Bogie Patents (Class 105/167)
  • Patent number: 11260692
    Abstract: A portal-axle of bogies for light rail vehicles, such as for example trams or light rail metros with street running, is described, the light rail vehicles being characterized by a floor, i.e. a walking surface, lowered with respect to the rails. The portal-axle comprises two shoulders equipped with spindles for mounting wheels and with a central portion for structurally connecting the shoulders. Unlike conventional solutions, the central portion is not made by casting or forging, but advantageously is simply defined by at least two bars coupled thereto during the assembly. The bars are easily available on the market at low cost, have lower weight with respect to a traditional forged/cast component and allow modularity and versatility in dimensioning the portal-axle to be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: LUCCHINI RS S.P.A.
    Inventors: Marco Fenaroli, Steven Cervello, Riccardo Gallo, Stefano Cantini
  • Patent number: 11254335
    Abstract: The invention relates to bogies for railway vehicles with at least two wheelsets mounted in axleboxes and at least one transverse member. The bogies are in particular characterized in that they have a lightweight design and can be produced at low cost. The axleboxes of a wheelset are articulated to the transverse member via two axle levers so that the axle levers form an H shape with the axleboxes and the transverse member. The transverse member has at least two torsion bars arranged in parallel to the axles of the wheelsets, said torsion bars being firmly connected to the transverse member. The torsion bars have spring levers so that the end portion of the spring lever not connected to the torsion bar acts upon the axlebox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignees: CRRC QINGDAO SIFANG CO., LTD., CG RAIL—CHINESISCH-DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGS—UND ENTWICKLUNGSZENTRUM FÜR BAHN—UND VERKEHRSTECHNIK DRESDEN GMBH
    Inventors: Lijun Ma, Pingyu Zhou, Houli Sun, Xiongfei Zhang, Yunjie Fan, Xiaoming Wang, Werner Hufenbach, Andreas Ulbricht
  • Patent number: 10752068
    Abstract: A suspension arrangement for a bogie beam for a vehicle includes a connector having an arrangement for pivotally connecting the connector to a vehicle main body for pivoting around a substantially horizontal bogie pivot axis. The suspension arrangement includes a resilient arrangement for connecting the connector and the bogie beam to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB
    Inventors: Lukas Tådne, Erik Stugholm, Jörgen Ahlberg
  • Patent number: 10730533
    Abstract: A railcar steering bogie includes: a bogie frame supporting a bolster such that the bolster is swingable relative to bogie frame about a vertical axis; two wheelsets; axle box suspensions including respective axle beams coupling corresponding axle boxes to bogie frame, the axle boxes accommodating respective bearings supporting corresponding axles; and a steering mechanism steering at least one of the two wheelsets in accordance with the bolster's swinging relative to the bogie frame. The steering mechanism includes: a steering lever configured to turn relative to the bogie frame about fulcrum axis; a coupling link coupling the bolster and steering lever and configured to operate in conjunction with the bolster's swinging relative to the bogie frame; and at least one steering link coupling steering lever and axle beam and configured to steer the corresponding wheelset by displacing corresponding axle box through the corresponding axle beam in conjunction with steering lever's turning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishimura, Yoshi Sato, Yukitaka Taga, Yousuke Tsumura, Keiichiro Kamura, Fumikazu Kounoike, Koichi Murata, Francois Olivier Uchida, Yuta Yoshimatsu
  • Patent number: 10730534
    Abstract: A railcar steering bogie includes: a bogie frame supporting a bolster such that the bolster is swingable relative to the bogie frame about a vertical axis; two wheelsets each including an axle and a pair of wheels; and a steering mechanism configured to steer at least one of the two wheelsets in accordance with the swinging of the bolster relative to the bogie frame. The steering mechanism includes: a steering lever configured to turn relative to the bogie frame about a fulcrum axis; a coupling link coupling the bolster and the steering lever and configured to operate in conjunction with the swinging of the bolster relative to the bogie frame; and a steering link coupled to the steering lever and configured to steer the wheelset in conjunction with the turning of the steering lever. The steering link is coupled to the steering lever by a pin member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishimura, Yoshi Sato, Yukitaka Taga, Yousuke Tsumura, Keiichiro Kamura, Fumikazu Kounoike, Koichi Murata, Francois Olivier Uchida, Yuta Yoshimatsu
  • Patent number: 10676112
