BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a brake beam wear plate assembly and, more particularly, to a brake beam wear plate inserted into a brake beam guide on a railway car truck sideframe.
Braking systems on freight car trains include brake beams having brake shoes which engage the tread of the wheels to apply braking forces. The brake beams are mounted on the railway car truck. The railway car truck itself includes brake beam guides formed on the sideframes of the trucks. The sideframes are most typically a unitary cast steel structures, with the brake beam guides integrally cast as part of such sideframe.
It is desirable to include brake beam wear plates within the brake beam guides such that wear on the sideframe itself and the portion of the brake beam extending into the brake beam guide is limited. Such brake beam wear plates typically are comprised of polymers or high density plastics that exhibit the structural strength to be utilized in such a railway truck, while providing appropriate sliding, self lubricating characteristics to eliminate or greatly reduce wear at the end of the brake beam which extends therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a brake beam wear plate assembly for use in a railway car truck. The brake beam wear plate assembly includes a brake beam wear plate which is usually comprised of a channel shaped structure usually made of a polymer or a structural plastic. The brake beam wear plate is fitted within a brake beam guide which is an integral part of a sideframe. The sideframe is a structural component of the railway car truck.
In braking operations in a railway freight car train, a brake beam is mounted on the railway car truck with an end of the brake beam received in the brake be guide. It is desirable that the brake beam guide include a brake beam wear plate fitted therein such that the end of the brake beam can move without wear on the structural steel of the sideframe or the brake beam end itself. Brake shoes are fitted near the ends of the brake beam such that upon movement toward the tread of the railway wheel, a braking force is transmitted to the wheel tread surface.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a brake beam wear plate assembly for use in a railway car truck.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a brake beam wear plate that can be inserted into a brake beam guide in a railway car truck sideframe.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a brake beam wear plate assembly such that a brake beam wear plate includes a locating tab to be received in a complementary receiving section of a brake beam guide on a railway car truck sideframe.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings,
FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a railway car truck sideframe including braking elements;
FIG. 2 is a partial side view of a railway car truck sideframe including brake beam guide brackets;
FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a brake beam wear plate separated from a brake beam guide on a railway car truck sideframe in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a brake beam wear plate installed in a brake beam guide of a railway car truck sideframe in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a brake beam wear plate including a rejection feature in a brake beam guide of a railway car truck sideframe in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a partial review of a railway car truck is shown generally at 10. Such railway car truck is typically referred to as a three piece truck, wherein two parallel sideframes 11, with only one being shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, are spaced laterally, with a bolster, not shown, extending between such sideframes 11.
A wheeled axle 12, which is comprised of axle 22 and mounted railway wheels 23, is supported at a longitudinal end of sideframe 11. Wheel 23 includes a tread section 24 which contacts the rail 25.
Each sideframe 11 includes as an integral cast component thereof, with sideframe 11 typically being comprised of an integral cast steel structure, and includes sideframe guide brackets 19 and 20. Such sideframe guide brackets 19 and 20 face inwardly from each of the laterally spaced sideframes 11. Each sideframe guide bracket defines a channel shaped pocket adapted to receive brake beam wear plate 36. Brake beam wear plate 36 receives an end 32 of brake beam 13, enabling brake beam 13 to move within brake beam wear plate 36. Such movement of brake beam 13 end 32 allows brake shoe backing support 28 with attached brake shoe 29 to contact wheel tread 24 and provide a braking force to the train of which the railway car truck 10 is a component of a single railway car.
Referring now to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 of the drawings, a first embodiment of the brake beam wear plate assembly of the present invention is set forth. Sideframe 11 is shown in portion and comprises a generally unitary cast steel structure. Sideframe 11 includes sideframe guide bracket 19. Sideframe guide bracket 19 is itself comprised of brake beam guide bracket upper section 52 and brake beam guide bracket lower section 54. Such sections are spaced generally vertically on sideframe 11 as best seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Brake beam guide bracket upper section 52 is seen to include a concave or notch section 58 at one corner, and brake beam guide bracket lower section 54 is seen to comprise a recessed or concave corner 59. Brake beam guide bracket upper section 52 is also seen to comprise a cutout section 56, which extends inwardly in a generally semicircular fashion from an edge 53 of brake beam guide bracket upper section 52. It is further seen that brake beam guide bracket cutout section 56 is located nearer concave corner 58 of break beam guide bracket upper section 52 than the opposite corner 55 of break beam guide bracket upper section 52.
