Miner Enterprises, Inc.

Paul B Aspengren

William P O'Donnell

Erik D Jensen

Steve R White

Adam J Merges

William P O'donnell

Erich A Schoedl

Andy R Kries

Bradley J Haymond

Michael D VanMaldegiam

Michael S Dillon

Mark W Stanek

Paul A Perlongo

Joseph M Ingraham

Raymond E DeGraw

Michael L McGuigan

Michael D Vanmaldegiam

Michael D Van Maldegiam

A railroad car constant contact side bearing assembly plastic cap having a longitudinal axis and including a generally flat top surface with wall structure formed integral with and depending from the generally flat top surface, and a metallic insert maintained in operable association with the generally flat surface on the cap to slidably contact with an underside of a railcar whereby permitting the cap to establish a coefficient of friction ranging between about 0.4 and about 0.9 with the railcar.

Railroad car constant contact side bearing assembly

A constant contact side bearing assembly for a railcar including a housing with wall structure defining a central axis for the side bearing assembly and a multipiece cap. The cap is arranged in operable combination with the housing and includes a movable first member and a movable second member carried by the first member. A spring resiliently urges the cap members toward railcar body structure. The cap members define cooperating angled surfaces therebetween for urging wall structure on the first member and wall structure on the second member into frictional engagement with the wall structure on the housing in response to a vertical load acting on the friction contacting surface on the cap. An apparatus, carried by the cap members, allow the cap members to horizontally slide relative to each other while limiting vertical separation of the cap members relative to each other during operation of the constant contact side bearing assembly.

Railcar constant contact side bearing assembly

A constant contact side bearing assembly for a railcar including a housing with wall structure defining a central axis for the side bearing assembly and a multipiece cap. The cap is arranged in operable combination with the housing and includes a movable first member and a movable second member carried by the first member. A portion of the second member extends beyond the housing and defines a friction surface for the cap. A spring resiliently urges the friction surface of the cap into frictional contact with railcar body structure. The cap members define cooperating angled surfaces therebetween for urging wall structure on the first member and wall structure on the second member into frictional engagement with the wall structure on said housing in response to a vertical load acting on the friction contacting surface on the cap.

A constant contact side bearing assembly for a railcar having a bolster with an upper surface and a walled receptacle upstanding from the upper surface of the bolster. An inner surface of the walled receptacle defines an open-top cavity wherein the side bearing assembly is accommodated. The constant contact side bearing assembly includes a spring and a base. The side bearing assembly base is configured to loosely fit within the walled receptacle and a gap is defined between an outer surface of the side bearing assembly base and the inner surface of the walled receptacle. A railcar engaging surface portion on a friction member is biased by the spring against an underside of the railcar. An adapter is configured to fit between the side bearing assembly base and the walled receptacle to, at least partially, fill the gap between the side bearing assembly base and the interior surface of the walled receptacle thereby positively positioning, both laterally and longitudinally, the side bearing assembly while reducing horizontal shifting movements side bearing assembly relative to the bolster to optimize performance of the side bearing assembly.

Constant contact side bearing assembly for a railcar

An elastomeric spring including an elongated elastomeric body defining a longitudinal axis for the spring and having first and second longitudinal ends. An outer surface of the elastomeric body extends between the first and second ends and has four generally planar sides, with each planar side of the outer surface being disposed to one side of and generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spring so as to reduce radial bulging of the spring in all directions when an axial load is applied to the spring. The outer surface of the elastomeric body further includes four angled corner sections extending between the first and second ends of the elastomeric body and disposed a substantially common distance from the longitudinal axis of the spring. One corner section is disposed between any two adjoining sides on the outer surface of the elastomeric body.

Elastomeric spring

A constant contact side bearing assembly configured for insertion into a walled receptacle provided on an upper surface of a railcar bolster. The side bearing assembly includes a housing assembly including a base and cap receivable within the open top walled receptacle on the bolster. The base has laterally spaced sides and longitudinally spaced ends. The cap is guided for movements relative to the base and has a generally flat railcar body engaging portion along with structure which combines with the sides and ends on the base to define an internal void for the side bearing assembly. A longitudinally elongated and generally rectangularly-shaped elastomeric compression spring is arranged in the internal void within the side bearing assembly for absorbing, dissipating, and returning energy imparted to the side bearing assembly during a work cycle. During a side bearing assembly work cycle, the spring is configured to deform in a predetermined manner and such that, upon maximum spring deformation, the spring maintains an operable relationship relative to the housing assembly of the side bearing assembly.

A constant contact side bearing assembly configured for insertion into a walled receptacle on an upper surface of a railcar bolster. The constant contact side bearing assembly includes a housing defining a cavity. A cap is positioned by and overlies an end of the spring. The cap is mounted for reciprocatory guided movements by and relative to the housing, with a generally flat railcar body engaging portion on the cap being positioned relative to the housing and the walled receptacle by the spring. The side bearing assembly housing and the walled receptacle are configured to accommodate an apparatus used to locate and secure the side bearing assembly housing within the walled receptacle on the railcar bolster.

Measuring tool

A constant contact side bearing assembly configured for insertion into a walled receptacle on an upper surface of a railcar bolster. The constant contact side bearing assembly includes a housing defining a cavity and a spring. A cap is positioned by and overlies an end of the spring. The cap is mounted for reciprocatory guided movements by and relative to the housing, with a generally flat railcar body engaging portion on the cap being positioned relative to the housing and the walled enclosure by the spring. The side bearing assembly further includes an apparatus for securing the housing of the side bearing assembly within the walled receptacle on the railcar bolster.

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Elmhurst, IL, United States of America

Paul B Aspengren