Railway tank hopper car

Claim 1

In a railroad tank car for use in handling dry bulk commodities including a pair of bolster assemblies secured to longitudinally spaced wheel truck assemblies for supporting the car, an improved car body structure mounted on and secured to said bolster assemblies, comprising: a. a pair of V-shaped hopper sections sloping downwardly from each end of the car to meet at the center of the car, said hopper sections having side walls which increase in length as they extend towards the center of the car; b. a pair of asymmetric truncated cone sections secured adjacent to the corresponding upper edges of each of said hopper sections and to each other at the center of the car, said cone sections having an increasing diameter as they extend toward the center of the car; c. a pair of end sections secured adjacent the outer edges of said hopper section and said cone section; d. a plurality of substantially vertical longitudinally spaced apart first stiffener members secured to the outer surfaces of said hopper section side walls; e. longitudinally extending second stiffener members secured to said first stiffener members adjacent the intersection between said hopper sections and said cone sections; and f. a plurality of substantially horizontal longitudinally spaced tie members which extend transversely across said hopper section and pass through said side walls for attachment at their respective ends to said second stiffener members.