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    • 专利摘要:
    use of cold curing mold process to manufacture rail couplers. the present invention relates to a rail coupler assembly (200) having at least one body (204) and a joint (208) both formed in a cold curing manufacturing process, the body and the joint having dimensional tolerances of distances between the wear characteristics during the operation that are around half of those obtained from a body and a joint manufactured by a process of green sand, resulting in increased fatigue resistance compared to the body and the joint manufactured by a process of green sand.
    公开号:BR112012017074B1
    申请号:R112012017074-0
    申请日:2011-01-05
    公开日:2020-12-15
    发明作者:F. Andrew Nibouar；Jerry R. Smerecky；Ronald P. Sellberg；Arthur A. Gibeaut
    申请人:Bedloe Industries Llc；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    Technical Field Background
    [001] The present modalities refer to the field of rail couplers. Specifically, the manufacture of rail couplers and their various parts through the use of cold curing or "air-set" casting. Related Technique
    [002] Sand casting is one of the first forms of casting. Its popular use is due to its low cost and the simplicity of the materials involved. A sand casting or a molded sand casting is a casting part produced by the following process: (1) placing a sand model to create a mold, which incorporates a modular system; (2) removing the pattern; (3) filling the mold cavity with molten metal; (4) allow the material to cool; (5) breaking the sand mold and removing the casting; and (6) finish the casting, which may include repair by welding, grinding, machining, and / or heat treatment operations. This process is now explained in more detail.
    [003] In sand casting, the main piece of equipment is the mold, which contains several components. The mold is divided into two halves - the dome (upper half) and dredge (lower half), which meet along a dividing line. The sand mixture is wrapped around a master "model" that forms a mold cavity, which is an impression of the shape being cast. The sand is usually housed in what the smelters refer to as molding boxes, which are boxes without a bottom or lid, used to contain the sand. The sand mix can be pounded down as it is added and / or the final mold assembly is sometimes vibrated to compact the sand and fill any unwanted gaps in the mold. The sand can be conditioned manually, by machines that use pressure or impact ensure the level conditioning of the sand and require much less time, thus increasing the production rate. The model is removed, leaving the mold cavity. Cores are added as required, and the dome is placed on top of the dredge.
    [004] The cores are additional pieces that form the internal openings, recesses, and passages of the foundry. The cores typically comprise sand so that they can be shaken out of the foundry, instead of requiring the geometry needed to slide out. As a result, the sand cores allow for the creation of many complex internal features. Each core is positioned in the mold before the molten metal is poured. The recesses in the model called core impressions hold each core in place. The core can still displace, however, due to the poor fit between the core and the core impressions, the flow of the metal around the core, or due to the buoyancy in the molten metal.
    [005] Small pieces of metal called chapelettes are stuck between the cores and the surface of the cavity to provide additional support for the cores. Chapels are small pieces of metal that are stuck between the core and the cavity surface. The chopsticks consist of a metal with a higher melting temperature than that of the metal being melted to maintain its structure and support the core. After solidification, the flats are melted into the foundry and the surplus material from the flats that is projected is cut.
    [006] In addition to the internal and external characteristics of the molding, other characteristics can be incorporated into the mold to accommodate the flow of molten metal. The molten metal is poured into a "pouring basin", which is a large depression at the top of the sand mold. The molten metal converges out of the bottom of this reservoir and down the main channel, called the ear. The spike connects to a series of channels, called corridors that transport the molten metal into the cavity. At the end of each corridor, the molten metal enters the cavity through a door that controls the flow rate and minimizes turbulence.
    [007] The chambers called "risers" (a reservoir in a manufacturing mold) that fill with molten metal are often connected to the aisle system. The risers provide an additional source of metal during solidification. When the foundry cools, the molten metal shrinks and the additional material in the door risers act to refill cavities as needed. Risers also help to reduce shrinkage. When open risers are used, the first material to enter the cavity can pass completely through the cavity and enter the open risers. This strategy prevents early solidification of the molten metal and provides a source of material to compensate for shrinkage. Finally, the small channels are included by moving from the cavity to the outside of the mold. These channels act as ventilation holes to allow gases to escape from the cavity. The porosity of the sand also allows some of the air to escape, but additional ventilation is sometimes necessary. The molten metal that flows through all the channels (spike, corridors, and risers) will solidify fixed in the casting and must be separated from the part after being removed. The molten metal is poured into the mold cavity, and then it cools and solidifies, the casting is separated from the sand mold.
    [008] The precision of the casting is limited by the type of sand and the molding process. Foundries made of coarse green sand provide a rough texture on the surface of the foundry, making it easier to distinguish the foundry from other processes. Air-set or cold cure molds can produce castings with much smoother surfaces. The benefit of providing a smoother surface is discussed in more detail below, but not insignificant in providing performance for castings made using the "air-set" casting process. After casting, the casting is covered in a residue of oxides, silicates, and other components. This residue can be removed by various means, such as grinding or sandblasting. Several other benefits of surface condition result from the use of the "air-set" process compared to the green sand process. These include the benefits with respect to surface inclusions, surface porosity, folds and crusts. Details of a comparison between the required surface conditions and what can be achieved using the "air-set" process are provided below.
