Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02797275 2014-03-19
RAIL ROAD CAR TRUCK WITH ROCKING SIDEFRAME
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of rail road cars, and, more particularly,
to the
field of three piece rail road car trucks for rail road cars.
Background of the Invention
Rail road cars in North America commonly employ double axle swivelling trucks
known as "three piece trucks" to permit them to roll along a set of rails. The
three piece
terminology refers to a truck bolster and pair of first and second sideframes.
In a three
piece truck, the truck bolster extends cross-wise relative to the sideframes,
with the ends
of the truck bolster protruding through the sideframe windows. Forces are
transmitted
between the truck bolster and the sideframes by spring groups mounted in
spring seats in
the sideframes.
One general purpose of a resilient suspension system may tend to be to reduce
force transmission to the car body, and hence to the lading. This may apply to
very stiff
suspension systems, as suitable for use with coal and grain, as well as to
relatively soft
suspension systems such as may be desirable for more fragile goods, such as
rolls of
paper, automobiles, shipping containers fruit and vegetables, and white goods.
One determinant of overall ride quality is the dynamic response to lateral
perturbations. That is, when there is a lateral perturbation at track level,
the rigid steel
wheelsets of the truck may be pushed sideways relative to the car body.
Lateral
perturbations may arise for example from uneven track, or from passing over
switches or
from turnouts and other track geometry perturbations. When the train is moving
at speed,
the time duration of the input pulse due to the perturbation may be very
short.
The suspension system of the truck reacts to the lateral perturbation. It is
generally desirable for the force transmission to be relatively low. High
force
transmissibility, and corresponding high lateral acceleration, may tend not to
be
advantageous for the lading. This is particularly so if the lading includes
relatively
fragile goods. In general, the lateral stiffness of the suspension reflects
the combined
displacement of (a) the sideframe between (i) the pedestal bearing adapter and
(ii) the
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bottom spring seat (that is, the sidefi-ames swing laterally as a pendulum
with the pedestal
bearing adapter being the top pivot point for the pendulum); and (b) the
lateral deflection
of the springs between (i) the lower spring seat in the sideframe and (ii) the
upper spring
mounting against the underside of the truck bolster, and (c) the moment and
the
associated transverse shear force between the (i) spring seat in the sideframe
and (ii) the
upper spring mounting against the underside of the truck bolster.
In a conventional rail road car truck, the lateral stiffness of the spring
groups is
sometimes estimated as being approximately 'A of the vertical spring
stiffness. Thus the
choice of vertical spring stiffness may strongly affect the lateral stiffness
of the
suspension. The vertical stiffness of the spring groups may tend to yield a
vertical
deflection at the releasable coupler from the light car (i.e., empty)
condition to the fully
laden condition of about 2 inches. For a conventional grain or coal car
subject to a
286,000 lbs., gross weight on rail limit, this may imply a dead sprung load of
some
50,000 lbs., and a live sprung load of some 220,000 lbs., yielding a spring
stiffness of 25
¨ 30,000 lbs./in., per spring group (there being, typically, two groups per
truck, and two
trucks per car). This may yield a lateral spring stiffness of 13 ¨ 16,000
lbs./in per spring
group. It should be noted that the numerical values given in this background
discussion
are approximations of ranges of values, and are provided for the purposes of
general
order-of-magnitude comparison, rather than as values of a specific truck.
The second component of stiffness relates to the lateral deflection of the
sideframe itself In a conventional truck, the weight of the sprung load can be
idealized
as a point load applied at the center of the bottom spring seat. That load is
carried by the
sideframe to the pedestal seat mounted on the bearing adapter. The vertical
height
difference between these two points may be in the range of perhaps 12 to 18
inches,
depending on wheel size and sideframe geometry. For the general purposes of
this
description, for a truck having 36 inch wheels, 15 inches (+/-) might be taken
as a
roughly representative height.
The pedestal seat may typically have a flat surface that bears on an upwardly
crowned surface on the bearing adapter. The crown may typically have a radius
of
curvature of about 60 inches, with the center of curvature lying below the
surface (i.e.,
the surface is concave downward).
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When a lateral shear force is imposed on the springs, there is a reaction
force in
the bottom spring seat that will tend to deflect the sideframe, somewhat like
a pendulum.
When the sideframe takes on an angular deflection in one direction, the line
of contact of
the flat surface of the pedestal seat with the crowned surface of the bearing
adapter will
tend to move along the arc of the crown in the opposite direction. That is, if
the bottom
spring seat moves outboard, the line of contact will tend to move inboard.
This motion is
resisted by a moment couple due to the sprung weight of the car on the bottom
spring
seat, acting on a moment arm between (a) the line of action of gravity at the
spring seat
and (b) the line of contact of the crown of the bearing adapter. For a 286,000
lbs. car the
apparent stiffness of the sideframe may be of the order of 18,000 ¨ 25,000
lbs./in,
measured at the bottom spring seat. That is, the lateral stiffness of the
sideframe (i.e., the
pendulum action by itself) can be greater than the (already relatively high)
lateral
stiffness of the spring group in shear, and this apparent stiffness is
proportional to the
total sprung weight of the car (including lading). When taken as being
analogous to two
springs in series, the overall equivalent lateral spring stiffness may be of
the order of
8,000 lbs./in. to 10,000, per sideframe. A car designed for lesser weights may
have softer
apparent stiffness. This level of stiffness may not always yield as smooth a
ride as may
be desired.
There is another component of spring stiffness due to the unequal compression
of
the inside and outside portions of the spring group as the bottom spring seat
rotates
relative to the upper spring group mount under the bolster. This stiffness,
which is
additive to (that is, in parallel with) the stiffness of the sideframe, can be
significant, and
may be of the order of 3000 - 3500 lbs./in per spring group, depending on the
stiffness of
the springs and the layout of the group. Other second and third order effects
are
neglected for the purpose of this description. The total lateral stiffness for
one sideframe,
including the spring stiffness, the pendulum stiffness and the spring moment
stiffness, for
a S2HD 110 Ton truck may be about 9200 lbs/inch per side frame.
It has been observed that it may be preferable to have springs of a given
vertical
stiffness to give certain vertical ride characteristics, and a different
characteristic for
lateral perturbations. In particular, a softer lateral response may be desired
at high speed
(greater than about 50 m.p.h) and relatively low amplitude to address a truck
hunting
concern, while a different spring characteristic may be desirable to address a
low speed
(roughly 10 ¨ 25 m.p.h) roll characteristic, particularly since the overall
suspension
system may have a roll mode resonance lying in the low speed regime.
