Method of shipping automobiles, railcar for shipping automobiles, and method of manufacturing railcars
US8302538B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 21, 2009 |
| Grant date | Nov 6, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 23, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49716
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method of shipping automobiles, a railcar for shipping automobiles, and a method of manufacturing railcars for shipping automobiles. The method comprises, among other steps, determining a distribution of vehicle heights for passenger cars sold within a predetermined area and a predetermined time period; assessing weight, bottom clearance, length, width and Cg for the passenger cars; and transporting the passenger cars on a plurality of single-unit tri-level auto rack railcars, each comprising a flat car and a fixed-deck rack built on the flat car. Each of the railcars has (a) three decks which are fixed along their entire lengths and which are capable of transporting in commercial rail service over 90% of passenger cars manufactured in the predetermined area and predetermined time period with a load factor of at least 15 with minimum vertical clearances of between 64 and 66 in. to accommodate the vehicle heights of the passenger cars, while also accommodating at least 3 in. of vertical displacement of the vehicles on their suspension systems on all three decks, and (b) substantially horizontal deck configurations to meet ground clearance requirements for the passenger cars on all…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.