US2163257A - Railway vehicle - Google Patents

Description

June 20, 1939. E, G. HALLQUIST ET Al. 2,163,257

RAILWAY VEHICLE Filed April 13, 1935 a; i l Si@ Q 4:- Q 1 u: dlllrblhrlll II llllllll I I l L :V @f El :Vl l# Patented June 20, 1939 UNITED .STATES narrar caes Sheehan, Merion, Pa.,

assignors .to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application April 13, 1935, :Serial INo. 16,1144

9 Claims.

The invention relates to railway rolling stock and more particularly to the mechanism and associated structure whereby the load is pro `tected `from injury by draft, buff, braking, and like forces.

In the usual railway car, the under-frame has a draft gear at each end providing forv approximately three inch movement of the coupler, relative to the underframe, resisted by a comb-ination of spring and friction elements, and the load supporting or enclosing members are rigid with the frame. Accordingly, all shocks no matter how severe, if not absorbed during the three inch movement of the draft gear, will be transmitted directly to the car frame and the load, and in modern heavy rolling stock and heavy loading the three inch movement is insu'lcient to absorb these forces.

To remedy this situation it has been proposed to use a continuous member throughout the length of the car for transmitting draft and bumng forces through the car, but the car framing or load carrying structure is anchored to the continuous draft member by yielding connection which will provide for relative movement Vexceeding the three inches available with standard draft gear.

The present invention relates to the latter type of cars, and it is one object of the invention to simplify and otherwise improve the longitudinal force transmitting member, to simplify and improve the yielding connection of the same to the car framing, to better adapt the car framing for the assembly therewith of 'a continuous longitudinal force transmitting member and otherwise to better absorb the longitudinal forces arising from train operation so Ythat the same will be eliminated before reaching the load for will be reduced to such an extent that they will be harmless when transmitted to the load.

These and other detail objects are attained by the structure shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is in part a top view and in part a horizontal section through one end `and 4side of a railway -vehicle underirame embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation oi the same structure showing it in use as a carrier for lading containers which may be mounted on the underframe and securely fixed thereon.

Figures 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections on the corresponding section lines of Figure 1.

The vehicle underframe shown in Figures 1 to y4, inclusive, comprises side sills li and a center of lading containers 5, each constructed to be (Cl. 213-8)v sillor `intermediate sill structure 2, extending the full length of lthe underframe, and connected near each end by end sills 3 and bolsters 4. The Vehicle may be considered a carrier for a series secured to the carrier frame by bolts whereby the container, and the lading therein, is locked in xed .position `on the carrier. One or more containers. may be applied 'to and removed from the carrier irrespective :of other containers and without alectingthe assembly of other containers `with the carrier.

A member l, which hereinafter will be termed a center member or floating center structure,

transmits longitudinal buff, Vdraft and braking l15 forces from one vehicle to the next and is boX shape in cross-section and extends throughout the length "of the underframe, passing through the bolster structures and projecting 'beyond the end sills to `mount a draft gear at each end of the car. The draft gear may be of any suitable Vtype as is indicated by the coupler 8. It will be secured to thecen'ter member by a key (not shown) extending through slots 9 yin the center member. Center member 'l is bifurcated at the bolster 'to Aprovide two spaced apart box-sections it pass- Vsills and holsters except that each bolster is vprovided with deep upwardly extending recesses on its lower face to receive center member `sections Hl in between the center structure H and the side bearing mounting portions l, and a bottom Cover plate l5 is applied to the bottom of the bolster structure after the center member has been assembled with the underirame. This plate may be riveted, bol-ted, or welded to the remainder of the bolster structure and may be removed when it is necessary to disassemble the center member and the underframe. Plate l5 is apertured to receive the downwardly projecting' portion of center structure il terminating in the center plate which rests upon the truck.

Pairs of brackets i6 project laterally from opposite sides of center member 'l -a short distance inwardly from each bolster and respective folllower thimbles Il are slidably mounted in brackets I 5 extending through the same and into a position to engage opposing brackets I8 projecting inwardly from` center sills 2. A coiled spring I9 is compressed between the opposing faces of followers I'I and a rod 20 passing through spring I9, followers I1 and one bracket I8 maintains the assembly of the spring and followers.

Assuming the parts to be in a normal position,

as shown in figure l, longitudinal force appliedV to the center member 1 in the direction of the arrow A will cause the right hand bracket IB to engage the corresponding follower I1 and move the same to the left, thereby compressing spring I9 against the left hand follower I1 which will be seated against the bracket I8 on the underframe. The elongated opening between center member sections I0 provide for the movement of the member through the bolster without interfering with the center plate carrying portion Il of the bolster. Hence the force will be absorbed by spring I9, which can be made as long as is considered desirable for the purpose of protecting the lading.

The relative movement between adjacent cars is limited by draft gear 8 and this will correspond to the three inch movement referred to in the introductory7 portion of the specification. Relative movement of the center member and the underframe, and lading thereon, will not affect the relative movement of adjacent cars and therefore the train may be operated in the ordinary manner, including the bunching of slack in starting under heavy load.

It will be understood that forces operating in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow A will be resisted by the mechanism parts operating oppositely to the operation described above. It will be understood also that another spring and follower seat is on the opposite side of the center member and corresponding shock absorbing structures are located near the bolster at the opposite end of the car. Obviously the number of shock absorbing mechanisms and the lengths of their respective springs can be increased or decreased as desired.

