EP0060000A1 - Suspension and guiding device for railway vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

The lifting and guiding device according to the invention, intended for a railway vehicle, comprises a support consisting of a cross member, as well as two longitudinal members which, in the service position, extend in the longitudinal direction of the body and on each of which are mounted at least two wheels (1,2). These beams (5) are articulated to the common crosspiece (8) so as to allow the wheels (1,2) above, to orient themselves to follow the curves and to move to cross the unevenness of the track.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for supporting and guiding railway vehicles, equipped with at least four wheels mounted on a support intended to be secured to the body of a vehicle, in the vicinity of one end of this body and consisting of a crosspiece held perpendicular to the vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the vehicle as well as two longitudinal members which, in the service position, extend in the longitudinal direction of the body, on either side of the vertical plane aforementioned, possibly being connected to one another by means of a rod mounted on ball joints and which each carry at least two wheels.

A large number of lift and guide devices for rail vehicles are known, aiming to best reconcile the dynamic stability of these vehicles traveling on straight tracks or rails and their ease of writing into the curves of these tracks or rails.

Thus, American patent 3,066,617 describes a lifting device for a railway vehicle which mainly comprises a pair of mobile longitudinal members which can pivot in a substantially horizontal plane. These longitudinal members are capable of being guided by the rails, while remaining parallel to one another and of taking an inclination in a substantially vertical plane thanks to a crosspiece which connects them transversely.

The main drawback of this known device consists in that the inclination of the two aforementioned beams, in order to cross the unevenness of the track, causes a deformation of the constituent elements of the above device and in particular a twist of the cross-member.

In addition, the stresses and deformations of the device give rise to unloading of the wheels, which increases the risk of derailment.

As the internal deformation of each of the elements of the device must remain less than that corresponding to the elastic limit; it is obvious that the device's ability to overcome inequalities is limited. Design and construction are difficult to carry out due to the risk of stress concentrations in the sleeper. To avoid permanent deformations as much as possible and in particular those resulting from the torsion of the common cross-member, these known devices must have a sufficient wheelbase to reduce angular deformations when crossing a given inequality. This makes these known devices bulky.

The present invention aims to remedy the above drawbacks. It relates to a lifting and guiding device for a railway vehicle, equipped with at least four wheels mounted on a support intended to be secured to the vehicle body, in the vicinity of one end of this body, and constituted of a crosspiece held perpendicular to the vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the vehicle as well as of two side rails which, in the service position, extend in the longitudinal direction of the body, on either side of the above-mentioned vertical plane , optionally being connected to each other by means of a rod mounted on ball joints and which each carry at least two wheels, this device being essentially characterized in that it has means by which said longitudinal members are articulated to the common cross member so as to allow the wheels carried by the longitudinal members to orient themselves to follow the curvatures of the track and to move in order to overcome the inequalities.

The longitudinal members are mounted on articulation means carried by the cross member, so as to be able to undergo a pivoting movement around substantially vertical axes, in the service position of the device and, in a particular embodiment of the device according to the invention. invention, these articulation means allow these beams to each take a certain inclination in a substantially vertical plane, in the service position of the device.

According to a feature of the invention, the means by which the side members are articulated to the common cross member, are pivots capable of taking a certain inclination in a substantially vertical plane, in the service position of the device.

According to another feature of the invention, the pivots of the side members are capable of pivoting about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the cross-member, in the service position of the device.

In a particular embodiment, the side members are mounted on pivots connected together by a lifter which is articulated to these pivots by ball joints and which is secured to the cross member by a substantially vertical pivot in the service position of the device or by a ball joint.

The longitudinal members are advantageously mounted on pivots connected together by a lifting beam and connected to the common crossmember by means of ball joints so as to allow these longitudinal members to also pivot around their longitudinal axis.

