AU697292B2

AU697292B2 - Suspension unit for rolling stock

Info

Publication number: AU697292B2
Application number: AU74002/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Anthony Camuglia; John Camuglia
Original assignee: BOOGAN Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Bradken Resources Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1995-12-15
Filing date: 1996-11-27
Publication date: 1998-10-01
Anticipated expiration: 2016-11-27
Also published as: AU7400296A

Description

r~---~--FP~~~"-L-R~Ydp~earaulslm~aaql pK 1 P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 ir

I

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "SUSPENSION UNIT FOR ROLLING STOCK" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: i^ ,i L 2 THIS INVENTION relates to suspension units for rolling stock.

The invention is particularly suitable for, but not limited to, a suspension unit for sugar cane bins.

On some sugar mill tram lines, lack of proper maintenance causes the rails to subside at some points, causing cane bins fitted with two axles to only have three wheels in contact with the rails. This often leads to expensive de-railments.

In an attempt to overcome the problem, a suspension system was developed, as disclosed in AU-A-14545/88 (G.

CAMUGLIA) in which the axles were mounted on hinged "floating arms", the floating arms being provided with springs which permitted vertical movement of the axles relative to the rigid bin frames, so that the wheels could follow the undulations of th, track. However, the bearings were rigidly mounted in "W-shaped" couplings which prevented longitudinal or lateral movement of the axles relative to the chassis, and the axles had no steering characteristics.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a suspension unit which allows the wheel sets to move longitudinally and/or laterally relative to the chassis.

It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide a suspension unit where the wheel sets are steerable.

1t It is a further preferred object of the present invention to provide a suspension unit where helper springs come into operation when the roiling stock are loaded.

Other preferred objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

In one aspect, the present invention resides in a suspension unit for rolling stock including: a floating arm hingedly mounted at or adjacent one end to the chassis or frame of the rolling stock; at least one spring means interconnecting the floating arm to the chassis or frame to control vertical movement of the floating arm relative to the chassis or frame; a horncheek suspension mounting on the floating arm; a bearing housing at, or adjacent, one end of an axle of 15 a wheel set, received in the horncheek suspension mounting; and an elastomeric suspension block interposed between the bearing housing and the horncheek mounting to enable at least limited longitudinal, lateral and/or steering movement of the axle relative to the chassis or frame.

Preferably, the forward end of the floating arm is hingedly mounted to the chassis or frame and the rearward (or trailing) end of the floating arm is received between a pair of spaced guide plates.

I I'LiI i' ri r 1 4 Preferably, the spring means includes a first spring means interconnecting the floating arm and the chassis or frame to provide vertical movement control for the floating arm when the rolling stock is empty or lightly loaded.

Preferably, secondary spring means interconnect the floating arm to the chassis or frame to provide vertical movement control for the floating arm to the chassis or frame to provide the vertical movement control for the floating arm when the rolling stock I is fully loaded. This constitutes a dual stage suspension arrangement.

Preferably, the bearing means are provided with clearance within the horncheek mounting, and the elastomeric block is interposed between the top face of the bearing housing and a complementary downwardly-directed face on the floating arm or horncheek mounting.

A vehicle suspension block or pad, particularly suitable U i for the invention, consists of a pair of steel mounting plate with a rubber pad or block vulcanised between them.

In a second aspect, the present invention resides in rolling stock having at least one wheel set provided with suspension units of the type hereinbefore described.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to FIG 1 which is a schematic side view of the suspension unit; and FIG 2, which is a schematic side view of a suspension block suitable for the suspension unit.

The fulling stock 10, eg. a 20-tonne sugar cane bin, has a chassis 11 supported on a pair of wheel sets 12 (one of which is shown) where the wheel sets 12 each have a pair of flanged wheels 13 operable to run on tramway rails 14.

The suspension unit 20 has a floati,ig arm 21 hingedly mounted at its forward end on a pin 22 interconnecting a pair of mounting brackets 23 on the chassis 11.

I" The trailing end of the floating arm 21 is provided for vertical movement between a second pair of brackets 24 on the chassis, the lower limit of the vertical movement being determined by a transverse stop I 15 A first compression spring 26 interconnects the floating arm 21 to the chassis 11 to provide suspornsion control for the i floating arm when the bin 10 is empty or lightly loaded.

Secondary springs 27, 28 provide additional suspension control when the bin is loaded at or near capacity.

