Pedestal Tie Bar Arrangement

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists particularly in an improved pedestal construction in which a pedestal tie bar is selectively movable between closed and open positions but is not removable from the pedestal.

2. The Prior Art

Commonly pedestal tie bars are removably secured to the lower ends or feet of pedestal legs by bolts or equivalent securing devices and are arranged for removal from the pedestal legs when it is desired to open the pedestal jaw, as for example when an axle is removed from a truck. Because of the relatively small size of pedestal tie bars, they are frequently lost when so removed and the replacement of large numbers of lost pedestal tie bars is both inconvenient and expensive. Conventional pedestal tie bars can also be lost when they fall off in transit due to loosening of the attaching bolts and this presents the additional danger that the pedestal jaw will be left open during operation of the car. A partial solution to this problem is shown in Perry Brown U.S. Pat. No. 700,894, in which a continuous tie rod 5, which functions both as pedestal tie bar on the individual pedestals and as a tie between separate pedestals is slidably received in loops or pockets 6 formed on the pedestal legs. While the loops of Brown would prevent the tie bar from falling from the truck so long as one of the fastening bolts and nuts was in place, it would not prevent the complete removal of the tie bar from the truck because, when the bolts were removed, the tie bar could be slid longitudinally out of all the loops and thus removed.

The invention provides a railway truck pedestal arrangement in which the pedestal tie bar can be between a position extending across and closing the pedestal jaw to an open position, but cannot be removed from the truck.

The invention further provides a pedestal tie arrangement requiring only one bolt and nut for locking the pedestal tie bar in closed position.

The invention further provides a pedestal construction in which the tie bar is slidably supported on the bottom of the pedestal feet and is movable between closed and open positions when the bolt and nut are released by sliding the tie bar to open position, the tie bar being provided with means for preventing its removal from one of the pedestal legs.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one end of a railway car truck frame showing a pedestal.

FIG. 2 is an end view of one of the pedestal legs taken from line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the other pedestal leg taken from line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the pedestal taken from line 4--4 of FIG. 1, showing the pedestal tie bar in closed position.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the lower portion of the pedestal shown in FIG. 1, showing the tie bar in open position.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the pedestal taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5, showing the tie bar in open position.

Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 1 indicates the wheel piece of a railway truck frame having depending pedestal legs 3 and 5 between which are slidably received a journal box 6. Pedestal legs 3 and 5 are of generally channel cross section having transverse webs 3a and 5a and spaced inner and outer flanges 3b and 5b, the lower ends of the pedestal legs terminating in transverse horizontal feet 3c and 5c.

For mounting the pedestal tie bar 7 to the feet 3c and 5c of pedestal legs 3 and 5, channel shaped saddles 9 and 11 are secured, preferably by welding their upright flanges 9a and 11a to the bottom surfaces respectively of pedestal feet 3c and 5c, the depth of saddles 9 and 11 being sufficient to slidably receive tie bar 7.

Tie bar 7 has a shank 7a and widened ends 13 and 15 forming shoulders projecting from the sides of the tie bar shank 7a, and the opening in saddle 9 is sufficiently wide to permit the passage therethrough of tie bar end 13, while saddle 11 is narrower than the width of tie bar ends 13 and 15 and is sufficiently wide to accommodate the shank of tie bar 7, saddle 11 being offset longitudinally from the inner surface of pedestal leg web 5a a sufficient distance to receive the widened end portion 13 of the tie bar so that the end surface of end portion 13 is flush with the transverse surface of pedestal leg web 5a when the tie bar is slid to its fully open position.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that the tie bar can be slid between a fully closed position, as shown in FIG. 1, and a fully opened position, as shown in FIG. 5, but that due to the interference of flanges 11a of saddle 11 and shoulders 13 and 15, tie bar 7 cannot be removed from saddle 11.

Operation of the invention is as follows: Initially the structure is assembled by positioning tie bar 7 against the feet 3c and 5c of the pedestals, welding saddles 11 and 9 to the pedestal feet with saddle 11 offset from pedestal leg web 5a a sufficient distance to receive shoulders 13, and with shoulders 15 in engagement with the adjacent end of saddle 11, drilling the pedestal foot 3c, tie bar 7 and saddle 9 to receive bolt 17, inserting bolt 17, and applying nut 19 to it to hold the pedestal tie bar 7 in closed position. For opening pedestal tie bar 7 in order to insert or remove journal box 6 nut 19 is removed from bolt 17, the latter lifted clear of tie bar 7 and tie bar 7 slid to the right, as seen in FIG. 1, until the shoulder on its widened end 13 engages the opposing end of saddle 11, at which time the end 13 of tie bar 7 is substantially flush with the inner transverse surface of pedestal leg web 5a. Because of the fact that shoulders formed by ends 13 and 15 are wider than the opening between flanges 11a of saddle 11, the tie bar cannot be removed from saddle 11. When it is desired to close the pedestal, tie bar 7 is slid through saddle 11 and across the pedestal jaw, thence through saddle 9 until shoulders 15 engage the opposing transverse face of saddle 11, after which bolt 17 is inserted through pedestal foot 3c, tie bar 7 and saddle 9 and nut 19 applied to bolt 17.

The details of the pedestal arrangement disclosed herein may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.