Acf Industries, Incorporated

Other

Steven L Jantzen

Robert W Randolph

Robert H Billingsley

James R Zimmerle

John A Krug

Dallas W Rollins

Robert H Billingsley, Jr

Walter E O'Leary

In accordance with the present invention a pin connection is applied between the side rail and the vertical post to reduce or eliminate the large lading load moment. In one embodiment the pin connection may comprise a first plate integrally connected by welding or rugged mechanical fasteners to the side rail at one end. A second plate is integrally connected by welding or rugged mechanical fasteners to the vertical post. The first and second plates are transversely spaced and abut. Rugged transversely extending mechanical fasteners, such as a shoulder bolt, extend between the plates. The fastening means can be tightened to a desired torque, of for example 50 to 100 foot pounds. The fastening means are provided to reduce or eliminate the lading load moment. The roof load applied to the corner posts is taken in transversely extending end and front skirts, which also support the truck body.

Curtain side truck body and/or trailer side rail-to-post connection

Prestressed concrete railroad ties are formed in molds which are supported by existing track near the area where they are to be installed. Each mold will form a number of ties. Reinforcing strands are located within a plurality of longitudinally spaced molds. Concrete is then poured into the molds and the ties are formed bottoms up in the molds. A group of ties are simultaneously removed from a given mold by a special extractor which first simultaneously clamps the reinforcing strands extending outwardly from a given mold, and then lifts the strands as a group from the mold by a suitable crane. Preferably the center of gravity of ties is spaced from a pivot point which will cause 180.degree. rotation locating the ties in upright position to be loaded on a railway car or other vehicle to take them to the site where they are to be installed.

Mold assembly for pre-stressed concrete railroad ties

Manufacture of pre-stressed concrete railroad ties

Prestressed concrete railroad ties are formed in molds which are supported by existing track near the area where they are to be installed. Each mold will form a number of ties. Reinforcement strands are located within a plurality of longitudinally spaced molds. Concrete is then poured into the molds and the ties are formed bottoms up in the molds. A group of ties are simulatenously removed from a given mold by a special extractor which first simultaneously clamps the reinforcing strands extending outwardly from a given mold, and then lifts the strands as a group from the mold by a suitable crane. Preferably the center of gravity of ties is spaced from a pivot point which will cause 180.degree. rotation locating the ties in upright position to be loaded on a railway car or other vehicle to take them to the site where they are to be installed. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a prestressed concrete cross tie, a layer of steel reinforcements are located at or near the neutral axis of the cross tie section to minimize fatigue stress fluctuations. Deviation from the neutral axis is not great enough to cause stress fluctuations to exceed the endurance limit of the material. Because fatigue failure of prestressed concrete members is principally associated with reinforcement failure, increased fatigue life of the cross tie is achieved.

Prestressed concrete cross tie having increased fatigue life

An end structure for a center stub sill railway car is disclosed in which diagonal side sill extensions incline inwardly from the side sills to the center stub sill side for transmitting the longitudinal train loads between the stub sill and the side sills with the side sill extensions constituting the only horizontal, longitudinal load path between the stub sill and the side sills. A truss is disposed in a vertical transverse plane for transmitting overturning moments between the end of the car and the center stub sill.

End structure for railway car

In a stub sill type railway hopper car the shear plate is eliminated and a truss arrangement is located in the end structure resulting in less weight.

Truss end structure for stub sill hopper cars

A support and lift assembly for welded tank courses is provided outboard of a three ring cage used to internally circumferentially weld adjacent tank courses. The support and lift assembly is used to move the welded tank courses into position for another course to be welded on. A tank course conveyor extends longitudinally outboard of the cage. The conveyor is discontinuous at one or more positions and a scissors support and lift assembly is located at such discontinuous positions. A piston is pivotably connected to one of the arms which extends generally horizontally into a cylinder pivotably connected to the other arm. A roller course support is rotatably mounted at the end of each arm to support welded tank courses. A second piston extends vertically between the base and one of the arms and extends into a second cylinder extending vertically and connected to the other of the base and the arm. A first vertical height limit switch is located on the upper surface of a jack in the center ring. Another vertical height limit switch is located on a jack in the nearest end ring of the cage. Fluid pressure applied to the horizontal cylinder controlled by these limit switches displaces the piston head and moves the arms and respective rollers vertically to raise a tank course until aligned with the limit switches. A lateral stability limit switch is located on either the horizontal cylinder or piston which controls the flow of fluid to the vertical cylinder to control lateral stability.

Scissor support for welding tank sections

Apparatus (1) for automatically releasing a railroad car hand brake (HB) normally maintained in its applied position. An air pressure activated cylinder (9) acts on a hand brake release (5) to release the hand brake. An air line (13) directs pressurized air from a pressurized air source to the air cylinder. A valve (27) connected in the air line is responsive to the source air pressure. The valve is normally closed but opens when source air pressure reaches a level sufficient to release the air brakes on the car. A draft load sensor (29) is positioned in the air line between the valve and air cylinder. The sensor normally blocks the air line, but unblocks it when a sufficiently great draft load is sensed. The hand brake is released only if source air pressure is sufficiently high and the draft load on the railroad car is sufficiently great.

