EP3416867B1 - Bogie for a rail vehicle, method for compensating the variation of wheels diameter for rail vehicles and rail vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bogie for a rail vehicle, a method for compensating for changes in the diameter of rail vehicle wheels, and a rail vehicle with a corresponding device according to the preambles of the independent claims.

Typically, rail vehicles have metal wheels that run on metal rails. The wheels wear out with use. That means they show signs of wear. This means that the wheels must be turned over after a long period of operation. The spinning of the wheels is accompanied by a change in the diameter of the wheels. Typically, the wheels are mounted on axle shafts which are resiliently attached to a frame which is in turn resiliently connected to a body of the rail vehicle. A change in the diameter of the wheels therefore means that the entry edges of the car bodies have a difference compared to a fixed height, for example a platform, after the wheels have been turned. This difference must be corrected.

Various devices and methods are known from the prior art for compensating for this height difference. Typically, the rail vehicles are brought into large parking garages of maintenance workshops, with the complete rail vehicles being lifted by their car bodies in order to relieve the bogies underneath. The fastenings of the bogie are then loosened so that a spacer element can be inserted at an interface between the bogie and the car body. The bogies are Connection screwed again and the rail vehicles placed back on the rail. By inserting spacer elements, the entry edges of the car bodies are correspondingly further away from the wheel axle, so that the original height of the entry edges is restored even with worn wheels.

Out of EP 2 487 087 A2 a device is known by which the height change of a railway car due to wheel wear, spring deflection under load or undercarriage deflection due to load can be compensated. The device is very filigree and therefore not very robust and prone to defects.

With the U.S. 3,586,306 a device has become known which has a rotatable spacer disk in the area of a resilient suspension which can be rotated in two or more positions. It is proposed to raise the car body using a car jack so that there is a gap between two adjacent parts, i.e. an interface. The spacer disc that has already been placed at this distance can thus be rotated. The twisting makes it possible to support a first part of the spacer on a second part of the spacer with different axial distances. A permanent increase in the distance between the wheel axle and the boarding edge of a rail vehicle is thus made possible.

The known devices and methods from the prior art have various disadvantages. On the one hand, either very large workshops or maintenance halls have to be made available, or adjusting the spacers requires additional devices or tools.

It is the object of the invention to eliminate these and other disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, a device and a method are to be provided which make it possible to easily compensate for changes in the diameter of wheels on rail vehicles.

This object is achieved by the devices and methods defined in independent patent claims 1 and 5 . Further embodiments emerge from the dependent patent claims.

A bogie according to the invention for a rail vehicle includes the features of claim 1. Additionally or alternatively, the vertical distance can be fixed by means of the lifting element.

A bearing surface of the bogie can be arranged, for example, on a traverse of the bogie. An arrangement on a plate above an air suspension is also conceivable.

The lifting surface of the lifting element is at a vertical distance from the support surface, at least in a raised state. It is conceivable that the lifting surface and the bearing surface are horizontally spaced and/or are arranged on different elements of the bogie.

The spacer element can be inserted into the vertical distance to permanently increase the distance between the wheel axle and the step edge.

A lifting element with a lifting surface on the bogie makes it possible to manufacture the lifting element as an integral part of the bogie. No additional devices are required to increase the vertical distance. It is conceivable that the spacer element, which can be inserted into the vertical space, can also be manufactured as an integral part of the bogie. For example, it is conceivable to manufacture the spacer element as a toothed rack with a backstop. An adjustable set screw that can be fixed in a preferred position would also be conceivable. In particular, however, it is also conceivable to provide spacer elements which can be twisted in relation to one another in such a way that they have different thicknesses as a result of twisting.

The lifting element is preferably arranged integrally on the bogie. The lifting element is thus designed as part of the bogie and/or at least permanently attached.

Thus, all the devices and/or mechanisms for increasing the vertical distance between the lifting surface and the bearing surface are arranged on the bogie. This makes it possible to dispense with costly and complicated workshops and/or workshop facilities.

