COIL STOP FOR RAIL ROAD COIL CAR
A coil car has a pair of deep side sills and a trough structure mounted to, and suspended between, the deep side sills for carrying coils. The side sills extend between the rail car trucks and act as a pair of deep side beams for carrying vertical loads. The deep side sills are arranged to extend above and below the center sill of the coil car to give vertical stiffness to the coil car. The top chord members of the side sills are outwardly splayed relative to the bottom chord members of the side sills. Cross-bearers extend outwardly and away from the center sill to attach to the side sills. The trough structure has three parallel, longitudinally extending troughs—a central trough lying between two laterally outboard outer troughs. Each trough is shaped to cradle steel coils, or other similar loads, between its inwardly and downwardly sloping shoulder plates. The shoulder plates are lined with cushioning to buffer coils during loading or travel. The outboard troughs are mounted above longitudinally extending stringers and are carried at a greater height relative to top of rail than the central trough. The car has coil stops to discourage longitudinal shifting of loaded coils. The coil stops have rollers to facilitate repositioning during loading, and a mid-span step and hand grabs to facilitate climbing over the coil stop by personnel walking along the trough structure.
1 . A coil stop for a rail road coil car, the rail road coil car having a trough structure in which to carry coils, said coil stop comprising a beam member locatable athwart the trough structure, said beam member having a first end, a second end, and a medial portion extending between said first and second ends; and said coil stop having a hand grab mounted on said beam member between said first and second ends to facilitate climbing over said coil stop by persons walking along said trough structure.
2 . The coil stop of claim 1 wherein a step is mounted to said beam member adjacent to said hand grab.
3 . The coil stop of claim 2 wherein said step includes a tread plate mounted upon said beam member.
4 . The coil stop of claim 2 wherein said step is mounted centrally on said beam member.
5 . The coil stop of claim 1 wherein a second hand grab is mounted to said beam member to permit a person walking in said trough structure to use two hands in climbing over said beam member.
6 . The coil stop of claim 1 wherein said hand grab is an upwardly extending hand rung.
7 . The coil stop of claim 2 wherein said beam member includes a horizontal web, and said step is mounted to said horizontal web.
8 . The coil stop of claim 1 wherein another hand grab is mounted to said beam member, and said beam member has a step located between said hand grabs, said hand grabs being rungs mounted to extend upwardly of said beam member, whereby a person holding said rungs can aid themselves in climbing onto said step.