Also shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is brake beam wear plate 36. Brake beam wear plate 36 is typically comprised of a polymer or a high density plastic. But could be comprised of a suitable metal. Brake beam wear plate 36 is seen to be comprised of brake beam wear plate upper wall 40 and brake beam wear plate lower wall 42, with brake beam wear plate bottom wall 44 joining brake beam wear plate upper wall 40 and brake beam wear plate lower wall 42. Further, brake beam wear plate upper wall lip 48 is seen to extend laterally from brake beam wear plate upper wall 40, and brake beam wear plate lower wall lip 46 is seen to extend laterally from brake beam wear plate lower wall 42. Brake beam wear plate upper wall lip locating tab 50 is seen to extend laterally from brake beam wear plate upper wall lip 48. Brake beam wear plate upper wall lip locating tab 50 is seen to extend in a generally semicircular shape from brake beam wear plate upper wall lip 48. Brake beam wear plate upper wall lip locating tab 50 is seen to be able to fit in brake beam guide cutout section 56. Such complementary fitting of brake beam wear plate upper wall lip locating tap 50 and brake beam guide cutout section 56 assures that brake beam wear plate 36 can only be inserted into brake beam sideframe guide bracket 19 in one orientation. Brake beam wear plate 40 is seen to be a generally channel shaped structure formed by brake beam wear plate upper wall 40, brake beam wear plate lower wall 42, and brake beam wear plate bottom wall 44. It is possible as part of the present invention to utilize more than one locating tab 50 and cutout section 56. It should be noted that locating tab 50 can be generally semicircular, but can also be rectangular, square, triangular, or any similar shape; accordingly, locating tab 50 and cutout section 56 can be comprised of numerous complementary shapes. Further, locating tab 50 could be placed on brake beam guide bracket upper section 52, and cutout section 56 could be located in brake beam wear plate upper wall lip 48.
Referring now to FIG. 5 a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. A railway truck sideframe is partially shown at 100, and is seen to be a generally unitary cast steel structure. Sideframe 100 includes a sideframe brake beam guide bracket 102, which itself is comprised of a sideframe guide bracket lower section 104 and a sideframe guide bracket upper section 106. Such sideframe guide bracket upper section 106 and sideframe guide bracket 104 are separated generally vertically. A sideframe brake beam guide bracket rejection block 110 is seen to extend upwardly from a surface of sideframe guide bracket upper section 106. Such sideframe brake beam guide bracket rejection block 110 could be generally rectangular in shape, but other shapes such as round, oblong or square, would also accomplish the requirements of this embodiment of the invention.
A brake beam wear plate is shown generally at 112, and is seen to comprise a brake beam wear plate upper wall 114, a brake beam wear plate lower wall 116, both being joined by a brake beam wear plate bottom wall 118. Accordingly, brake beam wear plate 112 is seen to be generally channel shaped structure. Further, break beam wear plate upper wall lip 120 extends from brake beam wear plate upper wall 114 in a generally transverse fashion, and brake beam wear plate lower wall lip 122 extends generally transversely from brake beam wear plate lower wall 116.
Brake beam wear plate upper wall lip rejection tab 124 is seen to extend transversely from brake beam wear plate upper wall lip 120. The purpose of brake beam wear plate upper wall lip rejection tab 124 is to prevent brake beam ear plate 112 from being installed in brake beam guide bracket 102. Due to railway truck design and railway truck sideframe 100 design, certain brake beam wear plates are designed to be installed in certain brake beam guide brackets. The embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 5 would prohibit brake beam wear plate 112 from being installed in brake beam guide bracket 102. However, a brake beam guide bracket, not shown, that would have a cutout section in sideframe brake beam guide bracket upper section 106, as opposed to a sideframe brake beam guide bracket rejection block 110, would allow brake beam wear plate 112 to be installed therein. Accordingly, it is seen as part of the present invention in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 that the combination of sideframe brake beam guide bracket rejection block 110 and brake beam wear plate upper wall lip rejection tab 124 prohibit the improper installation of brake beam wear plate 112 into a sideframe brake beam guide bracket 102.
Patent Application
20130333990
