Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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SP~CIFICATION
The invention relates to improvements in double
axle drive for rail traction vehicles which include a drive
motor mounted in the bogie frame between the axles w1th the
drive motor having its ~ower output shafts extend:lng in the
direction of travel of the vehicle~ and particularl~ relates
to improvements in the construction for coupling the drive
motor to the rail axles.
In rail drives having double axles on a bogie
frame, the rotational drive power to the axles is derived by
angular gear drives with a pinion driving a larger gear on
the axle. Torque is transmitted to the pinion from the
motor by a coupling.
A double axle drive of the type above described is
shown in German OS 26 0l 516 wherein two rubber block
couplings are disposed between the drive motor and angular
drive gears. This construction provides for angular
mobility and torsional elasticity, bu~ disadvantaqes are
present in that the prestress o~ the individual rubber
blocks of the coupling is very high because of the
simultaneous action of tor~ue and centrifugal force. This
makes assembly very difficult. Despite the high prestress,
an increasing speed produces an increasing unbalanced force
which, because of the uneven settling process of the rubber
is not definable and provides a factor of considerable
uncertainty in design and operation~
It is accordingly an object of the invention to
provide an improved ~oupling which exhibits high anqular
mobility, is assembled without prestress, and which operates
faultlessly centered over all speed ran~es even the speed
ranges necessary for rotary current drive te~-,nology.
It is a further object of the invention to provide
an improved combination drive utilizing a coupling which has
ruggedness and useful long life required for rail traction
vehicles and is capable o~ being equipped with spring
elements which are torsionally elastic.
A feature of the invention is the provision of a
flexible coupling which eliminates prestressed joints and
which allows for axial expansion and contraction and
adjustment by providing ball and socket joints having at
least one restrictive row of balls in two coupling halves.
The ball and socket ~oints which accommodate axial shifting
between the coupling and the driven shaft and the driving
shaft can be assembled without a restoring force. The two
shaft ends run faultlessly centered and no unbalance results
even at high speeds.
It is another feature of the invention to provide
a torsionally elastic centering element which is disposed
between the coupling halves. As a result of a torsionally
elastic centering element, it is possible to design the
coupling in such a manner that it not only allows high
excursion movement and forces and can be assembled and
reassembled without a restoring force, but ;s also
torsionally elastic and operates torsionally elastic without
precise centering being lost. By this arranqement, a
2~ coupling is achieved which not only utilizes oppvsed
coupling sections or halves which are centered, but which
are torsionally elastic.
In accordance with the invention, an elastic
centering element utilizes a centering ring on one side and
a centering pin on the other side~ A normal centering on
one side of the corpling is obtained as a result of the
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centering ring and a free outside space for a torsionally
elastic torque transmitting element is available at the
other coupling side as a result of the centering pin~
A further feature of the coupling construction is
that the centering element includes sliding elements at the
side of the centering pin. As a result of these sli~ing
elements, the coupling halves can move relative to each
other without developing friction and without rust
occurring. Nevertheless, a precise axial and radial
guidance is attained. Therefore, radially and axially
effective guide elements are obtained in the form of a
sliding sleeve or floating bushing and a double sliding disk
which serve as the sliding members. Thus, the coupling
derives the advantages which are equal to threade~ or
screwed flange parts with respect to the centerinq of the
running or axial alignment but which also allows movement of
the individual coupling halves relative to each other.
It is a further feature of the invention ~hat at
least one elastic ring, preferably of rubber is provided for
transmitting the torque and is disposed in the centering
element in the area of the centering pin~ The desired
torsional elasticity achieved by means of the elastic ring
which is pref rably oE rubber in order to exploit the self-
dampening properties of rubber. A ring disposed around the
centering pin advantageously can be connected without
prestress to the centering element relative to disadvantages
of screw type connections and outer rings. Thust the
desired ease of assembl~ and disassembly has also been made
possible. Further, no imbalances derive even at high speeds
inasmuch as an outer ring of metal ~urrounds the elastic
ring and provides a reliable fixing of the elastic rinq in
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the centering element.
