Railroad Car Having Interconnected Roof Panels

The railroad industry employs a variety of different railroad cars for transporting different materials. Various known railroad cars (such as but not limited to railroad box cars) include roof panels that are extensively riveted and welded to the upper structures of the railroad car. Extensive tooling, labor, time, and materials are needed to secure these roof panels to the upper structures of the railroad car. Extensive tooling, labor, time, and materials are needed to replace any damaged roof panels of such railroad cars.

There is a continuing need to provide improved railroad cars that includes roof panels that require less tooling, labor, time, and materials to secure the roof panels to the upper structures of the railroad cars and to replace any such roof panels that are damaged.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a railroad car with interconnected roof panels that require relatively less tooling, labor, time, and materials to be secured to the upper structures of the railroad car, and that require relatively less tooling, labor, time, and materials to be replace if damaged.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to railroad car roof panels that are easily and quickly interconnected, and that are configured to be easily and quickly secured to the upper structures of a railroad car.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods of connecting railroad car roof panels to each other and securing such interconnected roof panels to the upper structures of a railroad car.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods of replacing damaged interconnected railroad car roof panels that are secured to the upper structures of a railroad car.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts.

While the features, devices, and apparatus described herein may be embodied in various forms, the drawings show and the specification describe certain exemplary and non-limiting embodiments. Not all of the components shown in the drawings and described in the specification may be required, and certain implementations may include additional, different, or fewer components. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components; the shapes, sizes, and materials of the components; and the manners of connections of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims. Unless otherwise indicated, any directions referred to in the specification reflect the orientations of the components shown in the corresponding drawings and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Further, terms that refer to mounting methods, such as coupled, mounted, connected, and the like, are not intended to be limited to direct mounting methods but should be interpreted broadly to include indirect and operably coupled, mounted, connected and like mounting methods. This specification is intended to be taken as a whole and interpreted in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure and as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a railroad car with a roof formed from interconnected roof panels. Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide the railroad car roof panels themselves. Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of connecting such railroad car roof panels.

Referring now to the drawings,partially illustrate one example railroad carof the present disclosure. Specifically, the railroad carincludes a roofhaving interconnected roof panelsthat are substantially flat (or alternatively, slightly bent along a longitudinal center line of the railroad carto provide a peak).partially illustrate another embodiment of interconnected roof panelsthat include a more substantial bendforming a more substantial peak in the roof(e.g., along the longitudinal center line of the railroad car). Thus, it should be appreciated that the angle of the bend and the peak can vary in accordance with the present disclosure.

The illustrated example railroad carofgenerally includes: (1) a frame; (2) spaced apart trucks (not shown) configured to support the frame; (3) a plurality of wheels (not shown) that support the trucks; (4) a first side wallconnected to and supported by the frame; (5) a second side wallconnected to and supported by the frame; (6) a first end wallconnected to and supported by the frame; (7) a second end wallconnected to and supported by the frame; and (8) a roofconnected to and supported by the side wallsand, the end wallsand, and the frame. The first and second side wallsandare spaced apart. The first and second end wallsandare also spaced apart. The railroad cargenerally includes a first endA and a second endB. It should be appreciated that the railroad car of the present disclosure can be alternatively configured.

The roofof the railroad caris formed from multiple interconnected roof panels including roof panels,A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M, andN in accordance with one example embodiment of the present disclosure. The quantity of roof panels can vary in accordance with the present disclosure based at least in part on the length of the railroad car and the end-to-end length of each of the interconnected roof panels.

These roof panels are identical in this example embodiment, and for brevity, roof panelis primarily used to describe the present disclosure. Roof panels,A, andB are also primarily used to describe the interconnection between each pair of adjacent respective roof panels. The roof panelprovides a modular configuration that facilitates assembly of the roof, connection of the roofto the railroad car, and repairability or refurbishment of one or more roof panels of the roof. Moreover, clamping forces, provided by adjacent roof panels when interconnected to each other, provide a suitable seal that reduces or eliminates a need for additional fasteners between such adjacent roof panels.

