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A head brace and a method for attaching a stub sill to a tank of a railroad tank car by the use of such a head brace. A stub sill includes side plates having ears that extend upward to support the tank near where the head of the tank is attached, and a head brace is welded to the side plates and to

A head brace and a method for attaching a stub sill to a tank of a railroad tank car by the use of such a head brace. A stub sill includes side plates having ears that extend upward to support the tank near where the head of the tank is attached, and a head brace is welded to the side plates and to the head of the tank in a weld joint that can be continuous along the head brace from the ears of the side plate to the center of the head brace. Doublers may be provided on the sill where the head brace is welded to the side plates.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A subassembly for a railroad tank car of the type including a tank having a generally cylindrical tank body and a convex head, the subassembly comprising: (a) a center sill including a generally horizontal top member and a pair of upright side plates spaced apart latera

The invention claimed is: 1. A subassembly for a railroad tank car of the type including a tank having a generally cylindrical tank body and a convex head, the subassembly comprising: (a) a center sill including a generally horizontal top member and a pair of upright side plates spaced apart laterally from each other, at least one of the side plates including an upwardly extending ear having an upper margin shaped to fit against the tank and welded to the tank; and (b) a head brace including a central part and a pair of arms, the central part of the head brace having a lower margin welded to the top member of the center sill and an upper margin welded to the head of the tank, one of the pair of arms extending alongside and overlapping the ear and being welded to the ear. 2. The subassembly of claim 1 wherein an upper margin of the side plate adjacent the upwardly extending ear, the upper margin of the ear, and the upper margin of the central portion of the head brace are aligned with one another and form a continuous support surface shaped to fit against the tank. 3. The subassembly of claim 2 wherein each of the side plates of the center sill has a respective upwardly extending ear and a respective one of the pair of arms of the head brace overlaps and is interconnected with each of the upwardly extending ears. 4. The subassembly of claim 3 wherein said tank rests on said center sill in contact with the upper margins of the side plates and the head brace and wherein the side plates including the upper margins of the ears and the upper margin of the head brace are welded to the tank along a single continuous weld joint. 5. The subassembly of claim 4 wherein the weld joint is free from weld terminations within a portion of the weld joint extending from the tank head to a location along the upper margin of the side plate located longitudinally inboard from the respective ear thereof. 6. The subassembly of claim 4 wherein the tank includes a doubler plate on an exterior surface thereof and wherein the center sill and head brace are welded directly to the doubler plate. 7. The subassembly of claim 3 including a doubler plate located on an outer side of one of the side plates of the center sill, overlapping a portion of the upwardly extending ear and including a part confronting the respective arm of the head brace, the doubler plate extending longitudinally along the side plate of the center sill beneath a portion of the head brace. 8. The subassembly of claim 7 wherein the doubler plate includes an upper margin welded to the tank alongside the upper margin of the upwardly extending ear of the side plate of the center sill. 9. The subassembly of claim 1 wherein the upper margin of the ear of the at least one of the side plates is shaped to fit against a transitional shoulder portion of the tank where the cylindrical body of the tank merges with the head of the tank. 10. A subassembly for a railroad tank car, comprising: (a) an elongate cylindrical cargo tank having an end including a convex head, a horizontal longitudinal axis of the cargo tank defining a longitudinal axis of the tank car; (b) a center sill attached to an underside of the tank at the end of the tank, the center sill including a pair of laterally oppositely located longitudinal, upright, side plates; (c) an upwardly projecting ear included in at least one of the side plates, the ear having a concavely arcuate upper margin conforming to a transitional portion of the tank and a radially outermost portion of the convex head; and (d) a U-shaped head brace having a pair of arms, one of the arms lying alongside and overlapping a portion of the ear of a respective one of the side plates, the head brace having an upper margin conforming to and welded to a portion of the head of the tank and having a lower margin welded to a top plate of the center sill. 11. The subassembly for a railroad tank car of claim 10, wherein the head brace is attached to the ear by a weld joint extending away from the tank. 12. The subassembly of claim 10 wherein the tank includes a head pad in the form of a doubler plate extending over a portion of an underside of the tank and a portion of the convex head of the tank. 13. The subassembly of claim 10 wherein the upper margin of the head brace includes a part conforming to and lying outwardly alongside the upper margin of the ear. 14. The subassembly of claim 10 wherein the center sill has a doubler plate attached to one of the side plates and where an end of one of the arms of the head brace extends along and parallel to a portion of a margin of the doubler plate that extends away from the tank. 15. The subassembly of claim 10 wherein the center sill is a stub center sill. 16. A method of joining a center sill to a cargo tank of a railroad tank car, comprising: (a) providing a body bolster and a stub center sill, the body bolster being interconnected with the stub center sill and the stub center still having a pair of longitudinally extending upright laterally apart-spaced side plates each including an upwardly extending ear protruding above a top plate of the stub center sill; (b) supporting the body bolster and stub center sill in a predetermined orientation; (c) moving one of the cargo tank and the stub center sill to bring the cargo tank and the stub center sill together into a mating position in which the cargo tank is atop the center sill and the body bolster and with the cargo tank in contact with the side plates; (d) placing a generally U-shaped head brace into position atop the center sill with an arm of the head brace resting closely alongside and aligned with an outboard side of an ear, so that a laterally central outwardly facing part of the head brace is inclined longitudinally inward and upward from the center sill toward a convex head of the tank and an upper margin of the head brace abuts against the head of the tank; (e) welding a portion of a margin of the arm to a respective one of the ears while keeping the head brace in a position in which the upper margin of the head brace is in contact with the head of the tank; and (f) thereafter, fastening a portion of an upper margin of one of the side plates and an adjacent portion of an upper margin of the head brace to the head of the tank, by forming a continuous weld joint, the weld joint extending from a location on the one of the side plates longitudinally outboard of the body bolster to a laterally central part of the upper margin of the head brace. 