US3260222A - Railway car truck spring bolster - Google Patents

Description

July 12, 1966 R. L. LICH RAILWAY CAR TRUCK SPRING BOLS'IER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 4. 1963 July 12, 1966 R. L. LICH RAILWAY GAR TRUCK SPRING BOLSTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1963 INVENTOR- HUM/F0 A. 4/09 Wigw 4770/? K5.

July 12, 1966 R. L. LICH RAILWAY CAR TRUCK SPRING BOLSTER Filed Dec. 4, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. R/(H/MD A. Z/Cf/ United States Patent Office 3,260,222 Patented July 12, 1966 3,260,222 RAILWAY CAR TRUCK SPRING BOLSTER Richard L. Lich, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to General Steel Industries, Inc., Granite City, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 327,992 Claims. (Cl. 105-197) The invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists particularly in a truck of the separate side frame type having improved tramming means.

In conventional trucks for freight cars, comprising separate side frames connected by a bolster, the ends of which are vertically slidably mounted in windows in the side frames, the only means for maintaining the major axis of the bolster at right angles to that of the side frames is the engagement between guide surfaces on the sides of the bolster and cooperating upright guide surfaces on the side frame columns which form the sides of the windows into which the bolster ends extend, and the engagement of guide lugs on the bolster with inner and outer surfaces of the side frame column guides. On newly manufactured trucks this arrangement is adequate, but as the coopcrating surfaces of the side frames and column guides become worn through usage, the bolster becomes free to assume non-right-angle positions relative to the side frames. This is particularly true when a car so equipped is rounding a curve because the engagement of the wheel flanges with the outer rail of the track curve tends to retard the outer ends of the axles causing the axles to move out of their normal right angle relation with the side frames with consequent increase in flange and rail wear.

It accordingly is a main object of the invention to provide a truck of the separate side frame type in which wheel flange wear is minimized.

It is a further object to provide a truck of the separate side frame type having improved means for maintaining the side frames, bolster and axles in tram whereby to reduce flange wear and damage to the journal bearings.

I achieve the foregoing objects by providing, in addition to the pair of opposing surfaces at each side of the truck presented by the two conventional side' frame column guides and adjacent surfaces of the bolster, a second pair of opposing surfaces at each side spaced transversely inwardly of the truck from the first pair and forming, in cooperation with the first pair, a relatively long moment arm transverse of the truck resisting forces tending to distort the side frames and bolster out of their normal right angle relationship.

These features are embodied in the truck described hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a truck embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the truck illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top view, partially sectionalized along line 3-3 of FIG. 4 of the truck illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the truck, partially sectioned along line 4-4 of FIG. 5.

FIG. "5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

The truck comprises two assemblies each consisting of wheels 1 and spaced parallel axles 3 and 5. Journal boxes 7 rotatably mounted on the outer ends of axles 3 and 5 are fixedly received in longitudinally spaced pedestal jaws 9 or transversely spaced side frames each comprising a top chord 11, a bottom chord 13 vertically spaced therefrom intermediate its ends and merging at its ends with top chord 11. Spacing of the top and bottom brackets on the side frames.

chords is effected by spaced upright columns 15 which combine with top and bottom chords 11 and 13 to form a window in each of the side frames. An upwardly open cup-shaped spring seat 17 is seated on side frame bottom chord 13 which is of substantially rectangular cross section and is maintained thereon by the engagement therewith of depending brackets 19 outwardly of the side frame and a depending wall structure 21 inwardly of the side frame, both brackets 19 and wall structure 21 engaging respectively the outer and inner vertical surfaces of the bottom chord 13. Upright coil springs 23 are seated in spring seats 17 and underlying engage the end portions 25 of transverse load supporting bolster 27, the center of which is formed with an upwardly facing pivot center plate for pivotally supporting a car body (not shown). End portions 25 of transverse bolster 27 are formed with vertical guide surfaces 29 on their sides which are engageable with guides 31 on side frame columns 15 and cooperate therewith to transmit longitudinal forces between the bolster and the side frames. For limiting transverse movements of the bolster relative to the side frames as may be permitted by transverse deflection in bolster springs 23, the sides of the bolster are formed with inner and outer stop lugs 32 and 34 which are adapted to engage the sides of guides 31 when the limit of desired lateral bolster movement is reached.

For providing additional tramming to that provided by the cooperating bolster and column guides, spring seats 17 are formed with inward transverse extensions 33 which gradually narrow down longitudinally of the truck from the full width of the spring plank to a relatively narrow terminal portion 35 of substantially rectangular cross section. Because of the rigid mounting of the spring seats on the side frames, extensions 33 are, in effect, inboard Inwardly of springs 23 the bottom wall 36 of the bolster slopes downwardly as at 37 to a maximum depth in the central region of the bolster as at 39 and the sloping portion 37 is apertured as at 41, apertures 41 being elongated somewhat lengthwise of the bolster and being vertically aligned with terminal portions 35 of spring seat brackets 33 to permit the protrusion thereinto of the latter. Apertures 41 are surrounded by upstanding rims 43 which are extended downwardly at their sides as at 45 in the region of spring seat bracket terminal portions 35 and the vertically coextensive portions of rims 41 and their extensions 45 are provided with inwardly facing wear plates 46 which are vertically slidably engageable with the sides of spring seat extension terminals 35. The sides 47 of spring plank terminal extensions 35 are slightly curved about a transverse axis to permit relative tilting between the bolster and the side frame as may be required by vertical variations in the two rails of the supporting track.

