Cold Formed Chord Segmented Panel Contoured Sidewall Hopper Car

Abstract

A contoured sidewall hopper car comprising an under frame structure formed on a pair of spaced trucks; multiple hoppers within the car each ending in a discharge gate; two end walls; a roof structure; a pair of side top chords and a pair of side sill running the length of the car on upper and lower edges of a contoured sidewall structure; wherein the contoured sidewall is a fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall formed by upper side sheet section and lower side sheet section wherein each of the upper side sheet section and lower side sheet section is formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending panel sections

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present claims priority to each of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63 / 749,190 filed Jan. 24, 2025, titled “Hopper Railcar with Integrated Side Sheet and Reinforced Side Top Chord” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63 / 793,436 filed Apr. 23, 2025, titled “Cold Formed Chord Segmented Panel Contoured Sidewall Hopper Car” which applications are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to hopper railroad cars, and more specifically to contoured hopper railcars with reinforced top chord and method of making the Segmented Panel Contoured Sidewalls therefore.2. Background information

[0003] In the railroad art railroad vehicles are called railroad cars, railcars, or cars, all of which terms are used interchangeably herein. In North American railroad terminology, a hopper railcar, or hopper car (also sometimes referenced as a dump car), is a railcar used to transport loose bulk commodities such as grain, coal, minerals, fertilizers, cement, etc. The hopper car interior is typically divided into pockets, or hoppers, with doors on the bottom of each pocket to empty cargo by the force of gravity, making for quick and effective unloading. Further the hopper railcars may be closed or covered hopper railcars or open top railcars. Even with “open top” hopper railcars, removable covers can be used for transport and other specialized tops could be used with a hopper railcar depending upon the intended cargo.

[0004] For reference, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,339,499, 3,490,387, 4,168,665 and 4,677,917 assigned to ACF Industries disclosing earlier “high volume” covered hopper car designs. Pullman Standard Inc.'s U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,196 shows a covered hopper car design. Richmond Tank Car Co.'s U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,662 discloses a covered hopper car design. United American Car Company's U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,058 shows a covered hopper design. TRN Business Trust, Inc.'s U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,166 shows a covered hopper design. Trinity Industries U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,252 shows a covered hopper design. Greenbrier Central LLC.'s U.S. Pat. No. 10,604,165 shows a covered hopper design. Gunderson's U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,562,545, 10,807,615, 11,142,225, and 11,820,407 show covered hopper designs. These are representative of covered hopper railcars over the years and illustrates a relatively large number of developers. Additionally note U.S. Pat. Nos. 144,966; 147,341, 162,189; 217,289; 347,523; 349,134, 369,102; 500,846; 528,279; 568,775; 658,783; 699,820; 743,501; 763,186; 797,341; 881,884; 891,325; 914,242; 937,419, 1,182,642; 1,300,959; 1,418,907; 2,079,862; 3,080,829; 3,509,827; 3,543,692; 4,228,742; 4,292,898; 4,361,096; 4,644,871; 5,934,200, 6,334,397; 8,640,631; 9,096,238; 10,035,521 which disclose various hopper railcar designs. Collectively the above listed patents are helpful to illustrate hopper car evolution.

[0005] These existing hopper car designs include what is generally known as a contoured sidewall car, examples of which are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,640,631 and 10,035,521 as representative examples. The contoured side wall bows outwardly (relative to straight side walls) toward the loading gauge of the railcar. The loading gauge, sometimes called a clearance envelope, is a diagram or physical structure that defines the maximum height and width dimensions in railway vehicles and their loads. Their purpose is to ensure that rail vehicles can pass safely through tunnels and under bridges, and keep clear of platforms, trackside buildings and structures and accessories. Alternatively, the loading gauge for a rail line allows platforms, trackside buildings and structures and accessories to be positioned without interfering with the railcars.

[0006] The contoured side wall increases the carrying capacity of the hopper car due to the outward bow shape. There is a generally a desire to have any car fit within the loading gauge or clearance envelope as closely as possible to maximize the potential carrying capacity of the resulting car. Additionally, the car must do so while maintaining the required or desired center of gravity and minimizing the overall weight of the car and while making the car reasonably efficient to manufacture. Additionally, the interior structure cannot interfere with the unloading of the railcar via gravity through the hopper gates or doors.

