US2273201A - High speed railway car truck - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 17, 1942. .c. J. HOLLAND arm.

HIGH SPEED RAILWAY CAR TRUCK Filed May 22, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l lllll" mm mm Feb. 17, 1942.

c. J. HOLLAND ETAL HIGH SPEED RAILWAY CAR TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1939 Feb. 17, 1942.

C. J. HOLLAND ETAL HIGH SPEED RAILWAY CAR TRUCK Filed May 22, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 17, 1942 HIGH SPEED RAILWAY CAR TRUCK Cyrus J. Holland and Knute Edahl, Chicago, 111., assignors to Holland Company, a corporation of Illinois Application May 22, 1939, Serial No. 275,042

9 Claims.

This invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to trucks therefor.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a new and improved mechanism on a self-alining spring plank-less truck for insuring proper positioning of the side frames relative to the bolster and axles.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved combined spring suspension and cushioning or vibration dampening device whereby light, intermediate or heavy loads will all be supported with about the same amount of resiliency and at the same time harmonic vibration will be prevented.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved self-alining truck frame with or without a laterally movable bolster mounted thereon.

Another object of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for insuring a substantially constant effective static deflection of the supporting spring assemblies under all load conditions together with a low, frequency of oscillation of said assemblies.

A further object is the provision of a new and improved truck that is adapted for high speeds, that is inexpensive tomanufacture, that is selfalining, efiicient in absorbing shocks for loads of different weights and that is easily assembled and eflicient in operation.

. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railway truck, with parts in section and parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a railway truck showing the invention in position therein, with parts in section and parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of a modifled form of truck taken on a line similar to line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section of a portion of a bolster and its support which constitutes a modification of that shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is a similar view but showing a still further modified form of construction;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section through the outer end of the bolster, similar to Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 15

and showing a further modified form of construction with parts omitted for the sake of clearness;

Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 are views similar to Fig; 8, each of which shows a different modified form of construction; and

- Fig. 15 is a vertical section of a railway truck showing a modified form of construction, with parts broken away for the sake of clearness.

In the operation of railway car trucks of the type known as the self-alining spring plankless type in which the side frames are connected only by the axles and bolster, the frame at one side of the truck may advance slightly ahead of the other when the truck travels around a curve. Often this advance position of one side frame over the other will be maintained for some time on a straight track after the truck has passed around a curve thus causing the flanges of the wheels to engage the rails with a consequent wearing of both the flanges and rails causing increased resistance and therefore requiring more power to haul such cars.

In the transportation of freight of a more or less perishable nature, speed is one of the most important and one of the most necessary requirements of the conveyance. As speed in transportation increases, as is the present trend, there arise numerous resulting difiiculties or problems that were not present, or were of such a nature that they could be ignored, in operating vehicles at lower speeds. Since the centrifugal force of the car on curves varies as the square of the velocity, it is evident that difiiculties like wear between the rails and wheel flanges on traveling around curves, for instance, would be greatly increased due to the increased pressure as a result of this higher speed.

Thepresent invention seeks to remedy these difliculties by the provision of new and improved means for promptly returning the truck frames and bolster to normal position after passing around the curve in order to reduce this wear to a minimum.

Furthermore, the shocks transmitted to the car on account of flat wheels or faults in the track at higher speeds would likewise be more intense,

more or less frictional resistance to the free vertical vibration of the assembly.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, thereference character 5 designates a railway car truck, which is of the type known as self-aliningspring plankless truck, having side frames 6 at the sides of the truck which are adapted to be supported by the axles l and B at their ends. The ends of the side frames are provided with depending hollow pedestal legs 9 and H1 forming enlarged recesses l4 within which the journal boxes l6 and I! are vertically movable. Since the journal boxes are substantially alike, only one need be described.

Each of the journal boxes, as for instance box I6, is provided with forwardly and rearwardly extending projections |8 having upstanding walls l9, see Fig. 2, forming recesses for receiving the spring units 2| and 22. The spring units 2| and 22 engage the upper wall sections 23 and 24 forming the recess 4 as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The end of the side frame is also provided with an upwardly extending recess 25 which extends upwardly from the recess M for receiving a friction spring unit 26. The recess 25 is in communication with the recess l4 and is located vertically above the journal box IE, as shown in Fig. 2.

