US2185988A - Engine bed underframe - Google Patents

Description

1940! E. J. ,W. RAIGSDAKLE :1- AL 2,185,988

ENGINE BED UNDERFRAME Original Filed April 13, 1936 4 sh'eta-sheet 1 ,INVENTORS EARL 1W QAJGSDALE ALBERT CLDEAN'.

' %,w/ v v ATTOYIViNEY.

Jan-2 1940. I IE. J. w. RAGSDALE El Al. 21,185,988v

ENGINE BED UNDERFRAME Original Filed April 13, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS EAQLJWRAGSDALB ALBERT G. D/gm flux-2W ATTORNEY.

Jan. 2,' 1940.

E. J. W. RAGSDALE ET AL ENGINE BED UNDERFRAME I N V EN TORS EARL 1W RAQSDAIE BY ALBERT 6. DEAN- ATTORNEY.

Jam. 2, 1940. r E. J. w. RAGsbALE ET AL 2,135,983

ENGINE BED UNDERFRAME I Original Filed April 13, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I'NVENTORS EARL JWRAQSDALE ALBERT CT. DEAN- ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNri'izo STATES PATENT OFFICE" ENGINE BED UNDERFRAME Application April 13, 19st, Serial No. 74,134 I Renewed June 21, 1939 21 Claims. (01.105414) This invention relates to improvements in underframe construction for rail cars and more particularly to an improved underframe for a tractor unit rail car having integral power plant supporting elements. It is a continuation in part of co-pending application Serial Number 720,490 filed April 13, 1934 and entitled Rail car front end constructionf. t

The, development of high speed, light weight rail car construction especially adapted for selfcontained power plants as of the Diesel type has required an economy of weight as well as an increase in strength and safety. The horsep wer required depends on the weight of the car and an increase in power plant requirements involves a further increase in weight. It the allowable loading limit on double truck axles is reached, however, more axles involving fur-' liighly eflicient ther weight are necessary. stressing of the eflective parts of the un'derframe is thus of major importance in the high speed,

light weight rail carservice. -Furthermore, at the high speeds at which these rail carsare adapted to run, the collision reacting force is greater rather than less as would be expected with the lighter weight trains, I inasmuch as the collision reaction depends on the second power of the speed. It is essential that the underframe be of even greater strength than the prior heavy structures used, and it must be of lighter weight than prior constructions in order toecono'mize on power demands.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a comhined'underframe and,

power plant support whichextends substantially throughout the forepart of a tractor unit rail car and serves to carry the entire body as well as the power plant, the load reactions being transmitted through an integral bolster to the supporting truck. 1 1 1 'Another object of the invention is to provide a combined underirameand power plant supporting structure for a light-weight truss=type car in which the power plant and underframe is balanced over the integral bolster so that the car "body is normally free of power plant load reactions, thus insuring steadier operation and greater traction.

Another and inore specific object of the in-" vention is to provide a combined underframe II the principal longitudinal siils for strengthening the underframe and-simultaneously supporting the power plant. 0

Another object of the invention is to provide a welded plate structure of a high strength metal alloy for a power plant bed which can be are 5 welded .at' the respective seams and built into bumper portions and rearwardly extending stress distributing members for the adequate reaction u to collision loads, distribution of collision loads on the body to the underframe and side frames,

and balancing out bending moment reactions into the body side frames. 1 I,

Another object of the invention is to provide 20 a power plant supporting base structure to which the main portion of the body of the rail car may be secured, such base in itself serving as the flooring of the power plant compartment, and having a rounded front end to take and ward off laterally collisionshocks, such base ha ving draft gear receiving pockets and being adapted to anchor body beams of an anti-collision nature to prevent shearing oif in case of accident, I

Further objectsand advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of preferred forms of embodiment thereof as shown on the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts in section of the front end of a rail carshowing the construction and location of .the combined powerplant support-and car body under-frame.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the underframe shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3'is a top plan view of the underframe shown in Fig. 1 and at a slightly smaller scale.

Fig. 4 isa vertical section through the body side frame and a part of the underframe showing the manner of attachment of the side frames thereto.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of underframe and power plantsupport construc- 1 tion.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the construction'go shown in Fig. 5.

Jum

tractor unit It! as generally shown in Fig. 1

is mounted on a unitary member II which constitutes a combined underframe and power plant v support. This underframe and power plant support member II is preferably mounted in balanced relation to the truck l2 by the relatively large annular truck bearing I3 on the truck frame, the king pin bolt 14 passing through this bearing and the bolster, thus tying the under- [0 frame to the truck while permitting a relative rotation therebetween.

