Amsted Industries Inc.

Citicorp Usa, Inc.

Charles Moehling

Thomas R Callahan

Anthony J Bauer

Ronald R Evers

Brian A Toussaint

Edward R Hanson

Donald J Lane

Delbert E Parrish

V Terrey Hawthorne

Charles P Spencer

Ronald D Golembiewski

Terry L Pitchford

Robert P Radwill

Robert D Wronkiewicz

Franklin S McKeown, Jr

James A Henkel

The number of cores used in casting bolsters and sideframes is reduced. End cores and a center core are placed in a mold with cope and drag portions. Each core includes integrally-formed portions for defining portions of the interior surfaces of the bolster or sideframes. The integrally-formed portions may include a portion for defining the side window of the sideframe formed integrally with other portions, and may include a pedestal portion formed integrally with other portions. The integrally-formed portions may contact both the cope and drag portions of the mold. The end cores may include integrally formed core prints for supporting the core in the mold. The integrally-formed portions of the center core include connections that are formed integrally with the other portions. Molten metal is introduced into the mold to cast the bolster or sideframe.

Method of making bolsters and sideframes for railway car trucks

The number of cores used in casting sideframes is reduced. A pair of end cores and a center core are placed in a mold with cope and drag portions. Each core includes integrally-formed portions for defining portions of the interior surfaces of the sideframes. The integrally-formed portions may include a portion for defining the side window of the sideframe formed integrally with other portions, and may include a pedestal portion formed integrally with other portions. The integrally-formed portions may contact both the cope and drag portions of the mold. The end cores may include integrally formed core prints for supporting the core in the mold. The integrally-formed portions of the center core include connections that are formed integrally with the other portions. Molten metal is introduced into the mold to cast the sideframe.

Method of making sideframes for railway car trucks

An improvement in dead lever lugs for mounting on cast metal bolsters for railway trucks is disclosed. The bolster has two side walls. The side walls have angled portions that meet in radii along the junctures of the angled portions. The dead lever lug has two arms joined by a bridge section. Each of the arms has a mounting surface that is shaped to mate with the shape of one of the angled surfaces of the bolster. The mounting surfaces of the dead lever lug arms are separated by a gap. When the dead lever lug is mounted on the bolster, the dead lever lug straddles the juncture of the angled portions of the side wall. One mounting surface of each arm is positioned against one of the angled portions of the side wall and the gap overlies the juncture of the two angled portions of the side wall. With the dead lever lug of the present invention, no flat raised mounting area is needed on the side wall of the bolster.

Dead lever lug

The present invention provides a sideframe for use in a traditional three piece railway freight car truck comprising a pair of laterally spaced sideframes supporting a bolster extending between the sideframes. Each sideframe comprises an elongated top compression member, two diagonal compression members extending generally downwardly at acute angles from near the ends of the top compression member, and a bottom member joining the other ends of the diagonal tension members. Two column members also extend vertically between the bottom member and the top compression member. Such column members are strengthened by two ribs that extend laterally across the structure of the column member between sidewalls of the column member.

Railway truck sideframe with reinforced columns

An improvement in cast metal bolsters for railway trucks is disclosed. The bolster has a top wall, a bottom wall and sidewalls. All of the walls have interior and exterior surfaces. Two transverse ribs extend between the top wall and bottom wall and two spaced longitudinal ribs extend from the top wall to the bottom wall. The bolster has a top portion, a bottom portion, a central vertical longitudinal plane between the sidewalls and a perpendicular vertical transverse plane. The transverse ribs have opposite faces in the top portion and in the bottom portion. A vertical plane extends between the opposite faces of the transverse ribs in the top portion and in the bottom portion. The opposite faces of the transverse ribs in the top portion do not diverge from a vertical plane in the same direction and opposite faces in the bottom portion that do not diverge from a vertical plane in the same direction. The transverse ribs may have a vertical plane of symmetry. The bolster is made from improved cores, including a one-piece center core that has surfaces for defining the interior surfaces of the top wall, bottom wall and side walls. The bolster may have several ribs all of this configuration. By having ribs as described, the one-piece center core can be made and pulled from the core box without damage. Other improvements to bolsters, sideframes, and to cores and methods for making bolsters and sideframes are also disclosed.

Bolsters for railway trucks

Improvements in cast metal sideframes for railway trucks are disclosed, along with improvements in the processes of casting such products and the cores used in the casting process. A radial draft is provided on the casting surrounding a bolt hole at a core parting or joint line so that nuts and washers may be evenly loaded. The radial draft is formed on the sideframe column, on the side opposite the side to which a wear plate is mounted. The bolts for mounting the wear plate extend through the bolt hole, and the nuts and washers connected to the bolts bear against the tapered radial draft surface.

