Westinghouse Air Brake Company

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation

Rfpc Holding Corp.

Other

Bruce W Shute

Joseph F Formolo

Thomas W McCabe

Timothy A Rumph

Joseph C Kahr

Kelvin Chiddick

Martin Petzoldt

Timothy Rumph

Thomas W Mccabe

The invention is directed to an insert for a backing plate assembly for a composition friction brake shoe. The insert is particularly useful in the formation of a universal brake shoe for use with a trolley car braking system. The insert includes a central member having a first and second set of attachment posts extending from the respective ends thereof. These first and second sets of attachment posts are adapted for securing a first and second backing plate strap, respectively, thereto. A key bridge extends through a back portion of the central member and is configured for attachment to a brake shoe. A flange guide support extends from a side portion of the insert and includes legs defining a channel that runs parallel to the insert. The flange guide support is adapted for contacting a wheel flange to align a brake shoe with the wheel during braking of the vehicle.

Brake shoe with multi-function metal insert

Disclosed is an end stabilized backing plate for an extended length brake shoe for use in a railway braking system. The backing plate includes an elongated main portion extending along a longitudinal axis. This main portion has a front face, a back face, a first end portion and an opposed second end portion. A first and second pair of tab members are provided on each of the first and second end portions. These tab members extend in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the main body and function to stabilize the end portions of the extended length brake shoe which extend beyond the length of a brake head and reduce and/or eliminate cracking of these end portions of the brake shoe. A method of stabilizing end portions of an extended length brake shoe is also disclosed.

End stabilization for brake shoes extending beyond the ends of the brake head

A friction wedge assembly for use in a suspension system of railroad car trucks. The friction wedge assembly comprises a cast metal wedge having a bottom face, a vertical face that is substantially perpendicular to the bottom face and a sloped face for contacting a mating surface on a bolster of such railroad car truck. There is a metal backing plate that has a first side removably engageable with the vertical face of the cast metal wedge, a means for securing the metal backing plate to the cast metal wedge and a composition liner disposed on a second side of the metal backing plate for engaging such metal wear liner on such side frame of such railroad car truck.

Friction wedge liner with backing plate

A brake shoe adapted to engage the tread of a railroad car wheel via which such railroad car is guidably supported on a railed track. The brake shoe comprises a backing plate which has a predetermined configuration and a means disposed on each end of the backing plate for securing such backing plate to a brake head. The brake shoe further includes a brake lining that is affixed to the backing plate and has a braking surface engageable with the wheel tread of a railroad car wheel.

Keyless attachment of brake shoes

The present invention provides a friction management brake shoe adapted to engage the tread and the flange of a wheel of a railway vehicle via which the railway vehicle is guidably supported on a railed track. The friction management brake shoe comprises a brake lining affixed which has a braking surface engageable with the wheel tread of a wheel of a railway vehicle. The brake lining includes a first friction composition material formed with at least one of a solid high positive friction modifier and a solid very high positive friction modifier which establish a required friction level between the wheel tread and the railed track.

Brake shoe with friction management

A composition brake shoe for use on a railway vehicle for reconditioning a wheel tread surface during a normal braking application on such railway vehicle is provided. The composition brake shoe includes a backing plate having a stirrup and a brake surface having a predetermined configuration and a predetermined surface area. It further includes a first friction type composition material extending over the surface area of such brake surface of such composition brake shoe. The composition brake shoe further contains a second friction type material, formed as at least one discrete insert, having a predetermined shape and molded into such first friction type composition material. Such second friction type material initially being completely embedded within such first friction type composition material. One surface of such at least one discrete insert being incrementally exposed as such first friction type composition material is eroded away due to frictional engagement with such wheel tread surface during normal braking operations, such second friction type material exhibiting greater abrasive properties than such first friction type composition material. Such at least one discrete insert of such second friction type material is bonded to such backing plate.

Brake shoe with insert bonded to backing plate

A composition brake shoe is used in a railway freight vehicle for reconditioning a wheel surface of a railway freight vehicle. Such brake shoe includes a brake surface having a predetermined configuration and a predetermined surface area. The composition brake shoe consists of a first friction composition material extending over the surface area of such composition brake shoe. A second friction type composition material is formed as a discrete insert, having a predetermined shape, and is molded into the first friction composition material. Such second friction composition material initially is completely embedded within the first friction composition material. One surface of the insert is disposed facing the predetermined surface area of the brake surface of the composition brake shoe. Such one surface of the insert being incrementally exposed as the first friction composition material is eroded away due to frictional engagement with the wheel tread surface during normal braking operations. The second friction composition material exhibits greater abrasive properties than the first friction composition material and consists essentially of a ceramic grinding material. Such first friction composition material extends entirely over the predetermined surface area of the brake surface of the composition brake shoe when the discrete insert has been worn away due to frictional engagement with the wheel tread surface during normal braking operations.

Trim shoe

A brake shoe locking key is provided with a retention tab that is saw-tooth shaped and extends across the entire width of the key shank. The retention tab is upraised from the shank more than the correspondingly-shaped serrations typically formed on the bottom of the key and is thus more effective in engaging the brake head as an initial detent to prevent the key from backing out of the keyhole in the brake head when a loose fitting key fails to retain its locking position. In addition, the retention tab is adapted to engage the keybridge at the orifice through which the key passes in order to provide a further detent to prevent a loose key from backing completely out of its locking connection between the brake head and brake shoe, in the event the first detent fails to engage.

Growing community of inventors

West End, NC, United States of America

Bruce W Shute