Levelers Patents (Class 105/164)
  • Patent number: 11331718
    Abstract: A method for calculating a conveyance velocity at which oscillation of a liquid surface is suppressed in conveying a container in which a liquid is accommodated, e.g., a ladle in which molten metal is accommodated. In a graph of conveyance velocity versus conveyance time, an upwardly convex parabola and a downwardly convex parabola having vertical symmetry are prepared in advance, the downwardly convex parabola and the upwardly convex parabola are smoothly connected to form an acceleration curve, the upwardly convex parabola and the downwardly convex parabola are smoothly connected to form a deceleration curve, and the conveyance velocity is obtained from the acceleration curve and the deceleration curve smoothly connected where the slope thereof is zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventor: Takuya Harada
  • Patent number: 11318842
    Abstract: A first train-installed device according to the present invention includes: a memory; and a processor. The processor performs operations. The operations includes: performing wireless communication through an antenna installed at a front of a train; acquiring train information including information indicating a railroad of the train; transmitting a search signal to another train in a neighborhood of the train; when receiving a response signal including train information including information indicating a railroad on which the another train is on-rail, determining whether there is a possibility of a collision between the train and the another train based on the train information; and when there is a possibility of the collision, measuring a distance between the another train and the train by transmitting and receiving a measurement signal and a measurement response signal to and from the second train-installed device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Kojima
  • Patent number: 10953898
    Abstract: An active control system for rolling behaviors of high-speed trains includes a sensor, a controller and an output device. The output device includes a power unit, an output unit and a casing. The power unit and the output unit are arranged inside the casing. The active control system applies active control torque to the shaking, rolling and nodding of the train body so as to control the train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Chunwei Zhang, Hao Wang, Yang Xu
  • Patent number: 10864792
    Abstract: A suspension system includes a leaf spring, an actuator attached to the leaf spring, and an axle mount attached to the actuator. The actuator is disposed vertically between the leaf spring and the axle mount and is actuatable to change a distance between the leaf spring and the axle mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Rinku Patel, Salvador Padilla, Jared Shroyer, Eric Schaus
  • Patent number: 10363948
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a train control device includes an acceleration detection unit and a train control unit. The acceleration detection unit detects acceleration of a train along a rotation radius direction, when the train is turning and passing a curved section of a rail line with a cant. The train control unit sets a passing speed of the train passing through the curved section so that a state of the train is placed in a balanced cant, based on a direction of the detected acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Junko Yamamoto, Satoshi Iba, Yohei Hattori, Yasuyuki Miyajima
  • Patent number: 10281000
    Abstract: A variable damping assembly includes a base, a supporting member, a damping member, and an elastic member. The supporting member is positioned on the base. The damping member is rotatably coupled to the supporting member and presses against the housing. The elastic member includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The first end of the elastic member is coupled to the supporting member and the second end of the elastic member is coupled to the housing. The elastic member provides an elastic force and the damping member provides a damping force changed as the elastic force changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Chiun Mai Communication Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Ming-Chun Ho
  • Patent number: 10239377
    Abstract: A vehicle with 3 or more wheels includes at least two wheels aligned on the same axis. The vehicle has an intermediate centerline plane between the wheels parallel to a direction of movement, including a mass suspended in relation to the wheels defining a passenger or containment compartment, and two suspension groups kinematically connecting the suspended mass to the two aligned wheels. An anti-roll stabilizer device has at least one compensation mass kinematically connected to the suspended mass via a guide and movable in relation thereto. The anti-roll stabilizer device has a drive of the compensation mass to distance or bring the compensation mass closer to the centerline plane on the side opposite the displacement of a barycenter of the suspended mass with respect to the same centerline plane, to oppose the displacement with respect to the centerline plane of the position of the barycenter of the suspended mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: PIAGGIO & C. S.p.A.
