Abstract: A system for connecting a center sill to a draft sill in a railcar includes a center sill portion that includes a center sill portion top plate, a draft sill portion that includes a draft sill top plate, the draft sill portion having a draft sill cross-section larger than a center sill cross-section of the center sill portion. The system further includes a transition portion between the center sill portion and the draft sill portion, the transition portion includes a transition portion top plate, wherein the transition portion top plate is the same plate as at least one of the center sill portion top plate and the draft sill portion top plate. A method for connecting the center sill to the draft sill in a railcar includes forming the transition portion between the center sill portion and the draft sill portion.

Abstract: A method for reconditioning a railcar articulated connector is provided. The method comprises the steps of marking a surface of a portion of an articulated connector to divide the surface into sections, pre-heating the surface of a portion of an articulated connector, adding weld to a first section of the pre-heated portion of the articulated connector, and adding weld to a second section of the pre-heated portion of the articulated connector.

Abstract: A draft sill with special rear draft lug for a railcar is disclosed. In some embodiments, a rear draft lug comprises a metallic body. The rear draft lug further comprises a boss extending along a transverse portion of the metallic body. The boss is configured to be coupled to a first vertical reinforcement plate. The rear draft lug also comprises an overhang portion extending from the boss along the transverse portion. The overhang portion configured to be coupled to the first vertical reinforcement plate. In some embodiments, the boss and the overhang portion are configured to be coupled to the first vertical reinforcement plate with a weld.

Abstract: A railroad gondola car has a hopper carried between two trucks. The hopper has convergent end and side slope sheets that feed a bottom discharge. The bottom discharge has a pair of longitudinal doors. The car has a very short draft installation that includes a removable coupler carrier bar, and the main shear plate has a removable draft gear installation cover. The rear draft stop extends longitudinally inboard past the truck center. The couple arrangement includes an AAR Type E shank with an AAR Type F coupler There is a machinery space above the end section shear plate. It is overhung by the slope sheet that is substantially unobstructed by any other primary structure. The pneumatic cylinder is mounted on an angle in this unobstructed machinery space, oriented longitudinally over the draft sill beneath the main drag link of the mechanical transmission, and above the main pivot of the driving input lever of the transmission. The main lever is bifurcated, and straddles the pneumatic cylinder.

Abstract: A draft sill with special rear draft lug for a railcar is disclosed. In some embodiments, a rear draft lug comprises a metallic body. The rear draft lug further comprises a boss extending along a transverse portion of the metallic body. The boss is configured to be coupled to a first vertical reinforcement plate. The rear draft lug also comprises an overhang portion extending from the boss along the transverse portion. The overhang portion configured to be coupled to the first vertical reinforcement plate. In some embodiments, the boss and the overhang portion are configured to be coupled to the first vertical reinforcement plate with a weld.

Abstract: A rail road car has draft sills, and draft gear mounted in the draft sills, by which loads are passed along the train line of cars. The draft gear is mounted to the drafts sill webs between front and rear draft stops. The front and rear draft stops have portions that protrude beyond the plane of the inner face of the draft sill webs. The rear draft stops have a boss that extends past the plane of the inside face of the draft sill web, such that the peripheral weld about the boss may tend to be placed in stress in the plane of the web.

Abstract: A railroad gondola car has a hopper carried between two trucks. The hopper has convergent end and side slope sheets that feed a bottom discharge. The bottom discharge has a pair of longitudinal doors. The car has a very short draft installation that includes a removable coupler carrier bar, and the main shear plate has a removable draft gear installation cover. The rear draft stop extends longitudinally inboard past the truck center. The couple arrangement includes an AAR Type E shank with an AAR Type F coupler There is a machinery space above the end section shear plate. It is overhung by the slope sheet that is substantially unobstructed by any other primary structure. The pneumatic cylinder is mounted on an angle in this unobstructed machinery space, oriented longitudinally over the draft sill beneath the main drag link of the mechanical transmission, and above the main pivot of the driving input lever of the transmission. The main lever is bifurcated, and straddles the pneumatic cylinder.

Abstract: A rail road car has draft sills, and draft gear mounted in the draft sills, by which loads are passed along the train line of cars. The draft gear is mounted to the drafts sill webs between front and rear draft stops. The front and rear draft stops have portions that protrude beyond the plane of the inner face o the draft sill webs. The rear draft stops have a boss that extends past the plane of the inside face of the draft sill web, such that the peripheral weld about the boss may tend to be placed in stress in the plane of the web.

Abstract: A liner for use in a draft sill to protect the sill from damage and wear caused by draft gear movement. The draft gear is attached to a coupling to transmit moving forces from the coupling to the car causing. The draft gear is isolated from the side walls of the draft sill by the liner to reduce wear on the draft sill as the draft gear absorbs and cushions impacts from the buff and drag events. These impacts may cause the followers, yoke and resilient members move toward the side walls and contact the liner disposed between the draft gear and the draft sill for protecting the side walls from damage and wear.

