US2208792A - Combined frame and pedestal toe arrangement for locomotives - Google Patents

Description

July 23, 1940.-

E. o. ELLIOTT COMBINED FRAME AND PEDESTAL TOE ARRANGEMENT FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed June 24, 1938 INVENTOR Eowmau O. ELLIOTT A ORNEY Patented July 23, 1940 COMBINED FRAME AND PEDESTAL ToE ARRANGEMENT FOR LoooMoTrvEs Edward 0. Elliott, J enkinto'wn, Pa.

Application June 24, 1938, Serial No. 215,609

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to locomotives and more particularly to an improved combination of a frame and pedestal toe arrangement.

Ever since the adoption of the pedestal cap as the best known and acceptable method of closing the lower end of the pedestal opening in which the driving boxes and axles are disposed, the breakage of pedestal toes on locomotive frames has been a chronic condition with which the railroad industry has sufiered for the lack of a more efiective method and arrangement for preventing breakage of the toes or for minimizing the expense of repairs in the event of breakage. In addition to the cost of actual repairs, a very large indirect expense is often incurred by the locomotive being idle when removed from service. This can be an extremely serious matter, particularly in the event of urgent need for the locomotive on the road.

In an effort to overcome the foregoing breakage of pedestal toes, it has, been attempted to make the frame sections heavier adjacent the toes, yet continued breakage of the toes has been appreciable inasmuch as an ill-fitted or loose pedestal cap or excessive stress may readily cause breakage. To repair broken pedestal toes in the past has sometimes required the removal of the frame on one side of the locomotive, thereby adding further expense caused by removal and replacement of numerous portions of the locomotive machinery, frame bracing, etc. Considerable difficulty has also been encountered in integral cast frames due to honey-combing of the metal or shifting of the mold or cores at or near the vital pedestal toe H points. Such defects can readily result in rejection of the entire frame should the customer refuse to accept welding of the deficient portions.

While an integral cast steel bed has many points of superiority over the built-up or bar frame, yet the breakage of pedestal toes in the integral steel bed has been a serious problem, in fact the repair of the same is a far more serious matter than with a bar frame, since in an integral bed it is necessary to weld a very thick mass to the very light sections of the bed, whereas the bar type frame has heavier sections which permit more effective welding. Further the casting of a large integral bed structure with relatively light sections throughout, except for the large mass concentration at the pedestal toes, is a difficult problem because during cooling of the casting the shrinkage of the lighter and of the more massive sections is not the same, thus inducing shrinkage breakages at the outset of the manufacturing process, this in addition to the liability of blow holes or honey-combing of the pedestal toes. The prior art has not provided a solution to all of the foregoing difiiculties, among others. 7

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved pedestal toe arrangement in combination with a frame so asto overcome'the many disadvantages above mentioned. A further object is to provide an improved pedestal toe and frame arrangement that is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction, opef'ation and maintenance and yet provides ruggedness and strength against breakage under the many adverse COIldle tions of operation.

Other objects and advantages will be more ap parent to those skilled in the art from the following-description of the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an integrally cast locomotive frame and bed adjacent the pedestal openings incorporated in my improved pedestal toe arrangement;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. l; r

- Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal and vertical section through one pedestal toe and a portion of a pedestal cap;

.Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modified arrangement for bolting the pedestal toeand cap to the frame.

- In the particular embodiments of the invention, such as are disclosed herein merely for the purpose of illustrating certain specific forms among possible others that the invention might take in practice, I have shown a conventional type of integrally cast bed frame having usual side members I and 2 cross connected by suitable members 3, Fig. 2. The specific details of construction of the frame do not enter into my present invention and hence need not be further described. The side members terminate at their lower ends in fiat surfaces 5, formed on what constitute rails 6 of the bed frame, while any desired number of pedestal openings 4 may be provided in the frame. The pedestal openings are formed entirely and completely by usual pedestal legs which constitute an integral part of the frame and which are separate from and independent of the pedestal toe structure.

