Split bridge assembly

Claim 1

A LIGHTWEIGHT SPLIT BRIDGE ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH A RAILWAY CAR OF THE LOW SIDE AND OPEN DECK VARIETY, SAID BRIDGE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF BRIDGE PLATE SECTIONS, EACH OF SAID BRIDGE PLATE SECTIONS HAVING A GENERALLY FLAT DECK PORTION WITH A SERIES OF SPACED WEBS DEPENDING THEREFROM, EACH OF SAID WEBS HAVING A TRANSVERSE FLANGE THEREON, FIRST HINGE MEANS JOINING SAID BRIDGE PLATE SECTIONS FOR PIVOTING MOVEMENT FROM A POSITION OF ENDWISE ABUTMENT TO A POSITION OF BEING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, SECOND HINGE MEANS JOINING ONE OF SAID BRIDGE PLATE SECTIONS TO SAID CAR, AT LEAST ONE BRACKET DISPOSED BELOW SAID FIRST HINGE MEANS, SAID BRACKET HAVING NE END OF EACH OF A PAIR OF TRUSS RODS PIVOTABLY CONNECTED THERETO, THE OTHER END OF EACH OF SAID TRUSS RODS EXTENDING BETWEEN ADJACENT WEBS ON EACH OF SAID BRIDGE PLATE SECTIONS, ANTIFICTION MEANS HOLDING THE OTHER END OF EACH OF SAID TRUSS RODS IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID ADJACENT WEBS AND STOP MEANS IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID ANTIFRICTION MEANS TO LIMIT THE SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID TRUSS RODS TOWARDS SAID FIRST HINGE MEANS WHEN SAID BRIDGE PLATE SECTIONS ARE IN THE GENERALLY PARALLEL POSITION WHEREBY SAID TRUSS RODS SERVE TO REINFORCE SAID BRIDGE PLATE ASSEMBLY.