    Abstract: An axle box suspension includes: an axle beam including an axle beam main body portion extending from the axle box in a car longitudinal direction and a pin portion projecting from a tip end of the axle beam main body portion in the car longitudinal direction; a tubular elastic bushing including an inner tube portion, an outer tube portion, and an elastic portion interposed between the inner tube portion and the outer tube portion, the inner tube portion being fitted to the pin portion; an adapter attached to the outer tube portion and coupling the axle beam and the bogie frame; and a first stopper attached to the pin portion and configured to, when the axle box is displaced relative to the bogie frame toward one side in the car longitudinal direction by a predetermined distance, contact the adapter to restrict displacement of the axle box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishimura, Yoshi Sato, Yukitaka Taga, Yousuke Tsumura, Keiichiro Kamura, Fumikazu Kounoike, Koichi Murata, Francois Olivier Uchida, Yuta Yoshimatsu
  • Patent number: 10293839
    Abstract: A device is provided for addition to a three piece railway freight truck to prevent vertical over travel of the bolster and absorb inertia energy of the bolster before it impacts the side frame or brake equipment. Two variations of this device have a gap which prevents the device from being engaged under normal operating conditions. The device utilizes an energy absorbing elastomer material mounted between the top of the bolster end and the bottom of the side frame top center compression member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: AMSTED RAIL COMPANY, INC.
    Inventor: John Coseglia
  • Patent number: 9919719
    Abstract: A running gear frame for a rail vehicle, comprising a frame body. The frame body comprises two longitudinal beams and a transverse beam unit providing a structural connection between the longitudinal beams, such that a substantially H-shaped configuration is formed. Each longitudinal beam has a free end section forming a primary suspension interface. Each longitudinal beam has a pivot interface section associated to the free end section and forming a pivot interface for a pivot arm. Each longitudinal beam has an angled section associated to the free end section, the angled section being arranged such that the free end section forms a pillar section. The pivot interface section is integrated into to the angled section and the frame body is formed as a monolithically cast component made of a grey cast iron material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventor: Cedric Zanutti
  • Patent number: 9855959
    Abstract: A railcar bogie includes: a bogie frame including a cross beam and plate springs and being rotatable relative to a bolster in a yawing direction, the cross beam extending in a car width direction, the plate springs supporting both respective car width direction end portions of the cross beam and extending in a car longitudinal direction; and stoppers provided at the bogie frame and configured to contact interference members to restrict a rotation range of the bogie frame when the bogie frame rotates relative to the bolster in the yawing direction, the interference members being connected to the bolster. When the bogie frame is located at a neutral position relative to the bolster in the yawing direction, the stoppers are arranged at car width direction lateral sides of the cross beam so as to overlap the cross beam in a side view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishimura, Shunichi Nakao
  • Patent number: 9663121
    Abstract: A railcar bogie includes: a cross beam extending in a car width direction and supporting a carbody; plate springs extending in a car longitudinal direction and supporting both respective car-width-direction end portions of the cross beam; axle boxes accommodating respective bearings for axles and supporting respective car longitudinal-direction end portions of the plate springs; plate spring receivers each located between the plate spring and the axle box and including an upper surface which is inclined toward a longitudinal-direction middle portion of the plate spring, the upper surface receiving the plate spring; and stoppers arranged so as to cover at least a part of an upper surface of the plate spring, the part being located above the axle box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishimura, Shunichi Nakao
  • Patent number: 9493174
    Abstract: A railcar bogie includes a cross beam to support a carbody of a railcar, a pair of front and rear axles between which the cross beam is located and arranged, respectively, in front of and behind the cross beam in a railcar longitudinal direction and extending in a railcar width direction, bearings provided at both railcar width direction sides of the axles to rotatably support the axles, axle boxes to respectively accommodate the bearings, and a plate spring extending in the railcar longitudinal direction to support one of both railcar width direction end portions of the cross beam and including both longitudinal direction end portions supported by the axle boxes. The plate spring unit includes a plurality of plate springs to elastically deform in an upper-lower thickness direction. The plate springs are arranged in a line in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishimura, Shunichi Nakao, Masayuki Enomoto
