US3203741A - Stabilizers for railway journal bearing assemblies - Google Patents

Description

D. J. LAU DIG Aug. 31, 1965 STABILIZERS FOR RAILWAY JOURNAL BEARING A-SSEMBLIES Filed July 17, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV ENTOR DAV/o z AUD/G D EMA s m MATT-5% D. J. LAU DIG Aug. 3l, 1965 STABILIZERS FOR RAILWAY JOURNAL BEARING ASSEMBLIES Filed July 17, 1962 m m M p ATTORN D. J. LAUDIG 3,203,741

STABILIZERS FOR RAILWAY JOURNAL BEARING ASSEMBLIES 4 Sheets-Sheet Aug. 31, 1965 Filed July 17, 1962 United States Patent 3,2%,741 'STABILIZER'S FOR RAILWAY SOURNAL EEARING ASSEMBLES David I. Laudig, La Grange, Ga., assigner to Callaway Miils Company, La Grange, Ga., a corporation of Georgia 'Filed duly 17, 1962, Ser. No. 210,397 lClaims. (Cl. 303-40) This invention relates to stabilizers for railway journal bearing assemblies, and more particularly, to means for limiting the relative horizontal movements between the axles and the journal boxes of a railway car.

A railway car ordinarily is provided with rotating axles the end portions of which extend loosely into journal boxes carried by the car body. In a typical plain bearing installation, the portion of an arde disposed within a journal box has a journal section of reduced diameter to which lubricating oil is supplied from the bottom of the journal box by wicking means, and a member having a curved lower bearing surface rests on the top of the journal section or the axle to transmit the load to the axle. In structures of this type some displacement of the rotating journal relative to the journal box and the bearing member is possible. Such movements may occur, for example, as a result of slack action in a moving train or when cars are coupled at high speeds or during rapid braking of a car. Unless these movements are limited, there is a danger of injuring the bearing surfaces or of causing bearing failure.

This problem has been recognized heretofore, and varions proposals for its solution have been advanced. In general, the approach has been to provide the interior of the journal box with stabilizer means having surfaces in position to be contacted by the journal after a small amount of displacement of the journal from its normal location. The present invention relates to such stabilizer means.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved bearing stabilizer means of simplified construction that may be manufactured economically and that may be installed easily in a conventional railway car journal box in a position where it may be inspected conveniently.

Another object of the invention is to provide a railway car bearing assembly with stabilizer means having a surface of smearable plastic material in position to be contacted at least periodically by a radially extending surface of the axle at an end of the journal section so that such axle surface may be coated with the plastic material.

In one embodiment the stabilizer means of this invention is a one-piece nylon unit that includes a pair of journal stops permanently connected together by a thin flat strap. The journal stops are shaped so that they may be removably held in the journal box on opposite sides of the journal near the outer end of the journal by the conventional parts of the journal box, and no special attaching means are required. A front surface portion of each stop may be in position to contact the inner radial surface ot the collar of the outer end of the axle to transfer nylon to the collar surface. The strap extends across the bottom of the journal box beneath the lubricator means that supplies oil to the journal.

A more complete understanding `of the invention and an appreciation of its many advantages will be gained from a consideration of the following detailed description of certain embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a stabilizer unit constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view ice of a conventional railway car journal box with the stabilizer unit of FIGURE 1 in position therein, the view being taken generally along the line 2 2 in FIGURE 3 and indicating in phantom lines the position of a lubricator pad in the journal box; l

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional View taken along the line 3--3 in FIGURE 2 and illustrating in phantom lines the outline of the bearing member disposed above the journal;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6.---4 in FIGURE 2, with the stabilizer unit being shown in elevation;

FIGURE 5 is a partial perspective view of another embodiment of the stabilizer unit;

FIGURE 6 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the stabilizer unit of FIGURE 5 in position within the journal box; and

FIGURE 7 is a partial cross-sectional View similar to FIGURE 3, but illustrating the stabilizer unit of FIGURE 5 in its operative relationship with respect to the other parts of the assembly.

The journal box 2 illustrated in the drawings is of conventional construction. It includes an opening 4 at the rear end thereof for receiving an end portion of an axle 6 of a railway car. The portion of the axle 6 disposed within the journal box 2 is shaped to provide a journal section 3 or" reduced diameter bounded at the rear by a fillet itl and at the front by a collar 12.

