Patents Assigned to National Steel Car
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Publication number: 20100320167Abstract: A rail road car has draft sills, and draft gear mounted in the draft sills, by which loads are passed along the train line of cars. The draft gear is mounted to the drafts sill webs between front and rear draft stops. The front and rear draft stops have portions that protrude beyond the plane of the inner face of the draft sill webs. The rear draft stops have a boss that extends past the plane of the inside face of the draft sill web, such that the peripheral weld about the boss may tend to be placed in stress in the plane of the web.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2010Publication date: December 23, 2010Applicant: National Steel Car LimitedInventor: James W. Forbes
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Publication number: 20100319570Abstract: A hopper car discharge section may be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Outflow is controlled by movable closure members. The hopper car has a plurality of hoppers of which two hoppers share a common ridge assembly. The ridge assembly forms a common mating and fit up location for the upper margins of the slope sheets of two lengthwise adjacent hoppers. The ridge assembly includes an horizontal center section and two end plates that angle upwardly outboard toward the top chords of the sidewalls. The ridge assembly stands proud of the upper margin of the respective adjacent slope sheets. A gusset is mounted between the adjacent slope sheets below the ridge plate such that the slope sheets and gusset form a reinforcement tube running across the car, the end plates forming the stems of a vertical T-section attached to the sidewall and overlapping the top chord.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2010Publication date: December 23, 2010Applicant: NATIONAL STEEL CAR LIMITEDInventors: James W. Forbes, Mohamed A. Khattab, Tomasz Bis, William R. Davis
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Patent number: 7845288Abstract: A rail road freight car truck has a truck bolster and a pair of side frames, the truck bolster being mounted transversely relative to the side frames. The mounting interface between the ends of the axles and the sideframe pedestals allows lateral rocking motion of the sideframes in the manner of a swing motion truck. The lateral swinging motion is combined with a longitudinal self steering capability. The self steering capability may be obtained by use of a longitudinally oriented rocker that may tend to permit resistance to deflection that is proportional to the weight carried across the interface. The truck may have auxiliary centering elements mounted in the pedestal seats, and those auxiliary centering elements may be made of resilient elastomeric material. The truck may also have friction dampers that have a disinclination to stick-slip behavior. The friction dampers may be provided with brake linings, or similar features, on the face engaging the sideframe columns, on the slope face, or both.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2004Date of Patent: December 7, 2010Assignee: National Steel Car LimitedInventors: James Wilfred Forbes, Jamal Hematian
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Publication number: 20100275812Abstract: A railroad freight car may have a body for carrying lading. The body may be a gondola car body. The car body may include a decking or floor structure, and may include longitudinally extending side beams bordering the floor structure. The connection of the side beams to the floor structure may be may without the use of a dedicated side sill. The car body structure may include cross-bearers and side beam stiffeners that are joined together by structural knees. The car body may also include clean out ports to facilitate cleaning of the lading receptacle.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2010Publication date: November 4, 2010Applicant: NATIONAL STEEL CAR LIMITEDInventors: James W. Forbes, Tomasz Bis, Mohammed Al-Kaabi
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Patent number: 7823513Abstract: A rail road freight car truck has a truck bolster and a pair of side frames, the truck bolster being mounted transversely relative to the side frames. The mounting interface between the ends of the axles and the sideframe pedestals allows lateral rocking motion of the sideframes in the manner of a swing motion truck. The lateral swinging motion is combined with a longitudinal self steering capability. The self steering capability may be obtained by use of a longitudinally oriented rocker that may tend to permit resistance to self steering that is proportional to the weight carried across the interface. The trucks may have auxiliary centering elements mounted in the pedestal seats, and those auxiliary centering elements may be made of resilient elastomeric material. The truck may also have friction dampers that have a disinclination to stick-slip behavior. The friction dampers may be provided with brake linings, or similar features, on the face engaging the sideframe columns, on the slope face, or both.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2003Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: National Steel Car LimitedInventors: James W. Forbes, Jamal Hematian
