US3746153A

US3746153A - Ab-type piston assembly shipping package

Info

Publication number: US3746153A
Application number: US00271356A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donnell R Mac
Original assignee: Unity Railway Supply Co Inc
Current assignee: Unity Railway Supply Co Inc
Priority date: 1972-07-13
Filing date: 1972-07-13
Publication date: 1973-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 1990-07-17

Abstract

A shipping package for AB-type railroad air brake piston assemblies incorporates a shipping drum to receive and support the piston assembly in clearance relation to the drum bottom when the head flange is supported on the drum flange. An expansible locking ring is normally loosely captive upon the drum flange and is contractible to compress the flanges into sealing relationship.

Description

{mite States Patent 1 MacDonnell July 17, 1973 i 1 AB-TYPE PISTON ASSEMBLY SHIPPING PACKAGE [75} Inventor: Robert W. MacDonnell, Crete, lll.

Unity Railway Supply Co., lnc., Chicago, lll.

[22] Filed: July 13, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 27l,356

[73] Assignee:

[52] US. Cl. 206/46, 220/5 [51 l 865d 85/00 [58] Field of Search 220/5 R, 5 A;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,193,129 7/1965 Pflueger et al 220/5 R Prir nary Examiner-Samuel B. Rothbcrg Assistant lixaminerjohn M. (askie Altorney- E. Manning..l. Patrick (agney el al.

[57] ABSTRACT A shipping package for AB-type railroad air brake piston assemblies incorporates a shipping drum to receive and support the piston assembly in clearance relation to the drum bottom when the head flange is supported on the drum flange. An expansible locking ring is normally loosely captive upon the drum flange and is contractible to compress the flanges into sealing relationship.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Fignres I Patented July 17, 1973 3,746,153

FIGJ

AB-TYPE PISTON ASSEMBLY SHIPPING PACKAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a shipping package that includes a piston assembly for the well known standardized AB-type air brake system for which detailed service and maintenance instructions are prescribed under the authority of the AAR in connection with the procedures for reconditioning and testing brake cylinder pistons.

In accordance with the standardized maintenance procedures, it is required periodically to remove the brake cylinder pistons and replace them with new or reconditioned parts of the same type. Generally, all cleaning and conditioning of the removed pistons is performed in a central service yard. After being removed from a railroad car, the piston assembly is shipped back to the service yard. After servicing, it is then shipped out to repair tracks for storage until it is needed again. During shipment and storage, the piston assemblies which are required to function precisely and which are required to be free of contaminants are exposed to rough handling, inclement weather and dust and dirt, all of which tends to degrade its internal mechanisms.

In the past, there has been no suitable container provided for protecting the piston assembly during shipment and storage. The fact is that the equipment is frequently protected only by a gunny sack or other fragile wrapping incapable of preventing mechanical damage or contamination. The result of this is that the essential purpose of the extensive and careful maintenance procedures is lost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a shipping package including the brake cylinder piston assembly for an AB-type air brake system is provided to facilitate shipping and storage of the piston assembly. In particular, the piston assembly of the AB-type includes a sleeve, a piston, a head having a circumambient marginal flange facing the piston, and spring means biasing the piston and head apart.

The shipping package of the invention includes an improved container in the form of a shipping drum comprised of a cup-shaped main body having an open end bordered by a circumambient marginal flange of a shape to engage the head flange of the piston assembly in confronting face-to-face relation, the main body of the drum having a depth to afford clearance beneath the piston when the head flange is supported on the drum flange.

To complete the shipping package, locking means are provided for securing the flanges of the head and the shipping drum together. The locking means of the preferred embodiment comprises an open-loop locking ring generally U-shaped in transverse section to define an annular pocket opening inwardly of the ring for re ceiving the flanges edgewise. The ring has confronting opposite ends and releasable clamping means connecting these ends to hold the ring contracted upon the flanges for compressing the same together.

The ring is mounted upon the drum flange normally to be captive thereon. For this purpose, the flange on the drum is of greater diameter than the maximum ID of the locking ring. The maximum ID of the locking ring is greater than the OD of the head flange so that the ringis captive upon the drum flange while allowing free removal of the piston assembly from the shipping package.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show structure embodying preferred features of the present invention and the principles thereof, and what is now considered to be the best mode in which to apply these principles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying-drawings forming a part of the specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. I is an elevational view of a shipping package that includes an AB-type railroad air brake piston assembly, a shipping drum and a clamping ring;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section through the flange re gion of the shipping package and showing a clamping ring in contracted relationship upon the flanges of the piston assembly and shipping drum;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing the locking ring expanded to free the piston assembly for removal or insertion while remaining captive upon the drum flange;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the shipping drum without the locking ring; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the locking ring and its clamp.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The piston assembly is entirely conventional and includes a sleeve 14, a piston 15, a head 16 having a circumambient marginal flange 16F facing toward the piston, and spring means biasing the piston 15 and the head 16 apart.

In accordance with the present invention, the protective container 12 is in the form of a shipping drum that includes a cup-shaped main body 123 in the form of a right circular cylinder having an open end bordered by a circumambient marginal flange 12F that is of a shape to engage the head flange 16F in face-to-face confronting relation. As is apparent in FIG. 1, the drum is of a depth to allow clearance beneath the piston when the head flange 16F is supported upon the drum flange 12F.