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An alternate type of three piece truck is the "swing motion" truck. One
example
of a swing motion truck is shown at page 716 in the 1980 Car and Locomotive
Cyclopedia (1980, Simmons-Boardman, Omaha). This illustration, with captions
removed, is the basis of Figures la, lb and lc, herein, labelled "Prior Art".
Since the
truck has both lateral and longitudinal axes of symmetry, the artist has only
shown half
portions of the major components of the truck. The particular example
illustrated is a
swing motion truck produced by National Castings Inc., more commonly referred
to as
"NACO". Another example of a NACO Swing Motion truck is shown at page 726 of
the
1997 Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia (1997, Simmons-Boardroom, Omaha). An
earlier
swing motion three piece truck is shown and described in US Patent 3,670,660
of Weber
et al., issued June 20, 1972.
In a swing motion truck, the sideframe is mounted as a "swing hanger" and acts
much like a pendulum. In contrast to the truck described above, the bearing
adapter has
an upwardly concave rocker bearing surface, having a radius of curvature of
perhaps 10
inches and a center of curvature lying above the bearing adapter. A pedestal
rocker seat
nests in the upwardly concave surface, and has itself an upwardly concave
surface that
engages the rocker bearing surface. The pedestal rocker seat has a radius of
curvature of
perhaps 5 inches, again with the center of curvature lying upwardly of the
rocker.
In this instance, the rocker seat is in dynamic rolling contact with the
surface of
the bearing adapter. The upper rocker assembly tends to act more like a hinge
than the
shallow crown of the bearing adapter described above. As such, the pendulum
may tend
to have a softer, perhaps much softer, response than the analogous
conventional
sideframe. Depending on the geometry of the rocker, this may yield a sideframe
resistance to lateral deflection in the order of 1/4 (or less) to about 1/2 of
what might
otherwise be typical. If combined in series with the spring group stiffness,
it can be seen
that the relative softness of the pendulum may tend to become the dominant
factor. To
some extent then, the lateral stiffness of the truck becomes less strongly
dependent on the
chosen vertical stiffness of the spring groups at least for small
displacements.
Furthermore, by providing a rocking lower spring seat, the swing motion truck
may tend
to reduce, or eliminate, the component of lateral stiffness that may tend to
arise because
of unequal compression of the inboard and outboard members of the spring
groups, thus
further softening the lateral response.
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In the truck of US Patent 3,670,660 the rocking of the lower spring seat is
limited
to a range of about 3 degrees to either side of center, and a transom extends
between the
sideframes, forming a rigid, unsprung, lateral connecting member between the
rocker
plates of the two sideframes. In this context, "unsprung" refers to the
transom being
mounted to a portion of the truck that is not resiliently isolated from the
rails by the main
spring groups.
When the three degree condition is reached, the rockers "lock-up" against the
side
frames, and the dominant lateral displacement characteristic is that of the
main spring
groups in shear, as illustrated and described by Weber. The lateral, unsprung,
sideframe
connecting member, namely the transom, has a stop that engages a downwardly
extending abutment on the bolster to limit lateral travel of the bolster
relative to the
sideframes. This use of a lateral connecting member is shown and described in
US Patent
3,461,814 of Weber, issued March 7, 1967. As noted in US Patent 3,670,660 the
use of a
spring plank had been known, and the use of an abutment at the level of the
spring plank
tended to permit the end of travel reaction to the truck bolster to be
transmitted from the
sideframes at a relatively low height, yielding a lower overturning moment on
the wheels
than if the end-of-travel force were transmitted through gibs on the truck
bolster from the
sideframe columns at a relatively greater height. The use of a spring plank in
this way
was considered advantageous.
In Canadian Patent 2,090,031, (issued April 15, 1997 to Weber et al.,) noting
the
advent of lighter weight, low deck cars, Weber et al., replaced the transom
with a lateral
rod assembly to provide a rigid, unsprung connection member between the
platforms of
the rockers of the lower spring seats. One type of car in which relative
lightness and a
low main deck has tended to be found is an Autorack car.
For the purposes of rapid estimation of truck lateral stiffness, the following
formula can be used:
ktruck = 2 x [ (ksidethrneY1 + (kspring shearY1T1
where
ksideframe = [kpendulum + kspring moment
kspring shear = The lateral spring constant for the spring group in shear.
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kpendulum
= The force required to deflect the pendulum per unit of deflection,
as measured at the center of the bottom spring seat.
ksprmg moment = The force required to deflect the bottom spring seat
per unit of
sideways deflection against the twisting moment caused by the
unequal compression of the inboard and outboard springs.
In a pure pendulum, the relationship between weight and deflection is
approximately linear for small angles of deflection, such that, by analogy to
a spring in
which F = kx, a lateral constant (for small angles) can be defined as
kpendulum = W / L,
where k is the lateral constant, W is the weight, and L is the pendulum
length. Further,
for the purpose of rapid comparison of the lateral swinging of the sidefi-
ames, an
approximation for an equivalent pendulum length for small angles of deflection
can be
defined as Leg = W / kpendulum= In this equation W represents the sprung
weight borne by
that sideframe, typically A of the total sprung weight for a symmetrical car.
For a
conventional truck, Leg may be of the order of about 3 or 4 inches. For a
swing motion
truck, Leg may be of the order of about 10 to 15 inches.
It is also possible to define the pendulum lateral stiffness (for small
angles) in
terms of the length of the pendulum, the radius of curvature of the rocker,
and the design
weight carried by the pendulum: according to the formula:
kpendulum = (Flatera1/61ateral) = (W/Lpendulum)[(RcurvatmA-,pendulum) 1]
where:
kpenduium ¨ the lateral stiffness of the pendulum
Fiateral = the force per unit of lateral deflection
lateral = a unit of lateral deflection
W = the weight borne by the pendulum
Lpendulum = the length of the pendulum, being the vertical distance from the
contact
surface of the bearing adapter to the bottom spring seat
Rcurvature = the radius of curvature of the rocker surface
Following from this, if the pendulum stiffness is taken in series with the
lateral
spring stiffness, then the resultant overall lateral stiffness can be
obtained. Using this
number in the denominator, and the design weight in the numerator yields a
length,
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effectively equivalent to a pendulum length if the entire lateral stiffness
came from an
equivalent pendulum according to Lresultant = W klateral total
For a conventional truck with a 60 inch radius of curvature rocker, and stiff
suspension, this length, Lresultant may be of the order of 6 ¨ 8 inches, or
thereabout.
