Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02414683 2006-03-22
Arcuate Tilting Mechanism For High Speed Trains
Field of Invention
The present invention is directed to high speed trains. More specifically, the
present invention is directed to a tilting mechanism which forms the interface
between
the train carriage and compartment, and allows the compartment to move in an
arcuate
fashion.
Background
The necessity for providing a tilting mechanism for high-speed trains is well
known. In order to service the ever-growing demands of the commuting
population,
railway operators are increasingly turning to the use of high speed trains to
reduce
running times. This is a particularly attractive option as these high speed
trains are
adaptable for use on existing rail lines, which avoids the costly alternative
of building
dedicated high speed train lines. However, existing lines are replete with
bends and
curves that bear high radii, which are suitable for slower speed trains, but
pose a serious
detriment to their high speed counterparts due to the increased discomfort
felt by
passengers when these high radius curves are taken at greater speeds. This
discomfort is
the result of turning forces, comprised basically of gravity and a centrifugal
force, whose
vector combination produces a resultant force, which translates in passenger
terms, to the
passenger being pushed into the seat and to the side. Furthermore, this
discomfort is
compounded by the psychological anxiety caused by these turning forces. It is
a normal
human reaction upon feeling such forces, especially in significant amounts, to
fear that
the rail car will be thrown off the track as a result of taking a curve at a
high speed. This
is an unsubstantiated fear, as the force required to lift the train off the
tracks would be
many times that experienced at operating speeds, nevertheless, this
psychological anxiety
must be taken into account when dealing with high speed trains.
Tilting trains assuage these discomforts and anxieties by tilting the
passenger
compartment unit of the train so that the resultant forces felt by the
passenger, are aligned
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with the gravitational force normally felt. In other words, the resultant
forces become
only a stronger gravitational force, thereby causing the passenger to just
feel pulled down
into the seat when the train takes a curve at a high speed, which causes much
less anxiety
and discomfort.
Previous tilting mechanisms employed massive pivoting truniouns and resulted
in
unfavorable load concentrations. Furthermore, previous mechanisms shifted the
weight
of the compartment toward the outer rail of the curve, rather than the inner
rail, thus
greatly decreasing the stability of both the compartment and the carriage with
respect to
the rails. Prior art mechanisms have also used an elevated pivot located on
the centerline
of the carriage, which results in the train being supported at a greater, and
therefore more
unstable, height. Thus, there exists a need for a tilting mechanism for use in
high speed
trains that resolves the aforementioned issues and increases the overall
stability of a train
taking high radii curves at a greater speed.
Summary of Invention
The present invention is directed to an arcuate tilting mechanism for use with
a
vehicle having a passenger compartment and a carriage traveling on a track
where the
mechanism comprises an arcuate roller gear divider mounted on the underside of
the
passenger compartment. An outer carriage roller track is mounted on the upper
side of
the carriage, so that the arcuate roller gear divider and the outer carriage
roller track are
in juxtaposed arcuate relation. A first set of roller gears is provided which
engage the
arcuate roller gear divider and the outer carriage roller track so that when
the vehicle
enters a turn, the passenger compartment can be angled into the radius of the
turn, where
the carriage remains parallel to the track.
Brief Description of Figures
In the drawings, wherein like reference numbers denote similar elements
throughout the several views:
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Figure 1 is a cross-sectional front elevation of a high speed train, in
accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2a is a cross-sectional front elevation of a high speed train from
figure 1, in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2b is a cross-sectional front elevation of a high speed train from
figure 1,
in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3a is a cross-sectional front elevation of a high speed train employing
a
roller gear divider from figure 1, in accordance with one embodiment of the
present
invention;
Figure 3b is a cross-sectional front elevation of a high speed train employing
a
roller gear divider from figure 1, in accordance with one embodiment of the
present
invention;
Figure 4a is a close up cross-sectional elevation of a the roller-gear divider
from
figure 3, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4b illustrates a cross-sectional view of line A-A on the roller-gear
divider
from Figure 4a; and
Figure 4c illustrates a cross-sectional view of line B-B on the roller-gear
divider
from Figure 4a.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
In one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in Fig. 1, an air
propelled or soft track vehicle 1, such as a high speed train, having an
arcuate tilting
mechanism is provided for moving passengers along a pressurized guide way tube
70.