  • Patent number: 9469313
    Abstract: A bogie frame for railway vehicles includes a pair of left and right side frames disposed along a direction of rails and a cross frame that connects the side frames to each other, and the cross frame includes a top plate member, a bottom plate member, and a pair of front and rear side plate members that are disposed between these plate members and welded thereto, wherein the cross frame has mounting bracket support portions that extend from front and rear edges of the top plate member and the bottom plate member, correspondingly to locations where mounting brackets for mounting a traction motor and mounting brackets for mounting a gearbox are disposed, and the mounting brackets are welded to the mounting bracket support portions. This makes it possible to achieve good welding workability for assembling the bogie frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Hagio, Masanori Sawada, Satoshi Tokunaga, Kazuhiko Futagawa
  • Patent number: 9446775
    Abstract: A bogie frame for railway vehicles includes a pair of left and right side beams disposed along a direction of rails; a cross beam that connects the side beams to each other, and a mounting bracket for mounting a functional part, the mounting bracket being joined to the cross beam. The cross beam has a rectangular cross section and includes a top plate section, a bottom plate section, and a pair of side plate sections. The top plate section has a cutout opening extending to one of the side plate sections. The mounting bracket is inserted in the cutout opening and the mounting bracket and the top plate section are butt welded together. This configuration enhances welding workability for welding mounting brackets for mounting functional parts such as a traction motor, a gearbox, and a brake, and allows a greater degree of design flexibility in mounting the functional parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yoshizu, Nobuaki Kaneyasu, Takehiro Kadonaka, Satoshi Tokunaga, Satoshi Kikko
  • Patent number: 9409581
    Abstract: Railcar coupling knuckles having areas of improved structure, improved surface characteristics, and reduced stress under loading, and systems and methods for shot peening railcar components such as, but not limited to, coupling knuckles. Such shot-peening systems and methods may include robotic and/or fixed-position shot-peening devices equipped with shot-emitting mechanisms for expelling shot media against desired areas of a railcar component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Columbus Steel Castings Company
    Inventors: Richard Ruebusch, Joseph Patterson
  • Patent number: 9376127
    Abstract: A railcar bogie includes: a cross beam configured to support a carbody of a railcar; a pair of front and rear axles between which the cross beam is located and which are respectively arranged in front of and behind the cross beam in a railcar longitudinal direction so as to extend in a railcar width direction; bearings respectively provided at both railcar width direction sides of the axles and configured to rotatably support the axles; axle box main bodies configured to respectively accommodate the bearings; plate springs extending in the railcar longitudinal direction to respectively support both railcar width direction end portions of the cross beam, both longitudinal direction end portions of the plate springs being respectively arranged above the axle box main bodies to be respectively supported by the axle box main bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishimura, Shunichi Nakao
  • Patent number: 9352757
    Abstract: A railcar bogie includes: a cross beam configured to support a carbody of a railcar; a pair of front and rear axles between which the cross beam is located and which are respectively arranged in front of and behind the cross beam in a railcar longitudinal direction so as to extend in a railcar width direction; bearings respectively provided at both railcar width direction sides of the axles and configured to rotatably support the axles; axle box main bodies configured to respectively accommodate the bearings; plate springs extending in the railcar longitudinal direction to respectively support both railcar width direction end portions of the cross beam, both longitudinal direction end portions of the plate springs being respectively arranged above the axle box main bodies to be respectively supported by the axle box main bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishimura, Shunichi Nakao
  • Patent number: 8833267
    Abstract: A rail vehicle with variable axial geometry includes at least two axles, wherein a horizontal angular position of each axle with respect to the vehicle frame may be changed, and wherein the angular position of each axle is adjusted continuously during operation of the rail vehicle in such a way that a predefined lateral displacement and a predefined axial angle are achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens AG Oesterreich
