Claims
- 1. A friction dampener for interposition between separate independently movable elements which are expected to undergo relative displacements, said friction dampener comprising:
a. a housing having a first connecting member for connection to a first independently movable element; b. a shaft having a first end slidably disposed in said housing and an opposite end having a second connecting member for connection to a second independently movable element; c. at least one friction element carried by said shaft in contact with and frictionally engaging said housing; and d. said housing configured to compensate for thermal expansion and generally maintain pressure between said at least one friction element and said housing within a range of desired pressures.
- 2. The friction dampener of claim 1 wherein said housing, said shaft and said friction elements are generally rectangular shaped.
- 3. The friction dampener of claim 1 wherein said at least one friction element is at least two friction elements attached to said shaft at spaced apart locations.
- 4. The friction dampener of claim 3 wherein each of said at least two friction elements is a pair of friction elements, each of said pair of friction elements attached to opposite sides of said rectangular shaft at said spaced apart locations.
- 5. The friction dampener of claim 1 further comprising a bearing member attached to a distal end of said shaft at a spaced apart location from said at least one friction element, said bearing maintaining said shaft in a generally axially aligned position in said housing.
- 6. The friction dampener of claim 5 wherein said bearing member is generally rectangular shaped.
- 7. The friction dampener of claim 5 wherein said bearing member is formed from a material having a low coefficient of friction.
- 8. The friction dampener of claim 1 wherein said at least one friction element further comprises an inner portion which is attached to said shaft and an outer portion which frictionally engages said housing, said inner portion having distinct material properties from said outer portion.
- 9. The friction dampener of claim 8 wherein said inner portion has a selected coefficient of compression and said outer portion has a selected coefficient of friction.
- 10. The friction dampener of claim 1 further comprising:
a. said housing having a generally rectangular shape defined by a pair of opposed friction surfaces and a pair of opposed side walls; b. said at least one friction element having at least one interface surface engaging at least one of said pair of opposed friction surfaces of said housing, said interface surface having a width less than the space between said pair of opposed side walls; and c. said housing at least partially accommodating thermal expansion of said at least one friction element between said opposed side walls such that pressure between said at least one friction element and said housing resulting from anticipated thermal expansion of said at least one friction element is generally maintained within said range of desired pressures.
- 11. The friction dampener of claim 10 wherein said at least one friction element is at least two friction elements attached to said shaft at spaced apart locations.
- 12. The friction dampener of claim 10 further comprising a bearing member attached to a distal end of said shaft spaced apart from said at least one friction element.
- 13. The friction dampener of claim 12 wherein said bearing is generally rectangular shaped.
- 14. The friction dampener of claim 10 further comprising:
a. said shaft having a generally rectangular shape; b. said at least one friction element is at least two friction elements attached to said rectangular shaft at the same location on opposite sides of said shaft; and c. said at least one interface surface of each of said at least two friction elements engaging respective ones of said pair of opposed friction surfaces of said housing.
- 15. The friction dampener of claim 10 further comprising:
a. said shaft having a generally rectangular shape; b. said generally rectangular housing having a channel member connected to a plate member, said channel member having an upper friction surface and a pair of side walls extending therefrom, said pair of side walls connected to said plate member, said plate member defining a lower friction surface opposite said upper friction surface; c. said at least one friction element is at least two friction elements each having at least one interface surface frictionally engaging respective ones of said upper and lower friction surfaces; d. said at least two friction elements being initially compressed between said upper and lower friction surfaces by a predetermined amount when disposed within said rectangular housing along with said shaft; and e. selectively adjusting the spacing between said upper friction surface and said lower friction surface to provide said predetermined amount of initial compression of said at least two friction elements within said housing such that pressure between said at least two friction elements and said upper and lower friction surfaces resulting from anticipated thermal expansion of said at least two friction elements is maintained within said desirable range of pressures.
- 16. The friction dampener of claim 15 wherein said selectively adjusting comprises inserting at least one shim between said channel member and said plate member.
- 17. The friction dampener of claim 1 further comprising:
a. said housing and said shaft having a generally rectangular shape; b. said generally rectangular housing having a channel member connected to a plate member, said channel member having an upper friction surface and a pair of side walls extending therefrom, said pair of side walls connected to said plate member, said plate member defining a lower friction surface opposite said upper friction surface; c. said at least one friction element is at least two friction elements each having at least one interface surface frictionally engaging respective ones of said upper and lower friction surfaces; d. said at least two friction elements being initially compressed between said upper and lower friction surfaces by a predetermined amount when disposed within said rectangular housing along with said shaft; and e. selectively adjusting the spacing between said upper friction surface and said lower friction surface to provide said predetermined amount of initial compression of said at least two friction elements within said housing such that pressure between said at least two friction elements and said upper and lower friction surfaces resulting from anticipated thermal expansion of said at least two friction elements is maintained within said desirable range of pressures.
- 18. The friction dampener of claim 17 wherein said selectively adjusting comprises inserting at least one shim between said channel member and said plate member.
- 19. The friction dampener of claim 17 further comprising said at least two friction elements having an inner portion attached to said generally rectangular shaft and an outer portion having said at least one interface surface frictionally engaging respective ones of said upper and lower friction surfaces of said housing, said inner and outer portions having distinct material properties.
- 20. The friction dampener of claim 19 wherein said inner portion has a selected coefficient compression and said outer portion has a selected coefficient of friction.
- 21. The friction dampener of claim 17 further comprising said at least one friction element having a certain coefficient of compression, said certain coefficient of compression chosen to further selectively adjust said predetermined amount of initial compression.
