System and method for reconfiguring an autorack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11608091-B2
Application number	US-202016806093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2020
Priority date	Nov 13, 2017
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

A method comprises removing a first deck of a plurality of decks and a second deck of the plurality of decks from an autorack. The method further comprises removing one or more of a plurality of posts of the autorack and coupling a cross-brace assembly to one or more of the plurality of posts, wherein the cross-brace assembly is coupled to the one or more of the plurality of posts at a location above an existing brace bay of the autorack. The method also comprises coupling the second deck of the plurality of decks to the autorack at a location above or below the cross-brace assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
removing a first deck of a plurality of decks from an autorack, each deck of the plurality of decks comprising a driving surface for an automobile;
removing a second deck of the plurality of decks from the autorack;
removing one or more of a plurality of posts from the autorack;
coupling a cross-brace assembly to two or more of the plurality of posts of the autorack, the cross-brace assembly extending longitudinally from a first post of the plurality of posts to a second post of the plurality of posts, the first and second posts located on a same side of the autorack, wherein the cross-brace assembly is coupled to the two or more of the plurality of posts at a location above an existing brace bay of the autorack;
increasing a width between a third post of the plurality of posts and a fourth post of the plurality of posts, the third post located near a first side of the autorack and the fourth post located near a second side of the autorack, the second side opposite the first side; and
coupling the second deck of the plurality of decks to the autorack at a location above or below the cross-brace assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the cross-brace assembly to the two or more of the plurality of posts comprises:
coupling at least one brace of the cross-brace assembly to the first post of the plurality of posts; and
coupling the at least one brace of the cross-brace assembly to the second post of the plurality of posts.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the cross-brace assembly to the two or more of the plurality of posts comprises:
coupling a first bolting plate of the cross-brace assembly to the first post of the plurality of posts at a location above the existing brace bay of the autorack;
coupling a second bolting plate of the cross-brace assembly to the first post of the plurality of posts at a location above the first bolting plate;
coupling a third bolting plate of the cross-brace assembly to the second post of the plurality of posts at a location above the existing brace bay of the autorack; and
coupling a fourth bolting plate of the cross-brace assembly to the second post of the plurality of posts at a location above the third bolting plate.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
coupling a first end of a first brace of the cross-brace assembly to the first bolting plate;
coupling a second end of the first brace to the fourth bolting plate;
coupling a first end of a second brace of the cross-brace assembly to the second bolting plate; and
coupling a second end of the second brace to the third bolting plate.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing an existing door structure from the autorack; and
coupling a seal-safe radial door structure to at least one end of the autorack.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: removing a roof section from the autorack; increasing a height of another one or more of the plurality of posts; increasing a height of one or more of a plurality of side screens of the autorack; and coupling the roof section to the autorack.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the autorack is an existing autorack.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first deck of the plurality of decks extends longitudinally from the first post of the plurality of posts to the second post of the plurality of posts, the first and second posts located on a first side of the autorack;
the first deck of the plurality of decks extends laterally from the first post of the plurality of posts to a fifth post of the plurality of posts, the first post located on the first side and the fifth post located on a second side of the autorack, the second side opposite the first side;
the second deck of the plurality of decks extends longitudinally from the first post of the plurality of posts to the second post of the plurality of posts, the first and second posts located on the first side of the autorack; and
the second deck of the plurality of decks extends laterally from the first post of the plurality of posts to the fifth post of the plurality of posts, the first post located on the first side and the fifth post located on the second side of the autorack, the second side opposite the first side.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of tire guides are coupled to the driving surface of each of the plurality of decks.

10. A method comprising:
removing a first deck of a plurality of decks from an autorack, each deck of the plurality of decks comprising a driving surface for an automobile;
removing a second deck of the plurality of decks from the autorack;
removing an existing roof section from the autorack;
removing one or more of a plurality of existing side screens from the autorack;
increasing a width of a first end portion of a flatcar of the autorack such that the width of the first end portion of the flatcar is greater than a width of a center portion of the flatcar;
increasing a width of a second end portion of the flatcar of the autorack such that the width of the second end portion of the flatcar is greater than the width of the center portion of the flatcar;
increasing a width between a first post of a plurality of posts and a second post of the plurality of posts, the first post located near a first side of the first end portion of the flatcar and the second post located near a second side of the first end portion, the second side opposite the first side;
increasing a width between a third post of the plurality of posts and a fourth post of the plurality of posts, the third post located near a first side of the second end portion of the flatcar and the fourth post located near a second side of the second end portion, the second side of the second end portion opposite the first side of the second end portion;
coupling a cross-brace assembly to two or more of the plurality of posts of the autorack, the cross-brace assembly extending longitudinally from a fifth post of the plurality of posts to a sixth post of the plurality of posts, the fifth and sixth posts located on a same side of the autorack, wherein the cross-brace assembly is coupled to the two or more of the plurality of posts at a location above an existing brace bay of the autorack;
coupling the second deck of the plurality of decks to the autorack at a location above or below the cross-brace assembly;
coupling one or more of a plurality of replacement side screens to one or more of the plurality of posts; and
coupling a replacement roof section to the autorack.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising removing another one or more of the plurality of posts from the autorack.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein coupling the cross-brace assembly to the two or more of the plurality of posts comprises:
coupling at least one brace of the cross-brace assembly to the fifth post of the plurality of posts; and
coupling the at least one brace of the cross-brace assembly to the sixth post of the plurality of posts.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein coupling the cross-brace assembly to the two or more of the plurality of posts comprises:
coupling a first bolting plate of the cross-brace assembly to the fifth post of the plurality of posts at a location above the existing brace bay of the autorack;
coupling a second bolting plate of the cross-brace assembly to the fifth post of the plurality of posts at a location above the first bolting plate;
coupling a third bolting plate of the cross-brace assembly to the sixth post of the plurality of posts at a location above the existing brace bay of the autorack; and
coupling a fourth bolting

Assignees

• Trinity Rail Group Llc

Inventors

• Coston Kyle R
• Higginbotham David W
• Degroot Robert J

Classifications

• B61D3/04 Primary

  with movable floors, e.g. rotatable or floors which can be raised or lowered · CPC title

• B61D3/18 Primary

  for vehicles {(vehicles adapted to carry other vehicles, in general, B60P3/06)} · CPC title

• B61D3/02

  with multiple deck arrangements (for carrying vehicles B61D3/18) · CPC title

• B60P3/08

  Multilevel-deck construction carrying vehicles · CPC title

• B60S5/00

  Servicing, maintaining, repairing, or refitting of vehicles (vehicles adapted to carry a workshop for servicing or maintenance B60P3/14; servicing rail locomotives B61K) · CPC title