US2463343A

US2463343A - Locking center pin for railway cars

Info

Publication number: US2463343A
Application number: US603135A
Authority: US
Inventors: Williams Keith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-07-04
Filing date: 1945-07-04
Publication date: 1949-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 1966-03-01

Description

March 1, 1949.

K. WILLIAMS LOCKING CENTER PIN FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed July 4, 1945 March 1, 1949. K, W|| IAM$ 2,463,343

LOCKING CENTER PIN FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed July 4, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i lVen/or: Je/i/L Wzl/imma.

members 3, making up the body bolster;

Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES lATl-.N'I'y OFFICE LOCKING CENTERPIN FORRAILWAY CARS KeithA Williams, Buialo, N. Y.

Application July 4, 1945, Serial No. 603,135

7 Claims. 1.

My invention relates to improved locking center pin means for railway cars.

One of the objectsV of my invention is to provide a one-piece center pin. forrailway cars, together with positivey locking; means forV the; center pin, to prevent4 the displacement of the center. pin and the separation of the car body andv truck during operation.

A further object is* to facilitate the assembly andv disassembly ofv the car body andi truck by the provision of estructura in which the center pin can be conveniently and readily applied from the` upper sidefof. the truckibolster and the, under side ofv the-body bolster and then locked.

Other objects ofthe invention will appear from the following description and claims in. connection, with the. accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodimentot the invention.

Referring to the. accompanying drawings.

Fig. l. is a central vertical section transversely of the car through the body bolster and truck bolster, and illustrating. the. locking center pin in4 position;v

Fig. 2' is. a horizontal' section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of that portion o i the truck bolster shown in Fig. l, and illustrating the center pin inserted from above and before it is rotated into locking position;

Fig. 4 is'atop plan View of the structure shown in Fig; 3; with the intermediate flange partly broken away to illustrate the locking lugs;

Fig'. 5l is a sectional" view similar to Fig. l, but illustrating a modi'cation of the center pin and bolster structure to provide additional locking means for the pin;

Fig. 6 is a. plan View of the. center plate used in. connection` with. theV modication shown in Fig. 51;. and

Eig. '7. is; avertical'. sectional View of; the, truck bolster andA locking pin, andillustrating another modification of the lockingi means.

Thisv inventiony involves center pin means for the4 rotative connection between the. cary body andthe truck of railway cars. In the drawings, the car body is; represented by the body bolster A, andthe truck by the bolster Bf suicient of these parts` being shownto illustrate the invention. The Center sill If of the carbody hasV the usual center filler; 2 for the center pin, and twok diaphragm The centerller and center sill bear upon a center plate. 5l which in turn. is seated, in an annular recessed bearing liv on the upper side of thetruck holster B.. The center; filler` has a center bore 'l 2 in which the center pin C isv positioned. Likewise, the truckbolster has a space or bore 3 for the. center pin and this bore has an opening 9 on the under side. of the bolster to permit access to the pin for rotating the pin, as will hereinafter appear.

The center bore 1' of the` center filler has. a pair of instanding. lugs or flanges I0. These lugs oi flanges are preferably segmental shaped and disposed diametrically opposite, sov that the. spaces between them areof substantiallythe same shape and, size.; Inv like manner, the. center bore or space 8. o thetruck bolsteryhas a pair of segmental shaped instanding lugs or anges Il".

In accordance with my invention, l' providexa one-piece center pin Ci which, in cooperation with the lugs Il) and Il' ofv the bolsters, is designed to preventl the vertical separation of the car body fromA the truck during the operation oi the car. This; center pinv is preferablyv a bar cylindrical in shape andl provided at its upper and lower ends with lugs or flanges IZ'and i3 respectively. These lugs l-Ly and l3- are' preferably segmental in shape and are disposedV diametrically opposite. They are suii'ciently lessin size so that they'will freely pass (Fig. 3) betweenY the lugs l0 and Hi ofthe belsters duringthe assembly and disassembly op?- eration ofthe car body andtruck.