    Inventor: Luca Marano
  • Patent number: 10035523
    Abstract: A leveling valve includes an actuator arm that rotates due to a restoring force of a buffer spring, and a connecting valve that is opened by the actuator arm against air pressure. The connecting valve includes a first valve body that is opened by being pressed by the actuator arm, a second valve body from/on which the first valve body is separated/seated, a sleeve from/on which the second valve body is separated/seated, and an engaging portion that is provided to the second valve body and engages with the first valve body when the first valve body has moved by a predetermined distance after the first valve body is opened. A pressure receiving area of the second valve body is larger than a pressure receiving area of the first valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: KYB Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Suzuki, Yusuke Endo
  • Patent number: 9975562
    Abstract: A railcar includes: a carbody; a bogie constituting member including an interface plate provided at a lower portion of the carbody, an air spring, and a bogie; an automatic level controlling valve configured to maintain a height of the spring within a certain range; a first attaching portion provided on a side surface of the plate, the valve being detachably attached to the side surface of the plate by the first attaching portion; and attaching means provided at the lower portion of the carbody, the valve being detachably attached to the lower portion of the carbody by the attaching means, the bogie constituting member being separable from the carbody in a state where the valve is attached to the side surface of the plate through the first attaching portion or a state where the valve is attached to the lower portion of the carbody through the attaching means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Sakahira, Mitsuru Yokoyama, Kazuo Isomura, Takanori Tojo, Satoshi Ikeda, Tomohide Maeba, Naoki Hikosaka, Tomohiro Narita
  • Patent number: 9718428
    Abstract: The rollover prevention system includes a motor having a drive shaft, a gear assembly positioned in communicating relation with the motor, an assembly box for housing the gear assembly, and an electronic control system for controlling the rollover prevention system. The gear assembly includes a drive gear positioned in communicating relation with a reduction gear, the reduction gear positioned on the drive shaft of the motor, a drive pin attached to the drive shaft of the motor, the drive pin having a gear, as well as a rotatable wheel positioned in communicating relation with the gear positioned on the drive pin, and an eccentric disc positioned within the rotatable wheel. The rotatable wheel includes an attachment member positioned on the exterior surface of the rotatable wheel, the attachment member being attached to a driver's seat of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Inventor: Ahmed Younis Mothfar
  • Patent number: 9701322
    Abstract: A rail vehicle having tilting technology includes a car body supported on at least two chassis. At least one of the chassis is connected to the car body by an active tilting technology system and at least one additional chassis is connected to the car body by a passive tilting technology system. The tilt of the car body is applied exclusively by the active tilting technology system. Thus, uncontrolled twisting and loading of the car body is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens AG Oesterreich
    Inventors: Andreas Kienberger, Martin Teichmann
  • Patent number: 9637145
    Abstract: A rail vehicle includes at least one running gear and at least one anti-roll stabilizer which is connected to two different vehicle parts of the rail vehicle. The anti-roll stabilizer includes a torsion shaft disposed on a vehicle part transversally to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, levers anti-rotationally disposed on the torsion shaft at both sides of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and a respective draw/push rod for each lever. Each lever is articulatingly connected to one end of the draw/push rod and the draw/push rod is articulatingly connected at its other end to the other vehicle part. In order to reduce the dynamic forces on the draw/push rods in the oblique configuration thereof, imaginary extensions of the draw/push rods intersect at a point which lies approximately on the axis of rotation of the outward rotational movement of the running gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens AG Oesterreich
    Inventors: Christian Brandstaetter, Gerhard Kaserer, Christian Plankensteiner, Michael Sumnitsch
  • Patent number: 8899160
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens AG Oesterreich
    Inventors: Herbert Haas, Johannes Hirtenlechner, Andreas Kienberger, Johannes Müller, Thomas Penz, Helmut Ritter, Martin Teichmann, Herwig Waltensdorfer, Tomas Ziskal
  • Patent number: 8418626
    Abstract: Truck assemblies, systems and methods are provided for transferring weight supported by various wheels, and axles. The vehicle suspension method includes operating the suspension in a first mode with a first effective suspension spring rate; and operating the suspension in a second mode with a second, different, effective suspension spring rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adrian Gorski, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, Bret Worden, Jingjun Zhang
  • Patent number: 8167320
    Abstract: A vehicle with carriage anti-tilting structure, which comprises a frame and, a carriage of a cylindrical shape, with its central axis in parallel along the length of the vehicle and is connected with the frame in a free rotation state. The rotating axis of the carriage is the central axis of the carriage, and the gravity center of the carriage is lower than the rotating axis. An electrical locking mechanism for stopping the rotation of carriage is arranged between the carriage and frame, and is connected with a vehicle tilting angle detector which installed on the frame. The locking mechanism acts as an actuator of the vehicle tilting angle detector. In the event of tilting of the vehicle, the vehicle tilting angle detector detects the tilting condition, and then output signal to the electrical locking mechanism, which releases the locking of the carriage and enables it to stay leveled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Inventors: Chen Yuet Chan, Siu Wa Wong
  • Publication number: 20040016361
