Abstract:
A mounting bracket for dry stick lubricators for railroad wheels is adapted for universal application and orientation to different configurations of rail cars and locomotives. A base plate fits on any of several configurations of journal boxes on the rail axle, and attached components allow swiveling adjustment, length adjustment and adjustment in several different axes for the dry stick lubricator itself, at a position spaced from the base plate.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/223,833, filed Aug. 8, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention concerns dry stick lubricators for railroad wheels, for the purpose of lubricating the wheel flanges just prior to entry into a curve, which greatly reduces wear on the wheel flanges. More particularly, the invention concerns a universal mounting bracket permitting accurate and effective positioning of such dry stick lubricators, for a number of different configurations of railroad car wheel trucks and locomotive wheels.  
           [0003]    It is well known that rail wheels will wear significantly less, and last much longer in service, if the wheel flange is lubricated prior to passing through the outside of a curve in the track. For this purpose, several different types of lubrication have been used, one of which is a dry stick lubricator. The dry stick lubricator is within a tube, typically having a pair of metal studs or other fasteners for securing to an appropriate bracket. One manufacturer of such lubricators is Kelsan Technologies of North Vancouver, British Columbia. However, no universal or even widely applicable type of mounting bracket has been known, to allow such a dry stick lubricator to be secured to a number of different configurations of wheel trucks or locomotive wheels.  
           [0004]    The apparatus of the present invention provides a universal mounting bracket to address this need.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    In accordance with this invention, a universal mounting bracket for dry stick lubricators which apply lubricant to railroad wheels, includes a base plate having openings positioned to accept fasteners in different positions, to fit a plurality of different journal boxes on railroad wheel trucks; an adjustable 20  length extension bracket secured to the base plate so as to extend generally upwardly from the base plate when placed in service, the extension bracket being adjustable in length; a swivel head secured to an end of the extension bracket remote from the base plate; and a plurality of fastener openings in the swivel head, allowing for connection of a dry stick lubricant tube to the swivel head in a plurality of different rotational orientations.  
           [0006]    A preferred embodiment has a swivel joint connecting the extension bracket to the base plate, allowing for swinging adjustment of the extension bracket relative to the base plate.  
           [0007]    The extension bracket preferably comprises a pair of lapped plates, one of which has an elongated slotted opening, providing length adjustment.  
           [0008]    It is thus the objective of this invention to improve the efficiency of use and the breadth of application for such dry stick lubricating devices, through provision of a universal mounting bracket which fits a wide number of railroad situations. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiment, considered along with the accompanying claims. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a mounting bracket for dry stick lubricators, accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a similar exploded perspective view showing the mounting bracket, but also showing a portion of a railroad wheel truck, including a journal box to which the bracket is secured.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematic elevation view showing several possible locations for the bracket, relative to a railcar wheel.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a schematic view, partially in section and partially exploded, viewed in the longitudinal direction relative to a railcar, indicating the bracket of the invention and a dry stick lubricator tube supported by the bracket.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a view showing a plate forming part of a toggle joint of the bracket assembly.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a view showing the same plate and a further assembled component.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 shows an alternate form of toggle joint.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 8, 9 and  9 A show alternate forms of base plates for different applications. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 shows in exploded perspective an adjustable dry stick lubricator mounting bracket  10  of the invention. FIGS.  2 - 4  show the bracket&#39;s application to a railroad wheel and axle. FIG. 1 shows a base plate  12  with slotted holes  14  that may be curved or sinuous, as shown, for universality of application. The base plate attaches to the inner side of a journal box  16  (FIG. 2) that receives and journals the end  17  of a wheel truck axle  18  for roller-bearing effected rotation. The railcar carriage sits on the journal boxes. Usually the journal boxes have threaded holes on the back side, toward the railcar wheel  19 , and the base plate slots  14  are positioned such that machine bolts can be passed through these openings to be received in the threaded holes of the journal box, accommodating several different threaded hole patterns of journal boxes. The drawings show an arcuate recess  12   a  at the bottom of the base plate, to help avoid interference with an axle collar or a water guard on the wheel truck. Note that the base plate  12  may be installed either vertically or along one side or horizontally along the top of the journal box, the latter being indicated in FIG. 2.  
         [0018]    Above the slots  14  on the base plate  12  are several holes  20  for connection to an extension bracket  22 , shown as lower and upper lapped plates  24  and  26 . A lower fastener hole  28  of the lower extension bracket plate  24  is secured to a selected one of the holes  20  in the base plate (fastener not shown). The extension bracket  22  allows length adjustment via a long slotted opening  30  in the upper bracket plate  26 , by which the component  26  is secured to the lower component  24  via bolts through two holes  32  near the top of the lower plate  24 , thus locking this joint against pivoting. Again, the fasteners are not shown. In this way, the installer can select an appropriate length for the extension bracket  22 . The upper end of the upper bracket component  26  is secured to a toggle joint and swivel head assembly  34 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The swivel head  36  is secured via a toggle joint  38  to a plate member  40  that is bolted via a hole  42  to an upper-end hole  44  in the extension bracket plate  26  (bolt not shown). The toggle joint allows rotation of the swivel head  36  about an axis which is generally horizontal with the bracket configured as shown in FIG. 1, but, as shown in FIG. 3, can be generally parallel to a tangent of the rail wheel  19  where the bracket  10  is closest to the rail wheel&#39;s rail-contacting surface. In other words, the bracket itself may not be oriented vertically.  
