GB941910A - Improvements in or relating to suspension railways - Google Patents

Abstract

941,910. Suspended vehicles. SAFEGETRANSPORT. March 14, 1960 [March 27, 1959], No. 8944/60. Addition to 918,203. Heading B7L. A suspension railway comprises a track forming girder, at least one bogie running on the track, a vehicle body suspended from the bogie and a suspension system linking the body and bogie, which system comprises a support member 2, Fig. 1, depending from the bogie and carrying through a pin 4 a shackle 5 having another pin or guide member 6 on which is slidable a member 7 secured to the vehicle body roof 1, the arrangement being such as to allow transverse displacement of the body under the action of transverse disturbing forces and so that the instantaneous centre of rotation of the body undergoing such displacement is above the point of connection of the linkage to the support member 2 and near the centre of transverse torsion of the girder, the intermovable components of the -linkage moving only in a vertical transverse plane A pin 8 on the member 7 carries a roller 9 engageable between a pair of guides 10 on the shackle 5. The transverse displacement of the vehicle body along the guide 6 may be controllably damped or corrected by means of a fluid pressure operated double acting actuator and damper 11, Fig. 3, secured to the roof 1 and pivotally connected by a linkage 12 with one arm of a bell crank 13, the other arm of which is pivotally connected with a link 14 pivoted to the shackle 5. The bell crank is pivoted both to the member 7 and the roof 1. In a modification the support 2 has a clevis to receive the shackle 5 and the roller 9 engages between guide means on the member 7. Alternatively a pair of rollers on the member 7 may engage the sides of the shackle 5. Instead of rectilinear movement of the vehicle body relative to the support 2, the body may be displaced with curvilinear or pendular movement. Rollers on the member 7 may engage a straight or curved runway carried on the support 2 or the rollers may be carried by the support and engage a runway on the member 7, as described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8 (not shown). Other embodiments described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10 (not shown) include a pair of triangular plates whose apices are pivoted to the vehicle or the support 2 whilst each end of their bases are pivoted to inclined links in turn pivoted to the support or vehicle respectively. In further embodiments described with reference to Figs. 11 to 14 (not shown) the vehicle is pendulously supported from the support member by a pair of links. The latter may be vertical or inclined outwardly towards the vehicle roof. Another embodiment, Fig. 16, comprises link pairs 26, 27, at each side of the vehicle connected between the support 2 and rockers 25 having extensions pivoted to the vehicle. The two links 26 may be replaced by a single link connecting the rockers in which ease the end of one rocker is connected to the vehicle through a shackle.