US4091743A — Floor structure for refrigerated vehicles

Claim 1

Independent Claim 262 words

A modular flooring for a refrigerated railcar, automotive truck or the like of the type having a closed body with front and rear ends, a ventilating apparatus for directing air down along at least one said end, and flooring support apparatus underlying the body, the improvement comprising: elongated multiple interconnected modular flooring units fastened to said flooring support apparatus and each unit having a plurality of upwardly opening ducts and horizontal webs, the webs being interconnected by sidewalls of the ducts which diverge upwardly from bottom walls and run substantially the entire length of the body for providing ventilation passages below a load supported on the flooring units, interconnecting joints for connecting adjacent units, said interconnecting joints including a fixed web having a first horizontal load-carrying surface overlying and being fixed to a duct sidewall at an end of a flooring unit, said web having a downwardly opening recess terminating above the flooring support apparatus and formed by a curved downwardly and laterally outwardly extending guide flange and an inwardly curved end flange, the adjacent duct sidewall of a duct at the end of an adjacent modular flooring unit having an upper enlarged lip positioned within said recess for releasably joining the duct and the web of the adjacent units together and supporting the web of the adjacent duct as its sole point of contact with said first unit, at least one of said ducts of each modular flooring unit having an ear extending laterally from an outside lower end of a duct for fastening the ducts to said flooring support apparatus.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 262 words

A modular flooring for a refrigerated railcar, automotive truck or the like of the type having a closed body with front and rear ends, a ventilating apparatus for directing air down along at least one said end, and flooring support apparatus underlying the body, the improvement comprising: elongated multiple interconnected modular flooring units fastened to said flooring support apparatus and each unit having a plurality of upwardly opening ducts and horizontal webs, the webs being interconnected by sidewalls of the ducts which diverge upwardly from bottom walls and run substantially the entire length of the body for providing ventilation passages below a load supported on the flooring units, interconnecting joints for connecting adjacent units, said interconnecting joints including a fixed web having a first horizontal load-carrying surface overlying and being fixed to a duct sidewall at an end of a flooring unit, said web having a downwardly opening recess terminating above the flooring support apparatus and formed by a curved downwardly and laterally outwardly extending guide flange and an inwardly curved end flange, the adjacent duct sidewall of a duct at the end of an adjacent modular flooring unit having an upper enlarged lip positioned within said recess for releasably joining the duct and the web of the adjacent units together and supporting the web of the adjacent duct as its sole point of contact with said first unit, at least one of said ducts of each modular flooring unit having an ear extending laterally from an outside lower end of a duct for fastening the ducts to said flooring support apparatus.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 19 words

The flooring of claim 1, said flooring supporting apparatus including insulation extending up within said webs between the ducts.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 243 words

A modular floor for a refrigerated vehicle comprising multiple floor sections each having first and second upwardly opening ducts each having upwardly and outwardly extending sidewalls joined by a flat bottom wall and interconnected by a first horizontal upper web, a second horizontal upper web extending laterally outwardly of a sidewall at the end of said second duct and terminating in a first coupling half, and said first duct having a second coupling half at the upper end of a sidewall of the opposite end of the duct interconnectable to the upper end of the first coupling half of an adjacent floor section whereby numerous floor sections can be fitted together to form a floor with the joints disposed at the upper ends of the floor out of the path of flushing water, said first coupling half having a downwardly opening recess concealed from above and formed by by the second upper web a downwardly and outwardly curved guide flange and an inwardly curved end flange, said second coupling half having an enlarged bead of a dimension greater than the gap between the end flange and guide flange in the plane of a duct sidewall so that the bead is removed from within an adjacent recess only by rotating the bead away from the recess whereby interconnected sections are tightly locked against relative vertical movement and whereby the first and second coupling halves form the only point of contact between adjacent floor sections.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 243 words

A modular floor for a refrigerated vehicle comprising multiple floor sections each having first and second upwardly opening ducts each having upwardly and outwardly extending sidewalls joined by a flat bottom wall and interconnected by a first horizontal upper web, a second horizontal upper web extending laterally outwardly of a sidewall at the end of said second duct and terminating in a first coupling half, and said first duct having a second coupling half at the upper end of a sidewall of the opposite end of the duct interconnectable to the upper end of the first coupling half of an adjacent floor section whereby numerous floor sections can be fitted together to form a floor with the joints disposed at the upper ends of the floor out of the path of flushing water, said first coupling half having a downwardly opening recess concealed from above and formed by by the second upper web a downwardly and outwardly curved guide flange and an inwardly curved end flange, said second coupling half having an enlarged bead of a dimension greater than the gap between the end flange and guide flange in the plane of a duct sidewall so that the bead is removed from within an adjacent recess only by rotating the bead away from the recess whereby interconnected sections are tightly locked against relative vertical movement and whereby the first and second coupling halves form the only point of contact between adjacent floor sections.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 27 words

The floor of claim 3, at least one duct of each set having a lower horizontal fastening ear adapted to secure the section to a support surface.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1981-05-29	1981-11-28	1982-05-30	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1985-05-29	1985-11-28	1986-05-30	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1989-05-29	1989-11-28	1990-05-30	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Floor structure for refrigerated vehicles

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