[0007] In manufacturing a contoured sidewall hopper car, the sidewalls are often formed by roll formed vertical sidewall sheets having vertical seams coupling the sheets along the car. The roll formed sheets are generally separately manufactured and shipped to the rail car builder for assembly onto the railcar. This can add expense and difficulties with “fit up” in the car assembly.

[0008] It is the object of the present invention to provide a contoured sidewall hopper car with an improved sidewall configuration which is easy to manufacture and maintains the necessary structural integrity for the sidewall. Further there remains a need to improve operational characteristics and manufacturability in the art and there is an ongoing desire to improve the manufacturability of the top chord and side wall connection. It is a further object of the present invention effective and efficient covered hopper railcar designs with improved top chord construction.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention provides contoured sidewall hopper car comprising an under frame structure formed on a pair of spaced trucks; multiple hoppers within the car each ending in a discharge gate; two end walls; a roof structure; a pair of side top chords and a pair of side sill running the length of the car on upper and lower edges of a contoured sidewall structure; wherein the contoured sidewall is a fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall formed by upper side sheet section and lower side sheet section wherein each of the upper side sheet section and lower side sheet section is formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending panel sections

[0010] These and other advantages of the present invention will be clarified in the following description taken together with the attached figures.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall hopper car according to the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall hopper car of FIG. 1.

[0013] FIG. 3A is a schematic side elevation view of a two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall of FIG. 1.

[0014] FIG. 3B is a schematic side elevation section view of a two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall of FIG. 3A.

[0015] FIG. 3C is an enlarged schematic side elevation section view of the coupling of the two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall of FIG. 3A.

[0016] FIG. 4A is a schematic side elevation view of an upper section of the two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall of FIG. 3.

[0017] FIG. 4B is a schematic side elevation section view of the upper section of the two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall of FIG. 4A.

[0018] FIG. 5A is a schematic side elevation view of a lower section of the two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall of FIG. 3.

[0019] FIG. 5B is a schematic side elevation section view of the lower section of the two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall of FIG. 5A.

[0020] FIG. 6A is a schematic side elevation view of view of a covered hopper railcar with integrated contoured side sheet and reinforced top chord according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 6B is a schematic end elevation view of view of the covered hopper railcar with integrated contoured side sheet and reinforced top chord according to FIG. 6A.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of the integrated contoured side sheet and reinforced top chord according to the embodiment of FIG. 6A.

[0023] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the integrated contoured side sheet and reinforced top chord according to the embodiment of FIG. 6A with a portion of the top chord made transparent at a reinforcement member.

[0024] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of ends of the reinforcement member of the top chord of FIG. 8.

[0025] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the integrated contoured side sheet and reinforced top chord according to a modified embodiment of FIG. 6A with a portion of the top chord made transparent at a reinforcement member with the modification being incorporating the two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall of FIG. 1.DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] It is noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,”“an”, and “the” include plural referents unless expressly and unequivocally limited to one referent. For the purposes of this specification, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing parameters used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” The terms “about” or “approximate” or similar terms within this application will generally mean within 10% unless otherwise noted. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. The various embodiments and examples of the present invention as presented herein are understood to be illustrative of the present invention and not restrictive thereof and are non-limiting with respect to the scope of the invention.

[0027] One embodiment of the present invention provides a cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall hopper car 10 which includes a number of conventional features that need not be described herein in detail as they are well known in the art, including an under frame structure (including center sill 12) formed on a pair of spaced trucks 14 and couplers 16 for connecting adjacent cars 10. The car interior is divided into multiple hoppers 18 each ending in a discharge gate 20. The car includes two end walls 24 as well as a roof structure 26. A pair side top chords 28 and pair of side sills 30 run the length of the car on upper and lower edges of the contoured sidewall structure (one on each side of the car 10). These conventional elements, other than the contoured side wall structure detailed below can be formed in a variety of known methods. The railcar 10 is described as a contoured sidewall railcar which within the meaning of this patent application defines a sidewall bows outwardly away from the centerline of the car 10 beyond a straight line from the side top chord 28 to the bottom side sill 30. The contoured design of the side structure of the railcar 10 as shown and described allows the car to be easily designed to fit within a wide variety of envelopes.

