Abstract:
A railcar load securement apparatus uses an array of load securement anchors having bases adapted for strength and efficiency in mounting in a rail car, a plurality of vertical support members extending upwardly from a mounting base or bracket with a flush mounted anchor plate joining them, so that a plurality of tensioning members or straps can be readily mounted to retain cargo, but the anchor is flush to be unobstructive when unused. The alternative embodiment anchor is particularly adapted to installation with a new-floor, being a tube mounted anchor providing a strong, economical mounting where vertical clearance, and particularly angle, adjustment is not needed. Flexibility in load adaptation is provided for in that a number of different load capture arrangements can be utilized.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     Priority is claimed based on provisional application Ser. No. 60/134,098, filed May 14, 1999, and application Ser. No. 09/441,848, filed Nov. 17, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,651. 
     RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/441,848, filed Nov. 17, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,651. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention uses alternatively, a retrofittable or new-floor—tube mounted—fabricated load securing anchor mounted to railcar beams, cross bearers, and bolsters. The anchor operates in conjunction with load securing straps arranged to apply securing loads on cargoes through a combination of straps, preferably straps in conjunction with resilient load securing pads. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The most common load securement method for railcars handling cargo such as large heavy items is to load the items on a railcar floor and secure the items with a variety of chains or straps typically using hooks to anchor the securement member (the chain or strap) and toggle and adjustment devices for tensioning. 
     Often the hooks are attached to the chain or strap and are anchored to eyes, or bars in pockets, or other structural members on the railcar. Additionally, specialized anchors or hooks having generally T-shaped members on the strap or chain fit into corresponding recesses in a railcar floor or, in the case of a flatcar, occasionally into a recessed pocket whereby the head of the “T” bears against a specialized anchor piece in the pocket. 
     Other load securement practices in the rail industry in the prior art included numerous other mechanical load securement methods such as: blocks, chocks, and specialized mechanical locks often varying depending on a specialized load. 
     The anchors shown here are preferably mounted in 4 to 10 (or more) anchors-per-car sets. The anchors are preferably mounted in pockets or recesses formed in line with current bulkhead floor track. If there is no floor track, then the anchors can be mounted anywhere along the wall, preferably above a major structural floor member. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A plurality of anchors are arrayed in association with a railcar floor, particularly being affixed to the railcar frame members that support the floor including longitudinal beams, longitudinal beams in association with riser and cross bearer members, and railcar bolsters. 
     Each anchor consists of a flat plate or channel with two to four (or more) elongated holes to which hooks engage. Preferably these are hooks mounted at the ends of adjustable tensioning straps. The anchors have flat plate or channel forms mounted flush with the car floor so that “slip-sheet” loads do not engage them. The anchors are also designed so that the holes will permit load securement bulkheads to engage the holes if a car is so equipped. 
     Typically, an array of floor anchors associated with each end and an additional pair associated with the car transverse center line—typically a box car door location—can be used to secure a variety of loads in combination with various railcar arrangements. These include using a plurality of vertically aligned foam pads or other resilient members acting against railcar ends and bulkheads, using opposed straps bearing against one another, particularly at the door position, or using strap tensioning against car ends in the absence of bulkheads. It is also advantageous to support coils on resilient, friction increasing horizontal pads. 
     The retrofittable embodiment uses height adjustable mounting to permit perfectly flush mounting in imperfectly level floors, or on distorted car frame members. The new-floor, tube mounted embodiment uses a short portion from a tube, mounted vertically, as the connecting member between the top plate and car frame. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional view, in a direction analogous to a side elevation of an anchor of the invention as mounted to a crossbearer. 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view, in a direction analogous to front elevation of an anchor of the invention as mounted to a crossbearer. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view, in a direction analogous to a side elevation of an anchor of the invention as mounted to a bolster. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view, in a direction analogous to front elevation of an anchor of the invention as mounted to a bolster. 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a railcar having the anchors of the invention mounted in a car without bulkheads. 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a railcar having the anchors of the invention mounted in a car with bulkheads 
     FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an anchor of the invention as mounted to a crossbearer. 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an anchor of the invention as mounted to a crossbearer. 
     FIG. 9 is a front elevation of an anchor of the invention showing top plate attachment in partial sectional view. 
     FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the base assembly of a bolster mountable anchor of the invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a top plate of an anchor of the invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a side elevation of a mounting brace for an anchor of the invention. 
     FIG. 13 is a top plan view of a mounting brace for an anchor of the invention. 
     FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of a mounting brace for an anchor of the invention. 
     FIG. 15 shows a load securement strap used in the invention. 
     FIG. 16 is a partial sectional view of the tube mounted embodiment. 
     FIG. 17 is a top plan view of the tube mounted embodiment. 
     FIG. 18 is an end elevational view of the tube mounted embodiment. 
     FIG. 19 is an end elevational view of the plate of the tube mounted embodiment. 
     FIG. 20 is a top plan view of an alternative tube mounted embodiment. 
     FIG. 21 is a partial sectional view of an alternative tube mounted embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A railcar  10  has a plurality of anchors or cleats  12 ,  14  arrayed in association with a floor  16 . One form of anchor  12  is affixed to the railcar underframe members that provide strength for the car and also support the floor  16 . 
     It will be noted that bulkhead track  20  customarily associated with a railcar floor  16  is shown in generally schematic form. Typically a pair of tracks  20  are recessed in the floor  16  to enable the fitting of bulkheads and removal or movement or adjustment thereof. The anchors  12 ,  14  are mounted flush with the insulated car floor  16  so that “slip-sheet” loads do not engage them. 
     The anchors  12 ,  14  are also designed so that their holes  17  in plate  18  will permit load securement bulkheads to engage the holes  17  if a car is equipped with bulkheads. This is enabled by locating the anchor in line with the current bulkhead floor track  20 . If there is no floor track  20 , then the anchors can be mounted anywhere along the car above a major structural floor member. 
     As will be seen in the discussion below, the general concept of applying flush anchors located in line with bulkhead tracks has evolved into a sophisticated structural arrangement that provides numerous technical advantages. In particular, arrangements for mounting have been developed that take advantage of uniquely configured standardized components and are adapted to fitting as original equipment in railcars of standardized configurations as well as the very significant advantage of retrofitting to existing cars. 
     Below floor  16 , anchors  12  are fixed indirectly to the car&#39;s underframe members. For maximum strength these will be located in association with longitudinal beams or side sills  22  supporting cross bearers  24 . In particular, anchor  12  has top plate  18  supported by rods  28  on brackets  30 . Top plates  18  are formed to be mounted on rods  28  and to be alignable and fixed in position relative to the top surface of floor  16 . 
     Anchor  14  is fitted with a base plate  32  itself mounted on bolster  34  near car end  36 . This is also supported by bolts  38 . The specific structure used for anchor  12  and  14 , in particular their mounting and adjustment, will be described below. 
     A pair of anchors  14  is mounted at each car end  36 . An additional pair of anchors  12  is associated with the car transverse center line typically where the doors are located. Because of the structure of the car underframe, anchors  12 ,  14  are attached differently, using, alternatively, brackets,  30  or base plates  32 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 5-6, these anchors  12 ,  14  can be used to secure a variety of loads. Various railcar load securement arrangements use a plurality of resilient elastomeric pads  40  resting on floor  16  and blocking members or foam pads  42  acting between cargo rolls and against railcar end walls  44  and bulkheads  46 , respectively. Preferably, antifriction pads  40  can be a masticated rubber material of a thickness of about ¼″. Masticated rubber such as available from Alert Manufacturing specification No. 400 is a combination of rubber and random oriented fiber mixed in sheet form. It is often used in other applications such as wheel well openings, engine compartment barriers, gaskets, splash shields and other similar uses, however its increase in coefficient of friction as a base for cargo coils in rail cars is the advantageous feature used here. 
     Blocking members  42  can preferably be a resilient foam to help absorb buff and draw forces. These can be of numerous alternatives, including, for example, disposable polystyrene foam pads. 
     FIGS. 1,  2  and  7  show the mounting of anchor  12  on brackets  30  and brackets  30  on crossbearer  24 . FIGS. 12-14 show brackets  30  in greater detail. Bracket  30  has angled flanges  50 ,  52  supported by gussets  54 . Flange  50  is formed to provide slot  56  which will receive rod  28 . It will be seen that flange  52  is formed to have apertures  58  that provide some lightening and also provide for added edge surfaces which may be welded to crossbearer  24 . Flange  52  is thus welded at locations appropriate to give adequate strength without undue heating and distortion of crossbearer  24 . 
