Railroad car energy absorption apparatus

Abstract

A railroad car energy absorption apparatus is disclosed. The railroad car energy absorption apparatus includes a spring assembly having an elastomer spring element arranged in operable combination with structure for inhibiting localized heat deterioration of the elastomer spring element.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A side bearing assembly for a railway vehicle, comprising:
 a housing with wall structure; 
 a cap arranged for generally coaxial movement relative to said housing and having a generally planar surface with wall structure depending from said surface; 
 an elastomeric spring accommodated within a cavity operably defined by said housing and said cap; and 
 wherein said housing wall structure and said cap wall structure are each configured to promote dissipation of heat from said cavity and away from said elastomeric spring thereby prolonging effective usefulness of said side bearing assembly. 
 
     
     
       2. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the wall structure of said housing and said cap are each configured to limit generally horizontal shifting movements of said cap relative to a longitudinal axis of said housing. 
     
     
       3. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 2  wherein the wall structure of each of said housing and said cap define openings arranged to opposite lateral sides of said an upstanding axis and which are generally aligned relative to each other to promote movement of air though said side bearing assembly. 
     
     
       4. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 3  wherein a closed marginal edge surrounds each opening defined by said cap, with a pair of opposed edges of said closed marginal edge extending away from the planar surface of said cap toward a free end of the sidewall wall structure of said cap for a distance measuring between about 35% and about  600/o  60% of a distance measured between said planar surface of said cap and the free end of the sidewall wall structure of said cap. 
     
     
       5. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the planar surface of said cap is configured to promote convective and conductive heat transfer from the cavity operably defined between said housing and said cap. 
     
     
       6. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said housing and said cap define cooperating instrumentalities for inhibiting rotation of said cap relative to said housing. 
     
     
       7. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said sidewall wall structure on said housing has a noncomplete configuration toward one free end thereof. 
     
     
       8. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said sidewall wall structure on said housing comprises between about 30% and about 70% of a free end boundary of said sidewall wall structure on said housing. 
     
     
       9. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said elastomeric spring is formed from an elastomer having a ratio of plastic strain to elastic strain that is greater than 1.5 to 1. 
     
     
       10. A side bearing assembly adapted to be disposed intermediate a bolster and a car body of a railroad vehicle, said side bearing assembly comprising:
 a housing including a base configured with apertured mounting portions for permitting the base of said housing to be secured to said bolster, the apertures in said mounting portions being aligned along a first axis, said housing further including upstanding wall structure integrally formed with said base and defining a second axis for said housing, with said second axis extending substantially normal to and generally intersects with the first axis; 
 a generally round cap adapted to telescopically move relative to said housing, said cap including a generally planar surface configured to contact and slide along an undersurface of said car body, with said cap further including wall structure formed integral with and depending from said surface and defining, with the wall structure of said housing, an internal void within said side bearing assembly; 
 a thermoplastic spring operably arranged between said housing and said cap within said internal void for urging the planar surface of said cap toward sliding engagement with the undersurface of said car body; and 
 wherein the wall structures of said housing and said cap are each configured relative to each other to permit venting of heat from said internal void thereby prolonging usefulness of said thermoplastic spring. 
 
     
     
       11. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 10  wherein said housing and said cap define cooperating instrumentalities for inhibiting rotation of said cap relative to said housing. 
     
     
       12. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 10  wherein the wall structure of said housing and said cap each define openings arranged to opposite lateral sides of the second axis of said housing and which are generally aligned relative to each other to promote movement of air though said side bearing assembly. 
     
     
       13. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 10  wherein the planar surface of said cap is configured to promote convective and conductive heat transfer from the internal void of said side bearing assembly. 
     
     
       14. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 10  wherein said thermoplastic spring has a generally cylindrical configuration between opposed ends thereof, with at least one end of said spring defining an open ended recess. 
     
     
       15. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 14  wherein at least one of said housing and said cap defines a generally centralized guide which is at least partially accommodated within the recess in said spring whereby positively positioning said spring within said internal void of said side bearing assembly. 
     
