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: A roller-chain bushing with a stress-relief opening centrally located along the seam of a rolled or roll-formed bushing has a tapered or relief segment at each bushing end to permit compressive fitting of the bushing ends into a link-plate hole thereby minimizing deformation of the bushing end, which tapered or relief segment is locally deformed or worked at a specific location prior to forming the bushing and the tapered segment is provided in a bushing region diametrically opposite the seam to reduce barreling of the bushing at mating of the bushing with the roller link-plate, and positioning of the tapered region along the chain pitch line at the point of stress concentration during chain assembly reduces the initial wear of the pin and bushing from initial chain loading.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for collecting fumes from an arc furnace of the type typically used in metal foundries. The system provides an electrode hood with extended sides for improved collection of fumes from the vicinity of the electrodes. It also provides a movable spout hood for collection of fumes when metal is tapped. The furnace is tilted when metal is tapped. A tilting duct is connected to provide a path for emissions drawn into the hood on the furnace. The tilting duct moves with the furnace. A stationary duct leads to the bag house. The tilting duct and stationary duct meet at an interface and have facing openings that maintain a path for collecting fumes throughout the entire range of motion of the furnace. The stationary duct has a group of dampers that open and close as the furnace tilts to limit air intake to the portion of the stationary duct opening that is adjacent the tilting duct opening.

Abstract: An arrangement of apparatus for the measurement of the quantity amount of ice in an ice thermal storage system having a storage tank with a storage fluid and a cooling coil assembly therein, and the method for measuring such ice quantity, which apparatus includes a means to provide an uplift force to the coil assembly and, means for measurement of the vertical displacement of the coil in the storage tank and means for relating the vertical displacement of the cooling coil assembly to the quantity of ice on the cooling coil assembly, and further noting a specific uplifting force assembly for use in such storage tanks.

Abstract: A railcar cushioning device with a gas charged cylinder and a piston contained in the cylinder for cushioning buff and draft impacts. A spring assembly is contained in the cylinder between the piston and an end of the cylinder to locate the piston in a neutral position.

Abstract: A wear plate for a side-frame column surface of a railcar truck assembly side frame has corner relief at the corners of the surface in proximity to the bolster and the friction shoe in the friction-shoe pocket, which friction shoe is still operable to damp the harmonic oscillations of the railcar by contact with the surface of the wear plate, but the bolster lands in proximity to the wear plate are protected from harm and wear through indiscriminate contact with a sharp corner of the wear plate.

Abstract: Improved rocker assemblies for use in opening a valve in an engine are disclosed, along with an improved method of assembling the rocker assemblies. The rocker assemblies have pivotable rocker arms with rocker balls and sockets as in the prior art. A retainer is used to secure the sockets on the rocker balls, as in the prior art. Novel retainers are disclosed that are made of either thermoset, thermoplastic or epoxy polymers. At least part of the retainer extends beyond the socket to a position between the top of the socket and the end of the rocker arm. The retainer may extend along the side of the socket to the socket bearing surface, and may have one or more channels to deliver lubricant to the bearing surfaces of the socket and the valve stem. The retainer may also have spacers that extend beyond the level of the socket bearing surface to define the desired valve lash distance between the socket bearing surface and the valve bearing surface.

Abstract: An accessory apparatus for uncoupling a king pin of a trailer from a locking device on a fifth wheel. The accessory apparatus includes a power device such as a pneumatic cylinder suspended from the bottom surface of the fifth wheel plate to form a fifth wheel assembly. A cam is mounted on the end of the power device's actuating member. The cam and actuating member are symmetric. A coil spring is held within the power device's housing, and is also symmetric with the longitudinal axes of the cam and actuating member. No external guides or springs are needed. The power device may be energized from a remote location to propel the cam to contact and propel a follower on an operating rod to unlock the fifth wheel jaw to release the king pin.

