Brake Beam Wear Liner

Abstract

A brake beam wear liner having a base wall extending along a first plane and first and second opposing side walls that extend obliquely from the base wall along second and third planes to be outwardly offset a predetermined angle. One or more detents may be positioned on the outside of the side walls to maintain the offset angle after installation in a brake beam bracket. The base wall and the first and second opposing walls, as well as first and second flanges extending from the sides walls preferably have a uniform thickness.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A brake beam wear liner, comprising:
 a base wall extending along a first plane;   first and second opposing side walls extending obliquely from the base wall along second and third planes, respectively, to define an internal trough that extends along an axis perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the first and second planes are offset from the central axis by a predetermined angle;   first and second flanges extending outwardly from the first and second opposing side walls, respectively; and   wherein the base wall, the first and second opposing walls, and the first and second flanges have a uniform thickness that is at least ten percent of the length of the base wall.   
     
     
         2 . The brake beam wear liner of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one detent formed on an outside surface of each of the first and second opposing walls. 
     
     
         3 . The brake beam wear liner of  claim 2 , wherein the detents are dimensioned maintain the offset of the first and second opposing sidewalls when the brake beak wear liner is installed into a brake beam. 
     
     
         4 . The brake beam wear liner of  claim 1 , wherein the base wall, the first and second side walls and the first and second flanges are fabricated from nylon. 
     
     
         5 . The brake beam wear liner of  claim 4 , wherein the nylon comprises a glass-reinforced nylon. 
     
     
         6 . The brake beam wear liner of  claim 4 , wherein the nylon comprises a glass/mineral reinforced nylon. 
     
     
         7 . A method of protecting against undesired rotation of a break beam, comprising the steps of:
 installing first and second brake beam wear liners in the corresponding first and second brake beam brackets of a rail car, wherein each of the first and second brake beam wear liners comprises a base wall extending along a first plane, first and second opposing side walls extending obliquely from the base wall along second and third planes, respectively, to define an internal trough that extends along a central axis, wherein the first and second planes are offset from the central axis by a predetermined angle, first and second flanges extending outwardly from the first and second opposing side walls, respectively, wherein the base wall, the first and second opposing walls, and the first and second flanges have a uniform thickness; and   installing a brake beam having first and second opposing ends into the rail car to that the first and second opposing ends of the brake beam are positioned in the first and second brake beam wear liners, respectively.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising at least one detent formed on an outside surface of each of the first and second opposing walls. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the detents are dimensioned maintain the offset of the first and second opposing sidewalls when the brake beak wear liner is installed into a brake beam. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the base wall, the first and second side walls and the first and second flanges are fabricated from nylon. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the nylon comprises a glass-reinforced nylon. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the nylon comprises a glass/mineral reinforced nylon.