Improvements in the Construction and Manufacture of Under Frames and Brake Beams for Railway and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
Improvements in the Construction and Manufacture of Under Frames
and Brake Beams for Railway and similar Vehicles.
A communication by WILLIAM PETER BETTENDORF, of Davenport, in the
County of Scott and State of Iowa, United States of America, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester
both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The object of this invention is to simplify the construction of the running gear of
cars and the devices for braking the same, without increasing the cost or detracting
from the strength or durability thereof.
This is accomplished by adopting simple methods of construction of the bolster
and side frames of the truck whereby commercial forms of beams are used in an
economical and effective manner, and by making the brake-beam, its fulcrumal
block and actuating lever of two thicknesses of sheet metal economically shaped
and secured together, and by improved and economical methods of manufacture of
the brake-shoes and locking pins or keys therefor.
In the drawings :
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car-truck showing in solid lines the car-truck
bolster, brake-beam and conjunctive devices.
Figure 2 shows a side view of a blank I-beam before it is reduced to a truss-
beam for the car-truck bolster.
Figure 3 is a side view of a truck-bolster made according to this invention.
Figure 4 is an end edge view of the same.
Figure 5 is a plan view of a detached brake-beam with attachments.
Figure 6 is a similar view stripped of its attachments.
Figure 7 is a rear edge view of the same.
Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical transverse section therethrough taken on dotted
line 8, 8, Figure 6.
Figure 9 is a transverse section through the bearings of the brake-lever fulorum-
block of the beam, taken on dotted line 5, 5, Figure 5.
Figures 10 and 11 show a side and an edge view, respectively, of the fulcrum
block detached from the brake-beam.
Figure 12 is a plan view of the brake-lever detached from the brake-beam.
Figure 13 is a side edge view of the same, with a portion indicated by dotted
lines 13, 13, Figure 12, broken away and shown in section.
Figure 14 is a cross section of the lever taken on dotted line 14, 14,
Figure 12.
Figure 15 is a perspective view of a bushing used in the construction of said
lever.
Figure 16 is a perspective view of a blank bar, rolled into suitable shape so as to
make the improved brake-shoe used in conjunction with the brake-beam.
Figure 17 is a perspective view of the brake-shoe made therefrom.
Figure 18 is a perspective view of a part of a rolled blank bar, which in cross
section resembles a side view of another common form of brake-shoe.
Figure 19 is a perspective view of the brake-shoe made therefrom.
n

page_text: Figure 2013 a longitudinal section of one end of the brake-shoe shown in
Figure 17.
Figure 21 is a side view of a straight brake-shoe locking-key or pin.
Figure 22 is a perspective view of the rolled plate blank of wrought metal from
which said locking-pins or keys are made.
Figure 23 is a view of a curved locking pin made from said blank.
Figure 24 is a view of the flat side thereof.
Figure 25 is a section through the two wrought sheet metal plates of the
brake-beam showing the same in their relative position ready to be clinched
together.
Figure 26 shows portions of said plates between the clamping dies, and the
engaging end of the punching and clinching die all in section in the first position to
which it is moved when forming the tubular rivet.
Figure 27 is a similar view showing the relative position to which the punching
and clinching die is moved.
Figure 28 is a similar view showing the relative position of said elements at the
commencement of the third and final movement of said die.
Figure 29 is a similar view of the same at the completion of the final step.
Figure 30 is a perspective view of portions of two plates showing said tubular
rivet.
Figure 31 is a plan of a templet from which a modified form of this improved
brake-beam is made.
Figure 32 is a plan view of the completed modified form of brake-beam made
therefrom.
Figure 33 is a transverse sectional view of said beam taken on dotted line 33, 33,
Figure 32, and
Figures 34 to 41, inclusive, show plan and end edge and side views of a modified
construction of the brake-shoe locking-pin.
Figure 42 is a side view of the side truss-beam of the truck.