    Abstract: The rail vehicle (1) comprises a sub-frame (2) and a wagon body (3) disposed above it. Between the wagon body (3) and the sub-frame (2) a spring stage (4) is provided and between the wagon body (3) and the sub-frame (2) at least one actuator (6) is provided which is arranged to bring the wagon body (3) from a raised travel position into a lowered load/unload position against a restoring force produced by the spring stage (4) to keep it in the load/unload position. The wagon body (3) is raised into a travel position by the restoring force upon deactivation of the actuator (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Martin Teichmann, Herwig Waltensdorfer, Alexander Schimanofsky
  • Patent number: 6550394
    Abstract: An auxiliary suspension for hydraulic or pneumatic railway car suspensions is disclosed. The auxiliary suspension includes a bumper assembly which is located below the railcar body. The bumper assembly further includes a bumper pad that is retracted when a certain level of pressure is present in the hydraulic or pneumatic suspension. In a retracted position, the passenger car has room to “kneel” at a station platform to align the car floor height with the station platform height. When pressure in the hydraulic or pneumatic suspension is absent, the bumper pad of the auxiliary suspension extends to allow safe operation of the passenger train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Buckeye Steel Castings Company
    Inventor: Richard B. Polley
  • Patent number: 6453825
    Abstract: The invention relates to an underframe for a rail-borne vehicle for transporting freely movable loads, more specifically the underframe of a railroad crane. The underframe has a plurality of curve-negotiating wheel sets which are accommodated in bogies and mounted in a running-gear frame for rolling on running rails. A supporting-wheel set including two supporting wheels is provided to selectively relieve the load on the curve-negotiating wheel sets. The supporting-wheel set is fastened to the vehicle so that the supporting wheels may be raised to a rest position above the running rails and lowered from the rest position to an operative position in which the supporting wheel rests with adjustable pressure on the running rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Atecs Mannesmann AG
    Inventors: Klaus Sprave, Ralf Rode
  • Patent number: 6131520
    Abstract: A rail vehicle having at least one superstructure which can be inclined by an angle of inclination (.alpha.) and which is supported on at least one undercarriage. At least one current collector arranged on the roof of the rail vehicle, the current collector being retractable against the inclination of the superstructure by an adjustment angle which is formed by the difference between the angle of inclination (.alpha.) and the roll angle (.beta.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans-Jurgen Dull
  • Patent number: 6032584
    Abstract: A carriage and track assembly for transferring paper and paperboard rolls along an inclined track. The assembly is useful for the transfer of paper rolls of slippery grades and is based on using a dual track (5, 6) over the length of the inclined section of the transfer track and having compatible wheel sets (3, 4) on the transfer carriage. The front end of the carriage is provided with a wheel assembly (3, 4) in which the rolling perimeter varies at different trackwidths of the assembly. The wheel assembly can be made to run along the inclined sections of said tracks (5, 6) so that in said wheel assembly the rolling perimeters of its wheel sets (3, 4) running on different tracks are vertically located at different heights from the loading platform (1) of the carriage. Thus, the loading platform remains substantially horizontal while the carriage travels along the inclined track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Valmet Corporation
    Inventors: Jukka Joutsjoki, Raimo Ruohio, Esko Nieminen
  • Patent number: 5970883
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a link tilt device for a tilting cross-member suitable for being disposed in a bogie frame in such a manner as to be suspended from the bogie frame by means of the links, secondary suspensions being disposed between the tilting cross-member and the vehicle body, wherein the middle cross-members of the bogie frame, the links, and the tilting cross-member form an assembly such that the angular stiffness between the bogie frame and said vehicle body is a characteristic that is predetermined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom Transport SA
    Inventor: Jean-Daniel Nast
  • Patent number: 5435639
    Abstract: The disclosure herein describes a modular rail for use in the assembly of a mobile filing and storage system that includes cabinets each equipped with a roller carriage in their lower part. The rail is a longitudinal metallic extrusion that has a cross-section that defines a first open side section adapted to receive therein one side of a floor structure over which the system is mounted, an intermediate second section adapted to receive thereon roller members of the system carriage and a third section that consists of a first groove adapted to receive levelling bolts for vertically adjusting the extrusion relative to a floor on which the system is supported and a second groove adapted to removably receive a cover adapted to extend over the first groove. The cover is removed when the rail is used for expanding the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: MONTEL
    Inventors: Denis Smits, Jean-Pierre Lalonde
  • Patent number: 5331903
    Abstract: The system of the invention comprises a gyroscope having two degrees of freedom fixed to a carriage of the vehicle and having a first axis of sensitivity disposed in the longitudinal direction of the carriage and a second axis of sensitivity disposed in the vertical direction; the gyroscope is operable to generate a first signal indicative of the angular velocity .omega..sub.x about a first axis disposed in the said longitudinal direction and a second signal indicative of the angular velocity .omega..sub.z of the carriage about a second, vertical axis; the system further includes a tachometric detector operable to generate a signal indicating the speed v of the vehicle and at least one integrator operable to integrate the first said signal to generate a signal indicating the angle of rotation .phi..sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: Fiat Ferroviaria S.p.A.
