US2969858A - Railway brake gear structure - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 31, 1961 T. c. SODDY RAILWAY BRAKE GEAR STRUCTURE Filed April 29, 1957 FIG. 3.

United States Patent RAILWAY BRAKE GEAR STRUCTURE Thomas C. Soddy, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Chicago Rail. way Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 29, 1957, Ser. No. 655,785

Claims. (Cl. 188-219.1)

The invention relates to railway brake gear and more particularly to a brake beam and associated parts, in which the beam main member consists of a single elongated member extending substantially from end to end of the beam and mounting separately formed end members through which the beam is supported from adjacent truck structure and by which thrust is applied to brake shoes engaging the truck wheels.

A familiar type of brake beam is of the truss type consisting of a main tension member and a main compression member extending from end to end of the beam,

said members being spaced apart a substantial distance intermediate their ends and converging toward the ends, and there secured together and mounting a brake head or similar end member. The brake head or end member mounted on the beam has a body part forming a pocket receiving the adjacent ends of the compression and tension members, the inner forward and rear walls of the pocket diverging inboard of the beam to accommodate the converging end portions of the truss members. If such a head were mounted upon the end of a single member beam, there would be 'a substantial space between the inner forward and rear walls of the beam pocket and the only thrust exerted on the beam by the end member would be at the extreme outer face of the head.

The main object of the present invention is to adapt a single member beam for tight assembly with an end member which is also adapted to fit tightly on the end of the truss type beam. By thus making possible the use of the same end member on beams of both types, the stock required for maintenance shops on a railroad will be cut in half, and it will not be necessary to select two groups of heads for replacement assemblies.

Another object is to utilize an individual brake lever as a safety support and guide for a beam of the single main member type.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating selected embodiments of the invention:

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a railway truck showing brake gear embodying a single main member beam and the support therefor on the truck frame and the brake operating mechanism.

Figure 2 is a detail horizontal section through the end portion of the beam shown in Figure l, with a brake shoe removed. The section is taken on line 2--2 of Figure I.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section corresponding to Figure 2, but taken through the left hand end of the brake beam, and showing another form of end member.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 4.

In the structure shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the truck frame 11 is supported from a wheel 13 in the usual manner and includes a tubular cross member 15 extending from side to side of the truck. Paralleling and adjacent to member 15 is a brake beam main member 17 consisting of a channel having an upright web 19, and upper and lower horizontal flanges 21. An end member comprising a brake head 23 is applied to each end of beam 17 and includes a body portion having a pocket opening inboard of the beam and receiving the end of channel 17. The head includes a recess 25 for a rectangular hanger 27 by which the beam is suspended from a bracket 29 carried on the truck frame. A brake shoe 31 is seated upon elements 23a of the brake head and opposes the wheel tread. The brake mechanism includes an individual fluid pressure cylinder 33, associated with each end of the beam and carried upon a bracket 35 on truck frame 11, and a brake lever 36 pivoted on a truckframe bracket 37 and actuated by the rod 39 of a piston in cylinder 33. Lever 36 has an enlarged shoulder 38 directly engaging the rear face of the beam to thrust the brake shoe against the wheel.

A horizontal projection 40 on the lower end of lever 36 extends under brake beam member 17 and forms a horizontal shelf adapted to engage the lower flange 21 of the beam if it tilts or if hanger 27 fails. The shelf therefore serves normally as a guide to prevent brake head 23 tilting, so that only one end of the shoe rides on the wheel, and also serves as a safety device to avoid the beam falling to the rail.

The pocket in the brake head receiving the end of the beam main member is substantially deeper from front to rear than the main member, in order to receive the end portion of the tension member of a truss type beam. In the absence of such a tension member, there is provided a filler block 41 which seats against the inner face of upright web 19 and against the inner face 43 of the forward wall of the pocket in the brake head. This filler block extends inboard of the beam beyond the inboard side of the brake head and provides for the direct transmission of thrust from lever 36 diagonally of the beam to the forward wall of the brake head and thence to the brake shoe. A lip 45 on the outer end of block 41 definitely positions the block'lengthwise of the beam for the assembling operation, when rivet 47 is driven through the beam diagonally with its heads' seated against the rear face of boss 49 on the brake head and the forward face of a flange 51 on the brake head. The rivet is disposed at the angle indicated so that on a truss type beam it will be normal to the beam tension member, as clearly shown in Patent 2,587,915, issued March 4, 1952.

