Patents Examined by Howard Beltran
  • Patent number: 4357879
    Abstract: A bolsterless bogie for rail vehicles has at least one link which is directly connected to the bogie frame and the rail vehicle center pivot by means of wear-free rubber joints and connecting pins. Rubber buffers limit the transverse motion between center pivot and bogie frame; vertical forces are transmitted by air-spring bellows arranged in the vehicle center plane between the underframe and the bogie side sill, and stops effective in the travel direction are provided between center pivot and bogie frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: MAN Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nuernberg AG
    Inventors: Sandor Mohacsi, Theodor Hammen, Walter Schmid
  • Patent number: 4356775
    Abstract: The suspension includes a moveable load arm assembly adapted to support a railcar axle, at least one elliptical cross-section rod spring carried by the load arm assembly in load bearing relation with a railcar body, a frictional damping surface connected to the body adjacent the load arm assembly, a frictional damping element, and a tapered operator carried by the load arm assembly in underlying relation with each rod spring such that one component of a load bearing force transmitted from the load arm assembly is applied to the rod spring as a transverse load bearing compressive force only, while a perpendicular component thereof is applied to and urges the damping element toward the friction surface. The suspension is suited for usage in railcar and rubber tired vehicle suspensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1982
    Assignees: H. Neil Paton, John B. Skilling
    Inventors: H. Neil Paton, E. Frederick Gylland, Jr., Jeffrey P. Sandys, John B. Skilling
  • Patent number: 4357125
    Abstract: An ingot mold buggy for carrying steel ingots and molds which buggy is of improved construction to resist damage due to excessive impact loading such as that which might be encountered by dropping a mold and a contained ingot on the buggy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1982
    Assignee: Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Charles C. Gerding, Stephen M. Rechtorik
  • Patent number: 4356774
    Abstract: A truck bolster ring is described comprising an annular ring adapted to be secured to the truck bolster and having inner and outer diameters. A wear resistant surface is electrically welded to the inner diameter of the ring to increase the useful life of the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1982
    Inventors: Charles W. Wear, Robert J. Carl
  • Patent number: 4356773
    Abstract: A motorized track car with a wheeled lower portion for rolling along a railroad track, and a platform carried by the wheeled lower portion. The platform has seating accommodation for one or more persons with the propulsion means for the vehicle disposed below the platform. The propulsion means consists of an internal combustion engine drivingly connected to hydraulic pump means providing fluid pressure for hydraulic motors drivingly associated with wheels of the car. There is control valve means operable by a person seated on the platform to control flow of hydraulic fluid for the pump and motor to vary the speed of travel of the vehicle from zero to maximum in each of forward and backward directions of travel. There is brake means operatively associated with at least one wheel of the track car and operable from the platform and, preferably, by a single lever control which also operates the control valve means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1982
    Assignee: Queen's University at Kingston
    Inventor: Lawrence A. J. van Eyken
  • Patent number: 4355582
    Abstract: A tilt system for a railway car includes mechanism for tilting the car only when lateral acceleration forces exceed preselected minimum levels and to limit the amount of tilting of the car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Assignee: The Budd Company
    Inventor: John A. Germer
  • Patent number: 4355776
    Abstract: A track switch assembly for toy electrically operated railroad trains comprising a plastic base having the usual main and branch lines and switch point arrangement therefor, in which the inside rails and the power rails of the main and branch lines are interrupted and have mounted in the interruptions a main line continuity rail structure and a branch line continuity rail structure that are electrically insulated for separate energizing and that are shaped for continuous electrical energy supply as the locomotive and cars one by one pass through the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Inventor: Carl N. Rydin
  • Patent number: 4355578
    Abstract: A system comprising a rail wheel and rail has the wheel and preferably also the rail provided with vibration dampers which absorb vibration having the frequency of the radial resonant vibration frequency of the wheel, for the purpose of preventing the formation of ripples in the rail head's surface on which the wheel runs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Assignee: Fried. Krupp Huttenwerke AG
    Inventor: Erwin Raquet
  • Patent number: 4353586
