US1608952A - Gravity centering device - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30 1926. 1,608,952

A. H. OELKERS GRAVITY CENTERING DEVICE Filed March 9, 1925 7W1 by,

Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

1,608,952 PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED HENRY OELKE'RS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

GRAVITY CENTERING DEVICE.

Application filed March 9, 1925. Serial No. 14,125.

My invention relates to centering devices and consists in an improved gravity centering device functioning without th e use of pivoted elements, rollers, or snnilar ele ments.

The objects of my invention are to provide a simple economical centering device operated by gravity and composed of rigid members. I also desire to provide adequate lubrication for the sliding surfaces of the 1 device so that the relatively moving parts operate in a bath of oil or other lubricant.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment of my invention I show thesame as applied to a four-wheel truck adapted to be used near the front end of a locomotive, but it will be understood that my invention is not limited to this particular application but may be used generally on railway trucks for locomotives or cars and is also capable of other industrial use aside from railway rolling stock.

In thesedrawings- Figure 1 is a top view of the four-wheel truck referred to.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1. a

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end view of the contacting elements of the centering device drawn on i an enlarged scale.

The truck comprises the usual wheels 1,

- axles 2, and journal boxes 3 which carry equalizers at. Swingingly mounted upon the equalizers are the leaf springs 5 which mount truck frame 6, the middle portion of which comprises a bolster-like member 7.

Preferably the bolstermember 7 is provided with a recess in which is snugly fitted the bolster member 8 of the centering device. The upper face of member 8 consists in a plurality of surfaces inclined upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal transversely of the device and truck. In the structure illustrated, these surfaces form an elevated ridge along the longitudinal center line of the device and extend downwardly in opposite directions from this ridge and then upwardly to the sides of the device.

Resting upon member 8 is a center plate supporting element 9, the lower face of which consists of surfaces inclined similarly to the inclined surfaces of member 8. The total width of element 9 is substantially less than that of member 8 and obviously the element 9 may move transversely of the truck for a limited distance without any restraint except the resistance to the lifting of the element and its load caused by its travel up the inclined surfaces of member 8. This lateral movement of element 9 is limited by the upstanding sides 10 of the depression in the truck bolster. The ends 11 of the bolster depression are preferably provided with hardened wear plates 12 which engage the ends of the center plate element 9 and prevent longitudinal shifting of the latter.

The upper face of element 9 is provided with a central raised portion 13 which fits within a corresponding depression. in the lower face of the center plate 14. Bolts 15 maintain the assembly of center plate 14 and its centering element 9 when these two pieces are handled before their assembly with the remainder of the truck.

The center plate element 9 is provided with a plurality of transverse passages or conduits 16, here shown as horizontal holes drilled through the element, and at intervals along passages 16 are provided suitable passages 17 leading downwardly from passages 16 to the lower surface of the element. These passages 16 and 17 serve to distribute oil or other lubricant to a large number of points over the bearing surfaces of the up per and lower parts of the device. As the bolster member 7 of the truck forms a rectangular pan with upstanding sides extending substantially above the level of the inclined surfaces of the centering device, a

quantity of oil can be placed in the bolster depression and maintained at a level above passages 16 which will insure the centering device functioning in a bath of oil. To improve the distribution of the oil, I provide grooves 18 along the ridges formed by the intersection of the inclined surfaces of each part of the centering device. Obviously many other arrangements of the passages for distributing the lubricant may be made.

Hingedv to the sides of the center plate are covers 19 which extend laterally far enough to rest upon the tops of the walls of bolster 7 and overlie the space between the sides of the center plate element 9 and the bolster walls 10 and serve to exclude dust and other dirt from the oil in the bolster recess.

The arrangement shown consists of rigid elements which provide a constant resistance to any movement of the relative parts from their normal position as such movement results in the raising of a load which gravity tends to return to its normal lowermost position. By varying the angle of inclination of the supporting and supported surfaces, the resistance to relative movement may be varied.

While I have shown the device as applied to a truck bolster and center plate, it may be used in connection with a side bearing andmounted on truck parts other than a bolster, or the device may be used for other purposes thanhere indicated.

Preferably the two partsof the centering device will consist of different material,

such as iron or steel and brass, but this is a detail which, like the angle of inclination of the supporting and supported surfaces, may be varied as found desirable. Other modifications in the details of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof as expressed in the following claims,

' I claim:

1. A gravity centering device comprising a supporting member with oppositely inclined bearing surfaces, a supported element with similar surfaces resting on said member surfaces, andv a pan-shaped lubricant retaining receptacle for said element and member having sides extending above the level of said surfaces.