In another particular embodiment, the crosspiece is divided into at least two parts which can pivot relative to one another around the longitudinal axis of said crosspiece.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the side members are each, on the one hand, articulated to the cross member by a first ball joint carried by said cross member and, on the other hand, connected by a second ball joint to a lifting beam, which is secured to the crosspiece by a substantially vertical pivot in the service position of the device or by a third ball joint.

Other particularities and details of the invention will emerge from the following description of the drawings appended to this specification, which schematically represent several embodiments of a lift and guide device according to the invention.

• - la figure 1 est une vue en plan d'une première forme de réalisation du dispositif suivant l'invention ;
• - la figure 2 est une vue en élévation latérale dans la direction de la flèche T de la figure 1 ;
• - la figure 3 est une vue en plan.analogue à celle de la figure 1 montrant la position des parties constitutives du dispositif suivant l'invention lors de son inscription dans une courbe d'une voie ferroviaire ;
• - la figure 4 est une vue en perspective du dispositif représenté à la figure 1 montrant des positions différentes des parties constitutives ;
• - la figure 5 est une vue en bout, après coupe suivant la ligne V-V de la.figure 1 ;
• - les figures 6 à 9 sont des vues semblables aux figures 1 et 2, montrant deux autres formes de réalisation du dispositif suivant l'invention,

In these drawings:

• - Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention;
• - Figure 2 is a side elevational view in the direction of the arrow T in Figure 1;
• - Figure 3 is a plan.analogue to that of Figure 1 showing the position of the component parts of the device according to the invention during its registration in a curve of a railroad;
• - Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 1 showing different positions of the constituent parts;
• - Figure 5 is an end view, after section along the line VV de la.figure 1;
• FIGS. 6 to 9 are views similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, showing two other embodiments of the device according to the invention,

In these different figures, the same reference notations designate similar elements.

In a first embodiment, the lifting and guiding device of a railway vehicle, shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 1 to 4, comprises a first pair of large diameter wheels 1 and a second pair of small diameter wheels 2 mounted on a support intended to be secured to a body, generally designated by the reference notation 3 of a railway vehicle in the vicinity of one end 3 ′ of this box 3, the floor 4 of which is shown in dashed lines in FIGS. 1 to 3.

The aforementioned support comprises two longitudinal members 5 which, in the service position of the device, extend in the longitudinal direction of the body 3, that is to say in the direction of the longitudinal axis XX ', on either side of the vertical plane containing this longitudinal axis XX '. The longitudinal members 5 have a shape such that the planes of the wheels 1 and 2 carried by each of them, are contained in the same substantially vertical plane, whatever the orientation of said longitudinal members.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the large diameter wheels 1 which constitute possibly motorized carrying wheels, are mounted on the outside side in the vicinity of one end 5 ′ of the spar 5, while the small wheels diameter 2 which are guide wheels, are mounted in a fork 5 "provided at the opposite end of the side members. The parts 5 'and 5" of the side members are integral with an oblique intermediate part 5' "thereof.

It is obvious that the side members 5 may have a shape different from that shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 and be for example rectilinear. In the latter case, the wheels 1 and 2 are mounted on the same side of the longitudinal members 5. Similarly, the wheels 1 and 2 can be of the same diameter.

In service, the wheels are supported by tracks or rails shown diagrammatically by lines 6.

Each spar 5 is articulated at 7 to a cross member designated as a whole by the reference notation 8, in such a way that the spars 5 can, on the one hand, pivot in the direction of the arrows Y (see FIG. 1) and, on the other hand, tilt in the direction of the arrows Z (see Figure 2). Thus, the longitudinal members 5 are mounted on pivots 9 carried by lateral bosses 10 of the cross member 8. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the pivots 9 can tilt in a substantially vertical plane around axes 11 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cross member 8, so that the longitudinal members 5 can themselves tilt in the direction of the arrows Z. Furthermore, the pivots 9 also allow the longitudinal members 5 to pivot in the direction of the arrows Y. The pivoting and tilting movements of the side members 5 relative to the cross member 8, allow correct orientation of the wheels 1 and 2 in the curves of the track 6 (see FIG. 3), and ensure permanent contact between the wheels 1, 2 and track 6, whatever the level variations of the rows of rails 6.