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Patent number: 7823514Abstract: A hopper car has arcuate side sheets that are bent over the forming members of the structure to give a generally outwardly bulging shape. The upper margin of the side sheet is kinked inwardly of the radius of curvature of the larger portion of the side sheet more generally, such as may tend to impose a bending moment on the large, relatively thin side sheet panels. This may in turn tend to urge or bias those panels to a bulging position or shape, rather than a sagging, deflected, or inwardly dented position.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2006Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: National Steel Car LimitedInventors: James W. Forbes, Jeffrey D. Reid
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Publication number: 20100258031Abstract: A rail road car such as a double tub coal gondola car has a center sill that is narrow in the middle between the two tubs, and wider at the draft arms. The center sill has a transition section that provides a smooth, gradual transition between the respective bottom flange portions of the two without sharp changes in direction in the stress fields in tension and compression, and with little or no out of plane eccentricities in load path, and with a tendency to minimize or avoid local stress concentrations. The center sill includes a set of access apertures and corresponding bridges or ties that maintain the lateral halves of the center sill flange main portion in appropriate relationship to each other with respect to resistance to buckling. The tubs fasten mechanically to the sides of the center sill.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2008Publication date: October 14, 2010Applicant: NATIONAL STEEL CAR LIMITEDInventor: James W. Forbes
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Publication number: 20100251922Abstract: A railroad gondola car has a hopper carried between two trucks. The hopper has convergent end and side slope sheets that feed a bottom discharge. The bottom discharge has a pair of longitudinal doors. The door closing mechanism is a mechanical transmission that includes a set of linkages running from the door to a reciprocating pneumatic cylinder. The linkages run generally parallel to the slope sheet. The car has a very short draft installation that includes a removable coupler carrier bar, and the main shear plate has a removable draft gear installation panel. There is a machinery space above the end section shear plate. It is overhung by the slope sheet that is substantially unobstructed by any other primary structure. The pneumatic cylinder is mounted on an angle in this unobstructed machinery space, oriented longitudinally over the draft sill beneath the main drag link of the mechanical transmission, and above the main pivot of the driving input lever of the transmission.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2010Publication date: October 7, 2010Applicant: NATIONAL STEEL CAR LIMITEDInventors: James W. Forbes, Marcus Thiesen, Dave Keats
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Publication number: 20100251923Abstract: A hopper car discharge outflow is controlled by closure members, at least one of which is movable. The doors are hingeless, being mounted on four bar linkages, such that the distal edge of the doors sweeps predominantly horizontally while the proximal edge of the door moves predominantly upwardly. The doors move through noncircular arcs, such that the size of the vertically projected door opening is abnormally large compared to the clearance heights of the door. The doors are driven by a longitudinal shaft that is mounted within the center sill. It drives a set of single input, double output bell cranks that drive adjacent pairs of doors, and that employs an over-center toggle to hold the doors in the closed position when the car is laded. The actuators may be mounted in shelters midway along the car, and may be offset from the centersill. The actuators may be mounted predominantly vertically such that gravity may obviate the need for a secondary lock.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2010Publication date: October 7, 2010Applicant: NATIONAL STEEL CAR LIMITEDInventors: James W. Forbes, Tomasz Bis
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Patent number: 7789023Abstract: An auto rack rail road car has a main deck and upper deck. It is provided with a door for controlling access thereto. The door is a radial arm door, and has a ladder mounted thereon by which personnel can ascend the second deck when the door is open. A second ladder is mounted to the first deck so that when the door is open the second ladder is positioned to co-operate with the first ladder. The arcuate path of the door is free from overhanging obstructions. The door also has internal and external weld-free stiffeners member for enhancing the rigidity thereof. A roller mounted to the door permits the door to be moved between open and closed positions. The door may further include a lock. A guide member protruding from the door co-operates with a groove in the main deck which slidingly guides the door as it moves between open and closed positions to control access to the car.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2009Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: National Steel Car LimitedInventor: James W Forbes
