US2533176A - Wheel - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 5, 1950 o s 2,533,176

A WHEEL Filed May 8, 1947 J M A? 44 Q, I l K g 20 28 40% l 26 I 0 26 45 I A7,. x f 4 24 a; 36 4 42 34 30 INVENTOR D H. OELKERS Patented. Dec. 5, 1950 WHEEL Alfred Oelizers, New Braunfels, Tex, assignor to American Steel Fcundries, Ghicago, lit, a

ccrporatien of New 2 Claims.

My invention relates to car wheels and more particularly to a resilient car wheel particularly suited for use in connection with railway car trucks.

A specific object of my invention is to devise a resilient car wheel of simple construction such as will have the requisite shock-absorbing characteristics, have long life in service, and be relatively easy to mount on an axle.

A further object of my invention is to devise a simple resilient hub unit for a railway car wheel which is easily assembled and disassembled with said car wheel and an associated axle.

Another object of my invention is to devise such a wheel as will resist out-of-plane treads on the wheel.

A still further object of the invention is to devise a resilient wheel, the resiliency characteristics of which will be least impaired by the extreme heat due to braking.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the specification and the drawings, wherein the single figure is a fragmentary side elevation of a wheel and axle assembly embodying my invention, the view being partly in section in a vertical plane substantially bisecting the wheel transversely.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a railway car truck wheel and axle assembly adapted for general railway service. The wheel comprises a flanged rim 2 presenting a tread surface at 4, a rigid hub 8 having an internal cylindrical surface defining an axial center or bore 8 and an integral plate or web I0 interconnecting said rim and rigid hub.

An inturned annular flange I2 is formed at the outboard end of the rigid hub and within the bore 8 in said rigid hub is inserted a tight fitting cylindrical resilient hub unit, generally indicated at M, in abutment at its outboard end with said flange l2, said resilient hub unit being sleeved over an axle l6 as by a tight press fit and ailording a tight connection between the wheel and the axle.

The resilient hub I4 comprises a radially outer cylindrical unit including a plurality of annular pressed steel discs or plates l8, i8 and a radially inner cylindrical unit including a plurality of annular pressed steel discs or plates 20, interleaved with the plates 18 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The outer plates l8, it are provided at their outer peripheries with axially extending annular flanges 22, 22 spaced outwardly of the outer perimeters or said inner plates and abutting each other and forming an external segmental substantially continuous cylindrical surface defining the outer contour of said hub unit l4 complemental to said bore 8 and aiiording a seat for said hub unit against the internal cylindrical suriace of said rigid hub.

The flanges 22 are preferably separable to facilitate assembly of the resilient hub in the manne hereinafter described; however, if desired, these flanges may be interconnected to form a cylinder with internal radially projecting annular flanges or discs l8 mentioned above.

The inner plates 28, ill are formed at their inner peripheries with axially extending annular flanges or collars 2 24 abutting each other and projecting through central openings 26, 26 in said outer plates, said flanges 24, 24 being inwardly spaced from the radially inner extremities of said outer plates and forming an internal substantially continuous cylindrical surface defining an axial bore through said resilient hub unit and aiiording means for mounting said unit on said axle. The flanges 25 are also preferably separable to facilitate the assembly of the resilient hub; however, if desired, these flanges may be integrally connected to form a cylinder with external radially projecting annular flanges or discs 20, 20 hereinbefore described.

At the inboard end of the hub unit is an an nular end piece 28 axially aligned with said inner plates and axially spaced from the adjacent outer plate and having its outer perimeter ra dially inwardly spaced from the flange 22 on the adjacent outer plate. The end piece has a hub portion 39 provided on its inner side with an axially extending annular flange 32 projecting through the opening 26 in the adjacent outer plate, said flange 32 being radially inwardly spaced with respect to the inner extremities of said adjacent outer plate it and abutting against the flange 2d of the adjacent inner plate 20.

The hub portion 39 and the flange 32 are provided with a bore 34 forming a continuation of the axial bore through said hub unit.

The end piece, the inner and outer plates, and the flanges 22 and 24 thereof in being spaced as heretofore described, form a continuous zagged cavity, indicated generally at 36, extending from end to end of said hub unit. The cavity is filled with a deformable flowable resilient substance 38, such as rubber, which is vulcanized to said plates, flanges and end piece.

As will be readily apparent from the drawing,

the resilient substance 38 in cooperation with 1 said inner and outer units will yieldably resist any tendency on the part of the wheel to tilt and also will accommodate radial movement between said inner and oute units.

Upon radial movement between the inner and outer units of said hub 14, portions 40, 40 of the substance 38 between the plates will be distorted in shear, while, simultaneously, portions 42, 42 of said substance between the outer peripheries of the inner plates and the flanges '22, 22 and between the inner extremities of the outer plates and flanges 24, 24 will be under compression.

