Railcar draft gear assembly

1. A railcar draft gear assembly for a railcar having a centersill defining a pocket having a distance of 24.625 inches between stops thereon, comprising:

a hollow metal housing open at a first end and closed toward the second end thereof and configured to fit within the pocket defined by the centersill on the railcar, with the housing defining a series of tapered longitudinally extended inner surfaces opening to and extending from the first end of the housing;

a series of friction members equally spaced about a longitudinal axis of the housing toward the first end of the housing, with each friction member having axially spaced first and second ends and an outer surface extending between the ends, with the outer surface on each friction member being operably associated with one of the tapered longitudinally extended inner surfaces on the housing so as to define a first angled friction sliding surface therebetween;

a wedge member arranged from axial movement relative to the first end of the housing, with said wedge member having a free end extending beyond the open end of said housing and to which an external force is applied during operation of the railcar, with the wedge member defining a series of outer tapered surfaces equally spaced about the longitudinal axis of the housing, with the outer tapered surface on the wedge member being operably associated with an inner surface on each friction member so as to define a second angled friction sliding surface therebetween and such that the wedge member produces a radially directed force against the friction members upon movement of the wedge member inwardly of the housing;

a spring seat arranged within the housing, with one surface of the spring seat being arranged in operable engagement with the second end of each friction member;

a spring assembly disposed in the housing between the closed end of the housing and a second surface of the spring seat for storing, dissipating and returning energy imparted to the draft gear assembly, with said spring including an axial stack of individual elastomeric springs, with each elastomeric spring including an elastomeric pad having a generally rectangular shape, in plan, approximating the cross-sectional configuration of the hollow chamber defined by the housing, and with the elastomeric pads disposed adjacent to the spring seat extending into positive engagement with an inner surface of the housing in dynamic response to an axial load being imparted to said railcar draft gear assembly, and with the elastomeric pad of each individual elastomeric spring having a Shore D hardness ranging between about 40 and 60; and

wherein the spring assembly is furthermore configured to function in operable combination with the disposition of said first and second angled sliding surfaces of said draft gear assembly such that said draft gear assembly consistently and repeatedly withstands greater than 96,000 ft-lbs and up to 110,000 ft-lbs. of energy imparted to the draft gear assembly at a force level not to exceed 900,000 lbs. over a range of travel of the wedge member in an inward axial direction relative to the housing up to 4.5 inches.

2. The railcar draft gear assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first angled friction sliding surface of said draft gear assembly is disposed at an angle ranging between about 1.5 degrees and about 5 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the draft gear assembly.

3. The railcar draft gear assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second angled friction sliding surface of said draft gear assembly is disposed at an angle ranging between about 32 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the draft gear assembly.