The bolster of this invention is made from two corresponding I-beams A, A, of
suitable proportions, which has a gore or V-shaped piece of metal cut longitudinally
out of the web of each at each end thereof so as to make the bifurcations a and b,
as shown in Figure 2.
The end portions of each of these bifurcations preferably, have their side edges
parallel, and these end portions are brought together until their adjacent edges
bear flat against each other, whereupon said end portions are made integrant by
welding, as shown in Figure 3, or otherwise.
Thus reduced to a truss, the two beams are arranged parallel to each other their
entire length and are held or secured together a suitable distance apart by tie-
bolts C, which pass laterally through suitable openings in the webs of the beams
and through suitable spacing sleeves c¹ interposed between them. The bolts c
passing through the end portions of the truss-beams are slightly longer than those
passing through the body of the bolster, so as to pass through the flanges of and
keep the guide-blocks C in place. The guide-blocks are located between the
flanges at the ends of the truss-beams, and immediately over the spring-plates e
which latter are riveted or otherwise secured to the underside of the flanges of
said truss-beams as shown.
At the centre of length of the bolster, the truss-beams are connected by and
support a female bearing plate D by means of rivets or in any other suitable
manner.
The principal feature of the bolster is the truss-shape given the beams by
cutting away a portion of the web of their ends or otherwise preparing the same
so that the flanges of the beam can be pressed together. It is evident therefore
that channel-beams could be utilized for this purpose just as well as I-beams.
The bolster is cushioned on springs placed under its ends in any of the usual or
well-known ways, and its vertical movement is directed within the central openings
of the side frames of the truck. The side-frames of the truck consist of I-beam

page_text: reduced to a truss-beam 4 in the same manner as the truck-bolster herein before
described, but with this difference, namely: the upper bifurcations alone of the
ends of the blank-beam are bent down until its edges come in contact with the
edges of the lower bifurcations to which it is welded or otherwise secured. The
construction of the side truss-beams 4 are further modified to adapt them for use
by having the web at their ends entirely removed to a depth corresponding to a
little more than the width of the journal boxes, thus leaving the flanges of said
beams extending as parallel horizontal arms 5, 5, between which the journal-boxes
are secured by vertical bolts or any suitable manner.
At the centres of length, the web of these side truss-beams 4 is removed so as to
leave an oblong opening 6 of suitable dimensions within which the ends of the
bolster A may have the necessary vertical play. The vertical edges of openings 6
are preferably provided with two or more ears 7, 7, which are alternately bent
laterally first in one direction and then the other, and secured to these ears by
rivets or otherwise are vertical guide-strips 8, 8, of suitable material which enter
the grooves of the guide-blocks to direct the movement of the bolster.
guide-strips 8 may be dispensed with or both said strips and the ears 7 omitted and
other means employed for this purpose.
The
The brake-beam may be made of a truss-beam constructed like the bolster and
side frame of the truck herein before described, it is preferable, however, to make
it of two corresponding plates B B of suitable metal, preferably, wrought steel.
These two plates B are so shaped that their forward edge portions are each made
semi-circular, so that when united their edges form a tubular forward edge d for
the beam. This edge d extends from the finger-guard d', projecting from near
one end of the beam, to the finger-guard d near the other end thereof, and it
recedes at a suitable corresponding angle from the centre of length of the beam to
near the base of the said finger-guards. The outer sides of the finger-guards are
made parallel to the line of travel of the adjacent car-wheels and it is preferred to
so construct the edges of the plates B at this part of the beam, as to form a butt
joint and make a tubular socket d² in which to seat the guard-bolt or pin d³.
The base of the finger-guard a spreads and merges into a longitudinal tube E,
the ends of which extend beyond the said finger-guards and constitutes the
supports for the brake-heads, or brake-shoe brackets to which a more extended
reference will be hereafter had. This tube E is preferably greater in diameter
than the tubular forward edge of the beam, and is made by providing the plates B
sufficiently near their rear edges with corresponding semi-circular grooves so as to
leave a rear flange e and so that when the plates B are united the tube E is
formed.
