Double deck freight car

Feb. 14, 1939. τ. w. demarest 2,147,014

DOUBLE DECK FREIGHT CAR

Filed Dec. 28, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1

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Feb. 14, 1939.

T. W. DEMAREST

DOUBLE DECK FREIGHT CAR

Filed Dec. 28, 1937

2,147,014

Sheets-Sheet 2

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ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 14, 1939. τ. w. demarest 2,147,014

DOUBLE DECK FREIGHT CAR

Filed Dec. 28, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3

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Feb. 14, 1939. τ. w. demarest 2,147,014

DOUBLE DECK FREIGHT CAR

Filed Dec. 28, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 14, 1939

2,147,014

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,147,014

DOUBLE DECK FREIGHT CAR

Thomas W. Demarest, Haverford, Pa., assignor‘ to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania

Application December 28, 1937, Serial No. 182,067

Claims.

My invention relates generally to double deck freight cars but more particularly to the loading feature of such cars. The preferred embodi_ ment of my invention described below is directed ° to double deck automobile cars.

The problem of getting automobiles to the upper deck of a double deck railway car has been met in some cases by using a high level loading platform outside the car. This is inconvenient and does not solve the problem at the many stations which do not have such equipment. Consequently the main object of my invention is the provision of an efficient means ]. for loading and unloading automobiles or similar vehicles in a double deck railway car without the need of some outside apparatus such as a high level loading platform for those automobiles being placed on or removed from the upper deck of the car. Another object of my invention is the provision of such means which will not interfere with the carrying capacity of the railway car. Another object is the provision of such means which may be operated easily without a larger power source or heavy lifting de²⁵ vice such as a loading crane. Another object of my invention is to provide such means for use in a double deck car having a central well section, the carrying space at the car ends being restricted over the car trucks. Still further ³⁰ advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. I of the drawings shows a longitudinal sec³⁵ tional view of an end portion of a double decked automobile car equipped with my invention, the elevator means in its loaded position and the car ready for gravel.

Fig. II is a view similar to Fig. I with the ⁴⁰ elevator means raised to permit the removal of automobiles from the lower deck of the car.

Fig. in is a vertical sectional view taken as indicated by the lines and arrows ΙΠ—III of 45 Ηκ. I.

Fig. IV is a view similar to Fig. Ill showing the movable roof sectiori in a raised position, taken as indicated by the lines and arrows IV—IV in Jig. Π.

Fig. V is a fragmentary plan sectional view drawn to a larger scale and taken as indicated by the lines and arrows V—V of Fig. I.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary sectional view of the movable roof section, showing how the edge of M the movable roof section fits over the corre(Cl. 105—368) spending edge of the fixed roof section to make a weather tight closure.

Fig. VH is a perspective view of one of the guides which receives the contact member to urge the movable roof section up as the elevator 5 means is raised beyond a certain point.

Fig. VIII is a perspective view of one of said contact members.

In the detailed description of a specific embodiment of the form of my invention disclosed ¹⁰in the drawings, I shall use specific terms but it is to be understood that similar or equivalent elements may be substituted for the specifically designated element in the drawings without departing from the spirit of my invention as here- 15 inafter claimed. I contemplate the substitution for the specified elements of all equivalents which operate in substantially the same manner to perform substantially the same function as the element shown in the. drawings and herein- 20 after described.

The specific embodiment of my invention hereinafter described shows my invention installed in the end portion of a double-decked automoble car of the well section type positioned adjacent 25 to a station platform. The invention of course might well be installed in some other portion of the car but installation in the end portion has worked most satisfactorily. It has been found desirable in practice to install my inven- 30 tion in both ends of a double deck car. The general structure of the car shown is of a conventional nature and may be omitted for the sake of clarity. The car has an upper deck consisting of two trough-like wheel guides I, one 35 attached to each side of the car and extending longitudinally thereof. These wheel guides I are not connected to each other except through the separate car sides to which they are attached and hence the central portion of the upper deck 40 is missing. By providing the opening in the upper deck between the wheel guides I, automobiles on the lower deck may project up between the wheel guides I and an economy of space is thereby effected. If other commodities than 45 automobiles are to be transported in the car, loading being done by trucking, the upper deck should be made without the opening between the wheel guides I. The wheel guides I terminate short of the door 3 at both ends of the car and 50 this gap is filled in by an elevator means 2. The elevator means 2 is of sufficient length to receive thereon an automobile of the general character to be transported.

The elevator means 2 consists of two trough- 55

8,147,014 like wheel guides 4 similar to the guides I, and two strong cross-pieces β joining the guides 4 rigidly together to form a skeleton platform. In its normal position the elevator means 2 is a ₅ horizontal continuation of the Upper deck. In this position the elevator means 2 is supported by removable supporting means 7 and 8 which relieve the cable strain and also prevent the elevator means 2 from swaying while the auto10 mobiles are in transit. Removable supporting means 7 are secured to the underside of the adjacent ends of the guides I and consist of a sliding element 9 carried in a guide 10 with capacity for horizontal movement. In its ex15 tended position the element 9 extends under and supports the adjacent end of guide 4. Similarly supporting means 8 support the other end of the elevator means 2 but operate in a different way. An element 12 is pivotally attached to the car 20 side at one end and at its other end rests on a bracket 13 also attached to the car side. In its up position the element 12 supports an end of the cross-piece 5. There is one of these supporting means 8 for each end of cross-piece 5. When 25 the element 12 is swung down, as shown in

Fig. H, the cross-piece 5 is free for lowering. The outer ends of the wheel guides 4 are downwardly inclined at 14 to permit the easy rolling of automobiles on and off the elevator means 2 30 in its down position. The automobiles are held in place in transit by any usual form of tiedown, such as shown in the drawings.

