Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to brake
apparatus for rail cars, and more specifically to
truck mounted brake apparatus.
Truck mounted brakes throughout the railroad
industry include either a double actuator system as
illustrated in U.S. Patent 3,499,507 or a single
actuator system as illustrated in U.S. Patents
5,400,874 and 5,495,921. In all three of these
systems, the actuator rods extend through holes in the
bolster of the truck. The primary and secondary beams
are unitary cast iron beams. The beams are U-shaped
having a vertical base and two horizontal walls
extending therefrom. The actuator or actuators are
mounted to the vertical base and the actuator rods are
mounted and extend through openings also in the
vertical base.
Another example of a truck mounted brake having
a single actuator is illustrated in U.S. Patents'
20~ 4,766,980 and 4,653,812. By moving the actuator rods
outside of the center section, they pass under the
bolster of the truck and no holes through the bolsters
are required. The brake beams are shown as having a
rolled steel center channel section with end sections
having cast brake shoe heads and projecting guide feet
bolted to the center section. As with the previous
unitary beams, the channeled portion is generally U-
shaped having a vertical base wall with two opposed
horizontal walls extending therefrom.
There is a continuous drive to reduce the cost,
size and weight of the truck mounted brake and make
they adaptable for other track gages and truck
configurations.
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The present invention relates to a brake system
for a railroad vehicle having first and second brake
beams, two levers pivotally mounting an actuator to
the first beam and push rods connecting the levers to
the second beam. The first and second brake beams
each include a pair of vertically spaced beam members .
The levers are mounted to the first brake beam in the
space between the beam members to pivot in a plane
offset from a center plane of the space. Also, the
first and second push rods are mounted to the second
brake beam in the space between the beam members to
pivot in a plane also offset from the center plane of
the space.
The levers each include a lever element connected
to the push rods and the actuator and a sleeve
extending from the lever element and pivotally
connected to the first beam. The connection of the
lever element to the sleeve defines the position of
the pivot plane of the Lever. The second brake beam
20~ includes two pairs of spacers extending from the beam
members towards an opposed spacer and the second end
of the push rods are mounted between the pair of
spacers. The height of the spacers in each pair are
unequal to define the position of the pivot plane of
the push rods. The spacers are welded to a beam
member of the brake beam. One of the spacers may be
an angle bracket welded to a beam member.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of
the present invention will become apparent from the
following detailed description of the invention when
considered in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure l is a plan view of a truck mounted brake
mounted to the truck incorporating the principles ~of
the present invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of the truck mounted
brake of Figure 1 incorporating the principles of the
present invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment
of a truck mounted braJce mounted to the truck
incorporating the principles of the present invention:
Figure 4 is an exploded view of the truck mounted
brake of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side view of a first embodiment of
the primary beam without brake heads incorporating the
principles of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a side view of the first embodiment
of the secondary beam incorporating the principles of
the present invention.
Figure 7 is a side view of a second embodiment of
20~~ the primary beam without brake heads incorporating the
principles of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a side view of the second embodiment
of the secondary beam incorporating the principles of
the present invention.
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along
line IX-IX of Figure 1 of the second embodiment of the
lever and the primary beam.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A truck mounted brake is shown in Figures 1 and
2 with respect to bolster 10 of. the truck and a wheel
12. The truck mounted brake includes a primary brake
beam l4 and a secondary brake beam 16 on opposite
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sides of the bolster 10 and interconnected by force
transmission or push rod assembly.l8. An actuator 20
is supported by the primary beam 14 and is connected
to the secondary beam 16 by the push rods 18. A
spring plank 22 lies below the push rod assembly which
must clear the spring plank during operation of the
brake.
At each end of the primary beam 14 and the
secondary beam 16, is a brake head 30 having brake
shoes 32 secured thereto by removable latch 34. Also,
extending from the ends of each of the brake beams are
guide feet 36 which are received in slots in the side
walls of the truck. Each of the brake heads 30 and
brake shoes 32 are adjacent to respective wheel 12.
The system so far described is well known in the
industry and is illustrated for example, in U.S.
Patents 4,766,980 and 4,653,812. The operation of the
actuator 20, wit~r or without slack adjusters, and the
push rod assemblies 18 to operate the pair of brake
20~ beams 14 and 16 is well known and will not be
described here in detail.
The improved brake beam system of the present
invention is illustrated in detail in Figures 3-9.
The primary beam 14 and the secondary beam 16 each
include a center section 40 having two vertically
spaced beam members 40A,B and 40C,D respectively. The
beam members may be for example channeled elements,
each including a horizontal base 42 and pair of
vertical side walls 44. In both beams, the base 42 is
horizontal and the side walls 44 are vertical. The
specific orientation and design of the present center
sections 40 allows them to be standard U or C
channeled stock of substantially reduced weight
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compared to that of the prior art brake beams. Also,
box channel or rectangular cross-section stock may be
used. Although the specific beam members to be
described are preferred any pair of vertically spaced
beam members may be used.
