Patent ID: 7845288
Filing Date: 2010-12-07
Classification: B61F

Abstract:
1. At least one member of a railroad freight car truck that member having a first self-steering apparatus fitting, said at least one member comprising at least one of: (a) a bearing adapter for mounting to a casing of a bearing on a rail road car truck wheelset, said bearing adapter being for use in combination with at least one other member having a second fitting of the self-steering apparatus, said at least one other fitting including at least a pedestal seat; said bearing adapter having a pair of axially spaced apart arches formed to seat on a cylindrical casing of a rail road freight car roller bearing having an axis of rotation, and first and second pairs of corner abutments, each pair of corner abutments be spaced to straddle respective ones of a pair of first and second opposed thrust lugs of a rail road freight car sideframe pedestal; said bearing adapter having a metal rolling contact engagement surface for orientation facing away from the wheelset when installed; and said bearing adapter rolling contact engagement surface has a fore-and-aft arcuate profile permitting rolling contact rocking of the wheelset bearing lengthwise relative to the sideframe; and (b) a sideframe of a railroad freight car truck, said sideframe having a compression member, a tension member, a first sideframe column and a second sideframe column; said tension member, compression member, first sideframe column and second sideframe column defining bottom, top and sides of a sideframe window formed to receive an end of a freight car truck bolster; said sideframe columns having friction members operable to develop friction when the bolster moves relative to said columns; said tension member extending upwardly to meet said compression member at first and second ends of said sideframe, said sideframe having first and second sideframe pedestals at said first and second ends thereof respectively, each of said sideframe pedestals having a pedestal jaw, each said pedestal jaw including first and second opposed thrust lugs about which corner abutment pairs of a bearing adapter may seat; said pedestals each including a pedestal seat, one said pedestal seat being a first pedestal seat, said first pedestal seat being for use in combination with at least one other member having a second fitting of the self-steering apparatus, said at least one other member including at least a bearing adapter having a pair of axially spaced apart arches formed to seat on a cylindrical casing of a rail road freight car roller bearing, and first and second pairs of corner abutments, each pair of corner abutments being spaced to straddle respective ones of said opposed thrust lugs; said first pedestal seat having a metal rolling contact engagement surface for orientation toward the wheelset; and said metal rolling contact engagement surface of said first pedestal seat has a fore-and-aft arcuate profile permitting rolling contact rocking of the wheelset bearing lengthwise relative to the sideframe.