These spring units cooperate to provide a spring assembly for resiliently supporting the truck frame and the superstructure of the car. The units 2| and 22 are alike and each comprises an outer cylindrical spring 21 having its turns substantially rectangular in cross-section and decreasing in thickness from one end toward the other. The internal and external diameters of the spring are, preferably though not necessarily, constant from one end of the spring to the other. An inner spring 28 may also be employed and this spring has its turns rectangular in crosssection and decreasing in thickness from one end toward the other as in the outer spring. The turns of this spring are also preferably of uniform width throughout the length of the spring as in the outer spring. By means of this arrangement, the side frames are resiliently supported whether the car is empty, partly or wholly loaded. When the car is empty, the resiliency is principally in the upper turns of the spring where they are not so thick and when the car is partly or wholly loaded, the upper turns of the spring settle down upon each other so that the resiliency is principally in the lower, stiffer turns of the spring.

For the purpose of assisting in supporting the load and at the same time preventing harmonic action of the spring units, the volute or friction spring unit- 26 is employed. The friction unit 26 is in the form of a volute having the base 32 and cap plate 33 held in assembled relation on the spring unit by a bolt 34. This unit is in parallel with the spring units 2| and 22. This volute spring is closely wound so that there is more or less friction between the contacting surfaces of the turns when the spring is in opera-' tion and as 'a g-result of this construction, this friction will prevent the free vertical vibration of the entire spring assembly. In the volute spring, the outer turns being farther from the axis of the spring are more resilient than the inner turns so that the outer turns of the volute cooperate with the thinner turns of the helicals for resiliently supporting the light loads and on heavier loads, certain of the outer turns will settle so that the car, when it is partly or fully loaded, will be resiliently supported by the inner stiffer turns of the volute and this in turn will cooperate with the thicker turns of the helicals for supporting the heavier loads and at the same time, the frictional resistance between the turns will be such as to prevent harmonic action of the entire spring assembly. This is considered an important feature of the invention because it not only affords considerable resiliency to a car whether it is empty or loaded but will, at the same time, prevent harmonic action of the entire spring assembly under all conditions.

The side frames are provided with the usual bolster openings 35 at opposite sides of which are the columns 36 and 31, Fig. l, which are adapted to guide the bolster in its verticalmovement. If the bolster be of the lateral movement type, as shown on the drawings, the tension member 38 of the side frames, Fig. 3, has mounted thereon supporting members 39, Fig. 3, having the lower cam race member 4| secured thereon. The cam race member 4| is provided with a plurality of cam races 42, 43 and 44 which are adapted to be engaged by corresponding cam members 45, 46 and 47, respectively. The cam members 45, 46 and 41 are adapted to engage cam races 48, 49 and 5|, respectively, on the under side of the bolster 52. The cam races and cam members are so constructed that when the truck travels around a curve, it will cause a banking of the car, that is, when the bolster moves outwardly by centrifugal force, the outer end of the bolster will be raised and the inner end will be lowered. The races and cams are also so constructed that there may be a very limited movement of the bolster without raising or lowering either end. This is for the purpose of providing for the nosing or side swinging of the truck frame on straight-away tracks. This movement is very slight.

The side frames are held in a i. are held from canting, angle, T or channel tie bar 53 which has its web portion or horizontal flange 50 at each end provided with a recess for engaging over a boss 54 on an inward projection or arm 55 rigidly secured to, or integral with, the tension member 38 of the side frame. A bolt, washer and nut 56 holds the tie bar on the boss 54. The openings in the tie bar and the bosses form a hinge connection so as to permit one side frame to advance beyond th other in travelling around curves.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of construction for permitting the bolster to have a lateral movement. In this form of construction, rollers 51 are employed instead of the cam members 45, 46 and 41 of the previous construction. The rollers engage corresponding cam surfaces 58 and 59 which are so constructed that when the truck moves around a curve, it will cause a vertical movement of the bolster relative to the side frames.