So that the present invention may better be understood by comparison, in the
prior
art illustration of Figures la, lb, and lc, a NACO swing motion truck is
identified
generally as A20. Inasmuch as the truck is symmetrical about the truck center
both from
side-to-side and lengthwise, the artist has shown only half of the bolster,
identified as
A22, and half of one of the sideframes, identified as A24.
In the customary manner, sideframe A24 has defined in it a generally
rectangular
window A26 that admits one of the ends of the bolster A28. The top boundary of
window A26 is defined by the sideframe arch, or compression member identified
as top
chord member A30, and the bottom of window A26 is defined by a tension member,
identified as bottom chord A32. The fore and aft vertical sides of window A26
are
defined by sideframe columns A34.
At the swept up ends of sideframe A24 there are sideframe pedestal fittings
A38
which each accommodate an upper rocker identified as a pedestal rocker seat
A40, that
engages the upper surface of a bearing adapter A42. Bearing adapter A42 itself
engages
a bearing mounted on one of the axles of the truck adjacent one of the wheels.
A rocker
seat A40 is located in each of the fore and aft pedestals, the rocker seats
being
longitudinally aligned such that the sideframe can swing transversely relative
to the
rolling direction of the truck A20 generally in what is referred to as a
"swing hanger"
arrangement.
The bottom chord of the sideframe includes pockets A44 in which a pair of fore
and aft lower rocker bearing seats A46 are mounted. The lower rocker seat A48
has a
pair of rounded, tapered ends or trunnions A50 that sit in the lower rocker
bearings A48,
and a medial platform A52. An array of four corner bosses A54 extend upwardly
from
platform A52.
An unsprung, lateral, rigid connecting member in the nature of a spring plank,
or
transom A60 extends cross-wise between the sideframes in a spaced apart,
underslung,
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relationship below truck bolster A22. Transom A60 has an end portion that has
an array
of four apertures A62 that pick up on bosses A54. A grouping, or set of
springs A64
seats on the end of the transom, the corner springs of the set locating above
bosses A54.
The spring group, or set A64, is captured between the distal end of bolster
A22
and the end portion of transom A60. Spring set A64 is placed under compression
by the
weight of the rail car body and lading that bears upon bolster A22 from above.
In
consequence of this loading, the end portion of transom A60, and hence the
spring set,
are carried by platform A54. The reaction force in the springs has a load path
that is
carried through the bottom rocker A70 (made up of trunnions A50 and lower
rocker
bearings A48) and into the sideframe A22 more generally.
Friction damping is provided by damping wedges A72 that seat in mating bolster
pockets A74. Bolster pockets A74 have inclined damper seats A76. The vertical
sliding
faces of the friction damper wedges then ride up an down on friction wear
plates A80
mounted to the inwardly facing surfaces of the sideframe columns.
The "swing motion" truck gets its name from the swinging motion of the
sideframe on the upper rockers when a lateral track perturbation is imposed on
the
wheels. The reaction of the sideframes is to swing, rather like pendula, on
the upper
rockers. When this occurs, the transom and the truck bolster tend to shift
sideways, with
the bottom spring seat platform rotating on the lower rocker.
The upper rockers are inserts, typically of a hardened material, whose
rocking, or
engaging, surface A80 has a radius of curvature of about 5 inches, with the
center of
curvature (when assembled) lying above the upper rockers (i.e., the surface is
upwardly
concave).
As noted above, one of the features of a swing motion truck is that while it
may
be quite stiff vertically, and while it may be resistant to parallelogram
deformation
because of the unsprung lateral connection member, it may at the same time
tend to be
laterally relatively soft.
Summary of the Invention
In the view of the present inventor, the lower rocker and the transom of the
prior
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art swing motion truck may tend to add complexity to the truck. In the view of
the
present inventor, it would be advantageous to retain the upper rocker geometry
of a swing
motion truck, while eliminating either the transom, or the bottom rocker, or
preferably
both. In consequence, in an aspect of the invention there is a swing motion
rail road car
truck that is free of unsprung cross bracing. In another aspect of the
invention there is a
swing motion rail road car truck that is free of (a) a transom; (b) a frame
brace; and (c)
unsprung lateral bracing rods. In another aspect of the invention there is a
swing motion
rail road car truck that is free of a bottom rocker.
In still another aspect of the invention there is a sideframe assembly for a
swing
motion rail road car truck. The sideframe assembly has a frame member. The
frame
member has a pair of first and second longitudinally spaced apart bearing
pedestals. The
sideframe has a pair of first and second rockers. The first rocker is mounted
in a swing
hanger arrangement to the first bearing pedestal. The second bearing rocker is
mounted
in a swing hanger arrangement to the second bearing pedestal. The first and
second
bearing rockers are aligned on a common axis. A spring seat is rigidly mounted
in the
sideframe, whereby, when the sideframe rocks on the rockers, the spring seat
swings
rigidly with the sideframe.
In a further aspect of the invention there is a swing motion rail road car
truck.
The swing motion rail road car truck has a truck bolster having a first end
and a second
end. The truck has a pair of first and second sideframes. Each of the
sideframes has a
sideframe window defined therein for accommodating an end of a truck bolster,
and has a
spring seat for receiving a spring set. The spring seat is rigidly oriented
with respect to
the sideframe window. The truck has a first spring set and a second spring
set. The first
spring set is mounted in the spring seat of the first sideframe, and the
second spring set is
mounted in the spring seat of the second sideframe. The truck bolster is
mounted cross-
wise relative to the sideframes. The first end of the truck bolster is
supported by the first
spring set. The second end of the truck bolster is supported by the second
spring set. The
first and second sideframes each have rocker mounts for engaging first and
second axles.
The rocker mounts are mounted in a swing hanger arrangement to permit cross-
wise
swinging motion of the sideframes.
In yet another aspect of the invention there is a sideframe assembly for a
swing
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motion rail road car truck. The sideframe assembly has a frame member. The
frame
member has a pair of first and second longitudinally spaced apart bearing
pedestals and a
pair of first and second rockers. The first rocker is mounted in a swing
hanger
arrangement to the first bearing pedestal. The second bearing rocker is
mounted in a
swing hanger arrangement to the second bearing pedestal. The first and second
bearing
rockers are aligned on a common axis. A spring seat is rigidly mounted in the
sideframe,
whereby, when the sideframe rocks on the rockers the spring seat swings
rigidly with the
sideframe.
