Other

American Composite Materials Engineering, Inc.

Kurt M Jordan

Edward J Marcus

Joseph V Fecko

William Kreysler

Serge Labesque

David Colombo

Mark Luzaich

William R Galbraith

Richard Koosa

Composite flatbed and well car railcar containers are disclosed herein, as well as modular containers formed from prefabricated side, end, top and bottom panels. In some embodiments, the container is a temperature-controlled container. The present invention is also directed to an improved door for use on the invented containers, as well as conventional containers and railcars.

Composite railcar containers and door

A damage resistant sandwich panel having a first outer face sheet for forming an outer face, a second inner face sheet for forming an inner face, and a core sandwiched between the first outer face sheet and the second inner face sheet. The core is a corrugated sheet having a plurality of elongated crests, a plurality of elongated valleys, and bridging core material between the elongated crests and the elongated valleys. This bridging core material is disposed at acute angles relative to each of the elongated crests and the elongated valleys. The first outer face sheet, the second inner face sheet and the core are constructed from a material having a tensile yield strength (elastic limit) in excess of 20,000 psi and a tensile strain to yield ratio exceeding 2.0%; a preferred material is fiber glass. The elongated crests of the core are fastened to the outer face sheet and the elongated valleys of the core are fastened to the inner face sheet to provide a first and largest spatial separation between the outer face sheet and the inner face sheet. When compressed by forces impacting the outer face sheet and/or the inner face sheet, the elongated crests and the elongated valleys of the core compress against the outer face sheet and inner face sheet to dispose the bridging core material between the elongated crests and the elongated valleys substantially normal to the outer face sheet and the inner face sheet.

Energy absorbing fiberglass sandwich panel with corrugated core

A prefabricated service bay typically constructed of fiberglass has a tank-like profile with an access opening for providing access to the underside of a vehicle. The prefabricated service bay is placed within an excavated hole within a vehicle service stall. The tank has a rounded section normal to the longitudinal axis of the bay. Drainage fill, such as pea gravel, is used between the bottom portion of the excavation and the bottom portion of the tank. A concrete cap is poured and cured over the top portion of the tank adjacent the opening. This poured and cured concrete serendipitously forms paired tracks for rolling placement of the wheels of a vehicle being serviced and additionally serves to key and maintain the service bay within the ground. Provision is made to provide a central standing area--preferably in the form of a raised platform--in the center bottom portion of the tank. Entrance and exit to the bay is provided through an end passageway with optional side staircase entry. Required accessories for material storage and the capture of fluids can be integrally built into the interior of the prefabricated unit. When installed, the service bay forms the required outer tank lining of a regulation required double lining system for oil storage underground.

Underground service bay for vehicles and process for constructing same

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Mill Valley, CA, United States of America

Kurt M Jordan