DONALD FREDERICK KROESCH
Pilots at Countryside Dr, Minooka, IL

7171734, Feb 6, 2007

Mar 21, 2005

11/085296

Richard A. Brueckert - Chicago IL, US
William A. Guess - Omaha NE, US
Donald F. Kroesch - Minooka IL, US

TTX Company - Chicago IL

B23B 39/00, B23B 45/00, B23P 23/00, B23K 9/04, B23Q 17/00, B23K 31/00

29 26A, 29566, 29 565, 228119, 228 491, 219 7614, 408108

An apparatus for semi-automatically reconditioning an articulated connector while it is still mounted to the end structure of a rail car is disclosed. The apparatus is mountable to the connector and measures to find areas and amounts of wear on portions of the connector. The apparatus then applies weld metal to the worn portion of the connector. The excess weld metal is automatically machined away by the apparatus so that the connector falls within the required dimensions. The apparatus can again measure the weld area to ensure that the specified dimensions have been achieved. A method of aligning an articulated connector to a reconditioning fixture is also disclosed. The method includes securing the fixture to the connector and the use of gauges and tools to appropriately align the objects.

5570640, Nov 5, 1996

Dec 27, 1994

8/364353

Donald F. Kroesch - Minooka IL

Railway & Industrial Services, Inc. - Joliet IL

B61F 524

1051991

A yaw damper for railway cars comprises a pair of rotary hydraulic units connected to the laterally extending truck bolster of a railway truck assembly on opposite sides of its central pivot bearing member, a pair of connecting plates secured to the corresponding laterally extending car body bolster under a railway car in position on the truck assembly on opposite sides of the corresponding pivot bearing member of the car body bolster, the rotary hydraulic units on the truck bolster connected to respective ones of the connecting plates on the car body bolster by respective ones of a pair of longitudinally adjustable connecting rods. The connecting rods are connected at one end to the pivotable crank or stabilizing lever of respective ones of the hydraulic units and at the other end to connecting lugs of respective ones of the connecting plates. The hydraulic units are positioned against a forward or rearward side wall of the truck bolster in abutting relationship thereagainst to resist torque forces which would otherwise tend to rotate the housing of the rotary hydraulic unit when torque forces are applied to its pivotable crank or stabilizing lever. Such location forwardly or rearwardly of the truck bolster also enables use of a large hydraulic chamber able to provide greater torque and damping effect to control and minimize yaw of railway truck assemblies.

7360318, Apr 22, 2008

Mar 21, 2005

11/085699

Richard A. Brueckert - Chicago IL, US
William A. Guess - Omaha NE, US
Donald F. Kroesch - Minooka IL, US

TTX Company - Chicago IL

G01D 21/00

33645, 33613, 33 1 Q

An apparatus for aligning a female articulated connector while it is still mounted to the end structure of a rail car in a reconditioning fixture is disclosed. The apparatus is a centering tool having a generally annular cylindrical arc shape for placement against the bore of a female connector and against an alignment tube traversing the bore to ensure proper alignment.

2013031, Nov 28, 2013

Jan 24, 2013

13/749364

William A. Guess - Omaha NE, US
Donald F. Kroesch - Minooka IL, US

B23P 6/00, H05B 6/10, B23K 31/02

2940201, 228119, 219635

A method for reconditioning a railcar articulated connector is provided. The method comprises the steps of marking a surface of a portion of an articulated connector to divide the surface into sections, pre-heating the surface of a portion of an articulated connector, adding weld to a first section of the pre-heated portion of the articulated connector, and adding weld to a second section of the pre-heated portion of the articulated connector.

2013020, Aug 15, 2013

Jan 24, 2013

13/749325

William A. Guess - Omaha NE, US
Donald F. Kroesch - Minooka IL, US

TTX Company - Chicago IL

B23P 6/00, B23K 37/00

219136, 408109

A machining fixture for semi-automatically reconditioning an articulated connector is provided. The fixture comprises a housing having at least two side walls, a top plate having a first opening connecting the side walls, and a bottom plate connecting the side walls, the side walls, top plate, and bottom plate defining an interior space. The fixture also includes a clamping mechanism attached to at least one of the side walls, the clamping mechanism comprising a curved hook portion, the curved hook portion being laterally adjustable.

2013031, Nov 28, 2013

Jan 24, 2013

13/749229

William A. Guess - Omaha IL, US
Donald F. Kroesch - Minooka IL, US

TTX Company - Chicago IL

B23P 6/00, B61G 7/00

213 75 R, 2940218, 228119, 228104

A method for reconditioning a railcar connector is provided. The method comprises machining a portion of a casting to create a wear plate application surface, positioning a wear plate on the wear plate application surface, and welding the wear plate to the wear plate application surface.

6944925, Sep 20, 2005

Jun 13, 2002

10/170892

Richard A. Brueckert - Chicago IL, US
William A. Guess - Omaha NE, US
Donald F. Kroesch - Minooka IL, US

TTX Company - Chicago IL

B22D019/10

2940218, 2940219, 2940705, 228119

A method for reconditioning an articulated connector while it is still mounted to the end structure of a rail car is disclosed. The connector is measured to find areas and amounts of wear on portions of the connector. The measurements are taken relative to a reference portion of the connector. Weld metal is then applied to the worn portion of the connector. The excess weld metal is manually or automatically machined away so that the connector falls within the required dimensions. A measurement of the weld area is again taken to ensure that the specified dimensions have been achieved. Apparatuses for measuring wear and specified dimensions and aiding in the method of reconditioning the connectors are also disclosed.

2013032, Dec 12, 2013

Jan 24, 2013

13/749305

William A. Guess - Omaha NE, US
Donald F. Kroesch - Minooka IL, US

G01B 5/30

3350105

An apparatus for measuring a portion on an articulated connector relative to a reference portion of said connector is provided. The apparatus comprises a fixable base mountable to the connector against the reference portion of the connector, an arm pivotally mounted to the base and extendable toward the portion of the connector, the arm having a measurement portion, the measurement portion movable across at least a section of the portion of the connector, and a rotating component connected to a mounting piece.

7171758, Feb 6, 2007

Mar 21, 2005

11/085417

Richard A. Brueckert - Chicago IL, US
William A. Guess - Omaha NE, US
Donald F. Kroesch - Minooka IL, US

TIX Company - Chicago IL

G11B 3/30, B27G 23/00

3350145, 33637, 33641

An apparatus is disclosed for measuring the extension of a cutting tool from a boring bar used to semi-automatically recondition an articulated connector while it is still mounted to the end structure of a rail car. The apparatus is a generally c-shaped base member with generally parallel ends. At least one of the ends preferably has a plurality of stepped shoulders on an inner portion of that end. The shoulders vary in dimension but are preferably configured to bear against a cutting tool used during reconditioning of the connector.

7356938, Apr 15, 2008

Mar 21, 2005

11/085439

Richard A. Brueckert - Chicago IL, US
William A. Guess - Omaha NE, US
Donald F. Kroesch - Minooka IL, US

TTX Company - Chicago IL

G01B 5/00

33550, 33645, 33199 R

An apparatus for measuring a reconditioned portion of an articulated connector engaged in a reconditioning fixture while it is still mounted to the end structure of a rail car is disclosed. The gauge is a generally cylindrical arc with an inner side and outer side. The outer side is preferably shaped to fit against the reconditioned portion of the connector while the inner portion is shaped to fit against a reference point.