In another aspect of the invention there is a swing motion rail road car
truck. The
truck has a truck bolster having a first end and a second end. The truck has a
pair of first
and second sideframes for accommodating an end of a truck bolster, and has a
spring seat
for receiving a spring set. The spring seat is rigidly mounted with respect to
the
sideframe. The truck has a first spring group and a second spring group. The
first spring
group is mounted in the spring seat of the first sideframe. The second spring
group is
mounted in the spring seat of the second sideframe. The truck bolster is
mounted
transversely relative to the sideframes. The first end of the truck bolster is
supported by
the first spring group. The second end of the truck bolster is supported by
the second
spring group. The first and second sideframes each have rocker mounts for
engaging first
and second axles of a wheelset. The rocker mounts are mounted in a swing
hanger
arrangement to permit cross-wise swinging motion of the sideframes relative to
the
wheelset.
In an additional feature of that aspect of the invention, the truck is free of
underslung lateral cross-bracing. In another additional feature, the truck is
free of a
transom. In still another additional feature, a set of biased members operable
to resist
parallelogram deformation of the truck is mounted to act between each end of
the truck
bolster and the sideframe associated therewith. One of the sets of biased
members
includes first and second biased members. The first biased member is mounted
to act at
a laterally inboard location relative to the second biased member. In yet
another
additional feature, each of the sets of biased members includes third and
fourth biased
members. The third biased member is mounted transversely inboard of the fourth
biased
member. In a further additional feature, the biased members are friction
dampers.
In another additional feature, a set of friction dampers is mounted to act
between
each end of the truck bolster and the sideframe associated therewith. One of
the sets of
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friction dampers includes first and second friction dampers. The first
friction damper is
mounted to act at a laterally inboard location relative to the second friction
damper. In
yet another additional feature, each of the sets of friction dampers includes
third and
fourth friction dampers. The third friction damper is mounted transversely
inboard of the
fourth friction damper. In still another additional feature, the friction
dampers are
individually biased by springs of the spring groups.
In still yet another additional feature, each of the side frames has an
equivalent
pendulum length Leg in the range of 6 to 15 inches. In a further additional
feature, each
of the spring groups has a vertical spring rate constant of less than 15,000
Lbs./in.
In another aspect of the invention there is a swing motion truck having a pair
of
first and second side frames and a truck bolster mounted transversely relative
to the
sideframes. The truck bolster has a first end associated with the first side
frame and a
second end associated with the second sideframe. A first set of friction
dampers is
mounted to act between the first end of the truck bolster and the first
sideframe. A
second set of friction dampers is mounted to act between the second end of the
truck
bolster and the second sideframe. The first set of friction dampers includes
at least four
individually sprung friction dampers.
In an additional feature of that aspect of the invention, the friction dampers
are
mounted in a four corner arrangement. In another additional feature, the
friction dampers
include a first inboard friction damper, a second inboard friction damper, a
first outboard
friction damper and a second outboard friction damper. The first and second
inboard
friction dampers are mounted transversely inboard relative to the first and
second
outboard friction dampers.
In yet another additional feature, the truck is free of unsprung lateral
bracing
between the sideframes. In still another additional feature, the truck is free
of a transom.
In still yet another additional feature, each of the sideframes has a rigid
spring seat, and
respective groups of springs are mounted therein between the spring seat and a
respective
end of the truck bolster. In still another additional feature, each of the
friction dampers
are sprung on springs of the spring groups. In a further additional feature,
each of the
sideframes has a rocking spring seat. In still a further additional feature,
each of the
sideframes has an equivalent pendulum length, Leq, in the range of 6 to 15
inches.
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In yet a further additional feature, a first spring group is mounted between
the first
end of the truck bolster and the first side frame. A second spring group is
mounted
between the second end of the truck bolster and the second side frame. Each of
the first
and second spring groups has a vertical spring rate constant k that is less
than 15,000
Lbs./in per group.
In another aspect of the invention there is a swing motion rail road car
truck. The
truck has a truck bolster having a first end and a second end and a pair of
first and second
sideframes. Each of the sideframes accommodates an end of the truck bolster,
and has a
spring seat for receiving a spring group. The truck has a first spring group
and a second
spring group. The first spring group is mounted in the spring seat of the
first sideframe.
The second spring group is mounted in the spring seat of the second sideframe.
The
truck bolster is mounted cross-wise relative to the sideframes. The first end
of the truck
bolster is supported by the first spring group. The second end of the truck
bolster is
supported by the second spring group. The first and second sideframes each
have swing
hanger rocker mounts for engaging first and second axles. The rocker mounts
are
operable to permit cross-wise swinging motion of the sideframes. The truck is
free of
lateral cross-bracing between the sideframes. In an additional feature of that
aspect of the
invention, the spring seats are rigidly mounted to the sideframes.
In another additional feature, a set of biased members, operable to resist
parallelogram deformation of the truck, is mounted to act between each end of
the truck
bolster and the sideframe associated therewith. One of the sets of biased
members
includes first and second biased members. The first biased member is mounted
to act at a
laterally inboard location relative to the second biased member. In still
another additional
feature, each of the sets of biased members includes third and fourth biased
members.
The third biased member is mounted transversely inboard of the fourth biased
member.
In yet another additional feature, the biased members are friction dampers.
In still yet another additional feature, a set of friction dampers is mounted
to act
between each end of the truck bolster and the sideframe associated therewith.
One of the
sets of friction dampers includes first and second friction dampers. The first
friction
damper is mounted to act at a laterally inboard location relative to the
second friction
damper. In another additional feature, each of the sets of friction dampers
includes third
and fourth friction dampers. The third friction damper is mounted transversely
inboard of
the fourth friction damper. In a further additional feature, the friction
dampers are
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individually biased by springs of the spring groups. In still a further
additional feature,
each of the side frames has an equivalent pendulum length Leg in the range of
6 to 15
inches. In yet a further additional feature, each of the spring groups has a
vertical spring
rate constant of less than 15,000 Lbs./in.
In still yet a further additional feature, a first set of friction dampers is
mounted to
act between the first end of the truck bolster and the first sideframe. A
second set of
friction dampers is mounted to act between the second end of the truck bolster
and the
second sideframe. The first set of friction dampers includes at least four
individually
sprung friction dampers. In another additional feature, the friction dampers
are mounted
in a four corner arrangement. In yet another additional feature, the friction
dampers
include a first inboard friction damper, a second inboard friction damper, a
first outboard
friction damper and a second outboard friction damper. The first and second
inboard
friction dampers are mounted transversely inboard relative to the first and
second
outboard friction dampers.
