Abstract: The invention relates to a bogie frame (1) for rail vehicles having at least two wheelsets, the bogie frame comprising two longitudinal members (3), which extend parallel to each other above the axle bearings, one or more cross-members (2) connected to the longitudinal members (3), and a receiving region (5) for functional elements, the bogie frame (1) being produced completely as a single casting of an aluminum alloy in a sand casting process, said casting having a hollow profile, which has cavities (10) in the interior and is stabilized by means of ribbings (8, 9). The invention further relates to a method for producing a bogie frame of this type and to a rail vehicle equipped with a bogie frame of this type.

Abstract: A novel freight car truck bolster comprising a top member with a center bowl and support shelves for side bearers, a bottom member with bearing surfaces for swing suspension springing elements, going into diagonal tension members, side walls joining the top and bottom members, vertical longitudinal ribs located between the top and bottom members with their thickness increased in the center bowl area, pockets to install friction wedges. The bottom member has increased thickness in the transition areas of the bearing surfaces into the diagonal tension members, and the vertical ribs have thickness increased at the top of the center bowl area, the rounded transitions of the sloping walls into the bottom member bearing surfaces have a radius exceeding the radius of the rounded transitions of the vertical walls into the said bearing surfaces.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a side frame mold for casting a side frame of a railway car truck includes forming a drag and a cope portion of a mold from a casting material to define an exterior surface of a drag portion and cope portion, respectively, of the side frame. The mold includes a portion for casting the pedestal jaw of the side frame. The drag and the cop portions are then cured.

Abstract: A frame for use with a railway truck may have a pivot housing, a first arm member extending outward from the pivot housing and having opposing distal ends, and a second arm member substantially identical to the first arm member and extending outward from the pivot housing opposite the first arm member. Each of the first and second arm members may have a generally planar upper plate, a generally planar lower plate, and plurality of webs vertically disposed between the generally planar upper and lower plates. An upper surface of the pivot housing may be generally co-planar with the generally planar upper plates of the first and second arm members.

Abstract: A side frame for a bogie. Two longitudinal sides of the side frame are respectively provided with a supporting seat for connecting an end portion of a connecting rod, and the supporting seat is integrally formed with the side frame by casting. The supporting seat includes a supporting plate, a middle rib and a first side rib. The supporting plate is provided with a through hole. The connecting rod and the supporting seat are thread-connected via a conical pole which is fixedly provided in the through hole. The side frame reduces the welding processes, ensures the installation precision of the supporting seat, and enhances the strength of the supporting seat.

Abstract: A frame is disclosed for use with a railway truck. The frame may have a pivot housing, a first arm member extending outward from the pivot housing and having opposing distal ends, and a second arm member substantially identical to the first arm member and extending outward from the pivot housing opposite the first arm member. Each of the first and second arm members may have a generally planar upper plate, a generally planar lower plate, and plurality of webs vertically disposed between the generally planar upper and lower plates. An upper surface of the pivot housing may be generally co-planar with the generally planar upper plates of the first and second arm members.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a side frame mold for casting a side frame of a railway car truck includes forming a drag and a cope portion of a mold from a casting material to define an exterior surface of a drag portion and cope portion, respectively, of the side frame. The mold includes a portion for casting the pedestal jaw of the side frame. The drag and the cope portions are then cured.

Abstract: A rocking compensation system for rail vehicles includes actuators which are arranged within primary helical compression springs of bogies for a targeted height adjustment of a bogie frame of the bogie.

Abstract: A bogie includes two pairs of wheels (2), the wheels (2) of one pair being connected to one another by a shaft to form an axle (4), the axles (4) being connected to one another by two half-chasses (8) each having two side members (10) connected to one another by a cross-member (12). The side members (10) rest on one of said axles (4), the cross-members (10) of the half-chassis (8) being articulated by an articulation device (18) so as to permit rotation of one half-chassis (8) relative to the other about a substantially longitudinal axis (A). Each side member (10) of a half-chassis (8) is connected to a side member (10) of the other half-chassis (8) by a connector (20) mounted in an articulated manner about substantially transverse axes on the side members (10), the connector (20) extending at least partially in a horizontal plane offset in terms of height relative to the horizontal plane passing through the articulation device (18).

Abstract: A bogie includes two pairs of wheels (2), the wheels (2) of one pair being connected to one another by a shaft to form an axle (4), the axles (4) being connected to one another by two half-chasses (8) each having two side members (10) connected to one another by a cross-member (12). The side members (10) rest on one of said axles (4), the cross-members (10) of the half-chassis (8) being articulated by an articulation device (18) so as to permit rotation of one half-chassis (8) relative to the other about a substantially longitudinal axis (A). Each side member (10) of a half-chassis (8) is connected to a side member (10) of the other half-chassis (8) by a connector (20) mounted in an articulated manner about substantially transverse axes on the side members (10), the connector (20) extending at least partially in a horizontal plane offset in terms of height relative to the horizontal plane passing through the articulation device (18).

