Hopper railroad car having partition and/or frame assemblies flexibly connected to the side walls and/or roof

Abstract

A hopper railroad car with partition and/or frame assemblies that reduce the likelihood of damage to the liners on such partition and/or frame assemblies, and specifically wherein the hopper railroad cars partition and/or frames assemblies are flexibly connected to the side walls and/or roof of the hopper railroad car to reduce the likelihood of damage to the liners on such partition and/or frame assemblies.

1 . A hopper railroad car comprising:
 a frame;   a first side wall supported by the frame;   a first side wall supported by the frame;   a roof supported by the first side wall, the second side wall, and the frame; and   a partition assembly positioned between the first side wall and the second side wall and partially forming multiple compartments of the hopper railroad car, the partition assembly including:   an upright panel having an upper section and a lower section, the upright panel flexibly connected to the first side wall by a first channel and flexibly connected to the second wall by a second channel,   a first lower angled panel having an upper section and a lower section, the upper section of the first lower angled panel connected to the lower section of the upright panel, and   a second lower angled panel having an upper section and a lower section, the upper section of the second lower angled panel connected to the connected to the lower section of the upright panel.   
     
     
         2 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein the first channel is formed by a first side wall attachment portion of the upright panel and a first side wall partition channel attachment connected to the upright panel, and wherein the second channel is formed by a second side wall attachment portion of the upright panel and a second side wall partition channel attachment connected to the upright panel. 
     
     
         3 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 2 , wherein the first side wall attachment portion of the upright panel is formed with multiple bends, and wherein the first side wall partition channel attachment connected to the upright panel is formed with multiple bends. 
     
     
         4 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 3 , wherein the second side wall attachment portion of the upright panel is formed with multiple bends, and wherein the second side wall partition channel attachment connected to the upright panel is formed with multiple bends. 
     
     
         5 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein the first channel is formed by two first side wall partition channel attachments connected to the upright panel, and wherein the second channel is formed by two second side wall partition channel attachments connected to the upright panel. 
     
     
         6 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein the first channel is formed by a panel attachment wall, a first attachment wall connected to and extending outwardly from the panel attachment wall, and a second attachment wall is connected to and extends outwardly from the panel attachment wall and is spaced apart from the first attachment wall. 
     
     
         7 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein the first channel is formed with multiple bends, and wherein the second channel is formed with multiple bends. 
     
     
         8 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein the upper section of the upright panel is flexibly connected to the roof by a third channel and a fourth channel, wherein the third channel is spaced apart from the fourth channel. 
     
     
         9 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein upright panel is flexibly connected to the roof by a third channel, and flexibly connected to the roof by fourth channel, wherein the third channel is spaced apart from the fourth channel. 
     
     
         10 . A hopper railroad car comprising:
 a frame;   a first side wall supported by the frame;   a first side wall supported by the frame;   a roof supported by the first side wall, the second side wall, and the frame; and   a frame assembly positioned between the first side wall and the second side and positioned in one compartment of the hopper railroad car, the frame assembly including:
 an upright panel having an upper section, wherein the upright panel is:
 flexibly connected to the first side wall by a first channel, 
 flexibly connected to the second side wall by a second channel, 
 flexibly connected to the roof by a third channel, and 
 flexibly connected by the roof by fourth channel, wherein the third channel is spaced apart from the fourth channel. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the first channel is formed by a first side wall attachment portion of the upright panel and a first side wall partition channel attachment connected to the upright panel, and wherein the second channel is formed by a second side wall attachment portion of the upright panel and a second side wall partition channel attachment connected to the upright panel. 
     
     
         12 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the first channel is formed by two first side wall partition channel attachments connected to the upright panel, and wherein the second channel is formed by two second side wall partition channel attachments connected to the upright panel. 
     
     
         13 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the first channel is formed by a panel attachment wall, a first attachment wall connected to and extending outwardly from the panel attachment wall, and a second attachment wall connected to and extending outwardly from the panel attachment wall and spaced apart from the first attachment wall. 
     
     
         14 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the first channel is formed with multiple bends, and wherein the second channel is formed with multiple bends. 
     
     
         15 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the third channel is formed by a first roof attachment portion of the upright panel and a first roof partition channel attachment connected to the upright panel, and wherein the fourth channel is formed by a second roof attachment portion of the upright panel and a second roof partition channel attachment. 
     
     
         16 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the third channel is formed by two first roof partition channel attachment connected to the upright panel, and wherein the fourth channel is formed by two second roof partition channel attachment connected to the upright panel. 
     
     
         17 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the third channel is formed by a panel attachment wall, a first attachment wall connected to and extending outwardly from the panel attachment wall, and a second attachment wall connected to and extending outwardly from the panel attachment wall and spaced apart from the first attachment wall. 
     
     
         18 . The hopper railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the third channel is formed with multiple bends, and wherein the fourth channel is formed with multiple bends.