WEAR MEMBER FOR RAILWAY VEHICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

摘要

An improved wear member for use between a pair of relatively movable components of a railway vehicle and method of making same are provided herein. Such wear member comprises a pair of relatively movable components and the wear member is supported by one of the components and protects the components from wear during relative movement thereof, the wear member comprising a metal support having a continuous supporting surface, an ultra high molecular weight polymeric material supported by the metal support and having an antifriction wear surface engageable by the other component, and means attaching the polymeric material to the metal support. The improvement comprises relatively rigid load-carrying means embedded within the polymeric material, the load-carrying means having inner surface means thereof engaging the continuous supporting surface and outer surface mans thereof disposed substantially coplanar with the wear surface, the load-carrying means having peripheral side surface means extending between the inner and outer surface means thereof and being engaged by the polymeric material completely around the entire peripheral side surface means so that the load-carrying means is completely surrounded at the peripheral side surface means thereof by the polymeric material. The load-carrying means thus serves to maintain the polymeric material free of substantial indentation under conditions of high impact loads applied simultaneously against the load-carrying means and the polymeric material.