When the remaining part of the car is used for. baggage or passenger accommodation, an extremely light weight truss construction for the 15 body may be used, and in such case the under-.- frame extends only under the forward portion 'of the car over the supporting truck. Preferably, the underframe extends substantially throughout the operators compartment and power plant compartment to the bulkhead Illa, thus serving not only as the power plant support but also as the entire underframe for the body in this region, and as described hereinafter, the body framework is secured thereto If, howeventhe entire car were to be used for power plant, the underframe would extend throughout the car. The light weight truss type body construction for baggage or passenger accommodation does not require a through running underframe of this type, however.

The underframe and ,power plant support member II is provided centrally with longitudinally extending raised beams ii of web truss construction, which are tied together transversely and reenforced by top flanges l6 forming top chord members of the truss. The main unit of the power plant generally indicated at I! in Fig. 1 .is secured to these top flanges. The power plant, which in the preferred construction in- 40 eludes an internal combustion engine, which may be of the Diesel type, and generator, is so dis-v posed longitudinally and transversely of the underframe that the combined weight of power. plant and underframe and the principal accesm sories is substantially balanced over theking pin l4. This location of the center of gravity of the underframe l l and the powerplant and its principal accessories substantially directly over the.

king pin, insures minimum reactions between truck and body in rounding a curve and greatly improves the smoothness of operation. The weight is even.y distributed on the driving wheels and by reason of this mass being directly over the driving-truck, better traction is had. The front portion Ha. of the underframe structure becomes one of the principal transverse members and in front is slightly offset down- .wardly and conveniently forms the flooring for the operators compartment l9. Large openings materially reduce the weight of this part of 'the underframe. A- pocket or pockets llb opening toward the front are adapted to house the draft gear and buffer connections. The front end Ila; of the underframe ll is rounded on a At the central portion of its front, the underframe carries a rearwardly and upwardly inclined collision beam 24 extending substantially 7 to the roof, and the upper end of this beam ties Side plates 25 serve as 7 into the roof framing and braces the uuderl'rame directly to the roof. A socket 24a, formed on the underframe, is provided to prevent shearing of the collision beam at the underframe.

Intermediate the length of the underframe II I is an integral bolster 20, and at its sides the bolster is provided with vertically relatively deep, side plates 2| formed with outwardly extending flanges 22 approximately equal tothe thickness of the body side wall framing and forming as- 10 sembly joint structures by which the body side walls are secured to the underframe. The downwardly extending portions of plates 2| .are preferably braced through brackets 23 to the bottom wall of the bolster, see Fig. 4. I 15 The vertical side frame post carlines 30 are secured'to the underframe I I and interconnected to each other by a deep vertical plate 32 corresponding to the depth of the side plates 2| of the underframe. The plate 32 is inwardly flanged in N its top-margin at 33 and in the final assembly nests with the angle formed by the flooring of the under-frame and the side plate 2| and is rigidly secured thereto substantially throughout the length of the underframe as indicated by the 25 rivets 34. By this construction, a very rigid and strong interconnection between the unitary underframe and the light weight side wall trusses of the body is attained. a 1

The underframe which serves double duty as :0 the supporting structure for the remainder of the car and as the power plant support consists essentially of a series of relatively wide and thin plates welded to vertical webs to make an internal cellular and rigid structure. Such a con- 35 struction is preferably made of a plurality of separately welded plates due to the extreme lightness possible, although it is of course to be unthe supporting truck. The side post joining plates 32 are also secured to this portion of the so underframe. With such a construction a center sill is not essential and thereby great reductions can be had in the gross weight of the rail car.

Between the longitudinal sills l5 are a plurality u of vertical webs 21 integral with-the underframe webs and of a suitable shape to permit adequate clearance between the underframe and power plant. A horizontal web 28 may also be used between the webs adjacent the bottoms of the longi- 5o tudinal sills and it may be cut out for weight reduction or convenience to provide holes as desired" y I The longitudinal sills also may have suitable hand holes 29 to facilitate attachment ofthe power plant .and to facilitate welding. In addition theseholes tend to lighten the structure.

tensions as floor supports, -the underframe becomes anintegral, eiilciently stressed part of the tractor unit body without any unnecessary duplication of parts or unnecessary weight. It adequately accomplishes its principal mission of supporting the power plant, and in addition it eliminates the usual .car underframe in the forward part of the car and makes itl-unnecessary in the remaining part of the car.

