GB1600416A

GB1600416A - Axlebox bearing mountings

Info

Publication number: GB1600416A
Application number: GB2416477A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Timken Co
Current assignee: Timken Co
Priority date: 1978-05-31
Filing date: 1978-05-31
Publication date: 1981-10-14

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLEBOX BEARING MOUNTINGS (71) We, THE TIMKEN COMPANY, a Corporation organised under the laws of the State of Ohio, United States of America, of 1835 Dueber Avenue, South West Canton, Ohio, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a railway axlebox bearing mounting for railway vehicles, and in particular to a mounting which permits axle steering with damping.

Axlebox bearing mountings are known which incorporate arrangements for damping the movement of an axle with respect to a bogie Such arrangements include friction pads acting between the axlebox housing and bogie frame. However, the design is such that no fore and aft clearance exists between a wheel set and the bogie and consequently the wheelset of a bogie are maintained parallel to each other even when the bogie is on a curved section of railway track. This condition can lead to a high rate of wear of the wheel tyre flanges and the track rail.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved axlebox bearing mounting which permits axle steering and thus obviates the aforementioned disadvantage.

According to the present invention in the improved mounting a saddle, which locates the bearing outer race, is interposed between the bearing and the axlebox and is connected at least at one of its sides which extends normal to the axis of the bearing with a corresponding side of the axlebox by means of a resilient member which, operating under shear, per mits a limited fore and aft movement of the saddle and bearing relative to the axlebox.

Conveniently the saddle has at least on one side an axially directed extension terminating in an upstanding flange and the resilient member is connected between the inner face of the flange and the facing surface of the axlebox.

In a preferred form the resilient member comprises a sandwich of elastomeric material and steel plates bonded one to the other.

The resilient member or members are of such a stiffness that they are normally capable of positioning the saddle, and hence the axle bearing and wheelset, in the fore and aft direction and thus maintaining the wheelsets of a bogie parallel to each other whilst the bogie is on a straight portion of track, but will allow relative angular movement of the wheelsets to occur to permit controlled steering when the bogie is negotiating a curved portion of track.

An embodiment of the improved mounting of this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is an above centre line sectional view of an axlebox bearing mounting, and Figures 2 and 3 are respectively an above centre line end view and a part plan view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings an axle 1 is rotatably supported in an axlebox housing 2 by means of a sealed tapered roller bearing assembly 3 of conventional construction. A saddle 4 is interposed between the axlebox housing 2 and bearing assembly 3, the saddle 4 partially surrounding the upper part of the outer race 5 of the bearing assembly 3 and filling the gap between the outer race and the axlebox housing 2. Inwardly directed shoulders 6 on the saddle 4 locate and permit only limited axial movement of the outer race 5.

A flanged axially extending member 7 provided on one side of the saddle 4, is removably connected by the flange 8 to the side face 9 of the axlebox housing 2, through a resilient member 10 of rubber/steel sandwich construction. The flange 8 of the saddle extension 7, is removably attached to the outer steel plate of the resilient member 10, by the bolts 11, while the inner steel plate is removably attached to face 9, of axlebox housing 2 by similar bolts (not shown).

It will be appreciated that the illustrated resilient member permits the required movement when operating in shear and also acts to damp such movement and to provide the required restoring force. By suitable design such member could also be arranged to permit a certain amount of movement in the axial direction if this were required.

Although the drawings only show a single resilient member 10, which is arranged outboard of the axlebox housing 4, it is possible to use a modified saddle which is also connected inboard of the axlebox housing 2 by a second resilient member, as indicated in Figure 1, by the broken lines.

Mounting arrangements according to this invention provide a simple and cheap solution to the wheel tyre flange and track rail wear which occurs when conventional bogies negotiate curved sections of railway track.

WIlAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An axlebox bearing mounting for railway vehicles wherein a saddle, which locates the bearing outer race, is interposed between the bearing and the axlebox and is connected at least at one of its sides which extends normal to the axis of the bearing with a corresponding side of the axlebox by means of a resilient member which, operating under shear, permits a limited fore and aft movement of the saddle and bearing relative to the axlebox.

2. An axlebox bearing mounting as claimed in claim 1 wherein the saddle has an axially directed extension terminating in an upstanding flange and the resilient member is connected between the inner face of the flange and the facing surface of the axlebox.

3. An axlebox bearing mounting as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the resilient member comprises a sandwich of elastomeric material and steel plates bonded one to the other.

4. An axlebox bearing mounting for railway vehicles substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. damp such movement and to provide the required restoring force. By suitable design such member could also be arranged to permit a certain amount of movement in the axial direction if this were required. Although the drawings only show a single resilient member 10, which is arranged outboard of the axlebox housing 4, it is possible to use a modified saddle which is also connected inboard of the axlebox housing 2 by a second resilient member, as indicated in Figure 1, by the broken lines. Mounting arrangements according to this invention provide a simple and cheap solution to the wheel tyre flange and track rail wear which occurs when conventional bogies negotiate curved sections of railway track. WIlAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An axlebox bearing mounting for railway vehicles wherein a saddle, which locates the bearing outer race, is interposed between the bearing and the axlebox and is connected at least at one of its sides which extends normal to the axis of the bearing with a corresponding side of the axlebox by means of a resilient member which, operating under shear, permits a limited fore and aft movement of the saddle and bearing relative to the axlebox.