Any tilting of the wheel will be resisted principally by compression of portions 46, 40 of said substance between the outer and inner plates and also by "distortion in shear of the portions # 2, 42 thus precluding the wheel from rotating in such tilted position and developing out-of -plane treads.

twill also be observed that the resilient hub unit is centrally of the wheel remote from the tread surface thereof to which the brakes are applied. The heat generated during such brake application will be radiated for the most part into the atmosphere by the rim and web of the wheel, thus eliminating the possibility of the heat deteriorating or otherwise destroying the resiliency characteristics of the hub unit H.

In assemblingth'e resilient hub, the end piece and the inner and outer plates are inserted into a suitable mold, the inner and outer plates being alternately ar anged and the end piece being placed at the appropriate end of the assembly. An "exc'essivequantity of the resilient substance 38 is inserted betu een'the inner and outer discs and between the end piece and adjacent outer disc. The end piece the inner and outer discs are then pressed together to'the position shown, the resilient substance being vulcanized to the plates and end piece. The plates may be perforated as at eil'to facilitate flow of the substance before and during curing of said substance. After curing, the hub unit'is removed from the mold and the outer and inner cylindrical surfaces o'fth'e hub unit are ground to size.

To assemble the hub unit'with the'ivheel and the axlejthe hub unit is press-fitted'into the bore 8 in the wheel andthen'thehub unit as assembled with the wheel is press-fitted on the 'axle'i until it 'abuts'a'gainst the'shoulder it formed on said axle.

It is to be understood that I'do not wish to be 'li'mited'by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by wayo'f illustration and not limitation va' ions and other forms ofth'e device will, of course, be aren't tothose skilled 'inthe art \i "itliout depar from the 'spirit'oi 't'he'inventi'on'or the scope of the claims.

I"claini:

1. A railway wheel 'ande ensse'mbly corn; 'ing a wheel, 'havi'ng'a hub wlth'an axial bore, resilient unit press fitted into the bore, an axle extending through'the'c'entero'f theunit in press fit engagement therewith, saidunitcomprising a plurality of axially "spaced discs "with integral flanges at their outer peripheries and projecting from one side thereof, adjacent flanges seating edge to edge and all of said flanges tightly engaging said hub, a plurality of plates alternated with said discs, each plate having an axial opening receiving the axle and having an integral collar at one side thereof extending through an axial aperture in an adjacent disc and tightly embracing the axle, the coll rs of adjacent plates seating edge to edge and being spaced a substantial istance radially inward of the inner peripheries of said discs, each plate having its outer periphery spaced a substantial distance radially inward from the adjacent flange, an imperforate mass of flowable resilient material between the discs and plates and bonded thereto, said material having portions extending axially between said flanges and the outer peripheries of sai plates and com pletely filling the spaces therebetween, said material having eginents extending through the apertures in said discs and completely filling the spaces between said cellars the inner peripheries of said discs, and said material having sections completely filling the spaces between the plates and discs, said discs having axial holes paced a substantial distance from the inner peripheries thereof, said plates having axial holes spaced a substantial distance radially inward from the outer peripheries thereof and disposed radially outward of the holes in said discs, said material at said portion; being wholly confined by and between adjacent portions of said flanges, discs and plates and at said segments being Wholly confined by and between adjacent portions or said collars wherecy during relative radial movement between said plates and discs said segments and portions of said material are stressed in compression and cause the material to flow substantial distances radially between the plates and discs, before iiowing into the holes, the flange of each disc overlapping the adjacent plate and the collar of the latter extending through the aperture in the former whereby the loads on all of the parts of each disc and respective parts or" the adjacent plate is sub stantially equalized.

2. A railway wheel and axle assembly comprising a Wheel with an axial bore, a resilient unit ,press fitted therein, an axle extending tightly through the center of said unit, said unit com- .prising a plurality of axially spaced radial discs in tight engagement at their outer peripheries with the wheel within the bore, a plurality of radial plates sleeved over the axle in tight engage- -ment therewith, each disc having an axially extending portion at its outer perimeter spaced radially outward from the outer perimeter of an adjacent plate and in radially overlapping relaticnship therewith, ate havingan integral .portion at its inner perimeter spaced radially'inwardiy of the inner perimeter oi. he adjacent disc and in radially overlapping relationship therewith, theporon of each disc being arranged-in partialradial alignment with a part of said portion ofan adjaoentplate, an imperforate mass of flowabl'e resilient material between said-plates anddiscs-a-nd bonded thereto, said material acting -'a column between said ax-ially extending portions of-each-plate and adjacent disc for compression therebetween, said material being wholly confined between the-discs and plates and bearing directly against the full surfaces thereof, said discs-having a single annular series of axial openings -th'erethrough adjacent their inner periph- "eries and said plates having a singular annular ALFRED H. OELKERS.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Patch Sept. 10, 1935 Wittmer Apr. 4, 1936 Jones Aug. 22, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain May 11, 1938

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