Abstract: A bolster for a railroad car truck is described as having a generally hollow, box-like construction between its opposing ends which are transformed into I-shaped sections which are rigidly secured to the sideframes. The box-like frame provides the stiffness or rigidity necessary to resist high vertical and longitudinal loads which can cause the bolster to bend during operation of the truck. The I-shaped sections are relatively more flexible than the box-like frame to accommodate or absorb the twist loads that are encountered while being rigid enough to resist the loads that can cause the bolster to bend.

Abstract: A bolster of a railroad car truck is shallow and has a unique reinforcement rib which extends longitudinally of the bolster between a pair of stops which are designed to engage adjacent abutments which are carried by a transom to limit relative axial movement between the bolster and transom. The transom is generally flat and is provided with an elongated slot between the abutments to receive the reinforcement rib should the bolster, under load, deflect toward the transom a distance where the rib would contact the transom, if it were not for the slot in the transom.

Abstract: A new improved mechanism is described for dampening forces between the sideframes and bolster of a railroad car truck or bogie. The mechanism comprises a pair of triangularly shaped wedges which are positioned between a pair of wear plates carried by each of the sideframes and an adjacent pair of inclined wear plates which are disposed in a pair of wedge pockets which are formed adjacent each of the opposing ends of the bolster. The inclined wear plates of the bolster are bolted, in place, rather than being conventionally welded. Space is provided for the nuts and bolts by removing and redirecting the top side of the bolster, adjacent the inclined wear plates, to intersect the inclined wear plate in the area of line contact between the inclined wear plate and adjacent curved surface of the wedge to buttress or reinforce the slotted bolster in this area.

Abstract: A railroad car sideframe of a truck is provided with a pair of identical twin ribs which are designed to reinforce and strengthen each of the pedestal frames against stress failures caused by the large railroad cars being built today and the heavier loads which they are capable of hauling. The use of these twin ribs simplifies the machining operation used in the fabrication of the pedestal frames.

Abstract: A linkage-actuator for the coupler knuckle-assembly of a railway passenger car which is mounted on the coupler head directly adjacent to the knuckle-assembly, which linkage-actuator does not extend along the shank connecting the knuckle-assembly to the car proper, thereby saving considerably on space and weight. The linkage-actuator allows for both manual and pneumatic actuation of the knuckle-assembly. The linkage-actuator for the knuckle-assembly is mounted directly on the coupler head. The rotatable operating rod for placing the knuckle into its lock-set or fully open position is actuated by a pivotal plate mounted on top of the coupler head. One end of the plate is urged into its non-actuated, horizontal position by a spring, while the other end of the plate is connected to an eccentric cam that is coupled to the rotatable actuating rod of the knuckle-assembly.

Abstract: A slackless drawbar system for a railway car in which there is provided an elastomeric pad that absorbs forces during buffing conditions and helps to maintain the slackless nature of the system. The elastomeric pad absorbs forces during lateral and vertical angling and serves to maintain the slackless nature of the system during these conditions. Preloading of the resilient elastomeric pad is provided by means of an adjustable wedge element, which wedge element is adjustably positionable relative to the elastomeric pad by means of a screw shaft and nut, whereby the initial loading of the pad may be achieved to meet any required operating conditions and to accommodate wear and tear.

Abstract: An improved swing-motion truck in which the transom has been replaced by a pair of transverse radius or tie rods for coupling the two rocker seats of the two side frames of the truck. The ends of the rods are directly coupled to anchor brackets formed as part of the side-frame rocker seats via an elastomeric connection. The suspension springs of the railway freight car truck are seated directly upon the upper flat surface of the two rocker seats of the side frames of the truck, so that lighter-weight freight cars may be accommodated, without a friction-dependent coupling between the rocker seats and rods interconnecting the rocker seats, and where an overall lower height truck results to provide a low-deck car. The cooperating limit stops for lateral motion of the truck are mounted directly on the rocker seats themselves.

Abstract: An improved articulated connector or coupler in which the connection between the male connecting member and female connecting member via a king pin is provided with an elastomeric bushing housed in the male connecting member. The bushing has an outer metallic ring, and inner metallic ring, and a middle ring of elastomeric material, by which a coupling free of uncontrolled slack is achieved and by which all normal draft and buffing, as well as train-action and angling, forces, are damped and partially absorbed by the elastomeric ring. For excessive loads, in order to protect the elastomeric ring, over solid metal-to-metal stops are provided which shunt the force transmittal from the eleastomeric ring to metal stop-surfaces. The king pin is also frustro-conical in shape at the intermediate portion thereof passing through the bushing of the male connecting member, which bushing has a similarly-shaped frustro-conical passageway.

Abstract: An improved saddle frame for a passive steering single-axle truck for a railway freight car that allows for unobstructed passage of infrared rays from the wheel bearings, so that they may be sensed by a hot-box detector mounted on a rail bed. The saddle frame has a center web section including a pair of parallel lower flanges, which flanges are cut back on the inboard sides thereof to allow for the unobstructed passage of the infrared rays. Each inboard section is of considerably reduced width as compared to the outboard sections, with compensatory thickening being provided for both inboard and outboard sections of the flanges. The inboard sides of the saddle frame's upright columns and spring arms are also cut back at a forty-five degree slope in order to ensure that the infrared rays reach the hot-box detector.

Abstract: A combined center plate/center filler construction for the underframe of a railway car is provided with sloped, corner circumferential sections at the upper portion of the center plate to allow for the complete welding of the center plate to the undersurfaces of a pocket-receptacle of the underframe, so that one continuous welding operation may be performed. The upper portion of the center plate has four corner positioning projections the upper horizontal surfaces of which are coplanar with the horizontal plane containing the joinder of the center plate to the center filler.

Abstract: A railway car coupler knuckle includes integral nose, hub, and tail portions. The tail portion has a lock shelf and an associated locking face as well as pulling lugs associated therewith. A tail core support aperture in the tail portion communicates with internal tail portion coring extending from a free end of the tail portion toward coring in the hub portion. The core support aperture and tail portion coring have been strategically relocated and reconfigured to reduce stresses imposed at critical areas during loading of the knuckle pulling lugs and locking face to thereby increase the resistance of the tail portion to fatigue failures.