Importance

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Abstract

A freight car is constructed with an undercarriage having a flat cargo floor and with an upright fixed end wall at each end of the floor. A gantry in the form of an arch extends upwardly from the floor substantially centrally between the end walls and a hood support rail extends between the fixed end walls on each side of the floor. The space above the floor is covered by a hood which is of a length to extend between the gantry and one end wall and which includes a roof portion which overlies the gantry and the one end wall and side wall portions which extend downwardly from each side of the roof. The side wall portions carry rollers or casters which are engageable with the rail for supporting the hood for movement along the rail. The hood may be moved when it is in an open position along the rail for example to completely uncover the space between the gantry and one end wall. Two hoods are advantageously employed, each of which is movable along the rail when they are positioned in an opened position but only alternatively. When they are in a closed position an actuator lifts the side wall of the hood upwardly to move the casters off the rail and to move the side wall inwardly toward the edge of the floor into a closed position.

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First Claim