Inv the assembled or normal condition of the car body and truck, as shown more clearlyV in Fig. 1, the center pin lugs l2 andv l3occupy positions above and belowthe lugsl5 and Il of the body bolster and the truck bolster respectively, and thus provide a positiveA lock between. the body bolster and truck bolster against vertical displacement or separation. However, the distance between the under side of thelugs l2 and the upper'side of thelugs I3: is sufficiently greater than the distance between the upperside ofI the lugs t0 andthelower-side of the lugs H to-permitv limited longitudinal movement of the center pin for the purpose oflockingr or unlocking the pin with respect torotation on its ownaXis.- This locking means consists of small, diametrically o-pposedlugs |4- whichv are adapted to engagez in recesses l5 in the upper-faces, ofV the segmental flanges H', and.l theselugs; I4 are, positioned: in thev same diametrical; line; as;` that of` the' :flanges l2* and- I'Sg. so: that they do not engage in the" ree cesses. V5, until the pin has. been rotated on: its a-Xis: to;` position; thev lugs' I2; and' I3 in vertical alignment with' the respect to the. lugs l0' andi; H'. In.: otherv words; aftertherpin` has been' inserted downwardly in. the.1 truck. bolster, passing: the anges. l3fbetweentheali1gs Il on the. bolstergthe 3 pin must then be rotated a quarter turn to brin the lugs I4 into alignment with the locking recesses I5, and this rotation of the pin brings the flanges I3 into alignment with the lugs or flanges II. When the lugs I4 are thus rotated into registration with the locking recesses l5, the pin is dropped to engage said lugs I4 in the recesses.

Thus, after the pin has been rotated and dropped to engage the lugs I4 and recesses I5, the center pin will be locked against any tendency to rotate incident to the relative movement of the car bolster and Icar truck during the operation of the car. The center pin is provided with an intermediate circular center flange I6 which is positioned just above the locking lugs I4 and which is substantially of the same diameter as the flange lugs I2 and I3. This intermediate flange rests upon the upper side of the segmental lugs I4 of the truck bolster to support the pin against further downward movement. The intermediate flange occupies a circular recess Il in the upper side of the bolster, which is sufijciently deep to permit the vertical movement of the pin for engaging or di-sengaging the locking lugs I4 with respect to the recesses I5 Without raising the flange above the top of the bolster. The clearance between the under side of the flange lugs II and the upper side of the flanges I3 is likewise sufficient to permit the vertical movement of the pin.

When the car body and truck are to be assembled, the center pin is first linserted downwardly from the upper side of the bolster, the ilanges I'3 being passed between the segmental flanges I I of the bolster until said flanges I3 are below the flanges I I. The car body is then lowered until the bolster center filler rests upon the center plate bearing. The ilange lugs I2 on the upper end of the pin pass between the lugs I0 during this lowering movement of the car. It is necessary to hold the pin up suflciently so that the locking lugs I4 will ride upon the top of the flange lugs II when the pin is rotated.

For this reason, the pin is provided with additional lugs I8 which are disposed at about 90 with respect to the locking lugs I4, so that when the pin is ilrst inserted these lugs I8 will rest upon the flange lugs I I. After the car body has been lowered to position on the center plate bearing, the pin is rotated 90 to align the main locking flanges I`2 and I3 with the bolster flanges I0 and II. During this rotation of the pin, the guide lugs I8 hold the pin up until the locking lugs I4 ride on the lugs II and register with the recesses I5, whereupon the pin will drop an-d engage the lugs I4 and recesses I5 and rest the intermediate flange I6 upon the lugs II.

In di-sassembling the car and truck, the reverse handling of the pin takes place, that is, the pin is rst raised to release the lugs I4 from the recesses I5, and the pin then rotated 90 to align the flange lugs I2 and I'3 with the spaces between the lugs I0 and Il. The car body may then be raised clear of the pin. The ends I9 and 20 of the pin are preferably squared in section to provide suitable engagement for an appropriate wrench or other tool by which the pin may be turned. If the pin is to be rotated or turned at its upper end, access may be had between the center filler and the center sill. is to be turned by application of the tool to the lower end of the pin, ac-cess is had to this lower end through the opening 9 of the truck bolster.

In the'modiilcation shown in Fig. 5, the inter- --mediate ilange I6' is sumciently thicker than the If it' flange I6 of the previously described structure, so that when the pin is first inserted and the lugs I8 rested upon the lugs II, it will hold the center plate 5 a fraction of an inch above the center plate bearing on the bolster. When the car body is lowered to the center plate, it still will be that fraction of an inch above its seat on the bolster. The pin is then rotated a quarter turn until the main llange lugs are aligned and the locking lugs I4 reach the recesses I5, whereupon the pin will drop to engage these locking lugs with the recesses. The car body can then follow ldown with the intermediate flange I5' until the center plate is seated in its bearing. The purpose of this arrangement is to leave less vertical movement of the pin than the height or thickness of the locking lugs I4, so that during the operation of the car, if the pin should bounce, the lugs I4 cannot become disengaged from the recesses and permit the pin to rotate into unlocked position.

In disassembling the car body and truck, the reverse operation occurs, that is, the body is first raised a fraction of an inch off the center plate bearing and the pin can then be raised and rotated into position to free the flanges I'2 and I3 from the lugs I0 and II.V In this modified construction, the center plate 5', as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is provided with an opening 2| which i-s narrowed sufilciently to overlie the flange I5' so that the plate can be rested on said ilange.