[0028] The key aspects of the present invention relate to the two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall formed by upper side sheet section 40 and lower side sheet section 50 (with one such contoured sidewall on each side of the railcar 10). FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C detail the two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall formed by upper side sheet section 40 and lower side sheet section 50. FIGS. 4A and 4B detail the upper side sheet section 40 and FIGS. 5A and 5B detail the lower side sheet section 50.

[0029] Preferably each two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall is formed of one upper side sheet section 40 and one lower side sheet section 50 but welded together along a horizontal single weld line and each formed from a single sheet of ASTM A-572 GR 50 steel wherein each sheet is 0.188″. A key aspect of the present invention is that each upper side sheet section 40 and each lower side sheet section 50 are formed on a press brake generally at the location of the assembly of the railcar (no roll forming of the shape is required). Each two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall section 40 and 50 are made from stress relieved plate and formed on a press brake which making them flat and dimensionally consistent also eliminating vertical coupling welds.

[0030] A press brake is a well known machine tool primarily utilized for bending sheet metal and plate material with high precision. This versatile equipment forms predetermined bends by clamping the workpiece between a matching punch and die, delivering accurate and repeatable fabrication results. Although Press brakes can offer a wide range of bending capabilities, the two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall is designed to only require a single axis precision bend for each section 40 and 50.

[0031] FIGS. 4A and 4B detail the upper side sheet section 40 and show it is formed of six flat longitudinally extending panel sections 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46. Each panel section 41-46 may be viewed as a chord through a large diameter circle approximating a rolled curved side wall element. The first panel section 41 is coupled to the top side chord 28. Each panel section 41-46 has an angle of about 177 degrees between itself and the adjacent panel 41-46. In manufacturing the flat sheet material is cut so the side edges will appropriately match the end wall structures and the flat sheet is formed into section 40 with the press brake forming panel section 41-46.

[0032] FIGS. 5A and 5B detail the lower side sheet section 50 and show it is formed of five flat longitudinally extending panel sections 51, 52, 53, 54 and 55. The last panel section 55 is coupled to the side sill 30. Each panel section 51-55 may be viewed as a chord through a large diameter circle approximating a rolled curved side wall element. Each panel section 51-55 has an angle of about 177 degrees between itself and the adjacent panel 51-55. In manufacturing the flat sheet material is cut so the side edges will appropriately match the end wall structures and the flat sheet is formed into section 50 with the press brake forming panel section 51-55. The section 40 is coupled to section 50 through but welding a lower edge of panel 46 to an upper edge of panel 51.

[0033] The cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall hopper car 10 is easier to manufacture than prior contoured side cars while still yielding the advantages of such cars. The cold forming will yield some structural advantages running longitudinally along the car at the bend locations between the panels.

[0034] Another aspect of the present invention shown in FIGS. 6A-10 relates to an integrated side sheet 122 and side top chord 124 in a hopper car 110, particularly a covered hopper car 110. As shown in FIG. 10 and discussed below the side sheet 122 may be formed by the upper side sheet 40 and lower side sheet 50 discussed above. The car 110 has a substructure 112 (center sill, side sills, bolsters and the like) supported upon spaced trucks 114. The interior of the car 110 is between sidewalls, formed of side sheets 122, and end walls, formed by end sheets 136, and the interior is divided into hoppers 116 with bottom discharge gates. A roof, including roof plates 132 protects the interior and includes hatches for filling the interior.

[0035] In the past granular bulk commodities like wheat and sugar traveled in box cars. At the time, box cars were the best option for shipping dry bulk commodities by rail, as they provided protection from moisture. A better option was developed, namely the covered hopper car (such as car 110), which combined the protection of boxcars with the easy loading and unloading hoppers provide. With a protective roof, 132 herein, and openings (gates for hoppers 116) at the bottom that allow products to flow through using gravity, covered hoppers like car 110 became the preferred way to ship dry bulk commodities in need of protection from the elements. Covered hopper cars 110 are designed typically to ship dry bulk commodities, like corn, wheat, barley, fertilizer, soda ash, cement, sand, roofing granules, rice and sugar. The hopper car 110 generally looks like traditional open top hopper cars, with fixed sides and ends, but instead of an open top the car 110 has a roof, including roof plates 132, with airtight trough hatches that protect the contents inside from the elements and other contaminants. The inside of a covered hopper car has separated bays or hoppers 116, which can be loaded and unloaded individually. The bottom of each hopper 116 has chutes (also known as “gates”) that can be opened to unload the product.

