US2032604A - Freight car truck with coil-elliptic springs - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1936.

E. w. WEBB 2,032,604 FREIGHT CAR TRUCK WITHCOIL ELLIPTIC SPRINGS Filed April 25, 1952 r 3 Sheets-Sheet l ii gm March 3, 1936. E w WEBB I FREIGHT CAR TRUCK WITH COIL ELLIPTIC SPRINGS Filed April 25, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 .lllllllzl March 3, 1936. E. w. WEBB 2,032,604

FREIGHT CAR TRUCK WITH COIL ELLIPTIC SPRINGS Filed April 25, 1932 :5 Sheets-Sheet s Patented Mar. 3, 1936 PATENT OFFICE FREIGHT CAR TRUCK WITH GOIL-ELLIITIO smmos Edwin W. Webb, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Standard Car Truck Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 25, 1932, Serial No. 607,303

9 Claims.

This invention has for its object to provide efflcient and simple means for breaking up or minimizing spring harmonics in freight car trucks; and to this end the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

The invention, in its preferred forms, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein '15 like notations refer to like parts through the several views. In said drawings;

Fig. 1 is a view chiefly in side elevation but partly in vertical section, with some portions broken away, illustrating the central portion of 15' one end of a car truck having the invention herein disclosed and claimed embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section, taken on the irregular line 2-'-2 of Fig. 1;

20 Fig. 3 is a view approximately in horizontal section on the irregular line 3-3 of Fig 1, with some parts broken away.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a modification wherein full elliptic springs 25 are employed;

Fig. 5 is a view chiefly in vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, but with some parts shown infull and some parts broken away; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the spring plank 3 shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The numeral 4 represents the compression member, 5 the tensionmember, and 6 the column members of one of the side frames of the truck. Said column members 6 have their lower portions cut away to afford lateral passages I, for a purpose which will presently appear. The numeral 8 represents the spring-plank connecting the opposite side frames of the truck in the usual way. The numeral 9 represents the truck bolster working in the bolster opening between the upper portions of the oposite bolster columns 6. The under faces of the end portions of this bolster 9 are provided with roller bearing surfaces ill, for a purpose which will presently ap- 45 pear. In Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the numerals II and I! represent, respectively, the leaves and the bands of sets of semi-elliptic leaf springs. The semi-elliptic leaf springs extend lengthwise of the'side frames, across the bolster opening, with 50 their end portions extending'through the lateral passages I of the bolster columns and supported from the tension member 5 of the side frame. As shown in Fig. 1, the said tension member 5 is provldewwith horizontal ledges l3 perforated to 55 receive the dowel member of a flanged seating plate [4 on which the ends of the lower leaves of the springs rest with freedom for a limited endwise motion. The seating plates 14 may be made of any suitable thickness, varying among themselves, so as to be interchangeable, and therefore, 5 adapted to shim the semi-elliptic springs to any desired height above the supporting ledges [3 of the side frames. These semi-elliptic springs are centered in respect to the width of the side frames.

The numerals l5 represent coiled springs, of which a plurality are used with an equal number thereof seated on the spring plank 8 on opposite sides of the leaf springs, and directly adjacent thereto, and which coiled springs I5 co-operate 15 with said leaf springs to support the bolster 9 and its load.

The numeral I5 represents a downwardly flanged combined spring cap and roller-bearing plate which surmounts and rests upon the said co-operating sets of leaf and coiled springs, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, but also is shown in Figs. 1-, 4 and 5 of the drawings. The numerals II represent roller seats on the faces of said plates IS. The numerals I8 represent rollers resting in the seats I! of said plate l6 and surmounted by the roller-bearing seats ill on the underfaces of the end portions of the bolster 9, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings. The plates l6 have, at their opposite ends, pairs of laterally projecting jaws [6a. adapted to embrace the side walls of the bolster columns, and be held thereby from any lateral motion while being free for'up and down; or vertical motion with the springs and the bolster. In view of this construction and the mounting of these parts, it is, of course, obvious that the bolsteril is free for up and'down' motion with the plates l6 and the sets of springs, and, at the same time, it is free'for lateral motion with the rollers l 8 on the roller-bearing II of said plates I6, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings.