Abstract: A common E/F type draft sill is provided that accommodates either Type E or Type F draft gear components, including rotary coupler applications. The draft sill is preferably cast, but may also be fabricated. The common E/F draft sill is provided with a fixed, integral spring basket of a Type F draft sill to accommodate and house standard spring-biased spring basket support systems and accommodate standard Type F draft gear. Standard vertical connection of Type F draft gear is provided. The common draft sill is also provided with the horizontal keyslot of a Type E draft sill to also accommodate attachment of Type E draft gear. A drop-in E coupler support is also available that replaces the “spring basket” support system used with Type F draft gear so as to allow proper support of Type E draft gear. Additional standardization and reduction of specialized castings can be achieved by incorporating both body bolster pads and body bolster wings on the common draft sill.

Abstract: A draft sill end casting with a locking center pin is disclosed. The draft sill has an open member with an elongate channel aligned with the central aperture of its center plate. A support shelf is within the elongate channel. A center pin has an upper retainer key supported on the shelf, and the center pin extends through the elongate channel to the exterior of the draft sill. The lower end of the center pin has a slot. When mounted on a truck bolster, a lower retainer key is slid through slots in the bolster walls and through the slot in the lower end of the center pin. The two retainer keys, support shelf and bolster walls lock the center pin in position, limiting axial movement of the center pin and limit rotation of the center pin. Thus, the draft sill and truck bolster are locked together to limit relative vertical and horizontal movement between them. The shelf may include rotation stops to limit rotation of the upper retainer once it is in place.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lightweight draft sill end casting for use with railroad cars. The cast draft sill has side walls, front and rear stops, front and rear rib sets and a center plate that are cast as a unit. The draft sill has an open area between the tops of the side walls between the front and rear stops, with a cast metal span connecting the two side walls. The cast metal span may comprise one or more spacer bars or part of a top wall. The cast metal span is in the area between the planes of the front stops and the rear stops. The front and rear stops are spaced below the tops of the side walls. In one embodiment, there are additional lightener holes in each side wall between the ribs in the rear rib set and in the pocket. The total weight of the cast draft sill is not substantially greater than the weight of a comparable fabricated draft sill of substantially the same size, and has a greater fatigue life.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lightweight draft sill end casting for use with railroad cars. Weight reductions are achieved and adequate strength is maintained by using a set of front ribs and back ribs, with angled top and bottom ribs. The back rib set has a single central rib along the central plane of the draft sill. A single horizontal center plate rib is also used in the area of the center plate. The side ribs at the center plate have larger lightener holes. Holes are also provided in the bottom wall of the casting. Larger lightener holes are provided in the area of the draft sill pocket. These holes are moved upwardly to lower the center of gravity of the draft sill. The draft stops may be spaced from the top wall of the draft sill and from the bottoms of the side walls.

Abstract: An improved arrangement for retention of a drawbar is provided in which a single retention member of unitary construction extends laterally within the center sill and fits completely about a longitudinal portion of the butt end of the drawbar. A vertical connecting pin passes through a vertical opening in the drawbar and is also received in aligned vertical openings in the retention member to connect the drawbar to the retention member. The longitudinal draft loads of the drawbar are distributed over the entire interfacing portions of the vertical connecting pin and the retention member for transfer to striker members which are integrated with the center sill and ultimately dispose the longitudinal draft loads into the center sill. The retention arrangement is easily installed and removed and no welding is required between the retention member and the center sill.

Abstract: A railroad car having universal coupling capability through provision of a coupling arrangement which permits connection to a standard coupler or a drawbar is disclosed. The coupling arrangement includes facing sill side frames which define key slots and spaced stops to accommodate force transfer of traction and buff loads from either a coupler or a drawbar.

Abstract: A railway car underframe includes a sill structure having at one end a cushion pocket disposed rearwardly of a draft structure which is readily adapted to support a drawbar assembly having at its rear end an impact head extending into the pocket and engaging a cushion. The cushion is spaced from one end of the pocket by a removable spacer assembly which is removed when a larger cushion is disposed in the pocket and a shank coupler assembly is utilized. The draft structure includes attaching means to which a bell mouth housing is removably secured when the coupler assembly replaces the drawbar assembly. The structure includes a member which is a combination having a draft lug function, for coupler application, and a draft keyslot function for drawbar application.

Abstract: A railway car underframe center sill includes a drawbar structure which includes a rigid housing structure adapted to fit into the cushion pocket of the sill supporting the cushion. The rigid housing is readily removable if desired and includes a rigid end plate having a truncated opening which contains a truncated hemispherical reaction member which pivots in any direction. The drawbar is supported on the center sill for movement in true rotation and is provided at its inner end with an impact head at all times in flush contact with the hemispherical reaction member. The end of the drawbar includes a drawbar key structure secured in place by means of the draft key. The housing structure is securely maintained in position against a stop by a wedge member which is self-adjusting downwardly as wear may occur and thus insures a contact rigid effective assembly.This assembly provides a slackless condition in the drawbar attachment between companion units of a railway freight car.