A bearing member 14 having a lining 16 of cast babbitt or some other suitable material having antifriction properties rests on the top of the journal 8. The load is transmitted to the bearing member 14 from the top wall of the journal box 2 through a conventional wedge 18 which also restrains the bearing member 14 against lateral movements in a side-to-side direction as viewed in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. Movements of the bearing member 14 in a direction parallel to the axis of the journal S are limited by the collar 12 and by bearing retainer ribs 20 on the side walls of the journal box 2. The bearing retaining ribs 2@ extend vertically and their front faces 22 cooperate with laterally protruding lugs 24 on the sides of the bearing member 14 to limit rearward movement of the bearing member 14- along the journal 8, as suggested in FIG- URE 3. Beneath the level of the lugs 24, each of the vertical ribs 2@ curves outwardly and downwarddly at 26 to join with the main body of the side wall.

Lubricating :oil is supplied to the journal box 2 through an opening 28 at the front end thereof, which opening normally is closed by a conventional cover member not illustrated. This lubricating oil accumulates in the bottom of the journal box 2 and suitable lubricator means 29, such as textile waste material or a preformed lubricator pad, serves to transfer the oil to the surface of the rotating journal 8 at a rate sufficient to lubricate the bearing. In many journal boxes, horizontal waste retainer ribs 3u are provided for restricting movements of the lubricator means out of the lower portion of the journal box.-

The bearing stabilizer unit 32 shown in FIGURES 1 through 4 preferably is formed from nylon in a single molding operation. However, many of the advantages or the invention may be obtained when other materials and fabrica-tion procedures are employed. The unit includes a pair of identical journal stops 34 connected together by a strap 36. The journal stops 34 are adapted to fit along the side walls of the journal box 2 at about the level of the axis of the journal 8, and the strap 36 is adapted to extend across the bottom of the journal box 2 in such a manner as not to interfere with the lubricator means.

Each of the journal stops 34 includes a relatively thick body portion having ribs 38 on the face thereof which is to be disposed in proximity to the journal 3. In View of the thickness of the body portion of the journal stop, judicious coring to minimize shrinkage variations and yinternal stresses `is desirable, thereby increasing strength and impact resistance in the desired direction. When the holes 40 are included in the structure, the creation of detrimental temperature gradients and uneven shrinkage are avoided during molding and `during operation of the equipment.

Extending upwardly from the body portion of each journal stop 34 are positioning means that include surfaces adapted to cooperate with the vertical bearing retaining ribs 2t) of the journal box 2. Each journal stop has a vertical surface 4-2 that may contact the front face 22 of the adjacent rib to restrict rearward movement of the journal stop in the journal box. Each of the journal stops also includes a curved surface 44 that bears against the upwardly and inwardly curved surface 26 of the adjacent rib 20 to limit upward movements of the journal stop.

Downward movements of the journal stops 34 relative to the side walls of the journal box 2 normally :are prevented by the horizontal waste retainer ribs 30. Moreover, even when the stabilizer unit 32 is used in a journal box that does not have waste retainer ribs on its side walls, the strap 36 of the unit provides substantial support to the journal stops 34 and prevents them from moving downwardly out of position. In this connection, it will be observed that the strap 36 has an angular portion 46 adjacent to each of the stops 34. When the unit is installed in a journal box the angular portions 46 of the strap 36 are tiexed downwardly so that they act as springs urging the journal stops 34 upwardly against the curved surfaces 26 of the bearing retainer ribs 20.

From FIGURE 4 it will be observed that the journal stops 34 are spaced downwardly below the bearing member 14. Hence, there is no danger that the stabilizer unit of the invention will interfere with the bearing member 14 or tend to unseat this bearing member during operation of the railway car.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the front face 48 of each of the journal stops 34 is disposed rearwardly of the collar 12. Normally the journal stops 34 do not contact the collar 12. However, if the stops 34 should move forwardly in the journal box 2, ltheir forward mot-ion will be stopped when they come into Contact with the rear radially extending surface 50 of the collar 12.

The tthin flat strap portion 36 of the stabilizer unit 32 fits smoothly against the bottom of the journal box 2 and contributes materially to the positional stability of the unit. Conventional lubricator means may be put into position on top of the strap 36, and the effectiveness of the lubricator means is not impaired in any way by the presence of the strap.

