Patent ID: 8047140

Claim:
A railroad hopper car having a hopper car body carried on rail road car trucks for rolling motion in a lengthwise direction, said railroad hopper car comprising: first and second lengthwise running side walls and first and second hoppers defined between said side walls; the first hopper being lengthwise next adjacent to the second hopper; the first hopper including a first slope sheet; the second hopper including a second slope sheet; each of the first and second slope sheets having a respective upper margin running cross-wise between the side walls of the hopper car; the first and second slope sheets being inclined upwardly toward each other; a structure extending cross-wise between, and being mated to, said first and second side walls; said structure including a first part, a second part, and a third part; said first part including a plate oriented cross-wise between said first and second side walls, said plate having an upper margin and a lower margin; said upper margin of said first slope sheet being mated along a first junction to said plate; said upper margin of said second slope sheet being mated along a second junction to said plate; said upper margin of said plate being located upwardly of said first and second junctions; said lower margin of said plate being located downwardly of said first and second junctions; said second part of said structure including an uppermost part of said structure located adjacent to said first side wall, said second part having a first edge joined to said first side wall, and a second edge extending away from said first side wall downwardly and inboard thereof; said third part of said structure including an uppermost part of said structure located adjacent to said second side wall, said third part having a first edge joined to said second side wall, and a second edge extending away from said second side wall downwardly and inboard thereof.