Patent ID: 7588154
Filing Date: 2009-09-15
Classification: B61G

Abstract:
1. A housing for a railway car draft gear assembly for cushioning buff and draft shocks that are usually encountered in such railway car rolling stock during a coupling operation of such railway car to a train consist and during normal operation of such train consist on a track structure, said housing comprising: (a) a rear portion having each of a first end, an axially opposed second end, a substantially rectangular cross-section throughout, a pair of parallel and spaced apart side walls extending between said first and second ends and disposed in vertical planes when such draft gear assembly is installed for cushioning such buff and draft shocks, a pair of first side flanges disposed on said second end, each of said pair of first side flanges extending outwardly and generally perpendicular relative to a respective one of said pair of side walls of said rear portion and abutting a respective rear stop when such draft gear is installed for cushioning such buff shocks, wherein a height of said each of said pair of side flanges in vertical plane is approximately of an overall height of said respective one of said pair of side walls; (b) a front portion having each of a predetermined shape and a predetermined length and having a first end disposed adjacent said first end of said rear portion and an axially opposed generally open second end adapted for receiving a coupler arm; (c) a pair of second side flanges disposed on said first end of said rear portion, each of said pair of second side flanges extending outwardly from said respective vertical side wall of said rear portion and substantially parallel to a respective one of said pair of first side flanges, wherein a height of said each of said pair of second side flanges in a vertical plane is approximately of said overall height of said one of said pair of side walls and wherein said each of said pair of second side flanges has a shape being similar to a shape of said each of said pair of first side flanges; (d) at least one third flange extending outwardly from said first end of said front portion, said at least one third flange having at least a portion thereof aligned with and abutting at least a portion of a respective one of said pair of second side flanges; (e) at least one first aperture formed through said each second side flange; (f) at least one second aperture formed through said at least one third flange in alignment with said at least one first aperture; (g) fasteners each of received within each of said at least one first aperture and said at least one second aperture and engageable with said pair of second flanges and said at least one third flange; and (h) at least one aperture disposed within said front portion adjacent said second end thereof for attaching said housing to such coupler.