Abstract: A customizable multiple adjustment and multiple position seating apparatus or chair with independently adjustable front and rear seat height or elevation and front to rear seat slope; adjustable seat length or distance from the front of the seat to the rise of the backrest; and 180° pivoting/reclining backrest. Height of the front of the seat is adjustable from flat near the ground to armrest elevation. The rear of the seat, independent from front adjustments, is adjustable from near ground level to just below armrest level. Independent adjustability allows the seat to be positioned at multiple elevations and incline angles. Numerous backrest recline angle settings are obtainable throughout the 180° pivotability as well as numerous seat lengths. The backrest pivots to a forward position to become a handle for wheelbarrow-like mobility and the apparatus can be further rotated vertically and rested on the backend for a smaller storage profile.

Abstract: The invention relates to an anti-climbing device (2) for railway carriages, which is fixed at least at one end of the carriage at a defined height and extends over at least part of the carriage width. To co-operate with the end section of an anti-climbing device of another carriage in the event of a crash, said device is provided with a central cut-out section (5), open on the underside and delimited on the upper side by an interception surface, said section being located beneath a central protruding end section (4), in addition to two centering surfaces (8) that laterally delimit the section (5). An essentially horizontal fixing surface (9) adjoins the lower edge of each centering surface.

Abstract: A transition member for use in a railway freight car is provided. The transition member provides connection between the dissimilar cross sections of the underbody and draft sill of the railway freight car and the center sill of the railway freight car. The transition member is usually a unitary cast steel structure and is of a generally rectangular or square cross section.

Abstract: An articulated railcar has several well car units for carrying shipping containers, highways trailers, or a combination of the two. The well car units permit the nose of a highway trailer to overhang the articulated connection between two adjacent cars. A brake valve is located in a relief formed in the main bolster of one of the articulated units, out of the way of the overhanging trailer. Each well car unit has a side beam having a roll formed top chord reinforced by a top chord plate, a downwardly extending web, and a lower sill formed of a thick angle. The service, or auxiliary, and emergency brake reservoirs are mounted in a saddle bag configuration to the outside face of the webs of the opposite side beams of the articulated unit, tucked underneath the reinforced roll formed top chord.

Abstract: An articulated railcar has several well car units for carrying shipping containers, highways trailers, or a combination of the two. The well car units permit the nose of a highway trailer to overhang the articulated connection between two adjacent cars. A brake valve is located in a relief formed in the main bolster of one of the articulated units, out of the way of the overhanging trailer. Each well car unit has a side beam having a roll formed top chord reinforced by a top chord plate, a downwardly extending web, and a lower sill formed of a thick angle. The service, or auxiliary, and emergency brake reservoirs are mounted in a saddle bag configuration to the outside face of the webs of the opposite side beams of the articulated unit, tucked underneath the reinforced roll formed top chord.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lightweight draft sill end casting for use with railroad cars. The cast draft sill has side walls, front and rear stops, front and rear rib sets and a center plate that are cast as a unit. The draft sill has an open area between the tops of the side walls between the front and rear stops, with a cast metal span connecting the two side walls. The cast metal span may comprise one or more spacer bars or part of a top wall. The cast metal span is in the area between the planes of the front stops and the rear stops. The front and rear stops are spaced below the tops of the side walls. In one embodiment, there are additional lightener holes in each side wall between the ribs in the rear rib set and in the pocket. The total weight of the cast draft sill is not substantially greater than the weight of a comparable fabricated draft sill of substantially the same size, and has a greater fatigue life.

Abstract: There is provided a vehicle end sill or the like, in which lap joints formed by one side lap welding are not simply deformed or broken off. An end sill 1 is formed as a box type structural body which includes lap joints W1 which are formed by one side lap welding conducted only from the outer side. Edge portions 12a and 13a of face plates 12, 13 to be superposed on the surfaces 11a and 11b of the end member (intermediate member) 11 are formed as a zigzag shape. The end member has the longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the direction along which the load is adapted to be applied to the end sill 1. Lap welding (one side welding conducted only from the outer side) is conducted along the edge portion 12a and 13a of the zigzag shape.

Abstract: A method for producing depressed center railcars involves a combination of casting and fabrication. Transition members of the railcar can be casted, preferably with interlocking ledges on the ends of the transition members. The center section can be fabricated from, preferably precambered, longitudinal stringers which can then be connected between the casted transition members via the interlocking ledges. Standard steel warehouse plates can be attached to the fabricated framework of longitudinal stringers to form the surface of the center section. The transition members can be cast with integral provision to accept a center plate member. The fabricated framework of stringers can include reinforcement members for added strength. The framework can also be constructed to allow for the placement of the parts of the brake system and other components on the underside of the railcar.

