Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Device for supporting, guiding and steering a
braked and/or driven wheelset for rail vehicles
The invention relates to a device for supporting,
guiding and steering a braked and/or driven wheelset for rail
vehicles in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.
The practice of constructing the wheelsets of two-axle
rail vehicles as geared axles to allow radial setting in
track bends has been known since the early days of railways
(Pfeffer F., Kleinhanns, G.: Budweis - Linz-Gmunden (1828),
Verlag J.O. Slezak, Vienna 1982).
British Patent 858 933 discloses a running gear with
single-stage springing, in which a running-gear frame is
supported on the axle bearings and guided on the latter by
way of a cheek-type guide. Arranged on the running-gear frame
is a suspension system on which a carriage body is supported
by way of specially designed upper spring plates. In the
longitudinal direction of the running gear, the spring plates
have vertical guides into each of which a correspondingly
designed vertical pen connected firmly to the running-gear
frame engages. As a result of this and by means of a steering
rod arranged between the headpiece of the running-gear frame
and the carriage body, the running-gear frame is stabilized
against tilting movements which occur as reaction forces from
the braking device, which is designed as a block brake and is
suspended on the running-gear frame.
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In another embodiment of British Patent 858,933, the
torque support of a wheelset gear is supported on the
running-gear frame, and the running-gear frame is stabilized
relative to the carriage body by way of a double link
arrangement.
European Patent 0,082,043 discloses a running gear with
two-stage springing in which, in a first spring stage, the
wheelset is mounted in a running-gear frame to allow an
essentially vertical spring motion, the running-gear frame,
for its part, being guided on a carriage body by way of
links. The radial setting in a bend is accomplished by means
of the wheel/rail contact geometry and against the four
bearing springs of the second spring stage, on which the
carriage body is supported on the running-gear frame. The
braking device is designed as a block brake and, for its
part, is suspended on the running-gear frame, the braking
torque being supported by way of the two-stage springing and
the coupling of the running gear to the carriage body.
However, all the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments
have the common disadvantage of self-steering wheelsets that
radial setting in a bend depends to a great extent on the
condition of the track and the resulting wheel/rail contact
geometry. ThUs, incorrect settings which occur due to
differences in rail condition over a line network and due to
discreet and random deviations in track position cannot be
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excluded and, overall, these lead to increased wear.
In view of this background, European Patent 0,295,462
discloses exemplary embodiments in which a wheelset is
mounted in a running-gear frame and is forcibly steered
together with this and can be pivoted about the vertical axis
for the purpose of radial setting in a bend, irrespective of
the state of wear of the rails. The guidance of the running
gear in the longitudinal direction is accomplished by means
of at least one longitudinal link, which is arranged between
the carriage body and the running-gear frame in such a way as
to allow angular movement. For the radial setting of the
running gear in a bend, additional push and/or pull elements
are provided, by means of which the angular movement is
transmitted from a vehicle in front to the running-gear frame
of the leading wheelset of a following vehicle. The radial
setting in a bend of the trailing wheelset is accomplished by
means of a connecting linkage arranged crosswise between the
running-gear frames of the two running gears of a vehicle.
According to the object, the solutions disclosed here
are, measured by conventional bogeys having at least two
wheelsets, running gears of lightweight design which have
become known from the literature as wheelset-type individual
running gears and individual-wheel individual running gears.
However, the use of a running-gear frame, which must, of
course, be designed as a bending beam in order to support a
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carriage body, means that, in this case too, a large amount
of unnecessary weight is being carried and this has a
negative effect in all respects.
It is here that the present invention intervenes, its
object being to provide a device for supporting, guiding and
steering a braked and/or driven wheelset for rail vehicles
which avoids the disadvantages presented and, at the same
time, dispenses with the hitherto customary running-gear
frame for reasons of weight reduction.
According to the invention, the object is achieved by
means of the defining part of claim 1. Advantageous
embodiments of the invention can be taken from the further
claims.
By means of the device according to the invention, known
running gears of the types stated above can have their weight
reduced to a minimum. Moreover, by virtue of the elimination
of the running-gear frame, the device advantageously assists
the creation of low-floor rail vehicles.
For this purpose, a wheelset is supported on both sides
by means of axle bearings in axle bearing housings which are
guided and steered by way of a link arrangement and are
supported relative to a steering device which, for its part,
is suspended from a carriage body which is supported
directly, via a suspension system, on said axle bearing
housings. A simple and lightweight component frame which
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serves to receive the brake and/or drive components is
saddle-mounted in a resilient manner on the axle bearing
housings, reaction forces which occur being supported via the
link arrangement on the carriage body. By means of the
steering device, angular movements are transmitted from a
vehicle in front to the axle bearing housing via the link
arrangement, so that the wheelset is always set radially in a
bend together with the associated component frame,
irrespective of the state of wear of the rails. During this
turning-out process and during the vertical deflection or
horizontal transverse deflection of the carriage body, no
troublesome relative movements occur, according to the
invention, between the wheelset and the brake and drive
components.