-. It will thus be seen that the entire underframe acts as the car body supporting medium, permits adequate stress transmission with the light weight truss type body framing and forms the principal strength member both for the underframe as well as the power plant support. Plates bers constitute a' truss, as in the first form of embodiment of the invention, and reenforce the 'underframe throughout its 1ength,'such longitudinal members having flanges 4l of reduced width forwardly of the bolster 43 for receiving the generator of the power plant, not shown. The bottom of the underframe, between longitudinal web members 4|a, is covered by a plate 44 covering the entire bottom, as shown in Fig. 14, which has hand holes 46 for adjustment of the power plant.

In this embodiment of the invention the longiconstruction. A transverse section through theweb 4|a is shown in Fig. 1'1, the plate 44 joining the bottom chord flange members 95.

Transverse sections through the underframe in the generator receiving compartment are generally shown in Figs. 12 and 14. Fig. 12, taken along the line |2|2 of Fig. 5, shows the fabricated web type of transverse reenforcement near the'front of the underframe and forward of the generator. 4| is formed into a box section on the inside by a plate 85 becoming a flange extension and an inside vertical plate 86, which in the center of the underframe becomes of arcuate shape in plan view and extends from'side to side for a center reenforcement. Here again hand holes .81 are provided to facilitate welding of the respective wardly of bolster and spaced therefrom is the The main web 4|a having the flangeforward transverse member 49, while a needle beam 50 is provided rearward of the bolster. A final Junction channel 5| is also provided to aid in tying in the side frames.

The frontsill member 49-is provided with a bumper portion 55 of generally rounded co figuration, having relatively largeppenings 56 to facilitate fabrication and to reduce weight. Intermediate of this bumperportion 55 is a substantially triangular plate 51 which is supported by vertical web members 58 which are joined in an efiective triangular shape and have their apex approximately at point 59 rearward of the collision beam receiving socket 60.

The webs 58 extend from regions adjacentthe ends of the longitudinal sills4la, although they are in the stepped down region of the bumper portion 55. A cross section of the channel shaped bumper portion 55 and of the hollow box collision resisting section 55a is shown in Fig. 7.

'It is, of course, to be understood that if desired the webs 58 might extend directly forwardof the bumper portion 55 in a substantially parallel relation, and where it is necessary to use the space above the bumper portion for structural reasons,

such as for air intake or other purpose, the.

parallel construction may be preferred. 1

Transverse views through the front sill 49 are shown in Figs. 13 and 15. Fig. 13 shows the web 88 as the'principal element, such web having a plate 89 and a flange 90 which presents rearwardly, and a bottom flange 9| serving to reenforce the front sill member. In Fig. 15, it will be no ed that theplate 51 covers the triangular framework and the web 88. A bracket 95 serves to support the pilot to the under-frame and a reenforcing web 96 projects down from a plate 51 tudinal sills 4| extend not only tothe rear needle beam 50 but tothe end tie member 5|, below for additional reenforcement. The rear part of plate 51 becomes plate 85 and the'bottom plate 44 between the sills extends into vertical plate 88.

- The bolster is shown in cross section in Fig. 8 and has the relatively 'deepside plates Ill having the bottom plate supporting flanges 10a and the relatively heavy top' and bottom bolster plates II and I2 which extend entirely across the -under-. frame from side to side. The longitudinal sill webs 4|a support the engine receiving flanges at 4|, such sill web being substantially continuous from one flange 4| down the side 4|a, intermediate 'web 4|b, across the bottom web 4|c, up the other side to "the other flange. The king pin post I2 extends down to the bottom web M0 and is thus reenforced for its reaction with the truck. Side bearings 13 cooperate with appropriate portions of the truck as will be understood. The bottom extension of the side plate'lfl is preferably joined by a reenforcing web 15 to the lower bolster plate 12.

Transversely, the bolster consists of a plurality of webs as more clearly shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Fig. 10 is a section taken transverse of the bolster on the line ||ll|| of Fig. 5, and the plurality of webs 16, I1 and 18 of which the bolster is made, join the top plate ll having openings 80 and bottom plate i2. Supplementary webs '19 are Provided on the outside of the main bolster. It will be noted from Fig. 11, which is taken be: tween the webs 4|a, that the box constuction of the bolster is continued from end to end thereof, and throughoutthe center portion, additional reenforcement is provided by plate 4 lo for the king pin support, the plate 4|c having transverse edge flanges 4 Id.

Details of the needle beam 50 are shown in Fig. 9. The needle beam is a comparatively shallow beam on each side of the longitudinal s webs Ma and 4'lb, although the deep transvers 'ertical web 82 between-the sills acts as a com .I reenforcing extension of it. The ends of the needle beam terminate in large plates 68, heretofore mentioned, for adequate joinder with the side post joining plate, not shown. It will be noted that the flanges 4| recede from the top plane to the bottom of the underframe structure, being continuous and thus completing the longitudinal truss. In Fig. 18, the needle beam is shown in transverse section and includes top flange 98, web 99, and plate 44.