    [009] During casting, some of the components of the sand mixture are lost in the thermal molding process. Green sand can be reused after adjusting its composition to replenish moisture and lost additives. The model itself can be reused indefinitely to produce new sand molds. The sand molding process has been used for several centuries to produce castings by hand. Since 1950, partially automated casting processes have been developed to produce lines, some including hydraulics to compact sand.
    [0010] Green sand is an aggregate of sand (around 90%), bentonite clay or binder (around 70%), which includes pulverized coal, and water (around 3%). It is called "green" because, like a green tree branch, it contains water. The largest portion of the aggregate is always sand, which can be silica or olivine. There are several recipes for the clay proportion, but all achieve different balances between moldability, surface finish, and the ability of hot molten metal to degas. Coal, typically referred to in smelters as sea coal, is present in a proportion of less than 5% and burns partially in the presence of the molten metal leading to the evaporation of organic vapors. Still, the presence of 2 to 3% of water results in an increase in the occurrence of gas defects in the molding with the molten metal. Rough surface discontinuities can form as a result of evaporation or vapors and can result in less fatigue resistance for coupler parts. Due to the cyclic loading to which the coupler assemblies are subjected, it is important to provide as much fatigue resistance as possible.
    [0011] Another type of mold is a dry skin mold. A dry skin mold starts as a green sand mold, but additional bonding materials are added and the cavity surface is dried by a torch or heating lamp to increase the strength of the mold. This strengthens dimensional accuracy and surface finish, but has decreased collapsibility. Dry hair molds are more expensive and require more time, thus decreasing the production rate.
    [0012] Another type of sand that can be used in sand casting is dry sand. In a dry sand mold, sometimes called a cold box mold, the sand is mixed with only an organic binder. The mold is strengthened by baking in an oven. The resulting mold has high dimensional accuracy, but it is expensive and results in a lower production rate.
    [0013] The casting process for the manufacture of couplers has historically employed the green sand process. Although the process has served the rail industry well, there are disadvantages associated with the green sand process, such as weak material strength, porosity, and weak surface finish, resulting in less fatigue resistance, large tolerance variation, and grinding / machining is often required after the casting process. In addition, a large number of weld repairs may be required at the time of finishing to fix either the surface or subsurface defects. Production rates are also low and include high costs of finishing work. For reasons that will become clearer below, these disadvantages may require early replacement of couplers and / or joints, and create additional avoidable manufacturing costs. Therefore, it would be advantageous to use or foundry process in the manufacture of rail coupler assemblies to overcome, at least improve, these disadvantages. Brief Description of Drawings
    [0014] The system can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, instead the illustration of the principles of the invention is emphasized. In addition, in the figures, similar numerical references designate corresponding parts across all different views.
    [0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail coupler manufactured by a process of cold curing or "air-set".
    [0016] Figure 2 is a perspective view, exploded of a coupler assembly used to form the railroad coupler of Figure 1.
    [0017] Figure 3 is a top perspective view of the body of the coupler in Figure 2.
    [0018] Figure 4 is a side view, in cross section, along line 4-4 of the body of the coupler in Figure 2.
    [0019] Figures 5A and 5B are two perspective views of the body of the coupler in Figure 2, illustrating the location of the polishing shoulders of the coupler in relation to the hole in the coupler pin.
    [0020] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the railroad coupler in figure 2, illustrating the location of the protective pin protrusions in relation to the pin hole of the coupler.
    [0021] Figure 7 is a side perspective view of the body of the coupler in Figure 2.
    [0022] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along line 8-8 of the coupler body of Figure 7.
    [0023] Figure 9 is a side perspective view of the body of the coupler in Figure 2.
    [0024] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view along line 10-10 of Figure 9.
    [0025] Figure 11 is a top view of the coupling joint in Figure 2.
    [0026] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view along line 12-12 of the joint in Figure 11.
    [0027] Figures 13A and 13B are two perspective views of the articulation of the rail coupler of Figure 11, illustrating the location of the articulation drag points in relation to the articulation pin hole.
    [0028] Figures 14A and 14B are two views in perspective of the articulation of the rail coupler of Figure 11, illustrating the location of the articulation polishing shoulders in relation to the articulation pin hole.
    [0029] Figures 15A and 15B are two perspective views of the articulation of the rail coupler of Figure 11, illustrating the location of the protective hinges of the hinge pin in relation to the hinge pin hole.
