DETERMINING PATTERNS OF THE VERTICAL LOAD ON A COVERED WAGON ROOF WITH A FRAME IN THE FORM OF A TRIANGULAR ARCH.

The object of this paper is the processes of perception and redistribution of loads in the roof of a railroad covered wagon with a frame in the form of a triangular arch. To reduce the tare of the covered wagon, it is proposed to improve the structure of its roof. A feature of this improvement is that the roof frame is made in the form of a triangular arch with a reinforcing belt. This contributes to the reduction of the total mass of the roof compared to a typical structure. The selection of execution profiles of the beams forming the arch is carried out according to the maximum values of the moments that act in their cross-section. Taking into account the chosen profile of the arches, the calculation of the strength of the roof when it receives vertical loads was carried out. It was established that the strength of the roof under the considered load schemes is within the permissible stress values. Since the improvement of the roof structure contributes to the reduction of its weight by 1.8 % compared to the prototype, the movement of the covered wagon was evaluated under conditions of moving while empty. To this end, a mathematical modeling of the load of the covered wagon in the vertical plane during its movement along the joint unevenness was carried out. On the basis of the performed calculation, it was established that the movement of the wagon is assessed as “good”. Special feature of the results is that the reduction of the tare of the supporting structure of the wagon was achieved by improving its roof, as the least loaded unit. The field of practical application of the results is railroad transport, including other areas of mechanical engineering. The conditions for the practical use of the results are a symmetrical roof load scheme in operation. The results of this research could contribute to advancements related to the design of modern structures of freight cars with improved technical and economic indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]