[0036] Railcars in general service have a profile 118 in which the car (such as car 110) must fit to safely operate on the rails. The profile 118, AKA site-line or envelope, assures the car 110 will not interfere with rail side equipment in transit. Note that a railcar designed for captive service may not be limited to such profile 118 restrictions. Due to the existing profile 118, it is common for hopper cars, and covered hopper cars, such as car 110, in particular, to have outwardly bowed or curved sides (side sheets 122) that approach the limits of the profile 118 in the middle of the car 110 and come inward at the ends to accommodate the side top chord 124 and the side sill. This configuration maximizes carrying capacity for the car 110.

[0037] The key aspect of the present invention of FIGS. 6A-10 is the formation of the side top chords 124 integral with the side sheet 122 (or 40 in FIG. 10). Specifically, the plate member forming the side sheet 122 also forms the integral side top chord 124. The side sheet 122 and integral side top chord 124 may be effectively formed of 3 / 16″ steel (ASTM A572). ASTM A572 is generally considered a high stretch low alloy steel for high strength structural applications.

[0038] The side top chord 124 has an open structure facing the interior of the car 110 and includes a base flange extending from the side sheet 122 (or sheet 40 in FIG. 10) and curving greater than 80 degrees inwardly to a roof engaging leg that is generally aligned with, and coupled to, a roof plate 132. The side top chord 124 is maintained within the profile 118 and does not impinge upon the carrying capacity of the interior of the car 110. The alignment of the roof engaging leg of the top chord 124 with the roof plate 132 avoids any ledges or lips within the interior of the car 110 that could accumulate lading.

[0039] The open section beam design of the side top chord 124 allows for the side top chord 124 to be formed, generally on site, using a press brake, also known as a hydraulic brake. A press brake or hydraulic brake is a type of machine used here for bending metal plate. A press brake forms predetermined bends by clamping the workpiece (plate) between a matching top tool and bottom die. Technically press brakes do not have to be hydraulic, but as a practical matter for the present application each side top chord 124 is formed on a hydraulic brake.

[0040] The open side top chord 124 formed by a press brake on site gives greater control over the manufacturing process (including improved workflow timing) and generally greater precision, than a separate extruded or offsite manufactured component. The open side top chord 124 design also offers a cleaner advantage in the field as closed sections can accumulate detritus in operation.

[0041] Another key aspect of the present invention of FIGS. 6A-10 is the inclusion of reinforcing members or plates 142 for the side top chords 124. This forms a side sheet integrated with top chord with internal brace supports. The reinforcing plates 142 may be effectively formed of 3 / 16″ steel (ASTM A572), with two plates 142 on each side sill. The reinforcing plates 142 may be effectively formed as 8′-9′ long members and extend between a distal end of the roof engaging leg of the side top chord 124 and the end of the base flange of the side top chord 124 adjacent the side sheet 122.

[0042] End caps 144 are provided to close off the interior of the spaced formed by the top chord 124 and the reinforcing plate 142 to avoid any spaces within the interior of the car 110 that could accumulate lading. The caps 144 may be a separate member or may be formed as ends of the plate used to form the reinforcing member 142, wherein the ends are bent “inwardly” by a hydraulic press.

[0043] In manufacturing the railcar 110 the open side top chord 124 are preferably formed by a press brake on site yielding greater control over the manufacturing process (including improved workflow timing) and generally greater precision. The fastening process, where fasteners are used, is also improved with the current design with the open side top chord section 124. Even with the closed portion of the side top chord along the length of the plate 142 does not create an issue as this member be installed after relevant components attached to the top chord along that segment.

[0044] The hopper railcar 110 with integrated side sheet 122 and reinforced side top chord 124 is particularly efficient with a covered hopper railcar as shown, however it is not strictly limited thereto. The same design may be implemented in an open top hopper car or open top gondola car as well. In an open top hopper or gondola style car (not shown) the end sheets may include an integrated reinforced end top chord formed in the same manner as the side top chord member discussed above. Corner cap transition members would also be included.