In still yet another additional feature, each of the sideframes has a rigid
spring
seat, and respective groups of springs are mounted therein between the spring
seat and a
respective end of the truck bolster. In a further additional feature, each of
the friction
dampers are sprung on springs of the spring groups. In still a further
additional feature,
each of the sideframes has a rocking spring seat. In yet a further additional
feature, each
of the sideframes has an equivalent pendulum length, Leg, in the range of 6 to
15 inches.
In still yet a further additional feature, each of the first and second spring
groups has a
vertical spring rate constant k that is less than 15,000 Lbs./in per group.
Brief Description of The Illustrations
The principles of the invention may better be understood with reference to the
accompanying figures provided by way of illustration of an exemplary
embodiment, or
embodiments, incorporating those principles, and in which:
Figure la shows a prior art exploded partial view illustration of a swing
motion
truck based on the illustration shown at page 716 in the 1980 Car and
Locomotive Cyclopedia;
Figure lb shows a cross-sectional detail of an upper rocker assembly of the
truck
of Figure la;
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Figure lc shows a cross-sectional detail of a lower rocker assembly of the
truck of
Figure la;
Figure 2a shows a swing motion truck as shown in Figure la, but lacking a
transom;
Figure 2b shows a sectional detail of an upper rocker assembly of the truck of
Figure 2a;
Figure 2c shows a cross-sectional detail of a bottom spring seat of the truck
of
Figure 2a;
Figure 3a shows a swing motion truck having an upper rocker as in the swing
motion truck of Figure la, but having a rigid spring seat, and being free of
a transom;
Figure 3b shows a cross-sectional detail of the upper rocker assembly of the
truck
of Figure 3a;
Figure 4 shows a swing motion truck similar to that of Figure 3a, but having
doubled bolster pockets and wedges;
Figure 5a shows an isometric view of an assembled swing motion truck similar
to
that of Figure 3a, but having a different spring and damper arrangement;
Figure 5b shows a top view of the truck of Figure 5a showing a 2 x 4 spring
arrangement;
Figure 5c shows the damper arrangement of the truck of Figure 5a;
Figure 5d shows a side view of the truck of Figure 5a; and
Figure 5e shows a view similar to Figure 5b, but with a 3 x 5 spring
arrangement.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The description that follows, and the embodiments described therein, are
provided
by way of illustration of an example, or examples, of particular embodiments
of the
principles of the present invention. These examples are provided for the
purposes of
explanation, and not of limitation, of those principles and of the invention.
In the
description, like parts are marked throughout the specification and the
drawings with the
same respective reference numerals. The drawings are not necessarily to scale
and in
some instances proportions may have been exaggerated in order more clearly to
depict
certain features of the invention.
In terms of general orientation and directional nomenclature, for each of the
rail
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road car trucks described herein, the longitudinal direction is defined as
being coincident
with the rolling direction of the rail road car, or rail road car unit, when
located on
tangent (that is, straight) track. In the case of a rail road car having a
center sill, the
longitudinal direction is parallel to the center sill, and parallel to the
side sills, if any.
Unless otherwise noted, vertical, or upward and downward, are terms that use
top of rail,
TOR, as a datum. The term lateral, or laterally outboard, refers to a distance
or
orientation relative to the longitudinal centerline of the railroad car, or
car unit. The term
"longitudinally inboard", or "longitudinally outboard" is a distance taken
relative to a
mid-span lateral section of the car, or car unit. Pitching motion is angular
motion of a
railcar unit about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal
direction. Yawing is
angular motion about a vertical axis. Roll is angular motion about the
longitudinal axis.
This description relates to rail car trucks. Several AAR standard truck sizes
are
listed at page 711 in the 1997 Car & Locomotive Cyclopedia. As indicated, for
a single
unit rail car having two trucks, a "40 Ton" truck rating corresponds to a
maximum gross
car weight on rail of 142,000 lbs. Similarly, "50 Ton" corresponds to 177,000
lbs, "70
Ton" corresponds to 220,000 lbs, "100 Ton" corresponds to 263,000 lbs, and
"125 Ton"
corresponds to 315,000 lbs. In each case the load limit per truck is then half
the
maximum gross car weight on rail. A "110 Ton" truck is a term sometimes used
for a
truck having a maximum weight on rail of 286,000 lbs.
This application refers to friction dampers, and multiple friction damper
systems.
There are several types of damper arrangement as shown at pages 715 - 716 of
the 1997
Car and Locomotive Encyclopedia, those pages being incorporated herein by
reference.
Double damper arrangements are shown and described in my co-pending US Patent
application, filed contemporaneously herewith and entitled "Rail Road Freight
Car With
Damped Suspension". Each of the arrangements of dampers shown at pp. 715 to
716 of
the 1997 Car and Locomotive Encyclopedia can be modified according to the
principles
of my aforesaid co-pending application for "Rail Road Freight Car With Damped
Suspension" to employ a four cornered, double damper arrangement of inner and
outer
dampers.
In the example of Figure 2a and 2b, a truck embodying an aspect of the present
invention is indicated as 10. Truck 10 differs from truck A20 of Figure la
insofar as it is
free of a rigid, unsprung lateral connecting member in the nature of unsprung
cross-
bracing such as a frame brace of crossed-diagonal rods, lateral rods, or a
transom (such as
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transom A60) running between the rocker plates of the bottom spring seats of
the
opposed sideframes. Further, truck 10 employs gibs 12 to define limits to the
lateral
range of travel of the truck bolster 14 relative to the sideframe 16. In other
respects,
including the sideframe geometry and upper and lower rocker assemblies, truck
10 is
intended to have generally similar features to truck A20, although it may
differ in size,
pendulum length, spring stiffness, wheelbase, window width and window height,
and
damping arrangement. The determination of these values and dimensions may
depend on
the service conditions under which the truck is to operate.
As with other trucks described herein, it will be understood that since truck
10
(and trucks 20, 120, and 220, described below) are symmetrical about both
their
longitudinal and transverse axes, the truck is shown in partial section. In
each case,
where reference is made to a sideframe, it will be understood that the truck
has first and
second sideframes, first and second spring groups, and so on.
In Figures 3a and 3b, for example, a truck embodying an aspect of the present
invention is identified generally as 20. Inasmuch as truck 20 is symmetrical
about the
truck center both from side-to-side and lengthwise, the bolster, identified as
22, and the
sideframes, identified as 24 are shown in part. Truck 20 differs from truck
A20 of the
prior art, described above, in that truck 20 has a rigid spring seat rather
than a lower
rocker as in truck A20, as described below, and is free of a rigid, unsprung
lateral
connection member such as an underslung transom A60, a frame brace, or
laterally
extending rods.