The lifting element can preferably be actuated hydraulically or pneumatically.

Typically, rail vehicles have devices and/or circuits that are pneumatic and, in some cases, also hydraulic are actuated. It is thus possible to actuate the lifting element independently of external devices or drives.

However, such a configuration does not limit the actuation of the lifting element to the autonomy of a rail vehicle. External drives or external provision of pneumatics or hydraulics is possible.

According to the invention, one or more air springs of an air suspension system are designed as lifting elements between the frame and the bearing surface of the bogie. At least one first air spring, preferably two first air springs, is each assigned a lifting surface and a second air spring, preferably two air springs, is each assigned a bearing surface. The first or the first air springs can be arranged under a first car body and the second or the second air springs can be arranged under a second car body.

This enables existing air spring elements to be used as lifting elements. An adjustment of the vertical distance between a lifting surface and a support surface of a first car body is made possible by raising a second car body. The car bodies are connected to each other here. The first air springs and the second air springs are each associated with a group of air springs. According to the invention, shut-off means for separating the groups of air springs from one another are provided between the individual groups of air springs of an air suspension system.

This enables the individual groups and/or individual air springs to be actuated autonomously and independently.

A car body can thus be raised independently of another car body.

This is advantageous above all in rail vehicle configurations with so-called Jakobs bogies, on which two adjacent car body ends are supported in each case. Typically, adjacent car body ends are connected to each other by means of a coupling.

Raising a car body by means of the associated air spring group allows the adjacent second car body end, which is connected to the first car body, to be raised at the same time. In this case, only the air springs under the first car body are pressurized and the air springs under the second car body have a lower pressure than the air springs under the first car body. They are preferably pressureless. Thus, the second car body can be spaced with spacer elements.

The air springs can preferably be pressurized via a compressed air system that is already present on the rail vehicle for the operation of the air suspension.

The air suspension preferably has a coupling element for connection to an external source of compressed air. The individual groups of air springs preferably have separate clutch elements.

The bogie can be designed as a Jakobs bogie.

This enables an uncomplicated and simple increase in the vertical distance on rail vehicles with Jakobs bogies.

A spacer element of the bogie can be made up of several parts and its thickness can be variable. The thickness can preferably be adjusted by twisting individual elements of the spacer element against one another.

This makes it possible to arrange the spacer element in a first position and thus with a first thickness on the bogie. Additional components to increase the vertical distance are therefore superfluous.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for compensating for diameter changes in rail vehicle wheels according to claim 5.

The spacer element is inserted to permanently space the lifting surface from the support surface in such a way that a height between the wheel axle and a boarding edge of the rail vehicle is permanently increased.

This makes it possible that after the distance has been increased, no further measures are necessary, in particular it is not necessary to remove a lifting element which, for example, was additionally attached, in order to bring the bogie into an operating state.

The distance is preferably changed with a lifting element arranged integrally on the bogie. The advantages of an element designed/arranged integrally on the bogie are mentioned here.

In order to maintain a greater distance between the support surface and the wheel axle of the bogie, a spacer element is preferably adjusted to a desired thickness. This makes it possible to use a spacer element which is already designed as a component of the bogie before the distance is increased.

The thickness of the spacer element is preferably adjusted by twisting individual elements of the spacer element against one another.

The spacer element can thus be manufactured from a plurality of mutually complementary elements.

After increasing the vertical distance, the lifting element can be depressurized, in particular by draining or relieving the fluid. The lifting element is preferably brought back into an initial position with a restoring element. All elements can thus be returned to their original position. This prevents the unintentional introduction of forces and/or impairment of the function due to environmental influences such as dirt or water.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a rail vehicle according to claim 9.

The pre-convection and thus the matching of all components to one another, in particular the lifting element and the complete rail vehicle, is thus made possible.

Several exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained with reference to figures.

