Patent ID: 7784410

Claim:
A constant contact side bearing assembly for a railcar having a bolster with an upper surface and a walled receptacle fixed to and upstanding from the upper surface of said bolster, with an inner surface of said walled receptacle defining an open-top cavity, said side bearing assembly comprising: a spring; a generally rectangular base defining a recess wherein said spring is accommodated, said base being configured to loosely fit within the open-top cavity of said walled receptacle such that a gap is defined between an outer surface of the base of said side bearing and the inner surface of said walled receptacle, a friction member having an upper, generally flat railcar engaging surface portion biased under the influence of said spring against an underside of said railcar, with said friction member being telescopically guided by interior and upstanding wall structure on said base for vertical reciprocatory movements relative to said bolster; and an adapter having an inner corner and which is fitted between two walls on an outer surface of the side bearing assembly base and the inner surface of said walled receptacle to, at least partially, fill said gap and positively position said side bearing assembly, both laterally and longitudinally, within the open-top cavity of said walled receptacle such that horizontal shifting movements of said side bearing assembly base are reduced relative to said bolster.