Improvement in Car Trucks.
Year: 1889

page_text: Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Car Trucks.
I, DAVID LEONARD BARNES, Engineer, of Rookery Building, Chicago, Illinois,
United States of America, 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:-
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a truck embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross-section of one-half of truck shown in Fig. 1, at the swing bolster.
Fig. 3 is a cross-section of one-half of truck shown in Fig. 1 at the axle.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of truck shown in Fig. 1.
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 represent details of swing bolster, showing side and centre bearings
of equalizer on same.
Fig. 8 represents a cross-section of a railway carriage adapted to be used in
connection with my truck, the said figure showing how the said carriage is supported
on the truck.
Referring to the drawings 1 represents the wheels and 2 the axles of the truck.
The frame of the same consists of side frames 3, transoms 4, and end pieces 5. The
bearings of the journal boxes 17 rest on the axles and said boxes are connected by
depending links 18 to the journal box springs 13, secured to the said side frames in any
approved manner. The journal box springs 13 are of great strength and yield but
little when the full weight of the car is on the truck; and they serve to control the
rolling motion of the car.
Securely pivoted to each transom 4, are four depending swing links 12, the lower
ends of which are pivoted to a swing bolster 9. (See Figs. 5, 6 and 7). Said swing
bolster carries at its extremities side bearing rolls 14, on which the body bolster 6
rests and has a slight movement; this body bolster 6 is secured to swing bolster 9 by
centre pin bolt 15, and rests on ball bearings 16 confined in grooves in swing, and
body bolsters, as shown in the drawings. The two body bolsters of each truck
are connected at their outer ends by equalizers 7, the parts having a pivotal con-
nection, thus forming what may be termed a double body bolster. Each equalizer
carries a spring 8 and on these springs the car body directly rests, as illustrated
in Fig. 8. These springs give the car vertical elasticity, and being placed at a
maximum distance from centre allow vertical vibration to take place with a minimum
of rolling motion. The buffer and draw bar 10 provided with coupling 11 is suspended
from the truck under the axles by suitable supports. The object designed to be
accomplished by this new form of truck is to reduce as much as possible the vertical
dimension of the same, thereby making it possible to lower car floor considerably as
compared with the constructions now generally used. The reduction of height made
possible by my invention is very great and will be at once recognized by comparing
Fig. 8 with the forms now generally in use.
accomplish the said object by the construction shown and described, principally
by supporting the car on each side on the body bolsters 6 of the truck, properly
speaking, since the equalizers 7 serve principally as connecting pieces uniting the said

page_text: body bolsters. I also save much valuable vertical space by placing the journal box
springs beneath the boxes,
Another object of my invention is to reduce to a minimum the rolling motion of
railway carriages. In general this motion is dependent upon the relative position of
the centre of gravity and the disposition of the springs. The greater the distance
between springs transversely and the nearer the centre of gravity approaches a
horizontal line drawn from top to top of springs, the less rolling motion the centrifugal
or any other disturbing force will produce.
In all the passenger car trucks heretofore known two sets or series of springs are
used and one or both sets are so placed that the distance between centres transversely,
is less than the distance between truck side frames. In my invention the distance
between springs is greater than distance between truck side frames, and in no case less,
as will be apparent on reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings.
A further object of my invention is to reduce the resistance offered to angular
displacement of truck, for if there is great resistance excessive flange friction will
result and there will be increased vibration of car. I accomplish this object by the
arrangement of balls and rolls between body and swing bolsters, which materially
reduce the resistance.
It will be noticed that in the construction herein described the body bolster passes
between the wheels of the truck and about in the same horizontal plane as the axles
thereof; that said bolster is free to rotate or move laterally within certain limits to
accomodate angular displacement of car, and that there is a double body bolster for
each end of car.
Instead of connecting the body bolsters at their ends by the equalizers the latter
may be omitted, and a spring similar to spring 8 placed on each end of each body
bolster. The end of one car would be placed to rest on one of these bolsters and the
adjacent end of another car upon the other, so that the contiguous ends of two adjacent
cars could be supported on one truck.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination with a truck frame of a body bolster, extended beyond the sides
of said truck frame, for supporting the car and a car supported thereon outside of the
truck frame, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a truck frame of a body bolster arranged in about the
same horizontal plane as the truck axles, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a truck frame of a body bolster arranged in about the
same horizontal plane as the truck axles and extended beyond the sides of said truck
frame, substantially as described.
4. The combination with a truck frame of a double body bolster, substantially as
described.
5. The combination with a truck frame of a swing bolster, swing links connecting
truck frame to swing bolster, and a body bolster directly resting or directly supported
on said swing bolster, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a truck frame of a double body bolster the members of
which extend beyond the sides of the truck frame and are there connected to each
other, substantially as described.
7. The combination with a truck frame, of a swing bolster, swing links connecting
truck frame to swing bolster and a body bolster supported centrally on ball bearings,
substantially as described.
8. The combination with a truck frame, lying in about the same horizontal plane as
the truck axles, of a swing bolster, and swing links connecting truck frame to swing
bolster, the upper ends of said swing links being connected to truck frame in about
the same horizontal plane as that occupied by the truck axles, substantially as
described.

page_text: 9. The combination with a truck frame of a swing bolster provided with bearing
rolls at its ends, swing links connecting frame to bolster and a body bolster arranged
to move on said bearing rolls, substantially as described.
10. The combination with a truck frame, of a swing bolster provided with bearing
rolls at its ends, swing links connecting frame to bolster and a body bolster connected
to the swing bolster and supported centrally on ball bearings and at its ends on said
bearing rolls, substantially as described.
11. The combination with a truck frame of a body bolster, supported centrally on
ball bearings and provided at its ends only with supports for the car, substantially as
described.
12. The combination with a truck frame of a double body bolster, the members of
which are supported centrally on ball bearings, and are connected at their ends by
equalizers on which the car is supported, substantially as described.
13. The combination with a truck frame of a body bolster and a set of springs
arranged outside of truck frame and between body bolster and car, substantially
as described.
14. The combination with a truck frame of a body bolster arranged to have a slight
rotary motion on its support, substantially as described.
15. The combination with a truck frame of a continuous drawbar and buffer
suspended from the same, substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of October 1889.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.