US3841233A

US3841233A - Dampened railway car truck axles

Info

Publication number: US3841233A
Application number: US00295251A
Authority: US
Inventors: F Sinclair
Original assignee: Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Ltd
Current assignee: Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Ltd
Priority date: 1971-09-17
Filing date: 1972-10-05
Publication date: 1974-10-15
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-15
Also published as: GB1397247A

Abstract

A railway vehicle has a suspension system which, for each axle journal, comprises a pair of suspension springs, one forwardly of the journal and the other rearwardly thereof. The lower ends of the springs act against seats formed on a saddle structure which is guided for movement relative to a pair of guide columns which house the upper ends of the springs. At least one guide column contains a pot-like wedge structure which, through the intermediary action of a split collet, transmits a damping force to a friction pad which engages the adjacent side of the saddle.

Description

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,841,233

Sinclair Oct. 15, 1974 DAMPENED RAILWAY CAR TRUCK AXLES 3.245.357 4/1966 Sinclair 105/207 x 3,394,662 7 1968 W b [75] Inventor: Freder'ck smclall" 3,517,620 61970 w'ibii 105/224 R x Gloucester, England [73] Assignee: Gloucester Railway Carriage & im y EXdminerM- Henson Wood.

- Wagon Company Li it d, Assistant Examiner-Howard Beltran Gloucester, England Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Young & Thompson [22] F1led: Oct. 5, 1972 ABSTRACT [2H Appl 295351 A railway vehicle has a suspension system which, for each axle journal, comprises a pair of suspension [52] U.S. Cl 105/224 R, 105/206 A, 105/207, p g n r ardly of the journal and the other 105/2241 rearwardly thereof. The lower ends of the springs act 51] 1m. (:1. B6lf 5/34, B6lf 5/40, B6lf 5/52 against Seats formed on a saddle structure hi h i [58] Field of Search 105/207, 224 R, 224.1, guided for movement relative to a pair of guid l- 105/206 A umns which house the upper ends of the springs. At least one guide column contains a pot-like wedge [56] References Cit d structure which, through the intermediary action of 21 UNITED STATES PATENTS split collet, transmits a damping force to a friction pad 2,207,848 7/1940 Barrows 105/224.1 whlch engages the adjacent we of the Saddle 2,297,863 10/1942 Barrows et al. 105/224 R 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHBT 1 51914 8.841233 SHEET 1 OF 4 5E? nl/zl FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to railway vehicles (such term including bogies for railway vehicles) of the type having a sprung underframe or side frames, suspension springs being arranged between the frames of the vehicles and saddle structures in which the axle journals are supported.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, a railway vehicle has frame means providing, at each axle journal, spaced downwardly extending hollow pedestal guide columns between which a saddle structure in which the journal is supported can slide to accommodate vertical suspension movement of the frame means relative to the axle journal, friction damping means for engagement with the saddle structure being mounted in at least one of the guide columns, and a pair of suspension springs each of which is mounted within and surrounded by the associated column so as to bear against an upwardly facing spring seat formed on the saddle structure at a horizontal level lower than the journal axis, said at least one guide column containing spring abutment means movable therein, the said one guide column and spring abutment means having surfaces which are inclined to the horizontal and cooperate in such manner that the suspension spring force loading the abutment means results in a horizontal force urging the latter towards the saddle, which horizontal force is applied to the damping means in that pedestal guide column so that the frictional damping force rises with the load on the vehicle.

One set of such damping means for each saddle is generally sufficient, but if desired a set can be mounted in each pedestal guide column. As applied to a twoaxle, four-wheel bogie or other railway vehicle, when one set of such damping means is provided for each saddle, it is disposed on that side of the axle inwardly of the vehicle.

Each damping means preferably comprises a damper friction pad mounted between portions of a split collet arrangement which is slidable in an opening in the corresponding pedestal guide column and which grips the pad with a wedging action to urge the pad into engagement with the adjacent side of the saddle. Such a collet arrangement may be directly engaged by the spring abutment means. The suspension springs are desirably housed within the columns so far as is practicable, bearing in mind the necessity for clearance between the saddles and the columns sufficient to accommodate the full suspension movement. A resilient pad of, for example, rubber, is preferably provided on the upper portion of the saddle above the journal for engagement with an abutment constituted by a part of the frame means so as to act as a bump stop in one direction of relative movement between the saddle and the frame means.

