Railway rolling stock – Trucks – Bogie
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-04
2001-12-04
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railway rolling stock
Trucks
Bogie
C105S226000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324995
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to railway car body underframes for mounting on a bolster of a supporting truck, and more specifically to center filler plates for use with draft sills of such underframes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, the entire weight of railway freight cars is carried on two spaced circular center plates on railway car draft sills. These center plates engage two mating female bowls on cooperating truck bolsters. The trucks include wheel sets, which support the freight car on the railroad track.
Conventional draft sills have been either fabricated or cast of steel. In some cast steel draft sills, the center plates are cast as an integral part of the draft sill. In some other cast draft sills and in conventional fabricated draft sills, a separate center filler plate is welded or bolted to the draft sill. These center filler plates have been advantageous in that they can be removed and replaced as they become worn without requiring replacement of the entire draft sill.
The conventional center filler plates have included base portions that are received within the draft sill above a flange. The flange is typically welded to the outside of the draft sill. Exposed below the flange is the center plate bowl bearing surface that is received within the center plate bowl on the truck bolster. Above the center plate bowl bearing surface is a central hub to receive a part of a king pin when the draft sill is mounted on the car truck. Also above the flange and surrounding the central hub is a generally rectangular outer web connected to the central hub through four spaced ribs. The web and the ribs provide stiffness to the center filler plate to withstand stresses from the vertical loads and the compressive loads from the railway car body bolster. Deep pockets or recesses are defined by the hub, the ribs and the sides of the web.
For handling the center filler plates, prior structures have included feet formed at the corners of the box or outer web to allow for stacking of the center filler plates as well as to provide openings between the feet so that workers could fit their hands in for lifting each center filler plate.
Conventional center filler plates have been made of cast steel. In such casting operations, the deep pockets or recesses in the center filler plate are defined by green molding sand from which the casting must be removed after the casting has cooled. Commonly, identifying marks are cast into the center filler plate in the vicinity of the pockets or recesses.
Finishing the cast center filler plates has been problematic. At casting temperatures, the sand may become burned in, that is, the silica of the molding sand becomes very hard. The burned in sand does not fall out with shaking of the casting, and can ruin cast markings. Removal of burned in sand is a labor intensive operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the need for a center filler plate from which molding sand or sand cores can be removed with less labor while providing the necessary strength. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention addresses the need for a center filler plate that can be picked up and handled by machine for installation on a draft sill.
In one aspect, the present invention addresses the need for a center filler plate made in a less labor-intensive operation by providing a center filler plate for a railway car comprising a center plate bowl and a center plate base. The center plate bowl includes an exterior bearing surface, a king pin hole at the center of the bearing surface and a plurality of opposite interior center plate bowl surfaces. The center plate base is on the center plate bowl and includes a hollow hub to receive at least a part of a king pin. The hub has a central axis intersecting the exterior bearing surface. The central axis is located at the center of the king pin hole. The hub joins the interior center plate bowl surfaces along radii and has a top opposite the junctures with the interior center plate bowl surfaces. The center plate base has a web that has a plurality of sides. Each side joins at least one of the interior center plate bowl surfaces along a radius. The web has a top opposite the junctures of the sides with the interior center plates surfaces. The center plate base also has a plurality of spaced ribs extending radially outward from the hub to the web. Each rib is positioned between two of the interior center plate bowl surfaces and joins the two interior center plate bowl surfaces along radii. Each rib has a top opposite the junctures with the interior center plate bowl surfaces. At least a part of the hub extends between adjacent ribs and at least a part of the web extends between the adjacent ribs. The center filler plate also has a plurality of pockets. Each pocket corresponds with one of the interior center plate bowl surfaces and extends along at least part of one rib, along at least part of the hub, along at least part of the next rib, and along at least part of the web. Each pocket has a maximum vertical depth from the level of the interior center plate bowl surface to the level of the top of the web at the level spaced furthest from the level of the interior center plate bowl surface. The maximum depth is less than about five inches.
In another aspect, the present invention addresses the need for a center filler plate made in a less labor-intensive operation by providing a center filler plate for a railway car comprising a center plate bowl and a center plate base on the center plate bowl. The center plate bowl includes an exterior bearing surface, a king pin hole at the center of the bearing surface and a plurality of opposite interior center plate bowl surfaces. The center plate base includes a hollow hub to receive at least a part of a king pin. The hub has a central axis intersecting the exterior bearing surface. The central axis is located at the center of the king pin hole. The hub joins the interior center plate bowl surfaces along radii and has a top opposite the junctures with the interior center plate bowl surfaces. The center plate base also has a flange, a web and a plurality of ribs. The flange has a welding surface for welding the center filler plate to the railway car center sill. The web has a plurality of sides. Each side joins at least one of the interior center plate bowl surfaces along a radius. The web has a top opposite the junctures of the sides with the interior center plate bowl surfaces. The ribs extend radially outward from the hub to the web. Each rib is positioned between two of the interior center plate bowl surfaces and joins the two interior center plate bowl surfaces along radii. Each rib has a top opposite the junctures with the interior center plate bowl surfaces. At least a part of the hub extends between adjacent ribs and at least a part of the web extends between the adjacent ribs. The flange is at a level between the level of the exterior bearing surface and the level of the top of the web. The center filler plate also has a plurality of pockets. Each pocket corresponds with one of the interior center plate bowl surfaces and extends along at least part of one rib, along at least part of the hub, along at least part of the next rib, and along at least part of the web. The center filler plate has a maximum height between the level of the exterior bearing surface and the level of the top of the web spaced furthest from the level of the exterior bearing surface. The web has a maximum exterior height between the level of the flange and the level of the top of the web spaced furthest from the level of the exterior bearing surface. The ratio of the maximum height of the center filler plate to the maximum height of the web is at least three to one.
In another aspect, the present invention addresses the need for a center filler plate made in a less labor-intensive operation by providing a center filler plate for a railway car comprising a center plate bowl and a center plate base on the center
Compton Douglas L.
Kaufhold Horst T.
Ladendorf Jeffery R.
Thomason Leonard D.
Toussaint Brian A.
Amstead Industries Incorporated
Brosius Edward J.
Jules Frantz F.
Morano S. Joseph
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