The underframe is readily constructed into a,

rigid uhitary structure by welding although composed of plates, and plates can readily be out to give the necessary strength with the minimum of weight. It is especially suitable for rail car operation, for power plant loads can be accurately balanced without danger of structural failure and without imposing unnecessary loads on the car body.

While we have shown preferred forms of embodiment of the invention, we are aware that changes can be made, and we thus desire a broad interpretation of our invention within the scope and spirit of the disclosure herein and of the claims appended hereinafter.

What we claim is:

1. An integral front end underframe for a rail car which comprises shallow cellular bumper,

bolster, and needle beam elements and longitudinally extending and upwardly projecting web sill elements tying said shallow cellular elements together and supporting an engine and generator thereon, said web sill elements being of substantially l section, the top flange of which I is a top chord of a truss, said underframe consisting of a plurality of plates welded to ether. 2. A one piece fabricated plate rail car underframe of are welded construction having a relatively deep pair of longitudinal webs constituting principal strength members of the underframe, and transversely extending bolster and needle beam members, the longitudinal webs having topmost plate fianges for securing a power plant thereto and longitudinal spaced transverse body securing extensions, said longitudinal webs to the rear of said extensions being adapted for attachment to a main car frame, and brace members extending from the longitudinal webs of the power plant supports to the side of the underframe adjacent the ends of the needle beam member for transmitting a portion of the longitudinal stresses to the main car frame.

8. A rail car.underframe having formed integrailytherewith a front sill, bumper, bolster, and needle beam, each of which act as direct supports of a car body, and each of which con- .their abutting portions and forming parts of longitudinal trusses.

4. An integral car underframe structure for Y the front end ofa self-propelled car body comprising a bolster, longitudinal sills, flangeson said sills on opposite sides of said bolster for supporting a powerplant, a bumper on one side of said bolster, and a needle beam on the other side of the bolster, and means on saidbolster, bumper and needle beam-to support'a car body,

' being the top chords said underframe having its center of gravity substantially over the bolster.

5. In a self-propelled rail car an underframe comprising a pair of longitudinal sills of separate plate flange and plate web construction including flanged floor supports, the top plate flange on said sills providing supports for an engine located above the level of said floor supports, said sills extending to a bumper portion forwardly of said engine supports, socket means to support a body collision resisting beam on said bumper portion agains't longitudinal shear loads, and braces diverging from said socket means to connect with said sills whereby to distribute collision loads on said beam directly into said sills.

6. A rail car tractor unit underframe which comprises a relatively wide shallow box type plate bolster, a relatively deep transverse member forward of the bolster and spaced therefrom, a transverse needle beam rearward of the bolster, said transverse members having relatively deep aligned side plates whereby a truss type body may be secured thereto, and longitudinal truss type power plant supports joining said spaced transverse members.

7. A rail car tractor unit underframe which comprises a relatively wide, shallow box type plate bolster, a plurality of transverse members on the respective sides and spaced from said bolster, said bolster and transverse members having relatively deep side plates on the respectiveends thereof whereby a truss type body may be secured thereto, longitudinal truss type power plant supports joining said spaced transverse members, and a plate joining the longitudinal power plant supports substantially near the bottom thereof.

8. A rail car tractor unit underframe including a central transverse bolster, continuous longitudinal truss type power plant supports having plate webs and plate chords extending on each side of said bolster, a forwardly projecting transversebumper portion integral with said power plant supports, and a transverse needle beam rearwardly of said bolster and integral with said supports, said bolster being the balancing point of the underframe and its power plant.

9. A tractor unit combined unitary power plant support and front end underframe for light weight rail car construction in which relativelyhigh tractive effort is required which includes a bolster, longitudinal power plant supports o1 truss type having plate webs'and plate chords to which the power plant is secured, and transversely extending beam members at the opposite extremities of the power plant supports and spaced respectively in front and in rear of the bolster, said beams extending laterally for attachment to the car body, said supports forming a stigening portion of the. underframe,and being so located that the center of gravity of the power plant and underframe is substantially over the bolster.