More specifically, roof panelgenerally includes: (1) a bottom backer sheet; (2) a corrugated panel; and (3) a plurality of connectorsthat connect the corrugated panelto the bottom backer sheet. Generally, when installed onto the railroad car, the bottom backer sheetof the roof panelprovides a cover or seal over an interior space (e.g., for cargo) of the railroad car, while the corrugated panelprovides increased strength and durability to the roof panel. The corrugated panelincludes a plurality of spaced-apart corrugationsthat are connected, by the plurality of connectors, to a first surface (which in this example is an upper surface) of the bottom backer sheet, as described below.

The bottom backer sheetand the corrugated panelare each separately formed from sheet metal, such as galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, or other suitable metal alloys or materials. In certain embodiments, when formed from metal, the bottom backer sheetand the corrugated panelcan have a thickness between approximately 16 gauge (0.064″ or 1.6 millimeters) and approximately 22 gauge (0.028″ or 0.7 millimeters). In certain embodiments, sheets thinner than 22 gauge or thicker than 16 gauge are used for one or both of the bottom backer sheetand the corrugated panel. In other words, the bottom backer sheetand the corrugated panelcan have a same thickness or different thicknesses, in various embodiments.

The bottom backer sheetincludes: (1) a central section; (2) a formed first connector leg; and (3) a formed second connector leg. The formed first connector legis connected to and extends from a first end of the central sectionand the formed second connector legis connected to and extends from an opposing second end of the central section. The width of the bottom backer sheetis selected to span the width of the railroad car(i.e., from the first side wallto the second side wall) to enclose the railroad car. In one example, the width of the bottom backer sheetis selected to overhang the side walls of the railroad car, for example, to promote shedding of rainwater away from the side walls. In another example, the width of the bottom backer sheetis selected to have an overhang (not shown) that is bent, rolled, or hammered downwards towards the railroad carto partially wrap around a top cap of the side walls (i.e., top capof side wall).

As best shown in, the central sectionis flat and has a width that extends from a first sideof the bottom backer sheetto a second sideof the bottom backer sheet. When installed onto the railroad car, the first sideis above and adjacent to the top of the first side walland the second sideis above and adjacent to the top of the second side wall.

The formed first connector legincludes an extension sectionand a sealerconnected to and extending from an end of the extension section.

Similarly, the formed second connector legincludes an extension sectionand a sealerconnected to and extending from an end of the extension section.

The sealersandhave respective widths that extend from the first sideto the second side. In certain embodiments, the sealersandhave a same height such as approximately between 0.25 inches and 1 inch. In other embodiments, the sealersandhave different heights.

In various embodiments, the sealerand the sealerare formed by rolling part of the respective ends of the extension sectionsor, crimping the respective ends of the extension sectionsor, or by other suitable deformations of the respective ends of the extension sectionsor. In the illustrated embodiments, the sealers are generally semi-cylindrical, but can be formed in other suitable configurations.

As best shown in, the sealeris formed to protrude towards the second connector legA of the adjacent, interconnected roof panelA. Similarly, the sealeris formed to protrude towards the first connector legof the adjacent, interconnected roof panel. As described below, each of the sealersandform at least one seal between adjacent roof panels.

The first connector legand the second connector legare each configured to form multiple respective seals between with the adjacent roof panelsA andB. For example, and as best shown in, a first roof panel (i.e., roof panel) is interconnected with a second roof panel (i.e., roof panelA). A first connector legof the first roof panel engages a second connector legof the second roof panel, as further discussed below. Engagement of the first connector legand the second connector legcreates one or more seals that prevent or reduce water or contaminant intrusion into an interior space of the railroad car, as described below. The first connector legand the second connector leghave respective widths that extend from the first sideto the second side. Accordingly, the seals also have respective widths that extend from the first sideto the second side.

The corrugated panelincludes: (1) a central section; (2) a first connector arm; and (3) a second connector arm. The first connector armis connected to and extends from a first end of the central sectionand the second connector armis connected to and extends from an opposing second end of the central section.

As shown in, the central sectionincludes a plurality of corrugationsthat extend from a first sideof the corrugated panelto a second sideof the corrugated panel. When installed onto the railroad car, the first sideis above and adjacent to the top of the first side walland the second sideis above and adjacent to the top of the second side wall. Although the plurality of corrugationsare each shown in the figures with a generally trapezoidal cross-section, other cross-sectional shapes such as a sinusoidal wave shape, a square wave shape, a triangular wave shape, or other suitable shape, can be used in other embodiments.