Figur 1:

eine schematische Darstellung eines Drehgestells,

Figur 2:

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines bekannten Drehgestells,

Figur 3a und 3b:

eine schematische Detailansicht eines Hubelementes,

Figur 4:

eine schematische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemässen Ausführungsform eines Drehgestells,

Figur 5:

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemässen Drehgestells nach Figur 4

Figur 6:

eine schematische Darstellung der Funktionsweise des erfindungsgemässen Drehgestells nach Figur 4

Figur 7:

ein zum Drehgestell aus Figur 5 zugehöriges Pneumatikschema,

Figur 8:

ein Distanzelement in Ursprungslage,

Figur 9:

ein Distanzelement während des Verstellvorgangs.

Show it:

Figure 1:

a schematic representation of a bogie,

Figure 2:

a perspective view of a known bogie,

Figure 3a and 3b:

a schematic detailed view of a lifting element,

Figure 4:

a schematic representation of an embodiment of a bogie according to the invention,

Figure 5:

a perspective view of a bogie according to the invention figure 4

Figure 6:

a schematic representation of the functioning of the bogie according to the invention figure 4

Figure 7:

in to bogie out figure 5 associated pneumatic scheme,

Figure 8:

a spacer element in the original position,

Figure 9:

a spacer element during the adjustment process.

The figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a conventional bogie 100 for rail vehicles. The bogie 100 has two axles 20 on which wheels 101 are arranged. The axles 20 are suspended from a frame 10, with an unspecified suspension between the axle and the frame 10. FIG. The bogie 100 has a traverse as a support element 30 . The support element 30 is connected to the frame 10 by means of a spring system, which is also not specified in more detail. For example, the suspension may be air suspension or some other alternative suspension. are present conventional steel springs shown. The support element 30 has a support surface 31 in its upper area. The bearing surface 31 is at a distance Z from the lower edge of the wheels 101, and thus from the upper edge of the rail SOK.

How from the figure 1 As can easily be seen, the distance Z decreases as the diameter of the wheels 101 decreases, for example due to wear or over-speeding of the wheels. In the factory state, the bearing surface 31 correlates, for example, with a boarding edge of a platform. If the wheels 101 are overwound, ie their diameter is reduced, a desired dimension between the contact surface 31 and the platform changes. This needs to be corrected.

figure 2 shows a perspective view of the bogie 100 figure 1 . For a better overview, only individual elements from a group of identical elements are provided with a reference number.

The bogie 100 has four wheels 101 which are each arranged in pairs on a wheel axle 20 . The wheel axles 20 are arranged on a frame 10, on which in turn a support element 30 is arranged as a traverse. The support element 30 is connected to the frame 10 by means of resilient elements, not designated in any more detail here, which in turn is connected to the wheel axles 20 by means of resilient elements. The support element has a lifting element 50 on each side, which in the present case is additionally designed to center a car body arranged on the bogie 100 . The lifting elements 50 each have a reset mechanism 51 . Function and design of the elements 50 are in the following figure 3 described.

The Figures 3a and 3b show a schematic representation of the lifting elements in several operating states. The Figure 3a shows a lifting element 50 in an initial position. The lifting element 50 is designed as a cylindrical pin, which has a collar in the area of reference number 55 . The collar has a lifting surface 55 on its upper side. The lifting element 50 is located in a bore 61 of the support element 30. A seal 63, which seals a cavity below the lifting element 50, is arranged in the bore. This cavity is connected to a fluid supply channel 62 via a coupling element 64, in this case a connection nipple, to the outside area. A fluid can be introduced into the cavity of the bore 61 via the coupling element 64 . This fluid pushes the lifting element 50 upwards (see Figure 3b ). When the lower edge of the lifting element 50 reaches the seal 63, the sealing function between the seal 62 and the lifting element 50 is interrupted. The fluid pumped in via the coupling element 64 can escape via an annular gap around the cylindrical lifting element 50 . A further movement of the lifting element 50 upwards is therefore no longer possible.

