Draft sill using a tension cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967886-B2
Application number	US-201816152906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2018
Priority date	Oct 5, 2018
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A rail car includes an elongated floor supporting a rail car body, a draft sill depending from the floor, and a crash energy management (CEM) system. The CEM system includes a coupler plate coupled to the draft sill and depending from the floor between the draft sill and a first end of the floor, a coupler support depending from the floor between the coupler plate and the first end of the floor, an elongated coupler assembly extending from the coupler plate in a direction of the first end of the floor via an opening defined by the coupler support, and at least one cable connected in tension between the coupler support and the coupler plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rail car comprising:
an elongated floor;
an end frame proximate a first end of the floor;
a draft sill extending from the floor; and
a crash energy management (CEM) system comprising:
a coupler plate fixedly connected to the draft sill and extending from the floor between the draft sill and a first end of the floor;
an elongated coupler assembly extending from the coupler plate in a direction of the first end of the floor; and
at least one cable connected between the coupler plate and the end frame, the at least one cable being fixedly connected to the end frame,
wherein the at least one cable is pre-tensioned and configured for transferring a portion of crash-related loads from the draft sill to the end frame.

2. The rail car of claim 1 , wherein each cable has a first end connected to the end frame proximate the floor and a second end connected to the coupler plate proximate a portion thereof opposite the floor.

3. The rail car of claim 1 , wherein the tension of each cable is between 22 kilonewtons (kN) and 40 kN.

4. The rail car of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cable includes:
a first cable connected between the end frame and the coupler plate on one side of the floor; and
a second cable connected between the end frame and the coupler plate on an opposite side of the floor.

5. The rail car of claim 1 , further including a bogie having wheels coupled to the floor proximate an end of the draft sill opposite the end frame.

6. The rail car of claim 1 wherein the at least one cable is connected to the end frame through a coupler support, the coupler support extending from the end frame.

7. The rail car of claim 6 , wherein:
the coupler support is U-shaped including a pair of arms extending from a cross-member that extends laterally between sides of the end frame;
the end of each arm opposite the cross-member is coupled to the end frame; and
an opening is defined between the end frame and the U-shape of the coupler support.

8. The rail car of claim 7 , further comprising the coupler assembly connected to the coupler plate and extending towards the end frame and through the opening of the coupler support, the coupler assembly having a shock absorber.

9. The rail car of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second end frame proximate a second end of the floor;
a second draft sill extending from the floor, wherein the draft sill is positioned between the first end of the floor and a position intermediate the first end and the second end of the floor, and the second draft sill is positioned between the second end of the floor and the position intermediate the first and second ends of the floor; and
a second CEM system comprising:
a second coupler plate coupled to the second draft sill and extending from the floor between the second draft sill and the second end of the floor;
a second elongated coupler assembly extending from the second coupler plate in a direction of the second end of the floor; and
at least one cable connected between the second end frame and the second coupler plate.

10. The rail car of claim 9 , wherein each cable has a first end connected to the second end frame proximate the floor and a second end connected to the second coupler plate proximate a portion thereof opposite the floor.

11. The rail car of claim 9 , wherein the at least one cable connected between the second end frame and the second coupler plate includes:
a first cable connected between the second end frame and the second coupler plate on one side of the floor; and
a second cable connected between the second end frame and the second coupler plate on an opposite side of the floor.

12. A method of forming a crash energy management system on a rail car comprising an elongated floor supporting a rail car body and a draft sill extending from a bottom of the floor, the method comprising:
fixedly connecting a coupler plate to the floor between the draft sill and an end of the floor, with the coupler plate extending away from the bottom of the floor;
connecting a coupler support to the floor between the coupler plate and the end of the floor, with the coupler support extending away from the bottom of the floor;
connecting one end of a coupler assembly having an elongated body to the coupler plate, with the elongated body extending from the coupler plate in a direction of the end of the floor via an opening defined by the coupler support; and
connecting at least one cable in tension between the coupler support and the coupler plate, wherein the at least one cable is fixedly connected to the coupler support,
wherein the at least one cable is configured for transferring a portion of crash-related loads from the draft sill to an end frame proximate to the end of the floor.

13. The method of claim 12 , further including providing each cable pre-tensioned prior to connection between the coupler support and the coupler plate.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the coupler plate has a first side facing the coupler support, a second side coupled to the draft sill, a top edge coupled to the floor, and a bottom edge facing away from the floor.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein each cable has a first end connected to the coupler support proximate the floor and a second end connected to the coupler plate proximate the bottom edge of the coupler plate.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the coupler support includes a cross-member spaced from the floor and extending laterally between sides of the floor and a pair of spaced arms extending between the base and the floor, wherein the opening is defined between the base, the arms, and the floor.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the coupler plate and the coupler support are coupled to the floor in spaced relation.

18. A rail car body comprising:
an elongated floor;
an end frame proximate a first extremity of the floor;
a draft sill extending from the floor, the draft sill fixedly connected to a coupler plate;
a crash energy management (CEM) system having a longitudinally collapsible structure, the longitudinally collapsible structure being connected between the end frame and the coupler plate and being operative to absorb at least partially crash energy and to transfer loads between the end frame and the coupler plate; and
at least one structural cable connected between the draft sill and the end frame, the at least one structural cable being fixedly connected to the end frame, pre-tensioned and operative to transfer loads between the draft sill and the end frame.

19. The rail car of claim 18 , wherein the at least one cable is connected to the draft sill distal a level of the floor.

20. The rail car of claim 18 , wherein the tension of the at least one cable ranges between 10 kilonewtons (kN) and 40 kN.

21. The rail car of claim 20 , wherein the tension of the at least one cable ranges between 18 kilonewtons (kN) and 25 kN.

22. The rail car of claim 18 , wherein the at least one cable is connected to the end frame proximate a level of the floor.

23. The rail car of claim 18 , further comprising a coupler support extending from the end frame, the at least one structural cable being connected to the end frame via the coupler support.

24. The rail car body of claim 23 , further comprising an elongated coupler assembly extending from the coupler plate in a direction of the first extremity of the floor via an opening defined by the coupler support.

Assignees

• Bombardier Transp Gmbh

Inventors

• Vergnaud Simon
• Koudolo Daniel
• GAGNON ANDRé

Classifications

• B61G11/16 Primary

  absorbing shocks by permanent deformation of buffer element · CPC title

• B61G9/22

  Supporting framework, e.g. cradles; Spring housings · CPC title

• B61F1/10 Primary

  End constructions · CPC title

• B61G7/10

  Mounting of the couplings on the vehicle · CPC title

• B61F19/04 Primary

  Bumpers or like collision guards · CPC title