US2525775A

US2525775A - Brake beam casting

Info

Publication number: US2525775A
Application number: US52049A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert B Cottrell
Original assignee: American Steel Foundries
Current assignee: American Steel Foundries
Priority date: 1948-09-30
Filing date: 1948-09-30
Publication date: 1950-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 1967-10-17

Description

Oct. 17, 1950 R. s. coTTRELL BRAKE BEAM CASTING 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed sept. so, 194e Oct. 17, 1950 4R. B. coTTRELL 2,525,775

BRAKE BEAM CASTING Filed Sept. 30, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 17, 1950 `BRAKE BEAM CASTING Robert B. Cottrell, Chicago, Ill., assignor'toAmerican Steel Foundries,V Chicago, Ill., a. `corpora tion ofNew ersey ApplicationSeptember 30, `1948, Serial No. 52;-049

4 claims. (o1. 18e-222.6)

This invention relates to railway brake beams and more particularly to a novel brake beam having the characteristic of unusual rigidity and resistance to deformation due -to braking forces.

A primary object of the invention -is to provide a truss type brake beam having struts ,connecting the tension and compression `members of the beam at opposite sides of the brake lever `fulcrum.

Another object of the invention is to devise a brake beam such as above described whereinV the `struts are provided with openings accommodating insertion and removal of a brake leverl fulcrum pin with respect to the fulcrum.

A further object of the invention is to .Form a brake beam o1" the above-described type :as a single casting having its parts interconnected in such a manner as to afford maximum rigidity and minimum weight.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become rapparentfrom a consideration of thefollowing specication and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a brake `bearrrcasting embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the beam;

Figure 3 is an end view of the'beam;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line 4 4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view `on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 6 5 of Figure 1;

Figures '7 and 8 are vertical sectional views taken respectively through the compression memober land the tension member of the beam; Land Figures 9-12, inclusive, illustrate `a modified form of beam embodying the invention, Figure 9 being a top plan View, Figure 10 being `a .front elevational view, Figure l1 being an end view, and Figure 12 being a fragmentary sectional view `on the line l2-I2 of Figure 9.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to the preferredembodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 8, the novel brake beam is preferably formed as a single casting having a T-section compression member 2 and a T-sec tion tension member 4 merging at each end of the beam with a brake head, generally designated 6.

The brake head comprises an arcuate front wall 8 having a vertical rear wall l0 connected to its rear surface. The wall 8 is formed on its front surface with biurcated top and bottom end or toe lugs I2 and I4 and with spaced intermediate lugs It and t8 affording a seat for associated brake shoe means (not sho-wn) secured by key `means (not shown) extending through a keyway 2li` (Figure 1). r

. The front wall 8 is connected at its inboard edge to a vertical web22 forming the headof the T-section tension member 4 and a rear end of the rear wall l0 is connected to a web 24 forming the head of a T-section compression member 2. The outboard edge or the wall B and the outboard surface of the wall l0 are integrally formed with a support lug or extension 26 disposed a plane diagonal with respect to the plane of the truss defined by the tension and compression members 2 and 4, as best seen -in Figures -2 and 3, said lug 26 being adapted to support the beam on an associated truck frame support ledge or bracket (not show-n).

At the transverse center line of the 4beam the tension and compression members are connected `by a brake lever fulcrum, `generally designated 28, said ulcrum comprising front andrear barrel portions Sil and 43-2 connected respectively to the webs 22 `and 24. The adjacent ends ci the barrel portions 32 are connected by .annular top and bottom bearing

pads

34 and 36 having aligned openings 38 and 40 dening a brake pin hole intersecting a brake lever slot defined by -the space between the bearing pads lwand and by slots 42 and 44 through the -barrel portions `32 and 3U, respectively. The brake lever slot dened yby the slotted portions 42 and 44 and by the bearing `

pads

34 and 36 is `adapted .to receive an associated brake lever `(not shown) which is pivotally fulcrumed within the slot by a `brake pin (not shown) extending through the pinhole defined by the openings 3s and 4Q.

' The connection between the rear barrel portion 32 and the compression member web 24 is best seen in Figure 4 wherein it `will be noted that the web 24 is provided at this point with an opening 46 for convenient foundry practice.

