US2550910A

US2550910A - Snubbed bolster truck

Info

Publication number: US2550910A
Application number: US590777A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gust J Christenson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-04-28
Filing date: 1945-04-28
Publication date: 1951-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1968-05-01

Description

y 1951 G. J. CHRISTENSON 2,550,910

SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK Filed April 28. 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 9, v 1 4 a J 4% @WWM G. J. CHRISTENSON SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tj J May 1, 1951 Filed April 28, 1945 Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK Gust J. Christensen, Chicago, Ill. Application April 28, 1945, Serial No. 590,777 7 Claims. (01.:105-19'7) This invention relates to improvements in car trucks and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide simple, inexpensive and efilcient means in a car truck to prevent the natural harmonic action of the bolster springs and to stabilize the .movement of the bolster relative to the side frames of the truck.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of friction shoes in the sides of the bolster ends in line with the columns of the side frames of the truck and whereby said shoes are urged into a better frictional stabilizing engagement with said columns.

Also, it is an object of the invention to so form the bolster ends and friction shoes, that the shoes may be more readily applied to the associated bolster end and are removably held therein without the necessity of extraneous fastening devices.

Again it is an object of the invention to so form the friction shoes and associated actuating wedge that the energizing spring for said wedge may rest on the same base as the bolster end cushioning or load carrying springs.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide in a construction of this kind, an improved spring means having more deflection than the load carrying springs and which will maintain the friction shoes in'better frictional engagement with the associated columns at all times and will automatically take up the wear on said shoes.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, along with the advantages thereof will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

' In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a portion of a car truck embodying one form of the invention, with a part of a side frame of the truck appearing in elevation and a part of the associated bolster end and shoes appearing in transverse vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal detail sectional view through parts shown in Fig. 1 as taken on the line 2-2 and on a scale somewhat enlarged over Fig. 1, portions appearing as broken away for better illustrative purposes.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of a pair of counterpart friction shoes forming a part of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view'of a certain friction shoe actuating wedge embodied in the invention and which will be more fully referred to later.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of the invention, and which will be referred to later.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the accompanying drawings It indicates the central portion of the side frame of a car truck and in which is a bolster opening H defined at each side by a column l2l2. On the inner faces of the upper portion of said columns are upright straight fiat parallel wear plates l3--I3 which may be secured to said columns in any conventional manner,

l4 indicates an end portion of a bolster arranged in said opening I I between the wear plates 13-13. Said bolster end portion, which is of a rectangular cross section, is provided at opposite sides with longitudinally spaced vertical ribs i5l5 (see Fig. 2) adapted for engagement by associated parts of the columns l2-l2 to provide a guided engagement for the bolster end portion relative to said columns, there being the usual clearance therebetween.

As herein shown, the bolster end portion is of a hollow construction and is provided in opposite sides, in line with the wear plates l3-I3, with inwardly extending channels Hil6 that communicate at their inner ends with a central chamber I! in the bolster end portion l4. Each channel it is somewhat narrower than the wear plates l3l3 as best appears in Fig. 2 and is provided with a pair of top and bottom downwardly and inwardly inclined surfaces l3 and Na. As shown, said surfaces of each pair are parallel, with the upper surface 18 having a greater length than the lower surface ma. The surface I8a, in this instance, forms the top of a bridge 19 that is an integral part of the bolster end portion l4.

The bolster end portion I l engages upon and is supported by the usual set of cushioning springs 2020 which rest at their bottom endsupon a lower spring plate 2! carried by a widened flanged part 22 of the frame I!) at the bottom of the bolster opening ll. Asshown, these springs are arranged in a group of four, as is obvious from Fig. 2 and are spaced apart both laterally and longitudinally of the bolster end portion to leave a considerable open area between them. Associated with each channel I6 is a stabilizing shoe 23 that best appears in perspective in Fig. 3. Each shoe includes an upright outer end rectangular friction plate 24 and a hollow body portion 25 that is inclined downwardly from the upper portion of the end plate. The body of each shoe is of a hollow rectangular cross section to fit within an associated channel It in the bolster end portion and has a length greater than that of the channel so that its inner end surface 26 extends or is disposed within the chamber I! before mentioned.

The body 25 has top and bottom

parallel surfaces

21 and 28 respectively that are complemental to the top and bottom surfaces I8 and "la of the associated channel IS. The shoes are assembled into position from the outer ends of the channels I6 and are supported against dropping out of place by the bridges I 9I9 as is obvious from Fig. 1. Thus no bolts or the like are required to hold the shoes in the channels Iii-l6. It is to be understood thatsome play or clearance is present between the associated surfaces of the channels [6 and shoes 23 respectively. When said shoes are in place, the inner end surfaces 26-45 thereof, which may b perpendicular to the top and

bottom surfaces

21 and 28 of the body, are disposed at oppositely upwardly and inwardly inclined planes, as best appears in Fig. 1.

29 indicates a wedge block forming a part of the improved truck and which best appears in perspective in Fig. 4, This wedge block, which is normally disposed within the chamber I1, is of a width approximating that of the shoes 2323 and has upwardly and inwardly inclined side surfaces lid-30 that are complemental to 32, the bottom end of which normally rests upon the plate 2|. This spring, which is disposed centrally with respect to the roup of bolster end supporting springs 282B normally urges the wedge block 29 upwardly and has a greater free height range of deflection than said springs 20-28.

