Abstract: A locking device for a hatch cover is attached to a hinged carrier bar and has a flexible lock strip pivotally attached to the upper surface thereof and movable in a horizontal plane between a locked position underlying an associated roof top mounted latch member and an unlocked position rotated away from the latch member. The locking strip includes a handle which allows it to move in cantilever fashion whereby a locking finger on the flexible strip is lifted and removed from an associated locking opening allowing the strip to be rotated away from the latch to unlock the hatch cover.

Abstract: A lift lug for receiving and securing a lifting device to a railroad tank car for re-railing the tank car. The lift lug includes a bolster pad mounted adjacent an end of the tank car and a vertically disposed bolster web, the bolster web having a substantially horizontal extending upper edge. A substantially horizontal base plate is mounted on the extended upper edge of the bolster web with an inner edge of the horizontal base plate secured to the bolster pad. A substantially vertical lift lug plate has its upper edge secured to the bolster pad and its lower edge secured to the base plate. A pair of generally triangular lift lug webs each have their lower edges secured to the base plate, their outer edge secured to the bolster pad. The lift lug plate has an opening adjacent its lower edge.

Abstract: A covered hopper car having curved side wall units joined to a curved roof structure with a hollow beam side plate and having a reinforcing cap member on the roof sheets with a top portion spaced above the curved roof sheets and maintained in the spaced position by hatch coaming to reinforce the hatch openings. The car also includes a longitudinally extending hollow side sill with bolster posts located at each end and interconnecting the side sill with the side plate in such a fashion as to provide a reinforcing frame encircling the curved side wall sheets and curved roof sheets to hold the curved sheets in position during car movement.

Abstract: A roof structure for covered hopper cars has roof sheets with curved sections disposed on each side of a continuous trough hatch opening. A hollow, beam-type side plate connects the outer margins of the roof sheets to the side wall unit and includes an outer transition member with a curved section forming part of the side plate and also having a lip extending inwardly of the vehicle to form a continuation of the curved roof sheet. A connection piece underlies transversely extending edges of the roof sheets to join the sheets. Intermediate bulkheads or partition sheets have a rounded top to fit snugly for attachment to the curved roof sheets and are rigidified by stiffeners which extend horizontally and transversely of the vehicle from side plate to side plate and are connected thereto to join with the roof sheets and intermediate bulkheads to form a rigid roof beam which resists twisting and deflecting during transit.

Abstract: A side wall arrangement for an open top hopper or railway gondola car having a metal plate construction and including top chord or sill members spanning the outside top edges of the walls. The top chord members are of a lightweight unitary formed plate construction providing axial and lateral rigidification for the wall so as to resist lateral warping or deflection thereof during rotary dumping operations.

Abstract: A rapid dump hopper car includes a pair of relatively lightweight doors which are opened and closed sequentially from an overlapping position by means of a longitudinally extending actuating mechanism movably supported on the underframe of the car. The doors include longitudinally spaced and transversely extending hinge bracket structures which are connected to the center sill and side sill of the car for relative hinging movements. The bracket structures also include overlapping portions and interengageable bars securely supporting the adjacent edges of the door in interlocking relation. Each hinged bracket structure also includes a ball and socket connection with actuating links which are connected to the longitudinal operating mechanism.

Abstract: A trough hatch cover for a covered railway hopper car including an easily replaceable longitudinally convergently tapered elastomeric seal reactive therewith to form a weather-tight seal about the periphery of the hatch when secured by clamps at opposite ends of the hatch cover.

Abstract: An apparatus for pivoting and locking a door on the bottom of a rail hopper car includes a locking mechanism for locking the door when closed and a lever mechanism for pivoting the door between closed and open positions. The locking mechanism and lever mechanism are separate but are operated by a single sliding operating linkage on the bottom of the car.

Abstract: A center filler arrangement for railway vehicles provides a large center filler bottom lug welded in position and having mounting recesses for front and rear center filler plates to interconnect the side webs of a center sill to provide a rigid, dimensionally stable, flat surface for attachment of a center plate.

Abstract: A hatch latch mechanism for a railway hopper car having a longitudinally extending handle pivotally and slidingly linked to a hopper car roof which can be upwardly and rearwardly rotated to extend entrappingly across an outboard projection of a hatch cover holddown bar. The handle includes a bottom camming portion downwardly engageable with the outboard projection to compress the hatch cover gasket as the handle is rearwardly rotated to seal the hatch; thereafter, the handle is urged forward in slidingly upward engagement about the outboard projection of the holddown bar by the upward force of the compressed gasket against the hatch cover to insure automatic positive locking of the latch.

Abstract: A locking device for railway hopper cars having continuous trough hatch openings and a plurality of associated hinged covers arranged end-to-end. Hold-down arms, also pivotally mounted, are positioned to overlap and seal adjacent hatch cover ends. Each hold-down arm has a spring loaded, locking latch with a keeper hook for automatically engaging an associated keeper lug mounted to the hopper car adjacent the hatch opening. The locking hatch has an upper flange that may be foot engaged to unlock the hold-down arm by pivoting the locking latch to disengage the keeper hook from the keeper lug.

Abstract: A roof structure for covered hopper cars has roof sheets with curved sections disposed on each side of a continuous trough hatch opening. A hollow, beam-type side plate connects the outer margins of the roof sheets to the side wall unit and includes an outer transition member with a curved section forming part of the side plate and also having a lip extending inwardly of the vehicle to form a continuation of the curved roof sheet. A connection piece underlies transversely extending edges of the roof sheets to join the sheets. Intermediate bulkheads or partition sheets have a rounded top to fit snugly for attachment to the curved roof sheets and are rigidified by stiffeners which extend horizontally and transversely of the vehicle from side plate to side plate and are connected thereto to join with the roof sheets and intermediate bulkheads to form a rigid roof beam which resists twisting and deflecting during transit.