Abstract: A vehicle body, such as an intermodal shipping container, including upper and lower rail assemblies at the longitudinal corners of the body. The lower rail assemblies interconnect the side walls of the container with the bottom wall of the container, and the lower rail assemblies each sandwich and are adhesively bonded to the walls they interconnect to form double lap shear joints that secure the walls together without the use of fasteners and that provide double adhesive seals to make the container weathertight.

Abstract: The invention provides a floor assembly for replacing oak board floor constructions. The floor assembly includes floor boards that are installed in the same manner as oak floor boards, but that are made of more readily available materials. In one embodiment the floor boards are made of an inexpensive wood material core encased in a shell made of fiber reinforced plastic composite material. The core and the fiber reinforced plastic composite material are co-pultruded so that the shell integrally bonds to the core member and provides a seamless protective skin for the core member.

Abstract: An intermodal shipping container including a top wall, a bottom wall, opposite side walls, and a composite frame structure including upper and lower longitudinals interconnecting the side walls with the top and bottom walls, and a pair of stacking frame assemblies for supporting the weight of one or more other containers. Each stacking frame assembly includes a pair of vertical stacking posts each integrated into one of the side walls and a horizontal crossmember integrated into the top wall. The stacking posts and the crossmember are pultruded of composite material, and the stacking post can include layers of different material to optimize performance. Each of the stacking frame assemblies also includes a pair of upper connector assemblies at the intersections between the upper longitudinal members, the stacking posts, and the crossmember, and a pair of lower connector assemblies at the intersections of the lower longitudinal members and the stacking posts.

Abstract: A modular insulated intermodal freight container or other vehicle body constructed primarily of lightweight non-metallic composite material. The container includes a frame constructed substantially of pultruded composite frame components, and modular panels including pultruded composite panel members that are adhesively bonded together to form top, bottom and side walls. The walls are adhesively bonded to the frame to provide a substantially fastenerless container construction having light weight and good thermal and structural properties.

Abstract: A vehicle body including top, bottom and opposite side walls each including a plurality of modular panel members adjoining one another in series relation. Each panel member is an integral pultrusion and includes a pair of spaced apart sheet members, a pair of spaced apart webs interconnecting the sheet members, and wedge-shaped male and female members that interfit with the male and female members of adjoing panel members. Adhesive material is provided at the joints between panel members to bond the panel members together. To prepare suitable bonding surfaces for the adhesive, fabric material can be pultruded as an integral part of the male and female members and peeled off prior to application of the adhesive to reveal clean, gritty textured surfaces.

Abstract: A floor for a vehicle body, the floor including a plurality of modular floor panels adhesively bonded to one another in adjoining series relation to form joints therebetween. Each floor panel includes an integrally formed panel member that is pultruded of composite material and that includes a floor section which interfits with the floor sections of adjoining panels. The floor section includes spaced apart upper and lower sheet members interconnected by webs having filamentary reinforcing material predominantly oriented lengthwise of the panel member to improve structural and thermal performance of the panel member. The floor section can be optionally filled with an insulating material. The panel member of each floor panel also includes a reinforcing section for resisting bending moments applied to the associated floor section and for reinforcing one of the joints.

Abstract: A honeycomb facesheet material, and honeycomb made therewith, wherein the facesheet includes a layer of graphite paper bonded to a layer of graphite cloth, woven from widely spaced graphite fibers. The facesheet is impregnated with an epoxy resin during manufacture, and the facesheet is bonded to an open end of the honeycomb under elevated pressure and temperature to effect curing of the epoxy resin. The graphite paper supports the layer of graphite cloth during handling to prevent misalignment of the fibers, and also effects a widely distributed bond between the fibers and the underlying honeycomb.