초록 ▼

A rail road car has a deck for carrying wheeled vehicles. The rail road car can be coupled to other rail road cars of the same type. Bridge plates are provide that permit wheeled vehicles to be conducted between adjacent rail road cars. The bridge plates have one end mounted to the rail road car a

A rail road car has a deck for carrying wheeled vehicles. The rail road car can be coupled to other rail road cars of the same type. Bridge plates are provide that permit wheeled vehicles to be conducted between adjacent rail road cars. The bridge plates have one end mounted to the rail road car at a pivot fitting. The pivot fitting allows the bridge plate to be moved from a length-wise position spanning the gap between cars, to a cross-wise stowed position. The bridge plates have fittings which permit three degrees of freedom relative to the adjacent rail road cars, namely a first degree of freedom to tolerate yawing motion of the first rail road car, a second degree of freedom to accommodate yawing motion of the second rail road car, and a third degree of freedom to accommodate variation in distance between the respective portions of the rail road cars to which the bridge plate is mounted while the rail road cars are moving.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A bridge plate for use in permitting a vehicle to be conducted between respective vehicle decks of a pair of adjacently coupled first and second rail road cars, said bridge plate comprising: a beam member for extending between the two adjacently coupled railroad cars, the beam member h

We claim: 1. A bridge plate for use in permitting a vehicle to be conducted between respective vehicle decks of a pair of adjacently coupled first and second rail road cars, said bridge plate comprising: a beam member for extending between the two adjacently coupled railroad cars, the beam member having a first end for engaging the first rail road car, and a second end for engaging the second rail road car; said beam member having an upper flange, a lower flange, and webs extending between said upper and lower flanges to form a hollow section; said upper flange of said beam member having a track surface upon which the vehicle can be conducted; said first end of said beam member having a pivot fitting mounted thereto; said pivot fitting permitting movement of said beam about a pivot axis normal to said track surface. 2. The bridge plate of claim 1 wherein said bridge plate has three of said webs. 3. The bridge plate of claim 2 wherein said first end is chamfered. 4. The bridge plate of claim 1 wherein said bridge plate has a length measured from the first end to the second end and has a lengthwise slot defined in said second end. 5. The bridge plate of claim 4 wherein at least one of said webs lies to either side of said slot. 6. The bridge plate of claim 4 wherein said slot is defined clear through both said upper and lower flanges. 7. The bridge plate of claim 4 wherein said second end of said bridge plate is bifurcated to define a pair of toes, said slot being defined between said toes. 8. The bridge plate of claim 1 wherein said bridge plate has at least four of said webs extending parallel to each other, and running lengthwise said first and second ends. 9. The bridge plate of claim 1 wherein said bridge plate is made of aluminium. 10. The bridge plate of claim 1 wherein said surface of said upper flange has tread bars affixed thereto. 11. The bridge plate of claim 1 wherein said lower flange has a plastic bearing pad mounted thereto. 12. The bridge plate of claim 1 further comprising a hand grab mounted to said second end thereof to facilitate pivotal manipulation of said beam member relative to said axis. 13. The bridge plate of claim 1 wherein one of said pivot pins is removable. 14. The bridge plate of claim 1 wherein said second pivot pin is removable to facilitate disengagement of said bridge plate from the second rail road car. 15. A rail road car bridge plate operable to permit a vehicle to be conducted between respective vehicle decks of a pair of first and second longitudinally coupled rail road cars, said bridge plate comprising: a beam locatable in a longitudinal orientation relative to the rail road cars to span a gap therebetween, said beam having first and second ends; said beam having a surface upon which the vehicle can be conducted; said beam having a fitting by which to mount said beam to the first of the rail road cars; said fitting being operable to accommodate yawing of said beam relative to the first rail road car when said beam is located in the longitudinal orientation and the rail road cars are in motion; and said fitting permitting movement of said beam from said longitudinal orientation to a cross-wise orientation relative to the first rail road car when said beam is disengaged from the second rail road car, wherein said second end of said beam has the form of a bifurcated toe. 16. A bridge plate for spanning a length-wise gap between corresponding vehicle decks of a pair of first and second releasably coupled rail road cars, said bridge plate comprising: a beam member for supporting the weight of a wheeled vehicle, said beam member having an upwardly facing surface upon which the vehicle can be conducted between the rail road cars, said beam having first and second ends; a first fitting for engaging the first rail road car; a second fitting for engaging the second rail road car; said first fitting being mountable to connect said first end of said beam to the first rail road car, said first fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the first rail road car about a first axis normal to said