Claims
- 1. An undercar assembly for a railroad car, the railroad car having longitudinal sides, said undercar assembly comprising:
a. a structural member extending longitudinally between the longitudinal sides of the railroad car, said structural member including a pair of longitudinally extending beam elements transversally spaced apart from one another; b. at least one auxiliary equipment bay between said structural member and one of the longitudinal sides of the railroad car, said auxiliary equipment bay capable to receive at least one auxiliary equipment, wherein said structural member is operative to support at least in part the auxiliary equipment in said auxiliary equipment bay.
- 2. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 1, including a pair of longitudinally extending equipment bays, each equipment bay extending between said structural member and a respective longitudinal side of the rail car, each auxiliary equipment bay capable to receive at least one auxiliary equipment, wherein said structural member is operative to support at least in part each auxiliary equipment in said respective auxiliary equipment bay.
- 3. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein each auxiliary equipment includes at least one primary support bracket and at least one secondary support bracket, said structural member being operative to engage the primary support bracket of each auxiliary equipment for supporting the auxiliary equipment in said respective auxiliary equipment bay.
- 4. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 3, wherein said structural member includes a plurality of receiving surfaces, each receiving surface operative to engage the primary support bracket of an auxiliary equipment for supporting the auxiliary equipment in said respective auxiliary equipment bay.
- 5. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein a particular auxiliary equipment includes two or more primary support brackets, said structural member being operative to engage the two or more primary support brackets of the particular auxiliary equipment for supporting the particular auxiliary equipment in said respective auxiliary equipment bay.
- 6. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein said structural member includes a receiving surface for each primary support bracket of the particular auxiliary equipment.
- 7. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said structural member extends along at least a major portion of the length of the railroad car.
- 8. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein each auxiliary equipment bay extends between one of the beam elements of said structural member and a respective longitudinal side of the railcar.
- 9. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein, for each beam element of said structural member, the receiving surfaces are located at specific longitudinal positions along the beam element.
- 10. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 9, wherein each receiving surface of said structural member is a platform extending transversely from one of said beam elements into the respective auxiliary equipment bay.
- 11. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein each platform of said structural member is fixedly attached to the respective beam element.
- 12. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein each platform of said structural member is welded to the respective beam element.
- 13. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein said structural member defines a conduit for receiving transmission lines.
- 14. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 13, wherein said conduit includes first and second sections, each section operative to receive a respective set of transmission lines.
- 15. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 14, wherein the transmission lines are selected from the group consisting of electrical cables, hydraulic lines, pneumatic lines, refrigerant lines for air conditioning, computer wiring, communication wiring and optical fibers.
- 16. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 14, wherein said first section receives low power electrical cables and said second section receives higher power electrical cables.
- 17. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 14, wherein said conduit is defined between said longitudinally extending beam elements of said structural member.
- 18. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 17, wherein said structural member includes a longitudinally extending upper surface and a longitudinally extending lower surface, said upper and lower surfaces together with said beam elements defining said first section of said conduit.
- 19. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 18, wherein each of said upper and lower surfaces are formed of a series of adjacent plates, each plate being attached to said beam elements.
- 20. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 17, wherein said conduit includes a plurality of cable support compartments, said cable support compartments together defining said second section of said conduit.
- 21. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 20, wherein said structural member includes a plurality of conduit brackets projecting downwardly from said beam elements, each cable support compartment being suspended from said first section of said conduit by a pair of conduit brackets.
- 22. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 21, wherein each cable support compartment includes a bottom plate and a top plate, whereby said bottom and top plates are operative to hold cables therebetween.
- 23. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 22, wherein each cable support compartment further includes at least one middle plate, whereby said bottom and middle plates are operative to hold a first set of cables therebetween, and said middle and top plates are operative to hold a second set of cables therebetween.
- 24. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 23, wherein each of the top, middle and bottom plates of said cable support compartment includes a plurality of recesses, whereby said middle plate defines a plurality of cable-receiving channels with each of said top and bottom plates.
- 25. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 10, further comprising a pair of longitudinally extending beam members, each beam member being located adjacent a respective longitudinal side of the rail car.
