US2669944A - Railway car truck construction - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 23, 1954 F. H. SPENNER 2,669,944

RAILWAY CAR TRUCK CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 6, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 3.

26 INVENTOR.

FREp H. SPENNER BY Feb. 23, 1954 P N ER 2,669,944

RAILWAY CAR TRUCK CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-She et 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1950 INVENTOR.

H. SP 5 N N ER Patented Feb. 23, 1954 RAILWAY CAR TRUCK CONSTRUCTION Fred H. Spenner, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Scullin Steel 00., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application December 6, 1950, Serial No. 199,441

The present invention relates generally to railway car truck constructions and more particularly to a truck construction which is concerned with improving the riding and tracking characteristics thereof.

An important object of this invention is to provide a car truck in which the bolster is adapted to accommodate means for snubbing the relative motion between the truck side frame and the bolster.

It is a further important object of the present invention to provide means for obtaining a constant snubbing action during both compression and rebound action in the springs which support the bolster, whereby there is obtained'improved control over the vertical,lateral and longitudinal motion of the bolster.

Still another object is to arrange spring actuated snubbing means in cooperation with a car truck bolster so that the springs are not affected by the weight of the snubbing means whereby the force of the springs is substantially constant during operating conditions of the car truck.

The invention comprehends the provision of a car truck having side frames with bolster openings between vertical columns, and a bolster member spring supported in the side frame opening, and formed with laterally opening pockets within which are operatively mounted snubbing means of spring actuated type for cooperation with the vertical columns in opposing bolster movement. The invention further comprehends the arrangement of the spring actuated snubbing means in the longitudinal plane of the bolster so that the springs in the snubber assembly may operate independently of the weight of the snubbing means or elements thereof.

The invention also includes the arrangement of bolster pockets which are adapted to open laterally in positions adjacent side frame column members on which friction wear plates are mounted so that the snubbing means mounted within the bolster pockets may effectively contact the side frame column members to produce the frictional snubbing action desired between the bolster and side frame members.

The invention further includes the herein described cooperating parts of the car truck side frame, the bolster member having the particular arrangement or bolster pockets and the disposition of the snubbing means within the bolster pockets, together with the arrangement of snubbing means or defining walls of the bolster 1 Claim. (01. 105-197) pockets, as will be hereinafter more particularly described.

The advantages of the present invention may be more fully understood from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein: a

Fig. l is a longitudinal side elevational view of a railway car truck showing the side frame and bolster assembly embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevational view of a car truck bolstershown in position in a side frame which, in turn, is disclosed in transverse section, this view being taken at line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged top plan view of a bolster end portion which has been partly broken away to disclose details of the bolster pocket construction and the bolster snubbing means disposed therein. 1

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view in'elevation, showing details of the snubbing means along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a further fragmentary sectional'elevational view of the snubbing means seen along line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view in section, showing in detail a modified construction of snubbing means and bolster pocket arrangement therefor; and r Fig. 7 is a further modification of snubbing means and. bolster pocket which is contemplated within the scope of the invention, this view being a fragmentary top plan view similar to that of Fig. 6.

Referring now in detail to Figs. 1 and 2, the railway car truck includes a side frame l0 having the usual axle journal boxes II at its longitudinal ends for mounting the usual truck wheels I2. The side frame Hi comprises an upper compression member l3, a lower tension member 14 and a pair of laterally spaced, vertically directed column members l5 which, in part, define a bolster opening It for the side frame ID. A bolster I! has its end portion 3 suitably mounted within the side frame opening l6 so that it may be operatively supported by the group of bolster springs l9 carried on the tension member I 4.

, Referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 5; it will be observed that each of the vertically directed column members I5 is formed intermediate its ends with an inwardly projecting portion 20 adapted to carry a friction wear plate 2| fora purpose hereinafter to be pointed out. The end portion I8 of the bolster l1, insertable in the side frame opening l6 below the wear plate projections 20, is formed at its opposite sides with laterally extending lugs 22 and 23 for embracing the column projecting portions 20 in the manner clearly disclosed in Fig. 3. It is to be noted that the outermost laterally projecting lugs 22 extend throughout the vertical depth of the bolster end I8, whereas the innermost lugs 23 are formed at the upper and lower portions of the bolster, as may be seen in Fig. 2.

The lugs 22 and 23 cooperate to permit a limited degree of lateral bolster movement relative to the side frame, however they are adapted to clear the columns l below projections 28 'upon removal of springs I9 to allow assembly of the holster. v

Upon further reference to Fig. 3, the bolster end portion I8 is suitably formed to provide :for the formation of a pair of pockets 24, one of which is shown in :full line section. A description of one such bolster pocket will suffice, since each of the pockets is of similar (form. It .is to be noted, however that the pockets are reversely arranged because they are on opposite sides of the longitudinalcenter line or axis of the bolster. In the construction shown in Fig. 3. :the bolster pocket 24 is provided with a laterally directed opening '25 located between the .endmost lug 22 and-thevertically'zspaced innermost lugs23- The pocket is further provided with a wall portion 26 which divides it trom the adjacent pocket in the opposite side'of the bolster, and with other wall-portions 2Tand28. The wail'portionwacts as the pocket end closure wall, since it is positioned at the outermost end of the bolster. The wall portion 21 forms the inner wall and is loca'ted-oppcsitely to the pocket opening :25. The wall 21 is :seen to he longitudinally crowned or convexly formedto :provide a slight curvaturein the horizontal plane of the bolster H. The Wall is also directed at an acute angle relative to the adjacent face of 'the side frame column :member l5, or more particularly at an acu-teaangle to the face plane of the wear .plate 21 carried :by :this v column.

