Fabricated railway car truck

Claim 2

A transverse member for a railway car truck adapted to be located between spaced side frames of said truck; said transverse member being elongated and having a cross section including a pair of longitudinally extending sides and a member joining said sides defining a hollow portion having an open bottom such that the shear center of said cross section is spaced upwardly from the neutral axis of said cross section throughout its length; a center bearing located at about the mid portion of said transverse member at about said shear center for receiving a cooperating car body center connection of a railway car body; said center bearing having sufficient vertical surface area to transmit horizontal loads radially between the car body and said truck; said center bearing being spaced upwardly from said neutral axis a distance sufficient to prevent substantial torsional deflection of said transverse member.

Claim 3

A transverse member according to claim 1 wherein said shear center is located on the axis of symmetry.

Claim 4

A transverse member according to claim 2 wherein said transverse member comprises a circular segment cross section.

Claim 5

A transverse member according to claim 2 wherein said transverse member comprises an elliptical segment cross section.

Claim 6

A transverse member according to claim 2 wherein said transverse member comprises a parabolic segment cross section.

Claim 7

A transverse member according to claim 2 wherein said transverse member comprises a channel shaped cross section.

Claim 8

A transverse member according to claim 2 wherein said transverse member comprises a flanged channel cross section.

Claim 9

A transverse member according to claim 2 wherein said transverse member comprises a combination channel and inverted T cross section.

Claim 10

A transverse member according to claim 2 wherein said transverse member comprises a triangular apex cross section.

Claim 11

A transverse member according to claim 1 wherein said transverse member comprises a variable cross section.

Claim 12

A railway car truck comprising: a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side frames; a pair of transversely extending axles having wheels integral therewith at opposite ends thereof for movement along a railway car track; each of said axles journalled in journal bearings respectively on opposite sides of said axles; said side frames being mounted for rocking movement relative to said journal bearings; said side frames each having mounted thereon at about the longitudinal midpoint thereof at least one side bearing for mounting a rail car body thereon adapted to receive substantially the entire weight of the car body, said side bearings having a bearing surface having a coefficient of friction sufficiently low to allow the car body to slide thereon as curves are traversed; a transverse member integrally affixed to each of said side frames, said side frames and said transverse member defining an H frame in plan; said transverse member having a cross section including a pair of spaced sides extending across said truck and a member joining said sides defining a hollow portion having an open bottom such that the shear center of said cross section is spaced upwardly from the neutral axis of said cross section throughout the length of said transverse member; said transverse member having torsional flexibility tending to allow the truck wheels to remain in engagement with the track when one wheel is displaced vertically with respect to the other wheels; said transverse member having a center bearing located at the mid portion thereof at about said shear center for receiving a cooperating car body center connection; said center bearing having sufficient vertical surface area to transmit horizontal loads radially between the car body and truck; said center bearing being spaced from said neutral axis a distance sufficient to prevent substantial torsional deflection of said transverse member.

Claim 13

A railway car truck comprising: a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side frames; a pair of transversely extending axles having wheels integral therewith at opposite ends thereof for movement along a railway car track; each of said axles journalled in journal bearings respectively on opposite sides of said axles; said side frames being mounted for rocking movement relative to said journal bearings; said side frames each having mounted thereon at about the longitudinal midpoint thereof at least one side bearing for mounting a rail car body thereon adapted to receive substantially the entire weight of the car body, said side bearings having a bearing surface having a coefficient of friction sufficiently low to allow the car body to slide thereon as curves are traversed; a transverse member integrally affixed to each of said side frames, said side frames and said transverse member defining an H frame in plan; said transverse member having a cross section including a pair of spaced sides extending across said truck and a member joining said sides defining a hollow portion having an open bottom such that the shear center of said cross section is spaced upwardly from the neutral axis of said cross section throughout the length of said transverse member; said transverse member having torsional flexibility tending to allow the truck wheels to remain in engagement with the track when one wheel is displaced vertically with respect to the other wheels; said transverse member having a center bearing located at the mid portion thereof at about said shear center for receiving a cooperating car body center connection; said center bearing having sufficient vertical surface area to transmit horizontal loads radially between the car body and truck; said center bearing being spaced from said neutral axis a distance sufficient to prevent substantial torsional deflection of said transverse member.

Claim 14

A railway car truck comprising: a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending side frames; a pair of transversely extending axles having wheels integral therewith at opposite ends thereof for movement along a railway car track; each of said axles journalled in journal bearings respectively on opposite sides of said axles; said side frames being mounted for rocking movement on said journal bearings; each of said side frames having mounted thereon at about the midpoint thereof at least one side bearing for mounting a rail car body thereon adapted to receive the weight of the car body, said side bearing having a bearing surface having a coefficient of friction sufficiently low to allow the car body to slide thereon as curves are traversed and sufficiently high to at least partially damp oscillations of said truck relative to the car body; a transverse member integrally affixed to said side frames to define an H frame in plan, whereby substantial hunting of said truck is prevented at high speeds said transverse member having a cross section including a pair of spaced sides extending across said truck and a member joining said sides defining a hollow portion having an open bottom in which the shear center of said cross section is spaced upwardly from the neutral axis of said cross section throughout the length of said transverse member; said transverse member having torsional flexibility allowing the truck wheels to remain in engagement with the track when one wheel is displaced vertically with respect to the other wheels; said transverse member having a center bearing located at the mid portion thereof at about said shear center for receiving a cooperating car body center connection; said center bearing having sufficient vertical surface area to transmit horizontal loads radially between the car body and truck; said center bearing being spaced from said neutral axis a distance sufficient to prevent inducing substantial torsional deflection of said transverse member.

