US2193580A - Brake beam - Google Patents

Description

March 12 1940. c R suscl-l 2,193,580

BRAKE BEAM Filed Dec. 21', 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 1- INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 12, 1940.

c. BuscH BRAKE BEAM Filed Dec. 21, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR [jar/2.5 I A? zfi z/mr,

ATTORNEY -March 12, 1940.

c. R. BU'SCH V RAKE BEAM Filed Dec. 21, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet .3

' INVENTOR 6%0/f/85 2 34/862 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 12,- 1940 UNITED STATES" BRAKE BEAM Charles R. Busch, Orange, N. 1., asslgnor to Butfalo Brake Beam Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 21. 1937, Serial No. 180,962

22 Claims.

The present invention relates more or. .less to improvements over the disclosures in my previous applications Serial No. 130,881, filed March 15, 1927, and Serial No. 134,792, flled April 3, 1937, but more particularly over what is speciflcally disclosed in the last named application. Said application Serial No. 134,792 discloses a novel brake beam and a method of making brake beams by which method a blank of rolled steel is slit longitudinally between the end portions which end portions are desirably shaped preferably for enabling the beam to be guided along the side frames of a car truck, and the slitting of the blank is done for enabling a compression member and a tension member, respectively, to be formed from the slit blank.

The invention constituting the subject matter of the instant application departs more or less radically from the said prior disclosures, the principal difference being to provide a brake beam wherein the greatest depth of the tension memher is preferably located along its mid-length so as to have substantially the same depth as the thicker portion of the compression member, and so as to provide a broad surface for the saddle of the brake beam strut.

Another object of the invention is to provide suitable means for transversely widening the.

wear pieces or caps at each end of a brake beam, as by lateral noses or extensions therefrom, which aid in balancing the beam if that is necessary when it is guided on lateral guides of car truck side frames, by tending to maintain the beam in its desired plane of operation by reducing or substantially eliminating the tendency of the beam to tilt with respect to its breadth.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a brake beam of truss design which is very strong and durable in service as tests have demonstrated, and to provide an improved method of making brake beams- The above being among the objects of the present invention, thesame consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to the accompanying Fig. '7 is a plan of the completed brake beam, the strut and brake shoe heads being shown in broken lines; I

Fig. 8 is a front edge view of Fig. 7;

f Fig. 9 is an end elevation;

piece of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view showing a step in providing for a slit through the blank;

Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the blank in process of being slit; and

Fig. 15 is a detail view of cutters and showing the blank in section and being slit.

Inasmuch as the ends of the parts which are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 indicate how. the other ends should be made, such other ends are not shown, but the parts are broken away lengthwise.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6 a metallic blank 20 for a brake beam is shown and the same is preferably made of rolled steel in accordance with the specifications of the A. R. A., although it will be obvious herefrom that the same may be made from cast or forged steel, but rolled steel is-preferable inasmuch as the blanks may be out from a long bar during a continuous pass through the rolls. The blank 20 is preferably of T-shape in cross-section, in which case it will have vertical flanges 2| formed from the I at any other desirable stage in the course of preparation of the complete beam. Each such end portion 23 as shown will have the same thickness as that of the flange 22.

To facilitate the step of longitudinally slitting the blank, grooves or channels 24 are fo'rmed in opposite surfaces of the flange 22 along opposite lines and preferably along lines about mid-way of the entire width of the blank 20. These grooves or channels may not be necessary, but

are preferred in order to tend to hold the operating edges of the cutters in alignment, thus providing for a clean shearing or cutting action and thus separating the front portion and the back portion of the blank in between the end portions 23.

Referring now to Figs. 13, 14 and 15 suitable means are illustrated for obtaining the slit when the blank 20 is placed on the machine bed and held in place by suitable holding dies and these caused to advance towards the cutters, in a similar fashion to a planer or milling machine, the cutters preferably remaining in a stationary location. The cutter wheels 25, 26 are to be positioned in stationary bearings and each may be of a composite construction which is well known, that is, a circular or disk shaped wheel consisting of a sharp knife edged and properly tempered steel cutter clamped between fixing disks or plates at opposite sides. The cutter 25 will have a skip-gap 25a in its cutting edge and the cutter 26 will have a similar gap 26a. The cutters are so timed as to cause the gaps 25a and 26a to exactly register with each other during each revolution thereof, and hence the cutting edges of the cutters will register exactly with each other from the time the cut or slit begins up to the time of its completion.