    Inventors: Klaus Six, Martin Teichmann
  • Patent number: 8707871
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a self-steering device for a railway vehicle, which includes axles installed on a truck supporting a vehicle body of the railway vehicle, wheels, each of which is connected to the axle and has a wheel tread moving on a top surface of a rail and supporting a vertical load of the railway vehicle, and a wheel flange protruding from the wheel tread to prevent the railway vehicle from derailing and being in contact with a lateral surface of the rail during straight movement of the railway vehicle to form an interference section, and guide rollers, each of which is in rolling contact with a top surface edge or a lateral surface of the rail in front or to the rear of the wheel when the railway vehicle enters curved rails and supports a greater transverse load than the interference section. The guide rollers can be directly installed on the railway vehicle or at least one of the vehicle body, the truck, and the axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Korea Interfacial Science and Engineering Institute
    Inventor: Kwang Soon Moon
  • Patent number: 8667901
    Abstract: A bogie for a vehicle which is guided by guide wheels that rotate while keeping contact with a guide rail arranged along a guideway of the vehicle. The bogie comprises a guide frame which includes a pair of transverse beams and a connecting member arranged between the pair of the transverse beams and each of the traverse beams being equipped with the guide wheels rotatably on both ends thereof, an axle supported on a non-turning part of the bogie such that the axle is capable of turning and running wheels which are attached to both ends of the axle. The running wheels are rigidly fixed to the axle and the guide frame is fixed to the axle so as to steer the guide frame, the axle and the running wheels integrally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Maeyama, Yoshinori Mitsui, Kousuke Katahira
  • Patent number: 8448580
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a freight car bogie and a freight car. The freight car bogie comprises two wheel sets, two side frames arranged at outer side of said wheel sets, and a bolster fixedly connected to center position of each of said two side frames, respectively. The freight car bogie further comprises a K-shaped supporting device, wherein said K-shaped supporting device passes through preset holes on two sides of an abdominal region of said bolster; a first upper end and a second upper end, as well as a first lower end and a second lower end of said K-shaped supporting device are elastically connected with said two side frames respectively; and said first upper end and second upper end, and said first lower end and second lower end are respectively symmetrical with respect to a center line of said bolster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignees: Qiqihar Railway Rolling Stock Co., Ltd., Dalian Qiche Railway Rolling Stock Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhenming Liu, Chunlin Wang, Haibin Hu, Shuming Xing, Pingwei Yin, Hai Yao
  • Patent number: 8418627
    Abstract: Lateral pressure which develops in the front wheelset when traveling along a curved track is decreased while suppressing an increase in costs as much as possible. A two-axle truck for a railway car has a front wheelset having wheels with a first tread gradient and a rear wheelset having wheels with a second tread gradient which is different from the first tread gradient. The tread gradient of the wheels of the rear wheelset is larger than the tread gradient of the wheels of the front wheelset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kikko, Takuji Nakai
  • Patent number: 8381659
    Abstract: A railway vehicle including a plurality of bogies is provided. Each bogie includes a chassis, two front wheels and two rear wheels. For each front wheel and each rear wheel, a guidance device is provided for guiding the wheel in rotation and a primary suspension device of the chassis is provided on the guidance device. At least the primary suspension devices associated with the front and rear wheels are arranged on the same first lateral side of the bogie. The primary suspension devices each include two longitudinal connecting rods, each connected by a first connection point to the chassis and by a second connection point to the corresponding guidance device and at least one resilient component inserted between the two connecting rods to define at least the vertical stiffness of the primary suspension device, the two connecting rods being offset longitudinally relative to one another. Each of the bogies also includes a pivot connection device for connecting the bogie to the railway vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Alstom Transport SA
    Inventors: Alain Rodet, Christophe Eche, Yves Longueville, Francis Demarquilly
  • Patent number: 8336464