The flanges of the beam are provided with a continuation of the finger-guard
socket d³ so that the bolts d³ may be passed entirely through the brake-beam.
In the web of the beam between the tubular forward edge thereof and the
tube E of the same, is provided a suitable opening k, which is located at about the
centre of length of the beam, is oblong, and preferably has its marginal edges
made tubular in the same manner as the forward edges of said beam. In this
opening the fulcrumal block E¹ of the beam is placed and its journals rest and
move in suitable bearings which are made in the centre of length of the beam
between the said opening k and the forward edge thereof and between the said
opening and the rear edge of the same, as shown.
This fulcrumal block consists of two corresponding plates f which are only
connected by having their journals confined in the bearings made in the beam
therefor. When thus connected the central portion of these plates form a block
which is located in the opening k, in which the brake-lever F is fulcrumed by a
suitable fulcrumal pin passed laterally through the lever and the central openings
made to receive the same in the side plates of said block.
The ends e of the beam have brake-shoe heads X secured thereto and the
general outlines of these heads when viewed from the side suggest the form of a
crescent with the ends or horns thereof truncated. These truncated ends of the

page_text: heads are bifurcated so as to accommodate the shape of and form a seat for
the rear surfaces and ends of a brake-shoe G, and are provided with lateral eyes
therethrough whereby suitable hangers may suspend the same and the brake-beam
from the body of the car. This brake-head X, however, does not form part of
this invention.
The brake-shoe G may be made either as shown in Figure 17 or Figure 19
of the drawings, although it is preferable to use that form shown in Figure 17
because it is the simplest. As shown in said Figure 17 the brake-shoe is of a
concave-convex shape, has a central clip-lug projecting from the rear surface at
the center of length thereof, is provided with end flanges, and is provided with
retaining lugs g adjacent to said end flanges. The new feature which is claimed
in this brake-shoe is the retaining lug g, which is made by depressing the front or
engaging surface of the shoe near the ends thereof and thus forcing the
protuberance or retaining lug g on the back of the shoe near the ends thereof, as
shown.
Now whether the brake-shoe has one clip-lug or two projecting from its centre
of length as shown in Figure 19, said brake-shoes are economically made by taking
a bar of wrought metal of suitable dimensions and after heating it sufficiently
rolling it between suitable rolls until the shape shown by the blank in Figure 16
or the blank shown in Figure 18 is obtained. These blanks are sawed into short
lengths as indicated by the dotted lines in Figures 16 and 18 so as to produce
brake-shoes.
This method of manufacturing brake-shoes is very economical and quick and is
greatly to be preferred to the old method of casting brake-shoes and inserting
wrought metal strips in their engaging faces.
Brake-shoes of the character to which reference has just been made are secured
to the brake-shoe heads or brackets X by means of a locking pin or key which is
inserted through suitable eyes in the centrally projecting lugs of the said head
and through the opening in the clip-lug of the brake-shoe. Heretofore it has been
customary to make these locking pins separately, the manufacture of said pins is
greatly economised by first rolling a sheet of suitable wrought metal into a blank H
which has one side provided with a longitudinal lateral flange and gradually
decreases in thickness from said flanged side to the opposite side edge thereof, as
shown in Figure 22 of the drawing. This blank may be rolled so as to produce
the concavo-convex curvature shown in said figure or may be made straight as
shown in Figure 21. Whichever way it is shaped, however, it is sawed into
transverse strips as indicated by dotted lines in said figure, and each strip, thus
produced, makes a key or locking-pin H' as shown.