Abstract: A swing motion rail road freight car truck is provided that has a truck bolster and a pair of side frames, the truck bolster being mounted transversely relative to the side frames. The side frames have spring seats for the groups of springs. The springs seats may be rigidly mounted in the side frames. Friction dampers are provided in inboard and outboard pairs. The biasing force on the dampers urges then to that act between the bolster ands and sideframes to resist parallelogram deflection of the truck. The bearing adapters and sideframe pedestal seats interact on a rolling linear contact interface that has a relatively small radius of curvature.

Abstract: A running gear frame for a running gear of a rail vehicle with a frame body, which is configured to be supported at least on one wheel unit of the running gear. The frame body has two longitudinal beams extending in a longitudinal direction of the running gear and at least one transverse beam extending in a transverse direction of the running gear. The transverse beam substantially rigidly connects the two longitudinal beams to each other. The frame body is at least partially made of grey cast iron material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sideframe for use in a traditional three piece railway fright car truck comprising a pair of laterally spaced sideframes supporting a bolster extending between the sideframes. Each sideframe comprises an elongated top compression member, two diagonal compression members extending generally downwardly at acute angles from near the ends of the top compression member, and a bottom member joining the other ends of the diagonal tension members. Two column members also extend vertically between the bottom member and the top compression member. Pads with fastener openings are provided on the top surface of the top compression member to assist in mounting brackets to the sideframe.

Abstract: Wires (electric wires) 29 and 30 of cars are connected to each other through connecting wires mounted to a truck frame of an articulated truck. The connecting wires are inserted into a flexible protecting pipe member and an intermediate portion thereof is mounted within a concave portion formed on an upper portion of a side frame of the truck frame. And, an upper opening of the concave portion is closed by a cover plate. Connectors 22 and 23 are provided at front and rear end portions of the connecting wire for electric connection with cars. The connectors 22 and 23 are removably connected to connectors 26 and 27 of the wires 29 and 30 of the cars, which are mounted by mounting brackets 24 and 25 under the car bodies 2A and 3A.

Abstract: A rail road car truck has side frames mounted to rock on the wheelsets. A bolster is mounted cross-wise on the sideframes, each end of the bolster being seated on a spring group, each spring group being seated in one of the sideframe windows. The bolster has damper groups mounted at each end to work between the end of the bolster and the columns of the sideframe windows. The truck has a dynamic response to lateral perturbations that includes a first component due to the swinging of the sideframes on the sideframe pedestal rockers, and a second component that is due to lateral shear in the main spring groups. The pendulum action may tend to be softer than the lateral shear in the springs, and so therefore may tend to dominate the lateral response. This swing-dominant lateral response may be combined with a multiple damper arrangement.

Abstract: An improved sideframe has a bolster opening configured to accept a variety of spring group and friction shoe assembly designs. The bolster opening is defined by a bottom section, a top compression member, and two opposing column members and has two column wear plates each secured to the opposing column members. The bottom section of the bolster opening defines a spring seat. The dimensions of the bolster opening of the sideframe allow for a variety of freight car truck suspension systems including the spring group, bolster and friction shoe used therewith.

Abstract: An autorack rail road car is provided with a truck that includes a pair of sideframes supported on wheel sets with bearing adapters positioned therebetween. The bearing adapters and the sideframes have associated parts or surfaces with curvatures configured to permit lateral swinging of the sideframes. A bolster is supported by the sideframes, and sets of laterally arranged dampers are provided therebetween to control the relationship between the sideframes and the bolster.

Abstract: A cast metal sideframe for use in a railway car truck has a spring seat for supporting the springs of a spring set. The sideframe is molded using a core that includes a portion for defining the exterior surface of the spring seat. The core can be a single piece or multi-piece core. The spring seat includes a plurality of aerodynamically-shaped spring retainers formed on the top face spring seat. The aerodynamic shape of the spring retainers reduces the tendency for sand to swirl and create voids during formation of the sand core that is used to mold the sideframe. The aerodynamic shape may include forming at least some of the side walls of the spring retainers at an obtuse angle with the top face of the spring seat. The spring retainers may have concave top faces so as to reduce the volume of material comprising the spring retainers.

Abstract: A cast metal sideframe for use in a railway car truck has a spring seat for supporting the springs of a spring set. The sideframe is molded using a core that includes a portion for defining the exterior surface of the spring seat. The core can be a single piece or multi-piece core. The spring seat includes a plurality of aerodynamically-shaped spring retainers formed on the top face spring seat. The aerodynamic shape of the spring retainers reduces the tendency for sand to swirl and create voids during formation of the sand core that is used to mold the sideframe. The aerodynamic shape may include forming at least some of the side walls of the spring retainers at an obtuse angle with the top face of the spring seat. The spring retainers may have concave top faces so as to reduce the volume of material comprising the spring retainers.