Using the example of the trapezoidal cross-section shown in the figures, the plurality of corrugationsform a repeating series of a peak, a downward transition, a trough, an upward transition, followed by another peak, another downward transition, etc. The plurality of corrugationsare symmetric so that troughs on adjacent, interconnected roof panels engage in an interconnecting manner (e.g., having a flush surface abutment), as best seen in. In various embodiments, the troughs each have a same length of approximately 1 inch to 3 inches, the peaks each have a same length of approximately 1.5 inches to 6 inches and a height above the troughs of approximately 1 inch to 3 inches, and a total length of one corrugation(e.g., from peak to peak) is approximately 4 inches to 8 inches. In some examples, the corrugated panelis a commercially available panel, such as a 4″ box rib panel, a 6″ box rib panel, an 8″ box rib panel, etc.

As best seen in, the first connector armincludes a retaining fingerA, a troughA (i.e., an end trough at a first end of the corrugated panel), and an upward transitionA. In the embodiment shown in, the retaining fingerA corresponds to a portion of a downward transition. The retaining fingerA can be formed by making a single cut or break along a width of the corrugated panel(i.e., from the first sideto the second side), without a need for complicated tooling or manipulation. In other embodiments, the retaining fingerA includes a bend, bead, or other protrusion formed at an end of the troughA or at an end of the downward transition.

The second connector armincludes a downward transitionB and at least a portion of a troughB (i.e., an end trough at an opposing second end of the corrugated panel). The second connector armcan be formed by making a single cut or break along a width of the corrugated panel(i.e., from the first sideto the second side), without a need for complicated tooling or manipulation.

The plurality of connectorscan include weld beads, adhesives, rivets, or other suitable mechanical and/or chemical bonding attachments. In one example, weld beads are formed along a width of the bottom backer sheetand the corrugated panelwhere a trough of the corrugated panelabuts the bottom backer sheet, for example, using a resistance spot welding process. In other examples, epoxy, acrylic, or polymer-based adhesives are applied to one or both of the bottom backer sheetand the corrugated panelwhere the trough of the corrugated panelabuts the bottom backer sheet. In examples where adhesives are used as the connectors, assembly of the roof panelcan include one or more of cleaning of the bottom backer sheetand/or corrugated panel (e.g., with solvents, abrasives, or brushes) to prepare surfaces for the adhesive, applying physical pressure to an area around the applied adhesives (e.g., using clamps or a press) to promote bonding of the applied adhesive, resting time for the adhesives to cure, or other suitable steps for adhesive application.

The plurality of connectorsconnect the corrugated panelto the bottom backer sheetand are located at the troughs of the corrugated panel. In the embodiment shown in, the corrugated panelof the roof panelhas six peaksA,B,C,D,E, andF, and has seven troughsA,B,C,D,E,F, andG (including partial troughs of the first connector legand the second connector leg). In this embodiment, connectorsare located at troughsC,D,E,F, andG, with connectors omitted from troughsA andB. In other words, the connectorsare located only at center troughs (i.e., troughsC,D,E,F, andG) and omitted from troughs that form the first and second connector armsand(i.e., the end troughsA andB) to enable the interconnection with the respective adjacent roof panels.

Without connectors at troughA, the first connector armand the first connector legcan be separated (e.g., pulled or pushed apart) from each other during the roof panel connection process. When separated, a gapA is opened between a lower surface of the troughA and an upper surface of the extension section. Similarly, without connectors at troughB, the second connector armand the second connector legcan be separated (e.g., pulled or pushed apart) from each other. When separated, a gapB (H as shown in) is opened between a lower surface of the troughB and an upper surface of the extension section. The gapA is configured to enable insertion of a second connector leg of another roof panel, such as second connector legA from roof panelA, through the gapA. Similarly, the gapB is configured to enable insertion of a first connector arm of another roof panel through the gapB.

After the gapsA andB are opened, the gapsA andB are biased towards closing by elastic deformation of one or both of the bottom backer sheetand the corrugated panel. For example, lifting of the troughA (or the first connector arm) away from the extension sectionto create or increase the gapA can cause a first elastic deformation of one or more of the troughA, the upward transitionA, the peakA, and/or the downward transitionC. In another example, lowering of the extension section(or the first connector leg) away from troughA can cause a second elastic deformation of the extension section. In another example, lifting of the troughA and lowering of the extension sectioncause both the first and second elastic deformation. In some examples, the corrugated panelis stiffer than the bottom backer sheetand, accordingly, the second elastic deformation is larger than the first elastic deformation. In other examples, the bottom backer sheetis stiffer than the corrugated paneland, accordingly, the first elastic deformation is larger than the second elastic deformation.