When the stabilizer unit 32 is to be installed in a journal box, the journal box 2 is jacked up a few inches so as to bring the waste retainer ribs to a level near the top of the journal 8 and the members 14 `and 18 `are removed from the box. The stabilizer unit 32 then may be slipped into position with respect to the vertical bearing retaining ribs 20 and the horizontal waste retaining ribs 30. Then the bearing member 14 and the wedge 18 may be returned and the journal box 2 lowered onto the journal 3. These operations may be carried out quickly and easily without subjecting the worker to a danger of injury.

After the stabilizing unit 32 has been installed, it may be inspected conveniently from the opening 28 at the the front of the journal box 2. Its position is such that it may be checked visually, `and there is no need for the inspector to insert his hand or a tool into the journal box.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7. In these views only one half of the stabilizer unit 52 and one half of the journal bearing assembly are illustrated, it being understood that the unillustrated parts Vare of the same configurations as those which have been illustrated. The stabilizer unit 52 preferably is a unitary nylon body formed in a single molding operation and includes a pair of journal stops 54 connected together by a strap 56. It is generally similar to the stabilizer unit 32 described above in connection with FIGURES l through 4, except that it includes surfaces that may under certain circumstances press against the radially extending rear face 5) of the collar 12 on the axle 6 to apply a nylon coating to such surface.

The journal stops 54 cooperate with the parts of a conventional journal box 2 in much the same manner as the journal stops 34 illustrated in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. However, the stops 54- include forwardly protruding portions 58 the front faces 60 of which are in alignment with the rear radial face Sil of the collar 12. The dimensions of each of the journal stops 54 are such that the horizontal distance between the front face 60 of a protrusion 53 and the rearwardly directed vertical face 62 that cooperates with the front surface 22 of the adjacent bearing retaining rib 20 is approximately the same as the horizontal distance between the front edge of the bearing member 14 and the rear face of the latterally projecting lugs 24 on the bearing member 14. This dimensional relationship makes it possible for the collar 12 to bear against the front face 6i? of the protrusion 58 on the journal stop 54 at times, and when the collar 12 does contact the face 60 of the protrusion 5S, it picks up a coating of nylon that tends to fill in the irregularities on the surface to minimize the wear between the collar 12 and the front face of the bearing member 14.

It is neither necessary nor desirable that the collar 12 bear continuously against the journal stops 54. The condition suggested in FIGURE 7 is one which would occur only periodically, as when the rounding of a sharp curve tends to move the axle 6 as far inwardly of the journal box 2 as is permitted by the bearing member 14. Moreover, the journal stops 54 may be so dimensioned that `a certain amount of wear on the bearing member 14 must take place before the front faces of the protmsions can come into contact with the rear of the collar 12.

Although certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail, various changes and modifications will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that the foregoing be considered las exemplary only and that the scope of the invention be ascertained from the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway car having a journal box provided with side Walls having vertical bearing retainer ribs protruding from the interior thereof, an axle including a journal disposed within said journal box and terminating in a collar, and a bearing member resting on the top portion of said journal, the improvement which comprises a pair of nylon journal stops removably positioned in said journal box on opposite sides of said journal and a flexible strap connected to said journal stops and extending across the bottom of the journal box in a exed condition for urging said stops against said side walls, each of said journal stops being disposed rearwardly of said collar along a side wall of the journal box and below said bearing member, and each of said journal stops having surfaces in position to contact both the front surface of the adjacent vertical rib and the rear surface of the collar.

2. In a railway car having a journal box provided with side walls having vertical ribs and horizontal ribs protruding from the interior thereof, an axle including a journal disposed within said journal box and terminating in a collar, and lubricator means disposed in the bottom portion of the journal box for delivering lubricating material to said journal, the improvement which comprises an integral stabilizer unit removably positioned in said journal box and having a pair of plastic journal stops on opposite sides of said journal connected together by resilient strap means extending across the bottom of the journal box beneath said lubricator means, each of said journal stops being disposed rearwardly of said collar along a side wall of the journal box above the horizontal rib thereon and having surfaces in position to contact the front surface of the adjacent vertical rib, said strap means resiliently urging said journal stops outwardly against said sides.

