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US 11,091,179 B2Granted
Rail car side bearing
AssigneeAmsted Rail Company, Inc.
InventorZachary B. Harris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a side bearing is provided for supporting a body of a rail car. The side bearing includes a base for being mounted to a truck of the rail car, a support configured to contact the body of the rail car and move along a vertical axis relative to the base with movement of the body, and at least one resilient foam member configured to deform with movement of the support. The side bearing further includes at least one friction damping member configured to be urged in a direction transverse to the vertical axis against the base by the support and resist movement of the support relative to the base.
Claims29
A side bearing for supporting a body of a rail car, the side bearing comprising:
- a base for being mounted to a truck of the rail car;
- a support configured to contact the body of the rail car and move along a vertical axis relative to the base with movement of the body;
- at least one resilient foam member including a matrix of elastomeric material and air pockets therein, the at least one resilient foam member configured to deform with movement of the support;
- at least one friction damping member configured to be urged in a direction transverse to the vertical axis against the base by the support and resist movement of the support relative to the base;
- wherein the at least one resilient foam member imparts a reactionary force in response to deformation of the at least one resilient foam member from an initial configuration to a compressed configuration caused by movement of the support toward the base with rolling of the rail car body toward the side bearing, the deformation of the at least one resilient foam member from the initial configuration to the compressed configuration decreasing the size of the air pockets of the resilient foam member;
- wherein the at least one resilient foam member imparts a restoring force in response to the at least one resilient foam member returning from the compressed configuration to a less compressed configuration caused by movement of the support away from the base with rolling of the rail car body away from the side bearing, the returning of the at least one resilient foam member from the compressed configuration to the less compressed configuration increasing the size of the air pockets;
- and
- wherein the matrix of elastomeric material of the at least one resilient foam member provides internal hysteresis damping such that the restoring force is less than the reactionary force to limit the energy the at least one resilient foam member imparts to the rolling rail car body.
5 more elements
A side bearing for supporting a body of a rail car, the side bearing comprising:
- a base for being mounted to a truck of the rail car;
- a support configured to contact the body of the rail car and move along a vertical axis relative to the base with movement of the body;
- at least one resilient foam member configured to deform with movement of the support;
- at least one friction damping member configured to be urged in a direction transverse to the vertical axis against the base by the support and resist movement of the support relative to the base;
- and
- a damping body intermediate the support and the at least one resilient foam member, the damping body configured to urge the at least one friction damping member in the direction transverse to the vertical axis against the base.
3 more elements
A side bearing for supporting a body of a rail car, the side bearing comprising:
- a base for being mounted to a truck of the rail car;
- a support configured to contact the body of the rail car and move along a vertical axis relative to the base with movement of the body;
- at least one resilient foam member configured to deform with movement of the support;
- at least one friction damping member configured to be urged in a direction transverse to the vertical axis against the base by the support and resist movement of the support relative to the base;
- and
- wherein the at least one resilient foam member includes a pair of resilient foam members.
3 more elements
A side bearing for supporting a body of a rail car, the side bearing comprising:
- a base for being mounted to a truck of the rail car;
- a support configured to contact the body of the rail car and move along a vertical axis relative to the base with movement of the body;
- at least one resilient foam member configured to deform with movement of the support;
- at least one friction damping member configured to be urged in a direction transverse to the vertical axis against the base by the support and resist movement of the support relative to the base;
- and
- wherein the at least one resilient foam member has an unloaded height and the at least one resilient foam member is resiliently compressible to at least seventy percent of the unloaded height.
3 more elements
A rail car comprising:
- a rail car body;
- a pair of trucks supporting the rail car body;
- a pair of side bearings of each truck on opposite sides of the rail car body, each side bearing including:
- a base;
- a support configured to contact the rail car body and move along a vertical axis relative to the base with movement of the rail car body relative to the truck;
- at least one resilient foam member arranged to deform with movement of the support;
- at least one friction damping member configured to be urged in a direction transverse to the vertical axis against the base by the support and resist movement of the support relative to the base;
- and
- wherein each side bearing includes a damping body intermediate the support and the at least one resilient foam member, the damping body configured to urge the at least one friction damping member in the direction transverse to the vertical axis against the base.
6 more elements
A side bearing for supporting a body of a rail car, the side bearing comprising:
- a base for being mounted to a truck of the rail car;
- a compartment of the base;
- at least one resilient member in the compartment;
- a pair of wall portions of the compartment;
- a cap assembly supported on the at least one resilient member and configured to move relative to the base with movement of the body of the rail car;
- a pair of friction damping members of the cap assembly facing the wall portions of the compartment of the base;
- a cap of the cap assembly having an upper surface for contacting the body of the rail car and at least one lower surface configured to contact the friction damping members and urge the friction damping members in opposite directions against the wall portions to dampen movement of the cap assembly;
- and
- wherein the at least one lower surface of the cap includes a pair of inclined surfaces and the friction damping members each include an inclined surface engaged with one of the inclined surfaces of the cap.
6 more elements
A side bearing for supporting a body of a rail car, the side bearing comprising:
- a base for being mounted to a truck of the rail car;
- a compartment of the base;
- at least one resilient member in the compartment;
- a pair of wall portions of the compartment;
- a cap assembly supported on the at least one resilient member and configured to move relative to the base with movement of the body of the rail car;
- a pair of friction damping members of the cap assembly facing the wall portions of the compartment of the base;
- a cap of the cap assembly having an upper surface for contacting the body of the rail car and at least one lower surface configured to contact the friction damping members and urge the friction damping members in opposite directions against the wall portions to dampen movement of the cap assembly;
- and
- wherein the at least one lower surface of the cap is configured to contact the friction damping members and urge the friction damping members toward each other in opposite directions against the wall portions.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.