Bogie system for a rail vehicle

Abstract

 In order to steer the wheel sets (1-8) of a railway vehicle (11) the wheel sets (1-8) are intercoupled by a coupling mechanism comprising steering beams (27) mainly extending in longitudinal direction of the vehicle said steering beams (27) having long and short lever beams arms (28, 29).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an undercar system for a railway vehicle comprising a plurality of single-axled trucks, which are intercoupled by means of steering means for directing at least one wheel axle towards the bow centre.

[0002] Such a undercar system is known and employed in the Talgo train. Each truck located between two car bodies is provided at each wheel axle bearing with a vertical lever. Together with steering rodspivotable at both ends and connected with the adjacent car bodies these levers constitute a complete steering system arranged in two vertical planes. In travelling through an arc ranging is performed on the inner side which shortenes the steering system on the inner side, whereas on the outer side of the arc the lever system concerned is ranged out. The steering means of this known undercar system comprise many pivots.

[0003] The invention has for its object to reduce the required number of pivots in an undercar system of the aforesaid king whilst maintaining a satisfactory directional action of the axles.

[0004] This object is achieved in that at least one intermediate truck, arranged between other trucks, is connected by means of long lever beam arms of steering beams with two other intermediate trucks, whilst short lever beam arms of these steering beams are pivotally interconnected and these two steering beams are pivotally connected between their long and short lever beam arms with the intermediate truck.

[0005] Consequently there is only one train of horizontal steering beams, which drastically reduces the number of pivots. Preferably at least one steering beam interconnects two successive trucks short-circuiting each body carried by these trucks. As a result, at a number of places or even as a whole pivots are omitted for coupling steering beams with the car bodies which additionally reduces the required number of pivots of the steering train.

[0006] This has moreover the advantage that the steering effect of the undercar system is now less disturbed by movements of the car body with respect to the undercar.

[0007] When the steering beams are connected with one another and with the trucks by means of spherical pivots, sloping variations of the truck affect the steering effect of the undercar system to a lesser extent.

[0008] The relative distances between a truck and next trucks may be unequal to one another, when the arm lengths p and g of lever arms of the two intermediate running works are unequal whilst their lengths p and g are chosen in dependence of the unequal distances. In this way the axles can be arranged below the car bodies at the most favourable places so that the free space profile is used as satisfactorily as possible. Now the car bodies can be somewhat broader and shorter, so that a more efficient arrangement of seats in the car bodies can be realised.

[0009] The system described is suitable for a distribution of trucks below car bodies in a manner such that with adapted car body lengths a largest possible building width becomes possible within the limitations of the cinematic building profile. The wheel sets need not be arranged below the car body ends and this has an advantageous effect of oscillation behaviour of the car body.

[0010] In order to realise the advantages of the invention to an even greater extent in relation to wheel sets arranged at the ends of the rail vehicle - in the order of succession of the uniaxled trucks of this undercar system viewed from the end - the first and the second truck are disposed near one another and movably interconnected by means of a coupling mechanism and the first truck with the second and the third truck has a prolongation extending beyond the coupling mechanism, which is pivotally connected with a short lever beam arm of a steering beam.

[0011] The aforesaid and further features of the invention will be illucidated hereinafter by way of example with reference to a drawing.

[0012] The drawing schematically shows in:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a side view, a horizontal sectional view and a bottom view respectively of a rail vehicle embodying the invention,

Fig. 4 an enlarged perspective view of detail IV of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 an enlarged plan view of detail V of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 a sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5,

Figs. 7 and 8 a enlarged sectional view taken on the lines VII-VII and VIII-VIII respectively of Fig. 4,

Fig. 9 on an enlarged scale a diagram of a fraction of the steering means of the undercar system of Figs. 1 to 8, and

Fig. 10 a plan view of the detail of Fig. 4, tracting and breaking means being added thereto.

[0013] The rail vehicle 11 shown in Figs. 1 to 3 comprises three intercoupled car bodies 12 carried by an undercar system 9 embodying the invention, comprising a plurality - in this example eight - of uniaxled trucks numerated in order of succession from the left-hand end indicated in the drawing by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Each truck 1 to 8 comprises a frame 10 with two pivotal arms 14 journalled theron and carrying each an axle bearing 15 holding a wheel axle 16 formed by an axle 17 and two wheels 18 rigidly secured thereto.

