Patent GB-951096-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in railroad cars for transporting freight containers
IPC: B61D3/20
Filed: 1961-01-11
Abstract: 951,096. Railway vehicle undercarriages and underframes. PULLMAN Inc. Jan. 11, 1961 [April 11, 1960], No. 1152/61. Heading B7L. A railroad car for transporting freight containers 74, Figs. 1A, 1B, comprises an underframe 12 consisting of an inverted channelshaped elongated centre sill 21 (see also Fig. 27), formed of spaced longitudinally continuous and vertical sill members 22 and a top plate 24 extending along the length of the sill, the latter having a deep central portion 28 and shallow end portions 30, a bolster structure 130, Fig. 2, secured to each end portion and a bogie 116 secured to each bolster structure. The end portions of the sill are indented at each side at 113 to form walls for the bogie wheels 115. Each bolster structure 130, Fig. 2, comprises bent side members 131 with plates 134 all secured to the sill members 22 are carrying wear plates 133 to engage corresponding plates on the bogie bolster 135. The bolster structure includes a king-pin receptacle 139 welded by webs 136 and braces 140 to the sill 21 and a bottom cover-plate 137 thereof carries a centre plate 138 to engage a corresponding plate on the bogie bolster. The sill members 22 are braced at intervals, e.g. by members 32, 34 and the end portions house draft gear for couplings 91 and are connected with end sills 117 each provided with guard rails 104 and an access gateway 170. Slidable longitudinally on the tops of the members 22 is a carriage 14 formed of spaced side sills 36 vertically aligned with the members 22 and braced by members 144 and roller structures 16. As shown, Fig. 4, each structure 16 comprises transverse spaced channels 152 secured to the sills 36 (in the form of I-beams) and pairs of framing members 154 at the opposite ends of the channels 152 and forming pockets 155 for roller assemblies 156. Each assembly 156 comprises a pair of plates 158 pivoted by a pin 162 to the members 154 and carrying a pair of rollers 161 which engage the top flange of the associated sill 22. The top plate 24 has two elongated central openings 40 therein, one being shown in Fig. 5. The opening is covered by a plate 42 provided with a drain hole 181 and carrying longitudinally spaced stop members 44. Disposed on each side of the stops 44 and extending longitudinally of and secured to the carriage sills 36 by plates 49, are frame members 48. The members 48 carry lugs 46 aligned with the stops 44. Between the stops and lugs of one opening 40 is disposed an hydraulic cushion device 18, Fig. 1A, as described in Specification 951,095, whilst between the lugs and stops of the other opening 40 is disposed a booster spring 142 which assists the springs 72 of the device 18 in centralizing the carriage 14 on the sill 21. The inner opposed lower flanges 149, Fig. 7, of the sills 36 are disposed below projections 150 on bracket guide members 147 secured to the centre sill top plate 24 and the projections prevent the lifting of the carriage from the centre sill and also prevent relative lateral movement between the carriage and the centre sill. Hingedly attached to the upper flanges of the sills 36 are bracket structures 82 for detachably connecting the carriage and a freight container 74, and by engaging container recesses as described with reference to Figs. 23 and 28 (not shown). In another embodiment the carriage sills slide on anti-friction pads carried by bracket structures secured to the centre sill top plate as described with reference to Figs. 20 and 22 (not shown). The sill members 22 may be provided with lateral support surfaces along their length, as described with reference to Fig. 29 (not shown), in order that the railcar may support highway trailers having their wheels mounted on the lateral support surfaces.