1,644,278 Oct. 4, 1927. R. T. ROMINE BRACING APPARATUS POR SHEET METAL Filed fug.22, 1926 5 Sheote-Sheot 1 L6G. LZ a T mez Tnvertor: Robert To Revnine FY ~ypankiod, Glouy, Crpband o Bke my Atorneys.1,644,278 R. T, ROMINE BRACING APPARATUS FOR SUBBT METAL Oct. 4, 1927. 5 Shoets-Sheet 2 Robect T. Romine FY padded, lies, Copeland + Bike ma Mtorneys. Ee [ez 4 or Eoa, Oz “rapt o> | 2 22! Chee Ze oe1,644,278 Oct. 4, 1927, R. T. ROMINE. 2 BRACING APPARATUS FOR SHERT METAL Filed Aug. 21, 1926 3 Shoots-Sheet 3 27 26a 26 2a" “25 29a /27 Lg. 3 27a 276 23 22 a a 20 20 D Ga 29. LO 2. oa 96 29 Ib ‘Zo Tig. & 20 17 22 27 a 27 32 a2 go 27, 33 oS 27a 2a va . 9-4 FOG. 5 2 2g INL 9b 15 28 26a 2g 2o 7 260 26b 7? i727 * so 9 Ga 9. 9 Snventor: x IF an) fz 87 Robust Te Rovnene ‘S198 by : mane FY rg led, Catn Capelerd + B-ke ma TitorneysPatented Oct. 4, 1927. UNITED STATES 1,644,278 PATENT OFFICE. ROBERT T. ROMINE, OF MOUNT CLEMENS, MICHIGAN. BRACING APPARATUS FOR SHEET METAL. Application fled August 11, 1926, Serial Wo. 128,509, ‘This invention relates to a method for bracing or crating metal sheets in stacks in freight, cars, for shipment therein, and to apparatus whereby the method may be car- 65 ried out in a practicable and eficient manner, ‘An object of the invention is to provide a anethod and apparatus for binding ot lamp, ing stacks of metal sheets on the floor of a Freight car wherein the individual sheets of the stack will be held against relative movement, thus enabling the stack to remain intact during transit. ‘A further object of the invention is to provide a method of bracing or binding the 5 stack of metal sheets which will be relatively imple and inexpensive, and in which the ‘ing apparatus will be re- thereby resulting in a considerable saving ‘in freight rates ‘when 20 returning the apparatus’ to the steel mill. ‘An important purpose, therefore, is to pro- Vide a strong, efficient, and relatively simple apparatus for bracing or securing the sheets in stacks within the car to resist any tend- ency of the stack or individual sheets to become displaced, while at the same time re~ ducing toa minimum the weight of the app: ratus. ‘Another object of the invention is to re- sist relative movement of the metal sheets during transit by frictional engagement of the edges of the sheets, and more particular- ly the edges extending lengthwise of the car, and under pressure, The invention in its more specific application, shown for the pur- poses of illustration herein, provides for frictional engagement of the opposite edges ‘of the metal sheets under pressure, and still more specifically of the opposite’ edges ot the sheets of a pack in which the sheets are stacked flatwise, Other objects of this invention will ap- pear in the following description and ap- pended claims, reference being had to the ac- companying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference charac- ters designate corresponding parts in the several views. Tn the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing two stacks of sheet metal at one end of a freight car, and illustrating the manner in which the’ stacks are handled in units. Fig. 2 is a side elevation illustrating a 10 45 stack of metal sheets braced or clamped in accordance with my invention, Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken sub- stantially on line 3—3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken sub- stantially on line 4—4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5, Fig 2 ‘ig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the bottom gripping plates. Before explaining in detail the present in vention, and the method or mode of oper- ation embodied therein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its ap- plication to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the ac- companying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various way Also, it is to be understood that the phrase- ology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limita~ tion, and it is not intended to limit the in- vention beyond the terms of the several claims hereto appended or the requirements of the prior art, ‘The handling and shipment of metal sheets, such as steel, has always involved seri- ous difficulties and’disndvantages due to the fact that the sheets shift or break loose on the car floor, causing great damage to the cars and damaging the sheets to such an ex- tent as to render them defective. The cars during transit are subjected to collisions and shocks, frequently of a very severe charac- ter, resulting in extreme shifting of the metal sheets on the car floor, and often the sheets are driven against the walls of the car with such force as to smash them out, ‘Tn accordance with other inventions of mine described in Patents 1,615,812 and 1,- 615,813, granted January 25, 1927, T have provided methods and apparatus for loading and unloading sheet metal in stacks or bun- des, without any manual handling of the separate sheets as heretofore. For instance, 8 freight car of normal forty tons capacity is londed by carrying bodily into the car and depositing therein successive approxi- mately 10-ton stacks of metal, and the car at its destination is unloaded by picking up each 10-ton stack as a unit and carrying it out of the car, Thus, none of the sheets are separately touched or handled during 65, 80 100 10810 6 35 40 45 50 {he loading and unlonding operations. ‘Very important advantages and large savings aro ‘obtained by these