    [0030] Figure 16 is a top view of the coupler joint in Figure 2, indicating the approximate dimension between the center of the joint pin hole and the joint polishing shoulders as around 88.90 mm and between the center of the pivot pin hole and the pivot drag tip as around 5 7/8 inches.
    [0031] Figure 17 is a bottom view of the coupler hinge in Figure 2, indicating the approximate dimension between the center of the hinge pin hole and the hinge polishing shoulder as around 3 ^ inches and between the center of the hinge pin. pivot pin hole and pivot drag tip as around 5% inches. Detailed Description
    [0032] In some cases, structures, materials or operations are not illustrated or described in detail. In addition, aspects, structures or characteristics can be combined in any suitable way in one or more modalities. It will also be readily understood that the components of the modalities as generally described and illustrated herein in the Figures could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations.
    [0033] Many of the disadvantages of using the green sand process mentioned above can be overcome, or at least improved, with the use of the cold cure or "air-set" casting process. "cold curing" and "air-set" refer to the same type of process and are considered interchangeable through the description. The American Railroad Association (AAR) 100 coupler, illustrated in Figure 1, is an assembly of parts, all of which are required to interact in a precise manner for the assembly of the coupler to operate properly and have optimum part life. . Operating positions include locked, unlocked and lock setting. As the parts of the coupler are frequently replaced during the service life, the interchange of the parts must maintain interface dimensions for proper operation. Therefore, control of the dimensional characteristics of the coupler parts is important to ensure proper operation.
    [0034] The coupler also transmits longitudinal forces by pulling and pushing a railway wagon in service operations. These forces can be of significant magnitude - thousands of pounds - and require that the force load path through the coupler assembly be precisely controlled. The design loads per the AAR M-211 Specification reach 294 835,041 kilograms for the joint and 408 233,133 kilograms for the coupler body. Uniform load helps to ensure uniform models of use and successively uniform load distribution. Finally, the strength of the coupler and its fatigue is important to avoid premature failure of the parts, which is directly influenced by the dimensional consistency and consequently the level of uniform load distribution.
    [0035] The finish or surface texture of the coupler has a definite effect on maintaining the required coupler strength and fatigue life. The cold cure casting process provides better dimensional control, improved load path for operating forces, more uniform use models, castings with fewer weld repairs, and improved surface texture for improved strength and fatigue resistance compared to the process of green sand.
    [0036] In mold casting, the molten metal is poured into a non-reusable mold made of a mixture of sand, quick-setting resin, and catalyst, and the mold is stuck together until solidification occurs. Cold-cured sand molding procedures produce a sand mold of considerable strength, which can be upright free without the need for an additional steel mold box and therefore of unlimited size and shape. The traditional molding box is heavy and rigid, which limits green sand operations by the molding efficiencies that result from the limitations of metal molding boxes.
    [0037] The cold cure casting process involves the use of chemically bonded sand systems. The use of chemical bonding agents typically makes the cold curing process somewhat more expensive than the green sand process. As part of the cold cure casting process, a resin and catalyst are mixed together. Examples of gas catalysts used to cure include sodium silicate (CO2), amine, SO2, and cured phenolic ester systems. Examples of a liquid catalyst can include the "air-set" system. Through a chemical reaction, the resin hardens in a very strong bond. Sometimes an accelerator can be added to speed up the hardening process. The cold cure casting process may also be less sensitive to air temperature and humidity as compared to green sand operations.
    [0038] The cold curing process uses kiln dried sand, which is mechanically mixed with a resin (or binder) to bind the sand. Most binder systems are variations on a few basic chemicals, such as, furan, phenolic urethane, and sodium silicate. Usually, the cold curing method of mold formation is carried out at room temperature. Therefore, unlike the green sand process that requires curing sand, water, and high temperature clay mixing, the cold curing process derives its name from the elimination of the cooking process required when using the green sand method.
    [0039] A chemical hardener is then added to the sand mixture, which reacts with the binder and begins to adjust the sand to a solid form. At that point, fluid sand is poured into a mold around one model or several models. Once poured, the sand is left to rest. The binder causes the sand particles to bond, forming a very stable and precise shape for the cavity that will be used to pour the final casting. The setting time depends on the type of hardener used. The sand is in a solid block from which the molding equipment is removed. The cores are then added to the mold and the mold is closed and ready for casting.
    [0040] Refractory coatings can be applied to bonded resin cores and molds. These coatings are sometimes referred to as washing. Coatings can be used for a variety of reasons, including: (1) to perfect the surface finish; (2) to control the characteristics of thermal transfer and microstructure in the steel foundry; (3) improve the ventilation of a core; and (4) to avoid certain types of defects in the casting.