In the modication shown in Fig. 7, the intermediate flange I6 is dispensed with and the locking lugs I4 are positioned on the pin below the main flange lugs I3. In addition to this, the truck bolster is provided with an instanding circular flange 22 having the locking recesses I5 formed therein in proper position. In this form, the locking lugs I 4 rest upon the flange 22 when 4U the pin is first inserted, and after the car body combination of a body center sill filler having a center pin bore and segmented lugs instanding in said bore, a truck bolster having a space for a center pin and instanding segmental lugs, acenter pin having segmental flanges adapted to be passed between the lugs in said bore and space and the pin rotated to engage the flanges with said lugs to lock the center ller and bolster against separation, and additional lugs on said pin projecting into the center pin space in said truck bolster and engageable with bolster lugs therein when the pin is rotated to a position to lock the pin against rotation.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a body center sill filler having a center pin bore and segmental lugs instanding in said bore, a truck bolster having a space for a center pin and instanding segmental lugs, a

vcenter pin having segmental flanges adapted to be passed between the lugs in said bore and space and the pin rotated to engage the flanges with said lugs to lock the center filler and bolster against separation, additional lugs on saidy pin engageable with the bolster when the pin is rotated to a position to lock the pin against rotation, and an intermediate'ilange onv the pin adapted to bear upon the bolster segmental lugs to support the pin.

3. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a car body bolster and a truck bolster, each having a center bore for a center pin and each having instanding segmental lugs, a center pin having corresponding segmental lugs insertable in said bores between the segmental lugs therein and the pin rotated to position to overlie the segmental lugs in said bores, means on the pin for supporting it in the truck bolster when its segmental lugs are aligned to pass between the lugs in the bolster, and means on the truck bolster cooperating with said supporting means for locking the pin in its rotated position.-

4. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a car body bolster and a truck bolster, each having a center bore for a center pin and each having instanding segmental lugs, a center pin having corresponding segmental lugs insertable in said bores between the segmental lugs therein and the pin rotated to position to overlie the segmental lugs in said bores, said truck bolster instanding segmental lugs having locking recesses therein, and locking lugs on said pin adapted to engage the lugs between said recesses prior to rotation of the pin to support the pin in the bolster and to register with and engage said locking recesses in the position in which said pin is rotated for locking the pin against rotation on its axis.

5. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a car body bolster and a truck bolster, each having bores for a center pin, a center pin comprising a cylindrical rod insertable both in said truck bolster bore from the upper side thereof and into the body bolster bore from the under side thereof, instanding lugs in said bores spaced apart circumferentially, correspond ing locking flanges on said pin adapted to be passed between the circumferentially spaced lugs in said bores and then rotated into position overlying said lugs in the bores in longitudinal alignment therewith, notches in the upper face of the lugs in the bore of the truck bolster, and locking projections on the pin adapted to engage the truck bolster prior to rotation of the pin and to engage said notches in the rotated position of the pin.

6. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a car body bolster and a truck bolster, each having bores for a center pin, a center pin comprising a cylindrical rod insertable both in said truck bolster bore from the upper side thereof and into the body bolster bore from the under side thereof, instanding lugs in said bores spaced apart circumferentially, corresponding locking flanges on said pin adapted to be passed between the circumferentially spaced lugs in said bores and then rotated into position overlying said lugs in the bores in longitudinal alignment therewith, notches in the upper face of the lugs in the bore of the truck bolster, locking projections on the pin adapted to engage said notches in the rotated position of the pin, a circular intermediate flange on the pin adapted to bear upon the instanding lugs in said truck bolster bore, said flange and segmental lugs on the pin being spaced apart longitudinally of the pin to permit a limited longitudinal movement of the pin to engage or disengage the locking lugs from the notches.

7. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a car body bolster and a truck bolster relatively rotatable and a center plate bearing between said holsters, locking flanges in both of said bolsters, a center pin comprising a cylindrical bar having locking lugs at its ends adapted to be inserted in said bolsters beyond said flanges and then rotated axially to overlie the flanges in locking relation thereto, said flanges in said truck bolster having notches in their upper faces and said pin having projections and adapted to register with said notches when the pin is rotated to position, and to engage said notches by the vertical movement of the pin,

and a circular flange on the pin positioned to prevent the center bearing plate from seating until the pin has been rotated to position and the pin moved vertically downward to engage the projections and notches.

KEITH WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,699,521 Cork Jan. 22, 1929 1,730,824 OConnor Oct. 8, 1929 1,765,835 Johnson et al June 24, 1930