- 22. The friction dampener of claim 20 wherein said coefficient of compression of said inner portion is chosen to further selectively adjust said predetermined amount of initial compression.
- 23. The friction dampener of claim 17 further comprising said at least two friction elements being at least four friction elements, one pair of said at least two friction elements attached at one location on said shaft and a second pair of said at least four friction elements attached to said shaft at a spaced apart location from said first pair.
- 24. The friction dampener of claim 17 further comprising a bearing member attached to a distal end of said shaft spaced apart from said at least two friction elements.
- 25. The friction dampener of claim 17 further comprising said channel member having flanges standing from each of said pair of sidewalls, said flanges connected to said plate member and said selectively adjusting comprises inserting at least one shim between said flange members and said plate member.
- 26. At least one yaw dampener for a controlling hunting of a railway vehicle truck assembly, each said yaw dampener comprising:
a. a housing having a first connecting member for connection to a first independently movable element; b. a shaft having a first end slidably disposed in said housing and an opposite end having a second connecting member for connection to a second independently movable element; c. at least one friction element carried by said shaft in contact with and frictionally engaging said housing; and d. said housing configured to compensate for thermal expansion and generally maintain pressure between said at least one friction element and said housing within a range of desired pressures.
- 27. The yaw dampener of claim 26 wherein said housing, said shaft and said friction elements are generally rectangular shaped.
- 28. The yaw dampener of claim 26 wherein said at least one friction element is at least two friction elements attached to said shaft at spaced apart locations.
- 29. The yaw dampener of claim 26 wherein each of said at least two friction elements is a pair of friction elements, each of said pair of friction elements attached to opposite sides of said rectangular shaft at said spaced apart locations.
- 30. The yaw dampener of claim 26 further comprising a bearing member attached to a distal end of said shaft at a spaced apart location from said at least one friction element, said bearing maintaining said shaft in a generally axially aligned position in said housing.
- 31. The yaw dampener of claim 30 wherein said bearing member is generally rectangular shaped.
- 32. The yaw dampener of claim 30 wherein said bearing member is formed from a material having a low coefficient of friction.
- 33. The yaw dampener of claim 26 wherein said at least one friction element further comprises an inner portion which is attached to said shaft and an outer portion which frictionally engages said housing, said inner portion having distinct material properties from said outer portion.
- 34. The yaw dampener of claim 33 wherein said inner portion has a selected coefficient of compression and said outer portion has a selected coefficient of friction.
- 35. The yaw dampener of claim 26 further comprising:
a. said housing having a generally rectangular shape defined by a pair of opposed friction surfaces and a pair of opposed side walls; b. said at least one friction element having at least one interface surface engaging at least one of said pair of opposed friction surfaces of said housing, said interface surface having a width less than the space between said pair of opposed side walls; and c. said housing at least partially accommodating thermal expansion of said at least one friction element between said opposed side walls such that pressure between said at least one friction element and said housing resulting from anticipated thermal expansion of said at least one friction element is generally maintained within said range of desired pressures.
- 36. The yaw dampener of claim 35 further comprising:
a. said shaft having a generally rectangular shape; b. said at least one friction element is at least two friction elements attached to said rectangular shaft at the same location on opposite sides of said shaft; and c. said at least one interface surface of each of said at least two friction elements engaging respective ones of said pair of opposed friction surfaces of said housing.
- 37. The yaw dampener of claim 35 further comprising:
a. said shaft having a generally rectangular shape; b. said generally rectangular housing having a channel member connected to a plate member, said channel member having an upper friction surface and a pair of side walls extending therefrom, said pair of side walls connected to said plate member, said plate member defining a lower friction surface opposite said upper friction surface; c. said at least one friction element is at least two friction elements each having at least one interface surface frictionally engaging respective ones of said upper and lower friction surfaces; d. said at least two friction elements being initially compressed between said upper and lower friction surfaces by a predetermined amount when disposed within said rectangular housing along with said shaft; and e. selectively adjusting the spacing between said upper friction surface and said lower friction surface to provide said predetermined amount of initial compression of said at least two friction elements within said housing such that pressure between said at least two friction elements and said upper and lower friction surfaces resulting from anticipated thermal expansion of said at least two friction elements is maintained within said desirable range of pressures.
- 38. The yaw dampener of claim 37 wherein said selectively adjusting comprises inserting at least one shim between said channel member and said plate member.
- 39. The yaw dampener of claim 37 further comprising said at least two friction elements having an inner portion attached to said generally rectangular shaft and an outer portion having said at least one interface surface frictionally engaging respective ones of said upper and lower friction surfaces of said housing, said inner and outer portions having distinct material properties.
- 40. The yaw dampener of claim 39 wherein said inner portion has a selected coefficient compression and said outer portion has a selected coefficient of friction.
- 41. The yaw dampener of claim 37 further comprising said at least one friction element having a certain coefficient of compression, said certain coefficient of compression chosen to further selectively adjust said predetermined amount of initial compression.
- 42. The yaw dampener of claim 40 wherein said coefficient of compression of said inner portion is chosen to further selectively adjust said predetermined amount of initial compression.
- 43. The yaw dampener of claim 37 further comprising said channel member having flanges standing from each of said pair of sidewalls, said flanges connected to said plate member and said selectively adjusting comprises inserting at least one shim between said flange members and said plate member.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/076,044, filed Feb. 26, 1998.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60076044 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08257445 |
Jun 1994 |
US |
Child |
09827651 |
Apr 2001 |
US |