Abstract: A wear plate assembly adapted to engage a friction wedge of a railroad car truck. The wear plate assembly includes a base member having an upper wear member adapted to engage the friction wedge. The upper wear member is formed from a first material such as steel. The wear plate assembly includes a lower wear member located adjacent to and below the upper wear member. The lower wear member is adapted to engage the friction wedge and is formed from a second material such as cast iron. The upper wear member has a coefficient friction with the friction wedge of approximately 0.30 and the lower wear member has a coefficient friction with the friction wedge of approximately 0.15. When a rail car is at tare weight the friction wedge will slidably engage the upper wear member and when the rail car is at fully laden weight the friction wedge will slidably engage the lower wear member.

Abstract: There is disclosed a lightweight truck sideframe for use in a railway car. The truck sideframe is of lighter weight than conventional truck sideframes because of the removal of the double wall of the truck sideframe tension member, leaving a single wall tension member. Removal of this significant mass of metal requires reinforcement of the truck sideframe in several areas including in the tension member below the spring seat, in the compression member, and at the side wall window. The resulting truck sideframe construction is of lighter weight than conventional truck sideframes and exceeds the Association of American Railroad's requirements for strength and durability.

Abstract: A railway truck frame for a railway truck including a first side frame and a second side frame, each side frame having an inverted trapezoidal-shaped window including a first inclined side and a second inclined side. The truck frame also includes a bolster having a first end and a second end which extends transversely between the first and second side frames. Each end of the bolster includes a first inclined channel and an opposing second inclined channel. Each channel includes an exterior flange, a spaced apart interior flange, and a bearing surface located between the exterior and the interior flanges. Each inclined side of a window is adapted to be located in a respective first or second channel between the exterior flange and the interior flange of the channel and in engagement with the bearing surface of the channel.

Abstract: A railway vehicle bogie, including at least two axles, at least one side member being provided to connect the axles to a central part of the bogie. The side member is formed by an elastic blade shaped as a vertically oriented continuous flattened loop which may be made of composite material or of metal. A process for manufacturing a side member of composite material consists in winding a continuous lap of reinforcing fibers over at least one turn around two studs so as to form a loop, and polymerizing a resin-based matrix around the fibers.

Abstract: A three-piece railcar truck assembly is disclosed. The truck assembly has two side frames and a bolster extending between the side frames. Each side frame has spaced columns defining an opening which receives one end of the bolster. Each side frame also has forward and rearward lugs at the columns, both on the inboard side and the outboard side. Each side frame lug has a stop surface that is aligned in a facing relationship with a stop surface of one bolster gib. There is a gap between the opposed side frame lug and bolster gib stop surfaces. The gap distance is limited to limit the truck warp angle. The neighboring side frame lugs and bolster gibs may be sized, shaped and spaced so that the truck warp angle may be limited to an angle of less than two degrees. The various stop-surfaces may be hardened to a desirable range of hardness over at least the contact portion of either contacting lug or gib, or both contacting surfaces may be hardened above the as-cast hardness.

Abstract: The number of cores used in casting sideframes is reduced. A pair of end cores and a center core are placed in a mold with cope and drag portions. Each core includes integrally-formed portions for defining portions of the interior surfaces of the sideframes. The integrally-formed portions may include a portion for defining the side window of the sideframe formed integrally with other portions, and may include a pedestal portion formed integrally with other portions. The integrally-formed portions may contact both the cope and drag portions of the mold. The end cores may include integrally formed core prints for supporting the core in the mold. The integrally-formed portions of the center core include connections that are formed integrally with the other portions. Molten metal is introduced into the mold to cast the sideframe.

Abstract: A bogie for a railway vehicle which is supported on wheels mounted on at least two axles wherein the bogie includes a chassis which includes at least one housing in the form of a tubular beam which receives a side member which connects the at least two axles. The side member is selected based upon the anticipated use of the railway vehicle to which the bogie is to be secured.

Abstract: A three-piece railcar truck assembly is disclosed. The truck assembly has two side frames and a bolster extending between the side frames. Each side frame has spaced columns defining an opening which receives one end of the bolster. Each side frame also has forward and rearward lugs at the columns, both on the inboard side and the outboard side. Each side frame lug has a stop surface that is aligned in a facing relationship with a stop surface of one bolster gib. There is a gap between the opposed side frame lug and bolster gib stop surfaces. The gap distance is limited to limit the truck warp angle. The neighboring side frame lugs and bolster gibs may be sized, shaped and spaced so that the truck warp angle may be limited to an angle of less than two degrees.