Vehicle and method of producing the same

• US 5,333,554 A
• Filed: 04/24/1992
• Issued: 08/02/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Shinji, Hayashi, Kazuo, Takayama, Ryoichi, Miyamoto, Toshiharu, Ohmura, Keizi, Yamada, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORANO IV, SAMUEL J
• Application Number:
  US07/873,182
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 105/397, 105/401, 105/404, 105/409, 296/197, 296/210, 296/213, 296/29, 296/30, 52/45, 52/56
• US Class Current: 105/397
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 17/043 connections between superstructure sub-units for road vehicles B62D27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/07 having water drainage or guide means integral with roof structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49622 Vehicular structural member making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49904 Assembling a subassembly, then assembling with a second subassembly

Abstract

A vehicle such as a railroad car is constructed by connecting together side and roof blocks, each equipped with interior components, in a manner to improve the outer appearance of the connections between the side and roof blocks. Longitudinal beams of the side blocks are in contact with the under surfaces of gutters formed by the outer plate of the roof block. The side and roof blocks, equipped with the interior components, are connected together at the gutter portions by a welding which can be conducted solely from an exterior side of the vehicle. In the interior of the vehicle, the longitudinal beams and joints secured to the side blocks are connected to lateral beams of the roof block by rivets. Thereafter, a third interior plate is provided between interior plates of the side and roof blocks. Since the connections are formed at the gutter portions, the connecting operations can easily be conducted outside the vehicle and in a manner to assure a good from an exterior of appearance.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a pair of side blocks forming sides of the vehicle, each of said side blocks having a post member, an exterior plate connected to an outside surface of said post member and an interior plate spaced inwardly from and connected to said post member;

a roof block forming a roof of the vehicle between said side blocks and having a lateral beam, an exterior plate connected to an outside surface of said lateral beam and an interior plate spaced inwardly from and connected to said lateral beam;

outer connecting means connecting an end portion of the exterior plate of said roof block to an end portion of the exterior plate of each of said side blocks between longitudinal ends of the vehicle;

inner connecting means connecting an inside surface of an end portion of said lateral beam of said roof block to an inside surface of an end portion of the post member of each of said side blocks; and

a third interior plate extending between the interior plate of said roof block and the interior plate of each of said side blocks.

2. A method of producing a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

producing a pair of side blocks each having a post member, an exterior plate connected to an outside surface of said post member, and an interior plate spaced inwardly from said connected to said post member;

producing a roof block having a lateral beam, an exterior plate connected to an outside surface of said lateral beam and an interior plate spaced inwardly from and connected to said lateral beam;

assembling the thus produced roof block and side blocks;

connecting together, after the step of assembling, an end portion of the exterior plate of said roof block and an end portion of the exterior plate of each of said side blocks between longitudinal ends of the vehicle;

connecting together, after the step of assembling, an inside surface of an end portion of the lateral beam of said roof block and an inside surface of an end portion of the post member of each of said side blocks by connecting operations conducted interiorly of the vehicle; and

providing, after the step of connecting said inside surfaces of said lateral beam and said post, a third interior plate between the interior plate of said roof block and the interior plate of each of said side blocks.

3. A vehicle comprising a pair of side blocks forming sides of the vehicle, each of a roof block forming a roof of the vehicle between said side blocks, wherein:

each of said side blocks comprises an exterior plate, a framework, an interior plate and a longitudinal beam disposed at the upper end of the side block and continuously extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

said roof block including an exterior plate, a framework and an interior plate, end portions of said exterior plate of said roof block form bottom sections and outer and inner vertical sections of gutters of the vehicle;

an upper end section of the exterior plate of each of said side blocks overlaps the outer vehicle section of one of said gutters and is connected thereto by spot welding;

each of said longitudinal beams is connected to one of the bottom section of one of said gutters and a boundary portion between a roof portion of said roof block and the gutter by spot welding;

said spot welding constituting connecting means which enable connecting operations for forming said connecting means to be conducted solely from an exterior side of the vehicle;

at least one of the upper end of a joint connected to the upper end of an inner side of the framework of each side block and an upper end of each longitudinal beam is connected to said framework of said roof block by fastening means which enables connecting operations to be conducted solely from an inner side of the vehicle, the upper end of said joint being connected to the upper end of the longitudinal beam; and

said fastening means are disposed between the interior plate of each side block and an interior plate of said roof block, a third internal plate being arranged between said two interior plates.

4. A vehicle comprising a pair of side blocks forming sides of the vehicle, each of a roof block forming a roof of the vehicle between said side blocks, wherein:

each of said side blocks comprises an exterior plate, a framework, an interior plate and a longitudinal beam disposed at the upper end of the side block and continuously extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

said roof block including an exterior plate, a framework and an interior plate, end portions of said exterior plate of said roof block form bottom sections and outer and inner vertical sections of gutters of the vehicle;

the exterior plate of each side block has an upper end section protruding outwardly of the vehicle and in a substantially horizontal direction;

the bottom section of each gutter is connected to the upper end section of said side block exterior by spot welding;

at least one of the upper end of a joint connected to the upper end of an inner side of the framework of each side block and an upper end of each longitudinal beam is connected to the framework of said roof block by fastening means which enables connecting operations to be conducted solely from an inner side of the operations to be conducted solely from an inner side of the vehicle, the upper end of said joint being connected to the upper end of the longitudinal beam; and

said fastening means are disposed between the interior plate of each side block and an interior plate of said roof block, a third internal plate being arranged between said two interior plates.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said upper end section of said side block exterior plate has an end extremity extending upwardly to overlap an outer vertical section of an associated gutter and is connected thereto by spot welding which constitutes said connecting means.

6. A method of producing a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

producing a roof block including an external plate forming a roof of the vehicle, an interior plate and a framework between said external and internal plates, said roof block external plate having end portions shaped to form at least a part of gutters of the vehicle, each gutter extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and having a bottom and outer and inner vertical sections;

producing side blocks each including an exterior plate forming a side of the vehicle, an interior plate, a framework disposed therebetween and a longitudinal beam connected to an upper end section of said side block exterior plate and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

assembling the thus produced side blocks and roof block such that an upper end portion of each side block exterior plate extends upwardly in overlapping relationship with the outer vertical section of one of said gutters and such that said side block longitudinal beams and those portions of said roof block which form said gutters are overlapped with each other;

connecting together, after said assembling step, the thus overlapped side block longitudinal beams and said roof block portions, by spot welding which enables connecting operations to be conducted solely from an exterior side of the vehicle;

connecting together, after said assembly step, upper sections of the frameworks of said side blocks and the framework of said roof block by connecting operations conducted interiorly of the vehicle; and

providing, after said step of connecting the upper sections of said side block frameworks and said roof block frame work, a third interior plate between the interior plate of each side block and the roof block interior plate.