US2034384A - Car roof - Google Patents

Description

L L mm w E Q.

CAR RODF Filed March .mnlllulr Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STAES PATENT OFFICE CAR noor Application March 3, 1933, Serial No. 659,492

Claims.

The invention relates to al1-metal car roofs. The principal object of the invention is to devise a strong and economical roof that may be made of relatively light roof sheets. The invention 5 consists principally in the use of metal strips welded to said sheets where their own strength alone would be insuici-ent to satisfactorily take care of the stresses that would be imposed thereon in practice.

j@ It also consists in the parts, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed,

In the accompanying drawing wherein reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they 35 occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a portion of a car' roof embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2-2 in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3-3 in Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of the invention.

The construction illustrated in Figs. l to 3 is a roof of the so-called neutral axis type wherein the roof sheets extend from side plate I to side plate I and comprise panels 2 at an upper level alternating with panels 3 at a lower level with substantially vertical webportions 4 connecting them so that the roof as a Whole functions as a beam supported on the side plates.

In the construction illustrated in Figs, 1 to 3, each sheet has an upstanding flange 5 along its lower margin and a depending flange along its upper margin. These marginal flanges are of a width somewhat less than half the depth of the medial web 4, whereby a space or gap is left between the depending flange 6 of one sheet and the upstanding flange 5 of the next adjacent sheet with the flanges in substantial vertical alinement. Opposite said gap and preferably inside the roof is a reinforcing member 1 to which the edges of adjacent sheets are welded, as at 8, preferab-ly by means of an electric welding rod, whose material fills the gap between the edges of the sheets and thereby secures the sheets together as well as to the reinforcing member. Preferably the weld 8 has considerable width and its material is of greater tensile strength than the metal of the sheets.

In some cases it may be desirable to reinforce the medial web 4 of the roof sheet; in which case, a reinforcing strip la of any suitable design may be welded flatwise against the web 4a, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The construction hereinbefore (Cl. 10S- 5.4)

described is adapted to be assembled into a unitary roof and applied as such to the car frame. In assembling such roof, specially prepared jigs are used and the reinforcing strips themselves function after the manner of jigs, as above 5 stated.

The shape of the reinforcing strip admits of considerable variation conformable to its particular functions. Thus, it may be a relatively iiat narow strip 1b arranged in a substantially ver- 10 tical plane as illustrated in Fig. 4, in which case the strip not only strengthens the structure by the additional metal which it contributes but facilitates the assembling operation by furnishing a backing for the flanges of the sheets during 15 the Welding operation. It is preferable, however, to make the reinforcing strip in the form of a z, as illustrated in Fig. 3, with the top panel 2 resting on the upper flange 9 of the Z with its own depending flange 6 arranged flatwise against 20 the vertical body of the Z, and with the margin of the lower panel 3 resting on the lower flange lil of the Z with its own upstanding flange 5 disposed iiatwise against the vertical body of the Z.

In this Z-shaped design of reinforcing strip the 25 upper and lower flanges 9 and l0 contribute considerable metal in the tension and compression regions of the roof and greatly facilitate the operation of welding by functioning as jigs for the sheets during the operation of the welding. 30

In the construction illustrated in Figs 3 and 4, the reinforcing member is wholly inside the roof covering so that the weld is exposed; but as the metal is continuous, there is no danger of water leaking therethrough. 35

The construction described above permits the use of thin sheets, as great latitude is afforded in the design of reinforcing strips that are embodied in the construction in the course of assembly. Besides, as the weld material may easily 40 be made to lill in the entire gap between the edges of adjacent sheets, no matter how wide such gap may be, wider tolerances are permissible in the width of the flanges than would be requisite if the sheets had to be matched carefully. 45

It is noted as an advantage of welding, in comparison with riveting, that welding saves at least as much metal as the lap required for riveting; and the joint is a tighter joint. It is also noted in the constructions illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, a 50 single weld is required to join together the two sheets and reinforcing strip..

In the foregoing description, I have referred to welding as a means of securing sheets in place.

In addition to this function of fastening o-f the 55 g upper panel, a lower panel and a web integrally connecting said panels, a. reinforcing member for each web, and welds uniting each reinforcing member to its web.

2. A car roof consisting of roof sheets adapted, arranged and secured together to form panels in an upper elevation alternating with panels in a lower elevation, a reinforcing strip for each integral web and welds of added metal along the upper and lower edges of said strip uniting the same to said web.

3. A car roof comprising an upper plane sheet with a depending flange, a lower plane sheet with an upstanding flange, the two flanges being in line but spaced apart vertically, a reinforcing member in Contact flatwise with the two anges and spanning the space therebetween, and a weld of added metal lling said space and uniting said flanges together and to said reinforcing member.

4. A car roof of the type wherein the roof sheets extend from side plate to side plate and comprise panels at an upper level alternating with panels at a lower level with substantially vertical web portions connecting them so that the roof as a whole functions as a beam supported on the side plates, said roof consisting of roof sheets with flanges along their side margins arranged in flush alinement and with the edges of the flanges of adjacent sheets spaced apart, reinforcing strips spanning said spaces with their side margins underlapping the margins of said roof sheets, and continuous welds of added metal securing the flanges to the reinforcing strips, the metal of said welds affording substantial reinforcement.

5. A car roof of the type wherein the roof sheets extend from side plate to side plate and comprise panels at an upper level alternating with panels at a lower level with substantially vertical web portions connecting them so that the roof as a whole functions as a beam supported on the side plates, said roof consisting of roof sheets arranged with their adjacent margins in flush alinement and with the edges of adjacent sheets spaced apart, reinforcing strips bridging such spaces and continuous welds of added metal of superior strength securing the spaced edges of adjacent sheets to each other and to the reinforcing strips, the metal of said welds affording substantial reinforcement.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL.

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