Miner Enterprises, Inc.

Richard A Carlstedt

Erik D Jensen

Michael R Palermo

Kris C Jurasek

David M Houck

Rodney K Chesley

Ding-Huei R Fong

A railcar draft gear spring assembly including an axial stack of spring units. Each spring unit is formed from a non-circular elastomeric preform having a series of spaced corners with recessed sides extending between the corners. The preform includes a lobe formed at each corner for channeling the flow of elastomer when the preform is compressed between a pair of non-circular metal plates. Each plate has an outer profile and a series of grippers extending in a common direction away from one surface of the plate. The grippers are arranged in a predetermined pattern relative to each other and relative to the preform for initially positioning the non-circular preformed block of copolyester elastomer relative to the plates and for thereafter restricting the flow of elastomer relative to the outer profile of the plates.

Railcar draft gear spring assembly and method of making an elastomeric spring unit

A cold formed railcar spring including a spring pad formed from a perform of thermoplastic polyester elastomer having a durometer hardness ranging between about 40 and about 45 on the Shore D scale and sandwiched between a pair of metal plates. Each metal plate has a generally centralized bore extending therethrough and includes a plurality of radially spaced mechanical fasteners formed as an integral part of each plate. Each fastener has first and second generally parallel surfaces and a barb extending from a side of the fastener such that, upon axial compression of the preform, the fastener is pressed axially inward of one end of the perform such that the barb on the fastener mechanically interlocks with the spring pad whereby securing the plate to the spring pad.

Railcar elastomeric spring

A railroad car draft gear including a housing having an open end with a friction clutch assembly arranged in operable combination therewith. An elongated elastomeric spring assembly is disposed within the housing for storing energy during axial compression of the draft gear. A spring seat is arranged within the housing between the spring assembly and an end portion of each friction member forming part of the friction clutch assembly. The spring seat defines a surface, arranged in direct contacting relation with an end of the spring assembly, and defines at least one surface incongruity for limiting radial expansion with the elastomeric spring at the end of the spring assembly arranged in direct contacting relation with the spring seat along at least two axes when an axial load is applied to the draft gear.

Railroad car draft gear

A draft gear which has a wedge, two friction shoes, two tapered wear liners, a spring seat and a spring package. The wedge has surfaces which cooperate with surfaces on each of the friction shoes forming a first selected angle of about 40 degrees to the major axis of the draft gear housing. A second group of surfaces on the friction shoes cooperate with surfaces on the tapered wear liners to create a second selected angle of about 5 degrees with respect to the major axis of the draft gear. A third group of surfaces on the friction shoes cooperate with surfaces on the spring seat to form a third selected angle of about 65 degrees with respect to the major axis of the draft gear.

Draft gear for a reduced-slack drawbar assembly

A friction/elastomeric pad draft gear to cushion and absorb impacting forces on a railroad car coupler system. The friction/elastomeric pad draft gear includes a housing with a closed end and an open opposite end with a major axis extending therebetween. The open opposite end is provided with inwardly tapered extended internal friction surfaces. A wedge is mounted for axial movement in the open end of said housing and friction devices are positioned within the housing between the wedge and the extended internal friction surfaces. A spring seat is positioned adjacent the friction devices and on top of the elastomeric pad stack. The friction devices engagement with the wedge: forms a first selected angle of about 35 degrees &plusmn;3 degrees; forms a second selected angle of about 2.25 degrees, &plusmn; about 0.25 degrees, with the extended tapered internal friction surface; and forms a third selected angle of about 90 degrees, &plusmn;4 degrees, with the spring seat, all in respect to the major axis.

Railroad car draft gear having a long travel

A compression spring formed of an elastomer having a ratio of plastic strain to elastic strain that is greater than 1.5 to 1, the elastomer having a having a projection extending through a metal plate and being cold formed into a rivet-like head to define a mechanical bond between the elastomer and the metal plate.

Elastomeric spring unit

A fragmentable insert for maintaining a railroad draft gear in a shortened state to facilitate assembly in the pocket of a railroad car. The insert is a generally rectangular structure having at least one set of opposing faces bisected by a pair of grooved notches. The two sets of grooved notches are generally perpendicular to each other. A bore extends through the body of the insert between the opposing faces which are bisected by the grooved notches. The bore is configured to reduce the thickness of the material between its wall surface and the surfaces of the other pairs of opposing faces not intersected by the bore.

Preshortening insert for a draft gear

The draft gear includes: friction elements; coil spring elements; and elastomer elements. With respect to the friction elements, three groups of friction surfaces are defined each of which create a specific angle with respect to a centerline passing down the center of the draft gear. The elastomer elements are interconnected multiple segmented columns having specific heights and occupying particular volumes with respect to the coil spring elements. Particular hardness and number of segments of the elastomer elements are also defined.

Friction elastomer draft gear

The draft gear includes a single center friction plate and a pair of spaced apart friction wedges. Six major friction surfaces are defined, four of which are engaged upon contact with the follower, the other two being engaged after about one-half inch of travel. Three major groups of angles are defined, a first being between the friction wedges and the shoes, a second between the friction wedges and the release wedge and a third between the shoes and the spring seat. These groups of angles cooperate to insure that the draft gear will release upon removal of external force.

Split wedge draft gear with center friction plate

A draft gear to absorb and cushion impacting forces on a railroad car coupler system includes a spring package in an inner section of a housing of the gear. The spring package connects with a set of friction shoes carried in friction shoe seats formed in an outer friction bore section of the housing. The shoes in turn engage with a wedge which extends from the housing outer end. In each friction shoe seat is a grooved recess having an inner, outer, and connecting groove portion arranged in an H-like shape. In each grooved recess in turn is a metallic insert to provide a film of lubricant between the shoes and friction shoe seats respectively. During operation the impacting forces on the coupler system drive the wedge and shoes inward to compress the spring package. This movement is restrained by friction between the shoes and friction shoe seats. Because the inserts are rigid, insert material in the outer groove portions is not readily dislodged, if the shoes move sufficiently inward to expose the outer groove portions. Thus, the coefficient of friction between the shoes and friction shoe seats remains properly regulated to insure continued effective frictional restraint. Additionally, the shoes are inhibited from being stuck when the draft gear is in a compressed state.

Draft gear for railroad car coupler system

An improved draft gear for transmitting draft forces in railway vehicles. The invention includes a housing with a closed end and an open opposite end provided with a tapered internal friction surface. A wedge is mounted for axial movement in the open end of the housing and friction shoes are positioned within the housing between the wedge and adjacent portions of the internal friction surface. A follower member is positioned adjacent the friction shoes and springs are positioned between the closed end of the housing and the follower member to urge the follower member against the shoes. Each of the shoes has a beveled outer surface in engagement with a beveled inner surface of the wedge, the beveled inner and outer surfaces being formed at a first selected angle with respect to the axis of the housing. Each of the shoes also has a beveled inner face in engagement with a beveled outer face of the follower member, the beveled inner and outer faces being formed at a second selected angle with respect to the axis of the housing. The angle of the bevel on the outer faces of the follower thereby assists in the assembly of the draft gear. The surface area of each of the inner faces is at least equal to the surface area of the engaged outer face of the follower member such that during application of force to the draft gear, the inner face traverses the entire surface of the outer face to prevent accumulation of metal at the interface of the inner and outer faces.

Growing community of inventors

Wheaton, IL, United States of America

Richard A Carlstedt