[0014] The frame 10 is bearing by means of spring packets 19 on the pivotal arms 14. Via air springs 20 and rubber springs 21 positioned in series therewith the frame 10 supports the car body 12 located above the same.

[0015] The trucks 1 to 8 are coupled with one another by means of steering means 24 for directing the wheel axles 16 towards a bow centre of the passed rail bow.

[0016] The steering means 24 comprise steering beams 27 which couple with one another the intermediate trucks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 disposed each between two other trucks by means of their long lever arms 28.

[0017] Short lever arms 29 of these steering beams 27 are relatively articulated by means of spherical pivots 30. The steering beams 27 are pivotally connected between their long and short leer arms to the intermediate trucks 2 to 7 by means of spherical pivots 31 to 32. Fig. 3 shows that each intermediate truck 3 to 6 comprises a spherical pivot 31 formed by a ball pivot, the ball 33 of which is embraced in a rubber layer 34, which allows some axial movement of the steering beam 27 relatively to the frame 10.

[0018] The spherical pivot 32 of Fig. 8 comprises a bridge piece 37 connected by means of rubber blocks 36 to longitudinal beams 35 of a frame 10 and extending transversely of a steering beam 27.

[0019] A pin 38 passes through ears 39 of the frame 10 and through a rubber block 36, so that the bridge piece 37 can slightly tilt about a horizontal axis 59 located at a higher level than the steering beam. The bridge piece 37 has a lower piece 40 accommodating a ball pivot 41, which is not provided with rubber spring cushions and is engaged between two inner walls 42 of the steering beam 27 through a pivot pin 43. This ensures a rigid pivot in transverse direction between the steering beam 27 with respect to the frame 10 is enabled by the turn of the bridge piece 37 about the axis line 59. Each car body 12 is coupled by means of a coupling rod 49 (Fig. 3) with a steering beam 27.

[0020] It should be noted that the steering beam 27 is entirely loose from each car body 12 carried by the coupled trucks 3 to 6 or in other words the trucks are mechanicaly interconnected while short-circuiting each car body 12. As a result movement of the car body 12 cannot disturb the action of the steering means 24.

[0021] The trucks 1 and 8 are identical to one another. The trucks 2 and 7 are also identical to one another, so that hereinafter only the trucks 1 and 2 will be described.

[0022] With respect to wheel axle bearing and springs for supporting the car bodies 12 there is no principal difference between the trucks 1 and 2 on the one hand and the trucks 3 to 6 on the other hand.

[0023] The frame 10 of the undercar is provided with a pole 44, which is coupled by means of a spherical pivot 30 with the short lever beam arm 29 of the steering beam 27, which is pivotally connected with the frame 10 of the undercar 2 by means of a spherical pivot 31. The trucks 1 and 2 are disposed near one another and movably connected with one another by means of the coupling mechanism 45 consisting of a bridge piece 47 corresponding with the bridge piece 37 and extending transversely of the direction of movement 46, said bridge piece 47 being pivotally connected both to the first and the second truck 1 and 2 by means of spherical pivots 48. The pole 44 constitutes a prolongation of the frame 10 extending beyond the coupling mechanism 45 of the truck 1.

[0024] The wheel axles 16 of the trucks 1 to 8 have pitch distances a_l to a₇ (see fig. 1).

[0025] The places of the pivots 30, 31 and 32 in the intermediate trucks 3, 4, 5 and 6 are determined as follows. the pivots 31 and 32 are disposed on both sides of the wheel axle 16 at a relative distance 2v. The wheel axle 16 has an eccentrical shift e with respect to the middle of the distance 2v. In figs. 1 to 8 e is equal to v. In the case the eccentricity e for the intermediate trucks 3 and 5 is directed to the right and for the intermediate trucks 4 and 6 to the left as shown in the situation of fig. 9 the following formulae apply to the short arm _J2 and g:



