel, yet which is of modest weight. A frame  32  has a length  34 , a width  36 , and a height  37  and is generally rectangular in plan, as may be seen best in  FIG. 4 . A pair of parallel main longitudinal members  38  and  40  are spaced apart from each other laterally and extend from a first end assembly  42  to an opposite second end assembly  44 . Each end assembly  42  or  44  includes a pair of corner posts  46  and  48  that are essentially mirror images of each other and define corners of the rack. Lower end portions of the corner posts  46  and  48  are connected with each other by a main transverse member  50  of each end assembly  42  or  44 . The width  36  thus has a direction normal to the length  34  and parallel with the transverse bottom frame member  50  and includes the length of the transverse member  50  and the horizontal dimensions of the corner posts  46  and  48 . The length  34  and width  36  may conveniently be the same as an established standard length and width of an intermodal cargo container, as will become readily apparent. 
     Each of the main longitudinal members  38  and  40  is a generally trapezoidal box beam. A channel  51  that may be formed from a single plate bent along longitudinal lines defines a relatively narrow horizontal bottom side  52  and a pair of upwardly and outwardly sloping sides  54  and  56  of the box beam, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Upper margins  58  and  60  of the sides  54  and  56  are fastened, preferably by welding, to a horizontal top plate  62  that is the wide top member of each of the trapezoidal main longitudinal members  38  and  40 . The top plate  62  may extend laterally beyond each of the upper margins  58  and  60  of the sloping laterally outer side  54  and inner  56 , providing ample space for a fillet weld  63 . The top plate  62  may be of thicker, and thus stiffer, material, such as steel plate ½ inch in thickness, while the channel  51  including the bottom  52  and the sloping sides  54  and  56  may be of thinner steel plate, 5/16 inch in thickness, for example. The thinner material of the channel  51  is sufficient for the required strength of the longitudinal member  38  or  40 , while the sloping sides  54  and  56  and relatively narrow bottom  52  provide ample room inside the box beam shape without unnecessary material and its attendant weight. An end portion  65  of the top plate  62  may extend longitudinally beyond the channel  51  and rest atop the main transverse member  50 , as may be seen in  FIGS. 3 and 6 . Each of the main longitudinal members may have a depth  64  of about 10 inches, and the width  66  of the top plate  62  may be about 22.75 inches, in one version of the rack  24 . 
     The top plate  62  of each of the main longitudinal members  38  and  40  defines seven wheel-receiving openings  70  each shaped to receive a portion of one wheel of a wheelset  28 . As seen best in  FIG. 4 , the top plates  62  of the two main longitudinal members  38  and  40  are identical but are arranged oppositely. The openings  70  are thus located and oriented so that each opening  70  is obliquely opposite and aligned with an opening  70  in the top plate  62  of the opposite one of the main longitudinal members  38  and  40 . A wheelset  28  can thus be received with each of its wheels  72  and  74  in a respective one of the openings  70 , with the central longitudinal axis  78 , or axis of rotation, of the axle  76  extending horizontally and at an angle  80  in the range of about 15 to about 20 degrees with respect to the width  36  of the rack  24 . The angle  80  is designed to provide room to receive the largest wheelset  28  intended to be carried without either the axle  76  or a flange  94  extending beyond the width  36  of the rack  24 . While a smaller angle  80  may permit a larger number of wheelsets  28  of a particular wheel size to be carried, the angle  80  should be at least about 15 degrees in order to avoid interference between wheels  72 , 74  of adjacent wheelsets  28 . An angle  80  greater than about 20 degrees can be utilized, but would probably reduce the number of wheelsets  28  that can be carried in such a rack  24  of the length  34  and width  36  of a 20-foot ISO container. Orientation of the axis of rotation  78  of a wheelset  28  for a standard gauge railcar at such an angle  80 , in this case 18 degrees, with respect to the width  36  of the rack  24  allows such a wheelset  28  to fit on the rack  24  as shown in broken line in  FIG. 4 , without extending beyond the width  36 . 