    Inventor: Alessandro Elia
  • Patent number: 5058504
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the lateral disposition of a guide roller of a traveling service unit on a textile machine is provided. The apparatus includes a first support wheel rotatably mounted on the traveling service unit and an adjustable wheel assembly. The adjustable wheel assembly includes a second support wheel laterally spaced from the first support wheel, a device for rotatably mounting the second wheel to the traveling service unit and a device for selectively adjusting the vertical displacement of the second wheel relative to the traveling service unit to maintain the guide roller at a predetermined disposition relative to a guide surface of the textile machine. The device for selectively adjusting the vertical displacement of the second wheel includes, in one aspect of the invention, a cylinder and piston assembly and, in another aspect of the invention, a pair of bell cranks interconnected to one another by a cylinder and piston assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Assignee: Zinser Textilmaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Lenkeit, Hans-Peter Weeger
  • Patent number: 4886285
    Abstract: Underneath a load, on both sides, there are several transporter frames with transporter blocks for wheels. The wheels travel on tracks or rails, on which they are guided with wheel flanges or guide rollers. Each transporter frame has a vertical, U-shaped transporter frame foot, with a pivot shaft for the transporter block, which on the side opposite the pivot shaft has a support plate for the rounded head of a piston of a hydraulic cylinder. Each hydraulic cylinder is supported with its rounded head in a support bearing under the transporter frame. All the hydraulic cylinders of a series are connected by a connecting line and a check valve with a pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rainer Horbach, Hermann Osthoff
  • Patent number: 4843810
    Abstract: In a traveling service unit of the type utilized in conjunction with a textile spinning mill machine, the transverse and longitudinal inclination of the service unit with respect to the machine is monitored and adjusted with respect to a fixed horizontal reference plane by at least two electronic levels or like inclination detectors each operatively connected through an associated controller with a vertically-adjustable roller wheel supporting assembly of the service unit for controlling the elevation of the service unit at each supporting assembly to compensate for detected inclination deviations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1989
    Assignee: Zinser Textilmaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Kabilka, Otto Weich, Herbert Grassle, Hans-Peter Weeger
  • Patent number: 4787317
    Abstract: A rail vehicle with spring support of its car body on an underframe with flanged wheels for guidance and support on a track. Permanent magnets are provided on the underframe, which exert an attraction counter to the wheel load on armature bars extending along the track. The magnetic force of the magnets is controllable as a function of the load (weight) of the car body by an increase or decrease of the magnetic resistance of a ferromagnetic magnet core by mechanical means as the load decreases or increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Bohn, Christian Gunther
  • Patent number: 4567833
    Abstract: A composite constant contact side bearing for railroad cars that comprises a body, that may be either cage mounted or free mounted, having a top wall that supports the car body bolster, a bottom wall structure that is to be supported by the truck bolster, oppositely facing side walls that extend the length of the body, and oppositely facing end walls that extend normally of the body side walls, with the body comprising a rigid filler block enclosed within a polyurethane casing that defines the body top wall, end walls, and side walls, with the filler block being of generally quadrilateral parallelepiped configuration, but defining a depending stud from its underside that protrudes from the polyurethane casing below the filler block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1986
    Assignee: Holland Company
    Inventor: Thomas L. Hanson
  • Patent number: 4516507
    Abstract: A tilt system for a railway car includes mechanical actuating members for tilting the car only when lateral acceleration forces exceed preselected minimum levels. A mechanical stop mechanism is provided to selectively permit the tilting operation to exceed non-tilt stop positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1985
    Assignee: The Budd Company
    Inventor: Walter C. Dean, II
  • Patent number: 4504079
    Abstract: A plurality of interconnected air bag assemblies suspend a frame above a vehicle axle or similar support member to provide a low vertical spring rate and a high roll spring. The air bag assemblies comprise a pair of air bags and a piston suspended therebetween. In one preferred embodiment a net effective area which decreases with upward movement of the piston combines with an air bag interconnection system to provide the desired spring rates. Alternate embodiments use offset connection in place of, or in conjunction with the tapered pistons. The air bag assemblies of tandem axles are interconnected to provide equalization in a preferred embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1985
    Assignee: Paccar Inc.
