Constant contact side bearing assembly for a railcar
AssigneeMiner Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsWilliam P. O'Donnell, Paul B. Aspengren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A constant contact side bearing assembly configured for insertion into a walled receptacle on an upper surface of a railcar bolster. The constant contact side bearing assembly includes a housing defining a cavity and a spring. A cap is positioned by and overlies an end of the spring. The cap is mounted for reciprocatory guided movements by and relative to the housing, with a generally flat railcar body engaging portion on the cap being positioned relative to the housing and the walled enclosure by the spring. The side bearing assembly further includes an apparatus for securing the housing of the side bearing assembly within the walled receptacle on the railcar bolster.
Claims19
A constant contact side bearing assembly adapted to be accommodated within a rectangularly shaped, open top receptacle on an upper surface of a railcar bolster, said receptacle having a pair of generally parallel and spaced side walls and a pair of generally parallel and spaced end walls, said constant contact side bearing assembly comprising:
- a spring;
- a housing defining a cavity wherein said spring is accommodated, and wherein said housing has a generally rectangular shape including two sides and two ends, with each side and each end of said housing being disposed to opposite sides of an axis defined by said side bearing assembly and extending generally normal to the upper surface of said bolster, and wherein the generally rectangular shape of said housing loosely fits within said open top receptacle on said bolster;
- a cap positioned by and overlying an end of said spring, with said cap being guided for telescopic movements relative to said housing, and with said cap including a generally flat portion defining an upper extreme of said side bearing assembly after said side bearing assembly is arranged in operable combination with said railcar bolster;
- and
- an apparatus for positively securing said relative to the railcar bolster.
A constant contact side bearing assembly adapted to be arranged in combination with a railcar bolster with an upper surface, said side bearing assembly comprising;
- a housing defining a recess extending through said housing and is open at opposite ends, and wherein said housing and a walled receptacle on the upper surface of said bolster define a pair of confronting surfaces arranged on opposed sides of an axis defined by said side bearing assembly and extend generally normal to the upper surface of said bolster;
- a spring accommodated within said housing;
- inserts for securing and locating said housing of said side bearing assembly within the walled receptacle on said bolster, with at least one insert being positionable between said confronting surfaces on the walled receptacle and the housing on each side of said side bearing axis for inhibiting shifting movement of said housing relative to said bolster, and
- a cap overlying one end of said spring, said cap being mounted for reciprocator guided movements by and relative to said housing with a generally flat railcar body engaging portion on said cap being positioned relative to said housing and said walled receptacle by said spring.
In combination, a railcar bolster connected to a wheeled truck and a constant contact side bearing assembly, comprising:
- a walled receptacle adapted for securement to an upper surface on said bolster,
- a housing assembly configured to loosely fit within said walled receptacle, said housing assembly including a friction member having a railcar engaging portion which is spring biased for engagement with an underside of a railcar body supported by and for limiting hunting movements of said wheeled truck, and with said housing assembly further including a base for accommodating a spring used to bias the railcar engaging portion of said friction member into engagement with the underside of the railcar body and for guiding vertical movements of said friction member relative to said base;
- and
- an apparatus disposed between an inner surface on said walled receptacle and an outer surface on said base for operably securing said base relative to said railcar bolster and for locating said side bearing assembly relative to the railcar bolster.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.