Similarly, lifting of the troughB (or the second connector arm) away from the extension sectionto create or increase the gapB can cause a third elastic deformation of one or more of the troughB, the downward transitionB, the peakB, and/or the upward transitionB. As another example, lowering of the extension section(or the second connector leg) away from troughA (or the second connector arm) can cause a fourth elastic deformation of the extension section. As yet another example, lifting of the troughB and lowering of the extension sectioncause both the third and fourth elastic deformation.

As best seen in, an example method of interconnection for the roof paneland the roof panelA is now described. In any given embodiment, some steps of the method can be repeated, for example, to interconnect additional roof panels. Steps in an embodiment can also be performed in a different order than the order described below. Some steps can be performed serially, in a partially overlapping manner, or fully in parallel. Thus, the order in which steps of the method are performed can vary from one performance of the method to another performance of the method. Some steps can also be omitted, combined, grouped, or otherwise depart from the described method, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

In a first step, a second connector armA and a second connector legA of the roof panelA are separated from each other by a separation force to cause an increase in a gapH of the roof panelA. Accordingly, the increase in the gapH causes the first elastic deformation of the second connector armA and/or the second elastic deformation of the second connector legA. In one example, magnets (not shown) can be coupled with the peakH and/or the second connector legA and pulled away from each other to increase the gapH (i.e., upwards for the peakH and downwards for the second connector legA). In another example, an elongated cam (not shown) is inserted between the second connector legA and the peakH and rotated to increase the gapH. Other examples for forcibly separating the peakH from the second connector legA can be employed in accordance with the present disclosure.

In a second step, the first connector armand the first connector legof the roof panelare separated from each other by a separation force to cause an increase in the gapA. As described above, magnets, elongated cams, or other suitable steps for forcibly separating the first connector legfrom the first connector armwill be apparent to those skilled in the art. The first step and the second step can be performed serially, in a partially overlapping manner, or fully in parallel, in various embodiments.

Generally, (1) the gapA is opened to at least a suitable interconnection height to enable insertion of the second connector legA through the gapA, as described above, and (2) the gapH is opened to at least a suitable interconnection height to enable insertion of the first connector armthrough the gapH, as described above.

In a third step, the second connector legA is inserted into the gapA and the first connector armis inserted in the gapH. Generally, this step is performed by pushing the roof paneland the roof panelA towards each other. In some embodiments, the insertions of the third step facilitate the increases in the gapH and/or the gapA, for example, by the first connector armand/or the second connector legA acting as wedges.

In a fourth step, the gapH is reduced to the interconnection height by removal of the corresponding separation force. In various examples, removal of the magnets or a further rotation (or reverse rotation) of the elongated cams causes the gapH to return to the interconnection height.

In a fifth step, the gapA is reduced to the interconnection height by removal of the corresponding separation force. In various examples, removal of the magnets or further rotation (or reverse rotation) of the elongated cams causes the gapA to return to the interconnection height. The fourth step and the fifth step can be performed serially, in a partially overlapping manner, or fully in parallel, in various embodiments.

In some scenarios, the gapA is increased beyond its interconnection height during interconnection of roof panels, for example, to facilitate insertion of the second connector legA into the gapA. Once the second connector legA has passed through the gapA, the gapA is reduced to its interconnection height, as described above. Similarly, in some scenarios, the gapH is increased beyond its interconnection height during interconnection of roof panels, for example, to facilitate insertion of the first connector arm, specifically, the retaining fingerA, into and through the gapH. Once the retaining fingerA has passed through the gapH, the gapH is reduced to its interconnection height, as described above.

In various embodiments, the roof panels can be slid together laterally or can be snapped together longitudinally. The roof panels can be mechanically fastened or bonded to upper structures of the railcar.

As an additional step for installation of the roof panelsandA onto the railroad car, a bottom surface of the first sideof the bottom backer sheetand a bottom surface of the second endof the bottom backer sheetare connected to upper structures of the railroad car. For example, the bottom surfaces are connected to the top capby the connector, as described above (i.e., using weld beads, adhesives, rivets, or other suitable mechanical and/or chemical bonding attachments).