    Abstract: A vibration absorbing track wheel having one or more different natural frequencies. The wheel body has a wheel flange with one or more resonance absorbers on the wheel flange. Each resonance absorber comprises at least two tongues and an intermediate layer of damping material between each of the two adjacent tongues, and each tongue is turned to a different natural frequency of the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1982
    Assignee: Fried. Krupp Huttenwerke AG
    Inventors: Erwin Raquet, Richard Klatt
  • Patent number: 4353308
    Abstract: Cog wheel vehicle system. A single track consists of a square beam having a pair of flanges. There is a row of holes in each flange. A vehicle rides on the track and has a cog wheel engaging the holes in the flange. A directional hydraulic motor is connected to drive the cog wheel. A hydraulic pump is connected to drive the motor. A gasoline engine is pivotally mounted on the vehicle and is connected to drive the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1982
    Inventor: Kenneth G. Brown
  • Patent number: 4352331
    Abstract: A rail car includes substantially flat plate extensions interposed between upper and lower sections of the shell of the car to increase the internal volume of the car. The extensions are supported by lateral supports which extend laterally in the interior of the car and by longitudinal support beams also in the car interior which extend longitudinally of the extensions, are intersected by the lateral supports, and substantially prevent internal pressure in the car from being applied to the extensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1982
    Assignee: North American Car Corporation
    Inventors: Arthur I. Anderson, Louis J. Harvatin
  • Patent number: 4352509
    Abstract: The suspension includes a moveable load arm assembly adapted to support a vehicle axle, at least one elliptical cross-section rod spring carried by the load arm assembly in load bearing relation with a vehicle body, a frictional damping surface connected to the body adjacent the load arm assembly, a frictional damping element, and a tapered operator carried by the load arm assembly in underlying relation with each rod spring such that one component of a load bearing force transmitted from the load arm assembly is applied to the rod spring as a transverse load bearing compressive force only, while a perpendicular component thereof is applied to and urges the damping element toward the friction surface. The suspension is suited for usage in railcar and rubber tired vehicle suspensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1982
    Assignees: H. Neil Paton, John B. Skilling
    Inventors: H. Neil Paton, E. Frederick Gylland, Jr., Jeffrey P. Sandys, John B. Skilling
  • Patent number: 4351243
    Abstract: A hopper car structure having a hopper body with a discharge opening at the bottom. A pivotally hung door having an arcuate base plate normally closes said opening and an arm is pivotally mounted on the door. A roller is carried by the arm on its free end and is intended to engage a ramp. The arm, in the closed condition of the door, has an abutment surface thereof spaced downwardly from an abutment surface of the door. When said roller engages an upwardly inclined ramp, the arm pivots upwardly with respect to the door until the abutment surface of the arm engages the abutment surface of the door. The door and arm then swing together about the pivotal mountings of the door to the open position of the door. The arm is locked against movement while the door is in its closed position and the abutment surface of the arm is spaced below the abutment surface of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1982
    Assignee: Rotaque (Proprietary) Limited
    Inventor: Cornelis Brouwer
  • Patent number: 4348964
    Abstract: A fixed sill includes a pair of lower, outwardly extending fixed sill flanges. A generally vertical longitudinally extending support plate is integrally connected to each fixed sill flange on each side of the fixed sill. A sliding sill support is rigidly connected to each support plate. The sliding sill support includes a horizontal inwardly extending portion that also extends longitudinally inboard. The sliding sill support is located slightly below the fixed sill flange. A pair of low friction wear plates are adopted to be slipped in place upon each sliding sill support. The low friction wear plates include horizontal body portions on each side of the fixed sill upon which the sliding sill rides in moving back and forth. Each wear plate includes "U" shaped end portions which wrap around in the inner and outer ends of the sliding sill support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1982
    Assignee: ACF Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert W. Randolph
  • Patent number: 4348962
    Abstract: A railway hopper car is disclosed which includes a car body defined by opposite arcuate side sheets having a side sill extending longitudinally along the lower margin of each side sheet and at least a first end slope sheet partially defining an end hopper compartment. An end support structure for the end hopper compartment is secured to the car body and includes a shear plate extending transversely between the side sills, a stub center sill disposed subjacent the shear plate, a bolster beam extending laterally on either side of the stub center sill and interconnecting the stub center sill with the side sill, a vertical bolster web interconnecting the stub center sill and the shear plate, an additional vertical bolster web assembly interconnecting the stub center sill, the shear plate, and the bolster beam, and a plurality of vertical gusset plates interconnecting the slope sheet and shear plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1982