    Inventor: John R. Strong
  • Patent number: 4491074
    Abstract: A vehicle for transporting heavy loads on parallel tracks is disclosed. Two of the wheels of the vehicle are fixedly mounted to the vehicle frame, while the remaining wheels are mounted so that they can vertically adjust to deviations in the height of the rail track. In this manner, heavy loads can be transported on the rail tracks without any particular wheel becoming overloaded.In the preferred embodiment, the adjustable wheels are supported by bell crank levers which are themselves connected to one another by a parallelogram linkage arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1985
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wilhelm Ackermann, Karlheinz Langlitz, Gunter Schmitz
  • Patent number: 4440093
    Abstract: A vehicle tilt control apparatus has an acceleration detector for detecting vibration in horizontal and lateral direction of a car body, a fluidically operating mechanism disposed between the car body and a truck and compensation circuits for compensating a centrifugal force component and a jolting component, respectively, of the output of the acceleration detector. The outputs of the compensation circuits are added and the resulting output is fed back to actuate a servo valve to control the fluidically operating mechanism. In this manner, the riding comfort to the passengers when the vehicle passes through a curved area and for the jolting is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1984
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kakehi, Katsuyuki Terada, Kenjiro Kasai, Fumio Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 4363277
    Abstract: A safety device for a banking vehicle includes a pair of cylinders which extend to hold the superstructure in an upright position. The cylinders are hydraulically connected to an accumulator which provides a pressurized fluid reservoir. A valve controls flow from the accumulator to the cylinders. Upon detection of a failure in one of the vehicle systems the valve moves to a position in which fluid flows from the accumulator to extend the cylinders. A pilot operated check valve is positioned between the accumulator and the cylinders to hold the cylinders in the extended position until the failure is rectified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1982
    Assignee: Dofasco Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Martin, Charles R. Thompson
  • Patent number: 4357878
    Abstract: A load distribution system for railway cars, in which the load is applied to the supporting structure by fixed bearing arrangements, at one pair of longitudinally spaced points, at one side of the center line of the structure and is applied to the supporting structure at another pair of correspondingly longitudinally spaced points at the other side of the center line of the structure, and aligned with the first pair of points by a pair of hydraulic cylinders which are connected to each other in a closed hydraulic system. In effect my arrangement converts a statistically indeterminate four point suspension to a statistically determinant three point suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Norca Corporation
    Inventor: Franco Fedele
  • Patent number: 4355582
    Abstract: A tilt system for a railway car includes mechanism for tilting the car only when lateral acceleration forces exceed preselected minimum levels and to limit the amount of tilting of the car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Assignee: The Budd Company
    Inventor: John A. Germer
  • Patent number: 4324187
    Abstract: The rail car is provided with a roll support device which is independent of the resilient weight support springs. The roll support device provides resistance to the rolling motions of the car body relative to the truck frame and includes connecting elements which couple the body and truck together. The elements are inclined to the vertical center plane of the car body and include an angle of more than 10.degree.. Under the action of a centrifugal force on the body, the connecting elements are subjected to a relative tilting motion which causes a roll inclination of the car body in opposition to the centrifugal force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1982
    Assignee: Schweizerische Lokomotiv-und Maschinenfabrik
    Inventor: Claudio Sambo
  • Patent number: 4307668
    Abstract: A vehicle-suspension type of permanent magnet-levitation transportation system has an elevated track structure defining a bed with a ferromagnetic levitation track on the underside thereof and a spaced parallel control track composed of ceramic magnetic material having transverse polarity orientation also running on the underside of the bed. A vehicle for traveling along the track has a series of spaced cobalt-rare earth levitation magnets positioned under the ferromagnetic track and a series of spaced cobalt-rare earth control magnets positioned under the control track in magnetic repulsion mode with the ceramic magnets. In levitated position the attraction of the levitation magnets for the ferromagnetic track is balanced by the repulsion between the control magnets and the ceramic track. Hydraulic, mechanical and electromagnetic means for positioning the levitation and control magnets in proper vertical relationship to maintain levitation of the vehicle are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1981