A pair of first weldments 51 secure the top
channeled element 40A,40C to the bottom channeled
elements 40B,D. Openings 41 in the base provide
access to the hollowed weldments 5l and allows debris
and water to run off through the weldments. The top
channeled elements 40A,C are shorter in length than
the bottom channeled elements 40B,D and are secured to
each other at their ends by a second weldment
illustrated as a plate 53. The guide feet 36 are
secured to the center channeled elements 40 by the
weldment 53 and a third weldment 55 connected to the
bottom channeled element 40B,D.
Since the guide feet 36 are unitary with the beam
structure, the brake head 30 with the brake shoe 32
are removable from the guide feet 36. The brake head
includes a pair of spaced blocks 31 on its back wall
between which is received a portion of the guide foot.
A fastener 56 is extended through aligned apertures 33
in the blocks 31 and the guide foot 36. A cotter pin
57 secures the fastener 56. A tab 35 extending from
the top block 31 is bent over the top of the fastener
56 to also secure it in place. Other devices may be
used instead of the tab 35. The brake head 30 is
secured from lateral movement by the weldment 53~and
a transverse wall of the guide foot 36. This would
also prevent rotation or swivelling of the brake head
30.
The actuator 20 is supported by the primary brake
beam 16 through bell crank lever 70. Opposite ends of
the actuator 20 are secured by pins 80 received
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through aperture 72 in the bell crank lever 70. A
cotter pin 82 connected through the end of the pin 80.
The bell crank lever 70 is pivotally connected to the
end section 50 in opening 54 of the first beam by a
pin 84 received in aperture 74. A cotter pin 88 is
provided at the end of pin 84 to secure it in place.
One end of the push rod assembly 18 is secured to
the bell crank lever 70 by a~pin 90 received in
aperture 76 of the bell crank lever 70 and a cotter
pin 94 holds the pin 90 in place . The other end of
the push rod 18 is received and secured to the center
section of channeled elements 40 C,D of the second
beam 1& by pin 96~and cotter pin 98 through bore 45 in
base 42. A bushing 92 is provided in the end of the
push rod assembly 18.
Preferably, the push rod assembly 18, the bell
crank levers 70 and the center line of the actuator 20
lie in a common horizontal plane. Depending upon the
design of the truck, this plane will vary. The push
20., rod assembly 18 must clear any truck structure while
the actuator 20 and bell crank lever 70 must not only
clear any truck structure but also the axle of the
wheels during movement of their normal operation.
Thus, the plane of rotation with respect to the space
between the vertically space beatri members 40 may vary.
For the example shown in Figure 2, the spring plank 22
must be cleared by the push rod assembly 18. Due to
the arrangement of the brake shoes and beams relative
to the truck 10, spring plank 22 and the wheels 12,
the plane of the push rod 18, the bell crank lever 70
and actuator 20 must be above the center line of the
space between the beam members 40. Two different
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embodiments of effectuating the non-centered plane are
described in Figures 5 and 6 and 7-9.
In the first embodiments of Figures 5-6, bosses
43 are provided on the base 42 and include the bores
45 (not shown in Figures 5-6) which receive the
fasteners 90 and 96. Bell crank lever 70 is secured
and rides between the bosses 43A and 43B shown in
Figure 5 and the end of the actuating push rod 18 is
secured to and rides between the bosses 43C and 43D
1.0 shown in Figure 6. For sake of clarity, the bosses 43'
are not shown in Figures 3 and 4. All of the bosses
43 act as spacers for the actuator and push rod
assembly. The bottom bosses 43B and 44D also act as
wear plates since they support the bell crank lever 70
and the end of the push rod 18 respectfully. The
bosses 43 are mounted or secured to the bases 42 by
welding.
The plane of rotation of the bell crank lever 70
defined by the center of the space between bosses 43
20~ is above the center line CL of the space between the
beam members 40 as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.
A second embodiment as illustrated in Figures 7-9
requires no bosses on the primary beam 14. Instead,
as illustrated in Figure 9, a sleeve 71 extends from
the bell crank 70. The sleeve may be welded to the
bell crank lever 70. The position of the mounting of
the bell crank lever 70 to the sleeve 71 defines the
plane of rotation. As noted, this is again above the
center line CL. A thrust washer 73 is provided
between the bottom of the sleeve 71 and the bottom
beam member 408. Spacer 75 is provided between the
pin.84 and the upper beam 40A and a spacer 77 is
provided at the lower beam member 40B.
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The secondary beam 16 illustrated in Figure 8
includes the upper boss 43C. The bottom boss 43D has
been replaced by an angle bracket or boss 43E welded
to the weldment 53 and the lower beam member 40D. As
in the other embodiments, the center of the space
between the bosses 43C and 43E is above the center
line CL of the space between the beam members 40C and
40D.
w Although the present invention has been described
and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly
understood that the same is by way of illustration and
example only, and is not to be taken by way of
limitation. The spirit and scope of the present
invention are to be limited only by the terms of the
appended claims.