    Abstract: A freight car bogie and a freight car are provided. The freight car bogie includes two wheel set assemblies, side frames, and a bolster. The freight car bogie further includes a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod. The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are crossed in an X form to pass through reserved holes at two sides of a belly of the bolster. The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are separated from each other at a crossing portion. The first connecting rod includes a first end and a second end. The second connecting rod includes a third end and a fourth end. The first end and the third end are resiliently connected to one of the side frames and symmetrical about a center line of the bolster. The second end and the fourth end are resiliently connected to the other side frame and symmetrical about the center line of the bolster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Qiqihar Railway Rolling Stock Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuming Xing, Zhenming Liu, Shifeng Xu, Haibin Hu, Zhen Zhu, Wendong Shao, Kewei Lv
  • Patent number: 8136455
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device (20) for suspending a first element (16) on a second element (14, 16, 18) of a railway vehicle. Said suspension device (20) comprises two longitudinal rods (26, 28) which are each connected to the first element (16) by means of a first connection point (30, 32) and to the second element (14, 16, 18) by means of a second connection point (34, 36), and at least one elastic member (38) that is positioned between the two rods (26, 28) to define at least the vertical rigidity of the suspension device (20). The two rods (26, 28) are longitudinally offset relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Alstom Transport SA
    Inventors: Alain Rodet, Christope Eche
  • Publication number: 20120037031
    Abstract: A the low floor vehicle includes a journal member which couples a pair of wheels and is attached to a truck frame; and a truck frame lateral beam arranged along a vehicle width direction closer to the center of the truck frame than the journal member. The journal member is turnable with respect to the struck frame. A pair of left and right stub links extending between the journal member and the truck frame lateral beam, are provided. Axes passing both ends of the pair of stub links are arranged to tilt so as to widen a space between the ends in the vehicle width direction with going from the truck frame lateral beam toward the journal member. Both the ends of the stub links are attached to be pivotable respectively around axes which extend in a height direction to the journal member and the truck frame lateral beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Okubo, Hiroyuki Kono, Kousuke Katahira
  • Patent number: 7975619
    Abstract: Lateral pressure which develops in the front wheelset when traveling along a curved track is decreased while suppressing an increase in costs as much as possible. A two-axle truck for a railway car has a front wheelset having wheels with a first tread gradient and a rear wheelset having wheels with a second tread gradient which is different from the first tread gradient. The tread gradient of the wheels of the rear wheelset is larger than the tread gradient of the wheels of the front wheelset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kikko, Takuji Nakai
  • Patent number: 7926425
    Abstract: A tram has a lead vehicle and one or more trailing vehicles coupled to it. Each vehicle has sets of front and rear wheels, both sets being steerable independently of the other. A manual controller provides signals to a processor in the lead vehicle, which in turn steers the front and rear wheels along a desired path. A processor on the first trailing vehicle controls front and rear servos to steer its wheels according to the path of the rear wheels of the leading vehicle. The second trailing vehicle has a processor that steers its front and rear wheels according to information provided by the first leading vehicle. Steering sensors on the vehicles sense distance to a steering rail while the vehicles are on a guideway and provide signals to the processors for automatic steering. While on a guideway, the tram uses power collectors to transfer power from the guideway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Inventor: Joy Kirston Henderson
  • Patent number: 7793594
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a crane which comprises a traveling gear which comprises a plurality of traveling gear groups for moving along rails, each traveling gear group having at least two wheels which are rotatably mounted at a subframe so as to be spaced apart in longitudinal direction of the respective rail and are connected to an end carriage by a central joint having at least degrees of freedom for rotating the traveling gear group relative to the end carriage around a vertical axis and for swiveling the traveling gear group relative to the end carriage around a horizontal axis extending at right angles to the rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Hans Kuenz Gesellschaft M.B.H.
