Traction pins for railway cars

• US 6,857,375 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2001
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Columbus Southern Power Company (American Electric Power Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Columbus Southern Power Company (American Electric Power Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Murphy, Patrick M., Milligan, Bruce A., Pinkstock, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Mark T.
• Application Number:
  US09/864,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20020011174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 105/34.1, 105/157.1, 105/165, 105/167, 105/182.1, 105/199.1, 105/199.4, 105/189
• US Class Current: 105/199.4
• CPC Class Codes: B61F 5/16 Centre bearings or other swivel connections between underframes and bolsters or bogies

Abstract

A one-piece, cast traction pin for use with railway cars. The traction pin is used to connect the railcar cab with the railcar truck assembly. The traction pin includes a mounting plate cast integral with the pin, thereby eliminating the use of multiple welded plates. The one-piece cast traction pin is also solid to reduce the potential for stress related failure of the traction pin during normal operation of the railway car.

Claims

1. A traction pin assembly for joining a railcar cab with a railcar truck assembly comprising:

a one-piece cast traction pin body defining a mounting plate and a cylindrical pin, the traction pin body further defining a non-hollow unitary structure and including a frustum region extending from the mounting plate to the cylindrical pin, the frustum region formed integral with the mounting plate, the mounting plate defining a pair of raised, spaced-apart mounting surfaces;

a pair of reinforcing ribs welded to the pair of mounting surfaces;

a rectangular plate defining a circular opening for receiving the mounting plate of the traction pin body, the traction pin body welded to the rectangular plate, the pair of reinforcing ribs extending through the circular opening;

a bottom mounting plate welded to the rectangular plate;

a pair of sills, each sill defining a first side and a second side, the first side welded to the bottom mounting plate; and

a top mounting plate welded to the second side of each of the sills, the top mounting plate welded to the railcar cab, the pair of reinforcing ribs positioned between the mounting plate and the top mounting plate.

2. The traction pin assembly of claim 1 wherein the traction pin body defines a tapered end.

3. A traction pin assembly for joining a railcar cab with a railcar truck assembly comprising:

a one-piece cast traction pin having a non-hollow unitary structure and defining a body having cylindrical pin region and a frustum region extending from the cylindrical pin region, the traction pin also defining an integral mounting plate extending outwardly from the frustum region, the integral mounting plate defining a pair of raised, spaced-apart mounting surfaces;

a pair of reinforcing ribs welded to the pair of mounting surfaces;

a bottom mounting plate welded to the integral mounting plate of the traction pin;

a pair of sills, each sill defining a first side and a second side, the first side welded to the bottom mounting plate; and

a top mounting plate welded to the second side of each of the sills, the pair of reinforcing ribs positioned between and mounted to the integral mounting plate and the top mounting plate, the top mounting plate welded to the railcar cab.

4. The traction pin assembly of claim 3 wherein the traction pin body defines a tapered end.

5. The traction pin assembly of claim 3 wherein the integral mounting plate has a rectangular shape.

6. The traction pin assembly of claim 3 wherein the integral mounting plate has a non-circular shape.