US2024140496A1PendingUtilityA1

Method of modifying aluminum body railcars, modified railcars formed thereby and aluminum top cord splice coupling used therein

58
Assignee: JAC OPERATIONS INCPriority: Apr 14, 2021Filed: Oct 16, 2023Published: May 2, 2024
Est. expiryApr 14, 2041(~14.7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Michael H. KressDouglas M. JenkinsGregory P. Josephson
B61D 7/02B61D 17/10
58
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

A method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar can be described as comprising the steps of i) providing an existing aluminum body steel underframe donor railcar supported on a pair of trucks; ii) removing a donor car floor construction including either a) hopper discharge gates, and the outside hopper sheets, lower hopper floor and the partition floors forming the hopper chutes of the hopper style donor railcar, or b) the floor sheets and tubs of the gondola style donor cars; iii) forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes one of a) triple hopper independent transverse door floor construction, b) quad hopper independent transverse door floor construction, c) dual hopper independent longitudinal door floor construction, or d) flat bottom gondola floor construction, and iv) attaching the floor construction to the car to form the modified railcar.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar can be described as comprising the steps of:
 i) providing an existing aluminum body steel underframe donor railcar supported on a pair of trucks;   ii) removing a donor car floor construction including either a) hopper discharge gates, and the outside hopper sheets, lower hopper floor and the partition floors forming the hopper chutes of the hopper style donor railcar, or b) the floor sheets and tubs of the gondola style donor cars;   iii) forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes one of a) triple hopper independent transverse door floor construction, b) quad hopper independent transverse door floor construction, c) dual hopper independent longitudinal door floor construction, or d) flat bottom gondola floor construction, and   iv) attaching the floor construction to the car to form the modified railcar.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of removing a donor car floor construction includes the elements of ii a). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar includes a triple hopper independent transverse door floor construction. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein removing a donor car floor construction includes removal of a center section of the donor car. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the attaching the floor construction to the car to form the modified railcar includes splicing the top chord and using a splice chord casting inserted into the top chord. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the attaching the floor construction to the car to form the modified railcar includes splicing the side chord. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar includes a quad hopper independent transverse door floor construction. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar includes a dual hopper independent longitudinal door floor construction. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar includes a flat bottom gondola floor construction. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein removing a donor car floor construction includes removal of a center section of the donor car. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the attaching the floor construction to the car to form the modified railcar includes splicing the top chord and using a splice chord casting inserted into the top chord. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the attaching the floor construction to the car to form the modified railcar includes splicing the side chord. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of removing a donor car floor construction includes the elements of ii b). 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar includes a triple hopper independent transverse door floor construction. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein removing a donor car floor construction includes removal of a center section of the donor car. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the attaching the floor construction to the car to form the modified railcar includes splicing the top chord and using a splice chord casting inserted into the top chord. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the attaching the floor construction to the car to form the modified railcar includes splicing the side chord. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar includes a quad hopper independent transverse door floor construction. 
     
     
         19 . A splice cord casting used in the method of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         20 . A modified railcar formed according to the method of  claim 1 .

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