    Inventor: Peter Lerchenmueller
  • Patent number: 7603221
    Abstract: An automatic slowing down system for a vehicle taking a bend includes a computer that integrates a series of instructions to process at least one of first, second and third signals according to kinematic control laws of vehicle displacement to deliver signals for a forward motion actuator and a steering actuator, a forward control and a steering control that supply the first signal representative of a forward motion data and a steering data to the computer based on an operator's requirement, a linear speed sensor and a yaw speed sensor that supply the second signal to the computer, and a unit that supplies the third signal relating to road grip to the computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Nexter Systems
    Inventors: Emile Urvoy, Olivier Pape, Stephane Leveque
  • Patent number: 7540242
    Abstract: This invention comprises a running gear for rail vehicles with at least three wheel sets housed in a bogey frame and at least one steering device that makes possible a transverse displacement of an end wheel set, wherein the bogey frame, seen in longitudinal direction, has several sections, wherein at least the frontmost section, seen in the direction of travel, in which the leading wheel set is arranged, is connected horizontally pivotable to a second, rigid section, characterized in that at least the frontmost section, seen in the direction of travel, of the bogey frame in which the leading wheel set is arranged is formed as a parallelogram that can be displaced transversely to the longitudinal axis of the bogey frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Evoinvent AG
    Inventor: Rudolf Sommerer
  • Publication number: 20090126599
    Abstract: A rail road freight car truck has a truck bolster and a pair of side frames, the truck bolster being mounted transversely relative to the side frames. The mounting interface between the ends of the axles and the sideframe pedestals allows lateral rocking motion of the sideframes in the manner of a swing motion truck. The lateral swinging motion is combined with a longitudinal self steering capability. The self steering capability may be obtained by use of a longitudinally oriented rocker that may tend to permit resistance to self steering that is proportional to the weight carried across the interface. The trucks may have auxiliary centering elements mounted in the pedestal seats, and those auxiliary centering elements may be made of resilient elastomeric material. The truck may also have friction dampers that have a disinclination to stick-slip behavior. The friction dampers may be provided with brake linings, or similar features, on the face engaging the sideframe columns, on the slope face, or both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: NATIONAL STEEL CAR LIMITED
    Inventors: James W. Forbes, Jamal Hematian
  • Patent number: 6966266
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the radial control of a rail vehicle. According to the invention, at least one wheel set (1) is mounted in a bogie or chassis and the ends of said wheel set(s) can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, using actuating devices (12, 19, 21, 26). The ends of the wheel set are adjusted in a longitudinal direction by a foldable wheel-set driving rod (8/9, 15/16), the actuating device engaging with the joint (11, 18) of said foldable wheel-set driving rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Inventor: Lutz Schwendt
  • Patent number: 6910426
    Abstract: An improved bogie control arm for steering wheels and axles of bogies comprising of two pairs of C-type control arm made out of rolled steel channel section which has been flared by splitting the web and thereafter welding profile cut steel plates, two pairs of fabricated adapter is connected to said control arm by means of welding or rivetting, the fabricated adapter is provided with rubber spring as primary suspension, the two pairs of ‘C’-type control arms are connected to each other by means of cross struts and pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Besco Limited
    Inventor: Balasubramanyan Ananthanarayanan Krishnaswami
  • Patent number: 6871598
    Abstract: An arrangement for self-steering, radial bogie, truck or vehicle frame for locomotives and other railroad vehicles, which includes steering beams for and located behind their respective leading and trailing wheelsets, and whose rotary motions are coupled by an inter-axle link to provide opposite transverse movement of the first and third wheelsets upon traversing curves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Hans-Dieter Schaller, Xiaoying Ma, David Jason Goding
  • Patent number: 6860210