Vehicle 1 is comprised of a passenger compartment 10, carriage 20, carriage
main wheels
30, and carriage guide wheels 40. Attached to tube 70, tire or soft track 50
is configured
to support carriage main wheels 30 and carriage guide wheels 40. An air
propulsion
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assembly 60 is mounted on the upper surface of tube 70 between the top of tube
70 and
the underside of compartment 10 and carriage 20 configured to provide a means
for using
air to propel vehicle 1 along track 50. Cross flow tube 80 is attached to
guide way tube
70 and configured to provide air to air propulsion assembly 60. Stanchion tube
90 and
stanchion wheel guide way supports 100 are configured to support guide way
tube 70 and
tracks 50.
It should be noted that air propulsion assembly 60 is provided as one example
of a
possible propulsion assembly for use with vehicle 1 and is in no way intended
to limit the
scope of the present invention. For example, magnetic, electric or any other
propulsion
system capable of propelling vehicle 1 along a set of tracks which employs a
similar
arcuate tilting mechanism is within the contemplation of the present
invention.
As discussed above, compartment 10 is provided with an arcuate tilting
mechanism for tilting compartment 10 relative to carriage 20. As compartment
10 and
carriage 20 approach an angled portion of guide way tube 70, compartment 10 is
tilted
into the angle relative to carriage 20 so as to counteract the centripetal
forces of
compartment 10 provided by track 50 as it goes around the turn, allowing
compartment
to proceed more quickly and stably through the turn.
In one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in Fig 2a, the
arcuate
tilting mechanism is provided, disposed between compartment 10 and carriage 20
designed to facilitate movement relative to one another. To this end, an
arcuate rail 130
is provided, disposed across the width of carriage 20.
It should be noted that one arcuate rail 130 is discussed above as
illustrative of
this embodiment, however this in no way is intended to limit the scope of the
present
invention. A series of arcuate rails 130 may be disposed in parallel along the
length of
carriage 20, each arcuate rail 130 running across the width of carriage 20 for
the length of
compartment 10.
In one embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Fig. 2b, vehicle
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wheels 140 are mounted on the under side of compartment 10 and are configured
to
engage arcuate rail 130 on compartment 10. As compartment 10 and carriage 20
approach an angled portion of tube 70, vehicle wheels 140 operate against
arcuate rail
130 affecting a tilting of compartment 10 relative to carriage 20 such that
the weight of
compartment 10 is tilted into the angle of turn in tube 70, thus countering
the centripetal
forces caused by compartment 10 moving around the angled portion of tube 70.
In another embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in Fig. 3a,
compartment 10 maintains an arcuate roller gear divider 135. Roller gear
divider 135 is
disposed on the under side and runs across the width of compartment 10. An
outer
carriage roller track 145 is provided, disposed opposite and running parallel
to roller gear
divider 135 on carriage 20,
It should be noted that a single configuration of roller gear divider 135 and
outer
carriage roller track 145 is discussed as a single assembly, however, this is
in no way
intended to limit the scope of the present invention. For example, a series of
roller gear
dividers 135 and outer carriage roller tracks 145 may be disposed in parallel
along the
length of carriage 20, each divider 135 and track 145 running across the width
of carriage
20 and compartment 10 for the length of compartment 10.
As illustrated in Fig. 3a, a series of outer roller wheels 150 are disposed at
either
end of and between roller gear divider 135 and carriage roller track 145 such
that wheels
150 provide a buffer between compartment 10 and carriage 20 near their sides
respectively. Disposed between outer roller wheels 150 (on the outer ends of
compartment 10 and carriage 20) a series of roller gears 160 are positioned
between roller
gear divider 135 and outer carriage roller track 145.
A series of hold down wheels 170 are disposed on carriage roller track 145 in
the
center of carriage 20 and are configured to hold compartment 10 and the
related arcuate
tilting systems to carriage 20.