In the text which follows, the invention is explained by
way of example and its mode of operation described with
reference to a drawing.
In a schematic perspective representation:
Fig. 1 shows a device for supporting, guiding and steering
a braked and/or driven wheelset for rail vehicles,
Fig. 2 shows another exemplary embodiment of a device
according to the invention as shown in Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 shows an advantageous development of a device
according to the invention as shown in Fig. 1.
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In an exemplary embodiment as shown in Fig. 1, a
wheelset 1 supported on the outside, which can,
alternatively, also be supported on the inside, is supported
on both sides by axle bearings 5, 5' in axle bearing housings
6, 6', which, arranged centrally and above the axle bearings
5, 5', each have a horizontal spring support surface 7, 7' to
accept a vehicle spring system 8, 8' (not shown) for the
direct support of a carriage body 2.
Each axle bearing housing 6, 6' has two coupling points
9, 10 and 9', 10' arranged vertically one above the other on
one side in the direction of travel, on which the axle
bearing housings 6, 6' are guided by means of respective link
arrangements 3, 3' in a four-point support arrangement and
are supported on the carriage body 2 via a steering device 4.
For this purpose, two longitudinal links 13, 14 and 13',
14', which lie approximately horizontally one above the other
in their rest position, are designed as push/pull rods on
each side and are arranged essentially parallel to one
another in the direction of travel in an articulated manner
between the coupling points 9, 10 and 9', 10' of the axle
bearing housings 6, 6' and the coupling points 11, 12 and
11', 12' of the steering device 4.
The steering device 4 is mounted in bearing locations
17, 18 and 17', 18' in respective supports 15, 15' on the
carriage body 2 in such a way as to be pivotable about a
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vertical pivot 16, 16'. For this purpose, an L-shaped lever
20 is connected in an outer articulation point 21 at one end
of the steering device 4 in such a way as to be pivotable
about the vertical pivot 16 by means of its limb 22. At the
other end of the steering device 4, a T-shaped lever 19 is
connected in an outer articulation point 21' in such a way as
to be pivotable about the vertical pivot 16 by means of its
limb 25. In addition, both ends of the steering device 4 are
connected pivotably to one another by means of a transverse
link rod 28 which is arranged between the L-shaped lever 20
and the T-shaped lever 19 in respective pivot points 24, 24'.
The T-shaped lever 19 is additionally connected at its limb
26, in an outer articulation point 27, via a coupling rod 29,
to a vehicle (not shown) in front, for the purpose of setting
the wheelset 1 radially in a bend. The respective limbs 23,
23' of the L-shaped lever 20 and of the T-shaped lever 19
which point outwards transversely to the direction of travel
are designed to receive the link arrangement 3, 3' and is
provided with coupling points 11, 12 and 11', lZ' at which
the longitudinal links 13, 14 and 13', 14' are arranged in an
articulated manner.
Thus, a steering impulse which results from angular
movements of a vehicle in front is transmitted via the
coupling rod 29 to the steering device 4, and the T-shaped
lever 19 is pivoted about the vertical pivot 16', while, at
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the same time, the L-shaped lever 20 is pivoted by means of
the link rod 28 about the vertical pivot 16, the motion being
parallelogram-like. By virtue of the coupling of the steering
device 4 to the link arrangement 3, 3', this movement is
transmitted directly to the axle bearing housing 6, 6'. The
outward turning movement of the T-shaped lever 19 and of the
L-shaped lever 20 in the same sense is here converted into an
opposed longitudinal motion of the link arrangement 3, 3' on
both sides and transmitted to the axle bearing housings 6,
6', with the result that the wheelset 1 together with an
associated component frame 30 is set radially in a bend,
irrespective of the state of wear of the rails. In addition,
the longitudinal links 13, 14 and 13', 14' arranged parallel
to one another on both sides have the effect that the
wheelset 1 is guided and the axle bearing housings 6, 6'
stabilized, so that the spring support surfaces 7, 7' do not
execute any tilting movements under the influence of the
vertical deflection 8, 8'.
The component frame 30 is saddle-mounted, preferably in
a resilient manner, on the axle bearing housings 6, 6' and
serves to receive the brake and/or drive components, any
reaction forces which occur being supported via the component
frame 30 on the axle bearing housings 6, 6' and via the link
arrangement 3, 3' and the steering device 4 on the carriage
body 2, with the result that the spring system 8, 8' (not
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shown) remains completely unaffected by this and remains free
from forces.
Moreover, troublesome relative movements between the
wheelset 1 and the brake or drive components shown do not
occur either during the vertical deflection 8, 8' nor during
the horizontal transverse deflection of the carriage body 2.
