Apparatus and method for determining bearing condition of railway car journal boxes

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR TESTING RAILWAY CAR BEARINGS THAT SUPPORT A RAILWAY CAR FROM AN AXLE CARRIED BY A PAIR OF CAR WHEELS INTEGRAL THEREWITH, A MOVABLE TEST RAIL INTERPOSED IN EACH RAIL OF A TRACK SECTION AND TRAVERSED SIMULTANEOUSLY BY SAID WHEEL PAIR, SUPPORT MEANS FOR EACH TEST RAIL, EACH OF SAID TEST RAILS AND SAID SUPPORT MEANS HAVING SIMILARLY INCLINED FRONT AND REAR COOPERATING FACING SURFACES SPACED APART BY FRICTIONLESS ROLLER MEANS, SAID SURFACES RISING FROM REAR TO FRONT IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID RAILWAY CAR SUCH THAT THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR WHEEL ACTING ON THE INCLINED SURFACES OF THE SUPPORT MEANS DEVELOPS A PROPORTIONAL COUNTER FORCE THAT ACTS ON EACH TEST RAIL IN OPPOSITION TO THE DRAG FORCE IMPOSED BY THE ASSOCIATED CAR WHEEL, SAID SUPPORT MEANS HAVING A REAR STOP THAT NORMALLY ABUTS EACH TEST RAIL TO PREVENT REARWARD MOVEMENT THEREOF AND A FRONT STOP SPACED FROM SAID TEST RAIL TO ACCOMMODATE FORWARD MOVEMENTS DUE TO DRAG FORCES AND FORWARD MOVEMENTS OCCASIONED BY WHEEL PAIRS OF UNEQUAL DIAMETER, INDEPENDENT DETECTING MEANS FOR EACH TEST RAIL AND RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENTS OF THE ASSOCIATED TEST RAIL OCCASIONED BY DRAG FORCES THAT EXCEED THE ASSOCIATED COUNTER FORCES, AND INDICATING MEANS ACTUATED ONLY WHEN BOTH OF SAID DETECTING MEANS ARE ACTUATED BY SAID TEST RAILS IN RESPONDING TO EXCESSIVE DRAG FORCES.