Said plates l6 are provided on their underfaces with downwardly projecting lugs or ribs l6b 45 extending crosswise" of the truck and spaced apart from each other lengthwise of'the frames,

and which ribs lfib are adapted to engage with the upper ends of the bands l2 of the sets'of leaf springs, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. This interengagement of said parts helps to center the leaf springs in respect to the plates 16 and the bolster 9. In' the modification shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6,

full elliptic springs l9 are employed instead of the semi-elliptic springs shown in the other views.

451 properly assembled so as to co-operate to sustain To accommodate these full elliptic springs 19, slight changes are made in the side frames and in the spring planks. Having regard to the change in the side frames, the horizontal web of the tension member 5 in that part thereof directly below the bolster opening, is provided with a depression 20 below its side flanges, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5; and the spring plank 2i has corresponding depressed portions 22 extending entirely across the same and projecting from the opposite sides thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, and these depressed portions 22 are cut away at their centers to afford openings 23, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. These openings 23 in the said depressed portions 22 of the spring plank correspond in size to the central bands 89a of the leaf springs. In view of this construction, when the spring plank 25 is mounted on the side frames, in its proper working position, its depressed portions 22 will rest in the depressed portions 20 of the tension member 5 of the side frame, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and the bands 19a of the lower sets of springs will rest directly on thefrarne, in virtue of the presence of the holes 23 in the depressed portions 22 of the spring plank.

The end portions of the full elliptic springs l9 extend through thelateral passages i of the columns 6 in the same way as do the ends of the semi-elliptic springs shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The

" coiled springs l5 are grouped about the full elliptic springs with their lower ends seated on the spring plank in the same way as when used with the semi-elliptic springs shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In both forms, shimming plates 24 are shown as located on the spring planks below the lower ends of the coiled springs; which shimming plates may, of course, be of different thicknesses or more or less thereof used at the same time to set the coiled springs at the desired height.

All of the other parts used in the modification illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, are the same and related the same way as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

. It has been found out, by extensive tests, that when leaf springs and coiled springs have been the truck bolster and its load, the spring harmonics will either be out out entirely or minimized. The reason why better results are secured by such a combination of leaf springs and coiled springs probably is due to the fact of the different physical characteristics of the two different kinds of springs. When the springs are all of one kind they tend to build up spring harmonics under certain loads, speeds and track conditions in the usage of freight car trucks. In other words the vibrations get into synchronism and become cumulative. Leaf or plate springs, whether of half-elliptic or full elliptic form, have slower timings than short heavy coiled springs, and hence, it follows that when the elliptic springs are combined with the coiled springs, the vibrations will not fall into synchronism.

, The invention herein disclosed and claimed affords an extremely simple structure for utilizing the principles above stated and, at the same time, affording lateral motion to the truck bolster and its load.

Special attention is called to the'fact that, in this invention, the leaf springs extend'lengthwise of the side frames across the bolster opening. This enables all the strains from the bolster and its load to be taken by the side-frames in the median'planes of said frames, and it also enables longer elliptic or semi-elliptic snrings'tc be employed than would have to be used if the elliptic springs were set crosswise of the frames and lengthwise of the bolster. Being thus able to use longer leaf springs they can be made of carbon steel instead of alloy steel required for short elliptic springs, as with the longer springs and carbon steel the required travel may be obtained. This alloy steel is very much more expensive than carbon steel, and hence, this invention effects a considerable economy in the structures employed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a car truck, the combination with the side frames having lateral passages through the lower portions of their bolster columns, a bolster working between the upper portions of said columns, and a spring plank connecting said frames, of two sets of springs supporting the opposite ends of said bolster from the opposite side frames, one set of which springs are leaf springs extending lengthwise of the frame, across the bolster opening, with their end portions extending through said lateral passages of said columns, and which leaf springs are supported by said frames, and the other set of which springs is made up of a plurality of coiled springs seated in equal numbers on the end portions of the spring plank on the opposite sides of and directly adjacent to said leaf springs and cooperating therewith to sus tain said bolster and its load, combined spring caps and roller bearing plates resting on said oooperating sets of springs, rollers on the bearings auxiliary spring seats located on said tension members between said central portions and the ends of the frame, springs supported on and spanning said auxiliary seats, a bolster, means for supporting said bolster, and means providing longitudinal movement of said bolster.