    [0041] Unlike the green sand process, as mentioned, this hardened mold does not require the use of a traditionally manufactured mold box. Mold box size limitations can be a loss to the green sand process by preventing the manufacturer from varying the number of multiple parts in a single mold box or by limiting the size of a single foundry that can fit in a given mold box. mold due to the sizes of the pre-existing manufactured metal mold box. Heavy steel mold boxes cannot be economically modified to accommodate new sizes of customer parts, if different from the mold boxes currently used. The purchase of several individual mold boxes can become characteristic. Typical sizes can range up to 1.2192 meters wide, 1.8288 meters long and from 45.72 to 60.96 centimeters deep for both the dome and the dredge. Therefore, an "air-set" mold is well suited for larger, heavier castings because the strength of the mold allows for the casting of larger metal weights. A solid sand structure allows a mold to be formed in various sizes, producing the best productions available for each solid sand structure. Furthermore, the use of sand for a mold can be kept to a minimum without compromising quality so that production costs are reduced. The chemical bonding of sand particles for the cold curing process provides a better surface condition compared to the green sand process where water and clay are used as the bonding agents.
    [0042] The state-of-the-art casting equipment on modern "air-set" lines allows up to 100% recovery of the main raw material, sand. This recovered sand is broken, cooled and filtered, to be used repeatedly. In order to maintain sand quality and mold strength, the recovered sand is mixed with new sand in a proportion of 75%: 25%. This process keeps production costs to a minimum without compromising quality. It should be noted that new sand to recover proportion of sand varies depending on the geometry and weight of the typical foundry; the 75% ratio: 25% is just a typical value. Industry figures range from 95%: 5% to 40%: 60%.
    [0043] Some features and advantages that distinguish the cold cure mold process from other sand molding processes, such as the green sand process, include: molds are chemically cured at room temperature, the process produces accurate and repeatable dimensions ; and the costs of finishing work and fragments are reduced while achieving high production yields.
    [0044] As a measure of the dimensional stability of the cold curing process compared to the green sand process, the Steel Foundry Society of America publishes values for dimensional tolerances in Supplement 3 to its Steel Casting Manual. The base tolerances for foundries made by the cold curing process are listed as about 5.08 millimeters compared to about 7.62 millimeters for foundries made by the green sand process. Although these are small dimensions, the ability to have tolerances with a reduction in variation of one third is significant when it comes to ensuring proper load paths and operational characteristics of coupler assembly as explained above. The tolerances of the coupler parts depend on the weight and size of the foundry as will be commented below, so that the tolerance achieved with the cold curing process when compared to the green sand process varies across the different parts and dimensions of the track coupler iron. In all cases, however, the tolerances achieved with the cold curing process are less than the tolerances required by the AAR M211 Specification.
    [0045] The cold curing process also allows for lower slope angles than the green sand process. An angle of inclination refers to a small inclination for the vertical surfaces of the casting model, as oriented in the mold box, so that the model can be removed from the mold. The angle of inclination must be included both at the top and at the bottom of the models. Where the green sand process requires an inclination angle of 1.5 degrees or more for typical shapes, the cold curing process requires only an inclination angle of 1.0. Where the green sand (manual) process requires a tilt angle of 2.0 degrees or more for deep pockets, the cold cure process requires only a tilt angle of 1.5 degrees for deep pockets. The required slope angle of the green sand process results in a significantly greater deviation from the nominal dimension of casting points that are further away from the point of view of the entire casting than the casting produced by the cold curing process. Smaller slope angles can promote better part load and increased support area. This small difference is significant when considering the interface of the complicated shapes to form the parts in a coupler assembly, and when combined with the reduced tolerance variation.
    [0046] Figure 2 shows the main parts of a rail coupler assembly 200, including a body 204, a joint 208, a joint pin 212, a molder 216, a lock 220, and a locklift 224. Of these main parts, the joint 208 and the body 204 are usually produced using the green sand casting process. Due to their small size, the lock 220, the molder 216, and the "locklift" assembly 224 can be produced by various methods. Molder 216 can also be produced by the green sand casting process or the forging process. The present description contemplates the formation of the body and the joint using the process of cold curing or "air-casting" for all the reasons mentioned above.
    [0047] During locking and unlocking operations, hinge 208 rotates around the geometric axis of hinge pin 212. Hinge 228 must pass under the hinge platform seat 232 on lock 220 during locking and unlocking operations . The lock also needs to move up and down in a locking chamber 236 of body 204 during locking and unlocking operations. In addition, during the lock adjustment, the lock 220 must move upwards in the lock chamber 236 of the body so that the lock adjustment seat 240 on a lock leg 244 rests precisely on a lock leg seat 248 of molder 216.
    [0048] The parts of the coupler assembly 200 must have precise dimensional characteristics to ensure a successful operation. The better the dimensional characteristics, the more homogeneous the operation. The greater the dimensional variation, the more rudimentary the operation, and if it is large enough, the parts will jam and the coupler may become inoperable. Regular surface finishes also assist in a successful operation, which will be discussed in more detail below. If the tolerances of the parts are too large, interference can occur when joint 208 is rotating with respect to body 204 and lock 220. This interference can result in downtime conditions making coupler lock and unlock operations difficult. In some cases, the extremes of tolerance in relative part dimensions have resulted in inoperability and / or inability to exchange parts.