A bearing block 29 for the axle of a wheel set 12 is received, with clearance, between the horncheeks 30, 31 of a horncheek mounting 32 fixed to the underside of the floating arm 21.

t u !I a r' d wa A supension block 33 is interposed between the bearing block 29 and a downwardly directed face on the horncheek mounting 32 (or the underside of the floating arm 21). As shown in FIG 2, the suspension block 33 has a top plate 336 bolted to the bearing block 29. (These plates may be, eg., 16mm thick.) A rectangular rubber block 33c is vulcanised to the two plates 33a, 33b to form the suspension block 33. A strap 34 interconnects the lower ends of the horncheeks 31, 32 to provide a restraint for the bearing block 29.

As the wheel 13 rolls over undulations in the tramway rail 14, the pivotal movement of the floating arm 21 relative to the chassis 11 will maintain the wheel 13 in contact with the rail 14.

The clearance between the bearing block 29 and the horncheeks 30, 31, and the characteristics of the rubber block 33, 15 will enable the bearing block 29 to move at least a small distance longitudinally and/or laterally relative to the horncheek mounting 32, and thereby relative to the chassis 11. This movement and the forces generated by constant wheel-rail contact allows the wheel set 12 to be "steered" relative to the chassis 11 when the bin 10 passes around a curve in the tramway rails 14 (eg. to negotiate a left-hand curve or bend, the bearing block 29 at the right-hand side of the lead wheel set 12 can move forwardly relative to the horncheek mounting 32, while the left-hand beaK,g block 29 will move rearwardly 1;1 p

L

relative to its horncheek mounting 32). The trailing wheelset will move in the opposite direction.

In addition to the movement of the bearing blocks 29 relative to their horncheek mountings 32 due to the resilient nature of the suspension blocks 33, the suspension blocks 33 will also provide damping and minimise transmission to the chassis 11 of any vibration or shock-loads applied to the bearings of the wheel sets 12

I

by the tramway rails 14.

It will be readily apparent to the skilled addressee that 1 10 the suspension unit enables cane bins or other rolling stock fitted i :-t therewith to negotiate undulations in the rails, while also providing steering for the wheel sets without the need for expensive and complicated steering components.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the 15 embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims.

i *1[ p-.

Claims

1. A suspension unit for rolling stock including: a floating arm hingedly mounted at or adjacent one end to the chassis or frame of the rolling stock; at least one spring means interconnecting the floating arm to the chassis or frame to control vertical movement of the floating arm relative to the chassis or frame; a horncheek suspension mounting on the floating arm; a bearing housing at, or adjacent, one end of an axle of a wheel set, received in the horncheek suspension mounting; and 1 "an elastomeric suspension block interposed between the bearing housing and the horncheek mounting to enable at least limited longitudinal, lateral and/or steering movement of the axle relative to the chassis or frame. 15

2. A suspension unit, as claimed in Claim 1 wherein: the forward end of the floating arm is hingedly mounted to the chassis or frame and the rearward (or trailing) end of the Sfloating arm is received between a pair of spaced guide plates.

3. A suspension unit as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein: the spring means includes a first spring means interconnecting the floating arm and the chassis or frame to provide UI ,I U 19 vertical movement control for the floating arm when the rolling stock is empty or lightly loaded.

4. A suspension unit as claimed in Claim 3 wherein: secondary spring means interconnect the floating arm to the chassis or frame to provide vertical movement control for the floating arm to the chassis or frame to provide the vertical movement control for the floating arm when the rolling stock is fully loaded.

A suspension unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein: the bearing means are provided with clearance within the horncheek mounting, and the elastomeric block is interposed between the top face of the bearing housing and a complementary ,downwardly-directed face on the floating arm or horncheek mounting.

6. A suspension unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to wherein: the suspension block consists of a pair of steel mounting plates with a rubber pad or block vulcanised between the plates.

7. A suspension unit for rolling stock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1:. 1: F t159 9L

8. Rolling stock having at least one wheel set provided with suspension units of the type claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7. DATED this twenty-seventh day of November 1996. BOOGAN PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys FISHER ADAMS KELLY IF 11 ABSTRACT A suspension unit (20) for rolling stock (10) has a floating arm (21) hingedly mounted on the chassis and the bearing block (29) for one end of the axle of a wheel set (12) is received between horncheeks (30, 31) fixed to the floating arm (21). A rubber suspension block (33) is interposed between the floating arm (21) and bearing block (29) and enables the latter to move a small distance longitudinally and/or laterally to e.ic. i the wheel set (12) to be "steered" relative to the chassis (11) when the rolling stock (10) travels around a curve in the rails Springs (26, 27 and 28) provide a dual stage suspension arrangement for the wheel set (12). t,, 3r e