     Use of a threaded rod  28  will provide for the placement of a lower nut  60 , a center nut  62  and a supporting nut  64 . Rod  28  fits slot  56  preferably with center nut  62  fixed in a selected vertical position. Lower nut  60  can then be tightened to fix rod  28  to flange  52  in slot  56 . Supporting nut  64  can then be rotated to raise it or lower it, so as to finely adjust the position of plate  18  relative to floor  16 . Each nut  60 ,  62 ,  64  will preferably be welded in place once each of the described adjustments is made. Plate  18  can then be located for permanent positioning atop the pair of nuts  64 . 
     Plate  18  has, in addition to load securement receiving apertures  17 , rod apertures  66 . Surrounding apertures  66  are recessed areas  68  preferably formed by machining such as by chamfering. Other methods of forming, whether by casting, stamping or machining could accomplish this, however chamfering is preferred. Areas  68  provide for placement of a welding bead to weld plate  18  to rods  28 . The bead will be substantially below the top surface of the plate and can be easily ground flush without substantially reducing the strength of the joint. 
     FIGS. 3,  4 , and  8 - 10  show the assembly and mounting of anchor  14 . Base plate  32  is similar in plan form to top plate  18 . Base apertures  70  conform in appearance to apertures  17  and can be formed in the same manufacturing steps. However, there is no need for either rod apertures  66  or chamfers  68  as plate  32  is welded to bolster  34 . Apertures  70  provide for added edge area for welding, thus an extremely strong weld attachment can be made with minimal complexity in equipment, set up, work area size or the precision in the forming of a hole in floor  16 . Bolts  38  have heads  72  welded to plate  32 . The use of bolts provides the added mass and surface area of welded head  72  while the threads provide height adjustment in a manner analogous to that described above with respect to anchor  12 . Height adjusting nuts  74  are used to position top plate  18  and the structure is then preferably welded. 
     Also shown in FIG. 9 is a securement strap  80  formed with loop  82  at the ends of a center web  84 . Preferably strap  80  is secured to anchor  12 ,  14  with a hook device known in the industry as a “B” hook  86 . The best strength and economy is obtained using a pair of links  88  for connection to the “B” hook  86  to interconnect with loop  82  through a “D” ring  90 . “B” hook  86  has locking lobes  92  which fit through apertures  17 , with stem  94  projecting through plate  18  to extend eye portion  96  in the direction of the load. The strap  80  is tensioned using a combination adjuster and toggle  98 . 
     Various strap leads are disclosed and illustrated in FIG.  5  and FIG. 6. A pair of straps  80  can be used in a single coil capture arrangement  102 , particularly advantageous at the door anchor location when a car  10  is fully loaded, but also usable for partial loads at the other stations. A pair of coils could be captured by a single strap  80  and compressed against a car end wall  44  in a double coil, end wall capture arrangement  104 . This may also be used against a bulkhead  46  at arrangement  106  where the bulkhead  46  holds coils against wall  44 . Generally, the anchors  12 ,  14  can retain a plurality of coils, preferably with a strap assembly  80  per coil, for each tensioning direction. Thus two straps are used in arrangements  104 ,  106  on a single side, while two straps at arrangement  102  are used, one at each side. 
     The alternative embodiment anchor is particularly adapted to installation with a new-floor being a tube mounted anchor providing a strong, economical mounting where vertical clearance, and particularly angle, adjustment is not needed. 
     Anchor  212  in FIGS. 16,  17 ,  18  and  19  has  4  holes and is particularly adapted for non-insulated rail cars, although for use on open top rail cars as well. Anchor  214 , FIGS. 20,  21  is longer and uses a rectangular tube and welded flat plate with two holes. The first tube embodiment  212  is formed to have four holes  217  in a recessed plate  226  that fits inside the tube  230  and is shown in FIGS. 16-19. 
     The second tube embodiment  214  utilizes a longer four hole plate  232  that abuts the top of two tubes  234 ,  236  as shown in FIGS. 20,  21 . Alternatively, a single plate with two or more holes that abuts the top of one tube, arranged at a height designed to be flush with the car floor, could also be used. 
     The tube mounted embodiments allow the anchor to be welded to the floor panels prior to floor installation, which reduces total installation costs. This is permitted because, unlike the retrofittable embodiment, vertical adjustment is neither enabled, nor needed. 
     An example of a typical installation of the tube mounted embodiment would be a non-insulated boxcar with a nailable steel floor or the equivalent. The load securement arrangements described could be advantageously adapted to such a car with end of car cushioning. 
     In this installation, either a 50′ boxcar length or a 60′ boxcar length utilizes 8 anchors (or 4 stations). All of the anchors  212  or  214  are located approximately ½″ to 1″ inward from the side wall of the car or directly against any side wall filler above the side sill. Anchors  212  are 4″ wide and 10″ long. The 10″ length runs parallel to the wall of the car. Anchor  214 , having two tubes,  234 ,  236 , is 4″ wide and 20″ long. 
