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: 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: 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: 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 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 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 multi-level fluid transfer system, apparatus and process. In one well bore hole, there are multiple fluid transfer devices positioned to inject a fluid, such as air, at multiple levels in the well bore hole. There are seals between the levels establishing multiple compartments. Each fluid transfer device has an outlet in one of the compartments. The fluid transfer devices are connected to receive the fluid, which is transmitted into the well bore hole and released within the multiple compartments of the well bore hole. The fluid travels out of the well bore hole compartments in separate streams at different levels or depths and out into the contaminated ground. The multiple levels in the injection well allow for release of the fluid both above and below any lenses or areas of low permeability in the ground, to improve the efficacy of the remediation process. The multiple fluid transfer devices may be assembled into an apparatus with concentric riser conduits.

Abstract: A press for compacting raw material into compacted elements is disclosed. The press has a vertically movable platen and a feed shoe on the platen. The feed shoe is urged against the platen by a pair of force-transmitting devices and lever arms. The lever arms are also connected to a frame. The frame is vertically fixed, and the lever arms pivot on the frame as the feed shoe and platen move vertically. The feed shoe is movable horizontally on the platen between a feed position overlying a bore and die in the platen and a press position horizontally spaced from the bore and die. The frame, force-transmitting devices and lever arms all move horizontally with the feed shoe. The assembly is moved horizontally by a linear drive mechanism. A pair of supplemental support rods are connected to the frame to relieve stress on the linear drive mechanism and to stabilize the frame.

Abstract: A reduced weight fifth wheel generally mountable on a tractor for coupling between a tractor and a trailer, which fifth wheel has the approximately the same bearing surface area, a more continuous surface area by elimination of a lever-bar pin port in the bearing surface, thinner support ribs and smaller fillets, a shorter longitudinal length with a wider kingpin receiving slot for receipt of a trailer kingpin, with a locking-jaw mechanism having a redesigned lever-bar pin and pin-receiving port to enable reduction of the weight and to enhance production casting practices, which fifth wheel further encompasses lateral support ribs at the plate outer perimeter and rearward of the mounting brackets to define support pockets ahead of the engaging ramps to avoid lateral deflection and deformation of the plate at vertical loading.

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.

Abstract: A raw material delivery system is disclosed. It is used with a press of the type used to compact raw material in a die. The press has a horizontal table with an opening in which the die is held. A feed shoe is movable across the table between an extended position where a central bore of the feed shoe overlies the die and a retracted position. In one embodiment, a vertically movable feed tube is carried on a bridge, and has a passage through which raw material may pass. The vertically movable feed tube receives raw material from a vertically fixed feed tube received telescopically within the vertically movable feed tube. A valve is between the two feed tubes. A valve may be provided between the bridge and the feed shoe so that the raw material passes through this interface without being exposed to cross-ventilation.

Abstract: An interface between the end of a bolster and a side frame column for a three-piece railcar truck assembly is disclosed. The bolster and side frame have several pairs of facing stop surfaces at the interface. Each pair of facing stop surfaces are at two different spacings: one spacing is close, with a small gap between the stop surfaces; another spacing is greater than the first. The second spacing allows the side frame to pitch with respect to the bolster transverse axis. The bolster stop surfaces may be the lands inboard and outboard of the friction shoe pockets. The lands may be shaped so that there is a raised warp control portion or surface and one or more relief portions or surfaces, the warp control portion extending farther laterally than the relief portions. The warp control portion is used to maintain the truck in a square relationship, and the more loosely spaced relief portions allow for side frame articulation as the truck traverses track at different elevations.

Abstract: A tapered wear liner and articulated connector using such a tapered wear liner are disclosed. The tapered wear liner supports an annular bearing that supports the male connecting member of the articulated connector. The tapered wear liner has an outer surface that may be shaped as the frustum of a cone or the frustum of a sphere. The female connecting member has a complementary shaped groove to receive the tapered wear liner. The female connecting member has a bottom wall with a substantially uniform thickness from the wear liner to the exterior surface of the female connecting member. A main pin connects the male and female connecting members together and a center pin is integral with the main pin and connected to the railroad car truck. The present invention is useful with railroad car trucks that have concave curved center plate areas.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method are disclosed for moving an elongate object such as a pipe between lowered and raised positions, preferably while rotating the object to maintain its shape. The system and method use two apparatuses, an upender and a downender for moving the pipe between lowered and raised positions. The upender tilts a lowered pipe received from a casting machine to the raised position and places the raised pipe on a support station. The pipe is rotated while on the upender through at least part of the range of travel. The upright pipe on the support station may be moved through an annealing furnace and then the downender may lift the pipe from the support station and tilt it downward toward the horizontal while rotating the pipe through part of the range of travel. The lowered pipe is then pushed off of the downender by kick off arms.

Abstract: An improved assembly apparatus and method of assembling workpieces together. The apparatus includes a drive linkage with a linearly movable ram for pushing one workpiece toward the other. The drive linkage also includes a rotatable drive train. In the improved assembly apparatus, a transducer is provided to determine the load existing in the drive linkage, and a resolver is provided to determine the stage of the assembly cycle. A programmable controller is used to correlate this information, and a device is provided for communicating a message related to the correlated information. The transducer may be a strain measuring device or a pressure transducer measuring the pressure in an hydraulic cylinder in the drive linkage. The communications device may be a visual monitor, alarm, recording device, or similar communicator.

Abstract: Gears, particularly spur gears, are produced by powder metal techniques with minimal lead line error and eccentricity, which gears are preformed from powder metal, sintered, hardened and thereafter have their involute surfaces regenerated by a hard hob with a negative rake on the hob teeth to provide gears having aligned involute surfaces between adjacent gear teeth and, between each gear tooth and the gear center line.