Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Method and device for positioning and levelling bearings for assembling the
floor
and for other installation components in vehicles, in particular in rail
vehicles for
transporting passengers
This invention relates to a method for positioning and leveling bearings for
assembling
the floor and for other installation components, such as the underframes for
seats,
instrumentation and equipment cabinets etc. on the sub-floor in vehicles, in
particular
railway vehicles for transporting passengers, in which the bearings are
fastened in the
longitudinal and transverse direction in rows that are aligned with one
another on the
bottom plate which is supported by longitudinal girders.
The invention further relates to a device for leveling and positioning
bearings for the
floor structure and for other installation components on the sub-floor in
vehicles, in
particular railway vehicles for transporting passengers, with bottom profile
plates on
which the bearings are arranged in the transverse and longitudinal direction,
and with
longitudinal girders on which the bottom plates are supported, and with side
walls.
DE 44 41 290 C1 describes an elastically supported connecting element that
acts as an
acoustical and vibration damper for floors of railway vehicles for the
transport of
passengers, in particular for a two-shell, non-wooden floor that is
manufactured in
segments, whereby between the floor plate and the car body chassis, there are
elastic
intermediate elements that accept segmental adhesive connections and are
oriented
transverse to the car body chassis.
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The elastic connecting element consists of a profile body that sits transverse
to the car
body chassis and the longitudinal extension of which is determined by the side
wall
profiles of the car body, with an elastic support that is connected with a
positive fit
above and below the profile body on one hand and on the other hand of an
elastic
adhesive support that is applied in segments in the same direction underneath
it on the
car body chassis. Plate-shaped webs are set into profile bodies where they act
as
supports for the floor-mounted accessories such as seat frames, poles,
partitions and
air conditioning partitions.
In the longitudinal direction of the car body chassis, there are elastic
spacer strips that
are located to the left and right of the elastic adhesive support, which
spacer strips
create the space required for the adhesive connection between the profile body
and the
car body chassis and also form a leveled plane for the subsequent construction
of the
floor.
A floor subframe section constructed in the shape of a ladder is connected to
the sub-
floor by means of adhesive between two door areas. The section is
prefabricated and is
positioned on the floor area that is provided after the car body has been
fabricated, and
is leveled by means of the elastic spacer battens. The floor subframe section
is made of
longitudinal girders and transverse girders that hold the seat frames.
In this solution of the prior art, between the floor plate and the profile
body that rests on
the spacer strips, there is an elastic support that is made of rubber with
elevations
pointing toward the floor plate and depressions which must be sized
differently to allow
an equalization of vertical differences due to manufacturing tolerances.
As a result of the construction variances and manufacturing tolerances that
are
encountered in the floor area, the height tolerances from bearing point to
bearing point
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of the floor plate are different, and the individual equalization of these
tolerances is a
very complex, time-consuming and expensive process.
This solution of the prior art also has the disadvantage that the floor
subframe section
remains in the vehicle, and the bearings must be very accurately positioned in
the
transverse direction. The use of adhesive is also complex, time-consuming and
expensive.
The equalization of uneven spots to create a leveled plane for the subsequent
construction of the floor is therefore a time-consuming and expensive part of
the
assembly process.
DE 196 12 580 C1 also describes a method for the positioning of furniture and
fixtures
on the large sections of a railway vehicle that is fabricated using a modular
construction
method in which, for example, on the subframe module of a light-rail vehicle
intended
for use in regional transit operations, the large sections are joined together
on the basis
of a dimensional reference system with dimensional reference points that can
be
scanned. These dimensional reference points are initially equipped with
passive
reflectors, and a laser projector is then pre-positioned on the basis of the
dimensional
reference points.
This method of the prior art does not eliminate the disadvantages described
above,
because the intention of the method is not to level the floor plane or to
equalize the
manufacturing and assembly tolerances.
The object of this invention is to improve the positioning and leveling of
bearings and
installation parts for the subsequent construction of the floor so that the
positioning of
the bearings and installation parts is simplified, accuracy is improved, and
at the same
time the variations caused by manufacturing and assembly tolerances can be
quickly
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and easily equalized to create a leveled and continuous reference plane for
the
construction of the floor.
The invention teaches that this object is accomplished by a method of the type
described above with the characterizing features disclosed in Claim 1, and by
a device
as disclosed in Claim 4. Advantageous developments of the invention are
disclosed in
the subclaims.
The method claimed by the invention makes possible a simple, easy, accurate
and
time-saving positioning of the bearings and the installation parts in
predetermined
positions on the subfloor of railway vehicles. Because the bearing or
reference surface
which is fixed to the longitudinal girders of the car body construction runs
on a uniform
level over the entire length of the car, there is an exact reference plane for
the reference
frame taught by the invention. The reference frame is mounted with its end-
side
transverse struts on both sides on the bearing surface in the manner of claws,
and
spans the subfloor transverse to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. It
is thereby
guaranteed that the longitudinal struts and the transverse struts of the
reference frame
are in a defined position with respect to the subfloor and make possible an
accurate
installation and orientation of the bearings and orientation of the bearings
or installation
parts to be installed and can be used simultaneously as measurement rules. It
is
particularly advantageous that the level of the longitudinal and transverse
struts is
likewise defined with reference to the subfloor, so that for each previously
positioned
bearing point, the height of the level plane spanned by the reference frame
can be
determined. Therefore at each bearing point, the height measurement that is
necessary
to achieve a leveled reference plane for the subsequent construction of the
floor can be
achieved.
