Lubricating apparatus for reducing squeal noise of a railroad car wheel when passing through a car retarder

Lubricating apparatus for reducing squeal noise of railroad car wheels passing through a railroad car retarder, said retarder mounted along a track rail over which move said car wheels which have respective annular parallel lateral surfaces on opposite sides adjacent the periphery thereof and which surfaces are engaged on both sides by the parallel brake shoes of said retarder, comprising,

• a. elongated members and support means therefor mounted along said rail ahead of said retarder for positioning said elongated members one on each side of and parallel to the rail at a predetermined spaced-away relation thereto for accomodating rolling movement of the wheel therebetween,
• b. a lubricant slug complementarily disposed into each of said elongated members in facing relationship to and at such height above said rail to make rubbing contact with the annular lateral surfaces of each passing wheel only for applying thereto a coating of said lubricant to reduce squeal when retarder brake shoes subsequently engage said wheel surfaces,
• c. said elongated members each comprising,
• 1. a protective channel member of rectangular cross-section having a length equal to the circumference of the largest wheel moving along said rail and into which said lubricant slug is molded, said protective channel having an open side in facing relation to the rail and through which said lubricant slug makes said rubbing contact with the adjacent lateral surface of the wheel, and
• 2. a support channel member of rectangular cross-section to which said protective channel member is secured to provide rigidity therefor, and
• d. means carried on said support means for urging said elongated members and the lubricant slugs disposed therein into said rubbing contact with said lateral surfaces with a predetermined degree of pressure.