US2499905A

US2499905A - Brake beam

Info

Publication number: US2499905A
Application number: US781900A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert B Cottrell
Original assignee: American Steel Foundries
Current assignee: American Steel Foundries
Priority date: 1947-10-24
Filing date: 1947-10-24
Publication date: 1950-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1967-03-07

Description

Mardi 7, 1950 R, B, CQTTRELL 2,499,905

jas" 4 .40 lg-I R. B. COTTRELL BRAKE BEAU March 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed oct. 24, 194'?A Patented 7, 1950l Robert B. CottrelL-Chicagoylll., assigner to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 24, 1947i, Serial No. 781,900

This invention relates to brake beams and has particular reference toa truss type beam of novel construction.

A general object of the invention is to design a brake beam wherein the truss structure and brake heads are integrally formed as a single casting.

Another object of the invention is to design a novel brake beam such as above described wherein each end of the beam is formed with a guide lug adapted for reception within an associated support structure, such as a bracket, onthe sid frame of a railway car truck.

A further object of the invention is to design a truss type brake beam of simple economical construction and light weight and which shall have extreme stiffness and absence of deection at thek rated load of such beams.

A still further object of the invention is to design a beam of the character under consideration possessing a maximum amount of strength with a minimum amount of material by constructlng the tension and compression members of special form in cross section, and by so distributing the material as to produce the necessary strength at the particular points in the beams which experlence has proved are most apt to yield and break when subjected to the heavy loads and strains incident to their use.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the specification and the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 1; and

Figures 4 to 7 are fragmentary sectional views taken respectively in the planes indicated by lines 44, 55, 6-6 and 1-1 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modincation of the invention;

Figure 9 is a front view of the structure shown in Figure 8; and

Figure 10 is an end view of the structure shown in Figures 8 and 9.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, the novel brake beam comprises a cambered channel or U-section compression member 2, tapering in thickness from the transverse center line of the beam toward each extremity thereof as may readily be seen .6 Claims. (Cl. 18S-226.1)

in Figure 2. The compression member includes an arcuate rear web 8 and top and bottom ilanges 4 and 6, as best seen in' Figure 7. The web 8 may be cored away at spaced points on its neutral axis intermediate the midpoint and each end of the compression member to form oval-shaped openings I0, I0 elongated longitudinally of said compression member. These openings are designed` not onlyv to reduce the weight of the beamy but also to accommodate bending and deflection of the compression meniber in the plane of the beam when loaded. 'A bead I2 may be formed around the marginal edges of each opening on the in nerface of the web 8 to strengthen the construction.

At each end of the compression member y(only one end of the beam being shown inasmuch as it is identical at its opposite ends) the top and bottom flanges 4 and 6 converge as at I4 and I6 (Figure 2) respectively, and with the rear web 8 merge into a at web or gusset I8, said gusset being formed as a continuation of a longitudinal horizontal flange 20 of a; T-section tension member, v.generally designated 22.

vThe tension member, in addition to the fiange 20 whichforms the leg of the T, comprises a longitudinal vertical wall or web 24 forming the head of the T.

The wall 24 of the tension member is continued along the forward edge of the gusset I8 and with the forward edge of the gusset merges into a front wall 26 of a conventional brake head, generally designated L28, the-wall 24 merging into the inboard edge of saidfront wall 26 v andthe gusset merging into the rear surface of said front wall.

'I'he vbrake head is formed with a conventional keyway 30 for reception of associated key means (not shown) for securing. anassociated brake shoe (not shown) to the iront face of the brake head wall 26 in the conventional manner.

The rear surface of the front wall 26 of the brake head is formed with a vertical Wall or rib 32 extending transversely of the beam and merging at its inboard side into the outboard edge of the gusset I 8.

The gusset is connected at its rear edge to a flange 33 of a compression member wall 34 forming a T-section therewith, said wall 34 extending longitudinally of the beam and merging at one end into the inboard side of the transverse wall 32 of the brake head and said wall 34 merging at its other end with the top and bottom flanges 4 and 6 of the compression member at their converging portions I4 and I6 respectively thegusset.

verticalbeadorwallllisformedonthe inboard edge of the gusset. said bead terminating at one end at the juncture between the compression member and the gusset and merging into said top and bottom flanges 4 and l of said on member. and at its other end the bead is continued for a short distance on the rear edge of the flange of'the tension member, and.asmaybereadilyseeninl"igure Lthebead tapers ci! into said flange 2l. It will be noted that the bead ll adds to the rigidity of the gusset. affords a strong. light connection between the tension and compression members, and serves to distribute stresses more evenly over the entire area of the gusset.