    [0049] The load path of the coupler for inclination (traction) and polishing (impulse) forces generated during train operations also depends on precise control of dimensional tolerances of the coupler parts. For polishing forces, the coupler is designed to receive the pulling forces on the drag faces 252 of the joints 208 (as shown in Figures 14A, 14B) between two joint couplers. This extraction force is transmitted through the hinge 208 to the trailing tips 258 on the hinge tail 228. At that point, the pulling force is transmitted through the trailing tips 278 of the coupler body 204 as best seen in Figure 4, the forces extraction bodies are transmitted through the body of the coupler 204 through a key slot 279 or the end 280 of the coupler 204 to the tilting system of the freight car and through the car body to the other end of the car. If the tolerances of the parts of the coupler do not provide a load path as described above, the extraction forces can be transmitted through the joint 208 to the protective protrusions of pin 256 of the body of the coupler 204, to the joint pin 212, and / or unevenly between upper and lower trailing tips 258, 278, which results in uneven and accelerated wear on these parts. Additionally, loads can be transmitted between the coupling parts resulting in uneven loading. When the intended load path changes or there is uneven loading between the lower drag ends 278, premature failure or reduction of life of the part in the body of the coupler 204, the hinge pin 212, and / or the hinge 208 may occur.
    [0050] The compression coupling forces are at the limit during switching operations when the freight cars collide with each other. The coupler assembly is designed to react to the compression engagement forces on the polishing shoulders 260 of the coupler body 204 and on the polishing shoulders 261 of the hinge 208. If the tolerances of the coupler parts are not precisely controlled, the polishing forces they can be transmitted on the pin protector bosses 256, 286 (see Figures 6, 15A, 15B), the hinge pin 212, or unevenly between the lower polishing shoulders 260, 261 of the body 204 and the hinge 208, respectively. Therefore, damage can occur and result in premature failure of joint 208, joint pin 212, and / or coupler body 204. Therefore, it is advantageous to minimize dimensional tolerances so that the load paths are maintained throughout coupler assembly. These appropriate loading paths promote uniform usage models.
    [0051] Although the green sand casting process has been used successfully for many years to produce coupler parts, the cold cure casting process results in a better surface finish and therefore can reduce cracks and associated concerns that are created when the surface conditions are not good. The normally high costs associated with the cold curing process have been minimized or offset by: reduced casting finishing time (gauging), less capital investment in items such as special mold boxes that are not required, less demand for repair of casting defect, reduction in processing time and production of more dimensionally consistent and better quality parts with improved part life.
    [0052] The Association of American Railways (AAR) prioritized the creation of a good surface or texture finish through the action taken by the Coupling Systems and Trick Foundries Committee. In the past, certain surface conditions, such as sand inclusions and junctions, have been considered critical areas of coupler parts. In some cases, surface conditions can result in cracks that will result in reduced fatigue life for the coupler or joint. For example, an area of radius 281 between coupler mast 264 and base 268 has received attention from the Federal Railroad Administration. See Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49,215,123. The cracks in this area now require replacement of the coupler. In addition, a smoother surface that can be achieved through the use of a cold curing process adds more stringent tolerances, which will also be discussed below. A part made with strict tolerances has a better fit and works better with its fitting parts, which also increases the resistance to fatigue.
    [0053] In an effort to ensure surface conditions do not result in premature coupling failure, the Coupling Systems and Trick Casting Committee included specific cover finishing criteria as part of the AAR M-211 Specification. Casting and Product Approval Requirements for Manufacturing Couplers, Coupler Joints, Joints, Followers Blocks, and Coupler Parts, Specification M-211, Last Adopted October 2009. Section 11.2 of AAR Specification M-211 reviews the levels surface acceptance specifics, which are defined using Steel Foundry Survey and Trade Association (SCRATA) Comparators for the Definition of Surface Quality of Steel Foundries. SCRATA comparators are nine categories, each with five levels of quality, decreasing from 1 to 5, where level 1 is the highest quality and level 5 is the weakest: A. Surface Roughness - the natural surface of the foundry after blasting. B. Surface Inclusions - non-metallic material stuck to the casting surface. C. Gas porosity - gas indication on the casting surface. D. Cold Flaps and Closures - surface irregularities that provide a wrinkled appearance. E. Crusts - slightly raised surface irregularities. F. Chapels - indication of chapels or internal depressions. G. Surface Finishing - Heat Treatment - surface remaining after the use of oxygen or carbon air are processes for removing metal. H. Surface Finishing - Mechanical Treatment - surface remaining after using mechanical means of treating a casting surface or a previously heat-treated surface. J. Welds - indications of welds completely or partially removed by thermal or mechanical treatment.
