A Lift Deck for. Automobile Freight Cars 



It doubles the automobile capacity of a car and 

 does not interfere with the shipping of other goods 



IN shipping automobiles in car load lots 

 at the present time, a temporary deck 

 or floor is built within the car at the 

 time of each shipment. On this, one row of 

 automobiles is placed above another row 

 loaded on the main floor of the car. In 

 this way the capacity of the car is prac- 

 tically doubled. But this method of utiliz- 

 ing space is expensive and it injures the 

 car to have the decks continually in- 

 stalled and removed. Consequently the 

 automobile shipper is up against a serious 

 problem. 



Joseph C. Youngblood, of Atwood, Kan- 

 sas, has invented a lift deck which seems 

 to meet all requirements. The mechanism 

 necessary to operate the deck will in no 

 way interfere with the shipping of goods 

 other than automobiles. The 

 deck can be lowered to the 

 car floor so that automobiles 

 can be loaded upon it with 

 ease. It can then be raised 

 to its elevated position and 

 automobiles loaded into the 

 lower portion of the car with- 

 out interfering with it. 



The lift deck is raised by 

 means of pistons traveling 

 within four cylinders. The 

 lower ends of the four cylin- 

 ders extend below the car 

 floor and are connected with 

 a pipe that extends to a tank 

 containing oil and a pump. 



Position of automobile when 

 raised.onjift deck 



Lifting 



mechanism 



Automobile unde 



raised deck 



The upper lift deck for 

 automobiles and the 

 mechanism that elevates it 



An electric motor and the pump which ii 

 operates are contained in a separate com- 

 partment carried under the car floor. The 

 oil supply tank is situated next to the pump. 

 When the deck is to be raised the motor 

 is started and the pump forces oil from the 

 storage tank into the pipe line and thence 

 into the cylinders to force the pistons up- 

 ward. When the deck, with its load of 

 automobiles, has been raised to its upper- 

 most position, pins are inserted in the cylin- 

 ders to hold the deck permanently in 

 position. This prevents any possible back- 

 flow of the oil from the cylinders and re- 

 lieves the cylinders and pipe line from 

 continued pressure. When the deck is to 

 be lowered, the pins are removed to permit 

 the free movement of the piston rods. 

 After reaching its destina- 

 tion the car can be unloaded 

 without any additional equip- 

 ment or tools. The automo- 

 biles on the car floor are first 

 removed and when they are 

 all out the upper deck is 

 lowered and the cars on it 

 removed as were the cars on 

 the deck floor. Spaced floor 

 plates support the automo- 

 biles while they are being 

 shipped, but wooden beams 

 can be substituted. The sup- 

 ply tank, pumps and motor 

 may be placed in any part of 

 the car that is convenient. 



The lift deck takes the place of the expensive temporary upper deck and does not interfere with the 

 carrying of goods other than automobiles. It can be raised or lowered in a minimum of time 



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