Steel gondola railcar

Abstract

A gondola car is made of high strength and high abrasion resistance steel that provides a lightweight structure and that prolongs the useful life of the car. The high strength and high abrasion resistance steel enhances the strength of the gondola car without increasing its thickness. The contemplated railcar positions components (e.g., side posts and cross-bearers) of the railcar away from areas of the railcar that experience high stresses during transport. In this manner, these components can be welded to form the railcar, and the welds will experience less stress during transport resulting in less weld breaks. Additionally, the number of components (e.g., side posts and cross-bearers) may be reduced, which reduces the weight of the railcar.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS AND CLAIM TO PRIORITY[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 841,429 filed May 1, 2019 and titled “STEEL FOR RAILCAR STRUCTURE,” which is incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE[0002]This disclosure relates generally to railcars.BACKGROUND[0003]Railcars come in various kinds of cars and containers which carry freight and cargo across the country. For example, a railcar may be a tank car, a covered or open hopper, a well car, a flat car, a gondola car, and / or a box car based on the freight and cargo it carries or the facility at the terminal station.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE[0004]Railcars come in various kinds of cars and containers which carry freight and cargo across the country. For example, a railcar may be a tank car, a covered or open hopper, a well car, a flat car, a gondola car, and / or a box car based on the freight and cargo it carries or the facility at the terminal station. A gondola rail...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes a gondola car made of high strength and high abrasion resistance steel. This strong steel increases the strength of the car without adding extra thickness. The design also positions components away from areas that experience high stresses during transport, reducing the risk of weld breaks. By doing this, the car becomes more durable and lightweight. The technical effects of this design include increased safety and durability of the gondola car.

Problems solved by technology

These steels tend to dent severely in service.

Also due to material strength limitations, these gondola cars have at least certain numbers of side posts and underframe designs with particular structural elements.

One challenge that previously prevented the use of this steel in forming railcars was that the chemical and mechanical properties of the steel made it difficult to form welds that could withstand the forces and tensions caused by transporting commodities in the railcar.

These welds would often break, resulting in damage or failure of the railcar.

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