Lightweight railway container car

Claim 2

A lightweight open skeletal framework railway car for containers, comprising: an enlarged intermediate center sill frame structure and reduced end stub center sill frame structures connected to opposite ends of said intermediate center sill frame structure by respective transition structures, said intermediate center sill frame structure having side means including a pair of longitudinally extending transversely spaced-apart upright first deep web side sill members having upper and lower narrow horizontal longitudinally extending flange portions connected thereto, upper and lower strap cross elements connected to and extending between said side sill members at longitudinally spaced portions thereof to provide upper and lower truss structures, said intermediate center sill structure having greater horizontal and vertical dimensions in cross section than said end stub sill frame structures, each said end frame structure comprising a longitudinally extending boxlike stub sill including transversely spaced vertical second web members and upper and lower plates connected thereto, said second web members having a vertical dimension substantially less than said first web members, a crossbeam connected to ends of each end sill and projecting laterally outwardly to provide end sill platforms, said transition structure being of a boxlike configuration including longitudinally spaced transversely extending structural elements connecting said side sill members to opposite ends of said end sills, and container brackets projecting laterally outwardly from the intermediate structure and end center sills and supported on said side sill members and said end sill cross members for supporting containers thereon.

Claim 3

The invention in accordance with claim 1, each of said boxlike transition structures including a horizontally disposed plate connecting respective pair of side sill members to opposite ends of said respective end sill.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 1, and said transition structures including vertical third web members converging inwardly from said intermediate frame structure and being connected to said boxlike end sill, said vertical third web members diminishing in vertical dimension from connection with said intermediate frame structure to connection with said end sill and said second web members having a substantially lesser vertical dimension than said first web members.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1, and said end frame structures including truss members connected to said vertical second web members and said crossbeams.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 1, and said upper and lower flange portions having upper and lower transverse spreader members respectively connected thereto in longitudinally spaced relation.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 1, and said container brackets of said intermediate section being positioned in pairs transversEly aligned and longitudinally aligned and spaced.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 1, and each of said boxlike transition structures including top and bottom and sideplates having their outer portions diverging outwardly from a respective end sill structure toward the intermediate structure.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 1, and each of said boxlike transition structures including upper and lower plate members and side members diverging outwardly from a respective end sill structure to a respective end of the intermediate structure with the respective end sill structure having a central axis coaxial with the central axis of the intermediate structure, and each of the end sill structures being centrally located in a longitudinal direction with respect to said intermediate structure.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 1, and including diagonally extending structural elements disposed in crisscross relation between longitudinally spaced pairs of brackets of said intermediate sections, and means connecting end portions of said diagonally extending structural elements to said flange portions adjacent said brackets of said intermediate frame structure.

Claim 11

The invention according to claim 1, and said transition structure including upper and lower horizontal plates connected to said third web members to provide a boxlike structure.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 1, and said transition structure including at the connections of said transition structures to said intermediate structure and at the connections of said transitions structures to said end sills, vertical transverse walls providing longitudinally spaced ends of said transition structures.

Claim 13

The invention according to claim 1, and said intermediate structure having substantially intermediate the ends thereof a transverse vertical wall connected to said upper and lower flange portions.

Claim 14

The invention according to claim 1, and said transverse wall having upper and lower horizontal plate portion connected to said flange portions.

Claim 15

The invention according to claim 1, and said transition structures including vertical third web members converging inwardly from said intermediate frame structure and being connected to said boxlike end sill, said vertical third web members diminishing in vertical dimension from connection with said intermediate frame structure to connection with said end sill and said second web members having a substantially lesser vertical dimension than said first web members, and said transition structure including upper and lower plates connected to said third web members to provide a boxlike structure.

Claim 16

The invention according to claim 1, and said upper and lower flange portions having upper and lower transverse spreader members respectively connected thereto in longitudinally spaced relation, and said spreader members being connected to said flanges adjacent the container brackets of said intermediate frame structure.

Claim 17

The invention according to claim 1, and said transition structure including upper and lower horizontal plates connected to said third web members to provide a boxlike structure, including a bolster structure carried by each end sill between said transition structures and said crossbeams, said bolster structures each comprising a plurality of vertical longitudinally spaced plates connected to said upper and lower plates of said respective transition structure and said second web members adjacent said upper and lower plates and projecting laterally outwardly of said end sill structure, and a center plate connected to said lower plate between said vertical plates.

