Draft sill and wheel truck connection

In a draft sill for mounting a railroad car on a railway wheel truck, the draft sill being of the type having an exterior surface, an interior on one side of the exterior surface and an exterior on the other side of the exterior surface, the improvement wherein the draft sill includes:

• a center pin extending outward from the exterior surface of the draft sill for mounting the railroad car on the railway wheel truck and for moving the railway wheel truck with movement of the railroad car and for slowing movement of the railroad car with braking of the railway wheel truck, the center pin having an exterior end spaced from the exterior surface of the draft sill;
• and
• exterior means for bracing the center pin, the exterior means for bracing the center pin being secured to the draft sill and providing bracing to the center pin at a position spaced from the exterior surface of the draft sill and spaced from the exterior end of the center pin;
• the exterior means for bracing the center pin comprising a boss on the exterior surface of the draft sill;
• wherein the boss includes an annular surface surrounding the center pin and a plurality of ribs extending radially from the annular surface to the exterior surface of the draft sill, the center pin being welded to the annular surface;
• and
• wherein the boss is welded to the center pin at a plurality of positions between the ribs.

In a draft sill for mounting a railroad car on a railway wheel truck, the draft sill being of the type having an exterior surface, an interior on one side of the exterior surface and an exterior on the other side of the exterior surface, the improvement wherein the draft sill includes:

• a center pin extending outward from the exterior surface of the draft sill for mounting the railroad car on the railway wheel truck and for moving the railway wheel truck with movement of the railroad car and for slowing movement of the railroad car with braking of the railway wheel truck , the center pin having an exterior end s paced from the exterior surface of the draft sill;
• and
• exterior means for bracing the center pin, the exterior means for bracing the center pin being secured to the draft sill and providing bracing to the center pin at a position spaced from the exterior surface of the draft sill and spaced from the exterior end of the center pin;
• the exterior means for bracing the center pin comprising a boss on the exterior surface of the draft sill;
• wherein the boss includes an annular surface surrounding the center pin and a plurality of ribs extending radially from the annular surface to the exterior surface of the draft sill, the center pin being welded to the annular surface;
• wherein the boss has openings with edges between the ribs and the boss is welded to the center pin at the edges of the openings.

In a draft sill for mounting a railroad car on a railway wheel truck, the draft sill being of the type having an exterior surface, an interior on one side of the exterior surface and an exterior on the other side of the exterior surface, the improvement wherein the draft sill includes:

• a center pin extending outward from the exterior surface of the draft sill for mounting the railroad car on the railway wheel truck and for moving the railway wheel truck with movement of the railroad car and for slowing movement of the railroad car with braking of the railway wheel truck, the center pin having an exterior end spaced from the exterior surface of the draft sill;
• and
• exterior means for bracing the center pin, the exterior means for bracing the center pin being secured to the draft sill and providing bracing to the center pin at a position spaced from the exterior surface of the draft sill and spaced from the exterior end of the center pin;
• wherein the center pin has a central longitudinal axis and wherein the exterior means for bracing the center pin comprises a strut extending from the center pin to the exterior surface of the draft sill, the strut defining an angle with the central longitudinal axis of the center pin, the angle having vertical and horizontal components, and
• wherein the horizontal component of the angle is greater than the vertical component of the angle.

In a railroad car of the type having a load-carrying portion on a draft sill mounted on a railway wheel truck carrying a vertical load from the load-carrying portion, the railway wheel truck being of the type with a truck bolster extending between two sideframes to which the draft sill is pivotally connected, an improved connection assembly for connecting the draft sill and truck bolster comprising:

• a center pin extending between the draft sill and the truck bolster for pivotally connecting the draft sill to the truck bolster, the center pin having a central longitudinal axis;
• a boss positioned between the draft sill and the truck bolster, the boss having an inner portion at the outer surface of the center pin and an outer portion horizontally and vertically spaced from the inner portion;
• wherein the center pin and boss are free from the vertical load of the load-carrying portion when the railroad car is at rest;
• and
• wherein relative pivoting between the draft sill and the truck bolster is substantially limited to pivoting about the central longitudinal axis of the center pin.

In a railroad car of the type having a load-carrying portion on a draft sill mounted on a railway wheel truck carrying a vertical load from the load-carrying portion, the railway wheel truck being of the type with a truck bolster extending between two sideframes to which the draft sill is pivotally connected, an improved connection assembly for connecting the draft sill and truck bolster comprising:

• a center pin extending between the draft sill and the truck bolster for pivotally connecting the draft sill to the truck bolster;
• a boss positioned between the draft sill and the truck bolster, the boss having an inner portion at the outer surface of the center pin and an outer portion horizontally and vertically spaced from the inner portion;
• wherein the center pin and boss are free from the vertical load of the load-carrying a portion when the railroad car is at rest;
• wherein the center pin has a central longitudinal axis and wherein the boss comprises a plurality of ribs having outer surfaces defining obtuse angles with the longitudinal centerline of the center pin;
• wherein the boss has openings between the ribs and the boss is welded to the center pin at the openings.