17. The method of claim 16 including supporting the body bolster and stub center sill adjustably and adjusting the position of the body bolster and stub center sill with respect to the tank in order to facilitate placing the tank into the mating position atop the center sill and body bolster. 18. The method of claim 16 including the step of welding a lower margin of the arm of the head brace to the respective one of the side plates of the sill before performing the step of fastening the upper margin of the head brace to the head of the tank. 19. The method of claim 16 including the additional steps of installing a doubler plate on one of the side plates so that a portion of the doubler plate extends onto the ear of the side plate, and welding an upper longitudinally outboard margin of the doubler plate to a lower longitudinally inboard portion of a margin of the head brace. 20. A method of attaching a head brace to a tank and a center sill of a railroad tank car, comprising: (a) placing a portion of an arm of a U-shaped head brace into an overlapping position with respect to an upwardly extending ear portion of a side plate of a center sill, with an upper margin of the head brace lying closely against a convex head of the tank and with a lower margin of the head brace extending closely along an upper surface of the center sill; (b) welding the arm of the head brace to the ear portion; and (c) thereafter, forming a continuous weld joint interconnecting the side plate and the head brace with the tank, the weld joint extending along the ear of the side plate and the upper margin of the head brace continuously from a position along the side plate inboard from the ear, along the ear, and along the head brace, at least to a laterally central portion of the upper margin of the head brace. 21. A subassembly for a railroad tank car of the type including a tank having a generally cylindrical tank body and a convex head, the subassembly comprising: (a) a center sill including a pair of upright side plates spaced apart laterally from each other, each of the side plates including an upper margin shaped to fit against a cylindrical body of the tank and including a step-down face adjacent a transitional part of the tank; (b) a generally horizontal top member mounted atop a portion of the side plates, the horizontal top member extending laterally outboard beyond each of the side plates and extending longitudinally outboard from the step-down faces and beneath the transitional part and a head of the tank; (c) a head brace including a generally transversely extending central part and a pair of generally longitudinally extending arms, the central part of the head brace having a lower margin welded to the horizontal top member of the center sill and an upper margin welded to the head of the tank, and an inboard end of each of the arms being welded to the step-down face of a respective one of the side plates; (d) the upper margins of the side plates at a location longitudinally inboard from the step-down face, the upper margins of the arms, and the upper margin of the central portion of the head brace being aligned with one another and forming a continuous support surface shaped to fit against the tank; and wherein (e) the tank rests on the center sill in contact with the upper margins of the side plates and the head brace and wherein the side plates and the upper margin of the head brace are welded to the tank along a continuous weld joint that extends uninterrupted along the upper margins of the side plates from the location longitudinally inboard from the step-down face and along the upper margin of the head brace, and that interconnects the side plates and the upper margin of the head brace with the tank. 22. The subassembly of claim 21 wherein the tank includes a head pad in the form of a doubler plate extending over a portion of an underside of the tank and a portion of the head of the tank. 23. The subassembly of claim 21 wherein the center sill is a stub center sill. 24. A method of joining a center sill to a cargo tank of a railroad tank car, comprising: (a) providing a stub center sill and a body bolster attached thereto, the stub center sill having a pair of longitudinally extending upright laterally apart-spaced side plates and a horizontal top plate mounted atop longitudinally outboard portions of the side plates; (b) supporting the stub center sill in a predetermined position; (c) placing a generally U-shaped head brace having a pair of arms into position atop the top plate of the stub center sill with an inboard end of each arm of the head brace aligned with a respective one of the side plates and an outwardly facing part of the head brace inclined longitudinally inward and upward from the stub center sill; (d) welding a lower margin of each arm of the head brace to the top plate of the stub center sill; and (e) thereafter moving one of the stub center sill and the cargo tank to place the cargo tank into a mating position atop the stub center sill and the body bolster with the cargo tank in contact with the side plates; and (f) thereafter fastening an upper margin of one of the side plates and the adjacent portion of the upper margin of the head brace to the head of the tank by forming a weld joint extending continuously and free from weld terminations, along an exterior of the side plate and the head brace, from a location on the side plate longitudinally outboard of the body bolster to a laterally central part of the upper margin of the head brace. 25. The method of claim 24 including supporting the stub center sill adjustably and adjusting the position of the stub center sill with respect to the tank in order to facilitate lowering the tank into the mating position atop the stub center sill.