The pivots 9 can advantageously be replaced by a ball joint which, in addition to the pivoting movements in the direction of the arrows Y and of inclination in the direction of the arrows Z, also allow the longitudinal members 5 to pivot about their longitudinal axis.

As can be seen, in FIGS. 1 to 5, the longitudinal members extend below the cross-member 8.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the rod 12 carrying the ball joints 13 is connected to lugs 14 integral with the side members 5.

The rod 12 takes a horizontal position, when the rails 6 are at the same level. In the straight track parts of the same level, this rod extends perpendicular to the two longitudinal members 5. When the track 6 takes a curvature while remaining at the same level, this rod 12 takes an oblique position relative to the longitudinal members 5. In the track parts 6, the levels of which vary, the rod 12 will assume inclined positions relative to the horizontal. Various positions of the rod 12 are shown in solid line and in broken lines in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the pivot 9 of each spar 5 is mounted on this spar 5 between the axes of the wheels 1, 2 provided at the opposite ends of this spar, so that the spars 5 in fact constitute levers capable of both pivot and tilt relative to the cross member 8.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, the pivots 9 of the longitudinal members 5 are articulated at one end around the axes 11 integral with the cross member 8, while at their opposite end they are articulated by ball joints 15 to a spreader 16, having a vertical pivot 17 secured to the cross member 8. This lifter 16 maintains the axes 18 of the pivots 9 of the side members 5 in substantially vertical planes while allowing them to tilt in these planes.

At each of its ends, the cross member 8 is provided with a lateral boss 19 which serves as a fulcrum for means for connecting the cross member 8 to the floor 4 of the body 3. These means comprise a coil spring 20, one of which end is supported on the lateral boss 19 and whose opposite end is supported on the floor 4 of the body 3. These means also include a rod 21 provided at one of its ends with a first ball 22 secured to the cross 8 and at its opposite end from a second ball joint 23 secured to a lug 24 fixed to the floor 4 of the body 3.

These means allow lateral movement in the direction of the arrows W of the cross member 8 relative to the body 3. This lateral movement is limited by at least one stop 25 carried by the cross member 8 and which can come into contact with a part 26 integral with the body 3. As for the compression of the coil springs 20, it is limited by stops 27 which can come into contact with the cross-member 8 or a support piece 28 integral with this cross-member 8.

The means of connection of the cross member 8 to the body 3 of the vehicle may include shock absorbers not shown in the drawings.

The lift and guide device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is motorized by individually connecting each large diameter wheel 1 to a one-piece motor-reducer assembly 29 integral with the spar 5, the wheel being wedged on the output shaft 30 of this together.

In a second embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 6 and 7, the cross member 8 comprises two parts 31 substantially U-shaped, which can tilt relative to each other around a bar 32 according to the arrows Z (see FIG. 7), the bar 32 connecting together the bases of the parts 31 in the shape of a U. Longers 5 each carrying two wheels are connected to the parts 31 by pivots 9 secured to each part 31 and can be 'tilt with these parts 31 in the direction of the arrows Z. The side members 5 can also pivot around these pivots 9 in the direction of the arrows Y.

Coil springs 20 provide an elastic connection between each part 31 of the cross member and the floor 4 of the body 3 of the vehicle.

In the embodiment described above, the supports of the coil springs 20 are aligned with the point of attachment of the pivot 9 on each part 31, when the longitudinal axes of the side members 5, in the service position of the device on a part of track without unevenness, are contained in a substantially horizontal plane. However, for constructive reasons, the supports can also be offset relative to the line of the pivots.

As indicated above, the rod 12 connects the beams 5 to each other by ball joints 13 and ensures the coupling of the movements of these beams 5.