Claim 18

The invention according to claim 1, and including diagonally extending structural elements disposed in crisscross relation between longitudinally spaced pairs of brackets of said intermediate sections, means connecting end portions of said diagonally extending structural elements to said flange portions adjacent said brackets of said intermediate frame structure, and said diagonally extending structural elements disposed between longitudinally spaced pairs of brackets comprising one angle member, and one flat strap member.

Claim 19

A skeletal railway car for containers, comprising: an intermediate frame structure and end frame structures connected to opposite ends of said intermediate frame structure by transition structures, said intermediate frame structure including a pair of longitudinally extending spaced apart upright first webs having upper and lower relatively narrow horizontal longitudinally extending flange portions connected thereto, each said end frame structure comprising a longitudinally extending boxlike end sill including vertical second webs and upper and lower plates connected thereto, said transition structures including vertical third webs converging inwardly from said intermediate section and being connected to said boxlike end sill, said vertical third webs diminishing in vertical dimension from connection with said intermediate section to said end sill connection and said second webs having a substantially lesser vertical dimension than said first webs, a crossbeam connected to the ends of each said end sill and projecting laterally outwardly to provide end sill platforms, a plurality of containers-engaging brackets supported in longitudinally spaced relation along said intermediate section and extending outwardly relative to said first webs, at least a pair of container-engaging brackets supported on said crossbeams in laterally spaced relation and being longitudinally aligned with the brackets of said intermediate frame, said brackets engaging portions of containers projecting horizontally outwardly of said vertical webs for securing the same on said car, said flange portions of said intermediate frame structures having a relatively narrow width to provide a narrow side sill structure on said car, said upper and lower flange portions having upper and lower transverse spreader members respectively connected thereto in longitudinally spaced relation, said spreader members being connected to said flanges adjacent the container brackets of said intermediate frame structure, said container brackets of said intermediate section being positioned in pairs transversely aligned and longitudinally aligned and spaced, including diagonally extending structural elements disposed in crisscross relation between longitudinally spaced pairs of brackets, means connecting end portions of said elements to said flanges adjacent said brackets of said intermediate sections, including a bolster structure carried by each end sill between said transition structures and said crossbeams, said bolster structures comprising a plurality of vertical longitudinally spaced plates connected to said upper and lower plates and said second webs adjacent said plates and projecting laterally outwardly of said end sill, and a center plate connected to said lower plate between said vertical plates and said gussets.

Claim 20

A skeletal railway car for containers, comprising: an intermediate frame structure and end frame structures connected to opposite ends of said intermediate frame structure by transition structures, said intermediate frame structure including a pair of longitudinally extending spaced apart upright first webs having upper and lower relatively narrow horizontal longitudinally extending flange portions connected thereto, each said end frame structure comprising a longitudinally extending boxlike end sill including vertical second webs and upper and lower plates connected thereto, said transition structures including vertical third webs converging inwardly from said intermediate section and being connected to said boxlike end sill, said vertical third webs diminishing in vertical dimension from connection with said intermediate section to said end sill connection and said second webs having a substantially lesser vertical dimension than said first webs, a crossbeam connected to the ends of each said end sill and projecting laterally outwardly to provide end sill platforms, a plurality of containers-engaging brackets supported in longitudinally spaced relation along said intermediate section and extending outwardly relative to said first webs, at least a pair of container-engaging brackets supported on said crossbeams in laterally spaced relation and being longitudinally aligned with the brackets of said intermediate frame, said brackets engaging portions of containers projecting horizontally outwardly of said vertical webs for securing the same on said car, said flange portions of said intermediate frame structures having a relatively narrow width to provide a narrow side sill structure on said car, said upper and lower flange portions having upper and lower transverse spreader members respectively connected thereto in longitudinally spaced relation, said spreader members being connected to said flanges adjacent the container brackets of said intermediate frame structure, said container brackets of said intermediate section being positioned in pairs transversely aligned and longitudinally aligned and spaced, including diagonally extending structural elements disposed in crisscross relation between longitudinally spaced pairs of brackets, means connecting end portions of said elements to said flanges adjacent said brackets of said intermediate sections, including a bolster structure carried by each end sill between said transition structures and said crossbeams, said bolster structures comprising a plurality of vertical longitudinally spaced plates connected to said upper and lower plates and said second webs adjacent said plates and projecting laterally outwardly of said end sill, and a center plate connected to said lower plate between said vertical plates and said gussets.