Referring to Fig. 13, a brake beam blank 20 is shown with one end 23 introduced through the throat A, so that such end or flat portion 23 is gripped between the unsharpened curved surfaces of the cutters which are at opposite sides of the blank. The flanges 2| of the blank of course are not in alignment with the cutters 25, 2B. Inasmuch as the cutters 25. 26 are positively driven in the direction of the arrows, the leading ends of the cutting edges will begin to cut into the blank as indicated in full lines at B, Fig. 14, the blank having been slightly moved forward as indicated by the arrow thereon. In this position the end extension or portion 23 of the blank will be opposite the skip gaps 25a, 26a. When the cutting edges have reached the position C indicated in broken lines, a corresponding length of the blank will have been slit and the same moved from the full line position to the position D shown in broken lines. The broken lines E on the two cutters show how far the skip gaps have been moved when the blank has been advanced to the position D. It will be understood that the slitting of the blank will be thus continued until the receding ends of the cutting edges have come to about'the vertical center line of the cutters.

In Fig. 6 there is illustrated a cross-section of the thus processed blank showing the slit 21 therein, such slit separating the blank between the uncut end portions into preliminary compression and tension members 26. 29, respectively, shown in an advanced stage in Fig. 3.

The preliminary compression member will also be T-shaped in cross-section and have vertical flanges 30 lying in the same plane and a horizontal front flange 3|. The longitudinally slit blank is now placed in an upsetting apparatus and the members 28 and 29 confined to a movement which corresponds substantially with the shape of the ultimate brake beam. The plungers of the upsetting machine are then caused to force the terminals or end portions 23 of the blank towards each other, with the result that the compression member is condensed and shortened and the tension member is expanded into the approximate form shown in Fig. 3. At this stage the compression member may remain substantially straight or it may be allowed to assume more or less of a camber.

Again referring to Fig. 3, the partly formed brake beam is now placed in a suitable jig or other apparatus and the jaws or claws of a handoperated lever or crow-bar are engaged over the mid-length of the partly formed tension member 29 and power is then applied so as to cause the 'jaws or claws to act upon the member 29 so as-to forcibly twist the said member lengthwise. This may be done preferably by a machine which applies power to a suitable jaw or claw adapted to twist the member 29. The result is that the middle portion 33 of the member 29 is forced from the position shown in Fig. 3 and through an angle of ninety degrees to the position shown in Fig. 4. Then the tension member will have its maximum depth at its midlength and be substantially of the same depth as the greatest depth of the compression member, thus forming a broad surface at the midlength of the tension member for receiving the saddle of a brake beam strut. By so'forming the tension member of the brake beam, the same will have its" greatest depth where desirable strength and rigidity is imparted to the ultimate brake beam.

Referring to Figs. '7, 8 and 9 the complete brake beam is illustrated. In a complete beam a strut 94, illustrated in broken lines, is inserted between the compression member 28 and the tension member 29 and considerable force is used to move it into that position, with the result that when the strut is engaged with the middle portion of the tension member it forces the compression member 28 to the desired camber. As before stated the compression member might be cambered before the strut 34 is applied, but if there be left a silght departure from the shape thereof shown in Fig. 3 relative to the final strut applied position. the strut will force the compression member to the desired camber and be firmly held across the mid-length of the brake beam. It will be seen that the tension and compression members are connected together as a unit and that the tension member becomes gradually smaller from its middle portion towards the uniting terminals 29 as viewed towards the front face of the tension member. Also, as shown, the terminals or end portions, such as 23, will have a depth approximating that of the longitudinal horizontal portion of the compression member.

It is apparent that the end portions 23 which sion members integrally are preferably formed flat and parallel along and. throughout their upper and lower surfaces, that is, each end portion is preferably a given thickness throughout. Such surfaces are continued inwardly in the same manner along each end of the tension member, as clear from Figs. 4 and 7, for a distance somewhat greater than the width of the brake head which is to be ultimately positioned on the flattened end portion, which distance terminates at the start of the twist in the tension member. Hence the united terminals of the compression and tension member, and which are formed by such flattened end portions 23, preferably are of the same thickness as the adjacent ends of the tension member. It will furthermore be noted that because of such construction the preferably twisted tension member is positioned directly in advance of the compression member, with its ends lying in the same plane as the end portions 23 and as the longitudinal flange 3| of the compression member. Such disposition, arrangement and construction requires that the narrow groove 24, preformed in the original blank, extend along a line substantially bisecting the width of the flat end portions 23.

Brake shoe heads 36, 96 may be then rigidly secured to the end portions or terminals 23, which arcane erably these arcs are struck frorn a point inter-.

sected by the longitudinal axis of the brake beam.

