Constant contact side bearing
AssigneeASF-Keystone, Inc.
InventorRalph H. Schorr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A side bearing provides constant contact between a truck bolster and a railway car body. The side bearing includes a base member having a central portion mounted on top of the bolster. The base member includes end portions which extend downwardly and outwardly fore and aft beyond the bolster. A top member is mounted on the base member for vertical movement relative thereto. The end portions of the top and base members define pockets. Resilient members, such as springs, are positioned in each of the pockets for urging the top member upwardly relative to the base member. A post formed on the central portion of the top member mates with a reciprocal aperture formed on the central portion of the base member.
Claims20
A constant contact side bearing for use with a railway car body having a fore and aft longitudinal axis and a wear plate laterally spaced from the longitudinal axis, and with a railway truck including a bolster having a longitudinal bolster axis which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the car body when the body and truck are oriented for straight-ahead rolling movement, the constant contact side bearing comprising:
- a base member having a center portion mounted on top of the bolster and end portions extending downwardly and outwardly fore and aft beyond the bolster;
- a top member overlaying and spaced above the base member and having a central portion including a wear pad positioned for constant contact with the body wear plate, the top member also having end portions that overlay the base member end portions, the base and top member end portions cooperating to form a pocket at each end of the base and top members;
- at least one resilient device positioned in each of the pockets, the resilient devices being configured such that the side bearing provides a predetermined load between the body wear plate and the truck bolster at a predetermined set-up height as measured between the body wear plate and the truck bolster;
- and
- the central portion of at least one of the top and bottom members having a feature for limiting the relative rotation and vertical displacement of the base and top members relative to one another,
- a post formed on one of the top member and the base member, the post being configured to mate with a reciprocal aperture formed on the other member,
- wherein the post is tapered so as to guide the post into the aperture as the top member moves downwardly relative to the base, thereby aligning the top and bottom members.
A reduced height side bearing for providing constant contact between a railway car body, a wear plate, a railway truck bolster, the constant contact side bearing being constructed to produce a predetermined load between the car body and the truck bolster at a predetermined set-up height as measured between the body wear plate and the truck bolster, the constant contact side bearing comprising:
- a base member having a central portion mounted on top of the bolster, and pockets flanking the bolster;
- a top member mounted on the base member for vertical movement relative thereto, the top member having a central portion defining a wear pad that is in constant contact with the body wear plate and end portions that overlay the pockets, the central portions of the base and top members being sized so that the side bearing has a set-up height on the order of 2.75 inches or less;
- and
- resilient devices positioned in each of the pockets for urging the top member upwardly relative to the base member,
- a post formed on one of the top member and the base member, the post being configured to mate with a reciprocal aperture formed on the other member,
- and wherein the post is tapered so as to guide the post into the aperture as the top member moves downwardly relative to the base, thereby aligning the top and bottom members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.