The rear surface of the brake head wall 2l and the outboard surface of the wall 32 are integrally formed with a guide lug 40, preferably disposed in a diagonal plane and adapted for reception within an associated support bracket (not shown). The lug 4I is provided with substantially identical top and bottom recesses 42 adapted to lighten the beam and to form convenient receptacles for collecting foreign matter which may lodge in the associated guide bracket, thus reducing the tendency of such matter to deposit in the bracket forwardly of the lug 4l, thereby restricting movement of the beam. The recesses preferably terminate inboardly of the outboard extremity of the lug 4I so that the latter bears at its outboard end against the associated support bracket along a continuous surface. thus preventing gouging of the bracket.

It may be noted that the lug 4il is provided on its top surface with a flange 44, merging into the outboard side of the brake head wall I2 at its rear extremity to afford a strong connection to the brake head. By means of this connection a relatively strong guide lug structure is provided.

resulting in substantial economy in the manufacture of the beam.

The beam is provided at its transverse center line with a strut 4t connected between the compression and

tension members

2 and 22, as best seen in Figure 1. The strut is, in general, a hollow cylindrical or tubular structure, flaring outwardly at its rear extremity and connected to the top and bottom flanges 4 and 8 of the compression member. The strut is provided with a brake lever slot 48 and a pin opening 50 traversing said slot and adapted for the reception of a pin (not shown) adapted to afford a fulcrum for a brake lever (not shown). The forward or front end of the tubular strut 46 emerges into the vertical wall 24 of the tension member and is connected at opposite sides thereof to the flange 2l of the tension member by horizontal webs S2, l2 (Figure 1). Thus it will be seen that Ihave devised a novel brake beam in which all the Aparts are integrally formed as a single casting to afford maximum strength with minimum weight.

Referring now to the modifiedlembodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 8 to 10, inelusive, it will be understood that the. beam therein shown is substantially identical with that of Figures 1 to 7 except that the bead 38 at the inner edge of the gusset i4 is eliminated and the 'gusset is shortened. The parts of this beam corresponding to those of the beam shown in 4 Figures 1 to 7, inclusive. are identified by corresponding reference numerals.

Itmaybenotedbyreferencetol'igures2and 9. that the juncture of the compression member flanges 4 and i. which converge as above described at I4 and Il. with the front flange It of the compression member wall 84. defines a wish-bone section in a vertical plane extending longitudinally of the compression member and intersecting said flanges. This construction has been found to afford unusually great strength and flexibility in railway service.

Itistobeunderstoodthatldonotwiahto be limited by the exact embodiments of the device shown which are merely by way of illueh'ation and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course. beapparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

Iclaixn:

i. A brake beam casting comprising a compression member having an end portion with a rear wall and a ilange projecting forwardly therefrom. a tension member connected to said ange. a brake head connected to at least one of said members. said compression member having another portion of U-sectlon including top and bottom flanges merging with said nrstnamed flange to define a wishbone section inbo'ardly of said head in a vertical plane extending longitudinally of the compression member and intersecting said flanges.

2. A brake beam casting comprising a compression member having a U-section portion with a rear web and top and bottom flanges, a tension member. a strut connecting the tension member to said portion, a brake head connected to said beam, said compression member having a T- section portion including a rear wall defining the head of the T and formed as a continuation of the first-mentioned rear wall, said last-mentioned po:tion comprising a front flange defining the leg of the T and connected to the tension member, said first-named flanges merging with said front nange to form a Wishbone section inboardly of the brake head in a vertical p!ane extending longitudinally of said compression member and intersecting said flanges.

3. A brake beam casting. according to claim 2, wherein the rear wall of the U-section portion is provided with a plurality of openings spaced longitudinally thereof and adapted to impart flexibility to said portion.

4. A brake beam casting, according to claim 2, wherein a substantially vertical wall is connected to the front flange in the region of its merger with the first-named flanges and extending arcuately outboardly therefrom and then inboardly along the rear edge of the tension member. said vertical wall terminating intermediate the ends of the tension member.

5. A brake beam casting comprisingva compression member having a U-section portion with a rear web and top and bottom flanges, a T- section tension member having a front wall forming the head of the T and a rear flange forming the leg of the T. a strutconnecting the tension member to said portion, said compression member'having a T-section end portion including a rear wall defining the head of its T and formed as a continuation of the web and includingr a front flange defining the leg of its ,'r, said front and rear flanges being coplanar and merging at theendofthecastingtodefinesnendportlon having an integral brake head member attached thereto, said top and bottom flanges merging with said front ilange to define a Wishbone section of the juncture between the U-section portion and the T-section portion of the compression member in a vertical plane extending longitudinally of said compression member and inter secting said flanges.

6. A brake beam comprising a truss including tension and compression members and brake heads at the ends thereof, said compression member having a central portion with top and bottom ilanges and having a T-section portion at each end thereof including a rear wall having a front flange, said top and bottom flanges converging toward and merging with the front flange to deilne a wish-bone section in a plane approximately perpendicular to the plane of the truss 6 and extending longitudinally of the compression member and intersecting said flanges.

ROBERT B. CO'I'IRELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ln the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Sept. 13, 1932