US2271514A - Metal car roof - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 3, 1942. v. E. WEST METAL CAR ROOF Filed March 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 3, 1942. v. E. EST 2,271,514

METAL CAR ROOF Filed March 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I fig, v/r

Patented Feb. 3, 1942 2,271,514 METAL CAR ROOF" Victor E. West, Chicago, 111., assignor to'Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company,

a corporation of Delaware Application March 27, 1941, Serial No. 385,413

6 Claims. (c1. s-5.4)

My invention relates to metal car roofs of the type that has hatchways therein. Heretofore practice to support the hatch frame either by supplemental carlines that extended from side plate to side plate of the car or by beams or supporting members that extended longitudinally of the car from carline to carline or by both carlines and longitudinal supporting members framed together. The principal object of the present invention is to devise a construction that will dispense with both the supplemental carlines and the longitudinal supporting members K and thereby save considerable material, lessen the weight and simplify and facilitate the work of construction.

The invention consists principally in utilizing the hatch frames on opposite sides of the car as a structural portion of a beam that spans from side plate to side plate of the car. It also consists in the parts and in the combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. V

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur:

Fig. l is a fragmentary plan View of a car roof construction embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the roof on the line 22 in Fig. 1..

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section similar to Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse section taken on the line 44 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 55 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a vertical fragmentary section on the line 66 in Fig. 4,

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the seam reinforcing members used at the ridge of the roof,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the seam Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line |I'Il in Fig. 10.

In the accompanying drawings, my invention is illustrated in connection with a freight car of the covered hopper type wherein the roof of the car is provided between adjacent carlines throughout its length with series of hatchway openings, through which the car may be loaded with cement and other loose materials or bulk commodities. According to the present invention, the roof of the car is made up of metal roof sheets A that extend from side plate B to side plate B of the car. The side plates B have upstanding flanges B along their inner edges and the roof sheets have their eaves end portions A turned down over said flanges and secured flatwise to the outer faces thereof. One longitudinal side margin of each roof sheet extends continuously from side plate to side plate and has an upstandingflange l thereon; and adjacent sheets are laid with their continuous upstanding flanges I alongside each other. These flanges are covered by a seam cap 2 that also extends from side plate to side plate. These continuous upstanding flanges I and the seam cap 2 enclosing them are rigidly secured together, preferably by horizontal rivets 3 and thereby form a seam construction C that functions as an outside carline.

Each roof sheet has two rectangular openings or notches 4 cut in the body portion thereof and extending through the side of the sheet opposite the flange thereof. What remains of notched side of the sheet has upstanding flanges 5 formed along its margins between the notches or openings 4 and the eaves ends of the sheet reinforcing members used at the eaves of the and an upstanding flange 6 between said notches or openings. Metal reinforcing plates 1 are located between and with their top or outer edges substantially flush with the corresponding edges of the flanges -5 of adjacent sheets; andsaid plates and flanges are then welded together, as at 8, along their flush edges to form an upstanding seam or rib D of considerable capacity for carrying load. A metal reinforcing plate 9 is also located between the flanges 6 of adjacent sheets; and said plate and flanges are welded together, as at IU, along the top edges of the flanges to form a rigid load-supporting seam or rib D Each plate 9 extends above the tops of the flanges 6 and has a horizontal flange II that supports a running board I2. This horizontal flange increases the resistance of the seam D against deflection and, if desired, the lower margin of the reinforcing plate 9 may also be provided with a similar flange. The roof sheets are alike and alternate sheets are turned end for end so that the rectangular openings 4 in adjacent sheets are brought into register and cooperate to form the hatchway openings of the roof, there being one opening on each side of the running board l2 between the adjacent seams C that constitute outside carlines.

In each of the rectangular hatch openings, formed by adjacent roof sheets, is mounted a rectangular metal hatch frame [3. In the construction shown, the openings for the hatch frames [3 are located in the tops of raised flat topped strengthening ribs or panels I4 that extend from side plate to side plate between adjacent seam caps 2 and are formed by pressing up the notched portions of adjacent sheets from end to end thereof. As shown in the drawings, the sheets are flanged upwardly along the edges of the notches or openings 4 therein to provide substantially continuous upstanding flanges l5 that fit around and are welded, as at [6, along their top edges to the outer side faces of the hatch frames.

As shown in the drawings, the ends of the com bined seam reinforcing plates and running board supports 9 abut against and are welded, as at H, to the sides of the hatch frames i3. The inner ends of the seam reinforcing plates 1 also abut against and are welded as at [8, to the sides of the hatch frames. The outer end portion of each reinforcing plates has a deep vertical notch IS in its lower edge so as to permit it to straddle the upstanding flange B of the adjacent side plate B. The notch I9 is wide enough to receive an anchor plate 20, which fits snugly between the inner vertical edge of said notch and the inner faces of the upstanding flange of the side plate. The anchor plate 20 is welded, as at 2!, in the notch of the plate I and extends on opposite sides thereof where it is secured, preferably by rivets 22 flatwise to the inner face of the upstanding flange of the side plate, these rivets also serving to secure the downturned eaves end of the roof sheet fiatwise to the outer face of said flanges. of said side plate.

The roof is also supported at each end of each of the seams C by an angleshaped supporting bracket 23 having one flange riveted or otherwise rigidly secured flatwise to the inner face of the flange B of the side plate and the other flange extending inwardly beneath adjacent roof sheets to support the same.