In view of the fact that there is some waste sheet metal resulting from the
cutting of the plates B B of the beam, and that it is desirable to make good use
of the same, my correspondent has invented a modified construction of locking
pin T as shown in the eight figures of Sheet 9 of the drawing. This consists in
taking V-shaped pieces of sheet metal cut from the original sheet to form that
part of the blank between its centre of length and the ears from which the finger-
guards are made and reducing them to the truncated isosceles triangular shape
shown in Figure 35, and corrugating the same as shown in Figure 34.
corrugations gradually decrease in depth and width as they approach the smaller
end of the blank. After corrugating the blank it is pressed or collapsed edgewise
together, as shown in Figure 37, after which it is shaped or bent and curved, as
shown in Figures 40 and 41. This construction results in a tough and durable
locking pin.
The
The brake-beam lever F consists of two suitably shaped sheet metal plates N.
Each of these plates have their ends, and the portion thereof forming the fulcrumal
boss, raised or left in relief by depressing the longitudinal edge portions of them
between said ends in such manner as to leave a longitudinal central ridge extending
practically from end to end of the plate. These plates N are preferably widest
near their fulcrumal point, and taper toward both ends thereof and are secured

page_text: together by openings h made in the depressed portions of one plate and by the
tongues in the depressed portions of the other plate, as shown in Figure 13 of
the drawing. The tongues h' of the one plate of said lever are bent and extended
through the openings h of the other plate thereof and have their ends swaged and
headed so as to clinch the two plates securely together.
The sides of the lever at the ends and at the fulcrumal point thereof are re-
inforced by tubular washers or bushings I, the ends of which are stepped to a less
diameter, corresponding to that of the openings in the ends and the fulcrumal boss
of the lever, so as to form shoulders. The stepped portion of said bushings being
inserted in the openings of the lever make the shoulders formed thereby bear
against the inner surface of the plates composing the same, thus holding said
bushings or washers firmly in place to re-inforce plates N thereof and form a
bearing or articulation for the devices journaled therein and used in conjunction
therewith.
One of the principal features of this invention and that which enables my
correspondent to economically construct the improved brake-beam hereinbefore
described is the clinching-eye or tubular rivet which is adopted in place of the
solid rivet heretofore known in the art of metal working. This consists of making
a circular opening in one plate B of the beam, the edges of which will be clear
cut and confined between the flat surfaces of said plate, and then placing the upper
plate B of the beam in register with its companion and punching a small opening p
therein concentric with but of less diameter than the opening r in the other plate,
substantially as shown in Figure 26 of the drawing. In punching this smaller
opening p, the opening in the other plate is used as a female die, and the metal
bordering around the edges of this smaller opening p is depressed into the opening r
sufficiently to anchor the two plates of the beam together in such manner as to
prevent their slipping or otherwise becoming relatively displaced during the
process of clinching them together. The working end of the die K, shown in
Figures 26, 27, 28 and 29, has its working end made conical with its base of less
diameter than its body, and with the base of said conical portion merged into a
gutter made in the shoulder formed by reduction of its diameter. This conical
portion of the die is truncated and its extremity is provided with a perfectly
cylindrical extension which is of sufficient length to easily pass through the thickness
of metal or plate which it is intended to punch. This cylindrical portion of the
die K first punches the small opening p, hereinbefore referred to, in one plate of
the beam and as said die continues in the same direction, the marginal portion of
this small opening p is forced through the larger opening of the other plate B.
The die is then removed or withdrawn and the plates B withdrawn from between
the clamping dies J L, their position reversed, and they are then inserted back
between said clamping dies by which they are held firmly while the die K engages
the projecting edges of the smaller opening p (which has been thrust through
opening r) and spreads the same so as to clamp the margins of opening r of the
companion plate.
In Figures 31, 32 and 33 of the drawings is shown a modified construction of the
brake-beam hereinbefore described. In this modification a templet M, as shown
in Figure 31, is employed, which is of a length corresponding to that of the com-
pleted brake-beam and is of a width equal to about twice the same. The surface
area of this templet is equally disposed and divided by an imaginary longitudinal
line extending centrally through the same so that each half is the counterpart of
the other. This templet is widest at its center of length and its side elges taper
toward the loop of the ears m where said edges curve outward to the extremity of
the templet with the side edges thereof parallel.