[0045] A further modification of the invention is that the side sheet 122 integral with the side top chord 124 is not the entire side wall but a separate lower side sheet forms the lower portion of the side wall and there is a horizontal seam coupling the two side sheets. One specific implementation of this modification is shown in FIG. 10 in which the panels 40 and 50 of FIG. 1 discussed above form the side sheet. The top chord 124 is formed integral with the remainder of the top sheet 40 as shown. Analogous to the embodiment of FIG. 1, preferably the embodiment of FIG. 10 has each two piece fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall is formed of one upper side sheet section 40 with integral top chord 124 and one lower side sheet section 50 but welded together along a horizontal single weld line and each formed from a single sheet of ASTM A-572 GR 50 steel wherein each sheet is 0.188″. Again, a key aspect of the present invention is that each upper side sheet section 40 with the top chord 124 and each lower side sheet section 50 are formed on a press brake generally at the location of the assembly of the railcar (no roll forming of the shape is required).

[0046] Although the present invention has been described with particularity herein, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment disclosed. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The scope of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereto.

Claims

1. A contoured sidewall hopper car comprising:an under frame structure formed on a pair of spaced trucks;multiple hoppers within the car each ending in a discharge gate;two end walls;a roof structure;a pair of side top chords and a pair of side sill running the length of the car on upper and lower edges of a contoured sidewall structurewherein the contoured sidewall is a fabricated cold formed chord segmented panel contoured sidewall formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending flat panel sections.

2. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 1 formed by upper side sheet section and a lower side sheet section where each of the upper side sheet section and the lower side sheet section includes a plurality of the longitudinally extending panel sections.

3. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 2 wherein the upper side sheet section and lower side sheet section are welded together along a horizontal single weld line.

4. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 3 wherein each of the upper side sheet section and the lower side sheet section are formed from a single sheet of ASTM A-572 GR 50 steel.

5. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 4 wherein each of the upper side sheet section and the lower side sheet section is 0.188″ thick.

6. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 2 wherein each of the upper side sheet section and the lower side sheet section is formed of at least five flat longitudinally extending panel sections.

7. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 6 wherein each of the at least five flat longitudinally extending panel sections of the upper side sheet section and the lower side sheet section is formed as a chord through a large diameter circle approximating a rolled curved side wall element.

8. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 6 wherein each of the at least five flat longitudinally extending panel sections of the upper side sheet section and lower side sheet section has an angle of about 177 degrees between itself and an adjacent panel.

9. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 2 wherein upper side sheet section is formed integral with one of the pair of top side chords.

10. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 9 further including a plurality of reinforcing members within the interior of each side top chord.

11. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 10 wherein each side top chord is an open section having a base flange extending from the side sheet curving inwardly to a distal leg.

12. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 11 wherein each base flange curves inwardly to the distal leg greater than 80 degrees.

13. The contoured sidewall hopper car according to claim 12 wherein each reinforcing member extends between a distal end of the distal leg of the side top chord and the end of the base flange of the side top chord adjacent the integral side sheet.

14. A railcar comprisingA substructure supported upon a pair of spaced trucks;An interior of the railcar is formed between railcar sidewalls and railcar end walls;A pair of side top chords extending along the railcar wherein the improvement comprises forming the side top chord integral with a side sheet forming at least an upper portion of the side wall of the railcar, and a plurality of reinforcing members within the interior of each side top chord.

15. The railcar of claim 14 wherein each side top chord is an open section having a base flange extending from the side sheet curving inwardly to a distal leg.

16. The railcar of claim 15 wherein each base flange curves inwardly to the distal leg greater than 80 degrees.

17. The railcar of claim 16 wherein each reinforcing member extends between a distal end of the distal leg of the side top chord and the end of the base flange of the side top chord adjacent the integral side sheet.

18. The railcar of claim 17 further including end caps provided to close off the interior of the spaced formed by each top chord and each reinforcing plate member to avoid any spaces within the interior of the car that could accumulate lading.

19. The railcar of claim 18 wherein railcar is a closed hopper railcar with a roof structure and wherein the interior of the railcar is divided into pockets or hoppers with doors on the bottom of each pocket to empty cargo by the force of gravity.

20. A method of forming a railcar which includes a providing a substructure supported upon a pair of spaced trucks; forming an interior of the railcar between railcar sidewalls and railcar end walls; forming a pair of side top chords extending along the railcar which are integral with a side sheet forming at least an upper portion of the side wall of the railcar, and adding plurality of reinforcing members within the interior of each side top chord, and wherein each of the side top chords is an open section formed on a press brake.

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