Method of making sideframes for railway car trucks

In a method of making a hollow cast metal sideframe for railway cars,

• the sideframe having front and rear ends and pedestals at each end for mounting the sideframe on wheelsets, each pedestal including a pedestal roof and an outer pedestal leg, the sideframe having a top member extending along a longitudinal axis between the front and rear ends, a tension member having a bottom center portion and a pair of diagonal portions extending from the bottom center portion toward the pedestal roofs, a bolster opening in the middle of the sideframe between the top member and the bottom center portion of the tension member, a vertical column on each side of the bolster opening, and a pair of side windows, the pedestal roofs, outer pedestal legs, top member, tension member and columns having interior and exterior surfaces;
• the method comprising the steps of providing cores to define the hollow interior of the sideframe, providing a mold, placing the cores in the mold, and pouring molten metal into the mold to form a sideframe casting;
• the improvement wherein the cores include an end core having a core body including:
• a pedestal portion for defining an interior surface of at least one of the pedestal roof and the outer pedestal leg of one pedestal;
• a diagonal member portion for defining an interior surface of one diagonal portion of the tension member,
• a column portion for defining an interior surface of one column,
• a top member portion for defining an interior surface of the top member,
• and a side window portion for defining at least part of one side window;
• at least part of said pedestal portion and at least part of said side window portion being formed as integral parts of said end core.

In a method of making a hollow cast metal sideframe for a railway car truck,

• the sideframe having front and rear ends and pedestals at each end for mounting on wheelsets, a top member extending along a longitudinal axis between the front and rear ends, a tension member having a bottom center portion and a pair of diagonal portions extending from the bottom center portion toward the pedestals, a bolster opening in the middle of the sideframe between the top member and the bottom center portion of the tension member, a vertical column on each side of the bolster opening, the columns and top member having interior and exterior surfaces,
• the method comprising the steps of providing cores to define the interior of the sideframe, providing a mold, placing the cores in the mold, and pouring molten metal into the mold to form a casting;
• the improvement wherein the cores include a center core having:
• a bolster opening portion for defining the exterior surfaces of the columns at the bolster opening,
• an integral top member portion for defining an interior surface of a portion of the top member,
• the top member center portion and the bolster opening portion being connected and, the top member center portion, bolster opening portion and connection being formed as an integral core.

In a method of making a hollow cast metal sideframe for use in a railway car truck,

• the sideframe having front and rear ends and pedestals at each end for mounting on wheelsets, a top member extending along a longitudinal axis between the front and rear ends, a tension member having a bottom center portion and a pair of diagonal portions extending from the bottom center portion toward the pedestals, a bolster opening in the middle of the sideframe between the top member and the bottom center portion of the tension member, a vertical column on each side of the bolster opening, and a pair of side windows, the columns, top member, tension member and pedestals having interior and exterior surfaces,
• the method comprising the steps of providing cores to define the interior of the sideframe, providing a mold, placing the cores in the mold and pouring molten metal into the mold to form the casting;
• the improvement wherein the cores comprise:
• a center core comprising a core body having a longitudinal axis and including a bolster opening portion for defining the exterior surfaces of the columns at the bolster opening, an integral top member center portion for defining an interior surface of a portion of the top member, the top member center portion and the bolster opening portion being connected;
• and
• a pair of end cores, each end core comprising a core body having a pedestal portion, an integral diagonal portion for defining an interior surface of the diagonal portion of the tension member, an integral column portion for defining an interior surface of one column, an integral top member portion for defining an interior surface of the top member, and a side window portion;
• wherein the center core is formed as an integral core and wherein each end core is formed as an integral core.

In a method of making a cast metal sideframe for a railway car truck,

• the sideframe having front and rear ends and pedestals at each end for mounting on wheelsets, a top member extending along a longitudinal axis between the front and rear ends, a tension member having a bottom center portion and a pair of diagonal portions extending from the bottom center portion toward the pedestals, a bolster opening in the middle of the sideframe between the top member and the bottom center portion of the tension member, a vertical column on each side of the bolster opening, and a pair of side windows, the top member having a top surface with a plurality of lightener openings, the sideframe having interior and exterior surfaces,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• providing a mold having cope and drag mold surfaces, providing a core having a core outer surface for forming at least a part of the interior surface of the cast metal sideframe, placing the core in the mold, and pouring molten metal into the mold to form the cast metal sideframe,
• the improvement wherein the core includes
• at least one core print connected to the core outer surface and corresponding in size, shape and position with one lightener opening to be produced in the top wall of the top member of the sideframe;
• and
• a side window portion;
• the side window portion and the core print being formed as integral parts of the same core.

In a method of making a hollow cast metal sideframe for a railway car truck,

• the sideframe having front and rear ends and pedestals at each end for mounting on wheelsets, a top member extending along a longitudinal axis between the front and rear ends, a tension member having a bottom center portion and a pair of diagonal portions extending from the bottom center portion toward the pedestals, a bolster opening in the middle of the sideframe between the top member and the bottom center portion of the tension member, a vertical column along each side of the bolster opening, a pair of side windows;
• the method comprising the steps of providing a mold for producing the cast metal sideframe, the mold having cope and drag mold surfaces defining a mold cavity, providing a core to be received in the mold cavity and including a core outer surface for forming a part of the inner surface of the cast metal sideframe, placing the core on the drag mold surface, and pouring molten metal into the mold to form the cast metal sideframe;
• the improvement wherein the core comprises an end core including:
• a core print support integral with the core outer surface;
• a side window portion for defining a side window of the sideframe, the side window portion contacting both the cope and drag mold surfaces;
• and a locator boss extending out from at least one of the side window portion, the cope mold surface and the drag mold surface;
• at least one of the side window portion of the core and the cope and drag mold surface having a mating hole to receive the locator boss.