Sideframe 24 has a generally rectangular window 26 that accommodates one of
the ends 28 of the bolster 22. The upper boundary of window 26 is defined by
the
sideframe arch, or compression member identified as top chord member 30, and
the
bottom of window 26 is defined by a tension member identified as bottom chord
32. The
fore and aft vertical sides of window 26 are defined by sideframe columns 34.
The ends of the tension member sweep up to meet the compression member. At
each of the swept-up ends of sideframe 24 there are sideframe pedestal
fittings 38. Each
fitting 38 accommodates an upper rocker identified as a pedestal rocker seat
40. Pedestal
rocker seat 40 engages the upper surface of a bearing adapter 42. Bearing
adapter 42
engages a bearing mounted on one of the axles of the truck adjacent one of the
wheels. A
rocker seat 40 is located in each of the fore and aft pedestal fittings 38,
the rocker seats
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40 being longitudinally aligned such that the sideframe can swing transversely
relative to
the rolling direction of the truck in a "swing hanger" arrangement.
Bearing adapter 42 has a hollowed out recess 43 in its upper surface that
defines a
bearing surface 43 for receiving rocker seat 40. Bearing surface 43 is formed
on a radius
of curvature R1. The radius of curvature R1 is preferably in the range of less
than 25
inches, and is preferably in the range of 8 to 12 inches, and most preferably
about 10
inches with the center of curvature lying upwardly of the rocker seat. The
lower face of
rocker seat 40 is also formed on a circular arc, having a radius of curvature
R2 that is less
than the radius of curvature R1 of recess 43. R2 is preferably in the range of
1/4 to 1/4 as
large as RI, and is preferably in the range of 3 ¨ 10 inches, and most
preferably 5 inches
when R1 is 10 inches, i.e., R2 is one half of R1. Given the relatively small
angular
displacement of the rocking motion of R2 relative to R1 (typically less than
+/- 10
degrees) the relationship is one of rolling contact, rather than sliding
contact.
The bottom chord or tension member of sideframe 24 has a basket plate, or
lower
spring seat 44 rigidly mounted to bottom chord 32, such that it has a rigid
orientation
relative to window 26, and to sideframe 24 in general. That is, in contrast to
the lower
rocker platform of the prior art swing motion truck A20 of Figure la, as
described above,
spring seat 44 is not mounted on a rocker, and does not rock relative to
sideframe 24.
Although spring seat 44 retains an array of bosses 46 for engaging the corner
elements
54, namely springs 54 and 55 (inboard), 56 and 57 (outboard) of a spring set
48, there is
no transom mounted between the bottom of the springs and seat 44. Seat 44 has
a
peripheral lip 52 for discouraging the escape of the bottom ends the of
springs.
The spring group, or spring set 48, is captured between the distal end 28 of
bolster
22 and spring seat 44, being placed under compression by the weight of the
rail car body
and lading that bears upon bolster 22 from above.
Friction damping is provided by damping wedges 62 that seat in mating bolster
pockets 64 that have inclined damper seats 66. The vertical sliding faces 70
of the
friction damper wedges 62 then ride up and down on friction wear plates 72
mounted to
the inwardly facing surfaces of sideframe columns 34. Angled faces 74 of
wedges 62
ride against the angled face of seat 66. Bolster 22 has inboard and outboard
gibbs 76, 78
respectively, that bound the lateral motion of bolster 22 relative to
sideframe columns 34.
This motion allowance may advantageously be in the range of +/- 1 1/8 to 1 3/4
inches,
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and is most preferably in the range of 1 3/16 to 1 9/16 inches, and can be
set, for
example, at 1 1/2 inches or 1 1/4 inches of lateral travel to either side of a
neutral, or
centered, position when the sideframe is undeflected.
As in the prior art swing motion truck A20, a spring group of 8 springs in a
3:2:3
arrangement is used. Other configurations of spring groups could be used, such
as these
described below.
In the embodiment of Figure 4, a truck 120 is substantially similar to truck
20, but
differs insofar as truck 120 has a bolster 122 having double bolster pockets
124 126 on
each face of the bolster at the outboard end. Bolster pockets 124, 126
accommodate a
pair of first and second, laterally inboard and laterally outboard friction
damper wedges
128, 129 and 130, 131, respectively. Wedges 128, 129 each sit over a first,
inboard
corner spring 132, 133, and wedges 130, 131 each sit over a second, outboard
corner
spring 134, 135. In this four corner arrangement, each damper is individually
sprung by
one or another of the springs in the spring group. The static compression of
the springs
under the weight of the car body and lading tends to act as a spring loading
to bias the
damper to act along the slope of the bolster pocket to force the friction
surface against the
sideframe. As such, the dampers co-operate in acting as biased members working
between the bolster and the side frames to resist parallelogram, or lozenging,
deformation
of the side frame relative to the truck bolster. A middle end spring 136 bears
on the
underside of a land 138 located intermediate bolster pockets 124 and 126. The
top ends
of the central row of springs, 140, seat under the main central portion 142 of
the end of
bolster 122.
The lower ends of the springs of the entire spring group, identified generally
as
144, seat in the lower spring seat 146. Lower spring seat 146 has the layout
of a tray with
an upturned rectangular peripheral lip. Lower spring seat 146 is rigidly
mounted to the
lower chord 148 of sideframe 122. In this case, spring group 144 has a 3 rows
x 3
columns layout, rather than the 3:2:3 arrangement of truck 20. A 3 x 5 layout
as shown
in Figure 5e could be used, as could other alternate spring group layouts.
Truck 120 is
free of any rigid, unsprung lateral sideframe connection members such as
transom A60.
It will be noted that bearing plate 150 mounted to vertical sideframe columns
152
is significantly wider than the corresponding bearing plate 72 of truck 20 of
Figure 2a.
This additional width corresponds to the additional overall damper span width
measured
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fully across the damper pairs, plus lateral travel as noted above, typically
allowing 1 IA
(+/-) inches of lateral travel of the bolster relative to the sideframe to
either side of the
undeflected central position. That is, rather than having the width of one
coil, plus
allowance for travel, plate 152 has the width of three coils, plus allowance
to
accommodate 1 Y2 (+/-) inches of travel to either side. Plate 152 is
significantly wider
than the through thickness of the sideframes more generally, as measured, for
example, at
the pedestals.
