Abstract: A center bowl liner provided for use between a center plate of a railroad car and a center bowl surface on a truck bolster. The center bowl liner includes a disc-shaped element having top and bottom surfaces and a central opening for receiving a center pin. A conductive washer is attached to the disc-shaped element, the conductive washer having a profile wherein portions of the conductive washer are exposed at the top and bottom surfaces of the disc-shaped element and create an electrical connection between the railroad car center plate and the center bowl on the truck bolster. The disc-shaped element acts as a load-bearing element supporting the railroad car center plate. The conductive washer, since it may have spring-like properties, will also undertake to bear a limited amount of the load of the railroad car center plate in addition to providing electrical connection between the car and truck.

Abstract: A self-lubricating center plate assembly liner for placement between a car body center plate and a truck bolster bowl of a center plate assembly in a railroad car, wherein the liner is configured to substantially mate with the center plates and includes a body having a glass-filled urethane load-bearing portion and a plurality of carbon filled urethane compressible conductive resilient members which extend through, above and below the load-bearing portion to provide electrical continuity between the plate and bowl in the center plate assembly.

Abstract: A conductive center bearing liner for railroad car center plate assemblies comprising a bowl shaped or flat round horizontal member formed from a cross-linked ultra high molecular weight polymer specially mixed with a conductive material shaped to define a floor portion and alternative embodiments with an upstanding side wall. Another embodiment concentrates the conductive material in a selected sector of the disk portion of the liner. The conductive liner eliminates the need to incorporate special apparatus to ground the car body center plate to the truck bolster bowl. This grounding method eliminates the wear and erosion that occurs by grounding using conventional methods.

Abstract: A self-lubricating plastic center plate assembly bearing liner for placement between a body bolster center plate and a truck bolster center plate of a center plate assembly in a railroad car, wherein the liner is configured to substantially mate with the center plates and includes a body having an integrally formed electrically conductive ring of plastic material which provides electrical continuity between the plates in the center plate assembly.

Abstract: A wear and lubricating liner has a cup-shaped wear liner assembly which includes a first bottom plate portion. An aperture is formed centrally through such first bottom plate and a first upstanding wall portion is connected at a bottom thereof to an outer perimeter of such first bottom plate. A lubricating liner assembly has a plurality of substantially solid lubricating material pieces each having a bottom surface disposed adjacent and in contact with an upper surface of such bottom plate and a vertically disposed ring-like solid lubricating material. An outer surface of such ring-like lubricating material is disposed adjacent and in contact with an inner surface of such upstanding wall of the wear liner. A protective cover member includes a second bottom plate portion having a bottom surface disposed adjacent and in contact with an upper surface of each piece of solid lubricating material. Another aperture is formed centrally through such second bottom plate.

Abstract: A railway car center plate formed with a convex cylindrical lower surface which bears, in rocking fashion, upon the flat load supporting face of a standard truck bolster bowl. The arrangement may have one or more side bearings with elastomeric material or springs to enhance stability. In another form of the invention, the truck bowl is formed with an upwardly facing convex cylindrical bottom surface which mates with a standard flat bottomed center plate. Convex cylindrical mating surfaces on both the center plate and the truck bolster is a third form of the invention.

Abstract: A center plate structure for a railway vehicle is provided which utilizes a polymeric wear-resistant tubular liner disposed in sandwiched relation between a cylindrical outside surface of a center plate of the body of the railway vehicle and a cylindrical inside surface of an upstanding peripheral flange of an associated bolster bowl of a truck of the railway vehicle wherein a continuous uninterrupted metal ring is fixed against a top portion of the inside surface of the flange with the ring serving to engage the top surface of the polymeric liner and prevent vertical cold flow of the polymeric material comprising same from between the cylindrical surfaces.

Abstract: A cushioned center plate structure for a railway vehicle body and method of making same are provided wherein such structure comprises, a substantially cylindrical disc-like component which is adapted to be received within the confines of an upstanding peripheral flange of an associated railway vehicle truck bolster bowl, apparatus for mounting the component to a body bolster of the vehicle body, and apparatus for cushioning loads between the component and flange and wherein the mounting apparatus comprises a plate, fasteners for detachably fastening the plate to the body bolster, and structure for supporting the component on the plate.

Abstract: This invention relates to under carriages for supporting and displacing heavyweight sliding doors. Two spaced carriages 10 and 11 are arranged to run on a trackrail 6 which is cemented into the ground. Each of the carriages comprises two track wheels 19 and 20 situated one behind another and these track wheels each have flanges 21 at each side to enflank the head 15 of the track. The track wheels are also joined to a rigid beam which includes a spheroidal seat bearing 25 into which engages a calotte 26 having a plane upper surface which fits into a matching recess in a door frame 27 to carry the weight of the door, (FIG. 3).