Mcconway & Torley, LLC

Wabtec Holding Corporation

Trn Business Trust

Jeffrey D Wurzer

Peter S Mautino

Shawn A Opfer

Douglas M Hanes

Joseph L Gagliardino

Frank Lazzaro

Michael J Veltri

Alvin G Hurt

MaryAnn Glover

A release graduating proportioning valve for a rail car brake system having a brake pipe, a brake cylinder, and a load sensor valve which selectively connects the control volume to the brake cylinder. The release graduating proportioning valve has a proportioning piston movable between a first position at which a control volume is isolated from atmosphere to a second position at which the control volume is connected to atmosphere, to enable graduated release of brake cylinder pressure. A port to atmosphere is provided in the valve body, and the port is connected to, or isolated from, the control volume responsive to movement of the proportioning piston.

Graduated release/proportioning valve

A railroad car ( ) uses a coupling system ( ) to couple to other railroad cars. The coupling system includes a coupler ( ), a knuckle ( ), a knuckle pin ( ) and a lock ( ). When two railroad cars are coupled to each other, the knuckles of the two railroad cars are engaged and the forces produced during buff and draft movement of the railroad cars are transmitted through the knuckles, the coupler and the locks. Under normal operation, the knuckle pin should experience minimal forces during the buff and draft movement of the railroad cars. However, over time the various components that make up the coupler system may fall out of tolerance due to usage, wear and other factors. As the various components of the coupler system fall out of tolerance, increasing bending forces are applied to the knuckle pin. A knuckle pin with a slot ( ) and a hollow body ( ) is capable of withstanding bending forces applied to the knuckle pin by out-of-tolerance coupling systems.

Knuckle coupler pin

A drawbar for a slackless drawbar coupler assembly which includes a shank portion extending to a truncated butt end portion defining a convex, hemispherical buff load bearing surface adapted to abut against a concave, hemispherical buff load bearing surface on a rear support block. A generally rectangular aperture is provided through the butt end portion at the axis of said hemispherical buff load bearing surface which is adapted to receive a drawbar pivot pin and a three-dimensional bearing block, with the bearing block having a half-cylindrical surface on one side adapted to engage against a cylindrical side surface of the drawbar pivot pin, and a flat, generally rectangular surface opposite the cylindrical surface which is adapted to abut against a flat side of the rectangular aperture, to thereby bias the bearing block against the drawbar pivot pin such that the drawbar is pivotally attached to the pivot pin.

Drawbar for lightweight drawbar assembly

A bearing block for use in combination with a slackless drawbar coupler assembly for joining railway cars, wherein the bearing block is adapted for use in pivotally attaching a drawbar to a drawbar pivot pin and the drawbar is provided with a generally rectangular aperture through which such drawbar pivot pin is inserted, the bearing block comprising, a generally three-sided body having three generally rectangular side surfaces adapted to engage against the side surfaces of the generally rectangular aperture, and includes a fourth surface defining a concave cylindrical surface adapted to engage against a cylindrical side surface of the drawbar pivot pin, such that when properly inserted into the drawbar assembly, the drawbar will bias the cylindrical surface against the pivot pin.

Bearing block for lightweight drawbar assembly

A slackless drawbar coupler assembly for use in combination with a railway car having a center sill wherein the drawbar has a shank portion extending to an enlarged truncated butt end portion defining essentially a convex, hemispherical buff load bearing surface, with an aperture at the axis of the hemispherical buff load bearing surface, and includes a rear support block having a concave hemispherical buff load bearing surface on one side adapted to engage the convex, hemispherical buff load bearing surface on the drawbar. A spool for supporting an end of the drawbar is provided which is a generally rectangular sleeve-like body having a first pair of horizontally disposed and parallel side wall members transverse to a second pair of vertically disposed and parallel top and bottom wall members, such that a drawbar pivot pin is disposed through the aperture in the drawbar, the ends of which are secured within aligned apertures in one of the pair of horizontally disposed and parallel wall members of the spool to permit pivotal motion of the drawbar on the pivot pin, while a support housing securable to the center sill of the railway car is provided for pivotally supporting the spool within rectangular cavity on an axis perpendicular to the drawbar pivot pin.