Damper wedges 128 and 130 sit over 44 % (+/-) of the spring group i.e., 4/9 of
a 3
rows x 3 columns group as shown in Figure 4, whereas wedges 70 only sat over
2/8 of
the 3:2:3 group in Figure 3a. For the same proportion of vertical damping,
wedges 128
and 130 may tend to have a larger included angle (i.e., between the wedge
hypotenuse
and the vertical face for engaging the friction wear plates on the sideframe
columns 34.
For example, if the included angle of friction wedges 72 is about 35 degrees,
then,
assuming a similar overall spring group stiffness, and single coils, the
corresponding
angle of wedges 128 and 130 could advantageously be in the range of 50 ¨ 65
degrees, or
more preferably about 55 degrees. In a 3 x 5 group such as group 270 of truck
280 of
Figure 5e, for coils of equal stiffness, the wedge angle may tend to be in the
35 to 40
degree range. The specific angle will be a function of the specific spring
stiffnesses and
spring combinations actually employed.
The use of spaced apart pairs of dampers 128, 130 may tend to give a larger
moment arm, as indicated by dimension "2M", for resisting parallelogram
deformation of
truck 120 more generally as compared to trucks 20 or A20. Parallelogram
deformation
may tend to occur, for example, during the "truck hunting" phenomenon that has
a
tendency to occur in higher speed operation.
Placement of doubled dampers in this way may tend to yield a greater
restorative
"squaring" force to return the truck to a square orientation than for a single
damper alone,
as in truck 20. That is, in parallelogram deformation, or lozenging, the
differential
compression of one diagonal pair of springs (e.g., inboard spring 132 and
outboard spring
135 may be more pronouncedly compressed) relative to the other diagonal pair
of springs
(e.g., inboard spring 133 and outboard spring 134 may be less pronouncedly
compressed
than springs 132 and 135) tends to yield a restorative moment couple acting on
the
sideframe wear plates. This moment couple tends to rotate the sideframe in a
direction to
square the truck, (that is, in a position in which the bolster is
perpendicular, or "square",
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to the sideframes) and thus may tend to discourage the lozenging or
parallelogramming,
noted by Weber.
Another embodiment of multiple damper truck 220 is shown in Figures 5a, 5b, 5c
and 5d. Truck 220 has a wheel set of four wheels 221 and two axles 223. Truck
220 is
substantially similar to truck 120, but differs insofar as truck 220 has a
bolster 222 having
single bolster pockets 225, 226 on opposites sides of the outboard end portion
of the
bolster, each being of enlarged width, such as double the width of the single
pockets
shown in Figure 3a, to accommodate a pair of first and second, inboard and
outboard
friction damper wedges 228, 230, (or 229, 231, opposite side) in side-by-side
independently displaceable sliding relationship relative not only to the seat
of the pocket,
but also with respect to each other. In this instance the spring group,
indicated as 232,
has a 2 rows x 4 columns layout, as seen most clearly in Figure 5b. Wedges
228, 230
each sit over a first corner spring 234, 236 and wedges 229, 231 each sit over
a second
corner spring 233, 235. The central 2 rows x 2 columns of the springs bear on
the
underside of a land 238 located in the main central portion of the end of
bolster 222
longitudinally intermediate bolster pockets 225 and 227.
For the purposes of this description the swivelling, 4 wheel, 2 axle truck 220
has
first and second sideframes 224 that can be taken as having the same upper
rocker
assembly as truck 120, and has a rigidly mounted lower spring seat 240, like
spring seat
144, but having a shape to suit the 2 rows x 4 columns spring layout rather
than the 3 x 3
layout of truck 120. It may also be noted that sideframe window 242 has
greater width
between sideframe columns 244, 245 than window 126 between columns 128 to
accommodate the longer spring group footprint, and bolster 222 similarly has a
wider end
to sit over the spring group.
In this example, damper wedges 228, 230 and 229, 232 sit over 50 % of the
spring
group i.e., 4/8 namely springs 234, 236, 233, 235. For the same proportion of
vertical
damping as in truck 20, wedges 128 and 130 may tend to have a larger included
angle,
possibly about 60 degrees, although angles in the range of 45 to 70 degrees
could be
chosen depending on spring combinations and spring stiffnesses. Once again, in
a
warping condition, the somewhat wider damping region (the width of two full
coils plus
lateral travel of 1 (+/-)) of sideframe column wear plates 246, 247
lying between
inboard and outboard gibbs 248, 249, 250, 251 relative to truck 20 (a damper
width of
one coil with travel), sprung on individual springs (inboard and outboard in
truck 220, as
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opposed to a single central coil in truck 20), may tend to generate a moment
couple to
give a restoring force working on a moment arm. This restoring force may tend
to urge
the sideframe back to a square orientation relative to the bolster, with
diagonally opposite
pairs of springs working as described above. In this instance, the springs
each work on a
moment arm distance corresponding to half of the distance between the centers
of the 2
rows of coils, rather than half the 3 coil distance shown in Figure 4.
One way to encourage an increase in the hunting threshold is to employ a truck
having a longer wheelbase, or one whose length is proportionately great
relative to its
width. For example, at present two axle truck wheelbases may generally range
from
about 5' ¨ 3" to 6' ¨ 0". However, the standard North American track gauge is
4' ¨ 8 1/2",
giving a wheelbase to track width ratio possibly as small as 1.12. At 6' ¨ 0"
the ratio is
roughly 1.27. It would be preferable to employ a wheelbase having a longer
aspect ratio
relative to the track gauge.
In the case of truck 220, the size of the spring group yields an opening
between
the vertical columns of sideframe of roughly 33 inches. This is relatively
large compared
to existing spring groups, being more than 25 % greater in width. In an
alternate 3 x 5
spring group arrangement, the opening between the sideframe columns is more
than 27 1/2
inches wide. Truck 220 also has a greater wheelbase length, indicated as WB.
WB is
advantageously greater than 73 inches, or, taken as a ratio to the track gauge
width, and is
also advantageously greater than 1.30 times the track gauge width. It is
preferably
greater than 80 inches, or more than 1.4 times the gauge width, and in one
embodiment is
greater than 1.5 times the track gauge width, being as great, or greater than,
about 86
inches.
It will be understood that the features of the trucks of Figures 2a, 2b, 3a,
3b, 4,
5a, 5b, 5c and 5d are provided by way of illustration, and that the features
of the various
trucks can be combined in many different permutations and combinations. That
is, a 2 x
4 spring group could also be used with a single wedge damper per side.