    Abstract: A rail vehicle system that has connecting bogies, supply units, control units, and transportation units, which can be placed on said connecting bogies in order to form a train with a modular construction. The connecting bogies contain at least two axles, one of which is equipped with an electrical drive/brake unit, and which are configured so that they can be separated in a clutch-like manner. The supply units may contain vital devices such as current collectors, transformers and power converters for extracting power form a contact line and feeding it back into the contract line or converters of primary energy or electrical energy. The control units can be configured to be independent of current and load. The transportation units may differ according to whether they are for transporting passengers or goods and according to the type of goods being transported. The interfaces of all of the units are uniform and are configured in such a way that the units can be interchanged quickly and easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Inventor: Michael Baier
  • Publication number: 20040221763
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a linear steering truck apparatus comprising a bolster member having two ends, the bolster being located along the transverse axis extending generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, generally located between and parallel to the transversely extending axles, a means for attaching the linear steering truck to the car body, a plurality of pedestals, a pedestal engaged to an axle bearing, the axle bearing being rotationally engaged to one end of a transversely extending axle, and at least one pedestal being movably attached to at least one other pedestal situated in the same plane along the longitudinal axis, and a means for performing car body steering, where the geometry of pivot points from one axle to the bolster form a trapezoid and the geometry of pivot points from another axle to the bolster form a parallelogram, the pedestals being pivotably connected so that a lateral force at one axle is reacted by the other axle, wherein the car body mass acts as a pe
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Inventor: Paul S. Wike
  • Publication number: 20040149161
    Abstract: An improved bogie control arm for steering wheels and axles of bogies comprising of two pairs of C-type control arm made out of rolled steel channel section which has been flared by splitting the web and thereafter welding profile cut steel plates, two pairs of fabricated adoptor is connected to said control arm by means of welding or rivetting, said fabricated adopter is provided with rubber spring as primary suspension, said two pairs of ‘C’-type control arms are connected to each other by means of cross struts and pins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventor: Balasubramanyan Ananthanarayanan Krishnaswami
  • Patent number: 6601521
    Abstract: A traveling cleaner (12) for a textile manufacturing plant, the carriage of which has a carrying structure (18) supported on three running wheels (1, 2, 3). The running wheels (1, 2, 3) are suspended on wheel suspension units (20) and are arranged in a triangle in relation to one another, in such a way that the first running wheel (1) runs on a first rail (14) and the second running wheel (2) and the third running wheel (3) run one behind the other on a second rail (16). The rails (14, 16) form a runway (10) for the traveling cleaner (12) and are arranged next to one another above textile machines of the textile manufacturing plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Zellweger Luwa AG
    Inventors: Arnold Keller, Werner Zemp, Christian Dürig
  • Publication number: 20020152923
    Abstract: A railway car truck having a pair of side frames and a bolster and a transom extending transversely between the side frames. A respective rocker seat is rigidly and permanently attached to each end of the transom and is pivotally supported on a rocker bar that is supported by the tension member of a sideframe. The pivotal connection between the rocker seat and the rocker bar disposes the transom perpendicular to the side frame and provides pivotal movement of the side frame with respect to the transom. The railway car truck is assembled by inserting the ends of the bolster and transom into the window of a side frame, and then inserting the rocker bar through a passageway in the side frame to a position under the rocker seat and on the bottom tension member of the side frame. Springs are then inserted between the transom and the bolster such that the bolster is resiliently supported on the side frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: Hans B. Weber, Scott R. Duncan
  • Patent number: 6439130