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Publication number: 20100219148Abstract: A railroad gondola car has a hopper carried between two trucks. The hopper has convergent end and side slope sheets that feed a bottom discharge. The bottom discharge has a pair of longitudinal doors. The car has a very short draft installation that includes a removable coupler carrier bar, and the main shear plate has a removable draft gear installation cover. The rear draft stop extends longitudinally inboard past the truck center. The couple arrangement includes an AAR Type E shank with an AAR Type F coupler There is a machinery space above the end section shear plate. It is overhung by the slope sheet that is substantially unobstructed by any other primary structure. The pneumatic cylinder is mounted on an angle in this unobstructed machinery space, oriented longitudinally over the draft sill beneath the main drag link of the mechanical transmission, and above the main pivot of the driving input lever of the transmission. The main lever is bifurcated, and straddles the pneumatic cylinder.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2010Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: NATIONAL STEEL CAR LIMITEDInventors: James W. Forbes, Marcus Thiesen, Dave Keats
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Patent number: 7784411Abstract: A rail road freight car, which may be a gondola car, may have a flat deck, and a peripheral wall structure. The peripheral wall structure may include arcuate sidewalls and arcuate endwalls. The car body may include internal stiffeners having an arcuate outside sidewall profile. Those stiffeners may be lined up with cross-bearers and bolsters, such that large spring-like frames are formed. The car may include stations at which there are cross-bearers, but no corresponding upstanding wall reinforcement posts mounted outside the car walls. The end top chords may be curved and may be pin jointedly connected to the side top chords. The side top chords may have a central portion that has a substantially greater second moment of area for resisting lateral deflections than adjacent end portions. The arcuate form of the endwalls may provide additional space in which to mount safety appliances.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2007Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: National Steel Car LimitedInventor: James W. Forbes
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Patent number: 7780021Abstract: A rail road car has draft sills, and draft gear mounted in the draft sills, by which loads are passed along the train line of cars. The draft gear is mounted to the drafts sill webs between front and rear draft stops. The front and rear draft stops have portions that protrude beyond the plane of the inner face o the draft sill webs. The rear draft stops have a boss that extends past the plane of the inside face of the draft sill web, such that the peripheral weld about the boss may tend to be placed in stress in the plane of the web.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2005Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: National Steel Car LimitedInventor: James W. Forbes
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Patent number: 7775163Abstract: A rail road freight car truck, which may be a Barber S2HD truck or other kind of truck, has a truck bolster and a pair of side frames, the truck bolster being mounted transversely relative to the side frames. The sideframes are mounted on a pair of wheelsets. The bolster may be resiliently sprung and may have friction dampers. Either the friction dampers or the sideframe column wear plates may have a non-metallic wear plate, or wear surface, which may be replaceable, and which may tend to exhibit non-stick slip, or reduced stick slip behaviour in use. Bearing adapters may be mounted on the bearings of the wheelsets, and resilient pad members may be mounted on the bearing adapters. The pedestal seats may sit over the resilient pads. There may be a discontinuity in the vertical load path between the pedestal roof and the bearing.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2007Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: National Steel Car LimitedInventors: James W. Forbes, Jamal Hematian, Tomasz Bis, William R. Davis
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Patent number: 7757611Abstract: A railroad freight car may have a body for carrying lading. The body may be a gondola car body. The car body may include a decking or floor structure, and may include longitudinally extending side beams bordering the floor structure. The connection of the side beams to the floor structure may be may without the use of a dedicated side sill. The car body structure may include cross-bearers and side beam stiffeners that are joined together by structural knees. The car body may also include clean out ports to facilitate cleaning of the lading receptacle.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2009Date of Patent: July 20, 2010Assignee: National Steel Car LimitedInventors: James W. Forbes, Tomasz Bis, Mohammed Al-Kaabi