     Because of the ample thickness of the top plate  62  the openings  70  may simply be cut in the top plate, thus simplifying manufacture of the main longitudinal members  38  and  40 . While thinner material could be used for the top plate  62 , reinforcements (not shown) would then be advisable at the ends of the openings  70 . 
     Each opening  70  has a shape similar to the profile of a railroad car wheel, as may also be seen in  FIG. 7 , and thus has a wheel tread receiving portion  86 , and a narrower flange-receiving portion  88  that extends beyond the tread-receiving portion  86 . The wheel tread-receiving portion  86  may have a chord dimension  90  of about 26¾ inches and the flange receiving portion  88  may have a chord dimension  92  of about 31⅜ inches. Both parts  86  and  87  of the openings  70  extend equally on opposite sides of a centerline  93  aligned with the axis of rotation  78  of a wheelset  28  carried on the rack  24 . The dimensions  90  and  92  thus extend along and define a chord of a wheel  72  or  74  of a wheelset  28  as it rests in the openings  70 , to be supported in the rack  24 . A given chord length will subtend a larger central angle of a circle of a smaller diameter, so the flange  94  of a wheel  72  or  74  of a smaller diameter, such as a 33-inch wheel  72 ′, will extend more deeply downward into the longitudinal member  38  or  40  through one of the openings  70 . Thus such a wheel  72 ′, as shown in  FIG. 8 , may extend downward a distance  95  of about 8½ inches and may touch or nearly touch the bottom  52  of the channel portion  51  of the longitudinal member  40 , depending somewhat on the amount by which the wheel  72 ′ has been worn or machined to a reduced diameter. Because the same chord length  90  or  92  subtends a smaller central angle of a wheel whose diameter is larger, a 38-inch wheel  72 ″ resting in the opening  70  may extend downward beneath the top of the top plate  62  a smaller distance  95 ′ of, for example, at least about 6½ inches, or more likely about 6 11/16 inches. The dimensions  90  and  92  are selected to receive a wheel  72  or  74  to a great enough radial depth to engage the wheel securely yet preserve some space between the top plate  62  and the axle  78 , and between the flange  94  of the wheel  72  or  74  and the bottom  52  of the longitudinal member  38  or  40 . 
     The openings  70  may be located in each top plate  62  at a longitudinal spacing  84 , in the direction of the length  34  of the rack, that is less than the diameter of the wheels  72  or  74 , so as to require the wheels  72  and  74  of a wheelset  28  to overlap those of an adjacent wheelset  28  in the direction of the length  34  of the rack  24 , in an echelon arrangement as may be seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  4 . The center-to-center axle spacing  82  required for the diameter of the largest wheels  72 ,  74  intended to be carried may be calculated by taking into account the size of a bearing assembly  85  and the minimum acceptable spacing between a wheel  72  or  74  and a bearing assembly  85 . Thus, for such a rack  24  having a length  34  of 238.5 inches, consistent with that of a 20-foot ISO container, the center-to-center spacing  82  between wheelsets  28  may be about 27 7/16 inches, as measured normal to the axes of rotation  78  or the centerlines  93 . 
     Because the longitudinal spacing  84  of the openings  70  along the length dimension  34  of the rack  24  is fixed, the distance  96  by which a flange of a larger wheel  72  is separated from an axle  76  or bearing assembly  85  of an adjacent similar wheelset  28  is smaller than the distance  96  by which a flange of a smaller wheel  72  is separated from the axle or bearing assembly of an adjacent similar wheelset  28 . 
