National Castings, Inc.

Naco, Inc.

Meridian Rail Information Systems Corp.

Jack R Long

Hans B Weber

Andreas M Haas

Stephen W Becker

A railway truck frame for a railway truck including a first side frame and a second side frame, each side frame having an inverted trapezoidal-shaped window including a first inclined side and a second inclined side. The truck frame also includes a bolster having a first end and a second end which extends transversely between the first and second side frames. Each end of the bolster includes a first inclined channel and an opposing second inclined channel. Each channel includes an exterior flange, a spaced apart interior flange, and a bearing surface located between the exterior and the interior flanges. Each inclined side of a window is adapted to be located in a respective first or second channel between the exterior flange and the interior flange of the channel and in engagement with the bearing surface of the channel. A locking device such as a jack is located in each window between the top of the end of the bolster and the top side of the window which selectively forces the end of the bolster downwardly into engagement with the side frame such that the end of the bolster is rigidly but removably connected to the side frame.

Three-piece railway truck frame having a selectively removable bolster

A pedestal rocker seat arrangement adapted for use in connection with the side frame of a railway truck and with a roller bearing adapter member. The pedestal rocker seat includes an elastomeric pad adapted to be placed within the pedestal roof cavity of the pedestal of a side frame. The pad includes a base member adapted to engage the pedestal and a generally pyramidal-shaped projection extending downwardly from the base member. The pedestal rocker seat also includes a rocker member having a top side including a generally pyramidal-shaped cavity adapted to matingly receive the pyramidal-shaped projection of the elastomeric pad. The rocker member also includes a convex generally cylindrical-shaped curved rocker surface that is adapted to contact the roller bearing adapter member. The pedestal rocker seat provides resistance to hunting and passive axle steering for improved curving.

Pedestal rocker seat for providing passive axle steering to a rigid

A slackless drawbar or coupler head rotary connection between adjacent cars of a train which is movable along a fixed trackway, is described as having a ball and socket swivel-type connection which allows the elongated shank of a drawbar or coupler head to swivel freely in any direction, contrary to existing devices which employ a cylindrical connector which rotates in a cylindrical recess, thereby allowing the shank to rotate about its longitudinal axis rather than the center of a ball-shaped connector. In the existing designs, angling is achieved by distorting the shape of the pin hole in the shank of the drawbar or coupler head. This is undesirable and causes greater wear of the shank. The swivel connection eliminates the need for such a distorted pin hole which can be cylindrical and only slightly larger, in diameter, than that of the pin. A plurality of tapered wedges are provided to exert pressure against a front follower to maintain it in compressive engagement with stops in the striker or housing and take up any slack which develops between these parts. A second wedging mechanism can be employed between the front follower and rear end of the shank to maintain pressure against the shank and eliminate any slack which develops between these components.

Slackless drawbar or coupler with swivel mounting

A railroad car truck or bogie is described as having a pair of sideframes between which are mounted a bolster and either a transom or pair of tie rods which, in turn, are attached to a pair of rocker seats which extend into the sideframes and over open, U-shaped channels that are formed in the sideframes midway between the opposing ends of the sideframes. A pair of hardened steel bearings are maintained in spaced coaxial relation in each of the channels. Each of the bearings has at least a parti-cylindrical head which extends in the direction of the adjacent, juxtaposed rocker seat which is provided with a vertically aligned, matingly curved recess for receiving the head of the adjacent bearing. The recesses have a larger radius of curvature to facilitate relative rocking motion between the rocker seats and bearings. Means are provided for limiting the rocking motion between the rocker seats and bearings. Also described is a unique rigid connection between the ends of the tie rods and the rocker seats.

Rocker seat connection

A linkage-actuator for the coupler knuckle-assembly of a railway passenger car which is mounted on the coupler head directly adjacent to the knuckle-assembly, which linkage-actuator does not extend along the shank connecting the knuckle-assembly to the car proper, thereby saving considerably on space and weight. The linkage-actuator allows for both manual and pneumatic actuation of the knuckle-assembly. The linkage-actuator for the knuckle-assembly is mounted directly on the coupler head. The rotatable operating rod for placing the knuckle into its lock-set or fully open position is actuated by a pivotal plate mounted on top of the coupler head. One end of the plate is urged into its non-actuated, horizontal position by a spring, while the other end of the plate is connected to an eccentric cam that is coupled to the rotatable actuating rod of the knuckle-assembly. An air-bellows lifts the end of the plate coupled to the eccentric cam which, in turn, rotates the actuating rod, to thereby place the knuckle into its lock-set or fully thrown position.

Automatic actuator for coupler knuckle-assembly of a railway passenger

An improved swing-motion truck in which the transom has been replaced by a pair of transverse radius or tie rods for coupling the two rocker seats of the two side frames of the truck. The ends of the rods are directly coupled to anchor brackets formed as part of the side-frame rocker seats via an elastomeric connection. The suspension springs of the railway freight car truck are seated directly upon the upper flat surface of the two rocker seats of the side frames of the truck, so that lighter-weight freight cars may be accommodated, without a friction-dependent coupling between the rocker seats and rods interconnecting the rocker seats, and where an overall lower height truck results to provide a low-deck car. The cooperating limit stops for lateral motion of the truck are mounted directly on the rocker seats themselves.

Stabilized swing-motion truck for railway cars

A combined center plate/center filler construction for the underframe of a railway car is provided with sloped, corner circumferential sections at the upper portion of the center plate to allow for the complete welding of the center plate to the undersurfaces of a pocket-receptacle of the underframe, so that one continuous welding operation may be performed. The upper portion of the center plate has four corner positioning projections the upper horizontal surfaces of which are coplanar with the horizontal plane containing the joinder of the center plate to the center filler.

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St. Charles, IL, United States of America

Jack R Long