Hand brake release apparatus

Apparatus (1) for automatically releasing a railroad car hand brake (HB) normally maintained in its applied position. An air pressure activated piston (11) acts on a hand brake release (5) to release the hand brake. An air conduit (13) directs pressurized air from a pressurized air source to the air cylinder. A normally closed first valve (25) is connected in the air conduit between the source and the air cylinder. A normally closed second valve (29) is connected in the air conduit between the source and a control inlet of the first valve. A sensor (33) senses an inertial load on the car and opens the second valve when the inertial load sensed exceeds a predetermined acceleration factor. Air pressure directed to the control inlet of the first valve through the second valve, when it is open, opens the first valve if the air pressure level is sufficiently great to release the air brakes of the car. The hand brake is released only if source pressure is sufficiently high and the inertial load sensed exceeds the acceleration factor.

Inertial hand brake release apparatus

In accordance with the invention a center filler assembly is inserted into a railway car center sill and is permanently attached to the center sill. The center filler includes longitudinally spaced vertical plates which extend between the walls of the center sill. Spacer extensions integral with the vertical plates extend beyond the walls of the center sill and abut the bottom surface of the center sill flanges. A mounting plate extends longitudinally of the car between the center filler vertical plates. A mounting extension portion extends downwardly from the mounting plate having a non-round contour adopted to engage a cooperating non-round opening located in a wear member to be located in the truck bowl. Interengaging means are provided to removably lock the wear member in engagement with mounting plate and/or the mounting plate extension. The wear member is preferably an elastomeric member having sufficient vertical compressive strength to carry the vertical loads between the car body and the truck, sufficient lateral compressive strength and sufficient shear strength to carry the horizontal loads between the truck bowl and the car body. In another embodiment the wear member is made of metal. A thin layer of elastomeric material is provided between the mounting plate and the wear member to transmit loads more uniformly between the metal mounting plate and the metal wear member. As an example an elastomeric epoxy coating may be applied to the mounting plate and mounting extension and/or the metal wear member.

Cushioned railway car center plate assembly

In accordance with the invention a center filler assembly is inserted into a railway car center sill and is permanently attached to the center sill. The center filler includes longitudinally spaced vertical plates which extend between the walls of the center sill. Spacer extensions integral with the vertical plates extend beyond the walls of the center sill and abut the bottom surface of the center sill flanges. A mounting plate extends longitudinally of the car between the center filler vertical plates. A wear member in adopted to be located in the truck bowl. Interengaging means are provided to removably lock the wear member is engagement with the mounting plate. This interengaging means preferably comprises slots in the wear member which engage the spacer extensions integral with the vertical plates.

Railway car center plate assembly

Enclosed covered hopper cars are interconnected by conduits to form a partial or complete unit-train for liquid lading service, particularly liquid petroleum. The conduits are at least partially flexible to negotiate curves in the road bed. Preferably the conduits joining adjacent hoppers extend between openings located in the upper portion of the end hoppers. Preferably at the bottom of each hopper a hopper floor is removably attached to a hopper outlet mounting flange. The hopper floor includes a lading opening. A longitudinal tube is located below the lading openings, extending between the end floor sheets. A conduit extends from the upper portion of one end hopper in the car to the longitudinal tube to enable the cars to be unloaded by positive pressure applied to an end car of a group of cars. The car may be converted to particulate solid lading service by removing the conduits extending between adjacent cars, closing the openings at the ends of the car, removing the hopper floor from the hopper mounting flange, and attaching to the hopper mounting flange an appropriate outlet for the particular particulate solid lading to be transported.

Hopper car for liquid unit-train service

Apparatus is disclosed for supporting and rotating a pair of hollow tank sections of generally circular cross section, including scalene frusto-conical tank sections, during welding of the sections in end-to-end abutting relation to form an elongted tank. The apparatus includes three longitudinally spaced, axially aligned, rotatable rings which define a welding cage. The center ring includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially directed jacks, each extendible the same distance regardless of the resistance encountered by a particular jack to force the abutting edges of the tank sections into a precise circular cross section and support and hold the abutting edges in aligned relation during rotation and welding. The two side rings include circumferentially spaced radially directed jacks of the seek and find type that will automatically extend until all jacks exert the same force on the tank sections extending from each side of the center ring to thereby support the tank sections for rotation about the common axis of the three rings, regardless of whether the tank sections are of cylindrical, right frusto-conical or scalene frusto-conical shape. A longitudinally extending conveyor is provided which extends within the welding cage and on either side of the welding cage for moving adjacent tank sections longitudinally toward each other into abutting engagement for welding, and for moving welded sections longitudinally of the cage.

Apparatus method for welding tank sections

Circumferentially spaced jacks for clamping and supporting a pair of tank sections in end-to-end relationship during welding include spring biased gripping members mounted on at least some of the tank engaging ends of the jacks which initially grip the surfaces of the tank sections and then move in a direction to force the ends of the tank sections together as the jacks are extended.

Growing community of inventors

St. Charles, MO, United States of America

Steven L Jantzen