Railway car body structures and method of making them

• US 5,685,229 A
• Filed: 05/31/1995
• Issued: 11/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Okazaki, Masato, Okumoto, Yoshinao, Kimura, Kengi, Horihata, Katsutoshi, Ohara, Mamoru, Takeichi, Michifume, Hattori, Morishige
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Application Number:
  US08/455,567
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 105/396, 105/397, 105/400, 105/401, 105/404, 105/409, 296/191, 296/187, 296/203, 296/197
• US Class Current: 105/397
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 17/04 with bodies of metal; with composite, e.g. metal and wood body structures
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 17/041 with bodies characterised by use of light metal, e.g. aluminium B61D17/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 17/043 connections between superstructure sub-units for road vehicles B62D27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 17/045 The sub-units being construction modules modular super-structures for vehicles carrying a large number of passengers B62D31/025
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 17/08 Sides
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 17/10 Floors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

A railway car body structure is provided which includes an underframe, first and second side structural units and a roof structural unit. Each of the first and second side structural units and the roof structural unit include at least one plate member, each plate members being formed by joining two surface materials, a core material and binding materials through metal-to-metal brazing. The first side structural units is joined to the roof structural unit by a first extruded element, while the second side structural unit is joined to the roof structural unit by a second extruded element. With this construction an extremely strong, yet light, railway car body structure is achieved.

Claims

1. A railway car body structure comprising an underframe, first and second side structural units, and a roof structural unit, wherein each of said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit include a plurality of plate members, each of said plate members being formed by joining two surface members, a core material and binding materials through metal-to-metal brazing, each of said plate members joined together in end-to-end relationship by welding to respectively form said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit, wherein said first side structural unit is joined to the roof structural unit by a first extruded element, and wherein said second side structural unit is joined to said roof structural unit by a second extruded element, wherein each of the first and second extruded elements are located in a longitudinal direction of the car body structure, and wherein said first extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said first side structural unit to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein said second extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said second side structural element to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein each of said first and second extruded elements are hollow, and each of said hollow first and second extruded elements includes an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface of the first extruded element joins an inner surface of the first side structural unit with an inner surface of the roof structural unit to form a joint portion with a smooth inner surface, and wherein the inner surface of the second extruded element joins an inner surface of the second side structural unit with the inner surface of the roof structural unit to form a joint portion with a smooth inner surface, and wherein the outer surface of the first extruded element joins an outer surface of the first side structural unit with an outer surface of the roof structural unit to form a joint portion With a smooth outer surface, and wherein the outer surface of the second extruded element joins an outer surface of the second side structural unit with the outer surface of the roof structural unit to form a joint portion with a smooth outer surface.

2. A railway car body structure comprising an underframe, first and second side structural units, a roof structural unit, and first and second end structural units, wherein each of said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit include a plurality of plate members, each of said plate members being formed by joining two surface members, a core material and binding materials through metal-to-metal brazing, each of said plate members joined together in end-to-end relationship by welding to respectively form said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit, wherein said first side structural unit is joined to the roof structural unit by a first extruded element, and wherein said second side structural unit is joined to said roof structural unit by a second extruded element, wherein each of the first and second extruded elements are located in a longitudinal direction of the car body structure, and wherein said first extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said first side structural unit to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein said second extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said second side structural unit to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein each of the first and second extruded elements are hollow in a longitudinal direction of the car body structure, and each of said hollow first and second extruded elements includes an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface of the first extruded element joins an inner surface of the first side structural unit with an inner surface of the roof structural unit to form a joint portion with a smooth inner surface, and wherein the inner surface of the second extruded element joins an inner surface of the second side structural unit with the inner surface of the roof structural unit to form a joint portion with a smooth inner surface, and wherein the outer surface of the first extruded element joins an outer surface of the first side structural unit with an outer surface of the roof structural unit to form a joint portion with a smooth outer surface, and wherein the outer surface of the second extruded element joins an outer surface of the second side structural unit with the outer surface of the roof structural unit to form a joint portion with a smooth outer surface.