Claim 15

A railway car truck comprising: a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending side frames; a pair of transversely extending axles having wheels integral therewith at opposite ends thereof for movement along a railway car track; each of said axles journalled in journal bearings respectively on opposite sides of said axles; said side frames being mounted for rocking movement on said journal bearings; each of said side frames having mounted thereon at about the midpoint thereof at least one side bearing for mounting a rail car body thereon adapted to receive the weight of the car body, said side bearing having a bearing surface having a coefficient of friction sufficiently low to allow the car body to slide thereon as curves are traversed and sufficiently high to at least partially damp oscillations of said truck relative to the car body; a transverse member integrally affixed to said side frames to define an H frame in plan, whereby substantial hunting of said truck is prevented at high speeds said transverse member having a cross section including a pair of spaced sides extending across said truck and a member joining said sides defining a hollow portion having an open bottom in which the shear center of said cross section is spaced upwardly from the neutral axis of said cross section throughout the length of said transverse member; said transverse member having torsional flexibility allowing the truck wheels to remain in engagement with the track when one wheel is displaced vertically with respect to the other wheels; said transverse member having a center bearing located at the mid portion thereof at about said shear center for receiving a cooperating car body center connection; said center bearing having sufficient vertical surface area to transmit horizontal loads radially between the car body and truck; said center bearing being spaced from said neutral axis a distance sufficient to prevent inducing substantial torsional deflection of said transverse member.

Claim 16

A railway car truck comprising: a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side frames; a pair of transversely extending axles having wheels integral therewith at opposite ends thereof for movement along a railway car track; said axles journalled in journal bearings respectively on opposite sides of the truck; said side frames being sprung from said journal bearings by means of resilient devices located adjacent said journal boxes; said side frames having mounted thereon at about the midpoint thereof at least one low friction side bearing adapted to take the weight of the car body and having a coefficient of friction sufficiently low to allow the car body to slide thereon as curves are traversed but sufficiently high to damp oscillations of the truck with respect to the car body; a transverse member integrally affixed to said side frames to define an integral H frame in plan; said transverse member having a cross section including a pair of spaced sides extending across said truck and a member joining said sides defining a hollow portion having an open bottom in which the shear center of said cross section is spaced upwardly from the neutral axis of said cross section throughout the length of said transverse member; said transverse member having torsional flexibility whereby the wheels tend to maintain engagement with the track when one wheel is displaced upwardly or downwardly with respect to the other wheels; a center bearing located at about the midpoint of said transverse member, at about said shear center; said center bearing having sufficient vertical surface area to transmit horizontal loads radially between the car and truck; said center bearing being spaced upwardly from said neutral axis sufficient to prevent inducing substantial torsional deflections into the transverse member; said resilient devices urging said side frames to a substantially neutral position; said resilient devices have affixed thereto damping devices acting to damp oscillations of said resilient devices; whereby rock and roll of said truck is controlled, and substantial hunting of said truck is prevented at high speeds.

Claim 17

A railway car truck comprising: a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side frames; a pair of transversely extending axles having wheels integral therewith at opposite ends thereof for movement along a railway car track; said axles journalled in journal bearings respectively on opposite sides of the truck; said side frames being sprung from said journal bearings by means of resilient devices located adjacent said journal boxes; said side frames having mounted thereon at about the midpoint thereof at least one low friction side bearing adapted to take the weight of the car body and having a coefficient of friction sufficiently low to allow the car body to slide thereon as curves are traversed but sufficiently high to damp oscillations of the truck with respect to the car body; a transverse member integrally affixed to said side frames to define an integral H frame in plan; said transverse member having a cross section including a pair of spaced sides extending across said truck and a member joining said sides defining a hollow portion having an open bottom in which the shear center of said cross section is spaced upwardly from the neutral axis of said cross section throughout the length of said transverse member; said transverse member having torsional flexibility whereby the wheels tend to maintain engagement with the track when one wheel is displaced upwardly or downwardly with respect to the other wheels; a center bearing located at about the midpoint of said transverse member, at about said shear center; said center bearing having sufficient vertical surface area to transmit horizontal loads radially between the car and truck; said center bearing being spaced upwardly from said neutral axis sufficient to prevent inducing substantial torsional deflections into the transverse member; said resilient devices urging said side frames to a substantially neutral position; said resilient devices have affixed thereto damping devices acting to damp oscillations of said resilient devices; whereby rock and roll of said truck is controlled, and substantial hunting of said truck is prevented at high speeds.