Operatively mounted within and-carried upon thezbottom wali'or-floor 29 (Fig. 4) of each ofzthe bolster pockets :N there is provided snub'bin-g means (Fig. 3) in the form of a wedge shaped shoe element 30. This wedge or shoe element-.30 is. provided with angularly related friction faces 3-] and 32 which are adapted respectively to trictionally engage the pocket wall portion Zia-n51 the wear plate -21 carried by the sidezframe column member l5. In the present construction of Fig. r3, each -orthe shoe elements vJill is adapted to .be spring pressed into surface-engagement be tween the wear plate 24 and the inner pocket wall 2-! by means of the compression spring Oneend of the spring 33 is maintainedin .operatirve position within the bolster pocket 24 .by means 0f :the :seat projection 34 :carried ton the end closure wall 28. The opposite end of the spring 33 is maintained.intcomectposition with the: friction shoe element fillby means-f athe seat projection 3541501211166. in the .shoe element .on an inner transverse wall or rib -.structure 35..

By the arrangement described, .the :angiilarly disposed spring 33 .serves to iorce the wedge-pr shoe elementB'B against'the wear plateZJ on col uninilfi to produce the desired Ifrict'iona'l snubbing o'f the "bolster movement derived from the compression and rebound flexing of the lbolster =79. At the 'same time, "the spring '33 serves to force the inner face 3| of the wedge 01 shoe element 33 against the angularly directed, longitudinally crowned pocket wall 21, thus yieldably resisting lateral movement of the bolster I! relative to the side frame Ill. The crowned form or convexity of wall 2'! permits angular movement of the holster l'i relative tothe side frame to without cramping or compressing the wedge 38 so that it is incapable of functioning in the manner described.

Referring to the modification of Fig. 6, it can be seen that the bolster pocket 38 is provided with an outer closure wall 39 which is normal to the longitudinal axis of the bolster H, and that wall 49 which is arranged. opposite the lateral pocket opening Al is now constructed to provide a fiat or planar surface 42. The wall to can be seen to be directed at an acute angle relative to the plane of the wear plate 2! carried by side frame column i5. The friction wedge or shoe element 1.53 within pocket 3a is formed with a fl surface '44 for engagement with the wear plate 2.1 and with an angularly related su fa e --45 which. in this instance, is slightly GDHMEX or longitudinally crowned. A compression springilfi is adapted to seat against the pocket-closure wall 39 at the projection 41 and to en age with the shoe element 133 at the spring seat projection 158 formedon an intermediate wall Orstruttfi there of. The spring 46, in this modified arrangement, is positioned with its axis substantially arall l to .the plane of the surface M of .the shoe .element which is in frictional enga ement with the face of the wear plate 2!. This location .of the spring #6 de elops a maximum force -.comp nent in a -directicn normal to theeurface A2 01 th pocket wall to. Therefore, the snubbing action of the wedge or shoe 43 is greatest for movement of the ibolster H laterally of the side frame 110.

Astill furthermodification of the present invention is disclosed in connection with Fig. 7.. In thisconstruotion, the bolster end portion 1.8 is provided with laterally adjacent pockets at. each pocket Seeing termed by an outer angularly directed wall-.5! and an innerclosure wall The pocket is provided witha iateralopenms .5 djacent the .side irame column member at which carries the friction wear plate 2| .--aspreY1-iously noted. The .-angularly directed pocket wall '51 is seen toiorm anacuteaang-le with the plane .of the wear plate 21 rand .the wall itself is provided withafiator pianarsuriace 5.4. A frictionwedge or shoeaelement 55 is operativelymounted within the pocket '55! .tohaveaflatiace or surface them of attic in frictional n agement with the w ar plate'z I. The opposite ansula ily directed suriace 5! "of the shoe elementI55 is'formed with alongitudinal crownfor a purpose already described in connection with the structure shown in Fig. 3. A spring element 58 is adapted "to have one end sea'tedon thei-nner closure W611 '52 of "the pocket 50 at"theseat' projectienfit. The opposite end of thespringfit his positioned the: shoe :element 55 at the projection 160.. arrangement pro duces a:boflstar-ssnuhbingatztion.like ihatior Rig. 3,, ibutathe location-and disposition ofwnarts has been reversed.

.Haizing :now described ne-rtai-n preferred .co-nstructions. inaconneotion with .the nresent :invention,.it willrbem derstoodthat thesprin pressed wedge .or shoeelements cooperate withtheangularly relatedbolsterhocket wall and side irame column friction wearplate to dampen vertical oscillationsof'the bolster supportingspr'ings, and

that .the'springgpressed wedge :or shoe elements at the opposite sides of the bolster also cooperate to resist, in a yielding manner, both lateral and longitudinal movement of the bolster relative to the side frames of the car truck.

The scope of this invention is not to be limited, except as it shall be so required in accordance with the text of the appended claim:

I claim:

In a railway car truck, a side frame having a bolster opening between spaced vertically directed columns, a bolster having its end portion spring supported in said opening, said bolster having a pocket on each side of its longitudinal center line and adjacent the bolster end, each pocket opening adjacent a side frame column and 19 having a paiij of walls in fixed spaced relation and angularly related with the face of the adjacent column and'a wall forming the pocket floor, a shoe element in each pocket having angularly related surfaces frictionally engaging one of said angular pocket walls and the adjacent column face, and spring means bearing on the other of said angular pocket walls and said shoe to hold said shoe in engagement, said shoe being carried on said pocket floor and said spring means being free to exert a substantially constant force on said shoe.

FRED H. SPEN'NER.'

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,257,109 Davidson Sept. 30, 1941 2,365,198 Lehrman Dec. 19, 1944 2,446,506 Barrett et al Aug. -3, 1948 2-650.550 Pierce Sent. 1. 1953

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