Patent ID: 8091485
Filing Date: 2012-01-10
Classification: B61C,B61D

Abstract:
1. A joint for transferring load from an underframe of a locomotive to a cant rail of a car body of the locomotive, wherein a portion of the underframe of the locomotive carries an isolated cab and another portion of the underframe of the locomotive carries the car body, said car body being separate and apart from the isolated cab, and wherein the isolated cab causes the underframe to bend at a location between the isolated cab and the car body, the joint comprising: a base connected to the underframe of the locomotive and situated between the isolated cab and the car body at the underframe bending location, and a body portion connected to the base for carrying a member connected to the cant rail of the car body of the locomotive, wherein the body portion forms an angle selected between about 18 degrees and about 28 degrees relative to the base and wherein the body portion provides adequate flexion in addition to the connection between the base and underframe to allow the body portion to bend relative to the underframe such that some of the load resulting from the underframe bending at the location between the isolated cab and the car body is transferred from the underframe of the locomotive to the base of the joint, through the body portion of the joint, to the member, and to the cant rail during bending of the underframe of the locomotive to accommodate bending of the portion of the underframe associated with the isolated cab to bend proportionally to its own stiffness and to allow bending of the car body to bend proportionally to the total stiffness of the portion of the underframe associated with the car body and the stiffness of the car body.