    Inventor: Roy D. Vinson
  • Patent number: 4271765
    Abstract: A tilt control system comprises a roll bar structure having two separate opposite rotatable members attached on the bottom of both sides of the car body between the car body and bolster. A pair of lever arms connect the ends of the rotatable members to the bolster. Means are provided for selectively rotating the rotatable members to actuate the lever arms in opposite directions to force the car body to tilt laterally with respect to the bolster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1981
    Assignee: The Budd Company
    Inventor: William W. Dickhart, III
  • Patent number: 4267736
    Abstract: A tilting arrangement for a vehicle with the aid of which a body of the vehicle is adjustable in a roll direction relative to an underframe of the vehicle to compensate for centrifugal force exerted in curves on subjects resting on the body is controlled by a control signal which is produced with the aid of a device comprising a speedometer and a gyro arrangement for producing signals which are representative of the travelling velocity and the yaw angular velocity of the vehicle as well as the roll angular velocity and the roll angle of either one of said parts of the vehicle. The signals are combined to produce a control signal the magnitude of which is representative of the expression .vertline.m.V..theta..sub.gir .vertline.-.vertline.k.g..theta..sub.roll .vertline., and has a sign, plus or minus, determined by the sign of the signal representative of .theta..sub.roll, in which expression V is the travelling velocity of the vehicle, .theta..sub.gir is the yaw angular velocity of the vehicle, .theta..sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1981
    Assignee: Westbeck Navitele AB
    Inventor: Gunnar A. E. G. Westbeck
  • Patent number: 4167143
    Abstract: A rail vehicle having a driving bogie frame and a vehicle frame, in which these frames are interconnected by means of supporting springs and at least one of the end faces of said frames are interconnected by air springs. The air springs communicate with a source of compressed air through a conduit system having two branch lines respectively connected to the interior of the air springs while adjustable pressure control valves are respectively arranged in these branch lines. The two branch lines are interconnected by a conduit having an adjustable throttle valve interposed therein. Depending on the respective driving direction of the vehicle by adjusting the valves in the branch lines a differential pressure is established between the air pressures in the air springs connected to the branch lines so that the respective end of the bogie frame is pulled up or pressed down so that the wheel set relief is compensated for.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1979
    Assignee: Thyssen Industrie Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Friedhelm Bitterberg
  • Patent number: 4103920
    Abstract: Mechanism for minimizing the tendency of a vehicle to overturn or roll during high speed turns on unbanked road or rail surfaces. The mechanism includes a heavy (high mass) piston arranged in a fluid cylinder extending transversely across the vehicle undersurface; auxiliary pistons are arranged at opposite ends of the main cylinder. Centrifugal force generated during a turning maneuver forces the main piston to move outwardly along the turning radius, the main piston thereby displacing hydraulic fluid that acts on the auxiliary pistons in a pressurizing or depressurizing fashion. The auxiliary piston at the outer circumference of the turn forces that side of the vehicle up relative to the ground surface; the auxiliary piston at the inner circumference of the turn forces that side of the vehicle down relative to the ground surface. The vehicle sprung mass thereby assumes a banked attitude that enables it to more effectively resist vehicle overturning forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1978
    Inventor: Roger R. Smith
  • Patent number: 4091738
    Abstract: A railway truck employs air springs at either side of the truck to provide a secondary suspension to support a car body, or an intermediate member between the car body and truck which in turn supports the car body. Protection against possible rupture of one of the air springs is provided by pressure responsive control valves connected to and associated with each of the air springs whereby when open, the valves exhaust fluid pressure from their associated air spring. Each control valve is pressure operated to be held in closed position by the pressure in the air spring on the other side of the truck. When one air spring ruptures the valve associated with the other air spring will open to exhaust fluid pressure from the other air spring. In the absence of a rupture each valve is held closed by the pressure in the other air spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1978
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventor: David K. Platner
  • Patent number: 4069767