     
       16. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 15  further including a stop for limiting vertical displacement of said cap toward the base of said housing during operation of said side bearing assembly on said railroad vehicle. 
     
     
       17. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 10  wherein said wall structure on said housing has a noncomplete configuration toward one end thereof. 
     
     
       18. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 17  wherein said wall structure on said housing comprises between about 30% and about 70% of a free end boundary of said wall structure on said housing. 
     
     
       19. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 10  wherein said thremoplastic spring is formed from an elastomer material having a ratio of plastic strain to elastic strain that is greater than 1.5 to 1. 
     
     
       20. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 10  wherein said thermoplastic spring defines a generally centralized throughbore which is open at opposite ends thereof. 
     
     
       21. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 20  wherein at least one of said housing and said cap define defines a guide adapted to at least partially fit lengthwise within the throughbore on said spring whereby positively positioning said spring within the said internal void defined by the wall structures of said housing and cap. 
     
     
       22. A side bearing assembly to be disposed intermediate an elongated bolster and a car body of a railroad vehicle, said side bearing assembly comprising:
 a housing with sidewall structure; 
 a cap having a generally planar surface for engaging a bottom of said car body, said cap further having sidewall structure depending from said car body engaging surface; 
 an elastomeric spring operably arranged between said housing and said top cap within a cavity operably defined by the sidewall structures of said housing and said cap for urging and maintaining the planar surface of said cap toward the bottom of said car body; and 
 wherein said housing and said cap each being configured to allow axial movement of said cap relative to said housing while inhibiting rotation therebetween, and with the sidewall structures of said housing and said cap each being configured relative to each other to permit venting of heat from the cavity defined by the sidewall structures of said housing and said cap whereby prolonging usefulness of said elastomeric spring. 
 
     
     
       23. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 22  wherein said cap is configured to promote free convection of heat from the cavity of said side bearing assembly. 
     
     
       24. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 22  wherein said housing sidewall structure comprises between about 30% and about 70% of a free end boundary of said housing sidewall structure. 
     
     
       25. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 22  wherein said elastomeric spring has a generally cylindrical configuration between opposed ends thereof, with at least one end of said spring defining an open ended recess. 
     
     
       26. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 25  wherein at least one of said housing and said cap defines a generally centralized guide which is at least partially accommodated within the recess defined by said spring whereby positively positioning said spring within said cavity of said side bearing assembly. 
     
     
       27. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 22  further including a stop for limiting axial displacement of said cap during operation of said side bearing assembly on said railroad vehicle. 
     
     
       28. The side bearing assembly according to  claim 22  wherein said housing and said cap each define openings which are generally aligned relative to each other when said housing and said cap are arranged in operable combination relative to each other so as to promote air flow through said side bearing assembly and away from the elastomeric spring. 
     
     
       29. A side bearing assembly for a railway vehicle, comprising:
 a housing with wall structure;   a cap arranged for generally coaxial movement relative to said housing and having a generally planar surface with wall structure depending from said surface;   an elastomeric spring accommodated within a cavity operably defined by said housing and said cap; and   wherein said housing and at least a portion of the wall structure of said cap each define openings which are in communication relative to each other so as to promote dissipation of heat from said cavity and away from said elastomeric spring thereby prolonging effective usefulness of said side bearing assembly; and   wherein said cap and said housing define cooperating instrumentalities for maintaining the openings in said cap in fixed relation relative to said housing.    
     
     
       30. A side bearing assembly for a railway vehicle, comprising:
 a housing having wall structure extending upwardly from a base of said housing, with said wall structure of said housing defining an open-top cavity, and wherein said housing has openings at a bottom thereof;   an elastomeric spring accommodated within said open-top cavity of said housing; and   a cap arranged for generally coaxial movement relative to said housing and having a generally planar surface and wall structure depending from said surface, with said generally planar surface on said cap being resiliently urged by said spring against an underside of said railway vehicle, and wherein said cap has at least two openings defined, at least in part, by the wall structure of the cap, with said openings defined by said cap being substantially unobstructed by the underside of said railway vehicle such that air passages are defined between the bottom of said housing and the openings in said cap to promote the dissipation of heat from said cavity and away from said elastomeric spring thereby prolonging the usefulness of said side bearing assembly.    
     