    [0054] Tables 1 and 2 which follow are graphs of comparisons respectively for coupler 204 and joint 208 showing the minimum surface conditions required by the AAR M-211 Specification and the improved surface conditions that can be achieved using the cold curing process. Figure A.11 referred to in Table 1 is a three-page figure illustrated in Appendix A of the AAR M-211 Specification in which the shaded areas are critical areas and the non-shaded areas are non-critical areas. Those skilled in the art on rail couplers would know how to refer to Figure A.11 to determine which areas are currently considered critical as distinguished from non-critical areas by AAR. In general, however, the critical areas are those areas that accept more load force with respect to the tilting and polishing forces discussed above and also those areas of interface or wear with other parts.

    [0055] The data in Table 1 were obtained by visual comparison of a series of coupler bodies 204 produced by the cold curing process with SCRATA plates representing 1 to 5 in each of the above categories. With reference to categories D to J in Table 1, no flap, crust, flap or weld were observed. In addition, the surface conditions of Heat Treatment and Mechanical Treatment do not depend on the casting process, but result from individual performance surface conditioning after the casting process has been completed. The frequency with which the Thermal and Mechanical Treatment operations must be carried out is, however, a result of the smelting process, so that a comparison with the green sand process is still useful. As indicated, the surface quality of a coupler produced by the cold curing process is superior in just about each category, and at least equal to the minimum requirements under the AAR M-211 Specification.
    TABLE 2: ARTICULATION
    [0056] The data in Table 2 were obtained by visual comparison of a series of 208 couplers produced by the cold curing process with SCRATA plates representing 1 to 5 in each of the above categories. With reference to categories D to J in Table 1, no flap, crust, flap or weld were observed. Also, with the coupler, the surface quality of the joints was superior in almost all categories, or at least equal to the minimum requirements under the AAR M-211 Specification.
    [0057] The cold curing process can be used to manufacture the coupler body 204, the joint 208, a lock 220, the molder 216, and the "locklift" 224 so that better (lower) tolerances are achieved for various relative dimensions due to the cold curing process. As mentioned above, the tolerances for the cold curing process are about 5.08 mm and the angle of inclination is around (1.0) degree or less for typical features. Actual tolerances, however, vary with the weight and size of the cast parts according to the Steel Smelters of America Tolerance Tables Society (SFSA). Table 3 below illustrates the T3 tolerances used for the cold curing process used by manufacturers. For comparison, Table 4 illustrates the T5 tolerances that correspond to the green sand process typical of conventional rail couplers.




    [0058] By way of a simple example, suppose that the molten part is made both by the cold curing process and by green sand, the two weigh around 45.359237 kilograms. Assume a dimension of interest around 5.08 centimeters. The tolerance that can be achieved by the cold curing process is around 1.2954 centimeters although the tolerance of the part made by the green sand process is around 2.5908 millimeters, which is twice what can be achieved by cold curing process.
    [0059] Figure 3 is a top perspective view of the body of coupler 204 of Figure 2. Figure 4 illustrates a cross section, lateral along line 4-4 of the body of coupler 204 of Figure 2, including pin holes of coupler 272 through which the joint pin 212 is inserted, and the trailing tips 278 of the coupler body 204 which correspond to the trailing tips 258 of the joint 208. The balanced loading that can be achieved through the curing process cold results in more homogeneous wear on the 278 drag points of the coupler body, thus extending the fatigue resistance of the coupler body. The tolerances that can be achieved, commented on below, using the cold curing process for the dimensions define the location of the drag points 278 of the body relative to the pin holes of the coupler 272.
    [0060] Figures 5A and 5B are two views in perspective of the body of the coupler 204 of Figure 2, illustrating the location of the polishing shoulders of the coupler 260 relative to the coupling pin hole 272 that can be reached with the curing process a cold. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the rail coupler of Figure 2, illustrating the location of the pin protector bosses 256 relative to the pin hole of the coupler 272 that can be achieved with the cold curing process.
    [0061] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the coupler body 204 of Figure 2. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along line 8-8 of the coupler body of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a side perspective view of the coupler body 204 of Figure 2. Figure 110 is a cross-sectional view along line 1010 of the coupler body 204 of Figure 9, thus illustrating the cross section on the other side of the coupler body 204 from line 8-8 shown in Figure 8. The dimension of 88.90 mm in Figures 8 and 10 is the approximate distance between the center of the coupling pin holes 272 and the polishing shoulders of the coupler 260, which can be reached with the cold curing process. Based on an approximate weight of 171.457916 kilograms, the tolerance for this dimension is approximately 1.90500 millimeters using Table 3. The tolerance that results from the green sand process results around 4.1148 millimeters using Table 4. Therefore, the tolerance that can be achieved with the cold curing process is less than that which can be achieved using the green sand process.
