Patent ID: 7849981

Claim:
A brake beam for railway cars in which the brake heads can be replaced without dismantling the brake beam nor the car or truck and which can be installed and retired from the truck without dismantling the car comprising: a tension member; a compression member a first replaceable and detachable brake head and a second replaceable and detachable brake head; at least one removable end extension; and joining parts joining only the compression member to the tension member in a manner avoiding the disassembling of the brake beam when the brake heads are retired from the brake beam, wherein, the tension member and the compression member have a first end and a second end which coincide, the first and second replaceable and detachable brake heads each include: a brake shoe member and a coupling section for coupling the brake head to a brake beam, said coupling section being releasable linked to an end of the tension and compression members, at least one end of the tension and compression members further including an interlocking member, the joining parts comprising a pair of bolts passing through holes located near each end of the tension and compression members and through a first perforation located at the interlocking member thus permanently joining the tension and compression members and the interlocking member together; the brake beam having at least one detachable end extension having an interlocking member coupling member being detachably joined to the interlocking member, to an end of the tension and compression members, and to a first one of the first detachable brake heads.