3. A stabilizer unit for use in a railway ear journal box to limit movement of a journal disposed in said journal box, said stabilizer unit comprising a pair of non-circular nylon journal stops adapted to bear against opposite sides of the journal box in position to be contacted by the journal upon horizontal movement of the journal relative to the journal box, each of said journal stops having a plurality of holes therethrough, and a thin iiat nylon strap connecting said journal stops and being adapted to extend around the bottom of the journal box beneath the journal and sufliciently resilient when so installed that it urges said stop portions away from said journal and toward said opposite sides.

4. In a railway car havingr a journal box provided with side walls having upwardly and inwardly curving vertical ribs protruding from the interior thereof, an axle including a journal disposed within said journal box and terminating in a icollar, and lubricator means disposed in the bottom portion of the journal box for delivering lubricating material to said journal, the improvement which cornprises -a stabilizer unit removably positioned in said journal box and having a pair of impact resistant plastic journal stops on opposite sides of said journal connected together by an integral connector extending across the bottom of the journal box beneath said lubricator means, each of said journal stops being disposed rearwardly of said collar along a side wall of the journal box and having surfaces in position to contact both the front surface and the upwardly and inwardly curving surface of the adjacent vertical rib, an end portion of each of said journal stops being smaller than the remaining portion thereof and being shaped for passing beneath one of said vertical ribs as said stabilizer unit is inserted inwardly into said journal box, said remaining portion including a surface for abutting the front surface of said one of said ribs for limiting the inward movement of the said journal stop.

5. In a railway car having a journal box provided with side walls having upwardly and inwardly curving vertical ribs and horizontal ribs protruding from the interior thereof, an axle including a journal disposed within said journal box and terminating ina collar, a bearing member resting on the top portion of said journal, and lubricator means disposed in the bottom portion of the journal box for delivering lubricating material to said journal, the improvement which comprises a stabilizer unit removably positioned in said journal box and having a pair of nylon journal stops on opposite sides of said journal connected together by a thin at nylon strap biasing said journal stops outwardly and extending across the bottom of the journal box beneath said lubricator means, each of said journal stops being disposed rearwardly of said collar along a side wall of the journal box above the horizon-tal rib thereon and spaced below said bearing member, and each of said journal stops having a thick body portion and upstanding portions adjacent the journal box wall presenting surfaces in position to contact both the front surface and the upwardly and inwardly curving surface of the adjacent vertical rib.

6. In a railway car having a journal box provided with side walls having upwardly and inwardly curving vertical ribs and horizontal ribs protruding from the interior thereof, an axle including a journal disposed within said journal box and terminating in a collar, a bearing member resting on the top portion of said journal, and lubricator means disposed in the bottom portion of the journal box for delivering lubricating material to said journal, the improvement which comprises a one-piece nylon stabilizer unit removably positioned in said journal box and having a pair of journal stops on opposite sides of said journal connected together by a flexible strap extending across the bottom 6 of the journal box beneath said lubricator means, each of said journal stops being disposed rearwardly of said collar along a side wall of the journal box above the horizontal rib thereon and spaced below said bearing member, and each of said journal stops having surfaces in position to conta-ct both the yfront surface and the upwardly and inwardly curving surface of the adjacent vertical rib, the inner end portions of said stops being shaped throughout their length for passing inwardly beneath said vertical ribs while being urged inwardly on said horizontal ribs when the unit is mounted into the journal box.

7. A stabilizer unit for use in a railway car journal box to limit movement of a journal disposed in said journal box, said stabilizer unit comprising a pair of nylon journal stops adapted to bear against opposite sides of the journal box in position to be contacted by the journal upon horizontal movement of the journal relative to the journal box, each of said journal stops having a plurality of ribs on the side of the stops positioned adjacent the journal when the unit is mounted in .a journal box, said ribs extending radially tof the journal when positioned in the journal box, said journal stops having holes extending therethrough, said holes terminating between said ribs and extending radially of the journal when the unit is positioned in the journal box, and a thin at nylon strip connecting said journal stops and being adapted to extend around the bottom of the journal box beneath the journal.