    [0062] As it is necessary to round the weight up to 226.796185 kilograms and the extension up to 10.16 centimeters in the example of Figure 8 to use the AAR tables, the mentioned tolerances are only evaluated and probably somehow bigger than the reality in that case. For example, the dimension of 88.90 millimeters produces a tolerance closer to about 1.77800 millimeters. Due to the inclination angles mentioned above, and due to the projected angled surfaces with some characteristics, the dimension changes a little by all the measured characteristics. Therefore, The dimensions themselves vary to a certain extent and shown a specific extent, or reporting a specific tolerance, which should not be considered exact values, but close. Therefore, the difference between the approximate tolerances between the cold curing and green sand processes more accurately describes the improvement using the cold curing process in terms of dimensional tolerances.
    [0063] Figures 8 and 10 also illustrate additional dimensions: 3.81 centimeters between the centimeter of the coupler pin holes 272 and the pin protector bosses 256 and 14.60500 centimeters between the center of the coupler pin holes 272 and the drag tips 278 of the 204 coupler body. Using the same rating of 226.796185 kilograms, the 3.81 cm dimension in Table 3 indicates a tolerance of around 1.1272 mm, although in reality probably be somewhat smaller, such as about 1.5748 millimeters for reasons commented above. The corresponding tolerance in Table 4, using the green sand process, is approximately roughly 3.93700 millimeters which is more than twice that which can be achieved from the cold curing process.
    [0064] Using the same rating of 226.796185 kilograms, and rounding 15.24 centimeters, the dimension of 14.60500 centimeters in Table 3 indicates a tolerance of more or less 2.03200 centimeters. Due to rounding, this tolerance is probably closer to about 1.90500 centimeters. The corresponding tolerance in Table 4 using the green sand process is more or less around 4.2418 millimeters, again around twice that which can be achieved using the cold curing process.
    [0065] Figure 11 is a top view of the coupler joint of Figure 2. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line 12-12 of the joint of Figure 11. Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the pin hole linkage 282 in relation to linkage polishing shoulders 261 and trailing tips 258.
    [0066] Figures 13A and 13B are two perspective views of the articulation of the rail coupler of Figure 11, illustrating the location of the trailing tips 258 in relation to the articulation pin hole 282 when formed by the process of cold cure. Figures 14A and 14B are two perspective views of the rail coupler joint of Figure 11, illustrating the location of the joint polishing shoulders 261 in relation to the joint pin hole 282 when formed by the cold curing process. Figures 15A and 15B are two perspective views of the rail coupler joint of Figure 11, illustrating the location of the joint pin protector bosses 286 in relation to the joint pin hole 282 when formed by the cold curing process .
    [0067] Figure 16 is a top view of the coupler joint of Figure 2, indicating the approximate dimension between the center of the joint pin hole 282 and the joint polishing shoulder 261 as around 88.90 mm; between the center of the hinge pin hole 282 and the hinge drag ends 258 as around 14.9225 centimeters; and between the center of the pin hole 282 and the pin protector bosses 286 as around 4.1275 centimeters. With an approximate weight of 39.0089438, the dimension of 88.90 millimeters would have a tolerance of around 25.4011727 grams using the cold curing process compared to about 2.6162 millimeters. for the green sand process. (in this case, rounding causes the aforementioned tolerances to be somewhat smaller than reality, but again there are close approximations). Relative tolerances again indicate an almost two-fold improvement in tolerance when using the cold cure process.
    [0068] The dimension of 14.9225 centimeters between the hinge trailing tip 258 and the hinge pin hole 282 results in a tolerance of around 1.5494 mm for the cold curing process compared to more or less around 2.7432 millimeters for the green sand process, not quite a two-fold improvement. The 4.1275 cm dimension between the pivot pin hole 282 and the pin protector bosses 286 results in a tolerance of around 1.2446 mm for the cold curing process compared to around more or less 2.41300 millimeters for the green sand process, again an improvement of approximately two times.
    [0069] Figure 17 is a bottom view of the coupling joint in Figure 2, indicating the approximate dimension between the center of the joint pin hole 282 and the joint polishing shoulder 261 as around 88.90 mm; between the center of the pivot pin hole 282 and the pivot trailing tip 258 as around 14.60500 centimeters; and between the pivot pin hole 282 the pin protector bosses 286 as around 4.1275 centimeters. The only dimension that differs from those illustrated in Figure 16 is the dimension of 14.60500 centimeters between the hinge pin hole 282 and the hinge trailing tip 258, which still results in a tolerance of around 1.5494 millimeters for the cold curing process compared to around 2.7432 millimeters for the green sand process, not quite a two-fold improvement.