     Anchor  212  is formed from an approximately 1.625″ to 1.750′ high base tube  230 . This tube  230  is cut from a formed length of steel tubing so that the described height tube  230  can be installed as described, with the loads distributed along seamless walls. Long walls  240 ,  242  and end walls  244 ,  246  comprise the structure of tube  230 . 
     As a first step in installation, base tube  230  is welded from the inside only with down hand welding. Effectively, the tube walls define within them a weld aperture and the tube walls provide vertical support member supporting surfaces. In this manner, functions and advantages of the retrofittable embodiment are found in the new-floor mountable tube embodiment. 
     The ½″ thick cover plate  226  is to be placed and welded inside the tube. The invention provides several advantages in this regard. 
     Plate  226  is formed with bevels  250  on the edges  252 ,  254 . The bevels are at an angle of about 45°. Chamfered comers  256  provide an easily machined shape for clearance to fit inside the surfaces of walls  240 ,  242 ,  244 ,  246  considering that the tube  230  is typically formed with rounded comers. 
     Tabs  260  are attached to the inside surfaces of walls  240 ,  242 ,  244 ,  246  at a height that will enable plate  226  to be supported at a level flush with the top of the tube  230  and, as mounted, with floor  16 . This provides primarily vertical support for plate  226  until it is welded in place. 
     The weld of bevels  250  proximate the inside surfaces of walls  240 ,  242 ,  244 ,  246  will fill the area therebetween and close up the gap between floor planks and any side wall filler. When finished, the cover plate  226  and floor  16  will be flush. In this manner, combining the tabs positioning the top plate at a selected height, and welding at the top edge of walls  240 ,  242 ,  244 ,  246  tube  230  and tubes  234 ,  236  perform the function of a plate supporting element. 
     A pair of anchors  212  or  214  (one station) is located at each end over the bolster  34  approximately 5′0″ to 7′5″ from the car end  36  inside. The teachings of the earlier retrofittable embodiment as to positioning and structural considerations in association with the car frame members (side sills  22 , cross bearers  24 , bolster  34 ) will be understood to apply to the tube versions, except as noted due to the mounting prior to floor installation. 
     Anchor  214  has plate  232  spanning two tubes  234 ,  236 . It will be understood that a shorter plate could also be used with a single tube. Plate  232  is simply butt welded to the two tubes  234 ,  236 , however the adjacent end walls  270 ,  272  if welded to plate  232 , provide additional strength as a reinforcing web. Similarly, the butt weld of the alternative two hole version—effectively half of the two-tube version shown in FIGS. 20,  21 , while not as strong as the beveled and filled version of FIGS. 16-19, will not have as many loads secured because it only has two holes, so there will be an inherent limiting factor. Of course, it should be recognized that the plates  226 ,  232  for either anchor  212 ,  214  could include two, three, four, or more openings, depending upon the application and the number of load securement device receiving apertures needed. 
     Care in fabrication and installation of the tube versions  212 ,  214  is important to preserve the advantages of the tube installation in order to avoid distortion of the panel during tube installation. After cutting out a 4″×10″ hole or slot in the floor panel for the anchor, the floor panel should be supported at the ends. 
     The location of the anchor  212 ,  214  can be shifted longitudinally ±5″ to allow positioning of the anchor. The next pair of anchors (1 station) in each end should be located directly above a cross-bearer  24  which is 5′ to 8′ from the bolster. Because the anchor is longer than the width of the cross-bearer  24 , it may be necessary to support the floor panel at the cross bearer  24  and on either side. This support piece could be about 16″ to 20″ long, depending on the floor panels, cross-bearer  24  and side sill  22 , and whether the 10″ or 20″ anchor,  212 ,  214  is used. 
     Each anchor  212 ,  214  can be subject to pulling forces through a web strap hook into the cover plate  236  that is 48,000 lbs. or more. Welding to the side sill  22  is critical. The majority of the forces are in the longitudinal direction toward the car door center. It will be understood that the locations of the tube anchors will correspond to the previously described retrofittable anchors  12 ,  14 . 
     While the present invention has been disclosed and described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be apparent, as noted above that variations and modifications may be made therein. It is also noted that the present invention is independent of the particular car. It is, thus, intended in the following claims to cover each variation and modification that falls within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.