The wear pieces provide wear surfaces at the extreme terminals of the beam and at the top and bottom of the beam, or rather at the terminals of the end portions 23 and the upper and lower surfaces thereof, for the preferred reason that the ends of the beam are to be guided upon the side frames of a car truck as disclosed in aforesaid application Serial No. 134,792. Wear pieces at the extreme ends of the beam will take up any wear due to end thrust of the beam in either direction, while the wear surfaces 38, more particularly at the bottom of the beam, will" take up wear vertically of the beam.

Brake heads 35, 36 are preferably provided with jaws such as disclosed in the aforesaid application for patent which jaws are engaged over. the

end portions 23, and over the wear pieces if such are provided, so as to position the brake heads inwardly of the end portions 23 and close to the tension and compression members of the beam.

When such brake heads are employed it is possible to disengage the same by moving them inwardly along the adjacent ends of the tension member 29. Preferably also the rivet holes 39 at each end of the beam are in staggered relation so that the rivets employed to rigidly secure the brake heads in position will also be staggered.

By forming and constructing the end portions 23 substantially as shown and described, agreat advantage is inherent in the brake beam, especially when the terminals thereof are guided upon truck side frames. In-such case it may be impossible to place brake heads upon or remove them from the ends of the beam. However, it is possible for a workman to place them in position on the beam herein, without removing it from the truck, by reaching in through an opening in the side frame and engaging the jaw of a brake head with an untwisted end of the tension member and sliding the jaw outwardly to the flattened end portion, and then ifnecessary pushing the brake head toward the opposite side of the beam when the jaw is in engagement with the end portion 23. As the brake head then will have-cleared the flange of the adjacent car truck wheel, a brake shoe may be secured upon the brake head in its braking position. To remove a brake head it is but necessary to first remove the brake shoe and then push the brake head inwardly along and off of the end portion 23 onto the adjacent untwisted end of the tension memher, it being guided therealong by its jaw sliding upon the tension member. When in proper position clear of the car wheel the brake head may thenbe pulled ofi'from the tension member. Now referring'to Figs. 11 and 12, a modification is illustrated with respect to the end portions of the beam 40, only one end portion being shown in Fig. 11 as the opposite end would correspond therewith. Upon each end of the beam there may be secured an end piece 4| along the lines of what is disclosed in Fig. 12, such end piece is-preferably of wear material such as a body of metal to receive each endofthebeam, so as to withstand wear at the ends of the beam in the event that such ends are guided upon the side frames of a car truck as disclosed in my application Serial No. 130,881. Each piece 4| is preferably in the form of a cap or thimble forming a,

socket to flt-on an end of the beam, and prefer* ably comprises opposing spaced portions42, 43

connected at their outer ends by an end wall 44.

The opposing walls or portions 42, 43, of the cap, shoe or the like have substantially flat and parallel upper and lower surfaces, and are spaced apart a distance corresponding with the thickness of the extended end portion of the beam to provide an opening to receive the end of the beam, so that when the wear piece is forced onto the end portion 4! it may be held in the desired location previous to the rigid'attachment thereof to the beam. The wall 44 at the terminal of the beam preferably is arcuate in the direction of the plane of the beam, and the arcs of the end pieces at both ends of the beam are preferably lengths of a circle which is described from points between such arcs and between the front and,

back of the beam.

Preferably the walls 42, 43 of the wear pieces extend inwardly to points closely adjacent tothe compression and tension members of the beam 40. Each brake head shown in broken lines in.

Fig. 11 is to be secured by rivets (not shown) which pass through the corresponding extended portion 45 of the beam, preformed rivet holes 46 preferably being first drilled through the walls 42, 43 and the intervening portion of the beam. These rivet holes are preferably in staggered relation at each end of the beam and when the rivets are applied so. as to pass througha bracket'or a jaw of the brake head, the same will be positioned so as to face in the same direction as that on which the tension member of the beam is arranged. When the brake head and cap or shoe are attached by rivets they may be readily removed by cutting away the rivet heads. Also at each end of the beam each extension 45 if long enough to be guided in a side frame will'extend for a suitable distance beyond the brake head.v

In the modification, Figs. 11 and 12, the socket portion of each wear piece or cap is provided with a preferably forward nose or lateral extension 41, at the extreme end of the beam, and which may be substantially rectangular in plan to project at an angle to the length of the beam,so as to preferably constitute a leader as well as an extended substantially flat bearing surface transversely of the beam to aid in balancing the beam if that is necessary. Each leading nose 41 will therefore be located adjacent the outer side of the corresponding brake head and will project laterally of each end of the beam, preferably in the same direction as that in which the brake head faces,

where the ends of the beam are to be guided in.

