Claims
- 1. A railway car truck comprising:
a side frame including a central axis, a bottom tension member, a top compression member, first and second spaced apart columns extending between said bottom tension member and said top compression member, and a window located between said bottom tension member and said top compression member and between said first and second columns; a transom having a first end, a second end and a central axis, said first end of said transom located within said window of said side frame; and a rocker connection pivotally supporting said first end of said transom on said bottom tension member of said side frame, said rocker connection including a rocker seat attached to said first end of said transom and a rocker bar removably supported on said bottom tension member of said side frame, said rocker seat including a rocker bearing having a concave bearing surface and a central axis, said central axis of said rocker bearing being perpendicular to said central axis of said transom, said rocker bar including a convex bearing surface adapted to pivotally engage said concave bearing surface of said rocker seat, said convex bearing surface of said rocker bar having a central axis located parallel to said central axis of said side frame; whereby the engagement of said rocker bar with said rocker seat disposes said central axis of said transom perpendicular to said central axis of said side frame, and such that said rocker bar and said side frame are pivotal with respect to said rocker seat and to said transom about said central axis of said rocker bar.
- 2. The railway car truck of claim 1 wherein said bottom tension member of said side frame includes a first opening and a first pocket adapted to removably receive said rocker bar, and said first column includes a second opening, said first and second openings forming a passageway through said side frame in communication with said window such that said rocker bar can be passed through said passage and positioned within said first pocket.
- 3. The railway car truck of claim 2 wherein said bottom tension member includes a second pocket, said first and second pockets adapted to receive respective ends of said rocker bar and adapted to prevent longitudinal movement of said rocker bar with respect to said side frame.
- 4. The railway car truck of claim 1 wherein said concave bearing surface and said convex bearing surface are each generally cylindrical-shaped.
- 5. The railway car truck of claim 1 wherein said rocker bearing includes first and second downwardly extending skirts, each said skirt being located on a respective side of said concave bearing surface, said skirts adapted to prevent inadvertent disengagement of said rocker bar from said rocker seat.
- 6. The railway car truck of claim 1 wherein said rocker seat includes a plate adapted to be attached to said transom, said rocker bearing being attached to said plate.
- 7. The railway car truck of claim 1 wherein said rocker bar includes a stop member adapted to engage said rocker seat to prevent longitudinal movement of said rocker seat with respect to said side frame.
- 8. The railway car truck of claim 1 including a bolster having a first end and a second end, said bolster being located above said transom with said first end of said bolster located in said window, and a plurality of springs extending between said first end of said transom and said first end of said bolster.
- 9. A rocker seat adapted to be attached to a transom of a railway car truck, said rocker seat comprising:
a plate adapted to be attached to the transom; a rocker bearing attached to said plate, said rocker bearing including a generally cylindrical-shaped concave bearing surface formed about a central axis, and first and second skirts located on respective sides of said concave bearing surface.
- 10. The rocker seat of claim 9 including a plurality of posts, said posts extending upwardly from said plate and adapted to extend into apertures located in the transom.
- 11. A rocker bar adapted to be removably supported on the bottom tension member of a side frame and to pivotally engage a rocker seat, said rocker bar comprising:
a first stop member located at a first end of said rocker bar; a second stop member located at a second end of said rocker bar; a generally cylindrical-shaped convex bearing surface located between said first and second stop members, said convex bearing surface adapted to pivotally engage the rocker seat.
- 12. The rocker bar of claim 11 including an eye adapted to assist in the removal of said rocker bar from the bottom tension member of the side frame.
- 13. A method of assembling a railway car truck comprising:
attaching a rocker seat including a bearing surface having a central axis to an end of a transom having a central axis, such that said central axis of said bearing surface is perpendicular to said central axis of said transom; placing a bolster on top of the transom and generally parallel to the transom; inserting an end of the bolster and an end of the transom into a window of a side frame such that the transom is spaced apart from the bottom tension member of the side frame; inserting a rocker bar having a bearing surface and a central axis under the rocker seat and on the bottom tension member of the side frame; lowering the transom until the bearing surface of the rocker seat engages the bearing surface of the rocker bar; inserting a plurality of springs between the transom and the bolster; and lowering the bolster onto the springs.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said rocker bar is inserted under the rocker seat by passing the rocker bar through a passageway formed in the side frame.
- 15. The method of claim 13 including the step of lifting the transom and the bolster upwardly after being placed into the window to space the transom from the bottom tension member of the side frame.
- 16. The method of claim 13 including the step of coupling the transom to the bolster prior to inserting the ends of the transom and bolster into the window of the side frame, and uncoupling the transom from the bolster after the transom has been lowered to engage the bearing surface of the rocker seat with the bearing surface of the rocker bar.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/277,930, filed Mar. 21, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60277930 |
Mar 2001 |
US |