Railroad car truck damper wedge fittings

A damper wedge for a railroad car truck, said damper wedge being formed to co-operate with a bolster pocket, wherein said damper wedge comprises:

• a friction member that, in use, movably engages a wear surface of a side frame column of the railroad car truck said friction member having a non-metallic wear surface;
• a spring seat that, in use, engages a spring of the railroad car truck;
• an inclined damper wedge surface, said inclined damper wedge surface having a primary angle alpha, a secondary angle beta;
• and
• a curvature having a working point at which said inclined surface engages the bolster pocket when the railroad car truck is at rest and, when in operation, engages the bolster pocket in rolling point contact,
• said spring seat having an axial centerline;
• said damper wedge having a datum plane that is normal to said non-metallic wear surface and that contains said axial centerline;
• said axial centerline meets said inclined damper wedge surface at an intersection point;
• said damper wedge has a first end face and a second end face, said first and second end faces being spaced apart and opposed;
• said datum plane being located mid-way between said first and second end faces;
• and
• said working point is located in a central region of said inclined damper wedge surface adjacent to said datum plane and downslope from said intersection point.

A damper wedge for a railroad car truck, the damper wedge being sized to seat within a mating bolster pocket of a bolster of the railroad car truck, wherein said damper wedge comprises:

• a body, having a friction face operable to engage a side frame column of the railroad car truck;
• said friction face having a non-metallic wear surface;
• said body having a spring seat sized to mate with an upper end of a spring of the railroad car truck;
• said body having an inclined face that is configured to engage a corresponding inclined face of the bolster pocket;
• said inclined face having a primary damper wedge angle and a secondary damper wedge angle;
• said inclined face having a curvature;
• in operation said inclined face of said damper wedge engaging said bolster pocket in rolling point contact;
• and
• said body having a first side face and an opposed second side face, and a central plane intermediate said first side face and said second side face;
• said first side face being larger than said second side face;
• said central plane being square to said friction face;
• said central plane intersecting said inclined face;
• and
• said inclined face has a working point at which said inclined surface of said damper wedge engages the bolster pocket when the railroad car truck is at rest, said working point being located in said central plane.

A damper wedge operable to engage a bolster pocket of a railroad car truck bolster, wherein:

• said damper wedge has an inclined face having a primary angle alpha and a secondary angle beta;
• said inclined face has an outwardly convex compound surface operable to engage the bolster pocket at a working point;
• said secondary angle beta defines a lateral bias direction of said damper wedge;
• said damper wedge has a friction face that, in use, engages a side frame column wear surface of the railroad car truck;
• said friction face has a non-metallic wear surface;
• said friction face has a normal plane extending therethrough, said normal plane also extending in a direction of upward and downward sprung motion of the damper wedge in use;
• said normal plane is centered on said non-metallic wear surface;
• and
• said working point lies on said normal plane.

A damper wedge for a railroad car truck, said damper wedge being formed to co-operate with a corresponding bolster pocket, wherein said damper wedge comprises:

• a friction member that, in use, movable engages a wear surface of a side frame column of the railroad car truck;
• said friction member having a non-metallic wear surface;
• a spring seat that, in use, engages a spring of the railroad car truck;
• and
• an inclined damper wedge surface;
• said inclined damper wedge surface having a primary damper wedge angle, and a secondary damper wedge angle;
• said inclined damper wedge surface having a curvature;
• said inclined damper wedge surface being a machined surface;
• in operation, said curvature of said inclined damper wedge surface engaging the bolster pocket in rolling point contact;
• said curvature having a working point that engages the bolster pocket when the railroad car truck is at rest;
• said spring seat having an axial centerline;
• said damper wedge having a datum plane that is normal to said non-metallic wear surface and that contains said axial centerline;
• said axial centerline meets said inclined damper wedge surface at an intersection point;
• and
• said working point is located at a center of a contact patch that has a radius of less than 1.5 inches.

A damper wedge for a railroad car truck, said damper wedge having:

• a friction surface that, in use, engages a side frame column wear plate of the railroad car truck;
• said friction surface being a non-metallic wear surface;
• a spring seat that, in use, engages a spring, said spring seat having an axial centerline;
• a slope surface that, in use, engages a corresponding surface of a bolster pocket of a bolster of the railroad car truck;
• and
• a datum plane normal to said friction surface, and that is parallel to said axial centerline of said spring seat;
• said slope surface having a spherical arc and a radius of curvature;
• said slope surface having a primary damper wedge angle, and a cross-wise secondary damper wedge angle;
• said slope surface having a working point that, at equilibrium, engages said bolster pocket in rolling point contact;
• and
• said radius of curvature of said slope surface having an origin, a radius passing through said origin and said working point diverging from said datum plane at a skew angle, said skew angle being said secondary damper wedge angle when said radius is viewed in a plane oriented at said primary damper wedge angle.