Importance

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Abstract

A railroad car wheelset has an axle with one wheel rigidly attached as in conventional railroad practice. This wheel is permitted to rotate by journal bearings either on the extreme ends of the axle or inboard of each wheel location. At the location of the other wheel, the axle is provided with a smooth surface and a self-lubricating bearing is provided as a part of a hub on the axle. The axle shaft is provided with a boss for preventing the independently rotating wheel from migrating laterally out of proper alignment. A self-lubricating thrust bearing is located between this boss and the side of the wheel to eliminate any possible galling between the two moving surfaces. A removable retainer plate is located on the other side of the independently rotating wheel to prevent the wheel from moving laterally in that direction. Adjacent the removable retainer plate is an electrical contactor which can conduct an electrical current from the wheel to the axle shaft, to permit the wheelset to properly operate railway signals or other systems dependent on electrical continuity. In lieu of the self-lubricated bearings, the bearings can be comprised of a lubricant coating permanently bonded to the bearing surface of the hub adjacent the independently rotatable wheel.

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First Claim