Strato, Inc.

Amsted Rail Company, Inc.

Amsted Rail-faiveley, LLC

Jonathan Sunde

Michael Ring

Paul P Sopt

A cushioning apparatus for a railway car employs a shortened yoke with a reduced-width tail for placement between stops in a conventional railway car sill. A first stack of rigid plates with elastomeric pads is provided between the straps of the modified yoke behind the coupler follower, and a second stack of plates and elastomeric pads is positioned in the sill behind the modified yoke to absorb buff loads on the coupler. In embodiments, the entire assembly may be placed in a sill having forward stops, intermediate stops, and rear stops, adapted to house a hydraulic cushioning unit.

Cushioning unit with reduced tail yoke

A cushioning apparatus for a railway car employs a shortened yoke having a draft gear housing integral with the yoke. A stack elastomeric pads is provided in the housing, and a second stack of elastomeric pads and corresponding rigid metal plates, is positioned in the sill behind the modified yoke to absorb buff loads on the coupler. In embodiments, the entire assembly may be placed in a sill having forward stops, intermediate stops, and rear stops.

Selective cushion unit yoke with integral draft gear housing

A hybrid cushioning apparatus for a railway car apparatus employs a standard yoke and a conventional draft gear forward of the tail of the yoke and a stack of elastomeric units behind the tail engaging the draft gear with a force transfer member.

Hybrid cushioning apparatus with draft gear

Selective cushioning apparatus for a railway car

Coupler follower for selective cushioning unit

F-type yoke for a railway car cushioning unit

Vented brake cylinder

A selective cushioning apparatus for a railway car absorbs draft and buff loads applied to a coupler of a railway car during train assembly and normal operation. The apparatus according to the invention provides better cushioning than a conventional draft gear without the excessive travel and maintenance issues of a hydraulic cushioning unit. In embodiments, the selective cushioning unit is adapted to fit into an AAR standard pocket for a hydraulic cushioning unit.

Selective cushioning apparatus assembly

A truck mounted braking system is provided with a mechanical pivot adjustment on the bake lever connected to the brake cylinder push rod to permit the braking force applied to the wheels to vary depending on the lading condition of the car, without involving additional pneumatic elements such as a pneumatic empty load device. The brake cylinder may be provided with a channel which permits the push rod to achieve different positions based on different positions of the brake cylinder push rod.

Truck mounted braking system for a railway car

An improved selective travel cushioning device for a railway car is responsive to both draft and buff loads on the coupler, fitting into a standard cushioning unit pocket with little or no reconfiguration of the sill required, while limiting wear on elastic members in the cushioning unit and exhibiting high energy absorption.

Cushioning apparatus for a railway car

A truck mounted braking system is provided with a mechanical pivot adjustment on a lever connected to the brake actuator to permit the braking force applied to the wheels to vary depending on the lading condition of the car, without involving additional pneumatic elements such as a pneumatic empty load device. The system adjusts the braking force applied when the hand brake is activated, even when the railway car is disconnected from the pneumatic brake line.

Truck-mounted brake system

Braking systems for railway cars are provided. A braking system defines a longitudinal axis, and includes a first brake assembly, a second brake assembly, and an actuator operable to generate a linear force, the actuator disposed proximate the second brake assembly. The braking system further includes a movable rod and a fixed rod extending between the first brake assembly and the second brake assembly. In some embodiments, the braking system further includes a dead lever and a slack adjuster disposed proximate the first brake assembly, the slack adjuster connected to the first brake assembly and the dead lever and operable to adjust a distance along the longitudinal axis between a reference point of the first brake assembly and a pivot point of the dead lever.

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Somerset, NJ, United States of America

Jonathan Sunde