Improvements in Coverings for Freight-cars, Passenger-cars, and similar Structures.
Year: 1890

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Application
United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 28th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov.. 1890-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1891
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 28th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov.. 1890-Accepted. 17th Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coverings for Freight-cars, Passenger-cars, and
similar Structures.
I, WILLIAM WAREN GREEN, a Citizen of the United States of America, residing
at No. 52 W. Washington Street, in the City of Chicago, County of Cook and State
of Illinois, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
In the drawings presented herewith,
Fig. 1, is a side view of one end of a car bearing my improved covering ;
Fig. 2, an enlarged broken section in line 2-2 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3, a similar section in line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 4, a section showing a modification.
My invention consists in certain improvements in the external covering or sheeting
of railway cars and while especially valuable on freight cars, is also adapted 10
passenger cars and other like structures. These different improvements are clearly
pointed out in the claims appended hereto. They are capable of either con-joint or
separate use, and when combined make up an exceedingly satisfactory structure. The
particular class of cars to which they are applied is that in which the external covering
is formed of a number of metal plates. The greatest difficulty with these cars, has
been met in providing for the expansion and contraction of the metal without danger
of buckling the plates or loosening the joints so that they will leak. My invention is
directed to this general purpose, and in connection therewith to prevent the rattling
of the metal plates, and remove other minor objections that have been incidental to
metal covered cars.
The drawings show a car which embodies all of my improvements in their preferred
form.
Referring to the parts thereof by means of letters applied thereto, A, is the side of
the car; A, the top; B, the floor; C, ", the end and sile sills respectively; D, the
corner posts; E, the side posts; E', the ribs; F, the ridge piece, and G, the run
board.
The outer covering, which is the subject of this invention, is made up of a number of
metal plates, a, which are here continuous from the bottom of the car to the ridge,
and from post to post. While this is preferable, it is of course, not essential.
In fact,
the method of joining the plates described below offers such perfect security against
leakage, that the shape or arrangement of the metal plates is almost immaterial. The
joints are, however, more easily made along the posts and ridge than elsewhere. The
metal plates are not allowed to touch each other, a slight space being left between them
to allow them to expand. This opening is covered by a strip of batten, a¹, tightly
clamped upon the plates by means of bolts, S, reaching through the posts and ridge-
piece, and secured by nut and washer at the inner end. The under side of the
batten, a¹, bears a concave or groove, for two purposes-first, to allow the covered
edge of the plate to. be turned up therein, as seen at a², and, second, to accommodate
a packing, P, to be inserted between the batten and the edges of the plates. The
upturned edges compel any water that may be driven under the batten to flow down
! Price 6d 1

page_text: within the groove, and out at the bottom, and also, in case of accident or undue strain
from any cause, resist the pulling apart of the plates. The packing tightens the
joint, and, being tightly compressed, will expand and prevent leakage or rattling even
when the batten becomes slightly separated from the side plates. When the packing
and the upturned edges are combined, the effectiveness of each is greatly increased
by the presence of the other, the compact filling giving the hooked edges of the plates
a firmer hold upon the inside of the batten and the flanged edge in turn aiding the
packing to arrest the passage of water under the batten to the inside of the car.
upturned edge is of value for another purpose also. When the edges are cut off
straight, they work up against the bolts, s, and wear them rapidly away, and when
the plates are heavy, and great strain imposed, even cut them in two, whereas the
upturned edge is merely bent back by the bolt, and indeed, when the packing is
employed, seldom touches the latter.
The
Fig. 4 shows a modified form of batten. Here the packing is held in separate side
grooves on the under side of the strip, and the edges of the plates upturned in a
central groove.
While this form bas some of the advantages above enumerated, it
lacks others, and is hence inferior to the preferred construction, which has been
described.
To gain still greater facility of expansion and contraction, 1 combine with the
features above presented for this purpose, corrugations, a³, preferably extending
longitudinally of the metal plates, which also serve to stiffer the latter and improve
the appearance of the car.
The end coverings are like the sides, except that the plates terminate under the
quarter round corner batten, a*.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A covering composed of corrugated metal plates covered at the joints, with
battens, having grooves in their under surfaces filled with a packing; substantially as
described.
2. A covering composed of metal plates having upturned edges, battens grooved to
receive said edges, and packing interposed between the battens and the plates ;
substantially as described.
3. A covering composed of metal plates having upturned edges, battens grooved to
receive said edges, and packing in the grooves and about the upturned edges;
substantially as described.
4. A covering composed of corrugated metal plates having upturned edges, battens
grooved to receive said edges, and packing in the grooves and about the upturned
edges substantially as described.
5. A car-covering composed of corrugated metal plates extending between the
side posts and from the bottom of the car to the ridge, having upturned edges along
the sides and ridge-end, battens having grooves to receive the edges, and packing
closely filling said grooves; substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of October A.D. 1890.
WILLIAM WAREN GREEN.