Patents by Inventor Gerd Potel

Gerd Potel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4665835
    Abstract: An arrangement for increasing the roll stability of rail vehicles equipped with air suspension. Two air spring bellows having integrated emergency springs of a first bogie are controlled by a respective leveling valve. In addition to these bellows, a roll stabilizer is provided, so that in the vicinity of the first bogie, the car body, when viewed in the horizontal direction, is nearly parallel to this bogie. So that when track twist is encountered, the second bogie can swing relative to the car body, only one of the air spring bellows of this bogie is controlled by a third leveling valve disposed in the center of the car body, while the other air spring bellows is connected via an equalizing line with one of the air spring bellows of the first bogie. A central emergency spring extends concentrically around the center pivot of the second bogie.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1987
    Assignee: M.A.N. Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Sandor Mohacsi, Gerd Potel, Karl-Heinz Buchholz
  • Patent number: 4638742
    Abstract: A vertically adjustable emergency support for the bodies of, for example, rail vehicles. Due to wear of the wheel tires, the bogie frame and the car body supported on it tend to descend. In the case of emergency supports in the region of the center pivot, where access is difficult, it is proposed, in order to compensate for this drop, to connect the striker plate which faces an emergency spring at a distance "w" to a box underneath which as vertically guided via guide elements on sliding-contact liners of a cut-out in the bogie frame. If the distance "w" increases due to wear of the wheel tires, an adjustment has to be made by raising the box via a plate connected to the center pivot. Plates of a thickness which compensates for the wear are inserted between the box and abutments which are connected to the bogie frame. After securing the plates via bolts, the car body is lowered again, whereupon the distance "w" is restored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: MAN Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerd Potel, Karl-Heinz Buchholz