In the Figure 3a the lifting element 50 is shown in the first operational state, ie in the factory state. The broken line on the surface 55, which correlates with the lifting surface 55, can be, for example, the underside of a car body.

As in Figure 3b shown, fluid can be introduced into the bore 61 via the coupling element 64 . The lifting element 50 and in particular the lifting surface 55 moves upwards, a vertical distance A is created between the lifting surface 55 and in particular between an underside of the car body (dashed line) and a bearing surface 31. A spacer element can now be inserted in this distance A. By inserting one Spacer element, the distance A is permanently increased. With reference to figure 1 it can thus be seen that a spacer element on the bearing surface 31 increases the distance between the new bearing surface 31, ie the upper edge of the spacer element, and the wheel axle. The original distance Z is restored.

figure 4 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the bogie 100 according to the invention. Instead of conventional coil springs, air springs are provided between the support elements 30' and 30'' and the frame 10. The bogie 100 from FIG figure 4 is presently designed as a Jacob's frame. Also shown is a frame 10 on which two wheel axles 20 are resiliently arranged, with wheels 101 being arranged on the wheel axles 20 in each case. Two support elements 30' and 30'' with support surfaces 31' and 31'' are also arranged independently of one another on the frame 10. The support elements 30' and 30'' are each connected to the frame 10 via independent springs.

figure 5 shows a perspective view of a bogie 100. For a better overview, the same elements of a group of elements are each designated only once. The bogie 100 has four wheels 101 which are attached in pairs to an axle 20 . The axles 20 are resiliently attached to a frame 10, on which in turn four lifting elements 50 are arranged. In the present case, the lifting elements 50 are formed from an air spring 53 and a support element 30 .

figure 6 shows a schematic representation of the functioning of the bogie 100 from FIGS figures 4 and 5 . Two car bodies 40' and 40" are arranged on the bogie 100, which are connected to one another via a coupling 41 . In order to increase a vertical distance between a lifting surface 55' and a bearing surface 31'', the lifting element, which is designed here as an air suspension 50' ( figure 5 ), filled with air. The air supply to the second air suspension 50" is interrupted. The second lifting element 50" therefore does not move. A vertical distance A is created between the bearing surface 31" of the second lifting element 50" and the lifting surface 55` of the first lifting element. The car bodies 40` and 40" are connected to one another by the coupling 41. Correspondingly, a distance A between the bearing surface 31" and an underside of the car body 40'. A spacer element can be inserted in this distance.

The pressure can then be released from the first lifting element 50'. The procedure is now repeated in reverse order. The lifting element 50" is inflated and a spacer element is inserted between the lifting element 50' and the car body 40`. Both car bodies 40', 40" are thus spaced at an increased vertical distance from the wheel axle 20.

figure 7 shows a pneumatic scheme as used in the device and for carrying out the method from FIG figure 6 can be used. Air suspension 52 is shown with two first air springs 53' and two second air springs 53''. Blocking means 54' and 54'' are provided on air suspension 52. The air supply comes via the coupling element 64. The first air springs 53' or the second air springs 53'' can be pressurized with compressed air using the shut-off means 54' and 54'', with the other air springs being able to be depressurized. A 2/2-way valve is shown. However, it is also conceivable to use a 3/2-way valve so that the air springs 53` or 53" can each be completely emptied.

The figure 8 shows a spacer element which can be used for a bogie as described here. Shown is a plan view and a sectional view. The spacer element 70 consists of two parts 71 and 72. These are preferably made from a single piece. In the present case, the spacer element 70 is made from a metal sheet with a thickness of 20 mm. The second element 72 is lasered or burned out of the first element 71 . Thus, both elements can be used. The first and the second element 21, 72 each have a bore 711 and 721, which by twisting (see figure 9 ) can be brought into agreement with each other. The individual elements 71 and 72 are placed one inside the other in the factory form as in the present case (see sectional view) in such a way that the spacer element has a thickness corresponding to the sheet metal thickness, in this case 20 mm. In this position, the spacer element 70 can already be preassembled on the bogie. A tab 701 is shown on the first member 71 . This can be used, for example, to hammer loose spacer elements 70 that have rusted on.

