Transit rail lubricant applicator
AssigneeDurafilm Corporation
InventorWarren E. Jamison
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An applicator for mounting a block of solid lubricant to deposit a thin film of lubricant on the flange of a transit rail car wheel. The applicator (10) includes a bracket (12) adapted to mount the applicator to an unsprung portion of a transit rail car. A pivot arm (26) is pivotally connected at one end of bracket (12) and a block of solid lubricant (42) attached to a mounting plate (34) is bolted to the other end of the pivot arm. The block of solid lubricant is biased against the flange (40) of a transit car wheel by a torsion spring (28). A stop (32) prevents the pivot arm from contacting the wheel as the lubricant block wears by deposition of a thin film of lubricant on the rail car wheel flange as the wheel rolls.
Claims15
A lubricant applicator comprising:
- (a) a fixed bracket adapted to attach to an undercarriage of a rail car;
- (b) a lubricant support arm, pivotally connected to the fixed bracket and adapted to mount a block of solid lubricant on a surface of the lubricant support arm at a point spaced apart from the pivotal connection;
- and
- (c) spring means for biasing the lubricant support arm so that it and the block of solid lubricant mounted thereon swing through an arc, bringing the block of solid lubricant into contact with a rail car wheel flange.
An applicator for applying a film of a solid lubricant to a rail car wheel flange, comprising
- (a) bracket means for fixedly attaching the applicator to an unsprung portion of the rail car, proximate the wheel to be lubricated;
- (b) an arm pivotally connected to the bracket means and able to swing in an arc substantially perpendicular to a line tangent to the rail car wheel flanges;
- (c) means for mounting a block of the solid lubricant to a surface of the arm so that it extends unconfined from said surface toward the rail car wheel;
- and
- (d) spring means for biasing the arm and the block of lubricant to swing in an arc toward the rail car wheel flange, bringing the solid lubricant block into contact with the flange, so that a thin film of solid lubricant is deposited thereon.
A method for lubricating a rail car wheel flange, comprising the steps of:
- (a) fixedly attaching a bracket to an unsprung portion of a rail car, proximate the wheel to be lubricated;
- (b) pivotally connecting an arm to the bracket so that it may rotate toward the rail car wheel flange;
- (c) mounting a block of solid lubricant to a surface of the arm so that it is otherwise unconfined;
- (d) biasing the arm and the block of solid lubricant to swing in an arc toward the rail car wheel flange;
- (e) bringing the solid lubricant block into contact with the flange;
- and
- (f) depositing a thin film of solid lubricant onto the flange as it rubs against the solid lubricant block when the wheel rolls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.