Elastomeric bearing with softening spring rate
AssigneeLord Corporation
InventorJames T. Gwinn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A railway car side bearing includes a lower housing member, an upper housing member spaced apart from the lower housing member, and an elastomeric spring member interposed between the upper and lower housing members that buckles upon application of vertical loading to provide a spring rate that softens within a range of compressive loads. The upper and lower housing members cooperate with each other to allow for relative vertical movement therebetween, but restrain lateral and rotational movement therebetween. The elastomeric spring member has a first set of spring rates when subjected to axial loads within a first range. However, when the side bearing is subjected to axial loads within an second range, the elastomeric spring member buckles and exhibits a second set of substantially softer spring rates.
Claims31
An elastomeric bearing, comprising:
- a lower member;
- an upper member spaced along an axial direction from said lower member;
- means, cooperative between said upper and lower members, for restraining relative lateral motions between said upper and lower members while allowing relative axial motions between said upper and lower members;
- and
- an elastomeric member interposed between said upper and lower members, said elastomeric member having an unbuckled condition providing a first set of spring rates over a selected first range of axial loads and a buckled condition providing a second set of spring rates over a selected second range of axial loads, wherein said spring rates within said second set are softer than said spring rates within said first set.
An elastomeric bearing, comprising:
- a lower member;
- an upper member spaced along an axial direction from said lower member;
- means, cooperative between said upper and lower members, for restraining relative lateral motions between said upper and lower members while allowing relative axial motions between said upper and lower members;
- and
- an elastomeric member interposed between said upper and lower members, said elastomeric member having an unbuckled condition providing a first set of spring rates over a first range of axial loads of between about 0 lbs to about 7,000 lbs and a buckled condition providing a second set of spring rates over a second range of axial loads of between about 4,000 lbs to about 9,000 lbs, wherein said spring rates within said second set are softer than said spring rates within said first set by a factor of at least three.
A railway car side bearing, comprising:
- a lower housing comprising opposing first and second sides, said first side including a pedestal extending from a central portion thereof along an axial direction;
- an upper housing comprising opposing first and second sides, said upper housing first side including an annular wall depending therefrom, said annular wall positioned around and telescopically engaging said pedestal of said lower housing portion, wherein the telescoping engagement between the pedestal and annular wall restrains relative lateral motions between said upper and lower members and allows relative axial motions between said upper and lower members;
- and
- an annular spring assembly disposed between said upper and lower housings and encircling said pedestal and annular wall, said spring assembly comprising:
- an annular top plate;
- an annular base plate;
- and
- an annular elastomeric spring including opposing top and bottom surfaces and opposing inner and outer circumferential surfaces between said top and bottom surfaces, wherein said top surface is connected to said top annular plate and said bottom surface is connected to said bottom annular plate, and wherein at least one of said outer and inner circumferential surfaces has a concave contour.
A railway car side bearing, comprising:
- a lower housing comprising opposing first and second sides, said first side including a pedestal extending from a central portion thereof along an axial direction;
- an upper housing comprising opposing first and second sides, said upper housing first side including an annular wall depending therefrom, said annular wall positioned around and telescopically engaging said pedestal of said lower housing portion, wherein the telescoping engagement between the pedestal and annular wall restrains relative lateral motions between said upper and lower members and allows relative axial motions between said upper and lower members;
- and
- an annular spring assembly disposed between said upper and lower housings and encircling said pedestal and annular wall, said spring assembly comprising:
- an annular top plate;
- an annular base plate;
- and
- an annular elastomeric spring including opposing top and bottom surfaces and opposing inner and outer circumferential surfaces between said top and bottom surfaces, wherein said top surface is connected to said top annular plate and said bottom surface is connected to said bottom annular plate, and wherein a first length is defined between said top and bottom surfaces and a second length is defined between said inner and outer circumferential surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.