Shifting and swinging roof assembly for railway car

Claim 2

A railway car having laterally spaced vertical sidewalls providing an upper discharge opening during inversion of said car, a roof construction supported on said walls comprising a roof including a roof sheet disposed over said opening, first hinge members connected to opposite edges of said sheet, each first hinge member including a vertical wall having a lower inturned hook-shaped flange, second hinge members connected to said sidewalls, each including a vertical wall having an upper hook-shaped flange disposed above said in-turned flanges, a bracket connected to each sidewall adjacent an upper end thereof, said brackets having horizontal surfaces slidingly engaged by said lower hook-shaped flanges supporting said roof for relative lateral shifting movement, said in-turned and out-turned flanges in a substantially upright position being in relative overlapping relation, said roof during inversion of said railway car being shiftable relative to said opening whereby the hinge members on one sidewall engage each other in hooked-together hinging relation and said other hinge members are positioned in relatively spaced-apart relation to permit opening movement of said roof relative to said discharge opening.

Claim 3

The invention in accordance with claim 1, including locating means comprising first guide elements supported on said sidewalls and extending vertically toward said roof sheet, and second guide elements engageable with said first guide elements in relative sliding movement, said locating means supporting said roof against relative longitudinal movement with respect to said discharge opening.

Claim 4

The invention in accordance with claim 2, said first guide elements each including a recess in which each second guide element is disposed.

Claim 5

A railway car having laterally spaced vertical sidewalls, providing an upper discharge opening during inversion of said car, a roof construction supported on said walls comprising a roof sheet disposed over said opening, first hinge members connected to opposite edges of said sheet, each first hinge member including a vertical wall having a lower in-turned arcuate flange, second hinge members connected to said sidewalls each including a vertical wall having an upper out-turned arcuate flange disposed above said in-turned flanges, said roof being supported for relative lateral shifting movement, said in-turned and out-turned flanges in an upright position of said car being in relative overlapping relation, a member each having an arm movably connected to said roof on opposite sides thereof adjacent a first hinge member, a bracket connected to each of said sidewalls, said arms being movable into engageable relation with said brackets for retaining said roof in a closed position, said roof during inversion of said railway car being shiftable relative to said opening whereby the hinge members on one side wall engage each other in interengaging hinging relation and said other hinge members are relatively positioned to permit opening movement of said roof relative to said discharge opening.

Claim 6

A railway car having laterally spaced vertical sidewalls, providing an upper discharge opening during inversion of said car, a roof construction supported on said walls comprising a roof sheet disposed over said opening, first hinge members connected to opposite edges of said sheet, each first hinge member including a vertical wall having a lower in-turned arcuate flange, second hinge members connected to said sidewalls each including a vertical wall having an upper out-turned arcuate flange disposed above said in-turned flanges, said roof being supported for relative lateral shifting movement, said in-turned and out-turned flanges in an upright position of said car being in relative overlapping relation, a member each having an arm movably connected to said roof on opposite sides thereof adjacent a first hinge member, a bracket connected to each of said sidewalls, said arms being movable into engageable relation with said brackets for retaining said roof in a closed position, said roof during inversion of said railway car being shiftable relative to said opening whereby the hinge members on one side wall engage each other in interengaging hinging relation and said other hinge members are relatively positioned to permit opening movement of said roof relative to said discharge opening.

Claim 7

The invention in accordance with claim 4, said brackets each including a horizontal portion projecting outwardly from said sidewalls, and said arms each including a finger in the engageable position being disposed horizontally below and in vertical alignment with said bracket.

Claim 8

The invention in accordance with claim 5, said arms extending horizontally in one position and said fingers extending vertically, and said arms providing means engageable by hoist means whereby said roof may be displaced vertically from said discharge opening.