Abstract:
A transition member for use in a railway freight car is provided. The transition member provides connection between the dissimilar cross sections of the underbody and draft sill of the railway freight car and the center sill of the railway freight car. The transition member is usually a unitary cast steel structure and is of a generally rectangular or square cross section.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to railway freight car draft sills and center sills and, more particularly, to a transition member for use in connecting between the dissimilar cross sections of a draft sill and a center sill of a railway freight car.  
         [0002]     The prevalent construction of railway freight cars includes the use of two truck assemblies at either end of each car body. Each truck assembly is comprised of two sideframes that are spaced laterally and are parallel with the railway tracks. A bolster extends laterally between the two sideframes to form what is commonly referred to as a three piece railway freight car truck.  
         [0003]     The railway freight car body itself includes a center sill structure which extends longitudinally the virtual entire length of the freight car to provide the main support member for the railway freight car. Ends of the center sill include draft sills, which can be fabricated or cast. Such draft sills include a center plate for connection to a center bowl structure located on the truck bolster. Further, an end sill is connected to the railway freight car body in alignment with the center sill, but near each end of the railway freight car. The end sill is designed to receive a coupler assembly.  
         [0004]     It is desirable to provide a connection between the dissimilar cross sections of a draft sill and the end sill that is adaptable to the various designs of railway freight cars.  
         [0005]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved transition member for use in connection between the draft sill and end sill of a railway freight car.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention relates to a railway freight car that includes an underframe assembly comprising a draft sill and an end sill. The end sill is associated and receives the various components of the coupler assembly. It is desirable to provide a transition connection between the draft sill and end sill that accommodates various designs and structures of the railway freight car. Accordingly, the present invention in particular relates to a transition member that connects between the dissimilar cross sections of a draft sill structure of the railway freight car and the end sill.  
         [0007]     The transition member of the present invention is usually a unitary cast steel structure that is generally rectangular in cross section. The transition member can be of varying lengths, but the transition member of the present invention is of a length that is greater than its height or its width. The transition member of the present invention includes structural features that provides strength, durability, and adaptability in the railway freight car to allow connection between various locations of the draft sill and the end sill. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     Referring now to the drawings,  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side view, in partial cross section, of a transition member in accordance with the present invention connected between a draft sill and an end sill;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the transition member in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a side view, in cross section, of the transition member in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a partial bottom view of the transition member in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is an end view of the second end of the transition member in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is an end view of the first end of the transition member in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a side view, in cross section, of an end sill of a railway freight car, and  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a side view, in partial cross section, of a draft sill of a railway freight car. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]     Referring now to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, transition member  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown generally at  10 . Transition member  10  is seen to be comprised of a generally rectangular in cross section, elongated structure. Such transition member  10  is usually comprised of an integral cast steel device. Transition member  10  is seen to be comprised of top section  16 , which is generally of rectangular configuration. Bottom section  18  itself is seen to be comprised of a main part  20  and a distal part  22  extending downwardly toward what is deemed the second end of transition member  10 . It is seen that the second end of transition member  10  intersects with end sill  12 . Also part of the second end of transition member  10  are second end top section support rib  36  which is seen to extend downwardly from top section  16 , and second end bottom section support rib  38  which is seen to extend upwardly along the lateral width of the end of distal part  22 . Also extending outwardly from the intersection of top section  16  and support rib  36  is a second end tapered projection  42 . Tapered projection  42  is seen to be located downward below top section  16 . Similarly, extending outwardly from the intersection of bottom section distal part  22  and bottom section support rib  38  is bottom section second end tapered protrusion  44 . Tapered protrusion  44  is seen to be located upwardly from the very bottom edge of distal part  22 .  
