US3250231A

US3250231A - Articulated railway truck

Info

Publication number: US3250231A
Application number: US254891A
Authority: US
Inventors: James C Travilla; James B Cunningham
Original assignee: General Steel Industries Inc
Current assignee: Lukens General Industries Inc; General Steel Industries Inc
Priority date: 1963-01-30
Filing date: 1963-01-30
Publication date: 1966-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-10

Description

y 1966 J. c. TRAVILLA ETAL 3,250,231

ARTIGULATED RAILWAY TRUCK Filed Jan. 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTORS JAMES C. TRAvaLLA h r l n JAMES B. CUNMiNGHAM A TTOIPA/EI S FIG. 1.

y 966 J. c. TRAVILLA ETAL 3,250,231

ARTICULATED RAILWAY TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1965 INVENTORS. JAMES C. TRAVILLA AND JAMES B. CUNNINGHAM a al; A???) EVS y 1966 .1. c. TRAVILLA ETAL 3,250,231

ARTICULATED RAILWAY TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 30, 1963 INVENTOR. JAMES C. TEAVILLA AND JAMES B. CUNNlNG AM BY ATTo IVE/S United States Patent 3,250,231 ARTICULATED RAILWAY TRUCK James C. Travilla, Ladue, and James B. Cunningham,

The invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists particularly in a six-wheel freight car truck.

Numerous types of six-wheel freight car trucks of the separate side frame type have been in use for many years, the most common types having a pair of partial side frames at each side supported on the middle axle journal boxes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a six-wheel freight car truck in which the middle axle and one end axle support a complete side frame at each side, and each end of the other end axle supports one end of a partial side frame, the other end of which is supported from the main side frame.

It is a further object to provide a six-wheel freight car truck which is equalized, yet is of simple, light weight, and easily-maintainable construction.

Yet another object is to provide a truck having one full side frameand one partial side frame at each side supported from the full side frame, with the bolsters guidably supported in the full and partial side frame windows, in which some variations in the lengths of the truck center side beams can be accommodated without any modifications of the other truck parts thereby eliminating the necessity of machine finishing the cooperating bolster and truck center surfaces to close tolerances.

The foregoing and additional objects and advantages as will appear from the following description are attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

KG. 1 is a top view of a six-wheel freight car truck FIG. 2 is a side elevation view along line 22 of 7 FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse'vertical sectional view along line 3-3 of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view along line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view along line 55 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the truck embodying the present invention has six wheels I mounted in spaced pairs on axles 3, 4, 5, the ends of which are rotatably received within the usual journal boxes 7.

A pair of cast steel side frames 9, each comprising top chord 11, bottom chord 13 spaced vertically therefrom by longitudinally spaced upright columns 15, and including at its ends downwardly open pedestal jaws 17, fixedly receive, within the latter, journal boxes 7 of end axle 3 and middle axle 4.

Auxiliary or partial side frames 19 each have a top chord 21, a bottom chord 23 vertically spaced therefrom intermediate its ends by upright columns 25 and 26 which are spaced from each other lengthwise of the truck to form, with the top and bottom chords, substantially rectangular windows in the side frame. Longitudinally outwardly of column 25, bottom chord 23 slopes upwardly, to merge with top chord 21 and form, with the latter, downwardly open pedestal jaws 27, in each of which is fixedly received one of the journal boxes 7 on end axle 5. Bottom chord 23 slopes upwardly longitudinally outwardly of column 26, to merge with top chord 21 and therewith form an extension 29 of gen erally downwardly open channel cross section extending ice over the middle axle end of main side frame 9, receiving the end portion of the latter within its downwardly open channel opening, and terminating intermediate the ends of the main side frame.

