Abstract: In an articulated connection, an improved female connecting member of the type having a ring seat within an annular groove is provided having an access passageway extending from an exterior surface of its front wall to a position at the annular groove which is covered by the ring seat. The access passageway provides for insertion and wedging of a tool between the ring seat and the floor of the annular groove to eject the ring seat from the annular groove during disassembly and maintenance of the articulated connection.

Abstract: The present invention provides a single axle railway truck. An axle box with journal bearings is provided at each axle end. Each axle box includes a spring support from which two springs extend upwardly wherein their upper ends are received in spring retainers. The spring retainers extend from a lower surface of suppport beams and, accordingly, the support beams are themselves supported by the springs. A cylindrical dampening device has its lower end connected to the axle box and its upper end to a bracket extending outwardly from the support beam. A traction rod, or alternatively a shock absorber, extends from a side of the axle box to a mounting bracket near an end of the support beam.

Abstract: An improved center sill construction is provided having sill side castings for laterally positioning and holding a drawbar evenly within a center sill, the sill side castings being easily removable without substantial damage to the center sill. The sill side castings are open ended in the direction of the draft loads and center sill reinforcement means are provided to accept the longitudinal draft load of the drawbar. Thus, the heavy loads are eliminated from upon the sill side castings and the sill side castings may be adequately secured within the center sill by a light weld which is external to the center sill.

Abstract: A railway vehicle drawbar slackless rotary dump arrangement having one end fixed against rotation to one railway vehicle and the other end connected to be rotatable in a second adjoining railway vehicle. Slack elimination is provided by a wedge at each connection. The rotatable connection includes a drawbar ball end held between concentric pulling blocks and follower block with a shim and cradle arrangement to maintain alignment of the concentric parts. Appurtenances are provided to the drawbar shank to simulate striker castings and interlocked E and F type couplers so as to accommodate the drawbar for use with indexing apparatus at the unloading site. Means are also incorporated to move cars in case of failure of system components.

Abstract: An improved railway coupler head is provided having a modified lock chamber which is asymmetrical about its longitudinal center line such that the rear horn wall has a greater length on the guard arm side than the knuckle side of the longitudinal center line and the knuckle side wall has a shorter length than the guard arm side wall. The modified lock chamber creates an increase in the section area of the top face of the coupler head and allows for a reduction in stress concentration as the forces transmitted through the top face are distributed over the increased section area.

Abstract: Wire rope is cleaned or otherwise treated during operation in a system or machine by surrounding the wire rope with a plurality of tools at a location fixed along the wire rope path, and causing the tools to spin around the wire rope by positioning followers to track in the valleys between outer helical strands of the wire rope.

Abstract: A center plate for railway cars is provided that comprises outwardly projecting positioning lugs which are seated in corresponding-shaped notches located proximate the underedge of the center sill pocket. The center plate is entirely groove welded to the center sill pocket. The corresponding-shaped seating arrangement will only accept the positioning lugs when the center plate is in its proper orientation.

Abstract: Am improved railway vehicle coupler head is provided having knuckle pin retaining element which is free to fully rotate with the knuckle pin to enable continuous rotation of the knuckle pin during use. An elastic ring located within a circumferential groove on a bottom portion of the knuckle pin precludes the knuckle pin from unintentional upward removal during use while allowing for continuous rotation therewithin. The continuous rotation of the knuckle pin allows for the distribution of stress about the circumference of a knuckle pin resulting in a longer fatigue life for the knuckle pin.

Abstract: A railway coupler is provided having a coupler head comprising pulling lugs, behind which compound fillets of variable increasing radii have been inserted. The compound fillets reduce the stress concentration behind the lugs by distributing load over a greater curved surface area in order to decrease the possibility of fatigue cracking and failure of the pulling lugs.

Abstract: An absorption refrigeration method and apparatus having concentrator and evaporator phases operated at substantially equal pressure and wherein the concentrator phase utilizes a mechanically driven heat pump to concentrate absorbent solution and to condense the diluent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cooling system with supplemental thermal storage. The cooling system comprises a compressor, an evaporative condenser, a thermal storage unit, and an evaporator. During normal outdoor temperatures when building cooling is desired, the compressor output is connected to the evaporative condenser which in turn is connected to the evaporator coil. During periods of time when the building is not occupied, the evaporator coil is removed from the cooling circuit and the working fluid passing through coils in the thermal storage unit acts to freeze liquid surrounding the coils within the thermal storage unit tank. During unusually warm outdoor temperatures, when additional building cooling is required, the compressor output is connected to the evaporative condenser which in turn is connected to the thermal storage unit which output is in turn connected to the evaporative coil.

Abstract: The vertical height requirement of a cooling tower is reduced by utilizing trapezoidal shaped fill sheets which are suspended generally in line with the entering air stream so as to form a wedge shaped plenum space beneath the lower sloped edges of the fill sheets.

Abstract: A method of repairing railway trucks in which the sloped surfaces of the truck bolster ends have become worn during service is provided that avoids the hetertofore required restoring of the sloped surfaces with weld material. An improved replacement friction shoe having tapered elastomeric pads which conform to the abutting service worn sloped surfaces of the bolster ends is installed to greatly reduce further wear on the bolster ends.

Abstract: Tubular containers, preferably corrugated, containing plural thermal storage medium compositions having different fusion temperatures are arrayed in zones or layers within a vessel through which liquid is circulated to exchange heat with the containers.

Abstract: A slackless railcar connector system includes a gravity wedge shim that has a tail piece extending from the narrow edge of the sim through an aligning groove in a sill pocket casting, or the like. A biasing member may also be located adjacent the aligning groove to engage the tail piece.

Abstract: A conveyor chain and an article carrying member extending from a chain link pin wherein the carrying member comprises a rod aligned and abutted to a link pin and secured thereto by a fracturable split sleeve and a compression washer pressed on the outside of the sleeve.

Abstract: An improved railway truck is provided having an elastic and internal grounding connection for creating an electrical path from the side frame, around the elastomeric suspension pad, to the bearing adapter allowing the static electricity of the railway vehicle to be discharged at the rail.

Abstract: A chain link conveyor having carrying members which comprise a shaft with a socket that is press fitted to a conveyor link pin and a supplemental link plate that is press fitted to the shaft and an adjacent paired link pin which supplemental link plate is held spaced from the conveyor pin link plate interconnecting the paired link pins.

Abstract: A modular cooling tower assembly is provided that comprises at least one cooling tower module having extendible legs capable of supporting the assembly when fully extended. When more than one cooling tower module is used in the assembly, adjacent modules are attached together at their respective frames. A single exit plenum chamber is placed over the joined modules and a single fan in the exit plenum chamber causes an air intake from an air entrance plenum chamber at the bottom of the modules upwardly past the fill sheets and out the exit plenum chamber and fan cowl. The cooled liquid falls into a common collection basin in which the extended legs of the modules are standing.

Abstract: An improved fifth wheel structure for over the road tractors wherein a resilient elastomer pad placed between a fifth wheel pocket surface and a bearing surface includes non-extrudable end members to prevent extrusion of the pad from the pocket and wherein the pocket surface and corresponding shoe surface may also be undulated to better retain the elastomer pad.