The saddle may be arranged with clearance so that it can float, laterally of the vehicle, between the pedestal guide columns. This provides improved riding characteristics particularly on imperfect track, not only the vertical suspension movement but also the lateral floating movement being damped by the friction damping means. The axleboxes or journals are preferably supported in the saddles in such manner as to allow some degree of tilting movement of the axles relative to the saddles and thus relative to the frame means of the vehicle. The journal bearings may have upper convex surfaces which engage and can rock to a limited degree on cooperating reaction surfaces provided within the saddles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a part-sectional side view of the suspension system of an axle of a two-axle four-wheel railway vehicle,

FIG. 2 is a part-sectional plan view of the suspension system shown in FIG. 1, the section of FIG. 2 being along the line B--B of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a part-sectional end view of the suspension system, the section of FIG. 3 being along the line A-A of FIG. 1 and the section of FIG. 1 being along the line CC of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 4 is a side view of a slightly modified form of suspension system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The suspension and damping arrangements for each of the two wheel and axle sets of a railway vehicle are identical and the following description accordingly relates to the construction at one wheel journal only. Reference will first be made to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and a discussion will then be given of the different features incorporated in the second embodiment.

In the region of the journal 10, the under-frame ll of the vehicle has two spaced hollow

pedestal guide columns

12 and 13, the facing sides of which provide guides for a saddle structure 14 in which the journal bearing means 15 is located. The saddle structure 14 includes an upper body portion 16 which provides a housing for the bearing means 15, and at the bottom it has a pair of fore-and-aft extending limbs 17 which provide upwardly facing spring seats 18 for a pair of suspension springs 19 the upper ends of which are received within the

pedestal guide columns

12 and 13. The vehicle is symmetrical about its transverse centre line and the two guide columns 12 and I3 constitute inner and outer guide columns, the guide column 12 being the inner guide column. The upper end of the associated suspension spring 19 is received in what may be termed a floating wedge pot" 20. The suspension system of my co-pending United States Patent Application Ser. No. 166,808 also includes a floating wedge pot and reference should be made to the specification of said application for a detailed description of the construction and mode of operation of the floating wedge pot."

Briefly, the floating wedge pot 20 comprises a potlike structure 21 with a central bore in which the upper end of the spring 19 is received and which acts as a spring guide. The pot-like structure 19 is itself received in the inner pedestal guide column 12 and that column presents an inclined surface 22 which is engaged by an upwardly-facing wedge surface 23 on the wedge pot. The wedge surface 23 is inclined upwardly towards the saddle portion 16, and the pot 20 directly engages frictional damping means mounted in the inner pedestal guide column 12. The damping means comprises a friction pad 24 which engages the adjacent side of the saddle portion 16 and which is gripped between portions of a collet 25 which is guided for horizontal sliding movement in an opening in the wall of the pedestal guide column 12 and in an opening in a plate 26 fixed within the column 12. The collet 25 is directly engaged by an abutment 27 on the pot 20, and the described wedge arrangement is such that a horizontal damping force is applied to the saddle structure 14 which varies with the vertical loading of the corresponding suspension spring 19, whereby to damp movement of the saddle with a rising load characteristic.

The portion 16 of the saddle structure 14 has projecting edge flanges 28 which project forwardly and rearwardly of the portion 16 and carry friction pads 29 which engage corresponding pads 30 on the pedestal guide columns (see FIG. 2). Engagement of said flanges 28 with the

columns

12 and 13 limits movement of the corresponding wheel and axle set laterally of the vehicle. The maximum lateral float may, for example, be of the order of l /2 inches and both lateral and vertical movements are damped by the friction damping means.

The journal bearing housing is located within the portion 16 of the saddle structure which has location elements 31 to locate the housing within the saddle laterally of the vehicle (see FIG. 3). However, to accommodate track unevenness and allow tilting of the axle relative to the saddle 14, the upper surface of the bearing means is convexly curved to allow limited relative rocking movement. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 3, the upper surface of the portion 16 of the saddle 14 carries a resilient rubber pad 32 disposed within a well defined by an upstanding rib 33. .The rubber pad 32 is arranged to act as a bump stop" and engages a surface 34 of the frame of the vehicle at the limit of the travel of the frame downwardly relative to the saddle 14.

The outer suspension spring 19 is substantially entirely housed within the corresponding pedestal guide column 13, the bottom edge of the latter being cut away as shown sufficiently to allow full suspension movement of the saddle. The other spring 19, which is associated with the damping means, is housed within its pedestal guide column 12 to a lesser extent, the lower end of the column 12 being cut away to provide the inclined surface engaged by the floating wedge pot 20. However, both columns surround the respective spring and house the latter to the fullest extent practical, the result being an extremely strong vehicle frame. In this respect it is to be noted that each column l2, l3 contains a horizontal reinforcement plate 35, said plate 35 being formed with an aperture which lies on the centre line of the associated suspension spring 19. This aperturc receives the shank ofa bolt 36 whose head 37 rests on the plate 35. The bolt shank carries a nut 38 which is disposed in a recess in the undersurface of the associated limb of the saddle structure 14. Engagement of the nut 38 with the base of the recess serves to limit upward movement of the frame relative to the saddle structure 14.

The two

pedestal guide columns

12 and 13 are formed on a common structure, the box section formation of which (see particularly FIG. 1) provides considerable strength across the top of the columns which is the point at which conventional railway vehicle frames tend to fracture. the increased strength construction obtained with the present invention resulting from the formation of hollow pedestal columns which guide the saddle structure and provide the spring housings.