By the arrangement described, the hatch frames l3 together with the reinforced seam D that extends from hatch frame to hatch frame and together also with the short seams D that extend from hatch frames to side plates B are integrated into a construction that operates as a beam that carries directly to the side plates a considerable portion of the load that originates around the longitudinal medial line in the region midway between adjacent outside carlines C; and due to the beam action of this construction, it is unnecessary to use either supplemental carlines for carrying the hatchway loads directly to the side plates or to use supplemental members for carrying such loads to the outside carlines and thence to the side plates.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 9 seam reinforcing plates 19 extend continuously from side plate to side plate and are supported thereby and secured thereto in the same manner as the seam reinforcing plates 1. The plates 19 take the places of the seam reinforcing members I and 9 above mentioned and extend continuous- 1y through the hatchway openings and thus serve, after the manner of carlines, to carry part of the load directly to the side plates. In this modification, the continuous plate 19 is fitted into deep notches 24 provided therefor at the bottom of the hatch frames I3a, and said plate and the frames are welded together, as at 25, on opposite sides of said notches. In order to facilitate locating of the hatch frame I3a, the continuous seam reinforcing plate 19 has longitudinally spaced notches 26 in the upper edge thereof adapted to receive the portions of the inner and outer side walls of said frame located immediately above the notches 24 that straddle said reinforcing plate.

What I claim is:

1. A car roof construction comprising side plates and a metal roof spanning from side plate to side plate and sustained thereby, said roof having spaced stiffening ribs that extend from side plate to side plate and having openings spaced apart crosswise of the roof between adjacent ribs, and metal hatch frames rigidly secured in said openings, said roof having other stifiening ribs that extend crosswise of the roof from hatch frame to hatch frame and are rigidly connected thereto, and other stiffening ribs that extend from each hatch frame to the side plate adjacent thereto and are rigidly secured to the respective hatch frames and side plates.

2. A car roof construction comprising side plates and metal roof spanning from side plate to .side plate and rigidly secured thereto, said roof having spaced rigid upstanding seams that extend from side plate to side plate and having openings spaced apart on opposite sides of the ridge of the roof between adjacent seams, metal hatch frames rigidly secured in said openings, said' roof having other rigid upstanding seams that extend crosswise of the roof from batch frame to hatch frame, reinforcing plates embodled in said last mentioned seams and rigidly connected to said hatch frames, other rigid upstanding seams that extend from each hatch frame to the side plate adjacent thereto, and reinforcing plates embodied in the last mentioned seams and rigidly secured to the respective hatch framesand side plates, said first mentioned plates having portions thereof extended above seams in which they are embodied to provide supports fora running board for said roof, and said second' mentioned plates having notches in the lower edges thereof that straddle portions of the side plates adjacent thereto, and plates rigidly secured in said notches and rigidly secured to said portions of said side plates.

3. A car roof construction comprising side plates and a metal roof spanning from side plate to side plate and sustained thereby, said roof having spaced rigid upstanding seams that extend from side plate to side plate and having openings spaced apart on opposite sides of the ridge of the roof between adjacent seams, metal hatch frames rigidly secured in said openings, said room having other rigid upstanding seams that extend crosswise of the roof from hatch frame to hatch frame and having other rigid upstanding seams that extend from each hatch frame to the side plate adjacent thereto in line with said second mentioned seams, and reinforcing plates embodied in said alined second and third mentioned seams, said reinforcing plates extending continuously from side plate to side plate through the walls of adjacent hatch frames.

4. A car roof construction comprising side plates and a metal roof spanning from side plate to side plate and sustained thereby, said roof having spaced rigid upstanding seams that extend from side plate to side plate and having openings spaced apart on opposite sides of the ridge of the roof between adjacent seams, metal hatch frames rigidly secured in said openings, said roof having other rigid upstanding seams that extend crosswise of the roof from hatch frame to hatch frame and having other rigid upstanding seams that extend from each hatch frame to the side plate adjacent thereto, in line with said second mentioned seams, and reinforcing plates embodied in said alined second and third mentioned seams, said reinforcing plates extending continuously from side plate to side plate through the walls of adjacent hatch frames, said reinforcing plates being rigidly secured to said side plates and having their upper edges notched to receive portions of said walls of said hatch frames and to provide supports for a longitudinal running board for said roof.

5. A car roof construction comprising side plates, roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and provided with upstanding flanges along their side margins, each sheet having two rectangular openings cut in one side thereof, alternate sheets being reversed endwise to bring their side openings into register and form hatchway openings, means for rigidly securing together adjacent flanges of the uncut sides of said roof sheets, hatch frames mounted in said hatch openings, and reinforcing members between and secured to the adjacent portions of the cut sides of said sheets and to the hatch frames with the outer reinforcing members sccured to the side plates.

6. A car roof construction comprising side plates, sheets extending from side plate to side plate and provided with upstanding flanges along their side margins, each sheet having two rectangular openings cut in one side thereof equidistant from the ends thereof, alternate sheets being reversed endwise to bring their side openings into register and from hatchway openings, means for rigidly securing together adjacent flanges of the uncut sides of said sheets, hatch frames mounted in said hatch openings and secured to the sheets, and reinforcing members between and welded to the adjacent flanges of the cut sides of the sheets and to the hatch frames, said reinforcing members extending continuously from side plate to side plate through the lower portions of said side frames and having their ends sustained by and rigidly connect ed to said side plates.

VICTOR E. WEST.

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