In the interest of keeping the over-all height of the side frames as low as possible, and at the same time providing the necessary strength in the critical area of the auxiliary side frame extensions 29, they are preferably formed in the manner shown in FIG. 5. The auxiliary side frames are of box section construction with substantially vertical inner and outer walls 31, and top and

bottom walls

33 and 35, respectively. At each end of the windows formed in the auxiliary side frames by columns 25 and 26 and by top chord 21 and bottom chord 23, the bottom chord slopes upwardly toward the adjacent end of the side frame, in the usual manner, as at 37 and 39. The lower edges of the side walls follow slope 39 to nearly the top of the main side frame middle axle pedestal jaw 17, where they curve as at 41 over the main side frame middle axle pedestal jaws 17 to a substantially horizontal position, as at 43, thus clearing the middle axle journal box, and providing the greatest possible vertical depth in the side walls in this region consistent with the necessity of clearing the journal boxes. Bottom wall 35 follows the slope 39 to a point 45 spaced a short distance lengthwise of the truck from the inner extremity of the main side frames, where bottom wall 35 extends substantially vertically upwardly as at 47, in spaced relation to the adjacent end of the main side frame, which it follows generally, by curving as at 49,

and terminates in a nearly horizontal end portion 51, extending well into auxiliary side frame extension 29, and forming with side walls 31 and top wall 33 thereof, a combined box section and channel beam through the critical area where the extension merges with the auxiliary side frame. Further strength is imparted to extensions 29 by the provision of outwardly facing flanges or beads 53 along the lower margins of side walls 31. Auxiliary side frame side walls 31 terminate in depending and extending brackets 55 inboard and outboard respectively of the top chord 11 of main side frame 9, adjacent the window formed therein between top and

bottom chords

11 and 13 and

columns

15, 15, and the auxiliary side frames are supported from top chord 11 of main side frame 9 by a pair of vertical links 57 which are pivoted at their upper ends, by means of pins 59, to an upstanding boss 61 on main side frame top chords 11 and at their lower ends by means of pins 63 to auxiliary side frame brackets 55 so as to support auxiliary side frames 19 at the ends thereof remote from their supporting axle 5 and to accommodate some limited relative movement, lengthwise of the truck, of the main'and auxiliary side frames for purposes which will appear more fully hereinbelow.

In the windows of the main and auxiliary side frames, on the

bottom chords

13 and 23 respectively thereof, are seated coil spring units 65 on which are supported the ends 67 of transverse bolsters 69. To accommodate links 57 and the cooperating extremities 55 of auxiliary side frame extensions 29, the top walls of transverse bolster end portions 67 supported on the main side frames, are semicylindrically depressed, as at 66. Ends 67 of transversed bolsters 69 are provided at their sides with transversely spaced flanges 71, their opposing surfaces and the intervening transverse surfaces of the bolster being faced with suitable wear plates 73 for slidable engagement with similar wear plates 75 on cooperating guide surfaces 77 of the main side frame columns 15 and the auxiliary side frame columns 25 and 25. Transverse bolsters 69 are accordingly vertically movable on spring units 65 relative to the main and auxiliary side frames and by slidable engagement of their flanges and cooperating surfaces with the column guides 77 tend to maintain the truck elements in square with each other. Spring units 65 may be clamped by friction snubbers 78 secured at their opposite ends to brackets 78a on the side frames outboard of the windows and 78b on the protruding ends of bolsters 69.

Body load is transmitted to transverse bolsters 69 by a truck center consisting of a body engaging pivot center plate 79 supported on transverse beams 81 which merge at their ends with longitudinally extending side beams 83, the latter being formed at their end portions with depending opposing transverse flanges 85 arranged to engage opposite sides of transverse bolsters 69. Bolsters 69 are formed with

upstanding abutments

87 and 89 spaced apart transversely of the truck a sufficient distance to receive the end portion of truck center side beams 83 and thereby position the truck center transversely of the truck relative to the transverse bolsters. Bolsters 69 are also formed with brake hanger brackets 88 to provide advantageous sprung support for the truck brake gear.

By the provision of swing links 57 for supporting auxiliary side frames 19 from main side frames 9, any necessity for a machined close tolerance fit of the truck center side beams on the transverse bolsters is eliminated and freer pivotal action, for equalizing purposes, of the auxiliary and main side frames relative to each other is permitted than would be permitted ifthe auxiliary side frame ends were supported directly on the main side frames instead of fromthem, as in the present construction.