As best shown in, reducing the gapA after insertion of the second connector legA enables the second connector legA to be sandwiched between the first connector armand the first connector legby a first engagement force (i.e., a clamping force), for example, due to the elastic deformation described above. This first engagement force causes: (1) the sealerof the second panelA to engage the first connector legof the first panelto form a seal; (2) the sealerof the first panelto engage the second connector legA of the second panelA to form a seal; and (3) a lower surface of the troughA to abut an upper surface of the second connector legA to form a seal.

Reducing the gapH after insertion of the first connector armenables the first connector armto be sandwiched between second connector armA and the second connector legA by a second engagement force (i.e., a clamping force), for example, due to the elastic deformation described above. This second engagement force causes: (1) the portion of the troughH of the roof panelA to abut the troughA of the roof panelto form a seal; and (2) the downward transitionH of the roof panelA to abut the retaining fingerA to form a seal.

The first engagement force is based on a height of the sealersand, where a taller height causes an increase in the first engagement force. Specifically, the sealersandform a gapbetween an upper surface of the extension sectionand a lower surface of the extension section. Increasing the gapcauses an increase in the first engagement force due to increases in the first and/or second elastic deformations, described above. For example, the gapprevents the first connector armand the first connector legfrom closing (i.e., reducing the gapA) to a natural or unbiased position, where the lower surface of the troughA abuts or is flush against the upper surface of the first connector leg.

When the first panelis interconnected with the second panelA, the extension sectionsandcause the first connector legof the first paneland the second connector legA of the second panelA to overlap and provide separation between the sealersand. The separation between the sealersandforms a flat support section underneath the troughA. In some examples, the extension sectionsandhave a length approximately equal to a length of the troughA so that the support section and the troughA have an approximately same length. The support section has a height that is based on the gapbetween the extension sectionsand.

In some embodiments, the first and second engagement forces provided by the first, second, third, and/or fourth elastic deformations are increased by deforming the corrugated paneland/or the bottom backer sheetbefore connection of the corrugated paneland the bottom backer sheetby the connectors. In various examples, the first connector armis bent downwards (i.e., towards the bottom backer sheet), the first connector legis bent upwards, the second connector armis bent downwards, and/or the second connector legis bent upwards to cause a respective bias that increases the clamping forces. In these examples, the corrugated paneland the bottom backer sheetare forced together during assembly of the roof panelto overcome the bias when attaching the connectors.

After interconnection of adjacent roof panels, the first engagement force and the second engagement force provide the seals,,,, and, along a width of the roof, for example, to prevent intrusion of water or other contaminants from entering the interior space of the railroad car(e.g., (e.g., a weather-tight seal). Accordingly, water or other contaminants cannot readily enter the interior space of the railroad carfrom above the roofor from side entry through the endsorof the corrugated panel(i.e., entry through gaps between the peaksand the bottom backer sheet).

In the embodiment shown in, each connector of the plurality of connectorsprovides a continuous connection across an entire width of the corrugated panel. In one example, the connector is a continuous weld bead formed across the entire width of the corrugated panel. In another example, the connector is a continuous bead of adhesive applied across the entire width of the corrugated panel. In other embodiments, each connector provides a discontinuous connection across the width of the corrugated panel. In one such example, several connectors include individual tack welds along the width of the corrugated panel. In another example, the connector is a discontinuous bead of adhesive applied across the width of the corrugated panel. In other embodiments, some connectors of the plurality of connectorsprovide a continuous connection across the entire width of the corrugated panel, while other connectors of the plurality of connectorsprovide a discontinuous connection across the width of the corrugated panel. In one such example, connectors providing a continuous connection are interleaved with connectors providing a discontinuous connection in adjacent troughs. In another example, the roof panelcomprises connectors providing a continuous connection at troughs located at opposing ends of the corrugated panel(i.e., troughsC andG) and connectors providing a discontinuous connection at interior troughs (i.e.,D,E,F). In this way, fewer connectors or a reduced installation time of the connectors is achieved for at least some of the troughs, while a stronger connection between the corrugated paneland the bottom backer sheetis achieved in areas of higher bending stress (i.e., adjacent to where elastic deformation occurs, as described above).