VIBRATION DAMPING APPARATUS
An apparatus and method for damping vibrations within a physical object that is subject to vibration, such as for example, a railroad car running board. In one version, an enclosure is substantially filled with a granulated visco-elastic material, such as for example, granulated rubber, that is fixedly attached to the physical object.
1 . An apparatus for damping vibrations within a physical object, said apparatus comprising;
an enclosure substantially filled with a granulated visco-elastic material; and
an attachment mechanism designed for fixedly attaching at least one said enclosure to said physical object while maintaining direct physical contact between said enclosure and said physical object.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said physical object is a railroad running board.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said granulated visco-elastic material is granulated rubber.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said granulated visco-elastic material is granulated tire rubber.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said physical object is a railroad running board and wherein said granulated visco-elastic material is granulated tire rubber.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said attachment mechanism includes one or more threaded appendages extending from said enclosure that are each configured to engage another threaded component in order to fixedly secure attachment of said enclosure to said physical object.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said enclosure includes at least one interior cavity and a cap, said at least one interior cavity having an opening permitting said visco-elastic material to be transferred into said cavity and where said cap is designed to be inserted into said opening to seal said cavity.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said visco-elastic material includes a granulated and polymer-based material.
9 . A method for damping vibrations within a physical object, said method comprising the steps of:
providing at least one enclosure that is substantially filled with a granulated visco-elastic material;
fixedly attaching said at least one enclosure to said physical object while maintaining direct physical contact between said at least one enclosure and said physical object.
10 . The method of claim 9 wherein said physical object is a railroad running board.
11 . The method of claim 9 wherein said visco-elastic material is granulated rubber.
12 . The method of claim 9 wherein said visco-elastic material is granulated tire rubber.
13 . The method of claim 9 wherein said physical object is a railroad running board and wherein said visco-elastic material is granulated tire rubber.
14 . The method of claim 9 wherein said enclosure includes one or more threaded appendages that are each configured to engage another threaded component in order to fixedly secure attachment of said enclosure to said physical object, and where said fixedly securing attachment step includes a step of engaging said threaded component to each of said one or more appendages.
15 . The method of claim 9 wherein said visco-elastic material includes a granulated and polymer based material.
16 . A method for damping vibrations within a physical object including at least one cavity, the method comprising the steps of:
substantially filling at least one cavity included within a physical object with granulated visco elastic material; and
enclosing said granulated visco elastic material within said at least one cavity.
17 . The method of claim 16 wherein said physical object is a railroad running board.
18 . The method of claim 16 wherein said visco-elastic material is granulated rubber.
19 . The method of claim 16 wherein said visco-elastic material is granulated tire rubber.
20 . The method of claim 16 wherein said physical object is a railroad running board and wherein said visco-elastic material is granulated tire rubber.
21 . The method of claim 16 wherein said physical object is a structural beam.
22 . The method of claim 16 wherein said visco-elastic material is granulated and includes a polymer based material.