Rail car side screen protector

Abstract

A protector for a railway car interior, such as an autorack car designed to transport automobiles. The protector is installed on and covers the sidewall of a railway car to provide a barrier between the car and the sidewall to prevent damage to automobiles being transported in the rail car. The protector has two flanges that extend outward of the body and are deflectable to provide an expanded zone of protection when contacted by an object. The protector may be provided in different lengths to provide a suitable span of coverage of a railway interior structure when the protectors are arranged adjacently, horizontally along a sidewall of the rail car at suitable heights to provide protection. The outwardly projecting flanges provide a protective barrier between the automobile, such as a door panel, and the railway sidewall or other structure. A railcar configured with protectors also is provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A railcar protector for an interior of a railcar configured to mount to the railcar interior structure, comprising:
 a) a body configured to mount to the railcar interior structure;   b) a first flange connected to said body and projecting outward from said body at an angle therefrom;   c) a second flange connected to said body and projecting outward from said body at an angle therefrom;   d) each first flange and second flange including an engaging edge;   e) wherein each engaging edge spans horizontally along the protector.   
     
     
         2 . The protector of  claim 1 , wherein said flanges connect to said body, and wherein said flanges are flexibly configured to move relative to said body. 
     
     
         3 . The protector of  claim 2 , wherein the flanges project forward from said body, and wherein said flanges are deflectable rearwardly and in a vertical direction relative to the body. 
     
     
         4 . The protector of  claim 1 , wherein said first flange is disposed at an upward angle relative to said body and wherein said second flange is disposed at a downward angle relative to said body. 
     
     
         5 . The protector of  claim 4 , wherein each flange comprises a flange connecting wall, wherein the body comprises a body wall, and wherein each said flange makes an inner angle defined by the angle between the flange connecting wall and the body wall, and wherein when the respective flange is engaged by a contacting structure, the inner angle between the respective said flange and the body wall increases. 
     
     
         6 . The protector of  claim 4 , wherein each flange comprises a flange connecting wall, wherein the body comprises a body wall, wherein each said flange makes an inner angle defined by the angle between the flange connecting wall and the body wall, and wherein when a respective one of the flanges is engaged by a contacting structure, the respective inner angles between the respective one of the said flanges and the body wall increases. 
     
     
         7 . The protector of  claim 1 , wherein said body comprises a wall, and wherein said wall has one or more apertures therein. 
     
     
         8 . The protector of  claim 7 , wherein each flange includes a front edge. 
     
     
         9 . The protector of  claim 8 , wherein each flange front edge has an arcuate portion. 
     
     
         10 . The protector of  claim 1 , wherein each said flange includes a front edge and a connecting wall, wherein said connecting wall connects said flange front edge to said body. 
     
     
         11 . The protector of  claim 1 , wherein each said flange includes a front edge, a terminal edge and a connecting wall, wherein said connecting wall connects said flange front edge to said body. 
     
     
         12 . The protector of  claim 11 , wherein said front edge has a first arcuate portion joining with said connecting wall, and a second arcuate portion at the terminal edge thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The protector of  claim 1 , wherein each said first flange and said second flange includes a first deflection locus and a second deflection locus. 
     
     
         14 . The protector of  claim 13 , wherein each said flange includes a front edge and a connecting wall, wherein said flange connecting wall connects said flange front edge to said body, wherein said first deflection locus comprises the joining location where said flange connecting wall joins said rear wall, and wherein said second deflection locus comprises the flange front edge. 
     
     
         15 . The protector of  claim 14 , wherein each said flange front edge is a curved edge. 
     
     
         16 . The protector of  claim 15 , wherein each said flange front curved edge is convex in relation to the front of the flange. 
     
     
         17 . A method of producing a protector for a railway vehicle interior, comprising:
 a) forming an extruded body having body with a wall, and a pair of flanges, each flange of the flange pair extending from the body wall and including a first flange connected to the body wall and projecting outward from the body wall at an angle therefrom, and a second flange connected to the body wall and projecting outward from the body wall at an angle therefrom;   b) the extruded body forming an engaging edge in each of said first flange and said second flange, and wherein the respective engaging edges span horizontally along the protector; and   c) cutting one or more apertures in the body wall.   
     
     
         18 . A railcar configured with one or more levels for transporting automobiles, the rail car comprising:
 a) one or more wheelsets;   b) interior structure comprising a plurality of upstanding posts, sidewalls, a roof, and at least one deck for carrying automobiles;   c) an interior space;   d) wherein the plurality of upstanding posts are located on each lateral side of the interior space, and wherein the sidewalls are located on each lateral side of the interior space; and   e) a plurality of protectors provided on the sidewalls, the protectors comprising:
 i) a body mounted to the railcar sidewall; 
 ii) a first flange connected to said body and projecting outward from said body at an angle therefrom; 
 iii) a second flange connected to said body and projecting outward from said body at an angle therefrom; 
 iv) each first flange and second flange including an engaging edge; 
 v) each of said first flange and said second flange including a connecting wall joining each engaging edge with said body; 
   f) wherein the protector is mounted to the sidewall with said flanges disposed horizontally so that the first flange is positioned at a vertical height that is higher than the vertical height of the second flange; and   g) wherein said flanges project from the sidewall mounted body into the interior space.   
     
     
         19 . The railcar of  claim 18 , wherein a first arrangement of protectors are provided horizontally along the sidewall at a first vertical position to form a first horizontal zone of protection, and wherein a second arrangement of protectors are provided horizontally along the sidewall at a second vertical position to form a second horizontal zone of protection. 
     
     
         20 . The railcar of  claim 19 , including a plurality of post protectors installed to provide a barrier between the interior space and one or more posts. 
     
     
         21 . The railcar of  claim 18 , wherein said plurality of protectors provided on the sidewalls includes a first plurality of protectors arranged end to end, and a second plurality of protectors arranged end to end.