         [0019]    In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the toggle joint is constructed by welding a circular member  46 , having a threaded hole  48 , onto the plate member  40 . The plate member may be stepped on its outer edge  50 , as shown in FIGS. 1, 2,  5  and  6 , and the circular member  46 , somewhat like a very thick, tapped washer, is welded on the middle step, the weld being made more secure by presence of a leg  52  of this plate member  40 . FIG. 1 shows this tapped circular member  46 , positioned immediately adjacent to a similar member  54 . The component  54  has a slightly larger hole, not tapped, and is welded to the swivel head  36 . Thus, a bolt  56  can be inserted through the member  54 , and threadedly received in the adjacent member  46  as shown in FIG. 1, to secure the toggle joint  38  at a desired angle.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 shows a typical assembly in exploded view (without fasteners), with a dry stick lubricator tube  60  shown in dash lines as attached to the swivel head  36 . As shown, the lubricator tube has a lubricant stick  62  extending out and in contact with the railroad car wheel  19 . The lubricant tube  60  should be at an oblique angle relative to the wheel truck access as shown, so that the lubricant is angled directly at the flange  19   a  of the wheel. The swivel head  36  preferably has a pair of arcuate slots  64  for use in securing the lubricant tube to the swivel head, these slots being clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Typically the lubricant tube  60  will have a pair of spaced apart studs, and these studs are inserted through the respective arcuate slots  64 . This gives the installer the opportunity to put a leading or trailing angle on the lubricant tube, as can best be envisioned from the elevation view of FIG. 3. Generally a trailing angle is preferred in forward travel of the wheel, such that the stick angles back from its application point on the wheel. The lubricant tube  60  has a spring constantly pushing forward the lubricant stick or block  62 , so that lubricant continues to be fed to the wheel flange  19   a  as the lubricant is consumed, and the trailing angle causes the wheel motion to add the spring in drawing out the lubricant.  
         [0021]    When the installer has the bracket assembly  10  set up as desired, with the lubricant pushing against the wheel flange and all joints lightly tightened, the joints can then be tightened down securely to fix the position of the lubricant tube  60  as retained by the bracket assembly. Generally railroads require welding of such joints. For the bracket of the invention, it is recommended that the two circular members  46  and  54  of the toggle joint be tack-welded together; that the plate member  40  of the toggle joint be tack-welded to the adjustment plate  26 ; that the extension plate itself be tack-welded once set; and that the bottom of the extension plate  24  be welded to the base plate. The base plate can be welded to the journal box if desired or required for a particular application.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIGS. 7 and 7 a  show an alternate construction for the toggle joint assembly. In this form of the toggle joint assembly, a solid component  68  replaces the plate member  40  and thread-tapped circular piece  46  shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. This component in one preferred form has tapped holes  70  and  72 . A recess is included at  74  for receiving the circular member  54  which is welded to the swivel head  36  as shown in FIG. 1. The hole  70  receives a bolt which secures the member  68  to the upper extension bracket via the hole  44  shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIGS. 8 and 9 show modified forms of base plates. In FIG. 8 a base plate  12   b  is generally similar in shape to the base plate  12  of FIGS. 1 and 2, but has arcuate recesses  12   a  at both upper and lower sides. Slotted holes of various patterns are shown at  12   c ,  12   d ,  12   e  and  12   f , with alternate configurations shown in dashed lines. This base plate has hole  20  at a similar location to those of the earlier described base plate, to be secured to the extension bracket  22 . In this case, the base plate can be used either in the configuration shown, or inverted, and this is the reason for the slotted openings at both upper and lower sides. This gives a greater universality of application.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIGS. 9 and 9A show another modified form of base plate  80 . In this case, the base plate is for use on a General Motors EMD radial locomotive wheel truck. An upper hole  82  is for securing the extension bracket  22  shown in FIG. 1. The larger  84  receives a pin  85 , which may be about one inch diameter, welded into the plate with preferably equal extension of the pin out both sides of the plate. A large hole (e.g., about 1⅜″)  86  receives a bolt that screws into a threaded hole in a journal adaptor on the back side of the locomotive wheel truck (not shown). The pin  85 , extending perpendicular to the plate  80 , contacts the side of the journal adaptor and prevents rotation of the plate. The plate can be used on either left or right side of the locomotive. Generally the dry stick lubricators with the mounting bracket of the invention are installed at the number  1  and number  6  axle positions (first and last axles), both sides. Lubricant transfers from the wheel to the rail and thus the lubricant need not be applied to each wheel.  
         [0025]    Variations of this base plate can be made for other locomotives, any of which can receive the bracket of the invention.  
         [0026]    The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit its scope. Other embodiments and variations to this preferred embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.