Amsted Industries Inc.

Vaughn Terrey Hawthorne

Charles P Spencer

Terry L Pitchford

A freight railcar undercarriage constant-contact sidebearing arrangement provides a load force transfer mechanism with a more direct or less redundant force transfer path between the railcar body with its lading and the sideframe and wheels of a truck assembly, which system obviates the present use of a bolster center plate structure for load transfer, carries all the load forces through the side bearing assemblies, fulfills the dynamic operating requirements of the American Association of Railroads standards, reduces the weight of the railcar while maintaining the load-carrying capacity, and is particularly adaptable to three-piece truck assemblies in broad use on freight railcars.

Dynamically stable, lightweight railcar support system

An integrally cast bearing adapter arrangement is provided in the pedestal of a railcar truck side frame, which side frame is cast with a pedestal jaw having a roof, and vertical walls of a first and second leg which roof and walls operate as a bearing adapter to receive and grasp a bearing assembly outer surface at a horizontal diameter of the bearing assembly for an axle end without introducing the manufacturing and assembly tolerances from discrete component assemblies, thereby avoiding the lateral displacement associated with the added tolerances and operating to minimize angular displacement between each mated axle and side frame.

Growing community of inventors

Lisle, IL, United States of America

Vaughn Terrey Hawthorne