Abstract: A twistable closed profile crossmember for a rear axle of a motor vehicle, the crossmember making it possible to connect two longitudinal arms of the axle. The crossmember includes a tube including: end portions that are each connectable to one of the two arms; an intermediate portion that is deep-drawn so as to obtain a U- or V-shaped transverse section wherein the inner walls of the tube are separated by a space; and two transition portions having a transverse section modified to connect each end portion to the intermediate portion. The crossmember further includes two inserts, each closing one end of the intermediate portion on all or part of the length of each transition portion to avoid all contact between the inner walls at the intermediate portion when the crosspiece is subject to a twisting force.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an all metal, single or dual, flanged composite railroad wheel for rollingly engaging a metal rail. A unitary metal railroad wheel having at least one radially extending wheel flange, for intermittently engaging the side surface of the rail, is provided with a metallic inlaid material having a coefficient of friction lower than the coefficient of friction of the wheel's main body. The inlaid low friction material forms an annular band circumscribing the inside surface of the wheel's radially extending flange.

Abstract: In the case of a rail wheel having a wheel disk made of plastic and a tire made of metal, these are connected with one another by way of a metallic intermediate ring onto which the tire is shrunk. In this case, the wheel disk has a conical cross-sectional profile on its circumference and the intermediate ring, which is form-locking therewith, is axially divided into two partial rings with a correspondingly partially conical interior surface. The partial rings are in a mutual force-locking connection and are glued to the wheel disk. This ensures a double safety connection between the intermediate ring and the wheel disk.

Abstract: In order to attain a cost-effective manufacturing, suitable for large-scale production, in the case of a rail wheel, and, at the same time, a high degree of structural strength, whereby the wheel disk, which rigidly joins the wheel hub (4) with the wheel tire in a fibrous composite type of construction, is made of two external fibrous composite surface layers and a characteristically light inner core, which transmits shearing force, arranged between them, the inner core is composed, according to the invention, of ring segment-shaped, foam plastic-filled fibrous composite hollow cases (22), each consisting of web portions (28), running radially between the wheel hub and the wheel tire, arranged perpendicularly to the surface layers, with an intersecting fibrous orientation, slanted at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the sections, as well as profile side walls (30), formed in one piece, on the longitudinal edges of the web portions, with a continuous fibrous structure, each evenly bonded with the inne

Abstract: A disk wheel, especially a railroad wheel, has a composite construction of single piece metal hub and a single piece metal rim connected to each other by a wheel disk of fiber reinforced composite material providing exclusively adhesive bonds. The wheel disk transmits shearing stress between hub and rim. The rim is provided with two radially inwardly extending rim flanges. The hub has two radially outwardly extending hub flanges. The shearing stress transmitting wheel disk (12) has a radially outer rim contacting surface (9) adhesively bonded to the rim (3) and rim flanges (7), and a radially inner hub contacting surface (8) adhesively bonded to the hub (2) and hub flanges (6). The wheel disk (12) is inserted into the space between the concentrically arranged hub and rim as long as the composite material is not yet cured and hence sufficiently deformable. The wheel disk is exposed to compression during curing.

Abstract: A wheel, especially a disk wheel has six components, namely, two mirror-setrical hub sections, a wheel rim, two bending resistant wheel disks and a thrust and/or shear resistant body enclosed by the rim, by the two hub sections, and by the two wheel disks whereby metal components and fiber composite material components are bonded to one another to form the wheel. The materials of these components are selected for three purposes, to simplify the construction, to optimize the strength characteristics of the wheel, and to greatly increase the wheel's ability to dampen vibrations. The hub sections and rim are made of metal, the disks are made of fiber compound material and the enclosed body is made of metal or fiber compound material all held together by an adhesive bond. The hub sections have radially extending flanges which intermesh with the radially inner edge of the wheel disks in a multilayer fashion. The thrust and/or shear resistant body has preferably a honeycomb type structure.

Abstract: An axle and wheel assembly particularly adapted for railcar usage is disclosed as having a metal-foam construction that is light in weight but of a relatively high strength. The axle includes an elongated hollow steel outer axle member and an elongated hollow steel inner axle member received within the outer axle member with the foam injected therebetween so as to cure and bond to the members and function as a load bearing element therebetween. Adhesion between the axle members and the foam is increased by applying an adhesive to the members prior to the injection of the foam. An intermediate portion of the outer axle member between ends of the axle includes outwardly deformed ribs that increase the cross-sectional area thereof without increasing the weight to enhance the lightweight and high strength characteristics of the axle.

Abstract: A wheel of lightweight construction useful as a wheel for a railroad car having a hub portion and a rim portion. The hub portion is connected to the rim portion by a pair of spaced apart opposed concavely shaped wheel discs positioned back-to-back. Each of the wheel discs has a main portion running between the hub and the rim. The main portion has integral therewith at each end thereof an arcuately shaped transitional portion which terminates in an edge. One of these transitional portions contiguously abuts and is affixed to one of two oppositely inclined flanks of the hub. The other of the transitional portions contiguously abuts and is affixed to one of two oppositely inclined flanks of the rim.

Abstract: A rubber shock-absorbent track wheel in which annular grooves are provided on the ring of the wheel and on the rim of the wheel disc. The grooves are formed between shoulders, and a clearance space is defined between the grooves and the shoulder. Prestressed rubber plates located within the clearance space have plane areas when in the original state. The two annular grooves are turned to one another so that the height of the clearance space varies over its width, and the height of the clearance space is maximum at the centers of the grooves. The rubber plates are more prestressed at their outer areas than in the middle areas of the rubber plates when positioned between the base of the annular grooves of wheel disc and ring.