figure 9 shows the spacer element 70 from FIG figure 8 in a twisted position. To increase the thickness of the spacer element 70, the second element 72 is lifted and rotated relative to the first element 71. As can be seen from the sectional view, the two elements then lie on top of one another. The spacer element 70 consequently has a thickness which corresponds to twice the sheet metal thickness, in this case 40 mm. In the figure 9 the spacer element 70, or the two individual elements 71 and 72, is not yet shown in its end position. Preferably, the individual elements 71 and 72 are such in their final position arranged so that the holes 711 and 721 are congruent. It is conceivable, for example, to place a pin in one of the bores 711 or 721 in such a way that the individual elements 71 and 72 can no longer be rotated in relation to one another.

Of course, it is conceivable on the spacer element 70 from the Figures 8 or 9 in each case several impact lugs 701 and/or several positioning bores 711, 721 are to be provided. It is also conceivable to design the spacer element 70 in several parts.

Claims (9)

1. Bogie (100) for a rail vehicle, comprising a frame (10) which is mounted on one or more wheel axles (20), and at least one supporting surface (31) for a wagon body (40) wherein at least one lifting surface (55) is formed, the vertical distance of which from the supporting surface (31) can be varied by means of a lifting element (50), so that a spacer element (70) can be inserted into the vertical distance between the lifting surface (55) and the supporting surface (31) and/or the vertical distance can be fixed by means of the lifting element, characterised in that one or more air springs (53', 53'') of an air suspension (52) between the frame (10) and the supporting surface (31) are designed as lifting elements (50', 50''), at least one first air spring (53') and preferably two first air springs (53') each being assigned a lifting surface (31'), and a second air spring (53") and preferably two second air springs (53'') each being assigned a supporting surface (31''), wherein the first air spring or springs (53') can be arranged under a first carriage body (40') and the second air spring or springs (53") can be arranged under a second carriage body (40''), wherein preferably between the individual groups of air springs (53', 53'') of an air suspension (52), shut-off means (54', 54'') being provided for separating the groups of air springs (53', 53'') from one another and/or the air suspension having a coupling element (64) for connection to a compressed air source, the individual groups of air springs (53', 53'') having separate coupling elements.
2. Bogie (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting element (50',50'') is integrally arranged on the bogie (100).
3. Bogie according to one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the bogie (100) is designed as a Jakobs bogie.
4. Bogie according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the spacer element (70) is formed in several parts and is variable in its thickness, wherein the thickness is preferably adjustable by twisting individual elements (71, 72) of the spacer element (70) relative to one another.
5. Method of compensating for changes in diameter of wheels (101) of rail vehicles with a bogie according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein a distance element (70) is inserted into a vertical distance between a lifting surface (55) and a supporting surface (31', 31''), characterized in that the vertical distance between the lifting surface (55) and the supporting surface (31', 31'') is varied and in particular increased by means of a lifting element (50', 50''), the lifting element (50', 50'') being surrounded by the bogie (100) .
6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the distance is changed with a lifting element (50',50'') arranged integrally on the bogie (100).
7. Method according to any one of claims 5 to 6, wherein, in order to maintain a greater distance between the supporting surface and the wheel axle of the bogie, a spacer element (70) is adjusted to a desired thickness, preferably the thickness of the spacer element (70) being adjusted by twisting individual elements (71, 72) of the spacer element (70) relative to one another.
8. Method according to one of the claims 5 to 7, characterised in that after the vertical distance has been increased, the lifting element (50', 50'') is depressurised, in particular by draining or relieving the fluid, the lifting element (50', 50'') preferably being returned to an initial position by means of a resetting element (51).
9. Railway vehicle with a bogie according to one of the claims 1 to 4 comprising in particular a carriage body (40).

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