Miner Enterprises, Inc.

Trinity North American Freight Car, Inc.

Keith A Salis

Donald E Wilt

Erich A Schoedl

Robert J Pokorski

George S Creighton

William P O'Donnell

Andy R Kries

Aubra D McKisic

Kenneth A James

Kris C Jurasek

Rosie Galindo

Lawrence W Hanson

Richard B Biehl

William P O'donnell

A railroad freight car coupling system utilizing purely mechanical cushioning assemblies at opposed ends of the car. Each cushioning assembly includes an elongated draft gear assembly including two individually operable and axially spaced assemblies for absorbing both buff and draft forces. Each draft gear assembly includes an axially elongated and hollow metal housing with a first open end and a second open end disposed in longitudinally spaced relation relative to each other. The draft gear assembly is provided with first and second spring biased assemblies at opposed open ends of the housing for absorbing, storing and returning energy directed against a railroad freight car with which the draft gear assembly is arranged in operable combination.

Railroad freight car coupling system

Railcar side bearing pad

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 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

An elastomeric spring assembly for a railcar apparatus is disclosed. The elastomeric spring assembly includes an elongated body of elastomeric material having a series of axially spaced members coaxially arranged and wholly embedded within the body of elastomeric material. The majority of the embedded members are configured to resist radial outward movement of said elastomeric material while causing the elastomeric material to react in an axial direction between confronting surfaces defined by the members upon axial deflection of the elastomeric spring whereby enhancing performance characteristics of the spring assembly. A method of making an elastomeric spring assembly is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Clare, IL, United States of America

Keith A Salis