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Rail road freight car with resilient suspension

  • US 7,328,659 B2
  • Filed: 07/25/2005
  • Issued: 02/12/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2001
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A three piece rail road car truck, the truck having a longitudinal rolling direction, and a transverse direction extending cross-wise to the rolling direction, said truck comprising:

  • a pair of first and second side frames and a truck bolster defining primary members of said three piece truck, said bolster being resiliently mounted transversely relative to said side frames, said truck being free of a transom;

    said side frames each having a side frame window bounded by a pair of first and second side frame columns, a lower member and an upper member;

    said first side frame column having a first planar wear plate mounted thereto;

    said second side frame column having a second planar wear plate mounted thereto;

    said truck bolster having first and second ends;

    wheelsets, each said wheelset having an axle having two wheels mounted thereto, and each axle being mounted to said side frames;

    first and second spring groups, one of said spring groups being mounted in each of said side frames, each said spring group supporting one of said ends of said bolster within its respective side frame window;

    each of said spring groups including coils of springs sitting in a side-by-side grouping, said grouping having four cornermost springs, said cornermost springs including a first inboard corner spring, a second inboard corner spring spaced lengthwise along said side frame from said first inboard corner spring, a first outboard corner spring, a second outboard corner spring spaced lengthwise along said side frame from said first outboard corner spring;

    said first outboard corner spring being spaced laterally outboard of said first inboard corner spring;

    said second outboard corner spring being spaced laterally outboard of said second inboard corner spring;

    first and second damper groups mounted at respective ends of said bolster;

    said first damper group including a first damper and a second damper, said first damper being located in the transverse direction inboard of the second damper;

    each of said first and second dampers being seated in said first end of said bolster and being independently driven to contact said first wear plate of said first side frame column of said first side frame;

    said first damper being mounted over said first inboard corner spring, said second damper being mounted over said first outboard corner spring;

    said first inboard corner and first outboard corner springs each having a spring of smaller diameter nested therewithin;

    said dampers include angled damper wedges working in correspondingly angled damper pockets, said angled damper wedges having a damper angle of greater than 35 degrees; and

    said first spring group has a combined vertical spring rate, and substantially more than 15% of that spring rate is applied beneath said first damper group.

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