In Fig. 7 is shown a still further modified form of construction and in this form, the cam members 6| are oblong in longitudinal cross-section, that is, they are more or less egg-shaped, and are so arranged that when the bolster moves laterally in either direction, it will cause both ends of the bolster to move upwardly vertically and laterally without banking the car.

vertical plane, by means of an I so that the bolster will be normal thereto.

In the self-alining spring plankless type of trucks, the side frames are not rigidly connected together but the parts are so constructed that in travelling around curves, one side frame may advance over the other. It has been proposed that in order to accommodate this movement, the bolster be provided at each side thereof with a convex surface and the side frame columns or bolster guides be provided with corresponding concave surfaces for causing the parts to selfaline. The friction of the parts, however, is such that after the truck has travelled around the curve, it often happens that the parts will not properly aline for some distance and as a result, there will be a great amount of friction causing considerable wear on the rails and wheel flanges.

In this invention, suitable means are provided for automatically alining the parts. In the form of the construction selected to illustrate one embodiment of this featureof the invention, resilient means are provided which are adapted to be compressed when the parts are out of alinement and will tend to force the parts to normal position after the truck passes onto a straight track. As shown, each ofv the columns or bolster guides 36, Fig. 8, has attached thereto a spring element 62 which is secured to the column between the bolster and column. In the form of the device shown, the spring has an indentation 64 which is adapted to be secured to the column by one or more rivets 65,as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The outer ends or side edges of the spring are normally spaced from the side edges of the column so that when the bolster moves angularly relative to the side frame, it will compress one of the outer endsor side. edges of the spring 62 when the truck travels around curves and when the truck travels onto a straight-away track, the resiliency of the" compressed end of the spring 62 will tend to move the side frame The side edges of the spring 62 are bent around the laterally extending ribs 63 as shown in Fig. 8 for anchoring the spring.- The columns 35 are beveled at their inner and outer sides adjacent the bolster as shown at 60 for providing clearance for the angular movement of the bolster relative to the side frame.

In the form of the device shown in Fig. 10,-

held in position by one or more rivets 650. The .side edges of the spring engage the inner and outer faces of the column, as shown. The column is beveled as at 600 to provide clearance between the spring and bolster.

In the modified form of the construction shown in Fig. 11, the spring member 66 is attached to the bolster 520. instead of the column 36a. As shown, the bolster is provided with a recess 61 and the spring with a depression 68 which is adapted to engage in the recess 61 and be secured therein by rivets'or other suitable fastening means. The outer ends of the spring are spaced from the adjacent wall of the bolster whereby when the bolstermoves out of its normal position, as when the truck is moving around a curve, one end or the other of the spring will be compressed depending on the direction of the curve.

In the form of the device shown in Fig. 12, a pair of spring members 69 and H are employed.

In this form of construction, the pedestals or columns 36b are each provided with a dove-tail recess 12 within which the inner channelshaped ends 13 and 14 of the springs 69 and H, respectively, are seated. The edges 15 and'l6 of the column that forms the dove-tail groove 12 are held within these channels by a wedge member 11 held in place by suitable means such as the rivets 18. The outer edges of the spring members 69 and H are bent outwardly to engage the inner and outer side faces of the frame 36b so that when the bolster moves angularly relative to the column, the movement will be resisted by the resiliency of one or the other of these springs, depending on the direction of the curve.

In Fig. 13 is shown another modified form of construction. In this form, the columns 360 are each provided with a pair of recesses 19 and 8| within which are mounted suitable helical springs 82 and 83. A flexible plate 84 extends around the outer ends of the springs and has its side edges bent as at 85 over the shoulders 86 and 81 on the pedestal for holding the springs in position in the channels 19 and .8 l. The face of the pedestal is beveled in opposite directions so that the outer ends of the plate 84 that extends around the springs will be spaced from the columns except at the central portion thereof. The engagement of the outer end of the spring with the shoulders 86 or 81 will hold one end of the spring while it is being compressed at the other end.

The form of the construction shown in Fig. 14 differs from that shown in Fig. 13' in that the'bolster 52d is provided with recesses 88 and 89 for receiving the. helical springs 9| and 92.

