Container support device for a railway car

Claim 1

IN A RAILWAY CAR HAVING AN UNDERFRAME INCLUDING AN OPEN FLAT DECK PORTION AND UPSTANDING SIDE SILLS, THE PROVISION OF A CONTAINER SUPPORTING RACK ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON SAID DECK PORTION LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF INWARDLY OF SAID SIDE SILLS, SAID RACK ASSEMBLY COMPRISING TRANSVERSELY SPACED INTERCONNECTED RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS PROJECTING VERTICALLY FROM SAID DECK PORTION NO HIGHER THAN SAID SIDE SILLS AND INCLUDING CUSHION ATTACHMENT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE DECK PORTION OF THE CAR THROUGH CUSHION MEANS CARRIED BY THE CAR AND PROVIDING FOR CONTROLLED TRAVEL OF SAID RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CAR IN RESPONSE TO CAR OPERATIONAL SHOCK, SAID RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS HAVING MOUNTED SOLELY ALONG TOP SURFACE PORTIONS THEREOF A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY PROJECTING AND TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING CONTAINER ENDS SUPPORTS, EACH CONTAINER END SUPPORT COMPRISING TRANSVERSELY CONTINUOUS HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL WALL PORTIONS AND VERTICAL END WALL PORTIONS WHICH ARE DIRECTED LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ASSEMBLY, SAID WALL PORTIONS BEING ARRANGED TO ENCASE A BOTTOM END PORTION OF A CONTAINER INCLUDING THE SIDE END PORTIONS THEREOF TRANSVERSELY SUPPORT THE SAME AND CONTROL POSITIONING THEREOF ON SAID RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS, SAID CONTAINER END SUPPORTS PROJECTING LATERALLY BEYOND SAID RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS SUBSTANTIALLY TOWARD SAID SIDE SILLS AND BEING ARRANGED IN OPPOSITELY FACING LONGITUDINALLY SPACED PAIRED RELATION TO COOPERATIVELY ENCASE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF A CONTAINER THEREBETWEEN, AND LONGITUDINALLY CONTINUOUS CONTAINER BOTTOM SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED SOLELY ON TOP SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS AND EXTENDING BETWEEN OPPOSITELY FACING PAIRS OF END SUPPORTS, THE HORIZONTAL WALL PORTION OF EACH CONTAINER END SUPPORT BEING FLUSH WITH THE TOP SURFACES OF SAID INTERMEDIATE CONTAINER BOTTOM SUPPORT MEANS AND CONSTITUTING A TRANSVERSE CONTINUATION THEREOF, THE HORIZONTAL WALL PORTION OF EACH CONTAINER END SUPPORT AND THE TOP SURFACES OF SAID INTERMEDIATE CONTAINER BOTTOM SUPPORT MEANS LYING IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE WHICH IS ABOVE THE TOP SURFACES OF SAID SIDE SILLS.