Miner Enterprises, Inc.

Trinity North American Freight Car, Inc.

Donald E Wilt

Keith A Salis

William P O'Donnell

Erich A Schoedl

Erik D Jensen

Michael D VanMaldegiam

Michael S Dillon

Robert J Pokorski

William P O'donnell

Michael D Vanmaldegiam

Andy R Kries

George S Creighton

Aubra D McKisic

David G Anderson

Kris C Jurasek

Andrew W Withall

Rosie Galindo

Lawrence W Hanson

A railroad freight car draft gear includes a friction clutch assembly with friction members arranged in operable combination with an actuator. Each friction member has an outer friction surface which slides along a mating friction surface. A spring assembly is provided for absorbing, dissipating, and returning energy imparted to the draft gear. Recesses are provided on the respective mating friction surfaces of the draft gear. A uniquely designed preformed friction modifying insert is pressed into each recess on the clutch assembly components. Each insert includes an elongated leg having projections extending radially outward from opposed surfaces on the insert leg. Each friction modifying insert is furthermore configured to include a convex inner contact surface to facilitate insertion and active contact along with flared inner edges to improve fit between the insert and related draft gear components.

Railroad freight car draft gear friction modifying insert

Railcar draft gear friction modifying insert

A railcar draft gear assembly specifically designed to consistently and repeatedly withstand up to about 110,000 ft-lbs of energy imparted thereto while not exceeding a force level of 900,000 lbs. and while having a wedge member of the draft gear assembly travel in an inward axial direction of less than about 4.5 inches relative to an open end of the draft gear.

Railcar draft gear assembly

An energy absorption/coupling system for a railcar including a draft assembly provided toward opposed ends of a centersill on the railcar. Each draft assembly includes a coupler and a draft gear assembly disposed in longitudinally disposed and operable relation relative to each other. The coupler is configured to allow at least 4.5 inches of travel in a single longitudinal direction during operation of the coupler. The draft gear assembly of each draft assembly is configured to consistently and repeatedly withstand up to about 110,000 ft-lbs. of energy imparted to the energy absorption/coupling system at a force level not to exceed 900,000 lbs. over a range of travel of a wedge member in an inward axial direction relative to the housing of at least 4.5 inches. With the present invention disclosure, high level impact forces between rail cars can be absorbed and dissipated while maintaining an overall length of the railcar constant and unchanged. A method for releasably coupling two railcars to each other is also disclosed.

Energy absorption/coupling system for a railcar and related method for coupling railcars to each other

A railcar draft gear assembly including a housing, a spring sea, a spring and a friction clutch assembly in operable combination relative to each other within the housing. The spring includes a series of axially stacked elastomeric pads arranged between a closed end of the housing and the spring seat. An axially elongated guide rod is endwise passed through the spring seat and elastomeric pads for aligning the pads relative to a longitudinal axis of the draft gear assembly. The guide rod is operably inhibited from axial shifting movements during operation of the draft gear assembly. A related method for assembling the draft gear is also disclosed.

Railcar draft gear assembly and related method for assembling a railcar draft gear

A friction/elastomeric draft gear having a housing, a spring assembly arranged within the housing, and a friction clutch assembly having a wedge member and defining first sliding friction surface disposed at an angle &#x3b8; relative to a longitudinal axis of the draft gear and a second friction surface disposed at an angle &#x3b2; relative to a longitudinal axis of the draft gear. The spring assembly is designed in combination with the angles &#x3b8; and &#x3b2; of the first and second friction sliding surfaces relative to the longitudinal axis such that the draft gear consistently and repeatedly withstands between about 100 KJ and 130 KJ of energy imparted at less than three meganewtons over a range of travel of the wedge member in an inward axial direction relative to the draft gear housing not exceeding 120 mm.

Friction/elastomeric draft gear

A railcar draft gear assembly having an axially elongated spring assembly comprised of an axially stacked array of individual spring units and further including cooperating instrumentalities for maintaining the spring assembly generally axially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the railcar draft gear assembly during operation of the draft gear assembly while maintaining the individual spring units in generally aligned relation relative to each other.

Railroad freight car draft gear assembly

A railroad freight car multipiece spring seat assembly including a spring seat, a top plate, and a spring. The spring seat is adapted to operably engage one end of a spring assembly in a railroad freight car draft gear. The top plate is adapted to operably engage with each of a plurality of friction shoes arranged in the railroad freight car draft gear. The spring of the multipiece spring seat assembly is operably disposed between the spring seat and the top plate.

Railroad freight car draft gear

A railroad car energy absorption apparatus is disclosed. The railroad car energy absorption apparatus includes a spring assembly having an elastomer spring element arranged in operable combination with structure for inhibiting localized heat deterioration of the elastomer spring element.

Railroad car energy absorption apparatus

An elastomer spring element arranged in operable combination with structure for inhibiting localized heat deterioration of the elastomer spring element.

A railcar draft gear housing formed from an austempered ductile iron casting having an original shape and including an open end, a closed end, and wall structure axially extending between the housing's ends. The wall structure of the housing defines an axial section between and spaced from the ends. The axial section of the wall structure is configured to withstand impact energy imparted to the housing in excess of 81,000 inch pounds while retaining and exhibiting substantially linear elasticity wherein the resultant ratio of stress to energy input remains substantially constant thereby allowing for flexible distortion of the housing in a manner promoting enhanced energy damping characteristics while allowing the casting to return to the original shape after the impact energy is released threrefrom.

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Batavia, IL, United States of America

Donald E Wilt