Although a
single wedge damper per side arrangement is shown in Figures 2a and 3a, a
double
damper arrangement, as shown in Figures 4 and 5a is nonetheless preferred as a
double
damper arrangement may tend to provide enhanced squaring of the truck and
resistance
to hunting. A 3 x 3 or 3 x 5, or other arrangement spring set may be used in
place of
either a 3:2:3 or 2 x 4 spring set, with a corresponding adjustment in spring
seat plate size
and layout. Similarly, the trucks can use a wide sideframe window, and
corresponding
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extra long wheel base, or a smaller window. Further, each of the trucks could
employ a
rocking bottom spring seat, as in Figure 2b, or a fixed bottom spring seat, as
in Figure 3a,
4 or 5a.
When a lateral perturbation is passed to the wheels by the rails, the rigid
axles will
tend to cause both sideframes to deflect in the same direction. The reaction
of the
sideframes is to swing, rather like pendula, on the upper rockers. The
pendulum and the
twisted springs will tend to urge the sideframes back to their initial
position. The
tendency to oscillate harmonically due to the track perturbation will tend to
be damped
out be the friction of the dampers on the wear plates.
As before, the upper rocker seats are inserts, typically of a hardened
material,
whose rocking, or engaging surface 80 has a radius of curvature of about five
inches,
with the center of curvature (when assembled) lying above the upper rockers
(i.e., the
surface is upwardly concave).
In each of the trucks shown and described herein, for a fully laden car type,
the
lateral stiffness of the sideframe acting as a pendulum is less than the
lateral stiffness of
the spring group in shear. In one embodiment, the vertical stiffness of the
spring group is
less than 12,000 Lbs./in, with a horizontal shear stiffness of less than 6000
Lbs./in. The
pendulum has a vertical length measured (when undeflected) from the rolling
contact
interface at the upper rocker seat to the bottom spring seat of between 12 and
20 inches,
preferably between 14 and 18 inches. The equivalent length Leg, may be in the
range of 8
to 20 inches, depending on truck size and rocker geometry, and is preferably
in the range
of 11 to 15 inches, and is most preferably between about 7 and 9 inches for 28
inch
wheels (70 ton "special"), between about 8 1/2 and 10 inches for 33 inch
wheels (70 ton),
9 1/2 and 12 inches for 36 inch wheels (100 or 110 ton), and 11 and 13 1/2
inches for 38
inch wheels (125 ton). Although truck 120 or 220 may be a 70 ton special, a 70
ton, 100
ton, 110 ton, or 125 ton truck, it is preferred that truck 120 or 220 be a
truck size having
33 inch diameter, or even more preferably 36 or 38 inch diameter wheels.
In the trucks described herein according to the present invention, Lresultant,
as
defined above, is greater than 10 inches, is advantageously in the range of 15
to 25
inches, and is preferably between 18 and 22 inches, and most preferably close
to about 20
inches. In one particular embodiment it is about 19.6 inches, and in another
particular
embodiment it is about 19.8 inches.
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In the trucks described herein, for their fully laden design condition which
may be
determined either according to the AAR limit for 70, 100, 110 or 125 ton
trucks, or,
where a lower intended lading is chosen, then in proportion to the vertical
sprung load
yielding 2 inches of vertical spring deflection in the spring groups, the
equivalent lateral
stiffness of the sideframe, being the ratio of force to lateral deflection
measured at the
bottom spring seat, is less than the horizontal shear stiffness of the
springs. The
equivalent lateral stiffness of the sideframe ksideframe is less than 6000
Lbs./in. and
preferably between about 3500 and 5500 Lbs./in., and more preferably in the
range of
3700 ¨ 4100 Lbs./in. By way of an example, in one embodiment a 2 x 4 spring
group has
8 inch diameter springs having a total vertical stiffness of 9600 Lbs./ in.
per spring group
and a corresponding lateral shear stiffness ksprmg shear of 4800 lbs./in. The
sideframe has a
rigidly mounted lower spring seat. It is used in a truck with 36 inch wheels.
In another
embodiment, a 3 x 5 group of 5 V2 inch diameter springs is used, also having a
vertical
stiffness of about 9600 lbs./in. in a truck with 36 inch wheels. It is
intended that the
vertical spring stiffness per spring group be in the range of less than 30,000
lbs./in., that it
advantageously be in the range of less than 20,000 lbs./in and that it
preferably be in the
range of 4,000 to 12000 lbs./in, and most preferably be about 6000 to 10,000
lbs./in. The
twisting of the springs has a stiffness in the range of 750 to 1200 lbs./in.
and a vertical
shear stiffness in the range of 3500 to 5500 lbs./in. with an overall
sideframe stiffness in
the range of 2000 to 3500 lbs./in.
In the embodiments of trucks in which there is a fixed bottom spring seat, the
truck may have a portion of stiffness, attributable to unequal compression of
the springs
equivalent to 600 to 1200 Lbs./in. of lateral deflection, when the lateral
deflection is
measured at the bottom of the spring seat on the sideframe. Preferably, this
value is less
than 1000 Lbs./in., and most preferably is less than 900 Lbs./in. The portion
of restoring
force attributable to unequal compression of the springs will tend to be
greater for a light
car as opposed to a fully laden car, i.e., a car laden in such a manner that
the truck is
approaching its nominal load limit, as set out in the 1997 Car and Locomotive
Cyclopedia at page 711.
The double damper arrangements shown above can also be varied to include any
of the four types of damper installation indicated at page 715 in the 1997 Car
and
Locomotive Cyclopedia, whose information is incorporated herein by reference,
with
appropriate structural changes for doubled dampers, with each damper being
sprung on
CA 02797275 2014-03-19
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an individual spring. That is, while inclined surface bolster pockets and
inclined wedges
seated on the main springs have been shown and described, the friction blocks
could be in
a horizontal, spring biased installation in a pocket in the bolster itself,
and seated on
independent springs rather than the main springs. Alternatively, it is
possible to mount
friction wedges in the sideframes, in either an upward orientation or a
downward
orientation.
The embodiments of trucks shown and described herein may vary in their
suitability
for different types of service. Truck performance can vary significantly based
on the
loading expected, the wheelbase, spring stiffriesses, spring layout, pendulum
geometry,
damper layout and damper geometry.
Various embodiments of the invention have now been described in detail. Since
changes in and or additions to the above-described best mode may be made
without
departing from the nature, spirit or scope of the invention, the invention is
not to be limited
to those details but only by a purposive construction of the appended claims
as required by
law.
