TM 55-203
5-12. Body Bolster Fillers
a. General. Body bolster fillers are frequently
broken. Substantial repairs can be made with a patch
flanged on top and bottom to fit the place to be patched or
spliced. Such patches should extend at least 12 inches
on each side of the break. They should be secured by
rivets through the web on each side, staggered to fit the
condition. In CONUS, where AAR rules permit, the
patches can be welded When riveted, rivets securing the
top and bottom flanges of the patch to the flanges of the
bolster should be long enough to go through the top and
bottom cover plates. Usually, however, it is best to cut
out broken body bolster fillers and replace them. To
remove a pressed-steel flanged filler, the top and bottom
cover plate must be cut loose and the rivets which
connect the filler with the center sill and side sills must be
Figure 5-7 Straightening a pushed-in end sill by
cut The rivets which connect the adjacent crossbearer to
jacking against the body bolster.
the side sill must also be cut The side sill can then be
sprung out far enough to allow the old filler to be removed
and the new one fitted into place.
which connect each crossbearer to the center sill and side
sills (fig 5-1). If the angle irons, which connect the two
b. Body Bolster Center Plate. Broken body bolster
arms, are good they can be cut loose and used on the
new crossbearer.
In theaters of operations where
center plates must be renewed. The rivet heads are cut
acetylene is not available, rivets can be removed
off with an acetylene torch or a rivet buster and the old
manually by cutting the heads off with a chisel bar and
rivets punched out. Sometimes the center plate will have
sledge hammer, and knocking the old rivet body out by
to be pried down after the rivet heads are removed
use of a drift punch and hammer.
because the plate shanks are bent sideways to fit the
e. Stringer Supports. Defective stringer supports
small space between the lower bolster cover plate and the
center plate In this case, the rivet shank cannot be driven
usually are replaced They are removed in a manner
up and it will be necessary to burn off the rivet shank
similar to that described for renewing crossbearers.
below the center plate before the upper rivet head can be
removed. During riveting (or welding), the new plate can
5-10. Draft Castings
be held temporarily in place by two diagonally placed
bolts.
Draft castings are frequently found broken or missing.
Broken draft castings can be removed by taking out the
5-13. Straightening and Repairing Sills
draft gear, the coupler, and uncoupling level. The rivets
which hold the draft casting in place can be removed by
using acetylene torch equipped with a rivet-piercing tip. If
a. General. If a center or side sill is so badly broken
a rivet buster is available, the punch can be substituted
or damaged that repair is impractical, the sill must be cut
for the chisel and the old rivets backed out. When the
out completely, removed and replaced with a new one. It
rivets are removed, the draft casting can be easily
must be disconnected from the end sills, the body
lowered out. The new draft casting can then be riveted
bolsters, the diagonal braces, the crossbearers, and the
(or welded) in place.
stringer supports. When the new sill is installed, it must
be connected to all these same parts.
5-11. Cover Plates
b. Broken End Sills. When an end sill breaks, the
The center sill cover plate may be patched by cutting out
break usually occurs in the center. In this case, it is better
defective parts and replacing them with new ones. The
to cut the end sill off and replace it with a new one. The
new plate should be of the same thickness as the old
new end sill should be of heavier design that the original
cover plate and should be lapped about 6 inches at the
damaged
point of the old cover plate. Defective body bolster cover
plates should be removed, since they bear too, much
strain to make a patch practical.
5-6
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