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Publication number: 20100154672Abstract: A rail road freight car truck has a truck bolster and a pair of side frames, the truck bolster being mounted transversely relative to the side frames. The mounting interface between the ends of the axles and the sideframe pedestals allows lateral rocking motion of the sideframes in the manner of a swing motion truck. The lateral swinging motion is combined with a longitudinal self steering capability. The self steering capability may be obtained by use of a longitudinally oriented rocker that may tend to permit resistance to deflection that is proportional to the weight carried across the interface. The truck may have auxiliary centering elements mounted in the pedestal seats, and those auxiliary centering elements may be made of resilient elastomeric material. The truck may also have friction dampers that have a disinclination to stick-slip behavior. The friction dampers may be provided with brake linings, or similar features, on the face engaging the sideframe columns, on the slope face, or both.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2009Publication date: June 24, 2010Applicant: NATIONAL STEEL CAR LIMITEDInventors: James W. Forbes, Jamal Hematian, Tomasz Bis
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Publication number: 20100139521Abstract: A swing motion rail road freight car truck is provided that does not have lateral underslung cross bracing in the nature of a transom, a frame brace, or lateral rods. The truck has a truck bolster and a pair of sideframes, the truck bolster being mounted transversely relative to the sideframes. The sideframes have spring seats for the groups of springs. The springs seats may be on rockers, or may be rigidly mounted in the sideframes. Friction dampers are provided in inboard and outboard pairs. The biasing force on the dampers urges then to that act between the bolster ands and sideframes to resist parallelogram deflection of the truck.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2009Publication date: June 10, 2010Applicant: NATIONAL STEEL CAR LIMITEDInventor: James W. Forbes
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Publication number: 20100132587Abstract: A hopper car discharge section may be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Outflow is controlled by movable closure members. The hopper car has a plurality of hoppers of which two hoppers share a common ridge assembly. The ridge assembly forms a common mating and fit up location for the upper margins of the slope sheets of two lengthwise adjacent hoppers. The ridge assembly includes an horizontal center section and two end plates that angle upwardly outboard toward the top chords of the sidewalls. The ridge assembly stands proud of the upper margin of the respective adjacent slope sheets. A gusset is mounted between the adjacent slope sheets below the ridge plate such that the slope sheets and gusset form a reinforcement tube running across the car, the end plates forming the stems of a vertical T-section attached to the sidewall and overlapping the top chord.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2010Publication date: June 3, 2010Applicant: NATIONAL STEEL CAR LIMITEDInventors: James W. Forbes, Mohamed A. Khattab, Tomas Bis, William R. Davis
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Patent number: 7703397Abstract: A hopper car discharge section may be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Outflow is controlled by closure members, at least one of which is movable. The closure members come together to a closed condition or position for retaining lading. When apart, in an open position or condition, lading may be discharged. A seal member or seal member assembly is mounted to one or both of the closure members. When open, the seal member or seal member assembly lies substantially flush with, or shy of, the slope of the surface of the closure member. When closed, the seal member may be self-energizing, in the sense that as lading is added the seal may tend to seal more tightly. The seal assembly may include a cantilevered spring that presents a land to the opposed closure member, and a fulcrum, over, or across, which the spring is cantilevered, such that pushing down on one end of the spring may tend to cause the other end to flex upward.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2006Date of Patent: April 27, 2010Assignee: National Steel Car LimitedInventors: James W. Forbes, Mohamed A. Khattab, Tomas Bis, William R. Davis
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Patent number: RE41261Abstract: A center beam car has a main deck structure extending laterally from a main center sill, a laterally extending top truss structure, and a central vertically oriented web work structure for carrying vertical shear loads. The center beam so formed defines bunks upon in which to carry cargo. The upper region of the web-work structure includes a deep upper beam structure that has downwardly extending planar surfaces. The surfaces provide a bearing area against which bundled loads can be secured. The surfaces are inwardly reinforced to discourage deflection between adjacent upright members of the vertical web work.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2005Date of Patent: April 27, 2010Assignee: National Steel Car LimitedInventors: James W. Forbes, Alistair Wilson