Patent ID: 8517441
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: B61F

Abstract:
1. A railway car axle comprising: a stub axle having opposite inner and outer ends, a rigid hollow sleeve having an open end and an oppositely disposed terminal end, and a bore defined by a cylindrical wall extending from said open end to said terminal end, and wherein said stub axle is journalled in said bore for rotation in said bore, and wherein said inner end of said stub axle is adjacent said terminal end and wherein said outer end of said stub axle extends from said open end, an axle locking mechanism, wherein said outer end of said stub axle has external splines therearound, and wherein said inner end of said stub axle is narrower in diameter than a diameter of said external splines and has a helical groove track formed therealong, and wherein said sleeve has a parallel radially spaced apart array of linear channels formed around said cylindrical wall, a hollow, cylindrical shuttle spur gear having internal splines formed therein for mating onto and along said external splines, and having external spurs for mating into and along said array of linear channels when said spur gear is mated so as to be sandwiched between said stub axle and said sleeve, said spur gear having a follower mounted thereto, said follower mated into, so as to follow along, said helical groove track during differential rotation of said stub axle relative to said sleeve, wherein, during said differential rotation, said differential rotation urges said follower along said helical groove track to shuttle said spur gear between a spline engaging position wherein said spur gear engages said external splines and locks said sleeve to said stub axle, and a spline disengaged position wherein said spur gear is disengaged from said external splines and unlocks said sleeve from said stub axle.