Railway rolling stock – Special car bodies – Freight
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-26
2004-12-07
Jules, Frantz F. (Department: 3617)
Railway rolling stock
Special car bodies
Freight
C220S062190, C055S307000, C105S377080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06827025
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to railroad hopper cars and, more particularly, to a improved hatch cover for releasably closing a hatch opening in a roof of a railroad hopper car.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Railroad hopper cars have been used for years to transport particulate and granular material such as grain and the like. Covered railroad hopper cars have been constructed and arranged with a roof for protecting the railcar contents from contaminants and weather related elements. Access to an interior of the railcar from above is through a hatch opening in the roof of the railcar. One type of railcar in wide spread use presents a hatch opening typically extending the length of the railcar. In some railcar designs, the hatch opening can be configured with arcuate end portions. Cowled coaming, upstanding from the roof, typically extends circumferentially or peripherally about the hatch opening.
The hatch opening in the roof of the railcar is closed during transport by a series of individual hatch covers typically arranged in end-to-end relationship relative to each other. The hatch covers are usually pivotally connected to the roof and can be swung to an open position. In one form, each hatch cover can be from eight to thirteen feet in length and weigh approximately 100 pounds. Suffice it to say, the hatch covers are sized to extend across and over a top rim of the coaming to cover the hatch opening. Typically, the hatch covers are releasably secured in a closed position during transport by a series of batten bars and hold downs.
Known hatch covers used to close, hatch openings in covered hopper cars suffer from numerous problems. One form of known hatch cover is formed of fiberglass or other suitable moldable material. Fiberglass hatch covers, however, are susceptible to deteriorating ultraviolet rays and weather related deterioration factors. Fiberglass hatch covers must be designed and manufactured with reinforced profiles for accommodating mounting of several hinge structures along the length thereof to allow pivotal movement of the hatch cover between open and closed positions. As will be appreciated, the need for reinforced profiles adds to the complexity of the hatch cover design. Moreover, the need for high temperatures and pressures in the hatch cover molding process leads to relatively high cost and other obvious problems. Additionally, the molding compound does not readily flow into deep ribs, bosses and related reinforcement areas of the hatch cover. Accordingly, reduced reinforcement and a decreased stiffening effect often results from imperfect formation of the hatch cover.
Another conventional form of hatch cover is manufactured from aluminum or aluminum alloy. While again offering advantageous weight characteristics, the extended length of the hatch cover requires the addition of stiffening or reinforcement members to hatch covers formed from aluminum. Of course, having to add stiffeners and/or reinforcement members adds to the complexity of both the hatch cover design and the manufacturing process and, thus, to the overall cost of the hatch cover. Besides adding steps to the manufacturing process, having to add stiffeners and/or reinforcement members increases the overall weight of the hatch cover. Of course, increasing the weight of the hatch cover converts to added overall weight of the railcar whereby detracting from the carrying capacity of the railcar. Moreover, theft of aluminum hatch covers is a significant concern.
Although specifically directed not to walk across or stand on such railcar hatch covers, it is inevitable workers tend to stand or walk across the closed hatch covers as commodity is added or loaded into the railcar. Accordingly, both those hatch covers formed from aluminum as well as those formed from fiberglass or other suitable material have been structurally designed with a “hat” section profile as an attempt to add strength and stiffness to the hatch cover. As will be appreciated, requiring such a profile adds to the complexity of the hatch cover design along with manufacturing process and, again, adds to the overall cost of the hatch cover. Moreover, the need for such a profile to accomplish rigidity and stiffness increases the weight of the hatch cover whereby detracting from the overall carrying capacity of the railcar.
Thus, there is a continuing need and a desire for a railcar hatch cover which is assembled rather than manufactured, has a simplistic lightweight design, and offers enhanced strength and stiffness over comparable known railcar hatch covers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, and in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hatch cover adapted to be positioned over a hatch opening on a railroad hopper car. The hatch cover includes a rigid panel sized to cover the hopper car hatch opening. A salient feature of the present invention relates to forming the rigid panel from an inner skin defining a inner major surface for said panel, an outer skin defining an outer major surface for the panel, and a core material sandwiched between and adhered to the inner and outer skins. Edge structure is secured to the panel for protecting exposed edges of the panel against impacts directed against the panel in a direction generally parallel to either major surface of the panel.
In a preferred embodiment, the edge structure has a first portion secured to a peripheral edge of the panel, a second portion extending laterally away from the peripheral edge of the panel, and a third portion for securing the first portion and the second portion in spaced relation relative to each other. In a most preferred form, and to simplify the hatch cover assembly process, the edge structure is adhesively secured to the rigid panel.
Hinge structure is preferably arranged in operable combination with the rigid panel of the hatch cover. As will be appreciated, the hinge structure interconnects the hinge cover to the railcar hopper car and promotes pivotal movement of the hatch cover between open and closed positions relative to the railcar hatch opening. One or more hold downs may also be preferably arranged in operable combination with the rigid panel of the hatch cover.
According to another aspect, there is provided a hatch cover for a railroad hopper car having roof structure defining a hatch opening with upstanding coaming surrounding the hatch opening. With this aspect of the invention, the hatch cover includes a generally rectangular composite panel including an inner skin and an outer skin. The inner skin of the composite panel has an inner surface for facing toward an interior of the railroad hopper car. The outer skin of the composite panel has an exposed outer surf ace. The composite panel further includes a core member extending between the inner skin and outer skin. Edge structure is secured to the composite panel for protecting edges on the composite panel.
In a preferred embodiment, the core member for the composite panel is formed from a polystyrene or other thermoplastic material. Moreover, the rectangularly shaped composite panel includes a pair of laterally spaced sides and a pair of longitudinally spaced ends.
Preferably, the edge structure comprises a pair of elongated side members and a pair of end members secured to the sides and ends of the composite panel, respectively. In one form, each side member of the edge structure includes a first portion arranged in at least partially overlying relation relative to the outer surface of the outer skin of the composite panel, a second portion extending laterally from the respective side of the composite panel, and a third portion interconnecting the first and second portions in spaced relation relative to each other. In a preferred embodiment, the edge structure further includes corners members arranged at a conjuncture of the side members and end members.
The hatch covers adapted to cover end regions of the hatch opening are also preferably provided with a rectangular configuration. Those hatch covers adapted to cove
Gaydos Christopher C.
Palermo Michael R.
Harbst John W.
Jules Frantz F.
Miner Enterprises Inc.
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