With this arrangement it will be seen that the bolster engages each of the side frames, or structure rigid with each of the side frames at points spaced apart transversely of the truck, i.e., the ends of the bolster with the column guides and the bolster inwardly of its ends a substantial distance at 45 with the terminal portion 35 of spring seat extensions 33. This provides relatively long arms A (FIG. 1) resisting forces tending to move the bolster out of its normal right angle relationship with the side frames and will effectively maintain the truck in tram, even allowing for a certain amount of wear on the cooperating surfaces on bolster and column guides and of the bolster and spring seat extension terminal portion 35.

During operation of the truck the major forces tending to force the truck frame out of tram will be the engagement of the outer wheel flanges with the outer rail on curves which will tend to move the outer side frame rearwardly with respect to the inner side frame and to cause a change in the normal right angle relationship of the bolster to the side frames. In a conventional truck the only truck frame means resisting this tendency would be the engagement of the cooperating bolster and column guides acting through an arm transversely of the truck equal to the width of the column guide surfaces normally in the order of 5 /2 inches. In a truck constructed according to the invention, however, the transverse space between the cooperating surfaces of the bolster and column guides and of the bolster and spring seat extension terminals 35 are spaced apart a much greater distance than the maximum possible width of the column guides thereby providing a very long arm between their vertical center lines, several times the maximum width of the column guide surfaces which, of course, provides a much greater moment resisting forces tending to move the bolster out of normal right angle relationship with the side frames. With the bolster and side frame in their normal right angle relation the wheels and axles will also be maintained at their proper square relationship resulting in a substantial reduction in flange wear and rail wear.

It will be understood that spring seats 17 and their inward extensions 33 can be made integral with the side frames without departing from the spirit of the invention, however for convenience in manufacturing the side frame castings these elements have been disclosed as separate parts rigidly secured to the side frames.

The details of the structure may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway vehicle truck comprising transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side frames, longitudinally spaced opposing transverse surfaces on each of said side frames, upright springs supported on said side frames intermediate said transverse surfaces, a transverse bolster supported on said springs and vertically slidably received between said spaced transverse surfaces, downwardly open apertures in said bolster spaced inwardly transversely of the truck from said side frames, and a single bracket rigid with each side frame and extending a substantial distance inwardly transversely of the truck beneath said bolster from the spring supporting portion of the side frames and into the adjacent bolster aperture for vertical sliding engagement between its transverse exterior surfaces and the transverse sides of the adjacent aperture.

2. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 1, including separate spring seats rigidly seated on said side frames between said upright members, said brackets being integral with said spring seats.

3. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 1 in which said bolster is relatively shallow at its ends and relatively deep in its central portion and said apertures are formed in the bottom of said bolster in the region intermediate the shallow end portions.

4. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 3 in which the surfaces on said brackets are convexly curved about an axis transverse of the truck to accommodate tilting longitudinally of the truck of said side frames relative to each other and to said bolster.

5. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 3 in which said side frames are queen post trusses with an upper chord and a spring supporting lower chord, said brackets being mounted on said lower chords.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 773,674 11/1904 Perrie et al 105-197 967,061 8/1910 Row l05223 X 1,358,043 11/1920 Westlake 105-197 2,200,571 5/1940 Barrows l05207 X 2,571,225 10/1951 Endsley 105-197 ARTHURL. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A RAILWAY VEHICLE TRUCK COMPRISING TRANSVERSELY SPACED, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE FRAME, LONGITUDINALLY SPACED OPPOSING TRANSVERSE SURFACES ON EACH OF SAID SIDE FRAMES, UPRIGHT SPRINGS SUPPORTED ON SAID SIDE FRAMED INTERMEDIATE SAID TRANSVERSE SURFACES, A TRANSVERSE BOLSTER SUPPORTED ON SAID SPRINGS AND VERTICALLY SLIDABLY RECEIVED BETWEEN SAID SPACED TRANSVERSE SURFACES, DOWNWARDLY OPEN APERTURES IN SAID BLOSTR SPACED INWARDLY TRANSVERSELY OF THE TRUCK FROM SAID SIDE FRAMES, AND A SINGLE BRACKET RIGID WITH EACH SIDE FRAME AND EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE INWARDLY TRANSVERSE OF THE TRUCK BENEATH SAID BOLSTER FROM THE SPRING SUPPORTING PORTION OF THE SIDE FRAMES AND INTO THE ADJACENT BOLSTER APERTURE FOR VERTICAL SLIDING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN ITS TRANSVERSE EXTERIOR SURFACES AND THE TRANSVERSE SIDES OF THE ADJACENT APERTURE.

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