US2322599A

US2322599A - Truck side frame

Info

Publication number: US2322599A
Application number: US413778A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred H Spenner
Original assignee: Scullin Steel Co
Current assignee: Scullin Steel Co
Priority date: 1941-10-06
Filing date: 1941-10-06
Publication date: 1943-06-22
Anticipated expiration: 1960-06-22

Description

June 22, 1943. F. H. SPENNER TRUCK SIDE FRAME Filed 001;. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l .fl/s 147- ToRA E/s.

June 22, 1943. F. H. SPENNER 2,322,599 TRUCK SIDE FRAME Filed Oct. 6, 1.941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7' I IIIIIY. HIIIIIIIIIII Patented June 22, 1943 UNITED TRUCK SIDE FRAME Fred H. Spenner. St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Soullin Steel 00., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application October 6, 1941, Serial No. 413,778

6 Claims. (Cl. 105205) This invention relates to cast truck side frames. Side frames of this type comprise a compression member located at the top, a tension member located at the bottom with its end portions integral with the end portions of the compression member, and vertically disposed columns that are spaced apart from each other with their upper and lower ends integral with the compression and tension member respectively. The top of the portion of the tension member between the columns is adapted to form a horizontal seat for the springs that support the truck bolster, while the main portions of the tension members beyond the spring seat incline upwardly at an angle in the neighborhood of thirty degrees. As the whole weight of the car is transmitted to the truck side frame through the spring seat portion of the tension member, it is undesirable to have any abrupt offsets in the upper surface of said member; and it is one of the principal objects of the present invention to obviate such abrupt offsets. Another principal object is to produce a design that will eliminate the difficulties of casting teel in intersecting planes and will generally facilitate the operation of casting. Another object is to produce a mechanical design that will utilize the metal to the best advantage and thereby effect considerable saving in the weight of the side frame. Another object is to so design the tension member as to accommodate the endmost bolster springs in recesses that open toward each other and are level with the seats of the intermediate springs.

The invention consists principally in making the tension member of the side frame of hollow or channel section and with its width increasing from points outwardly beyond the columns to a maximum at the mid-point of the spring seat and with recesses for the endmost bolster springs opening toward each other in the upper surface of the widened portion. It also consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railway car truck embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is the side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the middle portion of my side frame on the plane 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane 5-5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the side frame on the plane 6-6 of Fig. 3 and showing the bolster and springs in elevation; and

Fig. '7 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the plane 'll of Fig. 3.

Except for my improvement hereinafter described, the truck side frame shown in the accompanying drawings is of well known type. It comprises a compression member I at the top, a tension member 2 at the bottom and spaced apart vertical columns 3, all cast in an integral piece that includes also journal boxes 4. The tension member comprises a horizontal middle portion 5 that constitutes a seat for springs 6 that support the bolster 'l. The portions 8 of the tension member that eXtend from the spring seat to the journal boxes are inclined upwardly.

According to the present invention, the side walls of the hollow box or inverted channelshaped tension member diverge from points 9 somewhat outwardly beyond the columns to the transverse center line ID of the side frame. The tops of the respective inclined portions 8 of the tension member extend continuously to the horizontal spring seat portion '5 but their lower ends are bifurcated to form semicircular or arcuate recesses I l whose bottoms are substantially flush with the main portion of the spring seat. These recesses, which are of arcuate shape, open towards each other and are of proper size to receive the endmost bolster springs. The forks or bifurcations l2 of the tops of the inclined portion of the side frame are wide enough to provide the cross-sectional area and tensile strength commensurate with the unrecessed or unbifurcated portion of said top. In this way, the lines of force in the inclined portion of said tension member are straight lines inside the boundaries thereof. 7

As hereinbefore stated, the sides of the hollow box or channel section of the side frame diverge toward their transverse center line so that the side frame is of maximum width midway of the length of the side frame, that is, at the middle of the spring seat. At this point, the side members of the hollow box or channel are preferably spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the centers of those bolster springs that are furthest apart on this line that is about twice the diameter of the springs. At the transverse center line It of the side frame, the spring seat thereof is widened by means of integral brackets or flanges l3 of a width somewhat greater than the radius of the bolster springs. These brackets or flanges are relatively short and are supported by lugs l4 cast on the sides of the hollow box or channel section. In the construction illustrated, the spring seat accommodates five bolster springs 6, namely, three on the transverse center line and an end spring in each of the recesses H formed by the bifurcations of the inclined portions of the tension member.

While I have described the tension member as being of hollow box or inverted channel section, it is noted that the horizontal portion is of hollow box section (see Figs. 6 and 7) while the inclined portions may be formed with substantial openings in the bottom for core supports and for the removal of core sand.