~ further feature of the invention is that the
coupling at the side of the centering pin is designed in
dual parts so that an axially effective member is dispo~ed
between the parts. The axial position of all parts of the
coupling relative to one another is securely fixed in as
complete a manner as is the radial position which is
determined by a sliding sleeve or floating bushin~ and
centering ring and outer ring. The arrangement allows a
certain rotational mobility of the cou~ling halves relative
to each other, ana provides overall centering which is fully
as effective as an intermediate centerin~ ring threaded to
two coupling halves~
A further feature of the invention in another form
is the provision of a three-part coupling having rubber
spring elements which are profiled or shaped and are
assembled without prestress. As a result of torque
transmission by means of rubber spring elements mounted
without prestress, a coupling which reacts softly is
obtained, particularly when the rubber spring elements are
profiled in the power delivery or expansion or flexure
direction. The rubber spring elements are advantageously
disposed in bores by means of freely movable intermediate
disk parts and alternately interact with pins of one
coupling side which extend through the rubber spring
elements. A particularly elastic coupling is therefore
derived which comprises a few simple compvnent parts and is
particularly suitable for lower torques and speeds.
Other objects, advantages and features of the
invention will become more apparent with khe teaching of the
principles thereof in the specification9 olaims and drawings
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in which:
Figure l is an elevational shown somewhat
schematically of an overall drive arrangement for a rail
vehicle;
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken
through the axis oE a drive couPling between the drive motor
and the driven rail axle
Figure 3 is another sectional taken along the axis
of the coupling of another form embodying the principles of
the present invention and
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken
thr~ugh a coupling embodying embodying features of the
present invention.
Figure l illustrates the basic components of a
double axle drive or a rail traction vehicle wherein the
various elements are directly labelle~. The elastically
seated motor is centrally disposed in the bogie frame
between the two pairs of wheels which are mounted on cross
a~les and have angular gears on the axles for driving the
wheels. The drive from the motor is transmitted through
driving and driven shafts joined to each other through a
coupling with the shafts rotating on an axis extending in
the direction of travel of the rail vehicle, that is, at
right angles to the wheel a~les.
Figure 2 illustrates the internal details of a
cvupling embodying the features o the invention, The
coupling joins one shaft 1 to the other shaf~ la, and for
purposes o description, the shaft l may be taken as the
driving shaft and la as t.he driven shaft, althou~h the
direction of power transmission may be in the opposite
direction.
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Mounted on the driving shaft 1 is a ball and
socket joint hub 2 which is suitably secured such as by
splines la to the shaft 1. An outer part 5 of the ball and
socket joint is connected to the hub by spherical balls ~
which are arranged in circumferentially spaced pockets 2a on
the hub and 5a on the outer sleeve 5. These pockets extend
axially and are of uniform size being spherical in shaPe so
as to seat the balls, and permit relative axial movement of
the shaft. The balls are held in place by a cage 3 which
has openings for the balls and which i5 held in place by an
arcuate sur~ace 2b at the sides of the pocket 2a on the
hub. For transmission of rotational torque from the ball
and socket joint, the ring 5 of the joint is bolted by means
of bolt~ ~b to a centering element 12. The centering
element has a centering disk 11 integral therewith, and the
centering eIement has a center pin 12a. Surrounding the
centering pin 12a is a sliding or floating bushing 14.
Surrounding the bushing is a floating disk 15 which has a
hub 15a surrounding the bushing 14 and an outer flange
portion 15b resting against a flat axial ring 16. Two rings
16 are provided which are on opposite sides of an inwardly
extending flange 12b of the member 12.
An ou~wardly extending flange 13a of the member 12
has a ring bolted thereto by throu~h-bolts such as 13b to
hold a rubber torque transmitting ring R. The torque
transmitting ring R may be in different forms~ and as shown
in the lower part of Figure 2, R is in the form of an
axially flat annular ring held in its curved conformation by
the retainer ring 13. In the upper portion of Figure 2, the
ring R' is held by a retainer ring 137 with through-bolts
13b' which bolt the ring to the flange 13a'~ Small movable
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axial pins 13c may extend through the ring R' to aid in
holding it in place, but these do not retard the rotational
torque flexibility of the ring ~'.