    [0070] The terms and descriptions used here are established by way of illustration only and should not be considered as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations can be made in the details of the modalities described above without departing from the basic principles of the described modalities. For example, the steps of the methods do not need to be performed in a certain order, unless specified, although they may be present in that order in the description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims (and their equivalences) in which all terms are to be understood in their broadest fair sense, unless otherwise stated.
    权利要求:
    Claims (10)
    [0001]
    1. Method for casting a coupling body of a rail coupling assembly characterized by the fact that it comprises the step of: manufacturing a coupling body using a cold curing process including the use of a chemically bonded sand system that results in a strong sand mold without mold box from which the body is cast, the coupler body that results from the cold curing process having dimensional tolerances of distances between characteristics that use during operation that are between more or less 1.27 mm and 1.905 mm (0.05 and 0.075 inches), resulting in increased fatigue life compared to a body manufactured by a green sand process.
    [0002]
    2. Method according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the trailing tips of the body resulting from the cold curing manufacturing process are located in relation to the pin holes of the body coupler within plus or minus 1.905 mm (0.075 inches) tolerance.
    [0003]
    3. Method according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the polishing shoulders of the body resulting from the cold curing manufacturing process are located in relation to the pin holes of the body coupler within about 1.778 mm (0.070 inch) tolerance.
    [0004]
    4. Method, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the protective pin protrusions of the body resulting from the cold curing manufacturing process are located in relation to the pin holes of the body coupler within plus or minus 1 , 5748 mm (0.062 inches) tolerance.
    [0005]
    5. Method according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the inclination angles of the body resulting from the cold curing manufacturing process comprise about 1 degree for at least one typical characteristic.
    [0006]
    6. Method for casting a coupler coupling of a rail coupler assembly characterized by the fact that it comprises the step of: manufacturing a coupler coupling using a cold curing process including the use of a chemically bonded sand system that results in a strong sand mold in the free vertical from which the coupling is cast, the coupler coupling that results from the cold curing process having dimensional tolerances of distances between characteristics that they use during operation that are between about 1.016 mm and 1,651 mm (0.04 and 0.065 inches), resulting in increased fatigue life compared to a coupling manufactured by a green sand process.
    [0007]
    7. Method, according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the trailing tips of the coupling resulting from the cold curing manufacturing process are located in relation to the coupling pin holes within about 1.5494 mm (0.061 inch) tolerance.
    [0008]
    8. Method according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the polishing shoulders of the coupling resulting from the cold curing manufacturing process are located in relation to the holes of the coupling pin within plus or minus 1, 4224 mm (0.056 inches) tolerance.
    [0009]
    9. Method according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the hinge pin protective bosses resulting from the cold curing manufacturing process are located in relation to the hitch pin holes within plus or minus 1,2446 mm (0.049 inch) tolerance.
    [0010]
    Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the angles of inclination of the coupling resulting from the cold curing manufacturing process comprise about 1 degree for a plurality of typical characteristics.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    AU2011203691A1|2012-07-19|
    CN105903891B|2021-01-12|
    CN102741107A|2012-10-17|
    CA2786788C|2018-08-28|
    ZA201502621B|2016-11-30|
    BR112012017074A2|2016-04-12|
    US20110168655A1|2011-07-14|
    US20130269900A1|2013-10-17|
    ZA201306298B|2015-07-29|
    US20160016595A1|2016-01-21|
    WO2011084992A1|2011-07-14|
    US8783481B2|2014-07-22|
    ZA201502622B|2016-11-30|
    AU2016256795B2|2019-01-31|
    CZ2012447A3|2013-12-11|
    AU2019202938A1|2019-05-16|
    US8485371B2|2013-07-16|
    ZA201204667B|2014-01-29|
    MX342320B|2016-09-23|
    AU2011203691B2|2016-08-11|
    AU2019202938B2|2021-04-22|
    US9079590B2|2015-07-14|
    MX339159B|2016-05-13|
    AU2016256795A1|2016-12-01|
    US9505418B2|2016-11-29|
    US20150048044A1|2015-02-19|
    MX2012008104A|2012-12-05|
    CN102741107B|2016-06-15|
    AU2019202945A1|2019-05-16|
    CN105903891A|2016-08-31|
    AU2019202945B2|2021-04-15|
    CA2786788A1|2011-07-14|
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    法律状态:
    2019-01-08| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according art. 34 industrial property law|
    2019-10-29| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: suspension of the patent application procedure|
    2020-08-25| B09A| Decision: intention to grant|
    2020-12-15| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 20 (VINTE) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 05/01/2011, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    US12/685,346|US8485371B2|2010-01-11|2010-01-11|Use of no-bake mold process to manufacture railroad couplers|
    US12/685,346|2010-01-11|
    PCT/US2011/020207|WO2011084992A1|2010-01-11|2011-01-05|Use of no-bake mold process to manufacture railroad couplers|
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