Abstract: A coupler carrier arrangement for railroad cars, in which the car center sill ends are equipped with a striker casting through which the car coupler shank extends for connection to the car center sill, with the striker casting having the familiar cage, in which the coupler carrier is mounted, including an upwardly opening socket on the underside of the casting defining a coupler carrier chamber, in which the coupler carrier itself comprises a body formed from an ultra high molecular weight polymer of dry self lubricating characteristics that replaces both the conventional coupler carrier and the carrier iron, and is shaped to define a horizontally disposed upwardly facing load support surface on which the coupler shank rests, and oppositely facing forward and rearward side walls defining vertically disposed slide surfaces formed for close fitting relation to the coupler carrier chamber inner and outer walls.

Abstract: A rigidifying arrangement for self lubricating wear plate assemblies employed for supporting the inner end of the vertical yoke used in railroad car coupler draft gear rigging, in which the wear plate is in the form of a support plate of channel shaped transverse cross section configuration having a planar web portion equipped with a special polymeric liner for supporting the yoke inner end at its operative level within the car center sill. The support plate is rigidified to maintain its planar configuration under the weight of the draft gear and yoke acting on it, by forming same to be of the indicated channel shaped configuration defining along either side edge of the plate web portion a depending flange, in which the flanges are proportioned relative to the plate web portion to provide a yoke support plate of one piece construction that is three times as strong as the conventional draft gear wear plate while being only approximately one third the weight of same.

Abstract: In a draft gear apparatus, the housing is strengthened to better withstand distortion by draft stress imposed by the yoke on the end of the housing. Strengthening is accomplished by increasing the thickness of the housing side walls at selected areas near the housing end and by widening and thickening portions of the ribs which partially define the main spring chamber.

Abstract: A wear member is provided wherein such wear member is used between relatively movable components of a railway vehicle and wherein the wear member comprises a main body made primarily of a polymeric material, a support for the main body with the support having opposed surface portions, and a plurality of openings in the support having integral rivet-like portions of the polymeric main body corresponding in number and configuration to the plurality of openings extending therethrough and holding the main body to the support with such polymeric main body having parts thereof disposed in embracing relation around the opposed surface portions.

Abstract: A railway vehicle wear member is provided between a pair of relatively movable components of the railway vehicle, wherein such wear member has a rigid planar supporting portion used to support a polymeric antifriction wear material and an extension which comprises the planar supporting portion and is formed in position against one of the relatively movable components to hold the wear member against a particular movement relative to the one component.

Abstract: A unitary cast draft sill for welding to the center sill of a railroad car comprises a unitary cast structure with the following elements and features: A horizontal top wall has a pair of side walls depending therefrom with a bottom portion having flanges extending horizontally outward from the side walls. A vertical inboard end wall joins the bottom portion, the side walls and the top wall and has a transition element extending from the inboard side portion thereof to telescopically enter adjacent portions of a railroad car center sill. A center filler plate pocket is formed by the inboard end wall, portions of the side walls and the top wall and an internal vertical wall spaced in the outboard direction from the inboard end wall to form a cavity opening at the bottom portion to accept and mount a center filler plate in welded relation. Rear draft lugs are formed at the outboard side of the internal vertical wall and adjoin the side walls.

Abstract: A rigidifying arrangement for self lubricating wear plate assemblies employed for supporting the inner end of the vertical yoke used in railroad car coupler draft gear rigging, in which the wear plate is in the form of a planar support plate equipped with the special liner of Chierici and Murphy U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,254 for supporting the yoke inner end at its operative level within the car center sill. The support plate is rigidified to maintain its planar configuration under the weight of the draft gear and yoke acting on it, by affixing to same along its longitudinal center line a depending flange structure defining a vertical flange of rectilinear configuration and a horizontal flange integral with the vertical flange along the lower edge of the latter and spaced from the support plate.

Abstract: A universal fabricated backstop/buffstop comprising a pair of parallel, juxtaposed side plates, each side plate having a channel therein, a forward transverse member having the ends thereof secured to the pair of side plates and having a slot located in the center of the forward transverse member, and a rear transverse member having the ends thereof secured to the pair of side plates.

Abstract: The coupler height of a railway car is adjustable by means of a shim disposed between the coupler carrier and the wear plate and inserted through an opening provided at one side of the striking casting. An enlarged central portion of the shim extends toward the draft bar yoke of the coupler to avoid any reduction of bearing surface between the coupler carrier and the wear plate. A portion of the shim also lies within the side opening, which opening is defined by an enlarged outwardly extending portion of the striking casting having holes therein in axial alignment with a hole in the shim portion for the reception of a fastener to retain the shim in place. The aligned holes are offset from the longitudinal centerline of the shim so as to effect a misalignment of the holes upon incorrect insertion of the shim.

Abstract: A self lubricating wear plate arrangement for supporting the inner end of the vertical yoke used in coupler draft gear rigging in which the wear plate is in the form of a planar support plate equipped with a special liner for supporting the yoke inner end at its operative level within the car center sill. The liner is formed from an ultra high molecular weight polymer material that is of dry, self lubricating, nature and resists adherence thereto of foreign materials and serves as a sound deadener and energy absorber. Such material is also characterized by its polishing action on the yoke underside surface portion riding on same to re-form such yoke surface to define a mirror finish for inhibiting further wear of the yoke at this location during use.