Lightweight drawbar assembly

A support housing for supporting a slackless drawbar coupler assembly within a center sill of a railway car, in which the slackless drawbar assembly has a drawbar pivotally attached within a spool by a pivot pin, the support housing including a generally rectangular three-dimensional body having a generally rectangular, three-dimensional cavity in an underside surface, a forward end wall and a pair of generally parallel side wall portions with a pair of opposed and axially aligned apertures through the generally parallel side wall portion of the cavity, each aperture adapted to receive a disk pin insertable therethrough and also insertable through one each of a second pair of opposed and axially aligned apertures through parallel side walls of the spool, such that said spool is pivotal within said cavity on the axially aligned disk pins.

Support housing for lightweight drawbar assembly

A spool for supporting an end of a drawbar in a drawbar coupler assembly, having a first pair of vertically disposed and parallel side wall members extending from a second pair of horizontally disposed and parallel top and bottom wall members, a first pair of axially aligned apertures centrally disposed in the first pair of horizontally disposed and parallel side wall members, each adapted to receive an interlocking disk-pin for pivotally connecting the spool to a support housing, a second pair of axially aligned apertures centrally disposed in the second pair of horizontally disposed top and bottom wall members, adapted to receive a drawbar pivot pin for pivotally connecting a drawbar within the spool.

Spool for lightweight drawbar assembly

A lock member for a Type E railway freight car coupler formed of an as-cast and austempered ductile iron casting, having a slightly over-sized head portion, the as-cast and austempered ductile iron casting having a minimum tensile strength of about 140 ksi, a minimum yield strength of about 110 ksi, a minimum elongation in 2 inches of about 4%, and a BHN of about 321-388.

Slack reduced lock member for a type E raiway coupler

An elongated light-weight, cast draft sill mountable at the end of a center sill of a railway car body, and to which a railway car truck is pivotally mountable, the cast draft sill having a generally hollow, elongated rectangular body, with a pair of elongated, parallel side walls extending perpendicularly from an elongated top wall and further including a draft pocket adjacent to the forward end adapted to receive a coupler yoke and associated draft gear, and a light weight center plate portion which is mateable to a railway car truck spaced from the rearward end of the cast draft sill. The unique center plate portion comprising a generally cubic center plate pocket defined between a pair of spaced and parallel center plate pocket end walls, extending perpendicularly between the parallel side walls of said draft sill, and a floor wall member forming a lower wall of the center plate pocket having a cylindrical periphery extending downwardly from an underside of the draft sill, and having a circular outer face with an aperture axially disposed through the circular outer face to receive a king-pin of the railway car truck.

Cast draft sill with low profile center plate

A non-binding, slack-adjusting, gravity wedge member for use in a railway slackless drawbar system, the wedge member having a pair of opposed friction faces at an inclined angle to each other, with a first of the faces having at least one recess therein adapted to receive an elastomeric body bonded therein such that an outer, flat surface of the elastomeric body is exposed and spaced outwardly from and parallel to the first face, such that the elastomeric body has an exposed outer flat surface of at least about 35 square inches, and a hardness of at least about 50 durometers.

Slack adjusting gravity wedge for railway slackless drawbar assembly

An integral yoke member casting having a back wall portion, a first side wall portion formed integral with the back wall portion adjacent a first outer edge thereof. The first side wall portion has a front face portion which is engageable with a rear face portion of a front stop secured within a center sill member. A second side wall portion is formed integral with the back wall portion adjacent a second outer edge thereof. The second side wall portion includes a front face portion which is engageable with a rear face of another front stop secured within such center sill member. A top wall portion extends between inner surfaces of the first and second side wall portions and outwardly from such rear wall portion past the front faces of both the first and second side wall portions. There is a bottom wall portion which extends between such inner surfaces of such first and second side wall portions and outwardly from such rear wall portion past the front faces of both the first and second side wall portions. A first aperture is formed through the top wall portion and an axially opposed second aperture is formed through such bottom wall portion. A slot is formed through such bottom wall portion adjacent the inner surface of such rear wall portion for receiving at least a portion of a tapered wedge therein. A tapered wedge guide is disposed adjacent such rear wall portion for preventing lateral movement of such tapered wedge. A follower block guide is disposed adjacent such tapered wedge guide for maintaining such follower block in alignment with a butt end portion of a drawbar member.