The suspension system shown in FIG. 4 is substantially the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the same reference numerals have accordingly been employed to designate corresponding parts of this suspension system. The construction shown in FIG. 4 differs from that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 as regards the configuration of the axlebox, i.e., the dimension of the axlebox in the fore-and-aft direction is greater than that of the axlebox shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. Accordingly, the dimension of the portion 16 of the saddle structure 14 has been increased as has been the spacing between the

pedestal guide columns

12 and 13. The purpose of the increased spacing between the guide columns is to enable accommodation of existing axleboxes and enables a standard design to be produced for the production of new vehicles and the conversion of existing vehicles. Such vehicles may be either bogies or two-axle wagons.

What is claimed is:

l. A railway vehicle having frame means providing, at each axle journal, spaced downwardly extending hollow pedestal guide columns between which a saddle structure in which the journal is supported can slide to accommodate vertical suspension movement of the frame means relative to the axle journal, friction damping means for engagement with the saddle structure being mounted in at least one of the guide columns, and a pair of suspension springs each of which is mounted within and surrounded by the associated column so as to bear against an upwardly facing spring seat formed on the saddle structure at a horizontal level lower than the journal axis, said at least one guide column containing spring abutment means in the form of a wedge element having surfaces which are inclined to the horizontal and cooperate with surfaces of the guide column in such manner that the suspension spring force loading the abutment means results in a horizontal force urging the latter towards the saddle, which horizontal force is applied to the damping means in that pedestal guide column so that the frictional damping force rises with the load on the vehicle, the damping means being formed separate from the wedge element and cooperating with means formed by the guide column whereby said damping means is restrained against vertical movement relative to the guide column as a result of suspension movement of the abutment means.

2. A railway vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the damping means comprises a damper friction pad mounted between portions of a split collet arrangement.

3. A railway vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the collet arrangement is slidable in an opening in the corresponding pedestal guide column and grips the pad with a wedging action to urge the pad into engagement with the adjacent side of the saddle.

4. A railway vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the collet arrangement is directly engaged by the spring abutment means.

5. A railway vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a resilient pad is provided on the upper portion of the saddle above the journal for engagement with an abutment constituted by a part of the frame means.

6. A railway vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the saddle is arranged with clearance so that it can float, laterally of the vehicle, between the pedestal guide columns.

7. A railway vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the saddle has projecting flanges which overlap the sides of the pedestal guide columns to limit lateral floating movement of the saddle.

8. A railway vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each journal is so supported in the associated saddle as to allow limited tilting movement of the axle relative to the saddle.

9. A railway vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the journal bearings have upper convex surfaces which engage and can rock to a limited degree on cooperating reaction surfaces provided within the saddles.

10. A railway vehicle having frame means providing, at each axle journal, spaced downwardly extending hollow pedestal guide columns between which a saddle structure in which the journal is supported can slide to accommodate vertical suspension movement of the frame means relative to the axle journal, friction damping means for engagement with the saddle structure being mounted in at least one of the guide columns, which guide column includes a vertical plate containing an opening which receives said damping means with the arrangement such that the damping means is restrained against other than horizontal sliding movement relative to the guide column, and a pair of suspension springs each of which is mounted within and surrounded by the associated column so as to bear against an upwardly facing spring seat formed on the saddle structure at a horizontal level lower than the journal axis, said at least one guide column containing spring abutment means in the form of a wedge element having surfaces which are situated at a horizontal level higher than the journal axis and are inclined to the horizontal, said surfaces of the wedge element cooperating with surfaces of the guide column in such manner that the suspension spring force loading the wedge element results in a horizontal force urging the latter towards the vertical plate which is situated between the suspension spring and the saddle, which horizontal force is applied to the damping means in that pedestal guide column so that the frictional damping force rises with the load on the vehicle.

Claims

1. A railway vehicle having frame means providing, at each axle journal, spaced downwardly extending hollow pedestal guide columns between which a saddle structure in which the journal is supported can slide to accommodate vertical suspension movement of the frame means relative to the axle journal, friction damping means for engagement with the saddle structure being mounted in at least one of the guide columns, and a pair of suspension springs each of which is mounted within and surrounded by the associated column so as to bear against an upwardly facing spring seat formed on the saddle structure at a horizontal level lower than the journal axis, said at least one guide column containing spring abutment means in the form of a wedge element having surfaces which are inclined to the horizontal and cooperate with surfaces of the guide column in such manner that the suspension spring force loading the abutment means results in a horizontal force urging the latter towards the saddle, which horizontal force is applied to the damping means in that pedestal guide column so that the frictional damping force rises with the load on the vehicle, the damping means being formed separate from the wedge element and cooperating with means formed by the guide column whereby said damping means is restrained against vertical movement relative to the guide column as a result of suspension movement of the abutment means.