Railroad car truck articulated split friction wedge assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11104359-B2
Application number	US-201816178869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2018
Priority date	Dec 19, 2017
Publication date	Aug 31, 2021
Grant date	Aug 31, 2021

Abstract

A railroad car articulated split friction wedge assembly including first and second articulated friction wedges, wherein the first friction wedge includes a first body, a first decoupling insert, a first pivot member pivotally moveable with respect to the first body and the first decoupling insert, and a first wear pad removably attached to the first pivot member, and wherein the second friction wedge includes a second body, a second decoupling insert, a second pivot member pivotally moveable with respect to the second body and the second decoupling insert, and independently of the first body and the first pivot member, and a second wear pad removably attached to the second pivot member, which in combination provide required damping, provide high warp restraint, reduce binding, and enable lateral decoupling.

First claim

We claim:

1. A railroad car articulated split friction wedge assembly comprising:
a first articulated split friction wedge including:
(a) a first body including an inclined surface, a socket on a second surface, and a first lateral movement restraint arm positioned at an end of the socket, the second surface on an opposing side of the first body from the inclined surface, and
(b) a first pivot member comprising a pivot positioned within the socket of the first body, and the first pivot member pivotally moveable with respect to the first body; and

a second articulated split friction wedge including:
(a) a second body including an inclined surface, a socket on a second surface, and a second lateral movement restraint arm positioned at an end of the socket, the second surface on an opposing side of the second body from the inclined surface, and
(b) a second pivot member comprising a pivot positioned within the socket of the second body, and the first pivot member pivotally moveable with respect to the second body, and independently of the first pivot member.

2. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 1 , wherein the first body is generally triangular and includes: (i) a base; (ii) the inclined surface extending upwardly at an acute angle from the base; and (iii) a pivot receiver surface extending from the base.

3. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 2 , wherein the acute angle is approximately 30 to 45 degrees.

4. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 2 , wherein the acute angle is approximately 32 degrees.

5. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 1 , wherein the socket of the first body includes an inwardly facing concave semi-cylindrical surface.

6. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 5 , wherein the first pivot member includes an upstanding wall and the pivot integrally connected to and extending from the upstanding wall, said pivot pivotally received in a first decoupling insert which is received within the first socket.

7. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 1 , wherein the first pivot member and the second pivot member have a combined width of approximately 6.50 inches.

8. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 1 , wherein the first pivot member includes a generally rectangular first portion and a smaller generally rectangular second portion extending from a side of the first portion.

9. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 1 , wherein a first decoupling insert is positioned within the socket of the first body and the pivot of the first pivot member is positioned within the first decoupling insert, and
wherein a second decoupling insert is positioned within the socket of the second body and the pivot of the second pivot member is positioned within the second decoupling insert.

10. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 9 , wherein the first and second decoupling inserts are made from a material with a low coefficient of friction.

11. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 1 , wherein the first and second bodies are laterally moveable relative to each other.

12. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inclined surface of the first body and the inclined surface of the second body are positioned against an inclined surface bolster or an inclined bolster insert.

13. A railroad car articulated split friction wedge assembly comprising:
a first articulated split friction wedge including:
(a) a first body comprising an inclined surface, a socket on a second surface, the second surface on an opposing side of the first body from the inclined surface, and
(b) a first pivot member comprising a pivot positioned within the socket of the first body and a first lateral movement restraint arm extending outward from the first pivot member and alongside a face of the first body, the first pivot member pivotally moveable with respect to the first body; and

a second articulated split friction wedge including:
(a) a second body comprising an inclined surface, a socket on a second surface, the second surface on an opposing side of the second body from the inclined surface, and
(b) a second pivot member comprising a pivot positioned within the socket of the second body and a second lateral movement restraint arm extending outward from the second pivot member and alongside a face of the second body, and the second pivot member pivotally moveable with respect to the second body, and independently of the first pivot member.

14. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 13 , wherein the first body is generally triangular and includes: (i) a base; (ii) the inclined surface extending upwardly at an acute angle from the base; and (iii) a pivot receiver extending from the base.

15. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 14 , wherein the acute angle is approximately 30 to 45 degrees.

16. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 14 , wherein the acute angle is approximately 32 degrees.

17. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 13 , wherein the socket of the first body includes an inwardly facing concave semi-cylindrical surface.

18. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 17 , wherein the first pivot member includes an upstanding wall and the pivot integrally connected to and extending from the upstanding wall, said pivot pivotally received in a first decoupling insert which is received within the socket of the first body.

19. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 13 , wherein the first pivot member and the second pivot member have a combined width of approximately 6.50 inches.

20. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 13 , wherein a first decoupling insert is positioned within the socket of the first body and the pivot of the first pivot member is positioned within the first decoupling insert, and
wherein a second decoupling insert is positioned within the socket of the second body and the pivot of the second pivot member is positioned within the second decoupling insert.

21. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 20 , wherein the first and second decoupling inserts are made from a material with a low coefficient of friction.

22. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge of claim 13 , wherein the first and second bodies are laterally moveable relative to each other.

23. The railroad car articulated split friction wedge assembly of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the inclined surface of the first body and the inclined surface of the second body are positioned against an inclined surface bolster or an inclined bolster insert.

24. A railroad car articulated split friction wedge assembly comprising:
a first articulated split friction wedge including:
a first body comprising:
an inclined surface positioned against an inclined wall of a bolster or an insert connected to the bolster, and
a socket on a second surface, the second surface on an opposing side of the first body from the inclined surface;

a first decoupling insert positioned within the socket;
a first pivot member comprising a pivot positioned with the first decoupling insert, and the first pivot member pivotally moveable within the socket of the first body and the first decou

Assignees

• Standard Car Truck Co

Inventors

• Golembiewski Ronald D
• Morin Andrew J

Classifications

• B61F5/122 Primary

  with friction surfaces · CPC title

• B61F5/06 Primary

  incorporating metal springs · CPC title