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. Flexibility in load adaptation is provided for in that a number of different load capture arrangements can be utilized.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]    Priority is claimed based on provisional application Serial No. 60/134,098, filed May 14, 1999. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The invention uses a retrofittable fabricated load securing anchor mounted to railcar beams, cross bearers, and bolsters. The anchor operates in conjunction with load securing scraps arranged to apply securing loads on cargos through a combination of straps, preferably straps in conjunction with resilient load securing pads.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    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.  
           [0006]    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.  
           [0007]    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.  
           [0008]    The anchors shown here are preferably mounted in 4 to 10 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 above a major structural floor member.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    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.  
           [0010]    Each anchor consists of a flat plate or channel with four (4) elongated holes to which hooks engage. Preferably these are hooks mounted at the ends of adjustable tensioning straps. These anchors are flat plate or channel which are mounted flush with the insulated 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.  
           [0011]    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. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]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.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a sectional view, in a direction analogous to front elevation of an anchor of the invention as mounted to a crossbearer.  
         [0014]    [0014]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.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a sectional view, in a direction analogous to front elevation of an anchor of the invention as mounted to a bolster.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a railcar having the anchors of the invention mounted in a car without bulkheads.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a railcar having the anchors of the invention mounted in a car with bulkheads  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an anchor of the invention as mounted to a crossbearer.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an anchor of the invention as mounted to a crossbearer.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 is a front elevation of an anchor of the invention showing top plate attachment in partial sectional view.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the base assembly of a bolster mountable anchor of the invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a top plate of an anchor of the invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 12 is a side elevation of a mounting brace for an anchor of the invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 13 is a top plan view of a mounting brace for an anchor of the invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of a mounting brace for an anchor of the invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 15 shows a load securement strap used in the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0027]    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 .  
         [0028]    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 is 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.  
         [0029]    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.  
         [0030]    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 threaded rods  28  on brackets  30 . Top plates  18  are formed to be mounted on threaded rods  28  and to be alignable and fixed in position relative to the top surface of floor  16 .  
         [0031]    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.  
         [0032]    A pair of anchors  14  is mounted at each car end  36 ,  38 . 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 .  
         [0033]    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.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIGS. 1, 2 and  7  show the mounting of anchor  12  on brackets  30  and brackets  30  on crossbearer  24 .  
         [0035]    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 threaded rod  28  and will serve as a surface to support 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 .  
         [0036]    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 .  
         [0037]    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.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIGS. 3,4,  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.  
         [0039]    Also shown in FIG. 9 is the securement straps  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 .  
         [0040]    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.  
         [0041]    While the present invention has been disclosed and described with reference to a single embodiment 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 machine being controlled, and is not limited to the control of inserting machines. 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.