US2818821A

US2818821A - Equalizer supports

Info

Publication number: US2818821A
Application number: US514551A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry M Cregier
Original assignee: Alco Products Inc
Current assignee: Alco Products Inc
Priority date: 1955-06-10
Filing date: 1955-06-10
Publication date: 1958-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1975-01-07

Description

Jan. 7, 1958 H. M. CREGIER 2,

EQUALIZER SUPPORTS Filed June 10; 1 955 &\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'\\\\\\, w F'G' 4 FIG 3 M45417 ATTORNEY EQUALIZER SUPPORTS Harry M. Cregier, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to Alco Products, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 10, 1955, Serial No. 514,551

7 Claims. (Cl. 105-223) This invention relates to equalizer bars for use on railway car trucks and particularly to" means to secure such equalizer bars to the journal boxes.

Equalizer bars for railway car trucks are units of heavy weight that function to support the. entire superstructure of the vehicle. Their ends rest upon the journal boxes. Accordingly, whenever the journal boxes move vertically in reference to each other, the equalizer tilts. For example, when the truck encounters a track irregularity and the leading wheel and axle assembly is suddenly raised vertically, the forward journal box moves upwardly in relation to the rear journal box and the equalizer tilts. Provision should be made for such tilting. A further requirement for an equalizer is that it be centered on the journal box and prevented from moving on the journal box in the direction of its longitudinal axis. If it is permitted to shift olf center, its great weight is likely to cause the box to cock.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a novel support structure for an equalizer bar on a journal box which permits tilting or rocking movement of the bar but prevents its fore and aft movement in relation to the journal box. A further object is to provide such a structure which maintains the equalizer bar centered on the journal box thus preventing cocking of the latter. Another object is to provide such a structure which is composed of inexpensive and easily replaceable elements.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows a side view of a portion of a railway vehicle truck to which the structure of the invention is applied, such truck portion including a wheel, a journal box, and portions of a frame and equalizer bar;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the invented structure showing the end of an equalizer bar disposed thereon;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the adapter which forms part of the invented structure; and,

Fig. 4 is a cross section on an enlarged scale taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Refer now to Fig. 1 of the drawing in which is one of the wheels of a wheel and axle assembly of a railway truck, 11 is a portion of the truck frame, 12 is a pedestal integral with the frame, 13 is a journal box mounted on the axle 13a, 14 is an equalizer bar (shown in fragment), 15 is an adapter seated upon the journal box to support the end of the equalizer which rests directly upon it, and 16 is a pin extending through the equalizer to connect the latter to the adapter. v

The adapter, which is best illustrated in the perspective view shown in Fig. 3, is arranged on the top of the journal box so that its center of gravity is in vertical alignment with the axis of axle 13a. It consists of a base plate 17 and a box-like body 18 either integral with the base plate or rigidly secured thereto by conventional means. The adapter body has a base 19 and a pair of parallel upstanding side walls 21 in each of which is a notch 22! The bottom surface of each notch is curved,

for the reception of the pin 16 which extends through a hole formed in the equalizer transversely to its longitudinal axis. The notches are arranged opposite each other and are open at the top. They extend only part way through the side Walls of the adapter so that wall portions 23 maintain the pin in position. Clearance is provided between pin 16 and the bottom surface of notch 22 so that there is no contact between the pin and notch. The

pin, therefore, in no way supports the equalizer; it functions merely to connect the equalizer and adapter, to preventaxial movement of the former in relation to the latter,

The top Wall 24 of the journal box is provided with a: rectangular recess 25 into which the base plate 17 of the;

adapter is snugly fitted. Movement of the adapter in relation to the journal box is thus prevented; and since pin 16 prevents axial movement of the equalizer in relation to the adapter, the equalizer is fixed axially in relation to 1 It is obvious that plate 17 can be disthe journal box. pensed with and that the adapter unit can be secuerd directly to the top of the journal box as by welding. It is also apparent that base 19 could be dispensed with and that the upstanding walls 21 could be made integral with the journal box or secured thereto as by welding.