The oating center member may be applied to and removed from the underframe structure, by dropping the floating member, and without disassembling any of the parts of the latter eX- cept that it is necessary to remove the bolster bottom cover plate l5 but this may be done without affecting the truck engaging portion of the center structure Il and without destroying the beam value of the bolster whereby the underframe may be supported when the trucks are removed.

The longitudinal draft and bufng forces are transmitted in a horizontal plane from coupler to coupler and the shock absorbing mechanism between the center member and the underframe functions in the same general horizontal plane as the line of longitudinal forces applied to the center member, thus avoiding undesirable moments which result from vertically offset points of transmission of such forces as has been present in shock absorbing devices having the same general purposes. Y

The shock absorbing mechanism is located exteriorly of the center member and may be assembled with and disassembled from the center member and the underframe without taking the center member or the underframe sills apart. This facilitates manufacture and maintenance of this general type of vehicle and is particularly advantageous in making possible the use of cast metal or unitarily Welded underframe and center member structures, or other structures resembling cast metal construction in being homogeneous or comprising permanently assembled parts formed into a rigid unit by welding, riveting or otherwise. Such structures cannot be used exclusively or to comparable advantage if it is necessary to provide for taking the center member or underframe apart in order to assemble them with each other or with the shock absorbing mechanism.

The exclusive use of variations of the details of construction as come within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway vehicle, frame including spaced sills, a floating center structure located between said sills for transmitting draft and buiiing forces between adjacent vehicles, elements on said structure extending towards said sills, a plurality of elements on said sills extending towards said structure, corresponding pairs of said elements overlapping each other lengthwise of the car, and an individual shock absorbing mechanism including yielding means extending between the elements of each pair of said center structure elements, and follower members extending between said yielding means and said sill elements and passing through said structure elements.

2. In a railway vehicle, a frame including spaced sills, a iioating center structure located between said sills for transmitting draft and buiiing' forces between adjacent vehicles, brackets on said structure, spring followers slidable on said brackets longitudinally of said structure, and elements on said sills extending towards said structure and Seating said followers.

3. In a railway vehicle, a frame including spaced sill elements and bolsters near opposite ends of the frame, each bolster having a depending portion between said elements arranged to rest upon and engage a truck, a longitudinalforce transmitting member extending centrally of the frame intermediate said bolsters and having diverging arms located between said elements near each of said bolsters for receiving said dependent portion of the adjacent bolster between them, said bolster having downwardly opening recesses adjacent said depending portion for receiving said arms there being a tie plate connecting the portions of said bolster at opposite sides of said 'recesses and removable from the bolster independently of said truc-k engaging portion to accommodate the dropping of said member from the frame.

4. In a railway vehicle, a frame including spaced sill elements and a bolster having a depending portion between said elements arranged to rest upon a truck, a longitudinal-force transmitting member extending between said elements and along .the longitudinal center line of said frame throughout the major portion of its length but provided with a bifurcated portion between said elements receiving said bolster portion between its bifurcations, said bolster having downwardly opening recesses adjacent said bolster portion for receiving said bifurcations, there being a plate extending across said recesses and removable to provide for dropping of said member.

5. In a railway vehicle, a frame including spaced sill elements and a bolster having a depending portion between said elements arranged to rest upon a truck, and a longitudinal-force transmitting structure comprising laterally spaced box sections located between said elements and extending through said bolster at opposite sides of said portion, the inner side walls of said box sections merging with each other at points spaced longitudinally of the frame from the depending portion of said bolster.

6. In a railway vehicle, a frame including spaced sill elements and a bolster having a depending portion between said elements arranged to rest upon a truck, and a longitudinal-force transmitting structure located between said elements and comprising parts in front of and behind said bolster, each part being of box shape cross section, and laterally spaced box sections extending through said bolster at opposite sides of said portion, the inner side walls of said box sections merging with each other at points spaced longitudinally of the frame from the depending portion of said bolster and the outer walls of said sections converging and merging with the outer walls of said parts.

7. In a railway vehicle, a frame including spaced sill elements and a bolster having a depending portion arranged to rest upon a truck, a longitudinal-force transmitting structure comprising a single box girder section in front of and behind said bolster and transversely spaced box girder sections passing through said bolster at opposite sidesI of said portion and merging with said first-mentioned box sections at points spaced longitudinally of the frame from said bolster depending portion, all of said box girder sections being located between said sill elements.

8. In a vrailway vehicle, a frame including a bolster having an upright vertical portion of arcuate cross section, a force transmitting member having transversely spaced box girder structures at the sides of said vertical portion, the inner walls of said structures merging in arcuate form at points spaced from the front and rear of said bolster portion.

9. In a railway vehicle, an underframe including spaced longitudinal sill elements and a bolster connecting the same and having a depending portion between said elements arranged to engage a truck center plate, a single longitudinal-iorce transmitting member located intermediate said sill elements and provided with a coupler at its end and having diverging arms located between said elements and spaced from said coupler and receiving said bolster depending portion between them, said bolster having downwardly opening recesses adjacent said depending portion for receiving said arms, there being a tie plate extending across the lower portion of said bolster at the lower ends of said recesses and removable independently of said truck engaging portion to provide for dropping said members from the underframe.

EINAR G. HALLQUIST. WILLIAM M. SHEEHAN. l

Images