Rail road car with cantilevered articulation

Abstract

An articulated rail car has a plurality of rail car units joined together at articulation connections, and carried upon a number of rail car trucks that is equal to the number of rail car units plus one. At least one of the articulated connectors is located at an offset distance from the nearest rail car truck, such that the adjacent rail car has an overhang, or cantilever, between the center of the truck and the pivot center of the articulation. The truck is a two axle, four-wheel freely pivoting truck.

1 . An articulated rail road freight car having releasable couplers mounted at either end thereof, said articulated rail road freight car being supported by a plurality of pivotally mounted rail car trucks, each of said pivotally mounted rail car trucks having spaced apart axles, and said articulated rail road freight car having at least first and second rail car units connected at a cantilevered articulation through which a vertical shear load arising from one of said first and second rail car units is carried to the other of said first and second rail car units.  
   
   
       2 . An articulated rail road freight car comprising at least first and second rail car units connected at a cantilevered articulated connector through which vertical shear loads arising in said first rail car unit are passed to said second rail car unit, said rail road freight car having a first end, a second end, and a releasable coupler mounted at each of said first and second ends, said releasable couplers being capable of interchangeable operation with other rail road freight cars in North American service.  
   
   
       3 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 2  wherein said first and second rail car units each have at least one deck upon which vehicles can be loaded.  
   
   
       4 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 3  further comprising at least one member mounted to permit vehicles to be conducted between said first and second rail car units.  
   
   
       5 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 3  further comprising bridge plates mounted to permit vehicles to be driven from said first rail car unit to said second rail car unit.  
   
   
       6 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 2  wherein said first and second rail car units have mutually engaging side bearing arms.  
   
   
       7 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 6  wherein said rail road car is an auto-rack car.  
   
   
       8 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 7  further comprising bridge plates mounted to permit automobiles to be conducted between said first and second rail car units.  
   
   
       9 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 7  wherein said first and second rail car units have mutually engaging side bearing arms.  
   
   
       10 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 2  wherein at least one of said first and second rail car units is a well car unit.  
   
   
       11 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 2  wherein: 
 said first rail car unit has a first end and a second end;    said second rail car unit has a first end and a second end;    said second end of said first rail car unit is joined to said first end of said second rail car unit at said articulated connector;    the second rail car unit is supported upon a pair of pivotally mounted, spaced apart, first and second two-axle rail car trucks, each of said trucks having a truck center;    said first truck of said second rail car unit is located closer to said articulated connector than any other truck of said rail road car; and    said articulated connector is offset from said truck center of said first truck.    
   
   
       12 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 11  wherein: 
 said articulated connector is a first articulated connector;    said railroad freight car includes a third rail car unit;    the third rail car unit has a first end and a second end;    the second end of the second rail car unit is joined to the first end of the third rail car unit at a second articulated connector;    said second truck of said second rail car unit is located closer to said second articulated connector than any other truck of said rail road car; and    said second articulated connector is offset from said truck center of said second truck.    
   
   
       13 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 12  wherein said third rail car unit has a two-axle truck pivotally mounted thereunder, and said two-axle truck of said third rail car unit is located closer to said second end of said third rail car unit than to said first end of said third rail car unit.  
   
   
       14 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 13  wherein a releasable coupler is mounted at said second end of said third rail car unit.  
   
   
       15 . An articulated rail road freight car comprising a three pack rail road car having a middle unit and a pair of end units, each of the end units having only one rail road car truck mounted thereto and the middle unit having two rail road car trucks pivotally mounted thereto, said middle unit being connected to at least one of the end units at a cantilevered articulation, and the two rail road trucks mounted to said middle unit, each rail road truck having a first axle and a second axle.  
   
   
       16 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 15  wherein each said rail road car unit has at least one deck upon which vehicles can be loaded.  
   
   
       17 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 16  further comprising at least one member mounted to permit vehicles to be conducted between adjacent rail road car units.  
   
   
       18 . The articulated rail road car of  claim 16  further comprising bridge plates mounted to permit vehicles to be driven from each said rail road car unit to an adjacent said rail road car unit.  
   
   
       19 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 15  wherein each said rail road car unit has side bearing arms, said side bearing arms being mutually engaged with side bearing arms of another of said units.  
   
   
       20 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 15  wherein each said rail road car unit is an auto-rack car.  
   
   
       21 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 20  further comprising bridge plates mounted to permit automobiles to be conducted from each said rail road car unit to an adjacent rail road car unit.  
   
   
       22 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 20  wherein said first and second rail car units have mutually engaging side bearing arms.  
   
   
       23 . An articulated rail road freight car having releasable couplers mounted at either end thereof, and wherein: 
 said articulated rail road freight car has at least a first rail car unit, a second rail car unit, and a third rail car unit, said second rail car unit lying between said first and third rail car units;    said articulated rail road car has rail car trucks mounted to support said rail car units;    said first rail car unit is connected to said second rail car unit at a first articulation connection;    a first truck of said trucks is mounted closer to said first articulation connection than is any other of said trucks, said first truck having a first axle and a second axle;    said second rail car unit is connected to said third rail car unit at a second articulation connection;    a second truck of said trucks is mounted closer to said second articulation connection than is any other of said trucks, said second truck having a first axle and a second axle; and    none of said rail car trucks is mounted centrally under either of said first and second articulation connections.    
   
   
       24 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 23  wherein said articulated rail road freight car is free of trucks between said first and second articulation connections.  
   
   
       25 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 24  wherein each of said first and third rail car units is supported by a spaced apart pair of said rail car trucks mounted thereunder.  
   
   
       26 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 24  wherein each of said first and third rail car units has a cantilever member extending toward said second rail car unit, and said first and second articulation connections are mounted respectively to said cantilever members of said first and third rail car units.  
   
   
       27 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 24  wherein: 
 a fourth rail car unit is connected to said third rail car unit at a third articulation connection;    said third rail car unit has a first end adjacent said second articulation connection and a second end adjacent said third articulation connection;    said first rail car unit is supported by a pair of said rail car trucks, namely first and second spaced apart rail car trucks mounted thereunder,    none of said trucks being mounted centrally under said third articulation connection; and    a third one of said rail car trucks is mounted under said first end of said third rail car unit.    
   
   
       28 . The articulated rail road freight car of  claim 24  wherein: 
 a fourth rail car unit is connected to said first rail car unit at a third articulation connection;    a fifth rail car unit is connected to said third rail car unit at a fourth articulation connection;    said first rail car unit has a first end adjacent said first articulation connection and a second end adjacent said third articulation connection;    said third rail car unit has a first end adjacent said second articulation connection and a second end adjacent said fourth articulation connection;    none of said rail car trucks is mounted centrally under said third articulation connection;    none of said rail car trucks is mounted centrally under said fourth articulation connection;    a first of said rail car trucks is mounted under said first end of said first rail car unit; and    a second of said rail car trucks is mounted under said first end of said third rail car unit.