Truss-type brake beam for railway vehicle truck-mounted brake assembly
AssigneeAmerican Standard Inc.
InventorsJames E. Hart, Earl E. Allan, Allen W. Kyllonen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A truss-type brake beam having a bent configuration in which the compression and tension members are bent on opposite sides of a strut member, so that the compression and tension member segments lie in separate planes that intersect to form an angle therebetween, the line of intersection being rectilinear. The bent configuration of the brake beam accommodates housing of a brake-cylinder in the pocket between the compression and tension members adjacent the strut member, facilitates passage of force-transmitting rods between the companion brake beams of a given truck, and permits application of brake beam actuating forces without imparting torque moments to the beam.
Claims25
A truss-type brake beam including a compression member, a tension member having its opposite ends fixed to the respective opposite ends of said compression member, a strut member interconnected between said compression and tension members, and brake means mounted on the opposite ends of at least one of said compression and said tension members for transmitting a brake application force to a railway vehicle wheel, wherein the improvement comprises:
- (a) said compression member having a bend intermediate said opposite ends thereof, said opposite ends of said compression member extending angularly from said bend therein so that corresponding points of said opposite ends thereof lie in a plane displaced from said bend therein;
- (b) said tension member having a bend intermediate said opposite ends thereof, said opposite ends of said tension member extending angularly from said bend therein so that corresponding points of said opposite ends thereof lie in said plane so as to be displaced from said bend therein;
- and
- (c) said strut member having means for receiving a brake beam actuating force including a bore adapted to receive said brake beam actuating force, said plane intersecting said bore and being perpendicular to the axis thereof, whereby said brake beam actuating force is generally in said plane with said brake application force provided by said brake means.
For a railway vehicle truck having at least two wheel/axle units, a brake rigging comprising:
- (a) first and second truss-type brake beams interposed between said at least two wheel/axle units in spaced-apart relationship therebetween, at least one of said first and said second brake beams comprising:
- (i) a compression member having a bend intermediate the opposite ends thereof;
- (ii) a tension member having a bend intermediate the opposite ends thereof in the same direction as said bend in said compression member, said opposite ends of said compression and said tension members being fixed together;
- (iii) a strut member interconnected between said compression and said tension members intermediate said fixed opposite ends such that said compression and said tension members are in spaced-apart relationship;
- (b) brake means mounted on each end of at least one said compression and tension member for applying a brake application force to said wheel/axle units;
- (c) first and second force-transfer levers, each having a pivotal connection with said strut member of a respective one of said first and said second brake beams;
- (d) first force-transmitting means connected between corresponding arms of said first and second force-transfer levers including a force actuator for effecting rotation of at least one of said first and said second force-transfer levers;
- and
- (e) second force-transmitting means connected between the other arms of said first and said second force-transfer levers, whereby a brake actuating force is exerted on said first and said second brake means at said pivotal connections thereof in response to operation of said force actuator;
- and
- (f) said pivotal connection of said force transfer lever with said strut member of said at least one brake beam being displaced relative to said connection of said strut member with said compression and tension members thereof, such that the resultant force of said brake actuating force lies in a plane passing through the points at which the resultant force of said brake application force acts at said brake means, the axis of rotation of said force-transfer lever of said at least one brake beam about said pivotal connection thereof being perpendicular to said plane.
A truss-type brake beam for a railway car comprising:
- (a) a compression member;
- (b) a tension member fixed at the opposite ends thereof to the corresponding opposite ends of said compression member;
- and
- (c) a strut member interposed between said compression and said tension members at a location intermediate said opposite ends thereof to connect said compression and tension members in spaced-apart relationship between said opposite ends thereof, said compression and said tension members on one side of said strut member defining a first beam segment that lies in a first plane that intersects a second plane in which lies a second beam segment defined by said compression and said tension members on the other side of said strut member, said first and second planes forming an angle therebetween, said intersection of said first and second planes being a linear line;
- and
- (d) said strut member comprising means for receiving a brake beam actuating force including a bore having an axis perpendicular to said line of intersection of said first and second planes and to a third plane in which said opposite ends of said compression and tension members lie, said bore being displaced from said line of intersection of said first and second planes in the direction of said third plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.