End-of-railway-car Cushioning Installation

Abstract

A railway car includes a center sill having at opposite ends thereof an end-of-car cushion installation, each including a hydraulic cushioning device having a cylinder retained in a cushion pocket by a fixed stop comprising a pair of transversely aligned apertures in a center sill with a stop block carried in said apertures and welded to said sill. The cylinder includes a base plate which is secured between said stop block and a pair of removable stop brackets on said sill. A yoke and coupler arrangement includes a laterally projecting wall which with a pair of removable stop brackets on opposite sides of the yoke forms a pair of spring pockets in which leaf springs are supported and which after a draft impact return the device to a neutral position.

Description

SUMMARY

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved hydraulic cushioning installation in the opposed ends of a center sill with a cushioning pocket which includes a rigid stop removed from the ends of the sill and cooperates with a plurality of removable stop brackets for securing a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly against longitudinal movement within the pocket upon draft and buff impacts. The installation includes a rigid stop which is fixed within a pair of laterally aligned apertures disposed in longitudinally spaced relation from the ends of the center sill. The rigid stop is suitably welded to the center sill within the apertures and thus the stop arrangement permits the ready and quick adaptation of a standard center sill for end-of-car cushioning. Thus, railway cars of conventional design can be readily changed over to end-of-car cushioning since the apertures for the rigid stop are readily accomplished without removal of the center sill. Further, the cushion pocket is also provided with removable stop lugs which are inserted through apertures in the center sill which provide spring pockets on opposite sides of a longitudinally reciprocable coupler yoke.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one end of a center sill of a railway car having an end-of-car hydraulic cushioning installation;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a center sill and a fixed cushion stop prior to assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A railway car underframe 10 is best disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 and includes a center sill 11 having a top wall 12 and vertical sidewalls 13 connected thereto. The vertical walls 13 are provided at their lower ends with outwardly projecting flanges 14. The center sill 11 is provided at each of the opposite ends with a cushion pocket generally designated at 15. The opposite ends of the center sill 11 are also provided with reinforcing structures 16.

A hydraulic cushioning unit 17 is disposed in a cushion pocket 15 and includes a base plate 18 connected to an open end cylinder 19. A piston 20 is reciprocally mounted within the cylinder 19 and is connected to a piston rod 21 extending outwardly from the open end of the cylinder. The cylinder 19 is suitably sealed by a flexible boot or reservoir 22 of a type shown in the Peterson application, Ser. No. 799,175 filed Feb. 14, 1969. The cylinder 19 also is provided with a spring retainer collar 23 supporting one end of the coil spring 23'.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the center sill 11 at opposite ends thereof is provided with transversely aligned rectangular openings 24 within which a stop block 25 is inserted. The stop block 25 includes a bottom wall 26, sidewalls 27 and a top wall 28. As indicated in FIGS. 1 through 3, welds 29 and 30 suitably connect the stop block 25 within the apertures 24.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the base plate 18 is seated against the stop block 25 and thus is maintained within the cushion pocket 15. The center sill 11 is also provided with openings 31 on the other side of the base plate 18 through which lugs 32 project. Brackets 33 to which lugs 32 are connected are suitably supported on the vertical walls 13 with reinforcing plates 34. The base plate 18 is also provided with longitudinally projecting lugs 25 which are disposed in slightly spaced relation relative to the lugs 32. Thus the lugs 32 and the stop plate 28 securely position the cylinder 19 against longitudinal displacement. The forward ends of the center sill 11 are also provided with openings 36 through which lugs 37 project and which are carried on brackets 38. The brackets 38 are also suitably removably connected to the corner sill 11.

A coupler housing 39 is slidably disposed in the cushion pocket 15 and includes a cavity 40. A rear wall 41 on the coupler housing 39 includes an inner concave surface 42 which supports a connector element 43 in turn connected to the end of the piston rod 21. The coupler housing 39 includes a conventional bell-mouth 44 and a coupler 45 is suitably connected within the coupler housing 39 in conventional fashion. As best shown in FIG. 2, a bottom plate 46 is removably secured to the flanges 14 to enclose each cushion pocket 15.

As best shown in FIG. 1 the rear wall 41 also includes projecting elements 47 and a pair of leaf springs 48 are disposed on opposite sides of the coupler housing 39 between the lugs 37 and the projecting elements 47.

THE OPERATION

In the operation, as best shown in FIG. 1, a draft impact toward the vertical line C causes movement of the piston 20 from the neutral position as indicated by the line B whereupon the leaf springs 48 are compressed. The hydraulic operation of the cushioning device is best disclosed in the aforementioned patent application and need not be further described. After the draft impact the springs 48 return the piston 20 to the position shown by the line B. Upon a buff impact, movement of the piston 20 is in the direction of the arrow, shown in FIG. 1, to the line A from the neutral position of the line B.

The stop arrangement 25 can readily be provided in existing railroad cars in the field or in railway shops by the simple aperturing of the sides of the center sill to provide the openings 24. Similarly, the openings 31 and 36 can likewise be created which, with the bracket arrangements, provide the desired cushioning pocket arrangement 15. Thus the improved end-of-car cushioning arrangement can readily be accomplished with a minimum of rebuilding of the center sill or underframe of the car. After the cushioning unit has been suitably placed in position suitably placed in position the bottom plate 46 is reapplied.

Claims

What we claim is:

1. A railway car having an underframe including a center sill providing at opposite ends of the car open end cushion unit pockets, said center sill comprising a top horizontal wall and vertical sidewalls connected thereto and extending downwardly in relative inverted U-shaped configuration,

a hydraulic cushioning installation in each cushion pocket, including a cylinder having a connecting base plate at one end thereof,

a piston assembly including a piston and rod slidably disposed lengthwise in said cylinder,

a coupler housing supported for sliding movement in said pocket and connected to said rod for moving said piston assembly during buff and draft impacts lengthwise within said cylinder from a neutral position to an operative position,

said housing having a rear wall and a spring disposed between said rear wall and said cylinder,

said sill having a buff and draft force stop arrangement to provide for endwise removal of the cushion unit, piston assembly and coupler housing from the cushion pocket comprising;

means anchoring said base plate on said center sill comprising a portion of said center sill having a pair of vertically extending aligned first apertures longitudinally spaced on one transverse side of said base plate in said sidewalls,

a rigid buff stop supported in said first apertures including a vertically extending plate connected to said sill and restraining said cylinder against lengthwise movement in one direction,

said sidewalls having a pair of aligned second apertures longitudinally spaced on the opposite transverse side of said base plate, and

first removable draft stops projecting through said second apertures and restraining said base plate against movement in an opposite direction,

said sidewalls having a pair of third aligned apertures longitudinally spaced forwardly of said housing rear wall, said housing rear wall having laterally projecting abutment means, and

second removable draft stops projecting through said third apertures and in the path of movement of the abutment means for engagement of the abutment means therewith during a draft impact.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1,

said sidewalls having lower outwardly projecting flanges, said stop plate projecting outwardly of said sidewalls and being connected along substantially the upper surface of said flanges.