lateral grooves or recesses in the opposite side frames or on lateral ledges thereof, the thus transverse widening of the extended ends of the beam provide more or less enlarged substantially flat wearing surfaces projecting toward the the arcuate shape of the v adjacent car wheels, and tending to maintain the beam in its desired plane of operation by reducing or substantially eliminating the tendency of the beam to tilt with respect to its breadth. Thus, the transverse widening if of greater breadth than the part of the beam which is laterally inward thereof and closest to such widening, and the said noses or lateral extensions projecting forwardly from the ends of the beam act to over- ,come the tendency of the weight of a live or a dead lever, such as used to directly control the movement of the beam from a point between the ends of the strut of the beam, to throw the beam out of its desired plane of operation, especlally when the beam is of truss type.

From the description and drawings it will become obvious to those skilled in the art that other modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. A metallic brake beam, including a tension member and a compression member, the compression member having a substantial longitudinal front flange thereof extending in a substantially horizontal plane and the tension member having its maximum depth at its middle portion,

, where it is greater than the depth of said longitudinal front flange, and the depth of the ends of the tension member approximating that of said flange, the beam having end portions extended beyond said longitudinal flange and the ends of member for a distance somewhat greater than the width of each brake head to be ultimately positioned on the end portion.

2. A metallic brake beam, including a tension member and a compression member of substantially T-shape in cross section, two flanges thereof lying substantially in a vertical plane to dispose the third flange in a horizontal plane, and the tension member being twisted and having its maximum depth, at its midlength, approximately the depth of said two vertical flanges, the beam having end portions extended beyond said third flange and the ends of the tension member, and said end portions having substantially a given thickness and flat and parallel upper and lower surfaces substantially throughout, which in the same manner are continued inwardly along the ends of the tension member for distances up to the points of twisting the tension member, each such distance substantially greater than the width of each brake head to be ultimately positioned on the end portion.

3. A metallic brake beam blank of substantially T-shape in cross section, the stem or leg-portion of the T having a narrow groove longitudinal thereof, and the groove terminating at a distance from each end of the blank to leave plain terminal portions on the blank, and the groove defining the line of separation between the ultimate compression and tension members of the beam along a line substantially bisecting such terminal portions.

4. A metallic brake beam blank of substantially T-shape in cross section, the stem or leg-portion of the 1' having a narrow groove longitudinal thereof, and located approximately midway of the breadth of such portion, and groove indicating the line of ultimate cut to be made through said stem.

5. A brake beam formed from a single metallic blank, and including a tension member and a lower surfaces disposed in continuous parallel 10 planes substantially throughout.

6. A metallic brake beam, formed from a single blank, and including a tension member and a compression member integrally united at corresponding terminals, the compression member having a substantial longitudinal portion thereof extending in a substantially horizontal plane and the tension member having its maximum depth greater than the depth of said longitudinal portion, and the depth of the ends of the'tension member approximating that of said portion and lying in front of and in the same plane as said portion, the beam having end portions extended beyond said longitudinal portion and the ends of the tension member so as to provide the means for uniting said terminals integrally, and said end portions having the depth of thickness of said longitudinal portion and flat and parallel upper and lower surfaces substantially throughout, which in the same manner are continued inwardly along each end of the tension member for a distance somewhat greater than, the width of each brake head to be ultimately positioned on the end portion.

7. A metallic brake beam, formed from a single 85 blank, and including a tension member and a compression member integrally united at corresponding terminals, the compression member of substantially T-shape in cross section, two flanges thereof lying substantially in a vertical plane to dispose the'third flange in a horizontal plane and thetension member being twisted and having its maximum depth, at its midlength, approximately the depth of said two flanges, the beam having end portions extended beyond said third flange and the ends of the tension member so as to provide the means for integrally uniting said terminals, and said end portions having the depth of thickness of the third flange and flat and parallel upper and lower surfaces substantially throughout, which in the same manner are continued inwardly along the ends of the tension member for distances up to the points of twisting the tension member, each such distance substantially greater than the width of 55 each brake head to be ultimately positioned on the end portion.