The structure hereinbefore described is a simple one to cast as it has practically no intersecting walls or webs. Its lines of force in the tension member are continuous straight lines and inside the boundaries thereof. By widening the box sectional form of the spring seat to the centers of the outer springs on the transverse center line of the side frame and supplementing this increased width with small brackets, a most advantageous use is made of the metal without involving any difliculty of casting, and a like statement applies with respect to bifurcating the lower ends of the inclined portions of the tension member to provide recesses for accommodating full length endmost bolster springs and still maintain, the directional continuity of the sides of said recesses all the way to the spring seat level and with a strength equal to the unrecessed portion.

What I claim is:

1. A railway car truck comprising integral side frames, bolster springs supported by said side frames and. a bolster supported on said springs, each side frame comprising a compression member, a tension member and spaced columns, said tension member comprising outwardly inclined end portions and a horizontal intermediate portion, said portions having spaced apart side walls and a top connecting them, the side walls of said tension member diverging from points outwardly of the columns to a maximum midway of the length of the horizontal portion the tops of the inclined portions inwardly of and adjacent to the columns having semicircular recesses whose bot- V toms are substantially flush with the top of the horizontal portion, said horizontal portion hav ing, in the region of maximum width only, relatively short brackets substantially flush with its top.

2. A railway car truck comprising integral side frames, bolster springs supported by said side frames and a bolster supported on said springs, each side frame comprising a compression member, a tension member and spaced. columns, said tension member having a horizontal portion be tween said columns and inclined portions beyond said horizontal portion, said tension member having spaced apart side walls which diverge from points outwardly beyond the columns to a maximum midway of the length of said tension memher where the overall span between said side walls is about twice the diameter of the bolster springs and the side margins of the top of said tension member having relatively short lateral flanges in said midway region but elsewhere being substantially flush with the outer faces of said side walls, the tops of said inclined portions inwardly of said columns being widened and having, near said columns, spring recesses whose bottoms are substantially flush with the top of said horizontal portion, the portions of said inclined tops at the sides of said recesses extending continuously to said horizontal portion and being commensurate in tensile strength with the unrecessed portions of said tops.

3. A railway car truck comprising integral side frames, bolster springs supported by said side frames and a bolster supported on said springs, each side frame comprising a compression member, a tension member and spaced columns, said tension member having a horizontal portion between said columns and inclined portions beyond said horizontal portion, said tension member having spaced apart side walls which diverge from points outwardly beyond the columns to a i maximum midway of the length of said tension member where the overall span between said side walls is about twice the diameter of the bolster springs and the side margins of the top of said tension member having relatively short lateral flanges in said midway region but elsewhere being substantially flush with the outer faces of said side walls, the tops of said inclined portions inwardly of said columns being widened and having, near said columns, spring recesses whose bottoms are substantially flush with the top of said horizontal portion, and the portions of said inclined tops at the sides of said recesses extending continuously to said horizontal portion.

4. An integral truck side frame comprising a compression member, a tension member and spaced columns, said tension member comprising outwardly inclined end portions and a horizontal intermediate portion, the side walls of said tension member being spaced apart and diverging from points outwardly of the columns to a maximum midway of the length of the horizontal portion, the tops of the inclined portions inwardly of and adjacent to the columns having arcuate recesses whose bottoms are substantially flush with the top of the horizontal portion, said horizontal portion having relatively short lateral flanges substantially flush with the top thereof in the region of maximum width, the maximum spacing apart of said side walls being substantially! equal to the center to center distance of the outermost of three bolster springs, and bolster springs seated in the respective recesses and three additional bolster springs in the line of maximum width.

5. An integral truck side frame comprising a compression member, a tension member and spaced columns, said tension member comprising outwardly inclined end portions and a hori zontal intermediate portion, the side walls of said tension member being spaced apart and diverging from points outwardly of the columns to a maximum midway of the length of the horizontal portion, the tops of the inclined portions inwardly of and adjacent to the columns having semicircular recesses whose bottoms are substantially flush with the top of the horizontal portion, and the tensile strength of the top in transverse planes through a recess being substantially commensurate with its tensile strength beyond the recess, said horizontal portion having relatively short lateral ribs located in the region of maximum width and being substantially flush with the top of said horizontal portion, the maximum separation of said side walls being substantially equal to the distance between centers of the outermost of three bolster springs, and bolster springs seated in their respective recesses and three additional bolster springs in the line of maximum separation of said side walls.

6. A truck side frame comprising a compression member, a tension member and spaced col- .umns, said tension member comprising upwardly inclined end portions and a horizontal intermediate portion, said portions having spaced apart side walls and a top connecting them, said side Walls diverging from points outwardly of said columns to a maximum midway of the length of said horizontal portion, the tops of said inclined portions inwardly of said columns having substantially semi-circular spring receiving recesses whose bottoms are substantially flush with the top of said horizontal portion, said recesses being located entirely between and clear of said side walls, whereby the tops of said inclined portions extend continuously to said horizontal portion between said recesses and the outer faces FRED H. SPENNER.