8. In a railway car having a journal box provided with side walls having upwardly and inwardly curving vertical ribs and horizontal ribs .protruding from the interior thereof, an axle including a journal disposed within said journal box and terminating in a collar, a bearing member resting on the top portion of said journal, and lubricator means disposed in the bottom portion of the journal box for delivering lubricating material to said journal, the improvement which comprises a stabilizer unit removably positioned in said journal box and having a pair of nylon journal stops on opposite sides of said journal connected together by a thin flat nylon strap extending across the bottom of the journal box beneath said lubricator means, each of said journal stops being disposed rearwardly of said collar along a side wall of the journal box above the horizontal rib thereon and spaced below said bearing member, and each of said journal stops having a thick body portion and an upstanding vertical surface intermediate its ends and an arcuate surface adjacent the respective journal box side wall, said body portion forwardly of said vertical surface terminating adjacent the collar and having a length less than the body portion and forming an `abutment surface on the stop, said arcuate surface extending from said vertical surface to the opposite end of the stop, whereby the arcuate surface contacts the upwardly and inwardly curving surface of the adjacent vertical rib and the vertical surface contacts the front surface of the adjacent vertical rib.

9. A unitary nylon stabilizer unit for use in a hollow railroad journal box of the type having a bottom wall, side walls and a front wall, said box also including along its side Walls a pair of opposed vertically disposed inwardly projecting bearing retaining ribs and a pair of opposed inwardly projecting waste retaining ribs disposed horizontally below and forwardly of said bearing retaining ribs, the journal being received from one end in said journal box, said stabilizer comprising a resilient strap of a length to extend transversely along the bottom wall of said journal box and terminate adjacent said waste retaining ribs, angular'portions connected to the ends of said strap for projecting inwardly and upwardly from said strap when said str-ap is positioned along the bottom Wall of said journal box, journal stops connected to the ends of said angular portions, the outer and lower surfaces of said journal stops having coniigurations for conforming to the configurations of the side walls of said journal box above said waste retaining ribs and for conforming to the configuration of the upper surface of said waste retaining ribs, -said journal stops being so dimensioned that inner portions thereof are adapted to be received beneath said bearing retaining ribs as the lower surfaces of said journal stops are adapted to be received on said waste retaining ribs, said journal stops having vertical portions outwardly of said inner portions for abutting the front faces of said bearing retaining ribs, and vertically disposed axially spaced ribs on the inner faces of said journal stops for being engaged by said journal upon lateral movement of said axle, said stabilizer unit being removable from said journal box through said front opening when the top of the journal is at a level with the Waste retaining ribs without the necessity of removing said journal from said journal box.

10. The structure defined in claim 9 wherein said stops are resilient and so shaped that said strap biases said journal stops outwardly against said sides When said stabilizer unit is received in said journal box.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,941,849 6/60 Sale 308-40 2,957,733 10/60 Hare 308-40 5 3,028,202 4/62 George 308-38 3,075,815 1/63 Diggins 308-40 FOREIGN PATENTS 879,360 10/61 Great Britain.

10 OTHER REFERENCES Magnus Solid Bearing, by Magnus Metal Corporation. Published in Modern Railroads, November 1953,

pages 136 and 137 relied upon. 308-4l. 15 DON A. wA1TE,Prmary Exarrriner.

FRANK SUSKO, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A RAILWAY CAR HAVING A JOURNAL BOX PROVIDED WITH SIDE WALLS HAVING VERTICAL BEARING RETAINER RIBS, PROTRUDING FROM THE INTERIOR THEREOF, AN AXLE INCLUDING A JOURNAL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID JOURNAL BOX AND TERMINATING IN A COLLAR, AND A BEARING MEMBER RESTING ON THE TOP PORTION OF SAID JOURNAL THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A PAIR OF NYLON JOURNAL STOPS REMOVABLY POSITIONED IN SAID JOURNAL BOX ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID JOURNAL AND A FLEXIBLE STRAP CONNECTED TO SAID JOURNAL STOPS AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE JOURNAL BOX IN A FLEXED CONDITION FOR URGING SAID STOPS AGAINST SAID SIDE WALLS, EACH OF SAID JOURNAL STOPS BEING DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF SAID BEARING ALONG A SIDE WALL OF THE JOURNAL BOX AND BELOW SAID BEARING MEMBER, AND EACH OF SAID JOURNAL STOPS HAVING SURFACES IN POSITION TO CONTACT BOTH THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE ADJACENT VERTICAL RIB AND THE REAR SURFACE OF THE COLLAR.

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