Supported on each of the flat surfaces is my improved combined supplemental bottom rail and pedestal toe member generally indicated at 1. This member extends preferably continuously from one pedestal opening to the other and has pedestal toes 8 formed integrally with the body portion of the supplemental rail 1. The main rail 6 and supplemental rail 1. are preferably held in fixed longitudinal relation to each other by transverse keys 9 and bolts Ill. The supplemental rail is further secured to the frame by bolts I l and I2 extending through a usual pedestal cap I3. As shown in Fig. 3 the two bolts II have collars l4 firmly seated in suitable recesses of rail 1 while the bolt I2 has a similar collar l5 firmly seated in the toes 8. Preferably the bolts II and i2 have a reamed fit with the holes in the main lower rail 6 and in the supplemental rail 1 and have a loose fit in the pedestal cap 13. The specific shape of the pedestal toe 8 and mating recess in the pedestal cap may be of any conventional form usually slightly tapered. Also if desired the supplemental rail may have lips I! as shown in connection with the center supplemental rail in Fig. 1, these lips being received in suitable recesses in the side walls of the pedestal openings 4.

The end-most pedestal toes l8, Fig. 1, are formed on partial length supplemental rails l9, specifically half lengths. These half length supplemental rails are keyed and bolted to the main lower rail in the same manner as for the full length supplemental rails.

In the modification of Fig. 4 a bar type frame is shown. The supplemental rail 28 is however shown with only a single key 2! while bolts 22 (corresponding to I I) hold the rails together without any center bolts such as it. Due to the thickness of the side walls 23 forming the pedestal openings, a bolt 24 (corresponding to 12) is threaded into the bottom rail 25. Furthermore, if desired, the simplicity of my improved arrangements is conducive to extremely effective welding of the main and supplemental rails as by longitudinal welded seams 2E and 21 extending preferably for the full length of the supplemental rail. The welded seams are straight and of substantial length and extend in a direct line to oifer maximum resistance to spreading of the pedestal guides.

From the foregoing disclosure it isseen that I have provided a simple and yet highly effective combined supplemental rail and pedestal toe which not only allows the main frame 5 to have a relatively simple fiat surface 5, machined if desired, but also insures maximum strength and ruggedness for the pedestal toes. In fact this supplemental rail and toe arrangement is sufiiciently simple that it may be effectively and economioally made of high grade fatigue resisting alloy such as nickel steel, and if desired the supplemental rail may constitute a well worked and annealed forging. This improved arrangement also insures maximum possibility of a good sound casting in the simple lower rail portion if formed as part of an integrally cast frame without any difiiculties arising from imperfect pedestal toes or from failure of pedestal toes that might even have been an orginally sound casting. It is furthermore seen that even though the pedestal toe might break in my improved supplemental rail, yet such rail by being detachable in all forms may be readily removed with minimum time and efiort merely by first removing any of the various detachable holding means whether in the form of the bolts or the narrow welded seams, the removal of such holding means and the separate character of the rail eliminating the necessity of dismantling a frame side or removing other locomotive equipment attached to the frame. The fact that the pedestal openings are formed entirely and completely by the pedestal legs which constitute an integral part of the frame allows the supplemental rail and pedestal toe to be removed without in any way disturbing the usual journal boxes and pedestal shoes. Hence it is seen that I have provided a very effective bed frame and pedestal toe arrangement for overcoming the disadvantages that have long existed with prior arrange ments and have additionally accomplished many advantages not previously available in the art as hereinbefore set forth.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a cast frame having lower integral rails terminating at their opposite ends adjacent to and integral with pedestal structures provided with usual pedestal openings, members comprising supplemental rails supported on the under surfaces of said lower frame rails and extending continuously from one pedestal opening to the next pedestal opening, pedestal toes formed onthe opposite ends of and integrally with said continuous supplemental rail, detachable means for securing said supplemental and lower frame rails together, and a pedestal cap connected to the pedestal toes on opposite sides of the pedestal openings whereby the tension load in one pedestal cap is transmitted throughthe continuously extending supplemental rail to the cap of the next pedestal opening.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said under surface of the lower rail of the frame is substantially flat throughout its length and the supplemental rail has a similar flat surface to be seated against said flat surface of the lower rail.

EDWARD O. ELLIOTT.

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