3. In a railway car truck, thecombination-of spaced side frames each of which has a compression member, a central supporting memberand tension members, columns interposed between said compression and central supporting member forming an opening, said central supporting member being provided with a central seat and auxil iary seats located on the tension members'between the central portion and the ends of the frame, a spring plank having its respective ends 1 resting upon the central portion of the side frames, springs supported by saidspring plank for supporting a portion of the load, springs sup ported on and spanning the auxiliary seatsiif or supporting the remainder of the loadpabolster in substantial alignmentwith said openings, and means providing a longitudinal movement of .said bolster.

4. In a railway car truck, the combination of spaced side frames. each of which has'a' com-J pression member, a horizontally. extending central supporting member and tension. members, columns interposed between said compressiomand central supporting member forming an opening, said tension members extending upwardly at an angle from the central portion and uniting with said compression member, auxiliary spring seats located on the upwardly extending tension mem bers, springs supported by the central portion, springs supported on and spanning said auxiliary seats, a bolster having its ends in substantial alignment with said openings, and means providing longitudinal movement of said bolster.

5. In a railway car truck, the combination of spaced side frames, each of which has a compression member, a horizontally extending central supporting member and tension members, columns interposed between said compression member and said central supporting member forming an opening, said tension members extending at an angle from the central supporting member and uniting with said compression member, a spring plank, the ends of which rest upon the central supporting member, springs supported by said spring plank and extending upwardly between said columns and forming a support for a portion of the load, auxiliary seats located on the inclined tension members, springs supported on and spanning said auxiliary seats, a bolster having its ends in substantial alignment with said openings, and means providing longitudinal movement of the bolster.

6. In a railway car truck, the combination of spaced side frames each of which has a compression member, a central supporting member and tension members extending upwardly at an angle from the supporting member, columns interposed between said compression and central supporting member forming an opening, springs supported by said central portion for supporting a portion of the load, auxiliary spring seats located on the inclined tension members, springs supported on and spanning said auxiliary seats for supporting the remainder of the load, a bolster extending through said central opening, and rollers interposed between the springs and the bolster to permit longitudinal movement of the bolster.

7. In a railway car truck, the combination of spaced side frames each of which has a compression member, a central supporting member and tension members inclined upwardly at an angle from the central supporting member, columns interposed between the compression and central supporting members forming an opening, a spring plank resting upon the central portions, springs supported by said spring plank for supporting a portion of the load, auxiliary spring seats located on the upwardly inclined tension members, springs supported on and spanning said auxiliary seats for supporting the remainder of the load, a bolster, and rollers interposed between the bolster and said springs for permitting longitudinal movement of the bolster.

S. In a railway car truck, the combination of spaced side frames each of which has a compression member, a horizontal central supporting member and tension members inclined upwardly from the central supporting member and uniting with the compression member, a spring plank resting upon the central portion of each side frame, coil springs supported by the spring plank for supporting a portion of the load, auxiliary spring seats located on the tension members, laminated springs spanning said auxiliary seats for supporting the remainder of the load, a bolster extending in substantial alignment with said openings, and means for providing longitudinalmoveme-nt of said bolster.

9. In a railway car truck, the combination of side frames each of which has a compression member, a central supporting member and tension members inclined upwardly from the supporting members, columns interposed between said compression and tension members forming an opening, a bolster extending through said opening, coil springs supported by said central portion and partially supporting the bolster, auxiliary spring seats on said tension members, semi-elliptic springs interposed between the coil springs and supported on the auxiliary seats for additionally supporting the bolster, thereby distributing the load over a material length of the side frame, a roller seat guided for vertical movement by said columns and carried on said springs, and rollers interposed between the roller seat and bolster for permitting longitudinal movement of said bolster.

EDWIN W. WEBB.

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