Sideframes for railway trucks

Improvements in the method of making cast metal bolsters for railway trucks are disclosed. The bolster is cast in a mold using a one-piece center core. The center core has a first end inboard of the first outboard end of the mold and a second end inboard of the second outboard end of the mold. The one-piece center core extends from the first end across the center area of the mold to the second end. It has surfaces to define interior surfaces of the bolster top wall, bottom wall and side walls on both sides of the bolster central transverse plane and bolster central longitudinal plane. Two one-piece end cores are also used. Each one-piece end core has surfaces shaped to define the interior surfaces of the bolster top wall, bottom wall and side walls from a position inboard of one friction shoe pocket to the first outboard end of the bolster. Each has surfaces to define interior surfaces of the bolster top wall and bottom wall on both sides of the bolster central longitudinal plane and interior surfaces of the bolster side walls on both sides of the perpendicular bolster longitudinal plane.

Method of making railway truck bolsters

A railway truck assembly has an arrangement for constraining the free travel clearance between the mated bolster and side frame at the side frame window, and more particularly for reducing or eliminating the clearance or separation gap between the bolster lands and the side frame column wall at the outer edges of the bolster lands and the column wall for reduction of truck warping during service.

Bolster land arrangement for a railcar truck

Improvements in cast metal sideframes and bolsters for railway trucks are disclosed, along with improvements in the processes of casting such products and the cores used in the casting process. In one aspect, the cores are consolidated to provide two one-piece end cores, a one-piece center core, and a bottom center core for the sideframe and two one-piece end cores and a center core for the bolster. The consolidated cores may include cores to define various bolt holes. In another aspect, various cores may be made with step joints for interlocking support without weight-supporting chaplets. In another aspect, a locator boss may be formed on one or more of the cores for proper positioning of the core on the drag mold. Other improvements disclosed include providing a radial draft on the casting surrounding a bolt hole at a core parting or joint line so that nuts and washers may be evenly loaded. In the bolster interior, ribs may be straightened. In another aspect, core prints are used to support the cores on the drag mold surface. The core prints are connected to the core body through necks or bridges that define holes in the cast metal piece. The juncture of the core print and drag mold are spaced from a perimeter of the neck so that any metal fin formed at this juncture is on the exterior of the casting.

Railway truck castings and method and cores for making castings

Friction shoes are immobilized within the pockets of a railcar truck bolster by threaded pins that are inserted through apertures in the pocket walls and friction shoes and guided into the inboard pocket wall apertures by a concentric tapered surface within the pockets on the inboard pocket walls.

Railcar truck bolster with immobilized friction shoes

A method of repairing railway trucks in which the sloped surfaces of the truck bolster ends have become worn during service is provided that avoids the hetertofore required restoring of the sloped surfaces with weld material. An improved replacement friction shoe having tapered elastomeric pads which conform to the abutting service worn sloped surfaces of the bolster ends is installed to greatly reduce further wear on the bolster ends.

Friction shoe assembly for repair of worn railway truck

The present invention provides a railway truck bolster with an improved brake attachment assembly. The top web section of the bolster has outer walls extending downwardly therefrom, which outer walls terminate in the lower section of the bolster. A centerplate is located on the top section of the bolster intermediate the ends thereof. Two bolt receiving openings are located to one side of the centerplate in one of the bolster walls. The bolt receiving openings are laterally spaced from each other and are located just below the top section of the bolster. A flange extends upwardly from the wall of the bolster and is located generally laterally between the two bolt receiving openings in the wall. The flange extends upwardly above the top section of the bolster and includes a bolt receiving opening. A recess extends longitudinally from the flange across at least a portion of the top section of the bolster. Furthermore, the underside of the top section of the bolster is reinforced below the recess.

Railway truck bolster with improved brake attachment

The present invention provides a three axle railway truck. The truck comprises three wheelsets supporting two parallel sideframes. Each sideframe comprises two sections. One wheelset is located near the longitudinal middle of the sideframes, with the two other axle wheelsets located near either end of the sideframes. Two bolsters extend laterally across between these sideframes, with each bolster located between the center axle and an end axle. The bolster ends are received in pockets in the sideframes. Each bolster has a centerplate structure receiving a pin as part of an articulated connection spanning between and connecting the bolsters.

Three axle railway truck

A railway vehicle truck friction shoe pocket including a sloped wedge wall and longitudinally spaced depending walls of which at least one of the inner planar faces is provided with one or more relieved sections.

Bolster friction shoe pocket

A dual rate spring device particularly adapted for use in a suspension system of a railroad car truck includes a vertically mounted light duty spring means positioned, for example, between a side frame of the truck and a load carrying bolster of the truck to support the bolster when in a lightly loaded condition. Positioned around the light duty spring means is a shorter heavy duty spring which with the light duty spring supports the bolster when in a heavily loaded condition. To insure that the device functions properly under varying load conditions, a lower end of each spring is connected by a spring retainer.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington Heights, IL, United States of America

Charles Moehling