Hopper railroad car having multi-level running boards

Abstract

A hopper railroad car with multi-level running boards at the top of the hopper railroad car that better enables an operator on the top of the hopper railroad car to maneuver and to open and close the hatches on the top of the hopper railroad car.

The claims are follows: 
     
         1 . A hopper railroad car comprising:
 a roof including a longitudinally extending transversely curved central section, a longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section, and a longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section;   a first row of top hatches connected to the roof;   a second row of top hatches connected to the roof, wherein the first and second rows of top hatches are transversely spaced apart, and adjacent pairs of the hatches in each row are spaced apart;   a longitudinally extending central running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved central section of the roof, wherein central running board extends at a first height above the roof;   a longitudinally extending first side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section of the roof, wherein the first side running board extends at a second height above the roof, and wherein the first height is higher than the second height; and   a longitudinally extending second side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section of the roof, wherein the second side running board extends at the second height above the roof.   
     
     
         2 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 1 , which includes a transversely extending fourth running board positioned upwardly from part of the first side section of the roof, and from part of the first side running board to part of the central running board. 
     
     
         3 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 2 , which includes a transversely extending fifth running board positioned upwardly from part of the second side section of the roof, and from part of the second side running board to part of the central running board. 
     
     
         4 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 3 , which includes a transversely extending sixth running board positioned upwardly from part of the first side section of the roof and transversely toward part of the central running board. 
     
     
         5 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 4 , which includes a transversely extending seventh running board extending between the sixth running board and the central running board. 
     
     
         6 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 5 , which includes a transversely extending eighth running board positioned upwardly from part of the second side section of the roof and extending transversely toward part of the central running board. 
     
     
         7 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 6 , which includes a transversely extending ninth running board extending between the eighth running board and the central running board. 
     
     
         8 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 1 , which includes a first plurality of transversely extending running boards extending between the first running board and the central running board. 
     
     
         9 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 8 , which includes a second plurality of transversely extending running boards extending between the second running board and the central running board. 
     
     
         10 . A hopper railroad car comprising:
 a roof including a longitudinally extending transversely curved central section, a longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section, and a longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section;   a first row of top hatches connected to the roof;   a second row of top hatches connected to the roof, wherein the first and second rows of top hatches are transversely spaced apart, and adjacent pairs of the hatches in each row are spaced apart;   a longitudinally extending central running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved central section of the roof, wherein central running board extends at a first height above the roof;   a plurality of spaced-apart first runway supports attached to the central section of the roof and configured to support the central running board, each first runway support including a first leg, a second leg spaced-apart from the first leg, and a support bar connected to and extending between the first leg and the second leg, the first leg and the second leg being of a same height;   a longitudinally extending first side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section of the roof, wherein the first side running board extends at a second height above the roof, and wherein the first height is higher than the second height;   a plurality of spaced-apart second runway supports attached to the first side section of the roof and configured to support the first side running board, each second runway support including a first leg, a second leg spaced-apart from the first leg, and a support bar connected to and extending between the first leg and the second leg, the first leg and the second leg being of different heights;   a longitudinally extending second side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section of the roof, wherein the second side running board extends at the second height above the roof; and   a plurality of spaced-apart third runway supports attached to the second side section of the roof and configured to support the second side running board, each third runway support including a first leg, a second leg spaced-apart from the first leg, and a support bar connected to and extending between the first leg and the second leg, the first leg and the second leg being of different heights.   
     
     
         11 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein one or more of the runway supports each include a running board attachment clip. 
     
     
         12 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 11 , wherein each running board attachment clip includes an attachment arm and a running board attachment hand connected to the attachment arm by an attachment wrist. 
     
     
         13 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 12 , wherein the attachment arm of each running board attachment clip is configured to be adjustably attached to the support bar of the respective runway support via a fastener. 
     
     
         14 . A hopper railroad car comprising:
 a roof including a longitudinally extending transversely curved central section, a longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section, and a longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section;   a first row of top hatches connected to the roof;   a second row of top hatches connected to the roof, wherein the first and second rows of top hatches are transversely spaced apart;   a longitudinally extending central running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved central section of the roof, wherein central running board extends at a first height above the roof;   a longitudinally extending first side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section of the roof, wherein the first side running board extends at a second height above the roof, and wherein the first height is higher than the second height;   a longitudinally extending second side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section of the roof, wherein the second side running board extends at the second height above the roof;   a transversely extending fourth running board positioned upwardly from part of the first side section of the roof and from part of the first side running board to part of the central running board;   a transversely extending fifth running board positioned upwardly from part of the second side section of the roof and from part of the second side running board to part of the central running board;   a transversely extending sixth running board positioned upwardly from part of the first side section of the roof and extending transversely toward part of the central running board;   a transversely extending seventh running board extending between the sixth running board and the central running board;   a transversely extending eighth running board positioned upwardly from part of the second side section of the roof and extending transversely toward part of the central running board; and   a transversely extending ninth running board extending between the eight running board and the central running board.