In one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in Figure 3b, as
CA 02414683 2006-03-22
compartment 10 approaches a curve or angle in pressurized guide tube 70,
compartment
tilts inward towards the curve relative to carriage 20 so as to counterbalance
the
centripetal forces caused by rail 50. As illustrated, roller gears 160 engage
roller gear
divider 135 on compartment 10, and outer carriage roller track 145 on carriage
20 so as to
rotate compartment 10 into the curve, while hold down wheels 170 stabilize the
connection and prevent compartment 10 from separating from carriage 20.
When engaged, roller gears 160 move roller gear divider 135 is moved at a rate
of
1/2 the distance of compartment 10 such that compartment 10 can be moved twice
the
distance towards the center of curvature before divider 135 and roller wheels
150 are
exposed into the air stream. Roller wheels 150, disposed on either side of
roller gears
160, support the weight of compartment 10 during its arcuate motion.
A more detailed view of roller gear divider 135 and carriage roller track 145
is
illustrated in Fig. 4a. In one embodiment of the present invention, as
illustrated in Fig 4a,
roller gear divider 135, attached to compartment 10, is provided with an upper
gear
toothed flange 136 and outer carriage roller track 145, attached to carriage
20, is provided
with a lower gear toothed flange 146.
Upper gear toothed flange 136 and lower gear tooth flange 146 are located in
the
center of the divider 135 and roller track 145 respectively such that they can
engage roller
gears 160. At the same time roller wheels 150 are of such a configuration that
when
passing over upper gear tooth flange 136 of divider 135 and lower gear tooth
flange 146
of track 145 they do not interfere, allowing wheels 150 to pass smoothly
between divider
135 and track 145.
Fig. 4b illustrates a cross section of roller gear divider, roller gears 160
and
carriage roller track 145. The teeth of roller gears 160 engage upper gear
tooth flange
135 and lower gear tooth flange 146 so as to actuate the arcuate movement of
compartment 10 relative to carriage 20. As discussed above, upper gear flange
136 of
roller divider 135 moves at rate of 1/2 relative to the carriage such that
compartment 10 is
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exposed twice as far (relative to the roller wheel only embodiment of Figure
2b) before
roller wheels 150 are exposed into the air stream. As illustrated in Figure
4c, which
shows cross section B-B from Figure 4a, roller wheels 150 are free to support
the weight
of and facilitate arcuate movement of compartment 10 without interference from
upper or
lower toothed flanges 136 and 146.
In this configuration, present invention allows compartment 10 to rotate in an
arcuate motion into the radius of the turn shifting the weight of the train
compartment on
carriage 20 toward inner track 50 rather than the outer track as is common in
much of the
prior art. This increases the stability and smoothness of both compartment 10
and
carriage 20 with respect to track 50 and also better counters centripetal
forces associated
with older trains reducing the anxiety felt by passengers in high speed
trains.
Another advantage of the present invention is that roller gear divider 135 as
actuated by roller gears 160 reduces the amount of wheel 150 and divider 135
material
which enters the air flow when compartment 10 moves into a curve on tube 70.
This
allows the air, moving at high speeds to pass quickly over the smooth under
side curved
skin of compartment 10, as well as the smooth upper skin, reducing wind
resistance and
making the train more efficient.
Yet another advantage of the present invention, is that the arcuate tilting
mechanism which is disposed across the width of carriage 20 and compartment 10
is low
in profile, particularly compared to centerline tilting mechanisms which raise
the center
of gravity for the overall train. The arcuate design of the present invention,
maintains a
low profile lowering the center of gravity, increasing stability of the
vehicle and carriage
on both straight and curved tube 70 portions as well as reducing the risk of
carriage 20 -
compartment 10 separation.
In addition to providing a low center of gravity, this configuration of
distributing
the arcuate tilting mechanism across the entire width of carriage 20 and
compartment 10
utilizes existing structures to support the weigh of the tilting mechanism
eliminating the
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need for massive pivoting trunnions eliminating the need for unnecessary
weight
increasing efficiency and reducing the overall cost of production.
While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and
described
herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes or equivalents will now
occur to those
skilled in the art. It is therefore, to be understood that this application is
intended to cover
all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the
invention.
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