A plate 93 is interposed between the springs 9| frame and for compressing the springs when the bolster moves angularly relative to the side frame.

In the form of the construction shown in Fig. 15, the bolster 52 is not provided with means for permitting a lateral movement thereon. In this form of the construction, the side frames 95 are provided with conventional bolster openings 96 for receiving the ends of the bolster 52 as is usual in such construction.

In the form of the device shown in'Fig. 15, the spring assembly 98 is between the bolster 52 and thetension member 99 of the side frame 95 instead of being mounted on the journal box as in the previous constructions. The tension member 99 of the side frame is provided with a fiat surface on which the spring assembly 98 is mounted, as clearly shown in Fig. 15 of the drawings. The spring assembly 98 is similar to those already described and comprises a plurality of helical springs IIII' having turns of variable thickness and in the form shown, these turns decrease in thickness from the bottom toward the top as in the previous construction. A friction spring unit, such as the volute spring I02, is mounted. on the tension member 99 beneath the bolster and is preferably, though not necessarily, arranged at the center of the spring assembly. This assembly, like the one previously described, will have a substantially constant efonto a straight track.

fective static deflection together with a low frequency of oscillation so that loads of different weights will be resiliently supported in such manner that they will have substantially the same amount of resilient movement.

The term constant effective static deflection may be explained as follows: If the load deflection curve be plotted with load asordinate and deflection as abscissa, the length between the intercepts on the .r-axis of the normal to the curve at any point and the tangent to the curve at the same point, shall be a constant.

In this form of construction, the columns I 03, Fig. 9, are provided with spring plates I04, one at each side thereof, which have their ends return bent as at I and H16 for engaging pro jections l0! and H18, respectively, on the column. The column I03 is beveled off at each side, as shown in Fig. 9, so that the ends of the spring plate will be spaced from the column I03 at the sides thereof.

In the operation of the device, when one side frame outruns another, one or the other end or side edge of the spring plate I 04 will be compressed, its other side being anchored by the return bend on the edge of the spring engaging the projections [01, I08, as the case may be. The compression of the spring will tend to bring the parts into proper alinement, that is, with the frame normal to the bolster after the truck runs The form of the 'device shown in Fig. 8 differs from that shown in Fig. 9 in that the spring plate 82 has its central portion 64 depressed and secured to the central 'portion of the side frame column 36 by any suitable means such as the rivets B5.

In all forms of the construction, the bolster is provided with projections 70 extending forwardly and rearwardly for engaging the adjacent columns for limiting the lateral relative movement of the bolster and frames. It will be noted that the adjacent surfaces of either the bolster or columns are beveled so as to permit a limited relative angular movement of the bolster and side frames as when rounding curves. The arrangement of the bolster, side frames and 00- operating springs for resiliently resisting angular movement of the side frames relative to the bolster, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, may be used with the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, if

desired.

It will thus be seen that whatever may be the weight of the loaded car, there will be a substantially constant effective static deflection of the spring assemblies together with a low frequency of oscillation of the springs. Also, the tendency for the truck frames to get out of alinemerit relative to each other and the bolster will be resisted by'the spring elements located between the truck side frame columns and the bolster and these spring elements perform the function of restoring the side frames and bolster to their proper relation whenever the truck gets out of square in rounding curves.

It is thought from the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawings, that the construction and operation of our device will be apparent to those skilled in the art and that changes in size, shape, proportion or detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

' We claim as our invention:

1. In a railway truck, a side frame at each side of the truck, a bolster, a plurality of axles for supporting said frames, means for connecting said axles and bolster to said frames so that during the travel of the truck on a curve, said bolster may extend at an acute angle to the frames, means including a spring member engaging the vertical end walls of said bolster for restoring said bolster to a position normal to said frames when said truck reaches a straight track, and means for automatically banking said bolster when the truck rounds curves at high speed.