As in the first embodiment, a rod provided at one of its ends with a ball joint 22 integral with each piece 31 of the cross member 8 is fixed, at its opposite end, to the floor 4 of the body by a second ball joint 23.

The lifting and guiding device which is the subject of the present invention can be provided with auxiliary equipment, such as motors, disc brakes, brakes with magnetic pad on rails, anti-derailment stop, etc.

The lifting and guiding device which is the subject of the present invention offers numerous advantages. He is of low weight. Its reduced size makes it possible to reduce the height of the vehicle floor relative to the track, thereby improving the accessibility of said vehicle and reducing the size.

Kinematically deformable, this device is easy to design and produce, because it only uses simple or common assembly parts.

The kinematics of the device makes it possible to deform without the appearance of constraints or restoring efforts. As a result, the distribution of loads between the wheels is practically not influenced by external elements such as cant, uneven lanes and body movements of the vehicle. This improves dynamic stability and reduces the risk of derailment. In addition, there is less noise and less wear on the wheels and rails in the curves of the track.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the details described above for carrying out the pivoting and the inclination of the side members and that numerous modifications can be made to these details without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus, the longitudinal members 5, instead of being articulated each to the cross member B by a pivot 9, can be articulated to the cross member by a first ball joint 3 ₃ carried by said cross member 8 and held in place by a second ball 34 attached to the lifter 16, which is integral with the cross member 8 by a substantially vertical pivot 17 in the operating position of the device or by a third ball (fig.8 and 9).

Claims (9)

1. A lifting and guiding device for a railway vehicle, equipped with at least four wheels mounted on a support intended to be secured to the vehicle body, in the vicinity of one end of this body, and consisting of a cross member held perpendicular to the vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the vehicle as well as two longitudinal members which, in the service position, extend in the longitudinal direction of the body, on either side of the above-mentioned vertical plane, being optionally connected to each other by means of a rod mounted on ball joints and which each carry at least two wheels, characterized in that it has means by which said longitudinal members are articulated to the common crosspiece ( 8) so as to allow the wheels (1,2) carried by the side members (5) to orient themselves to follow the curvatures and to move to cross the unevenness of the track (6). 2. Device according to claim 1, in which the longitudinal members (5) are mounted on articulation means carried by the cross-member (8) so as to be able to undergo a pivoting movement around substantially vertical axes, in the position of service of the device, characterized in that the articulation means allow these beams (5) to each take a certain inclination in a substantially vertical plane, in the service position of the device. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means by which the side members are articulated to the common crosspiece (8) are pivots (9) capable of taking a certain inclination in a substantially vertical plane, in the position of the device. 4. Device according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivots (9) of the side members (5) are capable of pivoting around an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the cross member, in the service position of the device. 5. Device according to either of Claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the longitudinal members are mounted on pivots connected to one another by a lifting beam which is articulated to these pivots by ball joints and which is integral with the cross-member by a substantially vertical pivot, in the service position of the device or by a ball joint. 6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the beams are mounted on pivots connected together by a lifting beam (16) and connected to the common crosspiece (8) by means of ball joints so as to allow these beams (5) also pivot about their longitudinal axis. 7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the crosspiece (8) is divided into at least two parts (31) which can pivot relative to each other about the longitudinal axis of said crosspiece (8) . 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that each end of said crosspiece (8) - carries a pivot (9) on which is mounted a beam (5), so that it can, both , undergo a pivoting movement around a substantially vertical axis (18) and take a certain inclination in a substantially vertical plane, in the service position of the device. 9. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the beams (5) are each, on the one hand, articulated to the crosspiece (5) by a first ball joint carried by said crosspiece (8) and on the other hand, connected by a second ball joint (33), to a lifting beam (16), which is integral with the cross member (8) by a substantially vertical pivot (17) in the service position of the device or by a third ball joint.

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