US 11,046,339 B2Granted

Friction end-of-car cushioning assembly

AssigneeTrinity Rail Group, LLC

InventorsShaun Richmond, Matthew Gabriel Westlake, Ricky Alleson Cribbs

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Abstract

An assembly that includes a housing with a chamber formed within a bore of the housing. The assembly further includes a tapered center shaft disposed at least partially within the bore of the housing. The chamber includes an angled contact surface, a sliding wedge, and a load spring. The sliding wedge is positioned to apply a force onto the angled contact surface of the chamber. The sliding wedge is also positioned to apply a frictional force to a rod portion of the tapered center shaft. The load spring is compressed between a contact surface of the chamber and a contact surface of the sliding wedge. The load spring is positioned to apply a compressive force onto the contact surface of sliding wedge toward the angled contact surface of the chamber.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A friction end-of-car cushioning assembly, comprising:

a housing comprising a chamber formed within a bore of the housing, wherein the chamber comprises:
a first contact surface comprising an angled contact surface;
and
a second contact surface at a second end of the chamber;
a center shaft disposed at least partially within the bore of the housing, comprising:
a first end of the center shaft;
a second end of the center shaft;
and
a rod portion spanning between the first end and the second end, wherein the rod portion is tapered from the second end of the center shaft to the first end of the center shaft;
a sliding wedge disposed within the chamber, wherein the sliding wedge comprises:
a first contact surface tapered toward the first contact surface of the housing, wherein the first contact surface of the sliding wedge is positioned to apply a force onto the angled contact surface of the housing;
a second contact surface perpendicular to the bore of the housing;
and
a third contact surface parallel to the bore of the housing, wherein the third contact surface of the sliding wedge is positioned to apply a frictional force to the rod portion of the center shaft;
and
a load spring disposed within the chamber, wherein:
the load spring is compressed between the second contact surface of the chamber and the second contact surface of the sliding wedge;
and
the load spring is positioned to apply a compressive force onto the second contact surface of sliding wedge toward the angled contact surface of the chamber.

16 more elements

A damping method, comprising:

configuring a friction end-of-car cushioning assembly on a railcar in a first configuration, wherein in the first configuration:
a center shaft comprises:
a first end of the center shaft;
a second end of the center shaft;
a rod portion spanning between the first end and the second end, wherein the rod portion is tapered from the second end to the first end;
and
a head portion positioned adjacent to a chamber formed within a bore of a housing;
the chamber comprises:
a first contact surface comprising an angled contact surface;
a second contact surface at a second end of the chamber;
and
a sliding wedge disposed within the chamber, wherein the sliding wedge comprises:
a first contact surface tapered toward the first contact surface of the housing, wherein the first contact surface of the sliding wedge is positioned to apply a force onto the angled contact surface of the chamber;
a second contact surface perpendicular to the bore of the housing;
and
a third contact surface parallel to the bore of the housing, wherein the third contact surface of the sliding wedge is positioned to apply a frictional force to the rod portion of the center shaft;
and
a load spring disposed within the chamber, wherein:
the load spring is compressed between the second contact surface of the chamber and the second contact surface of the sliding wedge;
and
the load spring is positioned to apply a compressive force onto the second contact surface of sliding wedge toward the angled contact surface of the chamber;
and
applying a force onto a coupler interface portion of the center shaft in a direction toward the first end of the chamber to transition the friction end-of-car cushioning assembly to a second configuration, wherein applying the force onto the center shaft:
moves the head portion of the center shaft away from the chamber;
and
moves the coupler interface portion of the center shaft toward the chamber.

23 more elements

A damping method, comprising:

configuring a friction end-of-car cushioning assembly on a railcar in a first configuration, wherein in the first configuration:
a center shaft comprises:
a first end of the center shaft;
a second end of the center shaft;
a rod portion spanning between the first end and the second end, wherein the rod portion is tapered from the second end to the first end;
and
a coupler interface portion of the center shaft positioned adjacent to a chamber formed within a bore of a housing;
the chamber comprises:
a first contact surface comprising an angled contact surface;
a second contact surface at a second end of the chamber;
a sliding wedge disposed within the chamber, wherein;
the sliding wedge comprises:
a first contact surface tapered toward the first contact surface of the housing, wherein the first contact surface of the sliding wedge is positioned to apply a force onto the angled contact surface of the chamber;
a second contact surface perpendicular to the bore of the housing;
and
a third contact surface parallel to the bore of the housing, wherein the third contact surface of the sliding wedge is positioned to apply a frictional force to the rod portion of the center shaft;
the sliding wedge is positioned to allow the rod portion of the center shaft to pass through a bore defined by the third contact surface of the sliding wedge;
and
a load spring disposed within the chamber, wherein:
the load spring is compressed between the second contact surface of the chamber and the second contact surface of the sliding wedge;
and
the load spring is positioned to apply a compressive force onto the second contact surface of sliding wedge toward the angled contact surface of the chamber;
and
applying a force onto the coupler interface portion of the center shaft in a direction away the first end of the chamber to transition the friction end-of-car cushioning assembly to a second configuration, wherein applying the force onto the center shaft:
moves a head portion of the center shaft toward from the chamber;
and
moves the coupler interface portion of the center shaft away the chamber.

24 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/502,659Filed 3 Jul 2019 · continuation in part
Priority: 17 Mar 2017
Published: US 2019/0337538 A17 Nov 2019
Granted: 29 Jun 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B61G 11/18
Buffers: details
B61G 5/02
Couplings for special purposes not otherwise provided for: for coupling articulated trains, locomotives and tenders or the bogies of a vehicle;…
B61G 11/08
Buffers: with rubber springs
B61G
Couplings

Family

Application62/473,165Us provisional application · filed 17 Mar 2017
Application15/901,484Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Feb 2018
US 2019/0337538 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Nov 2019
US 11,008,028 B2Related patent
US 2018/0265103 A1Published application
US 11,046,339 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.