Patent Application
20140190307
The invention relates generally to railway car handbrake systems, and more particularly to an improved polymeric handbrake wheel.
This invention is applicable to railcar handbrake apparatuses. A railcar handbrake is used to prevent railway cars from moving while they are not in use. The handbrake is engaged and disengaged manually by a railway worker. In a standard railway car handbrake apparatus, a handbrake wheel is fixed to an operating shaft that is rotatably attached to the gearbox of the handbrake. The handbrake apparatus is engaged or disengaged by rotating the handbrake wheel in a clockwise or counter-clockwise.
In the current railcar handbrake apparatus used in the railway industry, the handbrake wheel is made from stamped steel. The steel handbrake wheel is heavy, exerting unnecessary force caused by movement and vibrations of the wheel while the railcar is in use, on the gearbox and the rest of the apparatus. The steel handbrake wheel is also susceptible to damage during use, because steel is not a highly resilient material. The heaviness of the current steel handbrake wheel limits the number of wheels a railway worker can carry when performing repairs and replacing the handbrake wheels on the railway cars.
Both Ross Equipment Australia and LinkUp International produce non-steel, polymeric handbrake wheels. However, both of these products present additional problems not found when using steel handbrake wheels. The Ross polymeric handbrake wheel includes a small metal ring in the hub to connect the handbrake wheel to the shaft of the gearbox.
The LinkUp International polymer handbrake wheel has an insert made of aluminum that acts as a hub to connect the wheel to the shaft of the gearbox.
The present invention provides a polymeric handbrake wheel that has the necessary strength to function properly in everyday use, and increases the life of both the handbrake gearbox and the handbrake wheel.
In accordance with the present invention, a polymeric railcar handbrake wheel with a metal insert or core is provided for use.
One embodiment of the present polymeric handbrake wheel includes an outer ring, a plurality of spokes, a hub, and an insert or a core. The hub is located inside the outer ring, and connected to the outer ring by the plurality of spokes. The core includes a shaft member with a first and a second end, with the first end having a head with a larger cross-sectional area than the second end. Both the first end and the second end of the core are secured in the hub. The core includes an opening in the head of the first end that extends through the core to the second end.
Another embodiment of the present polymeric handbrake wheel includes an outer ring, a plurality of spokes, a hub, and a core. The hub is located inside the outer ring, and connected to the outer ring by the plurality of spokes. The core includes a shaft member with first and a second end, with the first end having a larger cross-sectional area than the second end. The shaft member of the core contains at least one flange extending from the first end to the second end of the shaft member. Both the first end and the second end of the core are secured in the hub. The outer ring has a front face and a rear side, with the front face having reflectors, and the rear side having finger contours. The plurality of spokes have a plurality of front faces, with the front faces having reflectors. The core includes an opening in the first end that extends through the core to the second end. The hub includes a rear protruding hub with a plurality of flat faces on the outer surface of the rear protruding hub.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a polymeric handbrake wheel that can be used on all types of railcars to engage and disengage a railcar handbrake.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a polymeric handbrake wheel that is lighter and more durable than current steel handbrake wheels in the railway industry.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a polymeric handbrake wheel that has a higher resilience to impact, increasing the life of the handbrake wheel.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a polymeric handbrake wheel that increase the life of the handbrake gearbox.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a polymeric handbrake wheel that can withstand the torque necessary to engage and disengage a railcar handbrake.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a polymeric handbrake wheel with a hub that will not crack or break during everyday use on a railcar.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an insert or a core that prevents cracking of the insert or the core when the handbrake wheel is rotated on an operating shaft connected to the handbrake gearbox.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a narrow spoke design that will reduce the weight and simplify the mold tooling of the handbrake wheel.
It is still a further object of the present invention provide a rear protruding hub on a hub with flat areas for hammering when removing the handbrake wheel from the operating shaft connected to the handbrake gearbox.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a polymeric handbrake wheel that has an outer wheel or outer ring with finger contours for improved grip and ergonomics when rotating the wheel.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a polymeric handbrake wheel that includes reflectors on the face of the handbrake wheel.
Referring now to
The polymeric railcar handbrake wheel 10 is preferably made by a molding process. The narrow spoke design of the present invention reduces the weight of the handbrake wheel, while simplifying the mold tooling process. The preferable high density polyethylene material is significantly lighter than steel, while rigid enough to effectively transfer torque applied on the outer ring 12 of the handbrake wheel 10 to the operating shaft (not shown) of the railcar handbrake, when engaging or disengaging the handbrake. The significant weight reduction from the high density polyethylene handbrake wheel compared to the prior steel handbrake wheel, increases the life of the handbrake gearbox by reducing fatigue and wear on the gearbox caused by vibrations and movement of the handbrake wheel on the operating shaft while a railcar is in use. High density polyethylene has a higher resilience to impacts on the wheel during use, which prolongs the life of the railcar handbrake wheel compared to a steel handbrake wheel.
The hub 14 contains a center section 37 and a rear protruding hub 38. The rear protruding hub 38 is molded to the center section 37 of the hub 14 and extends in the axial direction on the operating shaft (not shown), towards the handbrake gearbox (not shown). The rear protruding hub 38 contains flat faces 52, 54, 56, 58 that are 90 degrees apart. The flat faces 52, 54, 56, 58 serve as receiving surfaces for a hammer or other tool when removing the handbrake wheel 10 from the operating shaft (not shown).
The center section 37 of the hub 14 contains a core or insert 32 that is molded into the hub 14. The core 32 is a shaft member (shown in
The core 32 contains an opening 35 that extends from the first end 34 to the second end 36. The opening 35 receives the operating shaft (not shown) from the handbrake gearbox, and fixes the handbrake wheel 10 on the operating shaft (not shown). The core 32 transfers torque placed on the outer ring 12 of the handbrake wheel 10 to the operating shaft (not shown), to engage or disengage the railcar handbrake. The core 32 can be made of any rigid material, but preferably, is made from powder metal. Powder metal is much stronger than prior aluminum cores, which prevents cracking or failure of the core during use. Production of the powder metal core is also a low cost process. Ferrous powder metal, especially steel, is preferred as the metal core. However, ductile cast iron may also be used for the metal core.
The front face 40 of the outer ring 12, and the front faces 42 of the spokes 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 allows for reflectors to be installed or reflective paint to be applied to the front face 40 of the outer ring 12, and the front faces 42 of the spokes 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 of the handbrake wheel 10, as required by law in certain countries. The rear 46 of the outer ring 12 has finger contours 48 that provide railway workers a secure grip when applying torque to the handbrake wheel 10.
Referring now to
The head 108 contains extensions 110 or small protrusions from the head 108 that prevent the head 108 from being completely round. The head 108 also contains cutouts 112 or small holes. The extensions 110 and cutouts 112 on the head 108 of the core 100 ensure a stronger bond between the between the hub 14 (
The core 100 contains flanges 116, 118, 120, 122 that extend along the shaft member 102, from the second end 106 of the shaft 102 to the first end 104 of the shaft 102. The flanges 116, 118, 120, 122 prevent rotation of the core 100 or wheel slippage after the core 100 is molded into the hub 14 (
The shaft member 102 contains an opening 114 that extends from the head 108 on the first end 104 of the shaft t ember 102, through the second end 106 of the shaft member 102. The opening 114 is generally square shaped, but any other shape opening is also contemplated to allow the opening 114 to receive the operating shaft (not shown) of the railcar handbrake,
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects.