     Even for a wheelset  28  with 38-inch diameter wheels  72  and  74 , with openings  70  having the dimensions  90  and  92  disclosed above, each wheel  72  or  74  extends down far enough through the openings  70  so that a 40 percent higher deceleration, compared to the traditional non-angled wheel slots in a direction parallel with the length  34  of the rack  24 , would be needed for such a wheelset  28  to roll up and out of its pair of openings  70 . Since the axis of rotation  78  is oriented at the angle  80  to the direction of travel of the rack  24  in a railcar container well  22 , for any acceleration or deceleration of the rack  24  in the direction of its usual travel, the component that is normal to the axis of rotation  78  of the axle  76  is significantly less than the deceleration of the rack  24 , and a wheelset  28  would thus not roll out of position in the rack as a result of normal operation of a train nor as a result of a head-on collision involving a train carrying a loaded rack  24  or  26  unless the deceleration of the car is at least 40 percent greater than enough to dislodge such a wheelset in chocks holding the axis of rotation  78  normal to the direction of movement of the car. Furthermore, the component of deceleration of the railroad car or trailer that is oriented along the axis of rotation  78  of the wheelset  28  will result in the margins of the openings  70  tending to press upon the sides of the wheels  72  or  74 , causing friction that would oppose movement of a wheelset  28  out from the openings  70 . 
     The corner posts  46  and  48  are attached to the main transverse member  50  as by being welded to the respective ends of the main transverse member  50  of each end assembly  42  or  48 . Additionally, lateral diagonal support, or brace, members  100  extend from upper end portions  102  of the corner posts  46  and  48  toward the main transverse member  50 , and are attached to the main transverse member  50  through a plate  103 . Longitudinal diagonal support, or brace, members  104  extend from the upper end portions  102  of the corner posts to attachment plates  106 , which may be seen in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5 . The diagonal braces  100  and  104  may be of 2 inch×2 inch×¼ inch angle stock, for example. The attachment plates  106  interconnect a lower end of each longitudinal diagonal brace member  104  with the nearer main longitudinal member  38  or  40 . 
     Each attachment plate  106  includes an upper horizontal portion  108  lying atop and welded to the top plate  62  and a lower horizontal portion  110  extending along and welded to the bottom side  52  of the main longitudinal member  38  or  40 . A sloping intermediate portion of the attachment plate  106  extends diagonally downward in alignment with the diagonal brace member  104  and is welded to the laterally outer sloping side  54  of the channel portion  51 . The diagonal brace members  100  and  104  thus provide ample support for the corner posts  46  and  48  with only a small amount of weight. 
     A pair of downwardly open channel members  116  are welded to and extend transversely between the main longitudinal members  38  and  40 . These channel members  116  are aligned with respective openings  118  through the sloping sides  54  and  56  of each main longitudinal member  38  and  40  as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , to permit the rack  24  to be carried by a forklift. A reinforcement block  119  may be placed between the top plate  62  and the top of the opening  118 , against the laterally outer sloping side  54  on each of the main longitudinal members  38  and  40 , to distribute the forces applied by use of a forklift. 
     Diagonal horizontal braces  120 , which may be of steel angle stock similar to that of the diagonal braces  100  and  104 , may be welded to the top plates  63  of the main longitudinal members  38  and  40 , extending between them near the longitudinal ends of the rack  24 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , each main longitudinal member  38  and  40  may be constructed with a camber  124  to accommodate the weight of the wheelsets  28  so that the weight of the loaded rack will consistently be carried through the corner posts  46  and  48  when a fully loaded rack  24  is carried on a railcar, is stacked atop another such rack  24 , or rests on the ground. 
     The end assemblies  42  and  44  are substantially similar to each other, and so it is not necessary to describe each separately in detail. As may be seen in  FIGS. 6 and 11 , the end assembly  44  includes the main transverse member  50 , which may be constructed as a downwardly-open channel member  51 , closed by bottom closure plates  132  and  133  and reinforced by internal stiffener plates  134 , each of which is aligned with one of the sloping sides  54  and  56  of the channel  51 . A short bottom closure plate  135  adjacent each corner post  46  or  48  and extending to the nearer one of the stiffener plates  134  may be of heavier material in order to carry loads from the main longitudinal members  38  and  40  to the corner posts  46  and  48 . 
