Railcar for transport of steel coils with removable bi-level roof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11643118-B2
Application number	US-202016846570-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2020
Priority date	Apr 18, 2019
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

A railcar for transporting one or more steel coils. In various embodiments, the railcar includes a front truck assembly, a rear truck assembly, a center sill assembly including a center sill operably supported by the front and rear truck assemblies, and first and second side walls supported by and substantially coupled to the center sill assembly such that the first and second side walls are spaced-apart from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the center sill.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A railcar for transporting one or more steel coils, each steel coil having a coil diameter, the railcar comprising:
(a) a front truck assembly including at least one pair of front truck wheels, an axle coupled to each pair of front truck wheels, and a front truck connection point positioned to distribute a load placed on the front truck assembly substantially evenly;
(b) a rear truck assembly including at least one pair of rear truck wheels, an axle coupled to each pair of rear truck wheels, and a rear truck connection point positioned to distribute a load placed on the rear truck assembly substantially evenly;
(c) a center sill assembly operably supported at the front truck connection point by the front truck assembly and at a rear truck connection point by the rear truck assembly, the center sill having a longitudinal axis;
(d) a first side wall supported by and substantially coupled to the center sill assembly such that the first side wall is spaced-apart from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis on a first side of the longitudinal axis;
(e) a second side wall supported by and substantially coupled to the center sill assembly such that the second side wall is spaced-apart from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis on a second side of the longitudinal axis;
(f) a front outer-coil holding assembly sitting over the center sill and extending to each of the first and second side walls, wherein:
(i) the front outer-coil holding assembly includes first and second front coil-receiving plates respectively attached to the first and second side walls, and first and second stiffeners respectively attached to the first and second front coil-receiving plates and to the first and second side walls,
(ii) the front outer-coil holding assembly includes a front coil trough substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the center sill, and
(iii) the front coil trough is substantially aligned over the front truck connection point;

(g) a rear outer-coil holding assembly sitting over the center sill and extending to each of the first and second side walls, wherein:
(i) the rear outer-coil holding assembly includes first and second rear coil-receiving plates respectively attached to the first and second side walls, and first and second stiffeners respectively attached to the first and second front coil-receiving plates and to the first and second side walls,
(ii) the rear outer-coil holding assembly includes a rear coil trough substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the center sill,
(iii) the rear coil trough is substantially aligned over the rear truck connection point;

(h) a plurality of inner-coil holding assemblies sitting over the center sill, extending to each of the first and second side walls, and positioned between the front and rear outer-coil holding assemblies, wherein:
(i) each inner-coil holding assembly including first and second inner coil-receiving plates respectively attached to the first and second side walls, and first and second stiffeners respectively attached to the first and second front coil-receiving plates and to the first and second side walls,
(ii) each inner coil holding assembly including an inner coil trough substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the center sill, and
(iii) the inner coil trough of the front paired inner-coil holding assembly being substantially aligned over the center sill approximately the same distance from the front truck connection point as the inner coil trough of the back paired inner-coil holding assembly is substantially aligned over the center sill from the rear truck connection point;

(i) a single removable roof positionable on the first and second side walls, the removable roof including a first section having a first height, a second section having a second height, and a third section having a third height, wherein the second section is between the first section and the third section, wherein the second height is less than the first height and the second height is less than the third height, wherein the first section is positionable over the front outer-coil holding assembly, the third section is positionable over the rear outer-coil holding assembly, and the second section is positionable over the plurality of inner-coil holding assemblies, and wherein the removeable roof includes a lifting member attached to and extending upwardly from the second section.

2. The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the stiffeners of the front outer-coil holding assembly are U-shaped stiffeners.

3. The railcar of claim 2 , wherein the stiffeners of the rear outer-coil holding assembly are U-shaped stiffeners.

4. The railcar of claim 3 , wherein the stiffeners of an inner outer-coil holding assembly are U-shaped stiffeners.

5. The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the stiffeners of the front outer-coil holding assembly are L-shaped stiffeners.

6. The railcar of claim 5 , wherein the stiffeners of the rear outer-coil holding assembly are L-shaped stiffeners.

7. The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the stiffeners of the front outer-coil holding assembly are U-shaped stiffeners and L-shaped stiffeners.

8. The railcar of claim 1 , wherein the stiffeners of the rear outer-coil holding assembly are U-shaped stiffeners and L-shaped stiffeners.

9. A railcar for transporting one or more steel coils, each steel coil having a coil diameter, the railcar comprising:
(a) a front truck assembly including at least one pair of front truck wheels, and an axle coupled to each pair of front truck wheels;
(b) a rear truck assembly including at least one pair of rear truck wheels, and an axle coupled to each pair of rear truck wheels;
(c) a center sill assembly operably supported by the front truck assembly and by the rear truck assembly, the center sill having a longitudinal axis;
(d) a first side wall supported by and substantially coupled to the center sill assembly such that the first side wall is spaced-apart from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis on a first side of the longitudinal axis;
(e) a second side wall supported by and substantially coupled to the center sill assembly such that the second side wall is spaced-apart from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis on a second side of the longitudinal axis;
(f) a plurality of coil holding assemblies sitting over the center sill and extending to each of the first and second side walls, wherein each coil holding assembly includes:
a first coil-receiving plate and a second coil-receiving plate that partially define a coil trough substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the center sill,
a first stiffener extending across and substantially coupled to an outer face of the first coil-receiving plate, the first stiffener being substantially coupled to both the first and second side walls, and
a second stiffener extending across and substantially coupled to an outer face of the second coil-receiving plate, the second stiffener being substantially coupled to both the first and second side walls; and

(g) a single removable roof positionable on the first and second side walls, the removable roof including a first section having a first height, a second section having a second height, and a third section having a third height, wherein the second section is between the first section and the third section, wherein the second height is less than the first height and the second height is less than the third height, wherein the first section is positionable over one of the coil holding assemblies at a first end of the railcar, the second section is positionable over at least one of the coil holding assemblies, and the third section is positionable over one of the

Assignees

• Gunderson Llc

Inventors

• Sandheinrich Glenn A
• Dobsch Justin

Classifications

• B61D45/003

  Fixing of logs, beams, barrels, pipes, or the like · CPC title

• B61D3/16 Primary

  adapted for carrying special loads · CPC title

• B61D45/00

  Means or devices for securing or supporting the cargo, including protection against shocks (for vehicles in general B60P7/00) · CPC title