Charles P Spencer

US Patent:

50867075, Feb 11, 1992

Filed:

Apr 15, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/685044

Inventors:

Charles P. Spencer - Staunton IL
Terry L. Pitchford - Florissant MO

Assignee:

AMSTED Industries Incorporated - Chicago IL

International Classification:

F16F 136

US Classification:

1051993

Abstract:

A constant contact side bearing or railcar trucks utilizes wedges or rollers to adjustably separate opposing and converging surfaces of a base member and a vertically biased cap member.

US Patent:

49267574, May 22, 1990

Filed:

Jan 30, 1989

Appl. No.:

7/302902

Inventors:

Charles P. Spencer - Staunton IL

Assignee:

Amsted Industries Incorporated - Chicago IL

International Classification:

B61F 530

US Classification:

1052241

Abstract:

An improved railway truck is provided having an elastic and internal grounding connection for creating an electrical path from the side frame, around the elastomeric suspension pad, to the bearing adapter allowing the static electricity of the railway vehicle to be discharged at the rail.

US Patent:

61860751, Feb 13, 2001

Filed:

Aug 20, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/137021

Inventors:

Charles P. Spencer - Aurora IL

Assignee:

Amsted Industries Incorporated - Chicago IL

International Classification:

B61F 300

US Classification:

1052061

Abstract:

A three-piece railcar truck assembly is disclosed. The truck assembly has two side frames and a bolster extending between the side frames. Each side frame has spaced columns defining an opening which receives one end of the bolster. Each side frame also has forward and rearward lugs at the columns, both on the inboard side and the outboard side. Each side frame lug has a stop surface that is aligned in a facing relationship with a stop surface of one bolster gib. There is a gap between the opposed side frame lug and bolster gib stop surfaces. The gap distance is limited to limit the truck warp angle. The neighboring side frame lugs and bolster gibs may be sized, shaped and spaced so that the truck warp angle may be limited to an angle of less than two degrees.

US Patent:

62271229, May 8, 2001

Filed:

Sep 16, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/397584

Inventors:

Charles P. Spencer - Aurora IL

Assignee:

Amsted Industries Incorporated - Chicago IL

International Classification:

B61F 300

US Classification:

1052061

Abstract:

A three-piece railcar truck assembly is disclosed. The truck assembly has two side frames and a bolster extending between the side frames. Each side frame has spaced columns defining an opening which receives one end of the bolster. Each side frame also has forward and rearward lugs at the columns, both on the inboard side and the outboard side. Each side frame lug has a stop surface that is aligned in a facing relationship with a stop surface of one bolster gib. There is a gap between the opposed side frame lug and bolster gib stop surfaces. The gap distance is limited to limit the truck warp angle. The neighboring side frame lugs and bolster gibs may be sized, shaped and spaced so that the truck warp angle may be limited to an angle of less than two degrees. The various stop-surfaces may be hardened to a desirable range of hardness over at least the contact portion of either contacting lug or gib, or both contacting surfaces may be hardened above the as-cast hardness.

US Patent:

57461368, May 5, 1998

Filed:

Sep 13, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/713987

Inventors:

Vaughn Terrey Hawthorne - Lisle IL
Charles P. Spencer - Staunton IL
Terry L. Pitchford - St. Louis MO

Assignee:

Amsted Industries Incorporated - Chicago IL

International Classification:

B61F 500

US Classification:

1051993

Abstract:

A freight railcar undercarriage constant-contact sidebearing arrangement provides a load force transfer mechanism with a more direct or less redundant force transfer path between the railcar body with its lading and the sideframe and wheels of a truck assembly, which system obviates the present use of a bolster center plate structure for load transfer, carries all the load forces through the side bearing assemblies, fulfills the dynamic operating requirements of the American Association of Railroads standards, reduces the weight of the railcar while maintaining the load-carrying capacity, and is particularly adaptable to three-piece truck assemblies in broad use on freight railcars.

US Patent:

50867083, Feb 11, 1992

Filed:

Nov 1, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/607828

Inventors:

Franklin S. McKeown - St. Louis MO
Charles Moehling - Arlington Heights IL
Charles P. Spencer - Staunton IL

Assignee:

Amsted Industries Incorporated - Chicago IL

International Classification:

B61F 540

US Classification:

105207

Abstract:

Friction shoes are immobilized within the pockets of a railcar truck bolster by threaded pins that are inserted through apertures in the pocket walls and friction shoes and guided into the inboard pocket wall apertures by a concentric tapered surface within the pockets on the inboard pocket walls.

US Patent:

57223270, Mar 3, 1998

Filed:

Nov 20, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/560971

Inventors:

V. Terrey Hawthorne - Lisle IL
Charles P. Spencer - Staunton IL
Charles L. Van Auken - Dillsburg PA
Terry L. Pitchford - St. Louis MO

Assignee:

Amsted Industries Incorporated - Chicago IL

International Classification:

B61F 526

US Classification:

1052181

Abstract:

A sideframe pedestal jaw accommodates a bearing adapter which locks the adapter to the sideframe, thereby preventing it from all forms of movement within the pedestal jaw opening. Locking the bearing adapter forces the truck axles to remain at a right angle with respect to the sideframes. Maintaining this right angular relationship substantially curtails truck warpage, which induces wheel misalignment that leads to undesirable truck hunting and high speed instability.

US Patent:

48257761, May 2, 1989

Filed:

Aug 10, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/083049

Inventors:

Charles P. Spencer - Staunton IL

Assignee:

AMSTED Industries Incorporated - Chicago IL

International Classification:

B61F 524

US Classification:

1051985

Abstract:

The present invention provides a friction shoe for use in a railway freight car truck. The friction shoe consists of a cast metal body having a generally flat vertical surface adapted to abut a column on the truck side frame and sloped surfaces adapted to abut a corresponding sloped surface of the truck bolster. Resilient, elastomeric pads are adapted to be received on each sloped surface of the friction shoe. The sloped surface of the friction shoe has either a slot or a protrusion running lengthwise parallel to an outer edge of the sloped surface, and the elastomeric pad has either a correspoding protrusion or slot adapted to fit in the complementary sloped surface. The elastomeric pad may be wedge shaped tapering in reduced thickness from its bottom edge toward its top edge, or the pad may comprise two components each of which tapers from its top edge toward its bottom edge with a complementary adapted sloped surface on the friction shoe.

Address:

771 N Jefferson St, Houston, MS 38851

VIN:

1GCEC19C37Z583895

Make:

CHEVROLET

Model:

SILVERADO 1500

Year:

2007