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US 8,985,355 B2Granted
Railcar draft gear assembly and related method for assembling a railcar draft gear
AssigneeMiner Enterprises, Inc.
InventorDonald E. Wilt
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMiner Enterprises, Inc.
InventorDonald E. Wilt
Estimating the term…
A railcar draft gear assembly including a housing, a spring sea, a spring and a friction clutch assembly in operable combination relative to each other within the housing. The spring includes a series of axially stacked elastomeric pads arranged between a closed end of the housing and the spring seat. An axially elongated guide rod is endwise passed through the spring seat and elastomeric pads for aligning the pads relative to a longitudinal axis of the draft gear assembly. The guide rod is operably inhibited from axial shifting movements during operation of the draft gear assembly. A related method for assembling the draft gear is also disclosed.
A railcar draft gear assembly having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
A railcar draft gear assembly having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
A railcar draft gear assembly having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
A railcar draft gear assembly having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
A method of assembling a railcar draft gear assembly having a longitudinal axis and including a housing with a closed end, an open end, and wall structure extending between said closed end and said open end so as to define a chamber, with said wall structure defining an opening having a closed margin, said method of assembling a railcar draft gear assembly comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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Details or accessories
Draw-gear combined with buffing appliances: with rubber springs
Spring making: for vehicle or clutch
Couplings
About 6 years 8 months of term left · ends 10 Jul 2033 (estimated)
This invention disclosure generally relates to a railcar draft gear assembly and, more specifically, to a railcar draft gear assembly utilizing a spring assembly comprised of a stack of elastomeric pads and an elongated guide rod for maintaining the stacked pads in general alignment relative to each other and relative to a longitudinal axis of the draft gear assembly whereby optimizing spring performance.
A railroad freight car draft gear assembly has been used for years at opposite ends of a railcar to absorb and cushion impact forces directed against and to the railcar. Most railcar draft gear assemblies include a housing having an inner tapered bore at an open end, an elongated spring arranged within the housing, and a friction clutch assembly including a series of friction members along with a wedge or actuator arranged in the tapered bore of the housing and movable against the spring upon compression of the draft gear assembly. The wedge is arranged in operable combination with the friction members such that impact blows directed against the wedge are transferred axially to the spring and radially to the housing. A spring seat can be arranged between an end portion of each friction member and the spring.
Recently, elastomeric materials have been used and accepted as replacements for steel springs. One elastomeric spring assembly offering beneficial results is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,844 to R. A. Carlstedt and includes multiple elastomeric spring units stacked in axial relation relative to each other. Each spring unit of the spring assembly includes an elastomer pad sandwiched between two metal plates. The metal plates are bonded or otherwise secured to opposed faces of the elastomer pad. Amongst other advantages, the metal plates serve to limit snaking and/or buckling problems while furthermore serving to center the elastomeric spring assembly relative to the draft gear housing. Such a spring assembly has been successfully used for years in combination with railcar draft gears.
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one form of railcar draft gear embodying principals and teachings of the present invention disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the draft gear illustrated in FIG. 1;
While this invention disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in multiple forms, there are shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described preferred embodiments, with the understanding the present disclosure sets forth exemplifications of the disclosure which are not intended to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments illustrated and described.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a railcar draft gear assembly, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, adapted to be carried within a yoke 12 arranged in operable combination with a centersill (not shown) of a railcar 14. Assembly 10 includes an axially elongated hollow and metallic housing 16 defining a longitudinal axis 18 for the draft gear assembly 10. Housing 16 has a first or closed end 20 having a rear or end wall 22 (FIG. 3) and is open toward an axially aligned second or open end 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the open end 24 of housing 16 is configured smaller than the closed end 20. As such, and toward the open end 24, housing 16 defines an inwardly directed shoulder or transitional step 29.
Housing 16 also includes wall structure 25. In the embodiment shown for exemplary purposes in FIG. 2, housing wall structure 25 includes two pairs of joined and generally parallel walls 26, 26′ and 28, 28′, extending from the closed end 22 toward the open end 24 (FIG. 1), and defines a spring chamber 30 (FIGS. 1 and 3). In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the walls 26, 26′ and 28, 28′ provide chamber 30 with a generally rectangular or box-like cross-sectional configuration for a major lengthwise portion thereof.