2. A gravity centering device comprising a supporting member with oppositely inclined bearing surfaces, a supported element with similar surfaces resting on said member surfaces, and a pan-shaped receptacle for said element and member having sides extending above the level of said surfaces, said element and member being provided with passages leading from their exteriors so as to distribute lubricant in said receptacle to substantially all of said surfaces.

3-. In a railway truck, a bolster member having an imperforate pan-shaped recess in its upper face for receiving and retaining a volume of lubricant, and a loaded plate slidably supported by the upwardly facing surfaces of said member, and gravity centering means for said loaded plate.

4, In a railway truck, a lubricant retaining pan-shaped bolster member, the bottom of which includes upwardly facing bearing flat surfaces inclined alternately upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal on each side of its center line a loaded plate having similarly inclined bearing surfaces facing downwardly and resting on said member surfaces but terminating at a distance from the upstanding sides of said member.-

5. In a railway truck, a lubricant retaining pain-shaped bolster member, the bottom of which includes upwardly facing bearing surfaces inclined alternately upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal, a loaded plate having similarly inclined bearing surfaces facing downwardly and resting on said member surfaces but terminating at a distance from the upstanding sides of said member, one of said members being pro vided with oil passages leading from the sides thereof to a plurality of spaced p'oints on said bearing surfaces. I

6 In a railway truck, a lubricant retaining pan-shaped bolster member, the bottom of which includes upwardly facing bearing surfaces inclined alternately upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal, a loaded plate having siniilarly inclined bearing sur faces facing downwardly and resting on said member surfaces but terminating at a distance from the upstanding.sides of said member, said loaded plate being provided with oil passages leading from the sides thereof to a plurality of spaced points on said bearing surfaces. p

7. In a railway truck, .a lubricant retain ing pan-shaped bolster member, the bottom of which includes upwardly facing bearing surfaces inclined alternately upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal, a loaded plate having similarly inclined bearing surfaces facing downwardly and resting on said member surfaces but terminating at a distance from the upstanding sides of said member, a cover for the space between the sides of said mcmberlan'd said loaded plate, and conduits leading. from said space to a plurality of. spaced points on said bearing surfaces.

8. In a centering device, a lower member having supporting surfaces inclined upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal and having longitudinal grooves along the lines of intersection of said surfaces, as pper element having supported, surfaces similarly inclined, transverse passages in said element, and passages in said element leading to said supported surfaces intermediate the lines of intersection thereof.

9. In a centering device, a lower member having supporting surfaces inclined upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal and having longitudinal grooves along the lines of intersection of said surfaces, an upper element having supported surfaces'similarly inclined and grooved, transverse passages in said element, and passages in said element leading to said supported surfaces intermediate said grooves.

10. In a centering device, a lower member having a supported surface inclined transversely upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal and provided with longitudinal grooves, an upper element having similarly inclined supported faces slidable transverse- 1y of said supporting faces, and lubricant passages through said upper element with their terminals normally located between said grooves but movable across the latter as the devices operates.

11. In a railway truck, a bolster having a depression in its upper face, a removable member fitting in said depression and having an upper face, W-shaped in cross section, extending longitudinally of the truck, a center plate having a depression in its lower face, and an element fitting in said depression and removably secured thereto and having a lower face, W-shaped in cross section, corresponding to said bolster member.

12. In a railway truck, a bolster having a depression in its upper face, a removable member fitting in said depression and having an upper face inclined upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal, a center plate having a depression in its lower face, and an element fitting in said depression and removably secured therein and having a lower face similarly incline-d.

13. In a railway truck, a lubricant retaining pan-shaped bolster member, the bottom of which includes upwardly facing bearing surfaces inclined alternately upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal, a center plate having similarly inclined bearing surfaces facing downwardly and resting on said member surfaces but terminating at a distance from the upstanding faces of said member, a cover hinged to said center plate with its free end resting on the side walls of said member and slidable thereover, and conduits leading from said space to a plurality of spaced points on said bear ing surfaces.

14. In a centering device, a supporting member having a depression in its upper face, a removable member fitting in said depression and having upwardly facing surfaces oppositely inclined to the horizontal, a center plate having a depression in its lower face, and an element removably secured in said center plate depression and having a lower face inclined corresponding to said member upper face.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 2nd day of March, 1925.

ALFRED HENRY OELKERS.

Images