         [0018]     At the first end of transition member  10 , where connection is made to draft sill  14 , top section support rib  26  extends downwardly from top section  16  and extends across the width of transition member  10 . Similarly, bottom section support rib  28  extends upwardly from the bottom section  18  of transition member  10  and extends across the width of transition member  10 . Tapered protrusion  32  extends outwardly from support rib  26  and extends across the width of transition member  10 . It is also seen that tapered protrusion  32  extends from a height below that of the top of top section  16 . Similarly, bottom section tapered protrusion  34  extends outwardly from bottom section support rib  28 , and extends across the width of transition member  10 . Tapered protrusion  34  is seen to extend outwardly from a height above that of the bottom of bottom section  18 .  
         [0019]     Bottom section  18  is seen to be comprised of a generally rectangular main part  20  of a thickness greater than that of top section  16 . Further, bottom section distal part  22  is seen to be again a generally rectangular section but extending downwardly from the level of bottom section  18  to intersect with bottom section support rib  38 . Further, it is seen that the thickness of distal part  22  decreases as distal part  22  extends to join bottom section support rib  38 .  
         [0020]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-6  of the drawings, detailed views of transition member  10  are provided. Transition member  10  is seen to be comprised of top section  16 , bottom section  18 , and wall sections  17  and  19 . As described above with reference to  FIG. 1 , transition member  10  is seen to be of a generally rectangular or square cross section and of an elongated nature such that the length of transition member  10  is seen to exceed both its height and width.  
         [0021]     Transition member  10  is seen to comprise bottom section wing section  27  extending outwardly beyond wall section  17 , and bottom section wing section  29  extending outwardly beyond wall section  19 . Wing section  29  is seen to be comprised of a generally rectangular main section  39  that extends longitudinally from the first end of transition member  10  toward the second end, but wing section  29  is also seen to comprise angled section  41  which is contiguous with main section  39  but extends inwardly at an acute angle from main section  39  to intersect with the second end of transition member  10 . Bottom section wing section  27  also comprises a similar main section and an angled section.  
         [0022]     Transition member first end top section support rib  26  and transition member first end bottom section support rib  28  are seen to extend such that a circular opening is formed therein. It is also seen that top section support rib  26  and bottom section support rib  28  extend and engage both of wall section  17  and  19 . Circular opening  56  is seen to be formed by top section support rib  26  and bottom section support rib  28 . Similarly, second end top section support rib  36  extends laterally to engage both of wall sections  17  and  19 , and second end bottom section support rib  38  extends similarly to engage both wall sections  17   19 . It is seen that second end top section support rib  36  and second end bottom section support rib  38  combine to form a generally rectangular opening  58  at the second end of transition member  10 .  
         [0023]     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , a side view of end sill is shown generally at  12 . End sill  12  is seen to be comprised of a top section  64 , and a bottom section  62 , which are generally rectangular in nature yet elongated such that the length of end sill  12  is much greater than its height or width. Further, end sill  12  is comprised of side walls that join top wall  64  and bottom wall  62 . An opening  74  is located at the second end of end sill  12  to accommodate a coupler yoke and shank. Opening  66  is shown at the first end of end sill  12 . It is shown in  FIG. 1  that the second end of transition member  10  is received into the first end  66  of end sill  12 . End sill  12  can be a fabricated structure or it can be a unitary cast structure.  
         [0024]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a draft sill is shown generally at  14 . Draft sill  14  is seen to be comprised of a bottom section  72  and a top section  74 , joined by two laterally spaced walls. Draft sill  14  is seen to be of a generally rectangular configuration, but of a length much greater than its height or width. Bottom section  72  of draft sill  14  is seen to also comprise a center plate  76 , with a centrally located opening  78 . Center plate  76  is usually of a circular configuration, as is opening  78 . Such center plate  76  is received in a complementary circular opening in the top surface of the railway freight car truck bolster. Draft sill  14  is seen to be comprised of a first end  79 , of a generally rectangular or square configuration. First end  79  of draft sill  14  is seen to be fit around first end tapered protrusions  32  and  34 . It is usually desired that such fit is completed by welding.