When in the truck 2 the pivot 21 has a distance d to the wheel axle 3; when the pivotal mechanism 45 is located in the middle piece between the wheel axles 3 of the trucks 1 and 2; and when the lengths of the short lever beam arms 29 located on the right side of the pivots 30 are designated by p and the lengths of the other lever beam arms 29 by g and also at the outer trucks 1 and 8 the distance of the pivot 30 to the wheel axle 16 by g; the following formulae apply:











when in total eight axles are provided and the under car system 9 is symmetrical it furthermore applies:

Claims

1. An undercar system (9, 61) for a railway vehicle (11) comprising a plurality of single-axled trucks (1 to 8), which are intercoupled by means of steering means (24) for directing at least one wheel axle (16) towards the bow centre, characterized in that at least one intermediate truck (3 to 6), arranged between other trucks (1 to 8), is connected by means of long lever beam arms (28) of steering beams (27) with two other intermediate trucks (2 to 7), whilst short lever beam arms (29) of these steering beams (27) are pivotally interconnected and these two steering beams are pivotally connected between their long and short lever beam arms (28, 29) with the intermediate truck (3 to 6).

2. An undercar system (9) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one steering beam (27) interconnects two successive trucks (3 to 6) short-circuiting each car body carried by these trucks (3 to 6).

3. An undercar system (9) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the steering beams (27) are connected with one another and with the trucks (3 to 6) by means of spherical pivots (30, 31, 32).

The distances a3 and a₅ bridging the bellows couplings 50 between the car bodies 12, are smaller than the distances a₂, a4 and a₆. At the ends of the car bodies the traction motors 51 are arranged at the distances a3 and a₅. They are suspended to the steering beams 27. These axles 17 (see fig. 10) are driven by these traction motors 51 through hollow gear boxes 52 surrounding the axles 17 and through a coupling 3. Moreover, a brake 54 is provided on the axle 17. The space over the distance a₆ thus remains free for arranging other apparatus.

The undercar system is suitable, not only for suspending thereto electric traction motors, but also for suspending thereto combustion engines having electric, hydraulic, hydrodynamic or mechanical transmissions and for suspending apparatus boxes and ducts.

The arrangement of the wheel axles 16 below the car bodies 12 is furthermore such that the free space profile is most satisfactorily utilised and the seat distribution is most efficient. On the side of the passage path each time five seats 56 or four ample seats 57 can be arranged. Thus the useful floor surface per wheel axle 16 is larger.

The undercar system embodying the invention can also be used with wheel axles having rotatably journalled wheels.

4. An undercar system (9) as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the relative distances (a₂ to a₆) of intermediate trucks (3 to 6) up to the successive trucks (2 to 7) are unequal and in that the arm lengths (p, g) of lever beam arms (29) of the steering beams (27) interconnected in the vicinity of the intermediate trucks (3 to 6) are unequal, whilst their lengths are chosen in dependence on the unequal distance (a₂ to a₆).

5. An undercar system (9) as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two trucks are spaced apart by a distance (a3, a₅) corresponding with the space required for a coupling (50) connecting two car bodies (12) and two traction motors (51) driving the axles (17) of said trucks (3 to 6), whilst the distances (a_l, a4, a₆) of each of these trucks (3 to 6) from the next following truck (a₂ to a₇) are larger.

6. An undercar system (9) as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that - in the order of succession of the uniaxled trucks (1 to 8) of this undercar system (9) viewed from the end - the first and the second truck (1, 2) are disposed near one another and movably interconnected by means of a coupling mechanism (45) and the first truck (1) with the second and the third truck (2, 3) has a prolongation (44) extending beyond the coupling mechanism (45), which is pivotally connected with a short lever beam arm (29) of a steering beam (27).

7. An undercar system (9) as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and the second truck (1, 2) are movably interconnected by means of the coupling mechanism (45) comprising a pivotal rod (47) extending transversely of the direction of movement (46) in upward direction, which rod is pivotally connected to both the first and the second truck (1, 2).

8. An undercar system (9) as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one steering beam (27) is constructed as a carrier of traction means (51) or another vehicle equipment.

9. An undercar system (9) as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that with the frame (10) of at least one intermediate truck (3 to 6) a bridge piece (37) is connected so as to be pivotable about a horizontal transverse axis (59) and carries a spherical bearing (41) located on another level than the horizontal transverse axis (59), in which bearing the steering beam (27) is pivotally journalled.

Drawing