Attached to each end of the cross-pieces 5 are sheaves 15 and 16 and above these sheaves 15 35 and 16 are corresponding sheaves 17 and 18 attached to the car structure. The vertical movement of the elevator means 2 is guided by vertical guideways or channels I I formed in or fixed to the car side opposite the line of vertical move40 ment of the sheaves 15, and by roller members 21 formed on said sheaves 15 and extending into said guideways 11 as clearly appears in Fig. V. The roller members 21 fit easily into the guideways 11 and prevent the elevator means 2 from 45 hitting the ends of guides I in raising or lowering. The alignment between the ends of guides I and the adjacent ends of guides 4 is thus preserved. Four cables 19 and 20 are rove through these sheaves 15, 16, 17, and 18 to support the elevator 50 means 2. Sheaves 15 are at the inner end of the elevator means 2 and sheaves 16 at the outer end of the elevator means 2. One end of the cable 19 is secured to the shell of the sheave 17 and is led down through sheave 15, then through sheave 55 17 to a hoisting means 23. There are four cables in all, two supporting each end of the elevator means 2. There are two hoisting means 23, one for each pair of cables 19 and 20. The two cables 19 supporting the inner end of the elevator 60 means 2 go to the same hoisting means 23, while the two cables 20 supporting the outer end of the elevating means 2 go to the other hoisting means 23. The hoisting means 23 are each attached to opposite sides of the car and are of a 65 usual type which need not be described in detail here. Each has two winding drums 24, one on each side of the car and one for each cable of the pair of cables attached to each hoisting means 23. The two drums 24 of each hoisting means 23 70 are connected by a common shaft 25. It should be noted that the cables at the. same end of the elevator means 2 go to the same hoisting means 23, but different drums 24 thereof, so that the operation of one hoisting means 23 moves one end 75 of the elevator means 2 and the operation of the other hoisting means 23 moves the other end of the elevator means 2. The elevator means 2 may thus be inclined longitudinally as shown in Fig. H, but never transversely.

It wlll be noted that when the elevator means g 2 is in its normal position loaded with an automobile, the access to well section 27 of the car is partially blocked. The upper deck is spaced to permit an automobile to be carried thereon without touching the roof of the car which is 10 higher than the normal car roof line but within the clearance diagram, and also to permit the carrying of an automobile in the well section 27 beneath the upper deck. Because the well section 27 inclines upward at its ends over car 15 trucks 28, there is not enough clearance beneath the elevator means 2 for the passage of an automobile to or from the well section 27. Now in order to give this necessary clearance below the elevator means 2 in loading and unloading the 20 well section 27, the elevator section 2 is raised as indicated in Fig. Π. When an automobile is on the elevator means 2, the automobile top must be raised above the roof line proper in order to allow an automobile to pass beneath the elevator 25 means 2. Therefore, I provide a movable roof section 30 which is carried up by the elevator means 2 as it is elevated to provide the clearance referred to above.

The roof section 30 is of sufficient area to per- 30 mit the top section of an automobile of the character to be transported to project through the opening thereby afforded in the roof proper of the car. It is ordinarily never necessary to elevate the elevator means 2 high enough to bring 35 ' the hood of the automobile close to the roof line proper and hence the movable roof section 30 need not be extended to accommodate the whole automobile. It should be noted that the structure of the car with the roof section 30 permits to the car end to be dropped down to provide a transverse running board 31 at the level of the normal car roof line and also permits the use of a strengthening piece 32 over the car door 3 and across the end of the car. Cars going to the 45 upper deck use the same door 3 as the cars for the lower deck and it is an advantage of my invention that this strengthening piece 32 may extend over the door.

The roof section 30 is of a usual structure and 50 in its raised position is supported by contact means' 35 at its sides. These contact means 35 slide vertically in guides 36 secured to the car, and in order to permit the outer end of the roof section 30 to be lifted higher than the inner end, 55 the contact means 35 are pivotally attached to the roof section 30 at 34. At the bottom ends of the contact means 35 are feet 37 extending inwardly of the car to contact the wheel guides 4 of the elevator means 2 as it is raised. 60

In order to provide a substantially weathertight joint when, the roof section 30 is closed, the roof section 30 is provided with an element 38 on all four edges having a downwardly turned . flange 39 which fits over an element 40 attached ^βδ to the roof proper around the opening provided for the roof section 30. The elements 40 support the roof section 30 in substantial continuity with the surrounding roof surface. It should be noted that on four sides the flange 39 in extending down over the cooperating element 40, extends into a gutter-like space provided between the baffle-like element 40 and the adjacent roof.

There is considerable flexibility in the operation __

4®

8,147,014 of the above described device. The elevator means 2 may function as an elevator when loading the upper deck in a manner obvious from the above description. Then in loading the upper 5 deck, the elevator means 2 may again function as an elevator which is lifted clear of the cars passing thereunder. The elevator means 2 also becomes a rigid part of the upper deck by the use of the supporting means 7- and 8 as described 10 above. Thus my invention provides a simple, rugged and inexpensive means for loading and unloading a double decked automobile car. While I have described in some detail a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to one 15 skilled in the art that numerous changes can be made therein and such variations are deemed to be within the scope of the novelty of my invention as pointed out in the following claims. Obviously my invention may be adapted for the 20 transportation of commodities other than automobiles. For example, boxes could be trucked in and the elevator apparatus used as in the case of automobiles, the upper deck being made without a space between the wheel guides I.