10. An integral car underframe structure comprising longitudinal sill truss members, a bolster having a top plate member serving as a top chord and extending through said t smembers, said truss members having continuous top plates welded thereto and extending on oppositesides of said bolster to support an engine and generator respectively, said engine supporting means of said longitudinal sill truss members. v

11. An integral front end underframe for a; rail car having a self contained power plant which comprlses a front sill and bumper portion, an'

'intermediate bolster adapted to be supported from a truck and a rear needle beam, said rear needle beam being spaced aft of the bolster substantially as much as the front sill is forward thereof for a balance of the underframe over the bolster, said bolster, front sill and bumper portion, and rear needle beam being adapted to receive and support parts of a car body, and longitudinal vertically stiffened plate truss members extending between said front sill and bumper portion and said needle beam and above said bolster, said longitudinal truss members having power plant supports welded thereon, said supports being continuous from needlev beam to front sill. a

12. A car underframe and power plant support structure comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending I-section truss members having power plant supporting flange upper chords, transverse webs and vertical reenforcing members forming posts and I-section-lower chord members, all of which are formed of plate members welded to form an integral unit, and add1- tional means to jointhe truss members including a plate approximately at the bottom chord,-

and means to support said .underframe intermediate its ends, said means including a reenforced box section bolster beam having continuous chord members extending to. body attaching side plates.

13. A rail car power plant supporting structure, comprising longitudinal tr-uss members including top chords, bottom chords and'webs therebetween, a front end sill, a stepped down front portion adapted to support an operator's compartment and having an outwardly projecting bumper element of generally rounded shape and tied into said front end sill on each edgeand in the middle, and a rear portion approximately at the level of the bottom chord member to which the car body is adapted/to be secured, the-bottom chord member extending throughout the length of the supporting structure and having a trans-- verse plate extending between the longitudinal truss members.

14. A rail car power plant supporting structure, comprising longitudinal truss members in-' cluding. top chords, bottom chords and webs therebetween, a stepped down front portion adapted to support an operators compartment,

and a rear portion approximately at the level of having longitudinally extending power plant supporting webs. and chord members, said webs and chords consisting of mutually welded plates constituting portions of principal load supporting trusses, said chords having portions to sup-.

port a power plant including engine and generator, and-an integral box section are welded plate bolster having a top chord continuous through and welded to the power plant supporting webs, said bolster having reinforcing means to mount said underirame over a supporting truck.

16. A rail car tractor unit underframe which comprises a relatively wide shallow box type plate bolster having relatively deep side body securing plates on the respective ends thereof, inner and outer,transverse members extending continu-,

ously across said underframe and spaced from said bolster, means to secure. the main car frame car frame to distribute a portion of longitudinal collision stresses to the main car frame.

17. A rail car tractor unit underframe of plate elements fabricated-into a hollow cellular structure and having longitudinal sills of relatively deep I-section extending substantially the full length of the frame, and including flanges welded to the webs of said sills and constituting each. a top chord of a truss and supporting a power. plant, transverse members including a bolster projecting from the sides of said longitudinal members and having relatively deep surfaces at the ends thereof in substantial longitudinal alignment with each other for attachment of a truss type of car body, certain transverse members beingsubstantially equally spaced'fore and aft of the bolster and anintegral horizontal web joining lower portions of the respective longitudinal members, the forward transverse member including a bumper of a generally rounded hollow plate construction having a central longitudinal web substantially intermediate of the first mentioned longitudinal members.

. 18, In a rail car, a unitary underframe comprising anengine base and a forwardly extended bumper portion transversely rounded at its forward edge and having its top face generally at a lower level than the'engine base portion rearwardly thereof, an integral socket at the forward central portion of said bumper portion to receive the lower end of a collision beam, and a triangular integral brace extending rearwardly from said socket to the raised engine bed portion of the underframe. I

19. In a rail car, a unitary underframe comprising an engine base and having a forwardly extended bumper portion transversely rounded at its forward edge and having its top face generally at a lower level than the engine base rearwardly thereof, an integral socket at the forward central portion ofsaid bumperportion to receive the lower end of a collision beam,-and an integral brace extending rearwardly from said socket to the raised engine bed portion of the underframe.

20. A combined power plant support and underframe structure for a self-propelledrail car which comprises a body portion having longitudinally extending vertical webs for receiving a power plant, a front sill member tied in with the top and bottom of said vertical webs and supported thereby, a bumper portion forward of said end sill member, said bumper portion being of generally semi-circular shape in plan with the ends tied in with the ends of the front sill member, said bumper portion being adapted to integrally receive body structure posts and a triangular raised portion within said bumper portion extending from the foremost portion, of the effective extremities of the vertical power plant 1 supporting webs to an apex at the fore part of the bumper portion, said raised portion providing a very high shear resisting support for a forea,1ea,9se

over the truck, the whole supported in balanced relation over the truck, said member having vertically deep side portions in front adjacent the bolster and also a substantial distance to the rear of said bolster for tying into the side walls 5 of the body. EARL J. W RAGSDALE. ALBERT G. DEAN.

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