Abstract: An articulated railcar has several well car units for carrying shipping containers, highways trailers, or a combination of the two. The well car units permit the nose of a highway trailer to overhang the articulated connection between two adjacent cars. A brake valve is located in a relief formed in the main bolster of one of the articulated units, out of the way of the overhanging trailer. Each well car unit has a side beam having a roll formed top chord reinforced by a top chord plate, a downwardly extending web, and a lower sill formed of a thick angle. The service, or auxiliary, and emergency brake reservoirs are mounted in a saddle bag configuration to the outside face of the webs of the opposite side beams of the articulated unit, tucked underneath the reinforced roll formed top chord.

Abstract: A railroad freight car including a longitudinal well for carrying intermodal cargo containers comprises a car body having longitudinally opposing end structures with body bolsters supported by railroad trucks adapted for movement along a railroad. The opposing end structures have stub center sills and couplers for coupling to other railroad cars. The car body has a structural frame comprising opposing side walls connected to the opposing end structures with bulkheads defining a well for receiving an intermodal cargo container. A plurality of transverse members with supporting brackets are located at the container support points and connected to the side walls at a lower edge thereof. Diagonal members and lighter transverse members connect the load supporting tranverse members to each other and to the end bulkheads to resist lateral loads and provide a safety support for the cargo container floor.

Abstract: An articulated multi-unit railway hopper car including a pair of end units having couplers mounted on their outboard ends. A plurality of intermediate units are interconnected between said end units. A plurality of articulated connector assemblies interconnect the end units and the intermediate units. A pair of side bearing housings are mounted on each side of the articulated connector assemblies. A body side bearing extension arm assembly is disposed in bearing relationship with each of the side bearing housings and connects two ends of adjacent units. Torsion boxes extend substantially the width of the inboard ends of the end units and the opposed ends of the intermediate units and carry the upper bolster unit and are connected to the body side bearing extension arm assemblies.

Abstract: A gondola rail car for hauling wood chips and the like having a pair of side walls, an end wall, a floor, an open end and an open top. A door assembly is pivotally mounted for swinging movement adjacent the open end. A ledge is provided to enhance access by an unloading vehicle. The car may be constructed from an existing box car.

Abstract: An articulated multi-unit railway hopper car including a pair of end units having couplers mounted on their outboard ends. A plurality of intermediate units are interconnected between said end units. A plurality of articulated connector assemblies interconnect the end units and the intermediate units. A pair of side bearing housings are mounted on each side of the articulated connector assemblies. A body side bearing extension arm assembly is disposed in bearing relationship with each of the side bearing housings and connects two ends of adjacent units. Torsion boxes extend substantially the width of the inboard ends of the end units and the opposed ends of the intermediate units and carry the upper bolster unit and are connected to the body side bearing extension arm assemblies.

Abstract: A covered hopper railcar having an aluminum body portion comprising aluminum side, top and end sheets. A side sill is secured to the lower marginal portion of each of the side sheets. The end structure assembly includes a steel center stub sill assembly, a steel shear plate, steel body bolsters, and a pair of spaced-apart steel end stiffener members. The end stiffener members extend between and are secured at their bottom ends to the upper surface of the shear plate, at their top portions to the end sheet and side sheet, and at intermediate portions to the end sheet. The top portion of the end stiffener members is secured to aluminum connector plates, which plates are secured to the end sheet and a side sheet by huckbolts passing therethrough. The intermediate portion of the end stiffener members is huckbolted to an aluminum bracket which in turn is secured to the end sheet.

Abstract: A railway car comprises a center sill with a crossbearer, webs and end bolsters extending across thereof. A light side stiffener interconnects the projecting ends of said webs and spans between the bolster and the crossbearer. A shear plate covers a trapezoidal end frame extending from the bolster. The frame includes inclined braces buttressing a pair of cantilivered brackets projecting toward and horizontally overlapping similar brackets of the adjacent car.

Abstract: A railway car comprises a center sill with a crossbearer, webs and end bolsters extending across thereof. A light side stiffener interconnects the projecting ends of said webs and spans between the bolster and the crossbearer. A shear plate covers a trapezoidal end frame extending from the bolster. The frame includes inclined braces buttressing a pair of cantilevered brackets projecting toward and horizontally overlapping similar brackets of the adjacent car.

Abstract: A railroad car for transporting horizontal shipping containers, the car having a novel stub center sill extending from a coupler to the end wall of a well portion capable of receiving one or more shipping containers, (2) a reinforcement assembly from the coupler to the end sill, (3) a reinforcement of the car body central portion so that it can transport two end-to-end abutting containers in the well and (4) lateral car body side wall tie braces having increased stiffness and which are easily attached by fasteners.