The torque transrnittin~ rubber ring R kran mit8
rotational force to the other half of the ball and socket
joint which includes an outer ring 6 with axially extending
pockets 6a. Seated in the pockets are balls 7 which also
seat in axially extending pockets 8a of a hub 8 w~ich is
splined to the shaft la. The pockets extend axially similar
to the ball and socket joint on the shaft l, and the balls
are held in place by an annular cage which is axially
retained on the arcuate surface 8b at the side of the
pockets on the hub 8.
The torsional ring R may be spheroidally shaped in
cross section, can be retangular as shown by the ring R' or
can exhibit a round cross sectionO
Spacing between the shaft end la and the outer
ring 6 is shown by the circled line lOo A similar spacing
is provided between the shaft l and the coupling member
12. Misalignment or pivot motion of the shafts l and la
occurs about the plane 18, and the axial misalignment is
indicated by the arrowed dimension line shown at A.
Centering alignment and axial aliynment within the
co~pling assembly are achieved through the floating bushing
l~ and the floating ring 15 and by the axial disks 16 which
relatively control and accommodate the position of the outer
rings of the ball and socket joints and allow the torsion
ring R to function to transmit driving korque and to
assimilate vibrational forces. ~ssembly and disassembly of
the unit is accomplished by removal of the bolts such at 5a
and 13b, and the floating ring ll and part of the flat disk
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16 may be split or in sections to permit their assemblage.
Figure 3 illustrates another form of the coupling
utilizing fewer parts and rotational mobility is reduced.
21 indicate~ the one shaft end which may, for purposes of
descript;on, be designated as a drive shaft and carries a
ball and socket joined hub 22 which is suitably splined to
the ~haft 21. 5pherical balls 24 are seated in axially
extend;ng slots in the hub 22 and held in place by an
annular cage 23. An o~ter ball and socket ring 25 has
axially extending slots for receiving the balls.
A centering ring 30 is disposed between the
opposed ball and socket joints being located between the
sleeves 25 and 26 of the joints and being held therebetween
by circumferentially spaced axially extending through-bolts
30a. The rings of the ball and socket joints are centered
by a shoulder 32 (shown in the encircling ring which is
added to the drawing for purposes of designation). An
expansion compensation ~pacing 31 is provide~ (shown by the
circle to designate the area). The plane of torq~Te support
or alignment accommodation is indicated at 33. The possible
pivotal motion due to chan~e in alignmen~ of the shafts 21
and 29 is indicated by the arrowea lines ~9aO The driven
ball and socket joint includes the outer ring 26 wi~h
axially extending pockets and a hub 28 is splined to the
shaft 29. Spherical balls 27 seat in the pockets of the
ring 26 and in a~ially extending pockets on the hub 28, and
the balls are held in place by a cage 21a.
In the arrangement of Figure 4, the coupling
illu~trAted allows damping motion of the individual shafts
relative to one another in ever~ directionO ~ubs 42 and 55
are mounted on and splined to respective shafts ~1 and 5~.
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~ub 42 carries a ring 43 and a ring 44 which by axiall~
extending through~bolts provides spacers to mount a drive
disk 45 which preferably has a star-like design constituting
an inner circular or annular portion with spaced
projections. A similar construction is provided in a ring
~4 which mounts on the hub 55. To interconnect the star-
like rings 45 and 54, an intermediate element is provided,
and pins or bolts 47 and 51 e~tend from the star rings into
the elastic rubber spring elements 49 and 53 in the center
coupling member 48. Bushings 46 and 52 are provided for the
pins 51 and 47. The cou~ling 53 is formed of rubber and is
assembled without prestress and admits motion in all
directions, but transmits rotary torque. Assimilation and
vibrations and stresses is accomoodated, and yet the
coupling member 53 remains in its centered position when
stationary and when driving in axial alignment with the
shaf~s 41 and 56. Cer~ain axial misalignment is
accomModated as indicated by the arrowed lines at D~ and
axial shifting of the shafts such as due to temperature
change is permitted as indicated by the arrowed lines M.
Further, angular cocking of the axis of the shafts is
accommodated as indicated by the arrowed dimension A.
Thus, it will be seen tha~ ~e have provided an
improved coupling concept which meets the objectives and
advantages above set orth and provides particular
accommodation in a rail vehicle which are subject to
particularly high demands concerning useful life and safety.
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