In forming this modified brake-beam this templet M is taken and bent centrally
so as to bring its longitudinal side edges together and so as to form a tube n the
entire length of the beam which constitutes the rear edge of the same including
the end extensions o thereof. Each pair of ears coming in transverse alignment
forms a finger-guard N at each end of the beam, to prevent the lateral displacement

page_text: of said beam, by striking against the flange of the car-wheel. It is preferable to
form the outer edges of these finger-guards N into a tube or socket and to insert a
bolt d 3 into the same so as to increase the longevity of said finger-guard.
This modified beam is provided at its center of length with a rectangular and
laterally elongated opening O through which the lever of the beam is inserted.
The fulcrum of this lever F (Fig. 5) is preferably accomplished through the
medium of a U-shaped plate Q, which is clipped over the rear edge of the beam,
to the shape of which it conforms, and is suitably riveted thereto. This plate Q
is provided with openings in each branch thereof, which correspond in dimensions
and location with the openings O in the beam proper, and the edges of the opening
in one of the branches of said plate Q has a fulcrumal lug t projecting therefrom at
an angle of about 45 degrees, and the opening in the other branch of said plate
bas a fulcrumal lug t projecting from the opposite edge thereof at about the same
angle. The pivotal bolt of the brake-lever F passes through the bearing holes in
said lugs t and thus fulcrums the said lever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a car truck a bolster consisting of one or more trusses each of which
are made of sections of flanged beams the web of which near each end is so
manipulated as to make the flanges thereof converge towards each other as they
approach the ends of the truss a bearing plate secured to the center of length of
the same and guide-blocks therefor at each end, as set forth.
Second. A bolster for car trucks consisting of one or more trusses each of which
are made of sections of flanged beams, the ends of which are bifurcated by cutting
a V or gore-shape piece from the web thereof, said bifurcations being equally moved
towards each other until their edges meet and are made integrant, a bearing-plate
secured to and supported at the center of length thereof, and column guide-blocks
secured to the end of the same.
Third. A brake-beam consisting of two corresponding sheet metal plates secured
flatwise together.
Fourth. A brake-beam consisting of two corresponding plates so shaped that
when secured flatwise together they are provided with finger-guards and with
extended ends for supporting brake-shoe heads.
Fifth. A brake-beam consisting of two corresponding plates, one of which has
openings therethrough and the other of which has smaller openings originally
therein the edges of which are punched through said larger openings of the other
plate and clinch over the edges thereof so as to secure said plates flatwise
together.
Sixth. A brake-beam consisting of two corresponding plates having an opening
in the center of length thereof, in combination with a fulcrumal block for a brake-
lever placed within said opening, which consist of two corresponding sheet metal
half sections the journal portions of which are seated in bearings made between
the plates of the beam and thereby hold said sections of said fulcrumal block
together.
Seventh. A brake-beam consisting of two corresponding plates secured flatwise
together and provided with an opening in the center of length thereof, in com-
bination with a fulcrumal block for brake-lever placed within said opening and
journaled in suitable bearings in said brake-beam, and said lever consisting of two
suitably shaped pieces of sheet metal placed flatwise against each other and suitably
secured together.
Eighth. The combination with a brake-beam for cars, of a lever consisting of
two suitably shaped pieces of metal placed flatwise against each other and suitably
secured together.
Ninth. The combination with a brake-beam for cars of a brake-shoe made from
a section cut from a suitably shaped bar of wrought metal, and provided with a

page_text: centrally located fastening lug or clip having a lateral eye therethrough, end
flanges, and retaining lugs; the latter being made by depressing the metal in the
face of the shoe near each end and raising the retaining lugs on the back thereof
next said end flange.
Tenth. The combination with a car-truck of a truss-beam utilized in the con-
struction of the bolster, side-frames, etc., consisting of a suitable section of beam
having its web at each end displaced and the flanges thereof compressed towards
each other at a suitable angle.
DL: 101 1
1007
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.