Miner Enterprises, Inc.

Trinity North American Freight Car, Inc.

Robert J Pokorski

Donald E Wilt

Keith A Salis

Erich A Schoedl

George S Creighton

William P O'Donnell

Aubra D McKisic

Kris C Jurasek

Rosie Galindo

William P O'donnell

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

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Saint Charles, IL, United States of America

Robert J Pokorski