Reversible foot for railway hopper car inclined braces

Claim 1

A reversible foot for connecting to a railway hopper car crossridge the lower end of an inclined brace, said foot being a metal forging arched transversely to fit over a crossridge and having holes in its opposite sides for fasteners to hold it in place, the foot having a central vertical opening therein extending lengthwise of the foot for receiving the lower end of an inclined brace, said opening having spaced inclined end walls converging upwardly at two different predetermined angles for location beside the opposite inclined surfaces of the lower end of a brace in said opening inclined at one of said angles, with an end wall of said opening disposed substantially parallel to the upper inclined surface of the lower end of the brace, the inclination of the other of said end walls being such that if the shoe is turned end for end to receive a different brace inclined at the other of said predetermined angles said other end wall will lie substantially parallel to the upper inclined surface of the lower end of said different inclined brace, and the foot being adapted to be welded to the lower end of whichever inclined brace is disposed in said opening.