Railway tank car

Claim 1

A RAILWAY TANK CAR COMPRISING A GENERALLY CYLINDRIC-LIKE BODY SHELL, A BOLSTER STRUCTURE ADJACENT EACH END OF THE BODY SHELL HAVING A CRADLE SECURED TO THE BODY SHELL, A STUB CENTER SILL STRUCTURE ADJACENT EACH END OF THE CAR EXTENDING INWARDLY BEYOND THE BOLSTER STRUCTURE, A COUPLER AND DRAFT GEAR STRUCTURE CARRIED BY EACH CENTER SILL STRUCTURE, A SADDLE PLATE SECURED BETWEEN EACH STUB CENTER SILL STRUCTURE AND THE BODY SHELL AND EXTENDING INWARDLY BEYOND THE CENTER SILL STRUCTURE, SAID SADDLE PLATE BEING GENERALLY ARCUATE AND CONFORMING TO THE OUTER ADJACENT SURFACE OF THE BODY SHELL, SAID SADDLE PLATE EXTENDING INWARDLY BEYOND THE INNER END OF SAID ADJACENT STUB CENTER SILL STRUCTURE AND HAVING AN INNER END PORTION OF A REDUCED CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA, SAID END PORTION HAVING OPPOSED SIDE EDGES CONVERGING INWARDLY OF THE CAR IN A STRAIGHT LINE DIRECTION TO PROVIDE A GRADUAL DECREASE IN WIDTH OF THE END PORTION, SAID END PORTION TERMINATING INWARDLY OF THE CAR IN A TRANSVERSE EDGE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE LONGITUDINAL CENTERLINE OF SAID CAR AND CONNECTING SAID SIDE EDGES, SAID SADDLE PLATE BEING WELDED ALONG SAID OPPOSED SIDE EDGES TO SAID BODY SHELL, AND A MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID TRANSVERSE EDGE BEING UNSECURED TO THE BODY SHELL THEREBY TO MINIMIZE STRESS CONCENTRATIONS ALONG SAID TRANSVERSE EDGE AND TO PERMIT STRESS TO BE DISSIPATED PRIMARILY ALONG SAID WELDED OPPOSED SIDE EDGES.