IP Library Granted Patent US 8,950,341
Granted Patent B2
US 8,950,341 · App. 13/624,872 · Granted Feb 10, 2015

Multi-unit intermodal railroad well car with safety platform and handbrake

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,950,341
App. No.
13/624,872
Granted
Feb 10, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A railroad well car includes a spaced trucks grouped in pairs, and a railcar body supported on a pair of the trucks, the body comprising a pair of spaced end structures, each end structure supported on one truck, and a well structure extending between the end structures. The well structure comprises a pair of top chord members extending between the end structures; a pair of side sills extending between the end structures. The rail car includes safety platform and handbrake wherein operator walkway platforms are included with co-planer end walkways and running boards, wherein the running boards are above the top chords of the sidewalls of the well car; and a handbrake operated with a hand wheel is mounted on one side of the railroad well car, which hand wheel extends below the top chords of the side walls of the well car whereby the hand wheel is accessible from the side of the railcar via an operator on the ground.

Claims (23)

1. A railroad well car comprising:

A pair of spaced trucks;

A railcar body supported on the trucks, the body comprising a pair of spaced end structures, each end structure supported on one truck, and a well structure extending between the end structures, wherein the well structure including (i) a pair of top chord members extending between the end structures, (ii) a pair of side sills extending between the end structures; and (iii) a floor of the well structure extending generally between the side sills; and

operator walkway platforms with co-planer end walkways and running boards, wherein the running boards are above the top chords of the sidewalls of the well car, wherein at least one of the operator platforms includes a pair of spaced co-planar end walkways extending the across a width of the car with one of the co-planar end walkways coupled to a pair of the running boards and a co-planar coupling walkway extending between the pair of spaced co-planar end walkways.

2. The railroad well car according to claim 1 further including a handbrake operated with a hand wheel mounted on one side of the railroad well car.

3. The railroad well car according to claim 2 wherein the hand wheel is positioned beyond an end of one top chord and substantially co-planar with one top chord.

4. The railroad well car according to claim 3 wherein the hand wheel extends vertically below the top chords of the side walls of the well car whereby the hand wheel is accessible from the side of the railcar via an operator on the ground.

5. The railroad well car according to claim 4 wherein the hand wheel is positioned longitudinally between the pair of co-planar end walkways.

6. The railroad well car according to claim 2 wherein the hand wheel is positioned longitudinally between the pair of co-planar end walkways.

7. A railroad well car

comprising: A plurality of spaced trucks

grouped in pairs;

At least three railcar bodies supported on the trucks, each body comprising a pair of spaced end structures, each end structure supported on one truck, and a well structure extending between the end structures, wherein the well structure include (i) a pair of top chord members extending between the end structures; (ii) a pair of side sills extending between the end structures; (iii) a plurality of floor beams extending between the side sills forming at least a portion of a floor for the well structure; and

A handbrake operated with a hand wheel mounted on one side of the railroad well car, which hand wheel is positioned beyond an end of one top chord and substantially co-planar with one top chord and extends vertically below the top chords of the side walls of the well car whereby the hand wheel is accessible from the side of the railcar via an operator on the ground, further including at least one operator walkway platform with a pair of co-planer end walkways and a pair of co-planar running boards, wherein the running boards are above the top chords of the sidewalls of the well car, and further including a central co-planar coupling walkway extending between the pair of spaced co-planar end walkways.

8. The railroad well car according to claim 7 , wherein the hand wheel is mounted longitudinally between the pair of co-planar end walkways.

9. A railroad double stack container

well car comprising:

A plurality of spaced trucks;

At least one railcar body supported on a pair of the trucks, each body comprising a pair of spaced end structures, each end structure supported on one truck, and a well structure extending between the end structures, wherein the well structure includes (i) A pair of top chord members extending between the end structures; and (ii) a pair of side sills extending between the end structures; and

(iii) a pair of end chords extending between the side sills, one at each end of the well structure;

At least one operator walkway platforms with a pair of co-planer end walkways and a pair of co-planar running boards, wherein the running boards are above the top chords of the sidewalls of the well car; and

A handbrake operated with a hand wheel mounted on one side of the railroad well car positioned longitudinally between the pair of co-planar end walkways, which hand wheel extends below the top chords of the side walls of the well car whereby the hand wheel is accessible from the side of the railcar via an operator on the ground, further including a central co-planar coupling walkway extending between the pair of spaced co-planar end walkways.

10. The railroad well car according to claim 9 , wherein the hand wheel mounted on one side of the railroad well car is positioned beyond an end of one top chord and substantially co-planar with one top chord.

Assignments (11)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2025
From: JAC OPERATIONS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 070200/0160 →
RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2025
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: JAC OPERATIONS, INC.; FREIGHTCAR AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 069822/0471 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 2, 2025
From: JAC OPERATIONS, INC.
To: BLUE TORCH FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069716/0899 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 31, 2024
From: BMO HARRIS BANK, N.A.
To: JAC OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 069831/0925 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 20, 2024
From: FREIGHTCAR AMERICA, INC.; JAC OPERATIONS, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069746/0953 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2020
From: FREIGHTCAR AMERICA, INC.; JAC OPERATIONS, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054463/0076 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2019
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: JAC OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 048878/0602 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2019
From: JAC OPERATIONS, INC.
To: BMO HARRIS BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 048874/0787 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 6, 2013
From: JAC OPERATIONS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 030983/0512 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2012
From: FREIGHTCAR AMERICA, INC.
To: JAC OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 029546/0451 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 28, 2012
From: BORING, JEFF; LOHR, DAVID A; JOSEPHSON, GREGORY P; WISSINGER, CHRISTOPHER S
To: FREIGHTCAR AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 029361/0464 →