Wheel flange lubrication nozzle

Details Wheel flange lubrication nozzle Wheel flange lubrication nozzle

1999-11-15

2001-02-13

Kashnikow, Andres (Department: 3752)

Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing

Unitary injection nozzle and pump or accumulator plunger

Accumulator plunger biased to discharge fluid

C239S584000, C239S583000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06186411

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally relates to a system used to lubricate the flanges of the wheels of a railroad locomotive. More particularly, the invention relates to lubricant nozzle devices of the type commonly deployed in such systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The following background information is provided to assist the reader to understand the environment in which the invention will typically be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless specifically stated otherwise in this document.
A typical freight train is composed of one or more locomotives and a plurality of railcars with which to haul freight. A locomotive is supported by two or more truck assemblies (hereinafter referred to as “trucks”).
FIG. 1
illustrates a locomotive
1
that employs only two trucks, one truck
2
supporting the front of the locomotive and the other truck
3
supporting its rear. Although the trucks shown in
FIG. 1
each have only two wheel/axle assemblies
4
(commonly referred to as “wheelsets”), there are locomotives in use in the railroad industry whose trucks employ three or even four wheelsets.
In addition to its wheelsets, each truck features a suspension system, a pair of side frames and the other parts that together form the structure that supports the body of the locomotive. The wheelsets
4
of each truck are disposed in parallel. Each wheelset
4
is composed of an axle shaft
5
and two wheels
6
. Each axle shaft
5
has a bearing assembly
7
concentrically fixed about each of its ends. Each wheel
6
is fixed to its axle shaft
5
inboard of, and adjacent to, its neighboring bearing assembly
7
.
FIG. 1
only shows the near side of the axle shafts
5
, wheels
6
and bearing assemblies
7
of the two trucks
2
and
3
. The far side (not shown) of each truck is, of course, essentially a mirror image of the near side.
FIG. 1
also shows that the wheelsets
4
of each truck on the near side are interconnected. by a side frame
8
. Likewise, another side frame (not shown) interconnects the wheelsets
4
of each truck on the far side. In particular, each side frame has an opening at each end. These openings are each shaped to accommodate the correspondingly shaped external housing of a bearing assembly
7
. By its openings, one side frame
8
affixes to, and rides upon, the two bearing housings
7
on the near side of the wheelsets
4
of truck
2
. Another side frame
8
affixes to, and rides upon, the two bearing housings
7
for the wheelsets
4
on the near side of truck
3
. Likewise, each truck also has a side frame on the far side that affixes to the two bearing housings located on that side of the wheelsets
4
.
The weight of the body of the locomotive
1
is transferred to the side frames
8
, and other supporting components, via the suspension systems (not shown) on the trucks. It is the function of the suspension systems to dampen the vibrations that occur between the wheelsets
4
and the body of the locomotive
1
. The side frames
8
of the trucks transfer the weight of the locomotive body to the wheelsets
4
of the locomotive
1
via the bearing housings
7
. Being fixed within the openings and thus rendered immovable by the side frames, the bearing housings, via the bearings they carry, allow the axle shafts
5
to rotate as the wheels
6
ride atop the rails of the railway track.
FIG. 2
shows a wheelset
4
of a locomotive truck to which a traction motor
9
is attached. This type of wheelset
4
has a gear wheel
10
fixed about its axle shaft
5
inboard of the wheel
6
shown at right. The pinion gear
11
on the shaft
12
of the traction motor
9
is designed to mesh with the gear wheel
10
of its corresponding wheelset
4
. Controlled by a train operator situated in the cab of the locomotive
1
, the locomotive engines supply the desired amount of electrical power to the traction motors
9
on the trucks. In this way, each traction motor
9
drives the gear wheel
10
of its corresponding wheelset
4
to rotate the wheels
6
and thus propel the locomotive
1
and its railcars along the railway track.
The interaction between the wheels and the tracks on which they ride depends on many factors such as the type of railcar or locomotive to which the wheels are mounted, the environment in which the wheels are used, the weight they bear, and the specific composition and physical profile of the individual wheels. These factors are discussed in depth in THE CAR AND LOCOMOTIVE CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN PRACTICES, 6
th
edition, ® 1997, published by Simmons-Boardman Books, Inc., incorporated herein by reference.
An example of the physical profile for one type of wheel is illustrated in FIG.
2
. Bounded longitudinally by back and front faces
61
and
62
, the hub
60
defines a hole (commonly referred to as the “wheel bore”) in the center of wheel
6
. It is by the wheel bore that the wheel
6
is tightly press-fitted on, and mounted radially about, the wheel seat
51
on axle shaft
5
. Emerging from the back and front fillets
63
and
64
of hub
60
, the plate
65
extends radially outward from the hub
60
. Formed on the outermost periphery of plate
65
is rim
66
. Bounded longitudinally by back and front faces
67
and
68
, the rim
66
emerges from the plate
65
via its back and front fillets
69
and
70
. On the outer circumference of the rim
66
is the area known as the tread
71
. Depending on the type of wheel, the contour of the tread
71
may be flat or tapered. The flange
72
of the wheel
6
is formed on the periphery of rim
66
, emerging from the back rim face
67
. The curved portion of the rim
66
formed at the site where the tread
71
and flange
72
meet is referred to as the flange throat
73
.
The wheel treads
71
are designed to adhere to the running (i.e., top) surface of the rails essentially by means of friction. It is this friction between the treads
71
and the running surface of the rails that allows the wheels
6
to gain traction on the rails as the traction motors
9
rotate the wheelsets
4
and thereby propel the train along the railway tracks. As alluded to above, a wheel flange
72
is the tapered projection that extends completely around the inner portion of the rim
66
of a wheel
6
. Together, the wheel flanges
72
of each wheelset
4
are designed to keep the wheelset on the railway track by limiting lateral movement of the wheelset
4
against the inside surfaces of either rail.
Due to their contact with the railway track, the wheels
6
of a locomotive suffer wear over time, particularly on their treads
71
and, to a lesser extent, their flanges
72
. The treads
71
, of course, wear as a result of their direct contact against the running surface of the steel rails. During braking, the treads
71
may suffer wear more severely if the wheels should slip or lockup as they slide atop the rails. The wheel flanges
72
suffer wear due to their contact with inside surfaces of the rails, particularly as the trains negotiate curves in the railway track.
The most important goal of the railroad industry has always been to assure the safety of the passengers and freight that it transports by rail. The integrity of every wheel on a train is therefore of critical importance. A defective or badly worn wheel is likely to lead to a derailment of the train, resulting in serious injuries to passengers or damage to freight. The industry has continually sought to improve the durability and reliability of the wheels, a fact that can be quickly appreciated at a glance by observing a long freight train operating at high speed. Every year the railroad operating authorities spend large amounts of money to inspect, replace, and maintain the wheels on their trains. The industry has long employed procedures to detect worn or defective wheels and promptly remove them from service. The industry also continually makes efforts to improve the processes that manufactures use to make wheels and the systems that the railroads employ to maintain them while in serv

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