Rail road car truck bolster

Abstract

A rail road car truck has a bolster having the form of a hollow beam that has a deep central portion and shallow ends. The bolster has a top flange, a bottom flange and internal and external webs extending between, intersecting and merging with the top and bottom flanges. A center plate bowl is located in the middle of the top flange, and brake rod passages are defined transversely through the bolster. In some embodiments, transverse ribs run underneath the center plate bowl. The ribs may be curved. The ribs may be flush with the brake rod openings in the various webs. There may be upwardly standing ribs running transversely across the bottom flange. Those lower ribs may terminate upwardly flush with the brake rod openings. Alternatively, the bottom portion of the bolster may by cast with a greater thickness, up to the bottom of the break rod openings. In other embodiments, the bolster may have partial or fully tubular brake rod opening liners or tubes that extend across the bolster beneath the center plate.

1 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 .- 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A railroad car truck bolster having first and second brake rod tunnels, said first and second brake rod tunnels being formed cross-wise therethrough, said first and second brake rod tunnels respectively having at least one of:
 (a) a tunnel roof portion extending along an uppermost portion thereof, said tunnel roof portion extending underneath at least a portion of a center plate bowl of said bolster, said tunnel roof intersecting with at least a lengthwise running first internal web of said bolster; and   (b) a tunnel floor portion extending along a lowermost portion of said tunnel, said tunnel floor portion intersecting with at least a lengthwise running first internal web of said bolster.   
     
     
         42 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 41  wherein said first brake rod tunnel has (a) and (b). 
     
     
         43 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 41  wherein said first brake rod tunnel includes first and second vertical side wall portions connecting upper and lower portions of said first brake rod tunnel. 
     
     
         44 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 43  wherein at least one of said first and second vertical side wall portions has at least one lightening hole formed therein. 
     
     
         45 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 41  wherein at least one of:
 said truck bolster includes (a), and said tunnel roof is semi-circular in cross-section; and 
 said truck bolster includes (b), and said tunnel floor is semi-circular in cross-section. 
 
     
     
         46 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 45  wherein said brake rod tunnel has a lower portion having an open periphery between any pair of lengthwise running webs of said bolster. 
     
     
         47 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 41  wherein said bolster includes (a), and said bolster has a lengthwise running second internal web spaced apart from said lengthwise running first internal web, and said roof portion runs between and intersects said first and second internal webs. 
     
     
         48 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 47  wherein said roof portion terminates at said first and second internal webs. 
     
     
         49 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 47  wherein said bolster has lengthwise running first and second external webs, and said roof portion intersects, and terminates at, said first and second external webs. 
     
     
         50 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 41  wherein said bolster has a lengthwise-running second internal web and lengthwise running first and second external webs includes first and second said roof portions (a), said first roof portion (a) running between, intersecting and terminating at said first external web and said first internal web; said second roof portion (a) running between, intersecting, and terminating at said second external web and said second internal web. 
     
     
         51 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 41  wherein said bolster includes at least a first upper cross-wise running rib, said first upper cross-wise running rib being a center plate bowl reinforcement rib, said first upper cross-wise rib extending downwardly of the center plate bowl above the first brake rod tunnel. 
     
     
         52 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 41  wherein said bolster includes at least a first lower cross-wise running rib, said first lower cross-wise running rib being a bottom flange reinforcement rib, said bottom flange reinforcement rib standing upwardly of a bottom flange of said bolster beneath said first brake rod tunnel. 
     
     
         53 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 41  wherein said bolster includes:
 at least a first upper cross-wise running rib, said first upper cross-wise running rib being a center plate bowl reinforcement rib, said first upper cross-wise rib extending downwardly of the center plate bowl above the first brake rod tunnel; and 
 at least a first lower cross-wise running rib, said first lower cross-wise running rib being a bottom flange reinforcement rib, said bottom flange reinforcement rib standing upwardly of a bottom flange of said bolster beneath said first brake rod tunnel. 
 
     
     
         54 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 41  wherein said bolster includes:
 a lengthwise running second internal web spaced apart from said first internal web; 
 lengthwise running first and second external webs; 
 a top flange; 
 a bottom flange; 
 a center plate bowl defined in said top flange; 
 said first and second internal webs and said first and second external webs intersecting said top flange and said bottom flange; 
 said top flange, said bottom flange, said first and second external webs and said first and second internal webs co-operating to define a hollow beam; 
 first and second upper ribs running cross-wise underneath said center plate bowl, said first and second upper ribs being center plate bowl reinforcement ribs; 
 first and second lower ribs running cross-wise underneath said first and second brake rod tunnels; 
 said first and second brake rod tunnels including (a) and (b); 
 said first and second upper ribs merging with said roof portions of (a); and 
 said first and second lower ribs merging with said floor portions of (b). 
 
     
     
         55 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 41  wherein said bolster is a steel casting. 
     
     
         56 . A railroad car truck bolster having first and second brake rod passages defined therethrough, respective upper portions of said passages being bounded by an at least partially tubular section extending cross-wise relative to said truck bolster. 
     
     
         57 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 56  wherein said at least partially tubular section is a fully tubular section that defines a closed oval periphery. 
     
     
         58 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 56  wherein said bolster includes a transversely extending center plate bolster reinforcement that extends downward to merge with said at least partially tubular section. 
     
     
         59 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 56  wherein said bolster includes a transversely extending bottom flange reinforcement rib that extends upwardly to merge with a lowermost portions of said at least partially tubular section. 
     
     
         60 . The railroad car truck bolster of  claim 56  wherein said at least partially tubular section has upstanding side walls, and said upstanding side walls include lightening holes. 
     
     
         61 . (canceled)