Railraod car supsension system

Claim 1

A railraod vehicle truck suspension structure for use with railroad freight cars having at least one axle, or the like, comprising, in combination: a journal box disposed at each transverse end of said axle; left and right longitudinally extending vehicle side frame members disposed at each transverse side of said freight car; first and second lower seat members disposed, respectively, fore and aft of the axis of said axle and each supported by a journal box; first and second spaced upper seat members, respectively, said upper seat members being integral with said left frame member during use; first and second elastomeric member disposed intermediate and captively held between each of said first upper and lower and said second upper and lower seat members, respectively, said elastomeric member providing progressively increasing resistance to vertical, transverse and longitudinal operating forces transmitted between the sprung mass and said axle; each of said lower seat members comprising a cup-shaped lower base portion thereof integral with upstanding, arcuately extending lower wall portions which collectively extend substantially half-way about said lower base portion, said lower base portion having bearing surfaces which engage one of said elastomers, said lower upstanding wall portions having curved surfaces which engage one of said elastomers; each of said upper seat members comprising a cupshaped upper base portion thereof integral with depending, arcuately extending upper wall portions which collectively extend substantially half-way about said upper base portion, pairs of said upper and lower seat members being operatively located such that said upper and lower wall portions aRe disposed in opposite relationship with respect to each other about one of said elastomers, thereby captively limiting movement of the elastomer, said captive elastomer resisting horizontal movement of said upstanding and depending wall portions towards each other and further resisting vertical movement of said upper and lower base portions towards one another, thereby isolating rail-induced forces in each axle from the vehicle sprung mass.