Abstract: A container carrying rail-highway vehicle in the form of a semitrailer chassis including an elongated center sill box extending longitudinally of the vehicle, a front box-type transverse sill attached to a forward portion of the center sill and a rear box-type transverse sill attached to a rearward portion of the center sill member. Two side beams are further provided and are attached at each end thereof to the front sill and rear sill, respectively, on either side of the center sill. The side beams are disposed from a generally higher position in the front of the vehicle to a lower level at the rear of the vehicle and are further attached to the center sill by a plurality of transverse outrigger members which extend between the center sill and each of the side beams.

Abstract: An articulated railcar for transportation of highway trailers is lightweight and has a deck height which permits heavy highway trailers to be carried without exceeding the maximum allowable center of gravity height above the top of the rail.

Abstract: A railway car train includes five railway car units comprising two end units and three intermediate units. Each end unit is configured for coupler connection to conventional railway cars. The car units are connected to each other by articulated connections wherein the ends of adjacent car units are supported on a single truck. Mating male and female side bearing arm structures are provided on adjacent ends of car units. The end structures of the car units have reinforcement structures to support side bearing arms in either the male or female configuration so that a single design of end structure may be used for either a male or a female configuration. The end structures are provided with offset shear plates having an elevated center portion to allow clearance for large-wheeled trucks while keeping the side structures of the car low enough to provide clearance for unloading the car unit.

Abstract: A railway hopper car has a through center sill including an elongated central section substantially A-shaped in transverse cross section, two end sections substantially hat-shaped in transverse cross section and two transition sections respectively connecting said end sections to the adjacent ends of the central section. The central section has upper and lower parts, each of which may comprise a plurality of subsections arranged in end-to-end relationship. Each transition section includes a transition member rectangular at one end for mating with the end section and trapezoidal at the other end for mating with the lower part of the central section. Each transition section also includes an inverted V-shaped top reinforcing member and a horizontal bottom reinforcing plate. Alternative forms of the lower part of the central section are disclosed.

Abstract: A railway hopper car is disclosed which includes a car body defined by opposite arcuate side sheets having a side sill extending longitudinally along the lower margin of each side sheet and at least a first end slope sheet partially defining an end hopper compartment. An end support structure for the end hopper compartment is secured to the car body and includes a shear plate extending transversely between the side sills, a stub center sill disposed subjacent the shear plate, a bolster beam extending laterally on either side of the stub center sill and interconnecting the stub center sill with the side sill, a vertical bolster web interconnecting the stub center sill and the shear plate, an additional vertical bolster web assembly interconnecting the stub center sill, the shear plate, and the bolster beam, and a plurality of vertical gusset plates interconnecting the slope sheet and shear plate.

Abstract: A drop center railway car is provided with a continuous center sill having a depressed portion between the wheel assemblies. The continuous center sill is disposed between a pair of light weight side walls which include side sills that are connected to transverse bolsters for proportionally distributing longitudinal and vertical loads between the two walls and the continuous center sill with the center sill supporting about three-quarters of the longitudinal load. Crossbearers cooperate with the bolsters to prevent injurious bowing of the commodity confining surfaces of the light weight side walls, side sills and bolsters, which light weight is made possible by the forces being proportionally distributed between the three, rather than two, longitudinal members.

Abstract: An end underframe structure having an open box structure forming a rigid unit capable of receiving high torsional or other forces developed in a railway car and includes primary and secondary end sills connected by side buffer members. Additional buffer members connect the secondary end sill to a bolster. Draft sill means extend from the center of the primary end sill to the center of the bolster member.

Abstract: A pair of collision posts are connected at the end of a railway car between the roof structure and buffer sill. Each of the posts includes a tubular structure formed by welding two elongated "S" shaped strips to an elongated flat strip. Each of the tubular structures fits over and is welded to a hollow anchor member having an enclosed portion towards the bottom fixed to the buffer sill and a tapered upper portion open on one side.

Abstract: In accordance with the present structure, in a railway hopper car a corrugated bolster web extends vertically between a bolster cover plate and the end hopper slope sheet. The vertically extending corrugations act as reinforcements in the web which web has at least some of the corrugations positioned over the side bearings and center plate.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a railway hopper car is provided having an enclosed quadrilateral tube as a through sill. The enclosed tube through sill has end portions which are welded to the car end sills at opposite ends of the car. The end sills are integrally attached to the side sills. The end sections also have attached thereto a center plate and a bolster cover plate. The bolster cover plate extends from the center sill to the side sill. At least one bolster web extends vertically from the bolster cover plate to the end sheet of the car. The hopper slope sheets are reinforced by means of generally triangular shaped members attached to the through sill and attached to the hopper slope sheets.