Snubbed truck

J. J. KOWALIK

SNUBBED TRUCK

2,661,702

Sheets-Sheet 1

Dec. 8. 1953

Filed Oct. 8, 1948

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Dec. 8, 1953

Filed Oct. 8, 1948

J. J. KOWALIK

SNUBBED TRUCK

2,661,702

I

Sheets-Shebt 2

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<img file="US2661702A_D0003.tif" />

BY

Patented Dec. 8, 1953

2,661,702

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,661,702

SNUBBED TRUCK

John J. Kowalik, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, III., a corporation of New Jersey

Application October 8,1948, Serial No. 53,530

Claims.

This invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to a novel truck incorporating friction means for snubbing oscillations of the truck bolster on its supporting springs.

A general object of the invention is to provide friction means of novel form cooperable with the truck bolster and the side frame to control various relative movements therebetween.

A more specific object of the invention is to design a truck comprising a friction element within each column of the side frame, each element engaging the bolster in such manner as to exert a pulling force on the bolster toward the related column, thereby effectively restraining lateral movements of the bolster, each element also frictionally engaging the related column for slidable movement therealong to control vertical bolster oscillations.

A further object of the invention is to devise a truck of simple, rugged form which is easy to assemble and disassemble.

The invention comprehends a friction element of novel form comprising spaced shoe and wedge portions with facing friction surfaces converging toward a spring seat member interconnecting said portions.

A different object of the invention is to provide friction means which develop variable friction to snub vertical bolster oscillations.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the specification and the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of a car truck embodying the invention, the section being taken substantially on line I—I of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view partly in section on line 2—2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3—3 of Figure 1; and

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a modification of the invention, Figures 4 and 5 being sectional views corresponding to the right half of Figures 1 and 2, respectively.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, the car truck comprises a truss-type side frame generally indicated 2, including top and bottom or compression and tension members 4 and 6 and spaced upright columns or guide portions 8, 8 defining a bolster opening 10.

The tension member below the bolster opening 10 comprises a top chord 12 with upstanding inboard and outboard flanges 14 and 16 defining (Cl. 105—197) '

with the top chord 12 a seat 18 confining a plurality of coil truck springs 20, 20 seated at their lower ends as at 22 on said seat 18 and at their upper ends as at 24 against the bottom wall 26 5 of the box-section bolster 28 and affording a support therefor. The springs 20, 20 are positioned on the seat 18 by means of spaced upstanding lugs 30, 30 on chord 12 of the tension member, and at their upper ends by spaced depending 10 lugs 32, 32 on the bottom wall of the bolster.

The bolster 28 in addition to the bottom wall 26 comprises a top wall 34 spaced vertically from said bottom wall, said top wall 34 being connected at its lateral edges to the lateral edges 15 of the bottom wall by substantially vertical side walls 36, 36. The top and bottom walls are additionally connected by an intermediate substantially vertical center rib or web 38 extending longitudinally of the bolster.

Inboard and outboard guide lugs 40 and 42 are provided on the external side of each side wall and embrace the associated column therebetween for interlocking the bolster with the frame. It will be observed from a considera25 tion of Figure 1 that the outboard lugs 42, 42 are of a . depth less than that of the widened lower portion 43 (Figure 1) of the bolster opening IQ to accommodate ready insertion and removal of the bolster in the assembly and dis30 assembly of the bolster with respect to the side frame, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.'

The bolster is provided with a pocket 44 (Figure 1) at each side thereof defined in part by the 35 top and bottom bolster walls and the center rib, each pocket receiving a portion of a friction member 46 therein, the details of which may be seen from a consideration of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive.