The vertical equalization of the tolerance variations encountered in this
virtual reference
plane is accomplished from one support bearing point to another by the
insertion of
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elastic equalizing elements with thicknesses that are appropriate to the
variation to be
equalized, which makes it easy to achieve the leveled reference plane for the
construction of the floor.
Consequently, the advantages achieved by the invention are that the assembly
times
can be shortened, manufacturing costs can be reduced and an individual
vertical
equalization of the tolerance variances over the length and width of the car
body
becomes possible. The floor plate, which can be made of wood or aluminum, can
thereby be fastened continuously and without changes in level to the bearings
that have
themselves been leveled in a reference plane.
One exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in greater detail below
with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view from overhead of a device as claimed by the invention
inserted between two doors.
Figure 2 is a section transverse to Line B-B in Figure 1, in which the
transverse
struts are configured in the form of claws which are placed on the bearing
surfaces, and
Figure 3 is a section transverse to Line B-B in Figure 1, in which the
transverse
struts are configured in the form of claws that grip the underside of the
longitudinal girders.
Figure 1 shows the longitudinal girders 1 of a car body provided with bearing
surfaces 7
between two doors as taught by the invention. The device consists of
longitudinal struts
2, 3 and profiled transverse struts 4, 5 and 6, and forms a reference frame 8.
The
bearing surfaces 7 run along the longitudinal girders 1 over the entire length
of the car
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body. The ends of the end-side transverse struts 4 and 6 rest on these bearing
surfaces
in the form of claws, and are mounted on the subfloor 9 of the car body
consisting of
bottom profile plates over the entire width of said car body. Elastic profile
battens 12
with inserted retaining profiles 13 are clamped in the longitudinal direction
L on the
bottom profile plates 10 in projecting retaining webs 11 (See Figures 2 and
3).
Equalization elements 14 are fastened to the individual retaining profiles 13.
Profile
battens 12, retaining profiles 13 and equalization elements 14 form support
bearings 15
which are aligned in the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction
Q on the
subfloor.
The longitudinal struts 2 and 3 run parallel to the longitudinal girders 1 and
the
transverse struts 4, 5 and 6 run perpendicular to the longitudinal girders 1.
The bearing
surfaces 7, as shown in Figure 2, are at a sufficient height above the
subfloor 9 so that
the reference frame 8 is in a precisely defined reference plane BE both in the
longitudinal direction L and in the transverse direction Q as well as at a
distance H
between the bearing surface 7 and the subfloor 9. The bearings 15 are
positioned and
oriented along the longitudinal struts 2 and 3, which are simultaneously used
as
measurement rules and stops in the longitudinal direction L and are at the
required
distances A from one another. The positioning of the bearings 15 in the
transverse
direction Q is accomplished by means of the transverse struts 4, 5 and 6. The
bearings
15, after the positioning on the bottom profile plates 10, are in precisely
and accurately
defined positions.
From the reference plane BE of the reference frame 8, the height HN for each
bearing
15 is then determined, and the variance from the manufacturing tolerance 0H is
determined. Depending on the tolerance variation 0H determined, elastic
equalizing
elements 14 are then fastened with a positive fit onto the individual
retaining profiles 13.
The equalizing elements 14 also have different thicknesses and are made of
rubber.
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The other installation parts, such as subframes for seats or instrumentation
and
equipment cabinets, are mounted on height-equalizing elastic bearings 16, the
position
and height of which are also determined and defined by means of the
longitudinal struts
2 and 3 and the transverse struts 4, 5 and 6.
The bearings 15 for the floor construction and the bearings 16 for the other
installation
parts are therefore at a height that is precisely coordinated and based on the
reference
plane BE defined by the reference frame 8.
The leveling of the bearings 15 and 16 is continued by sections, for example
from the
center of one door to the center of the next door, in the car body, because
the sag of the
car body in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is negligible. The
result is an
accurately leveled reference plane BE for the floor construction and the
additional
components without changes in level.
The variant in which the end-side transverse struts 4 and 5 grip the underside
of the
longitudinal girders 1 is illustrated in Figure 3. In this case, the reference
surface 7 is
defined on the underside of the longitudinal girder 1.
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Nomenclature:
1 Longitudinal girders
2, 3 Longitudinal struts
4, 5, 6 Transverse struts
7 Bearing surface or reference surface
8 Reference frame
9 Subfloor
Bottom profile plate
11 Retaining webs
12 Elastic profile batten
13 Retaining profile
14 Equalizing elements
Bearings for floor construction
16 Bearings for other installation parts
A Distance between the bearings
BE reference plane
H Distance between the bearing or reference surface and the subfloor
HN Height
~H Construction tolerance variance
L Longitudinal direction
Q Transverse direction
