GB2030944A

GB2030944A - Rail vehicle bogie

Info

Publication number: GB2030944A
Application number: GB7838609A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: STANDARD RAILWAY WAGON
Current assignee: STANDARD RAILWAY WAGON
Priority date: 1978-09-29
Filing date: 1978-09-29
Publication date: 1980-04-16

Abstract

To reduce unsprung weight compared to bogies having suspension springs at the ends of a cross-member and to avoid the fatigue cracking of rigid bogie frames, a cross-member 12 is located in centrally disposed oversized apertures 20 in the side frames 10 and the suspension springs 17 of the bogie are disposed one at each side of each of the axle boxes 21 and have their ends located in wells 16 formed in the side frames 10 and in receiving formations 22 on the axle boxes 21. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An improved rail vehicle bogie This invention concerns a bogie for a rail vehicle.

It is known to produce bogies for rail vehicles such as wagons and carriages and originally when such vehicles were produced the bogie frame consisted basically of a pair of side members and a centrally disposed cross-member. The side members were each provided with two axle boxes, one adjacent each end of the side member, in which the wheel axles were mounted and the cross-member was mounted in centrally disposed receiving apertures in side members. In such a bogie there were provided suspension coil springs at the ends of the cross-member. Additionally the cross-member was provided with a pivotable connection to which the wagon body or carriage was secured. The pivot was, of course, located centrally of the cross-member and adjacent the ends of the cross-member were provided side bearers for the wagon or carriage body. In such a bogie the unsprung weight was high.

More recently bogies have been produced in the form of one piece H frames and the suspension coil springs have been located at the axle boxes thus reducing the unsprung weight by a.

substantial amount but it is found, primarily due to the relatively unflexible construction of the H frame, that fatigue cracks appear at the junction of the cross-member and the side pieces of the frame. This fault did not occur in the older type of bogie frame because relative movement could take place between the ends of the cross-member and the side members.

It is now generally accepted that bogies in which the spring suspension is at the axles are desirable but their tendency to develop fatigue cracks at the cross-member ends presents a difficulty which must be overcome.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rail vehicle bogie in which the unsprung weight is relatively low and in which the tendency to develop fatigue cracks in the bogie frame is overcome.

Thus according to the present invention a rail vehicle bogie includes a pair of side members each having axle box receiving formations adjacent each end thereof and a centrally disposed crossmember receiving aperture characterised in that the side members are each formed such as to receive suspension springs at the' axle box locations and in that the cross-member is mounted in the receiving apertures in such manner as to allow relative movement between the side member and the cross-member.

Conveniently there are provided damping elements between the cross-member and the side members at their connection locations.

In one form of bogie there are provided torsion bars between the cross-member and the side members.

Fig. lisa side elevation of a bogie made in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bogie of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation, taken in the direction of the arrow Ill on Fig. 1, of the bogie shown in Figs. 1 and 2, parts of the bogie being omitted for the sake of clarity.

As shown in the drawings a rail vehicle bogie consists basically of a pair of side members 10, a cross-member 12, a pair of wheel axles 13 and four wheels 14.

The side members 10 are identical in form and thus one only will be described in detail. Thus each side member is formed adjacent its ends with a suspension mounting 1 5 in which, at longitudinally spaced-apart positions is provided with a downwardly opening well 1 6 into which the end region of a coil spring 17 is located. Asshown, the inner springs 17 are seated in a shroud 18 which also seats in the well 1 6 from which the independent wheel clamping is achieved.

The central region 1 9 of the side member 10 is wider from top to bottom than the end regions and in the centre of this region 1 9 is provided a crossmember receiving aperture 20. The aperture 20 is larger in dimensions than the end of the crossmember 12 which it is to receive. As can be seen the increase in depth in the side member 10 at its central region 1 9 is acheived downwardly so that the cross-member 1 2 has its underside located below the level of the centre of the axles 13 thus the centre of gravity of the bogie is low.

The side member 10 is of fabricated box-section for strength.

Axle boxes 21 are provided for the axles 1 3 and these axle boxes have spring receiving locations in the form of outward extensions 22 located at their lower extremity.

The cross-member 12 is also of fabricated-box- section and its end regions are located in and extend slightly beyond the outer faces of the side members 10.

The side members 10 and cross-member 12 may alternatively be manufactured of cast steel.

The cross-member 12 rests on rubber mounting pads or dampers 23fixed to the lower surface of the central aperture 20 of the side members and conveniently mounting pads or dampers 24 are located between the sides of the cross-member 12 and the sides of the aperture 20 of the side members 1 0. Conventional means (not shown) are provided to prevent the cross-member ends from sliding out of the apertures 20 while allowing the bogie frame to flex. Clearance between the cross-member ends and the sides of the apertures 20 is provided to allow relative upward and downward movement between the cross-member 12 and side members 10 and to allow for twisting of the bogie as for example when travelling around a curve iri a railway line.

Mounted on the upper face of the crossmember 12 is the usual centrally located pivotal connection means 25 and the usual side bearers 26 for the wagon or cartridge frame (not shown).

As can be seen from Fig. 1 end regions 1 Oa of the upper surface of the side members 10 are slightly downwardly inclined to allow for oscillatory upward and downward movements of the bogie as it travels over irregularities in the railway line.

As indicated in Fig. 2 there may be provided fore and aft torsion 27 extending from the crossmember 12 to the side members 10.

Claims

1. A rail vehicle bogie including a pair of side members each having axle box receiving formations adjacent each end thereof and a centrally disposed cross-member receiving aperture characterised in that the side members are each formed such as to receive suspension springs at the axle box locations and in that the cross-member is mounted in the receiving apertures in such manner as to allow relative movement between the side member and the cross-member.

2. A rail vehicle bogie as claimed in claim 1, in which there are provided damping elements between the cross-member and the side members at their connection locations.

3. A rail vehicle bogie as claimed in claim I, in which the side members are each provided, at each side of the axle box receiving formations, with a suspension spring receiving well.

4. A rail vehicle bogie as claimed in claim 3, in which the suspension spring receiving wells at the inner ends of the axle box receiving formations are each provided with a spring shroud.

5. A rail vehicle bogie as claimed in claim 2 in which the damping elements are in the form of rubber mounting pads for location below and at the sides of the cross-members.

6. A rail vehicle bogie as claimed in claim 1 in which the axle boxes are each provided with spring receiving locations.

7. A rail vehicle bogie as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which torsion bars are provided between the cross-members and the side members.

8. A rail vehicle bogie as claimed in any one of claims 1,2, 3, or 7 in which the side members are each provided with a centrally located aperture to receive the ends of the cross-member, the apertures being so positioned that the lowerface of the cross-member lies below the longitudinal axes of the axles.

9. A rail vehicle bogie substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.