Partial closure plates for hopper cars

Abstract

Car bodies for a covered hopper railroad freight car are shown and disclosed. The car bodies include one or more bulkheads extending transversely between opposite sides separating two or more hoppers from each other. Each of the bulkheads includes a plurality of spaced corrugations each having a trough surface disposed between opposed first and second crest surfaces. The car bodies further include a partial closure plate attached to one or more corrugations. Each of the partial closure plates includes a base portion and one or more side portions attached to, or formed with, the base portion, a shape that corresponds to the shape of the corresponding corrugation such that a surface of the base portion is parallel with each of the first and second crest surfaces and the one or more side portions are attached to the trough surface, and a width less than a width of the corresponding corrugation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A car body for a covered hopper railroad freight car, the car body comprising:
 a pair of opposite sides;   a pair of opposite ends;   one or more bulkheads extending transversely between the opposite sides separating two or more hoppers from each other, wherein each of the bulkheads includes a plurality of spaced corrugations with each corrugation of the plurality of spaced corrugations having a trough surface disposed between opposed first and second crest surfaces; and   a partial closure plate attached to one or more corrugations of the plurality of spaced corrugations, wherein each of the partial closure plates includes a base portion and one or more side portions attached to, or formed with, the base portion, each of the partial closure plates having a shape that corresponds to the shape of the corresponding corrugation of the one or more corrugations such that a surface of the base portion is parallel with each of the first and second crest surfaces and the one or more side portions are attached to the trough surface, and each of the partial closure plates having a width less than a width of the corresponding corrugation of the one or more corrugations.   
     
     
         2 . The car boy of  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the base portion is co-planar with each of the first and second crest surfaces. 
     
     
         3 . The car body of  claim 2 , wherein the base portion includes opposed first and second end portions, the at least one side portion having first and second side portions, the first side portion being attached to, or formed, with the first end portion of the base portion, the second side portion being attached to, or formed with, the second end portion of the base portion. 
     
     
         4 . The car body of  claim 3  wherein each of the one or more corrugations includes a first transition surface between the trough surface and the first crest surface and a second transition surface between the trough surface and the second crest surface, and the first side portion being attached to the first transition surface and the second side portion being attached to the second transition surface. 
     
     
         5 . The car body of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more corrugations is a rectilinear corrugation. 
     
     
         6 . The car body of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second crest surfaces are planar and are co-planar to each other, and the trough surface is planar and parallel to the crest surfaces.  7  The car body of claim  6 , wherein each of the one or more corrugations includes opposed first and second sloped transition surfaces disposed between the trough surface and the crest surface. 
     
     
         8 . The car body of claim  7 , wherein the one or more side portions include first and second side portions and the base portion is disposed between the first and second side portions, and the first side portion being attached to the first sloped transition surface and the second side portion being attached to the second sloped transition surface. 
     
     
         9 . The car body of  claim 8 , wherein each of the first and second side portions of the partial closure plates has a trapezoidal prism shape. 
     
     
         10 . The car body of  claim 9 , wherein the base portion has a rectangular prism shape. 
     
     
         11 . The car body of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the partial closure plates and the corresponding corrugation define a hollow interior volume therebetween. 
     
     
         12 . The car body of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more side portions are 90 degrees from the base portion. 
     
     
         13 . The car body of  claim 1 , wherein each of the partial closure plates has a width that is about 20% to about 60% of the width of the corresponding corrugation. 
     
     
         14 . The car body of  claim 13 , wherein each of the partial closure plates has a width that is about 20% of the width of the corresponding corrugation.