The bottom surface 26 of the end of the equalizer is curved to permit the equalizer to tilt or rock in reference to the journal box. Pin 16 permits such rotation. The center of curvature of the equalizer curved portion is disposed in vertical alignment with the axis A of the axle 13a so that the downward forces exerted by the equalizer will not cock the journal box. The equalizer is shown as resting upon base 19; but, if desired, base 19 and base plate 17 can be dispensed with. In such case, the equalizer will rest directly upon the journal box top.

While there has been hereinbefore described an approved embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that many and various changes and modifications in form, arrangement of parts and details of construction thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated as a part of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. A structure to support an equalizer bar upon a journal box of a railway vehicle comprising supporting means on the box top, a curved portion on the equalizer bar resting on the supporting means to permit the bar to tilt thereon, upstanding engaging walls on the supporting means, and an element extending laterally from the equalizer bar to rotatably engage such upstanding walls, said walls coacting with said element to prevent axial move ment of the bar in relation to the box but to permit rotation of the bar in relation to the box.

2. A structure, according to claim 1, in which the center of curvature of the curved portion of the equalizer bar is located vertically above the transverse center line of the journal box top.

3. A structure to support an equalizer bar upon a journal box of a railway vehicle comprising fiat surfaced supporting means on the journal box, a curvedportion on the bar resting on said flat surfaced supporting means to permit the bar to tilt upon the box, said bar being provided with a transverse opening therethrough, a pair of elements secured to the supporting means and extending upwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the bar, a pair of opposed notches in said elements, and a pin extending through the bar opening into said notches, said pin preventing the bar from moving axially in relation to the box but permitting it to tilt thereupon.

4, A structure to support an equalizer bar upon a jour- 2,818,821. Patented Jan. 7, 1958' nalbox of'a'railway vehicle comprising flat surfaced supporting meanson the journal box, a curved portion on'the equalizer bar resting on said flat surfaced supporting means to permit the bar to tilt upon the box, said bar being provided with a transverse opening therethrough, apairof 'walls secured to and extendingupwardlyirom the supporting means on opposite sidesof the'bar,za notch in each of 'said walls opposite said hole, andaplmextending through the bar opening intothe opposedenotches, said ,p'in preventing .the barlfrom moving vaxially in relationtolthe .box but permitting it to tilt thereupon.

'5. 1A structure tosupport an equalizer vbar upon a,-journllbox of .a railway vehicle comprising the journal-box top wall; Ta recess .in said wallformingwallstransverse to the-axis to'ffthe equalizeribaryan adapter mounte'dimsaid recess; 'a base plate forming .part of the.adapter,-ssaidrbase plate fittinglinto the recess to engage i ts transversewalls; a burvedportion on .the .bar resting onhsaidtbase plateya second portion on the bar having an opening extending therethroughtransverse to the axis of the bar; a; pair'.of side Walls forming part :ofihe adapter and,projecting.upwar'dly .on opposite sides .of the bar; opposed notches in the side wallsgtan d a pin extending through said transverse bar o'pening'into .the notches, said ,pin preventing the .bar

from moving axiallyin relationto the box but;permitting v25 it'to tilt thereupon.

26. l hstructure, according .to=claim 5,1in which thecen- 'ter of curvature of the curved portion on the equalizer bar is located vertically above .the transverse center .line of the journal box top.

7. An adapter to be disposed on a journal box to support and hold an equalizer bar having a curved end and elements extending laterally therefrom adjacent the curved end, said adaptertcomprising a base plate, a pair of side Walls projecting upwardly from said base plate in spaced relation, rand-opposed notches in said side walls, the base plate, the side walls, and the notches coacting with the curvcdendandllateral elements of the equalizer bar to permit the bar to tilt in relation to-the base plate but preventing it from moving axially thereof.

Refcrences Citeddn the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,593,249 Draper July 20, 1926 1,823,884 Brittain Sept. 22, 1931 1,866,264 iMelcher July 5, 1932 2,073,533 Batz et a1 Mar. '9, 1 937 2,558,709 :Miller June 26, '1-951 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 $77,399 ital-y, Sept. :8, 1 -930