Patent attributes
An autorack railroad car has decks that are movably reconfigurable between tri-level and bi-level configurations. They are also movable to permit greater vertical clearance room for loading the main deck. The decks may be constrained to a single degree of freedom of motion, namely in the vertical direction, by guides that run along the vertical side posts of the car. The decks may include a passive counterbalance transmission linking the mid-level and upper level decks, such that the decks counterbalance each other when the decks are moved between the various positions. There is a separate, independent drive provided to move the decks. The drive may include scissor jacks. More than one scissor jack may share a common drive axis and shafting arrangement. The drive is operable from a trackside accessible drive distribution point. A secondary lock system is provided to prevent the decks from moving inopportunely.