The tension and `compression members are interconnected at opposite sides of the iulcrum 28 by a pair of struts 48 and 56, each strut being connected to the tension and

compression member webs

22 and 24 and to! the barrel portions 3Q and 32. The struts are provided with openings 52 and 54 aligned with the pinhole openings 3B and 4D to accommodate application and removal of the brake pin (not shown).`

As best seen in Figure 6, the barrel portion 3D is divided by the slot 44 into upper and lower segments 5E and 53, the upper end of the lower segment 58 being connected to the strut 50 and the lower end of the upper segment 56 being connected to the strut 48 to accommodate a symmetrical structure wherein the struts 48 and 50 are approximately coplanar. It will be understood that the rear barrel portion 32 is similarly constructed with an upper segment connected at its lower extremity to the strut 48 and a lower segment connected at its upper extremity to the strut 50, the struts being spaced from the

bearing pads

34 and 36 as above noted to denne application openings 52 and 54 accommodating insertion and removal of the brake pin.

Figures 9 to 12, inclusive, illustrate a modified form of brake beam embodying the invention wherein parts corresponding to those of Figures 1 to 8 are identied by corresponding numerals.

The modication is substantially identical with the preferred embodiment with the exception that the brake pin application openings 52 and 54 are somewhat larger and the beam is additionally reinforced by a pair of struts |02 and |04 connected between the tension and compression members 2 and 4 adjacent the ends of the beam, thereby defining windows |06 and |08 outwardly of the struts |02 and |04 and windows I I and I2 inwardly of these struts. The beam is also reinforced at the outer ends of the windows |06 and |08 by vertical ribs or webs I I4 and IIS connected to substantially horizontal webs IIB and |20 defining the legs of the T-section a substantially Vertical front web and a sub-.

stantially horizontal rear web, a compression member of T-section having a substantially vertical rear web and a substantially horizontal front web, the .front web of the compression member and the rear web of the tension member merging at each end of the beam, a brake head at each end of the beam having a rear wall connected to the rear web of the compression member and a front wall connected to the front web of the tension member, said head having 9, front wall adapted to support associated brake shoe means, a support lug connected to said walls and extending outwardly from the rear wall, a brake lever fulcrum including spaced barrels connected respectively to the front web of the tension member and to the rear web of the compression member, aligned slots through said barrels dividing the same into upper and lower webs, a pair of annular bearing pads, one of said pads being connected between the upper webs and the other being connected between the lower webs, aligned openings through said bearing pads defining a pinhole, and a, pair of at, substantially coplanar struts connected to the rear web of the tension member and to the front web of the compression member, one of said struts being connected to the upper extremities of the lower webs and the other of said struts being connected to the lower extremities of the upper webs, both of said struts being spaced from said pads to dene openings accommodating application and removal of an associated brake pin with respect to said pinhole.

2. A truss type railway brake beam casting comprising a tension member, a compression member, a brake lever fulcrum comprising a pair of spaced barrels connected to the respective members, said barrels being slotted to dene upper and lower arcuate webs adapted to receive an associated brake lever therebetween, upper and lower annular bearing pads, the upper pad being connected between the upper webs of respective barrels and the lower pad being connected between the lower webs of respective barrels, aligned openings through said pads defming a pinhole, a iiat strut connected to the upper extremities of the lower webs and to said members, and another flat strut connected to the lower extremities of the upper webs and to said members, said struts being approximately coplanar and spaced from said pads to denne openings accommodating application and removal of an associated fulcrum pin with respect to said pinhole.

3. A brake beam casting, according to claim 2, wherein the bearing pads are diagonal to the plane of the tension and compression members.

4. A truss type railway brake beam casting comprising a tension member, a compression member, a brake lever fulcrum comprising a pair of spaced barrels connected at their remote ends to the respective members and slotted to define upper and lower arcuate webs adapted to receive an associated brake lever, a top bearing pad connected between the upper webs of respective barrels at their adjacent ends, a lower bearing pad connected between the adjacent extremities of the lower webs of respective barrels, aligned openings through said pads defining a pinhole, a flat strut connected to the upper extremities of the lower webs and to said members, and another at strut approximately coplanar to the first-mentioned strut and connected to the lower extremities of the lower webs and to said members, said struts having openings aligned with said pinhole, the `inboard edge of each opening being dened by one of said pads.

ROBERT B. COTTRELL.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 683,729 Danis Oct. l, 1901 794,404 Green July 11, 1905 974,283 Lamont Nov. 1, 1910 2,170,114 Busch Aug. 22, 1939 2,170,120 Busch Aug. 22, 1939