To this end, the component frame 30 is, in a preferred
embodiment, supported at its side members 35, 35' on each
axle bearing housing 6, 6' via two hydraulic bearings 31, 32
and 31', 32', the bearing housings being provided, for this
purpose, with corresponding receptacles 33, 34 and 33', 34'.
As an alternative, it is also conceivable to provide
rubber-metal bearings known per se instead of the hydraulic
bearings 31, 32 and 31', 32'. The use of resilient elements
which have a suitable characteristic provides effective
frequency decoupling at this location.
Despite this, it is also possible, in a simple variant
embodiment, for the component frame 30 to be connected in a
positive manner to the axle bearing housings 6, 6'.
The component frame 30 furthermore comprises two cross-
ties 36, 36' which connect the side members 35, 35' to one
another and on which brake and/or drive components are
essentially mounted.
The arrangement of a disc brake 41, 41' is shown as a
brake component by way of example, this disc brake here being
2 1 9807~
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designed as a wheel disc brake and only its brake cylinder
43, brake levers 45 and brake shoes 47 being shown. It is
also conceivable to design the disc brake 41, 41' as shaft
disc brakes, which are arranged in a known manner on a
wheelset 1, between the wheels. In this case, the cross-ties
36, 36' serve to receive the brake components such as brake
cylinders 43, brake levers 45 and brake shoes 47.
It is likewise conceivable to provide a block brake
known per se on the component frame 30 instead of or in
combination with a disc brake 41, 41'. This block brake can
be designed as a block-brake unit or as a conventional block
brake.
An electromagnetic rail brake 49, 49' is furthermore
arran~ed on the component frame 30, for example, its
actuating units 51, 51' and centering device 52, 52' being
shown and being connected to one another by way of a track
rod 53. The component frame 30 is capable of taking up to
four such electromagnetic rail brakes individually or in
combination with the other brake components shown, the
electromagnetic rail brakes being guided in a definite manner
relative to the track since they can follow all the tracking
movements of the wheelset.
The component frame is used not only to receive the
brake components shown. Various drive components, such as
drive motors and/or gearbox supports can be supported on the
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component frame 30 instead of or in combination with these
brake components. The component frame 30 can also serve to
receive the elements for protection of train running
(magnets, receivers, etc.). The component frame is also
advantageously suitable for the mounting of side-running
current collectors, sanders and wheel flange lubrication
devices. According to the invention, this is accomplished
while preserving the same effects described above as regards
support, guidance and steering of a wheelset 1.
Figures 2 and 3 show further exemplary embodiments
according to the invention for advantageously stabilizing the
axle bearing housings 6, 6' and hence guiding and steering a
braked and/or driven wheelset 1 together with its component
frame 30. For this purpose, a wheelset 1 is supported on both
sides in axle bearings 5, 5', the axle bearing housings 6, 6'
of which each have, centrally and above the axle bearings 5,
5', a horizontal spring support surface 7, 7' for receiving a
vehicle suspension system 8, 8' (not shown) for the direct
support of a carriage body 2.
In Figure 2, each axle bearing housing 6, 6' has two
coupling points 9, 10 and 9', 10' which are arranged
vertically one above the other on one side in the direction
of travel and on which the axle bearing housings 6, 6' are
guided via a respective link arrangement 3, 3' in a three-
point support arrangement and supported on the carriage body
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2 via a steering device 4.
In this arrangement, a longitudinal link 44, 44' lying
approximately horizontal in its rest position is designed as
a push/pull element on each side and arranged in an
articulated manner between the coupling points 9, 10 and 9',
lo' of the axle bearing housings 6, 6' and a coupling point
42, 42' of the steering device 4.
In Figure 3, each axle bearing housing 6, 6' is firmly
connected at one end in the direction of travel to a
longitudinal link 54, 54' which is designed as a transverse-
spring bar 55, 55' and the other end of which is in each case
supported in an articulated manner on the carriage body 2 by
way of a steering device 4 in a coupling point 42, 42'.
In this arrangement, there is, on each side, a
longitudinal link 54, 54' which lies approximately horizontal
in its rest position and is designed deliberately as a
bending spring in the transverse direction but, in the region
of its attachment to the axle bearing housings (6, 6'), is
connected at a rigid angle to the wheelset 1 by way of said
housings. Transverse-spring bars 55, 55' designed in this way
make it possible in a simple manner to achieve any desired
transverse spring stiffness and large transverse spring
travels for the wheelset 1, allowing for the vehicle
suspension system 8, 8'.
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The longitudinal links 44, 44' and 54, 54' arranged on
both sides between a steering device 4 and the axle bearing
housings 6, 6' in Figures 2 and 3 have the effect that the
wheelset 1 is guided and steered. By virtue of the
arrangement according to the invention, the axle bearing
housings 6, 6' are stabilized in such a way that the spring
support surfaces 7, 7' cannot execute any tilting movements
under the influence of the vertical deflection 8, 8'.