     
       31. The side bearing assembly according to claim 30, wherein the openings defined by said housing extend into at least a portion of the wall structure and the bottom of the housing, and wherein at least a portion of the openings in the bottom of said housing are disposed in generally normal relation relative to the axis along which the apertures in said mounting flanges are aligned.  
     
     
       32. The side bearing assembly according to claim 30, wherein said housing and cap define cooperating instrumentalities for inhibiting rotation of said cap relative to said housing.  
     
     
       33. A side bearing assembly adapted to be disposed intermediate a bolster and a car body of a railway vehicle, said side bearing assembly comprising:
 a housing having sidewall structure extending upward from a base of said housing and defining a first axis, said housing being configured with apertured mounting portions for permitting said housing to be secured to said bolster, the apertures on said mounting portions being aligned along a second axis extending generally normal to said first axis, and with said housing defining an open-top cavity and a plurality of openings arranged in the vicinity of an intersection between the sidewall structure and the base of said housing and opening to said cavity;   a generally round cap adapted to telescopically move relative to said housing, said cap having a generally planar top surface, with said cap further including sidewall structure formed integral with and depending from said top surface;   a thermoplastic spring arranged within the open-top cavity defined by said housing and operably disposed between an underside of the top surface of said cap and a lower surface defining said open-top cavity for urging the generally planar top surface of said cap into frictional sliding contact with an undersurface of said car body; and   wherein said cap defines, at least in part, a plurality of openings which are substantially unobstructed by the undersurface of said car body, and with the openings in said cap cooperating with the openings in said housing so as to permit venting of heat from said cavity thereby prolonging the usefulness of said thermoplastic spring; and   wherein said housing and said cap define cooperating instrumentalities for inhibiting the openings in said cap from rotating relative to said housing and about said first axis.    
     
     
       34. The side bearing assembly according to claim 33, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of openings defined by said housing are disposed in generally normal relation relative to the second axis along which the apertures in said mounting portions are aligned.  
     
     
       35. A side bearing assembly for a railway vehicle, comprising:
 a housing having wall structure extending upwardly from a base of said housing, with said wall structure of said housing defining an open-top cavity, and wherein said housing defines openings at a bottom thereof to promote dissipation of heat from said open-top cavity and away from an elastomeric spring, with said housing further having mounting flanges radially extending from opposed sides of said housing, and with the mounting flanges on said housing each defining an aperture, with the apertures in said mounting flanges being aligned relative to each other along an axis;   said elastomeric spring being accommodated within said open-top cavity of said housing; and   a cap arranged for sliding and generally coaxial movement relative to said housing, said cap having a generally planar surface with wall structure depending from said generally planar surface, and a central open-bottom cavity which operably coacts with the open-top cavity defined by said housing to accommodate said elastomeric spring therewithin and such that, after said side bearing assembly is arranged in operable combination with said railway vehicle, said generally planar surface on said cap is resiliently urged by said spring against an underside of said railway vehicle, and with said cap further defining a plurality of openings for allowing air to pass into and from the open-bottom cavity in said cap to promote dissipation of heat from said open-bottom cavity and away from said spring, with said openings in said cap being defined in the vicinity of an intersection between said wall structure and said generally planar surface on said cap such that the openings in said cap remain substantially unobstructed by the underside of said railway vehicle; and   wherein said housing and cap have cooperating instrumentalities for inhibiting the openings in said cap from rotating relative to said housing.    
     
     
       36. The side bearing assembly according to claim 35, wherein the openings defined by said housing extend into at least a portion of the wall structure and the bottom of the housing.  
     
     
       37. The side bearing assembly according to claim 35, wherein the plurality of openings defined by said cap includes at least two openings which are generally aligned relative to each other along an axis.  
     
     
       38. The side bearing assembly according to claim 35 further including a stop for limiting axial displacement of said cap during operation of said side bearing assembly on said railway vehicle.