Abstract: A gauge is provided that is useful in measuring the horizontal wheelbase of a railway freight car truck sideframe. The gauge itself is comprised of a main horizontal body section usually of a single piece of aluminum bar stock. A stationary depending leg extends downwardly and is affixed to near one end of the main horizontal body section. A bearing slide assembly is affixed to the main horizontal body section near its other end. A measuring leg depends from the bearing slide assembly and is movable along the bearing slide assembly. An indicator scale is associated with the measuring leg so that its relative position with regard to the main horizontal body can be readily measured from a scale affixed thereon. The stationary depending leg is brought into contact with one edge of a pedestal jaw of the railway freight car sideframe, and the measuring leg is moved into contact along the bearing slide assembly with an opposite edge of the opposite pedestal jaw.

Abstract: A press for making compacts out of raw material such as metal powder is disclosed. The press includes a removable picker system. The picker system has an elongate guide rail element and a gripper assembly fixed to a slide mounted on the guide rail. The gripper assembly may move toward and away from a die in the press platen to pick up and move a compact that has been ejected from the die. The gripper assembly has gripper arms and gripper fingers that move toward and away from a central vertical longitudinal plane that runs through the center of the die. The guide rail provides the sole support for the gripper assembly, and the guide rail is offset from the central vertical longitudinal plane. The picker system allows access to the die for inspection, cleaning or changing of the die without removing the picker system; the gripper assembly can be moved down the guide rail element away from the die to provide access to the die.

Abstract: A material moving system is disclosed for use in a plant such as a metal foundry. There is an overhead gantry for moving a main hook and auxiliary hook. The main hook carries a container such as a scrap charge bucket. The auxiliary hook carries a multi-function auxiliary tool such as a magnet with a tool hook affixed to the magnet. The scrap charge bucket carries a target member on a saddle on the outside of the bucket. The bucket also has a hold out stand that positions the target member for easy accessibility. The target member is attached to actuator cables that are attached to clam shell bottom members of the scrap charge bucket. The auxiliary tool may be used to lift and pull the target member to open the clam shell members without removing the magnet from the auxiliary hook, saving time. The hook on the magnet is positioned so that the hook does not damage the scrap metal bins or electric arc furnaces when the magnet is used for its usual purposes.

Abstract: A film fill-pack has a plurality of fill-sheets with an ordered array of ridges and grooves generally extending above a planar surface on both the obverse and reverse surfaces of a fill-sheet, which fill-sheets at an assembled state provide the ridges and grooves of facing obverse and reverse surfaces of adjacent fill-sheets in an arrangement providing a plurality of channels between adjacent fill-sheets for gas flow therethrough and where the ordered arrangement of ridges and grooves induces spiraling of the gas flow through the channels for promotion of improved heat transfer; and, where the fill-sheets further include a spacing arrangement providing a compact nesting of adjacent sheets with minimal sheet-to-sheet displacement at least at two of the edges for compact handling, transfer and storage with a self-spacing of adjacent fill-sheets at assembly of the film fill-pack.

Abstract: A thermal storage apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus uses a group of heat exchange members immersed in a phase change medium to store coolness by freezing the heat exchange medium. The heat exchange members each include tubular passageways to carry a heat transfer fluid through the apparatus to freeze the phase change material during an ice-forming cycle and to be chilled by the solid phase change material during a melt cycle. The heat exchange members each have substantially continuous opposite surfaces to prevent the solid phase change material from forming an annulus encircling the tubular passageways. During the ice-forming cycle, the solid phase change material forms in complementary sheets or volumes so that during the melt cycle the heat transfer fluid does not gain heat near the outlets. The heat exchange members may be made of a lightweight material, such as plastic.

Abstract: A heat exchanger is disclosed. The heat exchanger has structural members made of fiber reinforced resin material. These structural members include vertical columns and walls. The walls are bonded to the columns to create rigid joints. The bonded joints have large surface areas. The walls are defined by individual panels that may be bonded together along abutting horizontal box beam sections. The panels have additional box beam sections to strengthen the panels, and connecting webs extending between the box beam sections. Both the box beam sections and connecting webs are bonded to the columns. Mechanical fasteners are used to hold the walls and columns together until the bonding material cures. The heat exchanger is an evaporative heat exchanger with a basin with a sloping floor having a low point. The sloping floor may be made of panels bonded together. The panels are similar in structure to the wall panels, although the box beams may be of different sizes.