3. A railway car body structure comprising an underframe, first and second side structural units, and a roof structural unit, wherein each of said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit include a plurality of plate members, each of said plate members being formed by joining two surface members, a core material and binding materials through metal-to-metal brazing, each of said plate members joined together in end-to-end relationship by welding to respectively form said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit, wherein said first side structural unit is joined to the roof structural unit by a first extruded element, and wherein said second side structural unit is joined to said roof structural unit by a second extruded element, wherein each of the first and second extruded elements are located in a longitudinal direction of the car body structure, and wherein said first extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said first side structural unit to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein said second extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said second side structural unit to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein each of the first and second extruded elements are comprised of a plurality of extruded portions joined together by welding, and wherein each of said extruded portions extends in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the railway car body structure perpendicular to welds joining the plate members of first and second side structural units and the roof structural unit.

4. A railway car body structure according to claim 3, wherein said first extruded element is connected to the plate members forming the first side structural units and the roof structural unit by welding, and wherein said second extruded element is connected to the plate member forming the second side structural units and the roof structural unit by welding.

5. A railway car body structure comprising an underframe, first and second side structural units, a roof structural unit, and first and second end structural units, wherein each of said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit include a plurality of plate members, each of said plate members being formed by joining two surface members, a core material and binding materials through metal-to-metal brazing, each of said plate members joined together in end-to-end relationship by welding to respectively form said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit, wherein said first side structural unit is joined to the roof structural unit by a first extruded element, and wherein said second side structural unit is joined to said roof structural unit by a second extruded element, wherein each of the first and second extruded elements are located in a longitudinal direction of the car body structure, and wherein said first extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said first side structural units to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein said second extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said second side structural unit to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein each of the first and second extruded elements are comprised of a plurality of extruded portions joined together by welding, wherein each of said extruded portions extends in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the railway car body structure perpendicular to welds joining the plate members of first and second side structural units and the roof structural unit.

6. A railway car body structure comprising an underframe, first and second side structural units, and a roof structural unit, wherein each of said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit include a plurality of plate members, each of said plate members being formed by joining two surface members, a core material and binding materials through metal-to-metal brazing, each of said plate members joined together in end-to-end relationship by welding to respectively form said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit, wherein said first side structural unit is joined to the roof structural unit by a first extruded element, and wherein said second side structural unit is joined to said roof structural unit by a second extruded element, wherein each of the first and second extruded elements are located in a longitudinal direction of the car body structure, and wherein said first extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said first side structural unit to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein said second extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said second side structural unit to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein said first extruded element extends in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the railway car body structure, perpendicular to welds joining the plate members forming the first side structural unit and the roof structural unit and wherein said second extruded element extends in the same direction as the first extruded element perpendicular to welds joining the plate members of the second side structural unit and the roof structural unit.

7. A railway car body structure comprising an underframe, first and second side structural units, a roof structural unit, and first and second end structural units, wherein each of said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit include a plurality of plate members, a core material and binding materials through metal-to-metal brazing, each of said plate members joined together in end-to-end relationship by welding to respectively form said first and second side structural units and said roof structural unit, wherein said first side structural unit is joined to the roof structural unit by a first extruded element, and wherein said second side structural unit is joined to said roof structural unit by a second extruded element, wherein each of the first and second extruded elements are located in a longitudinal direction of the car body structure, and wherein said first extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said first side structural unit to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein said second extruded element connects each of said plate members forming said second side structural unit to each of said plate members forming said roof structural unit, wherein said first extruded element extends in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the railway car body structure, perpendicular to welds joining the plate members forming the first side structural unit and the roof structural unit, and wherein the second extruded element extends in the same direction as the first extruded element, perpendicular to welds joining the plate members of the second side structural unit and the roof structural unit.