2. In a railway car having a truck provided with side frames, wheeled axles for said frames, spring assemblies for supporting said frame from said axles, each assembly consisting of a plurality of helical springs each having turns of different cross-sectional area with the smallest at one end of the spring, and at least one volute spring having its turns in frictional engagement, said frames having bolster openings therethrough, a bolster having its ends extending through said openings'and provided with shoulders for loosely connecting said side frames together, and spring means between said frames and the ends of said bolster at each side thereof and extending to opposite sides of the corresponding frame for resiliently resisting angular movements of said side frames relative to said bolster.

3. In a railway truck, a pair of side frame members, a bolster member, wheeled axles for supporting said frame members, a loose motion connection between said bolster and axles, and said frame members whereby one of said frame members may advance before the other on curves, a spring plate secured between one end of said bolster and the corresponding frame member, the surface of said member to which said spring plate is attached being inclined in opposite directions to form clearance for the movement of said spring and the surface of the other member being adjacent to said plate whereby said plate will yieldingly resist an ular movement of said bolster relative to said corresponding side frame.

4. In a railway truck, a side frame at each side of said truck. a plurality of axles and a bolster for connecting said side frames together, loose motion connections between said side frames and bolster and axles whereby the angle formed between each frame and said bolster may be greater or less than while moving around a curve, and resilient means for restoring the parts to normal position on a stra ght track, said means comprising resilient plate members between said bolster ends and corresponding side frames each extending to opposite sides of the corresponding side frame.

5. In a railway truck having wheeled axles, side frames having bolster openings therein, a bolster having its ends extending through said openings and provided with shoulders for loosely connecting said side frames together, spring means between said frames and bolster at each side thereof for resiliently resisting angular movements of said side frames relative to said bolster, rockable means for supporting said bolster from said frames'and for banking said bolster on turns, a spring assembly for supporting said frames on said axles, said assembly comprising a plurality of helical springs having turns with decreasing thickness from one end to the other for resiliently supporting variable loads, and volute spring means for assisting in supporting the load and for dampening the oscillation of said spring assembly having a low frequency of oscillation.

6. In a railway truck having axles and journal boxes therefor, a pair of side frame members having bolster openings therethrough, a bolster member having its ends extending into said openings, and means for yieldingly retaining said bolster member normal to said side frame members, said means comprising resilient plates extending to opposite sides of said frame members between the ends of said bolster member and said frame members attached to one of said members and having their side edges spaced from said one member for yieldingly resisting angular movement of one member relative to the other.

7. In a railway truck, a side frame at each side of the car, a plurality of axles for supporting said frames, a plurality of spring assemblies interposed between cooperating parts of said truck for resiliently supporting a load carried by said truck, said spring assemblies comprising a plurality of resilient units arranged to operate in parallel, certain of said units each comprising springs, their turns decreasing in cross-sectional area from one end to the other end for resiliently supporting variable loads, the external and internal diameters of said springs remaining constant throughout the length of the springs, the remaining unit-being a single volute with its overlapping turns in frictional contact with each other for preventing harmonic action of said springs.

8. In a railway car having a truck provided I diameters throughout their lengths, each having turns of different cross-sectional area, the crosssectional area of the turns of said spring being greater at one end than at the other, and at least one volute spring engaging said seats, each volute spring having a single length of material coiled to form the spring and having its turns in frictional engagement with each other, said volute spring being above the axle and said helical springs being at the sides thereof, whereby the springs will operate in parallel, said volute and helical springs constituting the sole resilient means for supporting said side frames.

9'. In a railway car having a truck provided with side frames, wheeled axles for supporting said frames, a plurality of spring assemblies interposed between cooperating parts of said truck I for resiliently supporting a load carried by said truck, each assembly comprising a plurality of resilient units arranged to operate in parallel, certain of said units each comprising helical springs, their turns decreasing in cross-sectional area from one end to the other for resiliently supporting variable loads, the external and internal diameters of said helical springs remaining constant throughout the lengths of the springs, the remaining unit being a single volutemade from a single length of material with its overlapping turns in frictional contact with each other whereby said spring assembly will have a low frequency of vibration: under both light and heavy loads and harmonic vibration of said as-,

sembly will be prevented.

CYRUS J. HOLLAND. KNUTE EDAHL.

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