     The corner posts  46  and  48  are mirror opposites of each other. The main part of each may be constructed as a generally rectangular tube  138 , as shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , by welding a flat plate  140  to the legs of a channel  142  which may be of formed plate. The rectangular tube  138  thus formed may have a bottom corner fitting  146  welded to its bottom end and a top corner fitting  148  welded to its top end. The top and bottom corner fittings  148 ,  146  may be conventional intermodal cargo container corner fittings. The corner fittings  146  and  148  may be aligned flush with the plate  140 . The main transverse member  50  is welded to the corner posts  46  and  48  so that each bottom corner fitting  146  extends downward a distance  150 , for example 1.5 inch, beneath the main transverse member  50  of each end assembly  42  and  44 , to ensure ample clearance between a rack  24  and a cargo container, another rack  24 , or a floor on which a rack  24  is to be placed, ensuring that the bottom corner fittings  146  carry substantially the entire weight of the rack and any wheelsets  28  that are carried on it, and giving room for operation of an inter-box connector. 
     Referring still to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , an upper bracket  154  which may be of bent steel plate has one leg welded flush against the flat plate  140  of each corner post, while another leg extends perpendicularly toward the opposite corner post. Each diagonal brace  100  is welded to one of the upper brackets  154  and to the rectangular plate  103  welded to the longitudinally outer side of the channel  130  to support the corner posts  48  and  46  in a lateral direction. 
     A planar mounting plate  160  may be welded flush against the laterally outwardly facing base or web of the channel  142  of each corner post  46  and  48  and extends longitudinally of the rack  24  toward the opposite end. The top and corner bottom corner fittings  148 ,  146  are slightly wider than the tube  138  and may be located so as to provide a small overhang distance with respect to the channel member  142  so that the mounting plate  160  has its outer face aligned flush with an outer face of the top corner fitting  148  of each corner post  46  or  48 . An upper end of each diagonal brace member  104  may be welded to an inner face of a respective mounting plate  160  and its opposite, lower, end may also be welded to an upper surface of a respective one of the attachment plates  106  extending laterally from the nearer one of the main longitudinal members  38  and  40 . The diagonal brace member  104  thus has its laterally outer face in a longitudinal vertical plane and provides bracing for the upper portions  102  of the corner posts  46  and  48  in a direction parallel with the length  34  of the rack  24 . 
     A conventional inter-box connector  162 , shown best in  FIG. 13 , has a handle  164 . The inter-box connector  162  may be used to interconnect a pair of stacked racks  24  and  26  to be carried in a container well car  20 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , on a flatcar, as shown in  FIG. 2 , or otherwise carried to a desired destination in the space of a conventional intermodal cargo container, or to be stored for an extended period of time, as shown in  FIG. 14 . The entire height  37  of the rack  24 , defined by the corner posts  46  and  48 , including the corner fittings  146  and  148 , may be about 47⅜ inches, thus slightly less than 48 inches, and thus less than half the 8-foot height of a standard ISO 20-foot cargo container by the distance needed for the connector  162  between the racks  24  and  26 , so that the two racks  24 ,  26  can be stacked and connected, to fit in place of a single standard 20-foot container of 8 feet in height in a container well  22  of a railcar  20 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The height  37  may, alternatively, be slightly greater, up to about half of the height of a standard container of a greater height to allow two of the racks  24 ,  26  to fit in a space intended to receive a cargo container having a greater standard height of 8 feet, 6 inches, or 9 feet, or 9 feet, 6 inches. Thus the height  37  might be as great as 50⅜ inches, or 53⅜ inches, or 56⅜ inches to allow such a stacked pair of racks  24 ,  26 . At least when a pair of racks  24 ,  26  are to be handled as a unit corresponding to handling a single ISO 20-foot cargo container, the handle  164  should be directed inward, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  15 , to avoid interference with obstacles such as adjacent cargo containers. 
     The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.