    Assignee: Trinity Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Smith
  • Patent number: 4349302
    Abstract: The device is a cargo restraint mechanism for restraining cargo pallets. The mechanism includes two links rotatably attached to a frame member, and a latch member pivotably attached to the links. One link is provided with a lever and the latch includes a cargo restraint lip. The mechanism is erected by pressing the lever thereby raising the restraint lip above the plane of the top surface of the frame and into a cargo pallet engaging position. A downward force delivered to the top surface of the restraint lip retracts the restraint mechanism beneath the plane of the top surface of the frame. A helper leaf spring follows a cam surface on the other link causing a snap-type action in the mechanism. The frame may include an additional mechanism such as a separately actuatable and retractable seat pallet guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1982
    Assignee: Lockheed Corporation
    Inventor: Jesse T. Ferguson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4348959
    Abstract: A device for adjusting the butt-ends of two rails to be connected has a fixed frame for enclosing one of the two rails and two integral bars, parallel to the rails, and extending from the fixed frame toward the other rail. Two movable frames are slidable over a limited portion of the parallel bars in the vicinity of the other rail and can be selectively secured to the other rail so that only one of these two frames is slidably movable. Jacks are provided to effect relative movement between the two movable frames. Actuation of the jacks effects movement of the two movable frames relative to each other and, depending upon which of these frames is secured to the parallel bars, the gap between the two butt-ends will be either increased or decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1982
    Assignee: C. Delachaux
    Inventor: Patrick Bommart
  • Patent number: 4346790
    Abstract: A handbrake arrangement for railroad freight cars is disclosed that will connect a mechanical handbrake operating mechanism to the brake equipment (brake beams and brake shoes) on 2, 3, or more trucks on the same freight car. It is especially useful on articulated freight cars consisting of multiple units in order to satisfy handbrake power requirements required by industry and Federal regulations, but a similar arrangement may be used on special purpose cars having a multiplicity of trucks. On an articulated car, consisting of a number of units, there is a multiplicity of trucks and because of the size and weight characteristics of the car, it is desirable to connect the handbrake mechanism to a number of the trucks in order to provide adequate handbrake power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1982
    Assignee: Itel Corporation
    Inventors: Robert B. Morrison, James T. Wade, Robert E. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 4347023
    Abstract: In a system for holding support elements on a body, which elements can be lded or swung out from the held position, such as support elements used with solar generators on space vehicles, a pin is arranged to carry the support elements and a locking bolt retains the pin in the held position. The locking bolt is biased toward a position where it releases the pin. The pin is tensioned so that it contributes to the biasing action on the locking bolt. A blocking element holds the locking element in position for securing the pin in the held position. When the blocking element is displaced, the locking bolt is released and, due to the biasing action, moves out of the position where it secures the pin in the held position. A number of pin-locking bolt-blocking element combinations can be secured in the held position by a common cable acting on the blocking elements. When the cable is cut, each of the combinations is released at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1982
    Assignee: Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventor: Ioannis Rizos
  • Patent number: 4345861
    Abstract: A support system for large generally cylindrical tanks in ships and including four supporting devices each comprising a tank portion and a hull portion respectively secured to the tank and hull, one of the supports being fixed with respect to linear horizontal movement, another of the supports being movable only transversely of the longitudinal axis of the tank, yet another of the supports being movable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank and still another support being movable both parallel to and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the tank; each tank portion of each support being connected with its respective hull portion by means of a spherical joint with thermal insulation between the spherical portions of the joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1982
    Inventor: Harald Aarseth