Cargo rack

A freight-retaining device consisting of a rack removably attached to a freight-hauling vehicle, such as a flat-deck railroad car, with the rack providing a plurality of vertically extending freight-retaining fingers adjustably spaced throughout the longitudinal length of the rack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
To facilitate the securement of pipes, rods, structural angles, and sheet 
plates, as well as elongated metal parts, onto a freight-hauling vehicle, 
such as a flat car, there is provided a retaining system consisting of a 
plurality of vertically extending fingers adjustably mounted 
longitudinally of a fixed rack removably attached to the vehicle. The 
system offers more versatility to shippers, while assuring safer loads and 
fewer damage claims. 
The system permits a standard flat car to be readily equipped to handle 
such loads that normally require the use of gondola type equipment. The 
utilization of such an equipped flat car gives the advantage of permitting 
quicker loading and unloading, all to the benefit of shippers. The system 
consists of a cargo finger rack providing an elongated base adapted to be 
placed upon the existing deck of a flat car in a direction transversely of 
the longitudinal length thereof. The base provides at each end an end 
riser fixedly attached to the base, with the riser having a depending 
portion extending into sockets carried by the side sill structure of the 
flat car. The end risers are then removably attached in the sockets, 
attaching the rack upon the deck of the flat car. A series of upstanding 
fingers may then be attached to the rack at selected positions along its 
length to accommodate freight of various shapes and sizes.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a cargo rack which is 
adapted to be removably positioned upon the flat deck of a flat car. The 
cargo rack is adapted to extend transversely of the longitudinal deck of 
the flat car and, as such, may be positioned upon the deck as is required. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the flat car provides a deck 10 which terminates along 
each of its longitudinal side edges in an angled end plate 11 welded upon 
a depending side plate 12 which in turn supports an angled sill 13. The 
rack 14 of the invention consists of a base structure 15 formed from a 
pair of channel members 16 and 17 adapted to be placed in spaced relation 
with respect to each other, with their open channels facing in opposite 
directions as shown in FIG. 2. At either end of the base structure 15 
there is positioned within the space between the channel members 16 and 17 
a portion of an end riser 18. To secure the end riser 18 to the base 
structure 15, there is provided a pair of face plates 19 and 20, each of 
which is welded to the opposite sides 21 and 22, respectively, of the end 
riser 18, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It should also be noted that the face 
plates 19 and 20 are of such length as to extend into the space between 
the channel members 16 and 17 and, in turn, be welded thereto. 
To restrain longitudinal as well as lateral displacement of the end riser 
18 relative to the base structure 15, there is provided the following 
connecting structural support elements. The face plates 19 and 20 each 
provide an inclined edge 23 facing inwardly of the base structure 15 and 
upon which is welded a strut plate 24. This strut plate has its opposite 
ends welded to the top edge portions of the channel members 16 and 17 and 
the inner face of the end riser 18, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As seen in 
FIG. 1, each of the channel members 16 and 17 has its end closed by an 
angle iron 25 and 26, respectively. Adapted to be connected to the 
horizontal flange 27 and 28 of each of the angle irons 25 and 26, 
respectively, is the base edge of a pair of triangularly shaped vertical 
support plates 29 and 30. The long edge of each of these plates 29 and 30 
is in turn welded to the opposite face 21 and 22 of the end riser 18, as 
shown. By the foregoing arrangement, the rack 14 is provided at either end 
with a stationary rigid end riser by which the base structure 15 may be 
mounted upon the flat deck of the vehicle. 
As noted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the end riser 18 is of such length as to extend 
beyond the bottom of the base structure 15, as well as of such length as 
to project into a socket 31 provided by the side sill 13 of the freight 
car. The socket 31 is of a well known construction and, as such, is shown 
in FIG. 5. In such illustration there is shown the end angle 11, the side 
plate 12, and the sill 13. The horizontal flange of the sill 13 is 
provided with a cut-out 32 beneath which is positioned the socket 31. The 
socket 31 is of a stirrup construction and provides side legs 33 which are 
adapted to be welded upon the depending flange of the sill 13. When the 
end riser 18 is placed therein, the lowermost end portion 34 thereof will 
project into the socket 31. 
As noted in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is positioned within the end riser 18 
adjacent the lower end portion 34 thereof a retaining washer 35 which 
fixedly carries on the inner face thereof a locking nut 36'. After the 
riser 18 has been placed within the socket 31, a retaining plate 36 has a 
bolt 37 threaded therethrough, through the fixed washer 35, and into the 
nut 36' within the hollow end 34 of the riser 18. 
The retaining plate 36 is of a size greater than the opening of the socket 
31, such that it cannot pass therethrough. As the bolt 34 is fastened, it 
will connect the riser 18, as well as the rack 14, onto the freight car. 
To prevent the bolt 34 from turning, due to vibration during transit of 
the freight car, retaining bars 38 may be placed against opposite sides of 
the bolt head 37 and spot-welded to the plate 36 to retain the bolt 34 in 
such fastened position. 
Adapted to be mounted onto the rack 14 intermediate the end risers 18, and 
spaced in any convenient manner, are a series of freight-retaining fingers 
39. These retaining fingers 39 consist of an upright post 40 adapted to 
sit upon a base plate 41 which is of a width equal to the combined length 
of the upper arms of the channel members 16 and 17 plus the space 
therebetween, so that it is securely positioned onto the rack 14. 
To secure the finger 39 in an upright position with respect to its base 
plate 41, there are provided a pair of side plates 42 which are truncated 
so as to provide opposite inclined side edges. Mounted upon the opposite 
side edges are a pair of supporting struts 43. Both the struts 43 as well 
as the side plates 42 are welded upon the base plate 41. By this 
construction there is provided a rigid base structure for the fingers 39. 
The base plate 41 is provided with a plurality of openings 44 formed 
therethrough, which are adapted to register with like openings 45 formed 
in the upper arms of the channel members 16 and 17, as shown in FIGS. 3 
and 4. By this arrangement the fingers 39 may be placed anywhere upon the 
rack 14 and, by suitable nuts and bolts, fastened thereto so as to be 
positioned to accommodate the various sizes and structural shapes of the 
freight to be retained thereby. 
From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have described a cargo rack which 
may be readily attached to a standard freight car having a flat deck, with 
the cargo rack providing for the positioning of individual 
freight-retaining fingers at various locations along the longitudinal 
length of the rack. By this structure the objects of the invention are 
achieved. 
While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction 
for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and 
modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, 
therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of 
construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and 
modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.