    Abstract: A control system for a stabilizing apparatus for a rail vehicle body, which is tiltable on a bogey by means of jacks, comprises a lateral accelerometer and an angular accelerometer mounted on the vehicle body, two servo-mechanisms respectively responsive to operation of the lateral and angular accelerometers, and a control valve for the tilting jacks, the control valve being coupled to output members of the servo-mechanisms so that tilting movement of the vehicle body in response to operation of the lateral accelerometer is sensed by the angular accelerometer so as to urge the control valve in a direction to oppose the aforesaid tilting movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1975
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1978
    Assignee: Lucas Aerospace
    Inventor: Stanley George Glaze
  • Patent number: 4067261
    Abstract: A damping suspension for a railway truck having load-bearing members supported on at least two live wheelsets which are self-steering and which are directly interconnected to couple their yawing movements in opposite senses. The wheelsets are self-steering in that they each have profiled treads of high effective conicity and each is suspended by resilient elements having a low elastic yaw constraint to the load-bearing members. The yaw constraints imposed by the resilient elements are lower than the steering forces generated on the wheelsets on curved track as a result of the tread profile. The coupling between the wheelsets takes the form of diagonally connected resilient members for ensuring that the wheelsets do not oscillate in phase with the load-bearing members to thereby damp any hunting oscillations that may tend to occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1978
    Assignee: South African Inventions Development Corporation
    Inventor: Herbert Scheffel
  • Patent number: 4041878
    Abstract: A pendular suspension system for vehicles running on railroad tracks, which comprises resilient means for tilting the vehicles in response to unbalanced centrifugal force, located symmetrically on either side of a central vertical longitudinal plane of the vehicles and being independent of one another. Resilient means are arranged to bear upon a base located above the center of gravity of the vehicle bodies and are able to yield vertically and horizontally in response to the resultant imbalance of the centrifugal force to induce increased tilt of the vehicle bodies in addition to the normal cant when the vehicles travel around a curve and become operative only when the train reaches a speed above a predetermined minimum and only when the track has a predetermined degree of curvature to thereby reduce the passenger feeling of unbalanced centrifugal force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1975
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1977
    Assignee: Patentes Talgo, S.A.
    Inventor: Angel Toran
  • Patent number: 3977694
    Abstract: A vehicle has a wheeled chassis and a body movably mounted thereon, the body being able to carry goods and/or passengers. An accelerometer detects forces acting on the vehicle as the vehicle passes through a curve and is arranged to activate a vehicle body tilting and lateral displacing system. A first power mechanism tilts the body relative to the chassis toward the center of the curve. A second power mechanism laterally shifts the body relative to the chasis by applying lateral forces that are independent of the tilting forces. The lateral movement can be either toward or away from the center of the curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1974
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1976
    Assignee: Allmanna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget
    Inventor: Karl Tage Nordstrom
  • Patent number: 3974779
    Abstract: A vehicle bogie or similar wheel carrying unit which carries a vehicle body and which is connected to a device which holds the carrying unit at a predetermined distance from the ground, the vehicle body and/or carrying unit being provided with means for inclination of the vehicle around a generally horizontal axis in the direction of motion of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle body in its entirety is movable on the carrying unit in generally horizontal directions perpendicular to the direction of motion of the vehicle, the magnitude of said movement being controllable by a control device engaging the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1974
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1976
    Assignee: Automatisk Doseringskompensator AB
    Inventors: K. Julius Lindblom, Anders S. E. Kipping
  • Patent number: 3970009
    Abstract: A railroad passenger car suspension system in which a car body is supported on trucks in the running mode through rotary hydraulic actuators. All of the necessary conditions for passenger comfort, increased train speed and safety are met. The level of centrifugal force at curves is sensed and the car tilted so that the direction of force is felt by the passengers in a comfortable manner. Flush floor level of the car with station platforms, regardless of passenger load, wheel wear or platform level is attained. Lowered spring rate in the suspension system provides improved ride characteristics. Means are provided for steering the car trucks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1973
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1976
    Assignee: Houdaille Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: John C. Schultz