ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 6 -- United States Patent no. 12,459,550, issued on Nov. 4, was assigned to Miner Enterprises Inc. (Geneva, Ill.).
"Railroad freight car draft gear friction modifying insert" was invented by Erich A. Schoedl (Sugar Grove, Ill.), Donald E Wilt (Batavia, Ill.) and Andy R. Kries (Elgin, Ill.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A railroad freight car draft gear includes a friction clutch assembly with friction members arranged in operable combination with an actuator. Each friction member has an outer friction surface which slides along a mating friction surface. A spring assembly is provided for absorbing, dissipating, and returning energy imparted to the draft gear. Recesses ar...