The friction member 4-6 comprises a substantially horizontal wall or spring seat member 48 providing a spring seat 50 on its underside affording a bearing for the upper end of a generally vertical auxiliary or actuating coil 45 spring 52 extending through a cored out opening 53 in the bottom bolster wall 26 adjacent the associated column 8 and seating at its lower end on seat 18 of the tension member. The inner end of the friction member comprises a wedge 50 portion including a diagonal wall 54 and an upright wall 56. Wall 54 is connected at its lower end to the top surface of the horizontal wall 48 intermediate the ends thereof and extends toward the one or inner end of the horizontal wall 55. 48 which is disposed within the associated bolster

2,661,702 pocket 44, and the upright end wall 56 is connected at its lower extremity to the said inner end of said horizontal wall and merges at its upper end with the upper extremity of said diagonal wall. The forward extremity or other end of the horizontal wall 48 is necked down to fit into a vertical slot 58 defined between the inboard and outboard portions 60 and 62 of the associated column 8. A shoe portion is formed on the outer extremity of wall 48, said shoe portion comprising a V-shaped substantially vertical wall 64 connected at its apex 66 adjacent its lower end to the necked down portion bf the horizontal wall 48. Wall 64 presents substantially vertical inboard and outboard friction surfaces 68 and 78 converging toward and facing the diagonal wall 54 of the wedge portion of the friction member. Substantially horizontal vertically spaced webs or gussets 72, 72 extend between and merge with the angularly related portions of the V-shaped wall 64 reinforcing the same. ’ I

The connection between the wall 64 and the horizontal wall 48 is strengthened by a substantially vertical wall 74 extending longitudinally of the friction member through said slot 58 in the associated column and connected at its lower end to the top side of said horizontal wall 48 and at its lateral edges to the V-shaped wall 64 at its apex 65 and to the upper or external side of said diagonal wall 54 in an area intermediate the lateral edges thereof.

The wall 54 is thus divided into inboard and outboard portions providing upwardly sloping coplanar wedge surfaces 76 and 78 facing the shoe portion of the friction member.

The bolster is provided at each side thereof With a pair of inboard and outboard diagonal walls or ledges 80 and 82 merging at their lower ends with the lower edge of the associated side wall of the bolster and at then’ upper ends with the inner or underside of the top wall of the bolster. As. best seen in Figures 1 and 2, the ledges 80, 82. of each pair present slightly curved or crowned coplanar wedge surfaces 84 and 86, respectively, sipping upwardly inwardly of the bolster, said wedge surfaces facing downwardly into the associated pocket 44. away from the adjacent column 8.. It will be noted that the wedge surfaces on one pair of ledges face, the; wedge surfaces on the other pair and the surfaces on respective pairs lie in planes converging inwardly of the bolster toward a vertical plane at the center line of the bolster, and that the ledges 89. and 82 of each pair are spaced longitudinally of the bolster and are. disposed respectively inboardly and outboardly of wall 74 of the associated friction member. The ledges of each pair define a vertically elongated space therebetween in alignment transversely. of the bolster with a vertical slot 88 in the associated bolster side, wall and with said slot 88 accommodating the vertical wall 7.4 of the associated shoe within the bolster. The lower ends of ledges 80 and 82. are spaced from wall 43 and the adjacent portions, of the associatedbolster side wall are cored away to afford vertical clearance for the horizontal wall 48 of the associated friction member as it. is moved inwardly of the bolster in operation, as hereinafter described. For the same, purpose, the interconnected portions of the ledges 80 and 82 above wall 74 of the associated friction member are also vertically spaced from the upper; edge of: wall 7.4.

^: The'wedge surfaces 84. and 86 on the. associated ledges engage the surfaces: 76 and 78 respectively on the diagonal wall of the associated friction member to cause movement of the friction member inwardly of the bolster in response to the pressure exerted by the associated actuating 5 spring.

The shoe portion of the friction member is received within the associated column 8, as best seen in Figure 2, and engages the inboard and outboard friction plates or panels S4 and 96 on 10 surfaces 188 and 182 thereon, respectively; said panel surfaces 180 and 192 face away from the bolster whereas surfaces 68 and 78 on wall 64 of the shoe portion face the bolster. The surfaces 68, JOO and 78, ί 02 are generally vertical and 15 converge toward the bolster opening 19.