As will be apparent, the parts described are duplicated at the other side of the truck. Under travel conditions, the natural harmonic action of the bolster end supporting springs is prevented by the action of the shoes 23-23 as follows: In the downward movement of the bolster end, the action is to compress the supporting springs 20-20. However, in this movement of said bol- While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form, construction and arrangement of the parts involved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a car truck, a side frame having a column at each side of a bolster opening therein,

a bolster portion disposed in said opening between said columns, spring means for supporting said bolster portion from the bottom of said opening, means providing a downwardly facing surface extending inwardly and downwardly from each side of said bolster portion, a shoe associated with each side of said bolster portion and having an outer part frictionally engaged with an associated column and an upper surface part complementaI to and engaged with an associated downwardly and inwardly extending surface in the bolster portion, and an upwardly and inwardly inclined inner end surface, wedge means engaged with the inner end surfaces of said shoes, and other spring acting means independently of said first mentioned spring means operatively engaged with said wedge means for causing the same to urge said shoes outwardly toward said column.

2. In a car truck, a side frame having a column at each side of a bolster opening therein, a bolster portion disposed in said opening between said columns, spring means for supporting said bolster portion from the bottom of said opening, said bolster portion being formed at each side with a downwardly and inwardly extending channel, a shoe associated with each channel and having an outer end part frictionally engaged with an associated column and having a body portion having spring means operatively engaged with a portion of the side frame and with an inner end ster end, the surfaces l8l$a of the channels l-6l6, because of their inclination as described, will, through the

inclined surfaces

21 and 28 of the shoes tend to move said shoes outwardly to forcefully urge the plates 24-44 thereof into a stabilizing frictional engagement with the wear plates |3l3 on the frame columns. In this movementv of the bolster, the wedge block 29 is urged upwardly by the spring 32 so that the action of this sprin in this respect is added to that of the bolster end in forcing the shoes into stabilizing frictional engagement with the wear plates I3I3 on the columns |2I2 and todamp the action of the springs 20-28 to prevent cumulativev harmonic action thereof- In Fig. 5 is illustrated a, modified form ofz'construction, more particularly concerned with the upper end of the spring 32. As shown in said fig. the upper end of said spring may be made in the form of closely wound convolutions 32a that taper toward the extremity thereof with angles at opposite sides thereof conforming to and engaged with the end surfaces 2626- of the bodies of the shoes 23-23. By making the spring 32 as described, it is possible to eliminate the wedge block 29 andthis simplifies the constructionand reduces costthereof:

part of both shoes for urging them outwardly toward said columns.

3. In a. car truck, a side frame having a column at each side of a bolster opening therein, a bolstenportion disposed in said opening between said columns, spring means for supporting said bolster portion from the bottom of said opening, said bolster portion being formed. at each side with a downwardly and inwardly extending channel, a shoe associated with each channel and having an outer end part frictionally engaged with an associated column and having a part extending downwardly and inwardlly therefrom and disposed in an associated channel, the inner end surfaces of said last mentioned parts of the shoes being directed upwardly and inwardly of said bolster portion, wedge means engaged with the inner end surfaces of both shoes, and other spring means for urging said wedge means. upwardly.

4. In a car'truck, a side frame having a column at each side of a bolster opening therein, a bolster portion disposed in said opening between said columns, spring means for supporting said bolster portion from th bottom of said opening, said bolster portion being formed in each side with a downwardly and inwardly inclined chan: nel and which channels open at their inner ends into a chamber in the bolster portion above the bottom surface thereof, a shoe havinga portion complemental to'and arranged in each channel for cooperative sliding engagement with a top wall portion thereof, with the inner end of each shoe disposed in said chamber, the outer end part of each shoe having a frictional engagement with an associated column, a wedge member having at least a part disposed in said chamber and having opositely inclined surfaces engaged with the inner end surface of both shoes, and other spring means acting upon said wedge means from below and normally urging the same upwardly into engagement with the end surfaces of said shoes.

5. In a car truck, a side frame having a column at each side of a bolster opening therein, a bolster portion disposed in said opening between said column, spring means for supporting said bolster portion from the bottom of said opening, means providing a downwardly facing surface extending inwardly and downwardly from each side of said bolster portion, a shoe associated with each side of said bolster portion and having an outer part frictionally engaged with an associated column and an upper surface part complemental to and engaged with an associated downwardly and inwardly extending surface in the bolster portion and an upwardly and inwardly inclined inner end surface, and other spring means acting independently of said first spring means and formed with integral wedge portions engaged with the inner end surfaces of said shoes for pressing the shoes outwardly toward said column.

6, In apparatus for stabilizing vertical movements of a railway car truck bolster, a friction shoe comprising a vertical plate portion formed on one side with a smooth bearing face and formed on the other side with a body portion extending downwardly at an angle to the vertical plate and formed with parallel upwardly and downwardly facing walls, and formed at the lower end of the body with an end wall which is perpendicular to the planes of said parallel walls.

7. In apparatus for stabilizing vertical movements of a railway car truck bolster, a truck bolster having an end portion formed with wall means defining a pair of channels of rectangular configuration in cross section and extending downwardly and inwardly from opposite side walls of the bolster and terminating at their lower ends at a location spaced from the plane of the bottom of the bolster.

GUST J. CHRISTENSON.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 972,921 Bitter Oct. 18, 1910 2,053,989 Goodwin Sept. 8, 1936 2,370,106 Edstrom Feb. 20, 1945 2,392,599 Light Jan. 8, 1946 2,395,317 Cottrell Feb. 19, 1946