Abstract: A steering arm assembly for use with railway car trucks having pivotal frames and brake systems is disclosed. The steering arm assembly has two U-shaped sub-assemblies. Each sub-assembly has two side arms connected by a center arm. The side arms each have vertical open paths between top and bottom holes in their surfaces and open side paths through side access holes in their sidewalls. The open side paths intersect the vertical open paths. The vertical open paths are positioned to be aligned over the brake system brake shoe keys and the side access holes are positioned to be aligned with the side windows in the side frame. When it is desired to remove or replace a brake shoe, the brake shoe key may be moved upwardly through the vertical open path. This movement may be facilitated through use of a tool inserted through the side access hole and open side path in the side arm. A method of changing brake shoe keys and the combination of such a steering arm assembly in a railway car truck is also disclosed.

Abstract: A three-piece railcar truck assembly is disclosed. The truck assembly has two side frames and a bolster extending between the side frames. Each side frame has spaced columns defining an opening which receives one end of the bolster. Each side frame also has forward and rearward lugs at the columns, both on the inboard side and the outboard side. Each side frame lug has a stop surface that is aligned in a facing relationship with a stop surface of one bolster gib. There is a gap between the opposed side frame lug and bolster gib stop surfaces. The gap distance is limited to limit the truck warp angle. The neighboring side frame lugs and bolster gibs may be sized, shaped and spaced so that the truck warp angle may be limited to an angle of less than two degrees. The various stop-surfaces may be hardened to a desirable range of hardness over at least the contact portion of either contacting lug or gib, or both contacting surfaces may be hardened above the as-cast hardness.

Abstract: An assembly for transfer of roller chain link-plates between operations of a high-rate manufacturing process includes rapid, repeatable and reliable transfer apparatus; tooling for grasping the link-plates without disturbing the advancing link-plates from the completed operation, which grasping-tooling is operable with the transfer apparatus; parts-feeding assemblies for receipt of transferred link-plates; and, a control system with a central processing unit (CPU) and a plurality of sensors, which sensors are coupled between the transfer apparatus, the grasping-tooling, the feeder assembly, the manufacturing equipment and the CPU for communication of control signals to the CPU as well as synchronous control of the several manufacturing operations and the transfer assembly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a planned array tubes and circuits in a cooling coil for a thermal storage unit to maintain at least some of the vertical aisles between adjacent circuits or sets of circuits to provide communication through the coil to present more ice-contact surface area to the heat transfer fluid for maintenance of a fluid temperature at about the desired output temperature and to provide a circuit having a means to monitor and control termination of the ice build in a thermal storage unit.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an apparatus for controlling the rate of heat transfer from as-cast railroad wheels after their removal from the mold utilizing a plurality of vertically adjustable caps with a cap positioned over each wheel to control the rate of heat transfer therefrom as it is transported to a successive operation, each cap having a generally symmetrical shape to inhibit or reduce deflection of radiant energy from the wheel, and the disclosure also provides a method for controlling the rate of heat transfer including a control system to provide the requisite displacement of each cap from the associated wheel to control cooling of the wheel prior to its subsequent operation.

Abstract: A system and method of exchanging heat are disclosed. Three heat exchange sections are used: a dry indirect contact heat exchange section, a second indirect contact heat exchange section that is operable in either a wet or dry mode, and a direct contact heat exchange section. The three sections are next to each other in an apparatus to reduce the overall height of the apparatus. The dry and second indirect contact heat exchange sections receive a process fluid in series or in parallel. Separate ambient air streams pass through the second indirect and direct contact heat exchange sections before mixing and entering the dry indirect contact heat exchange section. Another ambient air stream is mixed in upstream of the dry indirect contact heat exchange section when the system is operated in the dry mode. Two independent evaporative liquid distribution systems are included. One selectively distributes evaporative liquid over the second indirect contact heat exchange section.