8. A brake beam formed from a single metallic blank, and including a tension member and a compression member integrally united at corresponding terminals, the tension member having its maximum depth, at its midlength, approximately the depth of the compression member, the united terminals forming flat terminal portions of the beam, and the depth of those portions of the tension member which are adjacent to the united terminals approximating the depth of the united terminals, which are of less depth uniformly than the compression member, said united terminals having flat upper and lower surfaces substantially throughout, and said surfaces extending in the same manner along each adjacentportion of the tension member for a distance substantially greater than the width of a brake head. i

9. A brake beam formed from a single metallic blank, and including a tension. member and a compression member integrally united at corresponding terminals, the tension member being twisted, the united terminals forming fiat terminal portions of the beam, and the depth of those portions of'the tension member which are adjacent to the united terminals approximating the depth of the united terminals, said united terminals having flat upper and lower surfaces substantially throughout, and said surfaces ex-' tending in the same manner along each adjacent portion of the tension.member for a distance which falls short of the twisted portion of the tension member.

10. A metallic brake beam, formed from a single slit blank of T-shape in cross section, and including a tension member and a compression member. integrally united at their terminals, the compression member being formed from a portion of said blank, also of T-shape in cross section, and the tension member formed from another portion of the blankin front of the leg or stem of the T-shaped portion.

11. A metallic brake beam, formed from a single slit blank of T-shape in cross section, and including a tension member and a compression member integrally united at their terminals, the compression member being formed from a portion of said blank, also of T-shape in cross section, and the tension member formed from another portion of the blank in front of the leg or stem of and in the same plane as the T-shaped portion, and twisted along its middle portion sov as to be substantially parallel, transversely of its 13. A brake beam, including a beam proper,-

hard metal wear-pieces, each including a portion directly secured to the beam and a nose portion, the beam adapted to receive brake-heads facing away therefrom, and said nose portions extending in the same direction as that which the heads are adapted to face.

14. A brake beam, including a beam proper, hard metal wear-pieces, each including a socket portion secured onto the ends of the beam and a nose portion extending laterally at the outer end of the socket-portion, and the socket portions adapted to receive brake heads.

15. The combination of a railway car brake beam having its direct point of control located between the front and back of the beam, the

beam adapted to receive brake heads and shoes to be positioned on the front of the beam, and means extending forwardly from the ends of the beam, and laterally of said point of control, at points adjacent to the points of location for the brake heads, adapted to tend to'eliminate the effect of the weight of the control device, such as a live lever or a dead lever in its tendency to throw the beam out of its plane of operation.

16. The combination of a truss brake beam having a compression member and a tension member and an extended length adapting it to be guided at its extended end portions on car truck side frames, and means extending, in ad- Vance of the ends of the tension member, for-. 'wardly from the extended end portions in the same direction as the brake heads which are to be applied to the end portions at points inwardly of such forward means, and increasing the width of the end portions where the beam is to be guided, whereby the beam is adapted to be maintained in its plane of operation by reducing the tendency of the beam to tilt with respect to its breadth.

17. A cap or shoe for brakebeam ends adapted to be supported by guides associated with car truck side frames, said cap being in' the form of a body of metal provided with an opening for receiving the end of a brake beam, and the cap having a lateral extension projecting toward the adjacent car wheel for aiding in balancing the brake beam.

18. A cap or shoe for brake beam ends adapted to be supported on lateral guides of car truck side frames, said cap being in the form of a body of metal provided with an opening for receiving the end of a brake beam, and the outer end of the cap having a lateral extension projecting toward the adjacent car wheel for aiding in balacing the end of a brake beam, the inner end portion of the capbeing adapted to support a brake head, and the outer end portion of the cap being provided with a lateral extension projecting toward the adjacent car wheel for aiding in balancing the brake beam.

20. A cap or shoe for brake beam ends adapted to be supported on lateral guides of car truck side-frames, said cap being in the form of a generally rectangular metal body adapted to enclose the end of a brake beam, the inner end portion of the cap being adapted to support the jaws of a brake-head and being, provided with openings for receiving brake head fastening means, and the outer end portion of said body being provided with a substantially rectangular extension on the side nearest the adjacent car wheelto aid in balancing the brake beam.

21. The combination with a brake beam the ends of'which are adapted to be supported by lateral guides of car truck side frames, of a cap or shoe enclosing each end of the beam and provided with substantially parallel upper and lower faces, a brake head having substantially parallel upper and lower jaws for engaging said faces, and means for securing the cap and head together, the outer end portion of the cap having an integral extension projecting laterally toward the adjacent car, wheel and having upper and low- .er wearing surfaces.

along the guides, said flat surfaces having atransverse breadth substantially greater than that of the parts of the beam laterally inward of the wear means which are closestto the wear means, to aid in balancing the beam on the guides and in maintaining it in the plane of its breadth.

CHARLES R. BUSCH.

Images