surface; said second fitting being mountable to connect said second end of said beam to the second rail road car, said second fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the second rail road car about a second axis normal to said surface; said second fitting being operable to accommodate variation of distance between the first and second axes while said rail road cars are coupled together and in motion and one of said first and second fittings being disengageable, wherein said second end of said beam is bifurcated to form a pair of toes, and said second fitting is a slot defined between said toes. 17. A bridge plate for spanning a length-wise gap between corresponding vehicle decks of a pair of first and second releasably coupled rail road cars, said bridge plate comprising: a beam member for supporting the weight of a wheeled vehicle, said beam member having an upwardly facing surface upon which the vehicle can be conducted between the rail road cars, said beam having first and second ends; a first fitting for engaging the first rail road car; a second fitting for engaging the second rail road car; said first fitting being mountable to connect said first end of said beam to the first rail road car, said first fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the first rail road car about a first axis normal to said surface; said second fitting being mountable to connect said second end of said beam to the second rail road car, said second fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the second rail road car about a second axis normal to said surface; said second fitting being operable to accommodate variation of distance between the first and second axes while said rail road cars are coupled together and in motion and one of said first and second fittings being disengageable, wherein said beam includes a top flange, a bottom flange, and webs extending therebetween. 18. A bridge plate for spanning a length-wise gap between corresponding vehicle decks of a pair of first and second releasably coupled rail road cars, said bridge plate comprising: a beam member for supporting the weight of a wheeled vehicle, said beam member having an upwardly facing surface upon which the vehicle can be conducted between the rail road cars, said beam having first and second ends; a first fitting for engaging the first rail road car; a second fitting for engaging the second rail road car; said first fitting being mountable to connect said first end of said beam to the first rail road car, said first fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the first rail road car about a first axis normal to said surface; said second fitting being mountable to connect said second end of said beam to the second rail road car, said second fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the second rail road car about a second axis normal to said surface; said second fitting being operable to accommodate variation of distance between the first and second axes while said rail road cars are coupled together and in motion and one of said first and second fittings being disengageable, wherein said beam has a bottom flange, and a plastic pad mounted to said bottom flange. 19. A bridge plate for spanning a gap between corresponding vehicle decks of a pair of first and second releasably coupled rail road cars, said bridge plate having: a first pivot fitting mountable to the first rail road car, said pivot fitting permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to the first rail road car about a first vertical axis; a second fitting for engaging the second rail road car, said second fitting including a linear extension member permitting pivotal motion of said bridge plate relative to a second vertical axis fixed relative to the second rail road car; said first fitting being tolerant of yaw motion of the bridge plate relative to the first rail road car when said first fitting is mounted thereto; said second fitting being disengageable relative to the second rail road car; said second fitting being tolerant of yaw motion of the bridge plate relative to the second rail road car when said second fitting is engaged thereto; and said linear extension member tolerating variation in distance between the first and second axes, wherein said bridge plate is a beam having an upper flange, a lower flange, and vertical webs extending therebetween. 20. A bridge plate kit for spanning a gap between respective vehicle decks of a pair of first and second releasably coupled rail road cars, said kit comprising: a bridge plate; a first pivot pin having a first pivot axis, said first pivot pin being mountable to the first rail road car with said first pivot axis in a vertical orientation; a second pivot pin having a second pivot axis, said second pivot pin being mountable to the second rail road car with said second pivot axis in a vertical orientation; and said bridge plate having a track surface upon which a vehicle can be conducted between the railroad cars when said bridge plate is mounted to span the gap; a first fitting in engagement with said first pivot pin, said bridge plate being pivotable relative to said first pivot axis; a second fitting in engagement with said second pivot pin, said bridge plate being pivotable relative to said second axis; said bridge plate being translatable relative to said second axis; and one of said pivot pins being disengageable, wherein said bridge plate includes a beam member for supporting loads to be conducted between said first and second rail road cars, said beam has a pair of toes at one end thereof, and said second fitting is an open ended slot defined between said toes.