As is conventional, the flange 16F on the head is of flat circular form and presents a downwardly-facing annular seal face. In accordancewith this invention, the drum flange 12F has an upwardly directed annular seal face in confronting relation to the head flange seal face. The drum flange 12F, as shown in FIG. 4, includes diammetrically opposed edge cut-outs 12C which typically span an arc of 42v for the approximately 6 inch radius dimension of the flange proflle,thereby to provide finger clearance to facilitate gripping the edge of the head flange 16F to facilitate mounting the piston assembly in the container or removing it from the container. The remainder of the drum flange l2F is shown to include an integral upstanding marginal lip portion 12L which is of less height dimension than the thickness of the head flange 16F. The lip portion 12L accommodates seating of the head flange 16F upon the drum flange 12F in partially nested relation.

The locking means 13 comprises an open loop locking ring 18 which is shown to be generally U-shaped in transverse section (see FIGS. 2 and 3) to define an annular pocket 18? opening inwardly of the ring for receiving the

flanges

12F, 16F edgewise therein. The ring 18 has confronting opposite ends which are interconnected by a toggle-type clamping mechanism that includes a lever 19 pivoted to one of the ring ends and a bail 20 pivoted to the other ring end and pivoted centrally to the lever. The lever 19 is shiftable between a fully open position through an intermediate position, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5, to a locking position as shown in full lines in FIG. 5.

In the locking position the lever 19 holds the ring 18 contracted upon the

flanges

12F, 16F for compressing the flanges together as shown in FIG. 2, while in moving to the open position the ring 18 expands sufficiently to free the head flange 16F for easy removal while the ring remains captive upon the larger diameter drum flange 12F as shown in FIG. 3.

The composite shipping package as described provides an effective seal in that the locking ring exerts substantially uniform seal pressure throughout the full 360 periphery of the flanges. In addition, the locking ring 18, being mounted captive upon the shipping drum 12, is less subject to being lost or misplaced. It is preferred that where the piston assembly is removed, the locking ring 18 be actuated to its contracted position where it served as a protective cover for the drum flange 12F for precluding mechanical damage to the seal face.

Additional features of the illustrated embodiment include the provision of a groove 12G in the seal face of drum flange to accomodate an O-ring seal 21 and the provision of a pair of bolt holes 12H in the drum flange radially outwardly of the seal groove 12G and located to mate with the bolt holes that already exist in the head flange.

In the disclosed embodiment, the shipping drum 12 is formed of a high impact plastic material such as a rotor-molded cross-linked polyethylene. This material provides light-weight easy formability, high impact, shock and compressive strength, and a degree of resiliency capable of cushioning the piston assembly 11 against shocks in the event of accidental dropping.

Drop tests of the shipping package show that the drum can withstand free falls of several feet without buckling while free falls of more than 20 feet are handied by limited temporary flexing or bowing followed by automatic restoration of the original shape.

It should be noted that substantial clearance exists beneath the piston to allow the shipping drum, in the event of accidental dropping, to flex or bow inwardly and develop effective cushioning without damage to the assembly.

The properties of the cross-linked polyethylene at temperatures as low as 35F are comparable to the properties of most substitutes at room temperature. Its properties are good up to 200F.

Thus, while preferred constructional features of the invention are embodied in the structure illustrated herein, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a composite shipping package that includes an AB-type railroad air brake piston assembly a protective container for said assembly and locking means for securing said assembly in said container, said assembly including a sleeve, a piston, a head having a circumambient marginal flange facing toward said piston and spring means biasing said piston and said head apart, an improved container comprising a shipping drum including a cup-shaped main body having an open end bordered by a circumambient marginal flange of a shape to engage said head flange in face-to-face confronting relation, the main body of said drum having a depth to allow clearance beneath said piston when said head flange is supported on said drum flange.

2. In a composite shipping package as defined in claim 1 and wherein said locking means comprises an open-loop locking ring generally U-shaped in transverse section to define an annular pocket opening inwardly of said ring to receive said flanges edgewise therein said ring'having confronting opposite ends and releasable clamping means connecting said opposite ends to hold said ring contracted upon said flanges for compressing said flanges together.

3. In a composite shipping package as defined in I claim 1 and wherein said shipping drum is of a rotormolded plastic material of high impact, resilience and shape restoring characteristics.

4. In a composite shipping package as defined in claim 1 and wherein said drum flange has bolt holes matched to corresponding bolt holes of said head flange and said drum flange has a groove of smaller diameter than the bolt holes and mounting an O-ring seal. t t

Claims

1. In a composite shipping package that includes an AB-type railroad air brake piston assembly a protective container for said assembly and locking means for securing said assembly in said container, said assembly including a sleeve, a piston, a head having a circumambient marginal flange facing toward said piston and spring means biasing said piston and said head apart, an improved container comprising a shipping drum including a cupshaped main body having an open end bordered by a circumambient marginal flange of a shape to engage said head flange in face-toface confronting relation, the main body of said drum having a depth to allow clearance beneath said piston when said head flange is supported on said drum flange.

2. In a composite shipping package as defined in claim 1 and wherein said locking means comprises an open-loop locking ring generally U-shaped in transverse section to define an annular pocket opening inwardly of said ring to receive said flanges edgewise therein said ring having confronting opposite ends and releasable clamping means connecting said opposite ends to hold said ring contracted upon said flanges for compressing said flanges together.

3. In a composite shipping package as defined in claim 1 and wherein said shipping drum is of a rotOr-molded plastic material of high impact, resilience and shape restoring characteristics.

4. In a composite shipping package as defined in claim 1 and wherein said drum flange has bolt holes matched to corresponding bolt holes of said head flange and said drum flange has a groove of smaller diameter than the bolt holes and mounting an O-ring seal.