- 26. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 25, wherein each auxiliary equipment bay extends between one of the beam elements of said longitudinally extending structural member and a respective one of said beam members.
- 27. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 26, wherein each particular beam member is operative to engage the secondary support bracket of each auxiliary equipment supported in the respective auxiliary equipment bay extending between said particular beam member and the respective beam element of said structural member.
- 28. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 27, wherein each beam member of said undercar assembly includes a plurality of receiving surfaces, each receiving surface operative to engage the secondary support bracket of an auxiliary equipment for supporting the auxiliary equipment in said respective auxiliary equipment bay.
- 29. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 28, wherein a particular auxiliary equipment includes two or more secondary support brackets, said respective beam member being operative to engage the two or more secondary support brackets of the particular auxiliary equipment for supporting the particular auxiliary equipment in said respective auxiliary equipment bay.
- 30. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 29, wherein said respective beam member includes a receiving surface for each secondary support bracket of the particular auxiliary equipment.
- 31. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 28, wherein, for each beam member, the receiving surfaces are located at specific longitudinal positions along the beam member.
- 32. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 31, wherein each receiving surface on each beam member has one or more associated receiving surfaces on the corresponding beam element of said structural member.
- 33. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 32, wherein each receiving surface of said structural member, and each receiving surface of each beam member, includes at least one fastener receiving portion, said fastener receiving portion suitable to receive a fastener for retaining the respective support bracket of the auxiliary equipment to the receiving surface.
- 34. An undercar assembly as defined in claim 33, wherein each receiving surface of a particular beam member is a platform extending transversely from the particular beam member into the respective auxiliary equipment bay.
- 35. A method for mounting auxiliary equipment to the underside of a railroad car, the railroad car having longitudinal sides, said method comprising:
a. providing a structural member extending longitudinally between the longitudinal sides of the railroad car, said structural member including a pair of longitudinally extending beam elements transversally spaced apart from one another, said structural member defining at least one auxiliary equipment bay with one of the longitudinal sides of the railroad car; b. mounting at least one auxiliary equipment to said structural member for supporting at least in part the auxiliary equipment in said auxiliary equipment bay.
- 36. A railcar comprising:
a. a pair of longitudinal sides; b. an undercar assembly including:
i. a structural member extending longitudinally between said longitudinal sides of said railcar, said structural member including a pair of longitudinally extending beam elements transversally spaced apart from one another; ii. at least one auxiliary equipment bay between said structural member and one of said longitudinal sides of said railcar, said auxiliary equipment bay capable to receive at least one auxiliary equipment, wherein said structural member is operative to support at least in part the auxiliary equipment in said auxiliary equipment bay.
- 37. A railcar as defined in claim 36, said railcar including a floor and a plurality of transverse members mounted to the underside of said floor, said transverse members being longitudinally spaced apart from one another and extending between said longitudinal sides of said railcar.
- 38. A railcar as defined in claim 37, wherein said longitudinally extending structural member is mounted to said transverse members.
- 39. A railcar as defined in claim 38, wherein said undercar assembly further includes a plurality of mounting brackets attaching said structural member to said transverse members.
- 40. A railcar as defined in claim 39, wherein each mounting bracket engages one of the beam elements of said structural member for attaching the beam element to one of said transverse members, each mounting bracket being slideable on the respective beam element for varying the position of the mounting bracket on the respective beam element.
- 41. A railcar as defined in claim 40, wherein said transverse members are stiffeners.
- 42. A railcar, comprising:
a. a pair of longitudinal sides; b. an undercar assembly including:
i. a structural member extending longitudinally between said longitudinal sides of said railcar, said structural member including a pair of longitudinally extending beam elements transversally spaced apart from one another; ii. at least one auxiliary equipment bay between said structural member and one of said longitudinal sides of said railcar; iii. a first auxiliary equipment mounted in said auxiliary equipment bay; iv. a second auxiliary equipment, different from said first auxiliary equipment, mounted in said auxiliary equipment bay, whereby said structural member engages both said first and second auxiliary equipment for supporting at least in part both said first and second auxiliary equipment in said auxiliary equipment bay.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The above-referenced application is based on U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/361,058, filed Mar. 1, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60361058 |
Mar 2002 |
US |