The details of the truck may be modified substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway vehicle truck comprising three spaced wheel and axle assemblies including two end assemblies and a middle assembly therebetween, a first pair of separate relatively movable side frames each supported at one end on the middle assembly and at the other end on an end assembly, a second pair of separate relatively movable side frame, means supporting one end of each of said second side frames on one of said first side frames intermediate the ends of the latter, each of said second side frames being supported at its other end on an end assembly other than the one supporting the corresponding first side frame, each of said side frames having spaced opposing transverse surfaces intermediate said assemblies, a bolster comprising a pair of transverse elements positioned between said side frame transverse surfaces and having transverse surfaces in vertically slidable engagement therewith to position the side frames transversely and lengthwise of the truck, said means providing relative pivotal movement of said first and second side frames on each side of the truck on an axis transverse of the truck and relative movement lengthwise of the truck whereby to accommodate the positioning of said bolster elements between the opposing transverse surfaces of said side frames bolster and said side frames.

2. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 1 in which each said individual means comprises a link pivotally connected on axes transverse of the truck respectively to a first side frame and to the second side frame supported thereby the axes being spaced vertically from each other.

3. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 2 in which both pairs of said side frames are of truss shape having vertically spaced top and bottom chords and longitudinally spaced colums' forming, with said chords, a window in each of said side frames intermediate the ends thereof, the pivotal support of said links on said first side frames being from said top chords above said windows, the ends of said second side frames supported from said links being of downwardly open channel cross section overlyingly receiving the top chords of said first side frames.

4. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 3 in which said second side frames are generally of box cross section having spaced side walls and spaced top and bottom walls generally defining the upper and lower limits of said side walls, said bottom walls being recessed upwardly between said side walls adjacent the ends of said first side frames and extending over the top chords thereof, said side walls extending below said bottom walls in the region of said first side frames and forming the sides of said downwardly open channel cross sections.

5. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 2 wherein the ends of said second side frames supported from said links are of downwardly open channel cross section overlyingly receiving part of said first side frames.

6. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 1 in which said bolster is resiliently supported from said first and second side frames respectively intermediate said opposing transverse surfaces of said side frames' 7. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 1 in which said bottom wall terminates short of the end of said extension whereby the end portion of said extension is of a simple channel cross section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,213,206 1/1917 Kadel 196 1,241,105 9/1917 Frindt 105183 1,432,929 10/1922 Webb 105195 2,259,477 10/1941 Meyer 105196 2,530,495 11/ 1950 Waldvogel 105199 EUGENE G. BOTZ, Primary Examiner;

LEO QUACKENBUSH, ARTHUR L. LA POINT,

Examiners.

H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A RAILWAY VEHICLE TRUCK COMPRISING THREE SPACED WHEEL AND AXLE ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING TWO END ASSEMBLIES AND A MIDDLE ASSEMBLY THEREBETWEEN, A FIRST PAIR OF SEPARATE RELATIVELY MOVABLE SIDE FRAMES EACH SUPPORTED AT ONE END ON THE MIDDLE ASSEMBLY AND AT THE OTHER END ON AN END ASSEMBLY, A SECOND PAIR OF SEPARATE RELATIVELY MOVABLE SIDE FRAME, MEANS SUPPORTING ONE END OF SAID SECOND SIDE FRAMES ON ONE OF SAID FIRST SIDE FRAMES INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE LATTER, EACH OF SAID SECOND SIDE FRAMES BEING SUPPORTED AT ITS OTHER END ON AN END ASSEMBLY OTHER THAN THE ONE SUPPORTING THE CORRESPONDING FIRST SIDE FRAME, EACH OF SAID SIDE FRAMES HAVING SPACED OPPOSING TRANSVERSE SURFACES INTERMEDIATE SAID ASSEMBLIES, A BOLSTER COMPRISING A PAIR OF TRANSVERSE ELEMENTS POSI-