methods, not only to the railroad companies, but to’the manufactur- ers and consumers, In shipping sheet metal with the sheets of each stack or pack piled flatwise, one of the greatest difficulties, as determined by actual tests, has been to maintain a heavy stack of metal, such as ten tons in weight, against bodily movement as a result of very severe collisions or shocks to which the ear is subjected. Where buttresses are placed against the ends of the stack and if the stack commences to move or a whipping action is set: up, either the buttresses will be damaged by impact of the sheets, or the entire stack will shift on the floor, or if the sheets are held, they will become crimped rom impact, with or from striking against the buttresses. “Another difficulty encountered in shipping the sheets flatwise has been the tendency of the sheets in the middle of the stack to shift or “choot out” relatively to the top and bot. tom of the stack in a direction lengthwise of the car. . ‘The foregoing difficulties have been over- come by virtue of the present invention, in which I have conceived the idea of providing means for frictionally gripping the longi tudinal edges of the sheets or the opposite side edges running lengthwise of the car, so that not only the outer portions of the stack will remain intact, but also the central portions. By accomplishing this, the stack ‘will arrive at its destiation sufficiently in- tact to facilitate the use of my stack lifter in the car to lift the stack onto the load- elevating platform of a lift truck, or other device for conveying the stack bodily out of the car. The frictional action, above referred to, is preferably developed by means of relatively softer material than the metal sheets, such as wood, the friction material being positive- ly pressed into engagement with the edges of the sheets, and arranged in such manner with respect to the edges of the sheets that the latter are embedded in the material dur- ing transit, ‘This embedding may result not only from the initial pressure engaging the material and sheet edges, but also as a result, of the vibratory motion of the sheets whether arranged flatwise as shown herein, or edge- wise as shown in my co-pending applica- tions, Serial No. 118,061, filed June 23, 1926, and ‘Serial No. 141,183, filed October 12, 1926, the broad claims covering this generi idea'as common to both flatwise and edge- wise loading being embodied in this « ‘The bracing or clamping apparatus, in its present preferred form, includes a pair of angle bars 9 positioned at the opposite lower longitudinal corners of the stack of sheets S. Each metal angle ber 9 is preferably ap- 1,644,978 yroximately the length of the stack and con- Rhes the opposite lower corners of the stack. Secured to the bottom flange 9° of each angle 9 and spaced therefrom by means of a wood spacer member 10, is a steel gripping plate 11. This plate has substantially the same width as the flange 9° and substantially the same length. Each end of the gripping plate or bar 11s bent up at 12 and then out- wardly to form an attaching flange 13, and the flanges 13 at opposite ends of the bar 11 are riveted at 14 to the opposite ends of the flange 9° of each angle bar 9. ‘The bar 11 is also riveted at intervals along its Iength at 15 to the bottom flange 9°, and these rivets are countersunk, ag shown in Figs. 2 and 5, to provide a smooth surface at the upper face of the flange 9%. ‘The gripping bar 11 is formed with a multiplicity of downwardly extending projections or cleats 17, and these are formed by means of a die which is oper- ated to press or punch out the metal at 16 to form the triangular or relatively sharp wedge-shaped projections 17, Tt will be noted that the alternate pairs of projections M7 (see Fig. 2), are inclined in opposite di- rections, or extend in converging relation, and these projections, due to the weight of the stack, will become embedded in the floor of the car, And since alternate sets of the projections are inclined in opposite diree- tions, the stack will be held against displac ment’ on the ear floor in opposite directions. The wood spacer member 10 preferably terminates somewhat short of the bent por- tion 12 at each end of the gripping plate, forming guide spaces 18 through exch of which is passed a steel cable 19 adjacent each end of the stack. “Each eable 19 at each end of the stack passes around underneath the stack, and at opposite ends is provided with Joops 20 attached to relatively large eye-links 21. Connected to the links 21 and at oppo- site sides of the stack are chains 22 and 23 which pass over the top of the stack and are connected together by means of a turnbuckle 24. This turnbuckle comprises a pair of threaded turnbuckle rods 25 and 26 termi nating respectively in grab hooks 25* and 26%. "The body of the chains 22 and 23 may be adjustably connected within the bite of the grab hooks and the turnbuckle operated so as to tighten the chains and eables around the stack. Interposed between the sets of chains 22 and 23 at the upper longitudinal edges of the stack are a pair of angle bars 27 prefer- ably similar to the angle bars 9 at the lower corners of the stack. The angle bars 27 have the same length as the lower angle bars and embrace or confine the opposite upper longitudinal corners of the stack. Intermediate the pair of flexible cable d ces for tving together the sheets at oppo- site ends of the stack, and for clamping the 0 6 80 85 90 95 100 105 0 us 120 120