Wear plate assemblies

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a wear plate assembly including a front striker assembly 10 having a pair of opposing front stopping members 12 and a front striker member 14 all being detachably mounted to a draft sill 16 of a conventional construction. A pair of opposing rear stopping members 18 are also detachably mounted in the draft sill 16. The front and rear wear plates 20 and 22 are detachably fitted to the front and rear stopping members 12 and 18, respectively. A draft gear assembly 30 together with a follow plate 32 of a conventional construction housed within the draft sill 16 between the front and rear stopping members 12 and 18. A yoke 34 longitudinally encircles the draft gear assembly 30 and a connecting pin 36 engages aligned apertures in the yoke 34 and a coupling member 38.

1 . A striker assembly being adapted to mount to a draft sill within which a draft gear assembly is housed, said striker assembly comprising: 
 a pair of opposing front stopping members being detachably mounted within the draft sill and adapted to transfer loads between adjacent railway vehicles, via the draft gear assembly and a coupling member operatively coupled thereto; and    a front striker member being detachably mounted to the draft sill adjacent said front stopping members and configured to provide vertical support for the coupling member.    
     
     
         2 . A striker assembly as defined in  claim 1  wherein the front stopping members are spaced a fixed distance from the front striker member via one or more protrusions formed integral with the front stopping member or the front striker member and configured to abut the striker member or the stopping member, respectively.  
     
     
         3 . A striker assembly as defined in  claim 2  wherein said protrusions are in the form of nibs formed on the front stopping or striker member.  
     
     
         4 . A striker assembly as defined in  claim 3  wherein the nibs predetermine weld preparation between the front stopping members and the front striker member.  
     
     
         5 . A striker assembly as defined in any one of the preceding claims further including a pair of front wear plates of a wear resistance material each adapted to detachably fit to one of the front stopping members, respectively.  
     
     
         6 . A striker assembly as defined in  claim 5  wherein the wear plates are detachably fitted to the respective stopping member via one or more fasteners.  
     
     
         7 . A striker assembly as defined in  claim 6  wherein each of the wear plates is detachably fitted to its respective stopping member via a bolt and nut.  
     
     
         8 . A striker assembly as defined in  claim 7  wherein a head of the bolt is countersunk within the wear plate so that the head is flush or beneath the bearing surface of the wear plate.  
     
     
         9 . A striker assembly as defined in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a rear stopping member being adapted to detachably fit to the draft sill.  
     
     
         10 . A striker assembly as defined in  claim 9  also comprising a rear wear plate detachably mounted to the rear stopping member, the wear plate including a bearing surface of a wear resistant material.  
     
     
         11 . A striker assembly as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the wear plates are each constructed of a carbon steel.