The inboard arid outboard panels 94 and 96 are disposed respectively on adjacent sides of portions 68 and 62 of the related column 8 and are connected to angularly related walls 184 and 186 of S3 respective portions as by welding at 188, 108. The walls 184, 194 of respective portions define, one side of the bolster opening and are aligned transversely of the side frame and spaced apart to define the aforementioned vertical slot 58 there.2a between, and the walls.'186, iOS of respective portions line in generally parallel vertical planes extending longitudinally of the frame. Each wall 196 is provided on its inner side with a boss 110 affording a complementary seat for the associated 30 friction panel.

In operation, the friction members, are actuated by the bolster and associated auxiliary springs and are constantly urged inwardly of the bolster through the action of the cooperating 35 wedge surfaces 7.6, 84 and 7.8, 86 on the wedge portions of the respective shoes, and related ledges 88 and 82, the. auxiliary springs, being under compression between respective friction members and the tension member spring seat. Thus the faces 40 68., 1:0.0 and 70, 192, on the shoe portion and column panels are caused to engage.; As the: bolster descends, the friction members move, downwardly within the column, and. further compress the respective auxiliary springs, whereby, dev.el₄ - oping greater friction on the descent of the bolster between the friction members and respective columns than on the ascent.

To disassemble, the truck for quick-wheel change, the bolster is elevated to relieve, the com-. ₅₀ pression on the. springs. The truck springs and auxiliary springs are rempyed, allowing the friction members to drop to. the lower end of the columns. The friction. members are removed, from the. columns into, the bolster opening through the. _5g lower portions 112 .of the vertical column slots 58.

The friction members may also be removed through the adjacent side frame window 114. As shown in Figure 1, the.lower' portion 112 of the slots 58, are of a depth slightly greater than the 60 height of the shoe or wedge portions of-respective, friction, members and,, as shown in Figure 3&gt; are widened, transversely, of the. side, frame, by .coring, away, adjacent portions of.wpbs 10.4, 194. of. the inboard and outboard portions 68. and. 62 of each 65 column to.a width slightly greater.than.the .width of the shoe or.wedge,portion of .the.fri’ction.mem.ber. After, the. friction members are.removed, the bolster is lowered.to.the.widened portion of the bolster opening and; withdrawn, in. usual manner.

To assemble, the.procedure is reversed...

A modification of the. invention: is illustratedin Figures 4 and 5 wherein parts corresponding, to those of Figures 1 to 3 are, identified, by: corresponding numerals/ The.bol£ter.,as shownin.Fig.75 ures.4 .and 5 is.provided with, a plurality of spaced;

2,661,702

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s

Vertical ribs (50 extending longitudinally of the bolster and interconnecting the top and bottom walls 34 and 26 thereof. In lieu of the spaced inboard and outboard ledges shown in Figures 1 to 3, the bolster in Figures 4 and 5 is provided with a single ledge 152 at each side thereof, each ledge providing a wedge surface 154 sloping upwardly inwardly of the bolster and lying in planes converging toward the vertical plane passing through the longitudinal center line of the bolster. The vertical wall 74 shown in the friction members described in the previous embodiment has been eliminated; however, the connection between the wedge and shoe portion of the friction member is strengthened by increasing thickness of wall 48 as at (56.

It will be noted that in both of these embodiments, generous areas of engagement between the column and friction member and between the bolster and the friction member are provided, thus reducing wear. Various movements of the bolster are effectively controlled by the friction means which effect a pulling action in opposite directions on opposite sides of the bolster, and also afford frictional control over vertical and longitudinal bolster movements.

In each embodiment the friction member and auxiliary springs are shown as supporting the bolster; however, it will be understood that the friction assemblies could be inverted by inverting the bolster wedge surfaces so that they face upwardly and by inverting the friction members and compressing the auxiliary springs between the friction members and the compression member.

The spring 52 could also be arranged to act between the bolster and the friction members so as to obtain constant friction between the friction members and the columns, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.