Drawbar assembly yoke casting

An integral single piece yoke casting for connecting one end of a railway car. Such single piece yoke casting includes a first side wall portion having a front face portion which engages at least a portion of a rear face of a front stop member secured within a longitudinal opening of a center sill member. A second side wall portion having a front face portion engages at least a portion of a rear face of another front stop member secured within such longitudinal opening of such center sill member. A horizontally disposed top wall portion, having a third predetermined length and a horizontally disposed bottom wall portion, having a fourth predetermined length, in conjunction with the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion form a generally rectangular yoke casting. A first vertically disposed aperture, having a first predetermined diameter, is formed through such top wall portion at a predetermined location and an axially opposed second vertically disposed aperture, having a second predetermined diameter, is formed through such bottom wall portion at a predetermined location.

Yoke casting for a drawbar assembly

A drawbar assembly having a rear draft stop engageable with a block out member. A tapered wedge member engages a tapered surface on the block out member. A follower member engages a front face of the tapered wedge. A concave surface is formed in a front face portion of the follower member. Such follower member is movable within the open end of a yoke casting. Such yoke casting includes first and second side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall. A first and second aperture are formed through the top wall and bottom wall, respectively. A pair of front draft stop members engage a respective side wall of such center sill. A drawbar having a butt end portion is movably disposed within a second opening in such yoke casting. Such drawbar includes a vertically disposed pin receiving opening formed in such butt end and a two piece pin bearing block having a hemispherical outer surface is disposed in a hemispherical recess formed in such pin receiving opening. A vertically disposed pin member is disposed within such first aperture in such top wall of the yoke casting, such pin receiving opening in such drawbar and the second aperture formed in such bottom wall portion of such yoke casting.

Railway car slackless drawbar assembly

A draft stop member in a car coupling arrangement includes a rectangular block-like member. An arcuate portion extends forward from the rear face and inward from the stop upper surface and terminates before a longitudinal centerline thereof. Another arcuate portion extends forward from the rear face and inward from the stop bottom surface and terminates before such centerline. A triangular block-like member formed integral with an inner portion of the rectangular member includes another arcuate portion beginning inward from the stop upper surface and terminating before the centerline. Another arcuate portion begins inward from the stop bottom surface and terminates before the centerline. A nose member formed integral with an inner portion of the triangular member includes an arcuately shaped end disposed axially opposed to the rear face of the rectangular member. A tapered upper surface extends inward toward such rear face from one end of the arcuately shaped end and upward from the centerline. A bottom tapered surface extends inward toward the rear face from another end of the arcuately shaped end and outwardly from the centerline. An upper arcuately shaped portion is disposed between one end of the tapered upper surface and a point inward from the stop upper surface. A bottom arcuately shaped portion begins at one end of the bottom tapered surface and ends inward from the stop bottom surface. An elongated draft key slot receiving member is disposed on an outer surface of such stop about the centerline and an elongated slot formed in the stop about the centerline for receiving a draft key.

Front draft stop for use in a drawbar assembly

Discloses is a castable, pedestal-type support apparatus to support a cargo shipping container on a transportation vehicle in a position to be secured thereto by a particular style locking mechanism. The apparatus includes an elongated body portion with a pivot pin receiving portion and a counterweight portion at one end, and a cargo shipping container engaging apparatus at the other end. The cargo shipping container engaging apparatus includes a three-sided rectangular cavity against a rectangular floor wall portion with a four-sided rectangular opening thereto at the outermost end. Lock engaging apparatus incorporated therewith include a pair of parallel and spaced rib members disposed across said four-sided rectangular opening into said three-sided rectangular cavity, each having an aperture aligned with the axis of a half-circle cut-out portion in the each end of a pair of side wall portions of the rectangular cavity, as well as a pair of lock engaging nipples extending downwardly from the upper and outer corner of the three-sided cavity at an angle approximately 30 degrees from vertical.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Jeffrey D Wurzer