In a railroad car of the type having a load-carrying portion on a draft sill mounted on a railway wheel truck carrying a vertical load from the load-carrying portion, the railway wheel truck being of the type with a truck bolster extending between two sideframes to which the draft sill is pivotally connected, an improved connection assembly for connecting the draft sill and truck bolster comprising:

• a center pin extending between the draft sill and the truck bolster for pivotally connecting the draft sill to the truck bolster;
• a boss positioned between the draft sill and the truck bolster, the boss having an inner portion, at the outer surface of the center pin and an outer portion horizontally and vertically spaced from the inner portion;
• wherein the center pin and boss are free from the vertical load of the load-carrying portion when the railroad car is at rest;
• wherein the boss comprises a plurality of ribs and wherein each rib comprises, in cross-section, a right triangle with one leg longer than the other leg.

In a draft sill for mounting a railroad car on a railway wheel truck, the draft sill being of the type having an interior and an exterior, the improvement wherein the draft sill includes:

• top and bottom walls defining the interior of the draft sill;
• a center pin extending out from the draft sill for mounting the railroad car on a railway wheel truck and having a central longitudinal axis and an exterior end exterior to the draft sill, the center pin having a width perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis;
• and
• a brace secured to the center pin at a position spaced from the exterior end of the center pin;
• wherein the center pin has an exposed portion between the brace and the exterior end and wherein the exposed portion is free from any increase in width from the brace to the exterior end;
• and
• wherein the center pin has an inner wall within the interior of the draft sill between the top and bottom walls.

A draft sill comprising:

• a surface;
• a center pin extending out from the surface to a free end, the center pin having a central longitudinal axis;
• a sleeve extending out from the draft sill surface and substantially surrounding a length of the center pin;
• the sleeve including a plurality of spaced ribs extending radially outward from the center pin and integral with the surface of the draft sill;
• the sleeve extending between the spaced ribs, parts of the ribs at a distance from the draft sill surface extending radially further from the central longitudinal axis of the center pin than parts of the sleeve between the ribs at the same distance from the draft sill surface.

A draft sill for use with railroad cars, the draft sill of the type adapted to transmit buff and draft forces from one end of the railroad car to the other end, the draft sill comprising:

• a top wall;
• side walls depending from the top wall between an open front end and a back end;
• a bottom wall extending between portions of the side walls and having an exterior surface;
• the draft sill having an interior defined by the top wall side walls and bottom wall;
• a boss extending outward from the exterior surface of the bottom wall of the draft sill, the boss having an outer limit at the bottom wall exterior surface and an inner limit vertically and horizontally spaced from the outer limit;
• and
• a center pin integral with the boss and extending outward from the inner limit of the boss to a free end, the inner limit of the boss being between the free end of the center pin and the bottom wall exterior surface;
• the center pin having a portion extending into the interior of the draft sill;
• means for bracing the center pin against buff and draft forces the bracing means being within the interior of the draft sill.

A railroad car truck bolster for supporting a load-carrying compartment of a railroad car on a pair of wheel sets comprising:

• a top surface;
• a boss extending outward from the top surface of the bolster;
• a center pin extending outward from the boss to a free end, the center pin having a longitudinal axis;
• wherein the boss has an inner limit at the center pin and an outer limit vertically and horizontally spaced from the inner limit, the outer limit being at the top surface of the bolster and the inner limit being between the top surface of the bolster and the free end of the center pin;
• and
• wherein the center pin is shaped so that when the load-carrying compartment of the railroad car is supported on the car truck bolster, relative rotation between the truck bolster and the load-carrying compartment is limited to rotation about the longitudinal axis of the center pin.

A draft sill for mounting a railroad car on a railway wheel truck, the draft sill including:

• an exterior surface;
• a center pin extending outward from the exterior surface of the draft sill, the center pin having an exterior end spaced from the exterior surface of the draft sill and an outer surface;
• and
• a boss having an inner portion at the outer surface of the center pin and an outer portion horizontally and vertically spaced from the inner portion, the boss including a plurality of ribs;
• each rib comprising, in cross-section, a right triangle with one leg longer than the other leg.

In a railroad car of the type having a load-carrying portion on a draft sill mounted on a railway wheel truck carrying a vertical load from the load-carrying portion, the railway wheel truck being of the type with a truck bolster extending between two sideframes to which the draft sill is pivotally connected, an improved connection assembly for connecting the draft sill and truck bolster comprising:

• a center pin extending between the draft sill and the truck bolster for connecting the draft sill to the truck bolster;
• the center pin having a central longitudinal axis and allowing relative rotation between the draft sill and the truck bolster about the central longitudinal axis of the center pin;
• a boss positioned between the draft sill and the truck bolster, the boss having an inner portion at the outer surface of the center pin and an outer portion horizontally and vertically spaced from the inner portion;
• load-carrying members supported on the top surface of the truck bolster outboard of the center pin and boss for supporting the vertical load of the load-carrying portion when the railroad car is at rest;
• and
• suspension members for supporting the bolster at the sideframes outboard of the load-carrying members on the top surface of the bolster;
• wherein the center pin and boss are free from the vertical load of the load-carrying portion when the railroad car is at rest;
• and
• wherein the center pin, boss and truck bolster may pivot as a unit about an axis other than the central longitudinal axis of the center pin.