Accordingly, the head used on the familiar truss type beam, shown in the above mentioned patent, is readily applicable to the single main member beam illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and the thrust applied by lever 36 to beam member 17 will be, transferred in a direct line to the brake shoe and wheel.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate another type of beam end, in which the main beam member 67 is received in the pocket of an end member 69 which mounts a brake head 71 and extends outboard of the head and there forms a tang 72 whereby the beam is supported from a bracket 73 on an adjacent truck frame 75. The end member is shown with a flange 77 extending inboard of the brake head and riveted at 79 to member 67. A filler 81 is positioned between channel upright web 69 and the rearward face of the forward wall 83 in the end member pocket and the thrust from brake lever 85 is transmitted from the rear face of the end member through filler block 81 to the forward wall of the end member and by the latter direct to the rear face of the brake head. The end member is secured to the brake beam by a diagonal rivet 87. The brake head is secured to the end member by rivets 89 extending through webs 91 normal to the face of the head and corresponding webs 93 projecting upwardly and downwardly from the body of end member 69.

Both forms of the invention illustrated make possible the use of a single design of brake head on a truss type beam or on asingle-main member type 'of'beam,"of either the hanger type, or the hangerless type, the brake thrust being transmitted directly ,from levers engaging the rear face of the beam through the beam web, the filler block,

the end member and the brake shoe. tInsthe tfirst form of the invention, the 1 end member is the brake head. @In -thesecond form of the'invention, the'end-membermounts .the head, which in turn mounts the-sho e, -notshown.

Theabove description and theaccompanying-drawings are illustrative, and, it will be understood thatthe details of the structure maybe varied substantially without de- ,..parting from the spiritof the invention as expressed in :the claims.

Whatis claimed is: .1. A railway brake beam comprising-a-singleelong-ated ,:-main member extending substantially fromrend toend of the beam and having-an upright web, a'separately-formed rend member at eachend ofthe beam whichis adapted 1:10 mount-a-brake shoe and throughwhich-end memberethe beam is supported, each end member forming-a xpocket having a front wall and area .walltspacedwapart,tsaid ;,pocket receiving the end of the main member :between .u-said walls and saidrear wall beingseated'againsttthetrear "face of said web, and'ia filler blockseated"against-the front face of the rear'wall of thezbeamqmain;member against the-opposingrear face-of said end member front wall, said filler block forming-a part forg'transmitting thrust directly from said beam-main-mcmber tothe brake shoe mounting elements ofsaid end: member.

2. A railway brakebeam according to claim-1 :inwhich the end. member front Wallis inclinedtinwardly and-forwardly from the end of the beam, the-filter hlock-T-form- .inga wedge between-said faces, andrthe outboard endtof sthe filler block has a lip engagingthe end-tofithepmain mernb'er and holding theblock against movement'inboard of'the end member.

3. A railway brake beam according tojclaim-l in-which the elongated main member is-a channel with .anrupright .web and vertically'spaced flanges, at leastflpartly received ..in the end member pocket, andthe filler block lies;be tween said channel flanges and bears throughout itsrear face against the inner face of .;said channel web .-:and

'tirroughouraport'ion only of its forward'faeea'gainst the inwardly' from the "end of "the beam,; there being a flange projecting outboardfrom the side *of the shoe mounting portion of the head and having a forward face substantially parallelj- -toasaid -forwardswall, a filler block between said member and said forwardwall and having a lug engaging the 'outer end of -said--member and having a rear surface in contact with said member and having an inclined forward surface in contact with said forward wall, and arivet extending through said-member, filler block andthead flange withitsaigis disposed at right -angle ,to said forward wall and said flangfefface and a brake 1 gear ,lever engaging the rear ,faceo'f the beammaimmemberinb d o sa d fi l bl'o sandhralwh adan thrus ;v-ing-the beam and headforwardly.

, 5. The combination of aibrakelbe'amlandlever; according to claim 4 in which the lever includes, a projection unde rlying a portion of the ,beam and tforminga safety t. support for the beam.

References" Citedjn the file eans patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images