    Abstract: The invention concerns an inter-axle shear stiffening apparatus for a self-steering rail bogie and a self-steering rail bogie equipped with such apparatus. The apparatus has axle structures including axles (16, 16.1) which are journalled in axle box bearings (20, 20.1). Radial arms (30, 30.1) are connected rigidly to respective axle structures of the bogie an extend towards one another in a fore and aft direction. A lateral force transmitting device (60) acts between the arms to transmit lateral forces between them while accommodating relative lateral movement between them. The design of this device is such that, irrespective of the extent of relative movement between the arms, the device can only transmit between them lateral forces of limited, predetermined magnitude. This value is chosen such that the bogie is provided with sufficient inter-axle shear stiffness to enhance its hunting stability without excessive force couples being applied to the axle box bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Inventor: Herbert Scheffel
  • Patent number: 6418859
    Abstract: A truck for a railway vehicle has a truck frame with four individual wheels, which are mounted so that they can rotate around horizontal axles, and whereby one wheel pair is driven. To be able to negotiate tight curves with minimal wear, maximum safety and low construction costs, and to be able to achieve higher speeds on straight segments of track, the driven wheel pair can be steered radially with respect to the curve around a common vertical axis as a function of a setpoint determined by a sensor system, while the non-driven individual wheels are combined into a self-steering individual wheel module so that they can each pivot around their own vertical axes, and can be coupled together so that they are synchronized by means of a steering device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Frank Hentschel, Markus Koch, Andreas Daberkow, Ulrich Hachmann, Wolfgang-Dieter Richter
  • Patent number: 6371033
    Abstract: A three piece stabilized railway car truck is provided with dimensions corresponding generally with an AAR nominal 100 ton size truck and a load carrying capability satisfactory for use with railway cars having a 315,000 pound gross weight on rail rating. Various components of the truck have been modified to improve the fatigue life of each component and the overall service life of the resulting railway truck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignees: TRN Business Trust, Amsted Industries Incorporated, The Timken Company
    Inventors: Stephen W. Smith, John W. Coulborn, V. Terrey Hawthorne, Samuel R. Williams, C. Dale Christie, John D. Oliver, Glen F. Lazar
  • Patent number: 6250232
    Abstract: A running gear for a rail vehicle having sprung longitudinal members of plastic, connected to one another by means of a cross-member structure and at their free ends to axle-boxes for rail wheels. In order to obtain optimal stability of the wheelset guidance with reduced loading of the sprung longitudinal members, the longitudinal members each has at least two flexural springs between the ends of which in each case an axle-box is fixed in symmetrical arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation (Technology) GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Hachmann, Alexander Horoschenkoff, Stefan Emmerling, Christian Mauritz
  • Patent number: 6233806
    Abstract: A steering arm assembly for use with railway car trucks having pivotal frames and brake systems is disclosed. The steering arm assembly has two U-shaped sub-assemblies. Each sub-assembly has two side arms connected by a center arm. The side arms each have vertical open paths between top and bottom holes in their surfaces and open side paths through side access holes in their sidewalls. The open side paths intersect the vertical open paths. The vertical open paths are positioned to be aligned over the brake system brake shoe keys and the side access holes are positioned to be aligned with the side windows in the side frame. When it is desired to remove or replace a brake shoe, the brake shoe key may be moved upwardly through the vertical open path. This movement may be facilitated through use of a tool inserted through the side access hole and open side path in the side arm. A method of changing brake shoe keys and the combination of such a steering arm assembly in a railway car truck is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: AMSTED Industries Incorporated
    Inventors: Norman G. Anderson, Anthony R. Hiatt, Rami V. Nassar
  • Patent number: 6182576
    Abstract: A monorail system for passenger and light freight transportation provides a support structure with an essentially planar top surface and a stabilizer guide rail having a vertical web portion supporting a head portion. The head guides a vehicle along the top surface while conductors secured to the web portion transmit electrical current to the vehicle through a current collector secured to the vehicle. A portion of the stabilizer guide rail may be flexible providing a simple, inexpensive device for switching the vehicle between a plurality of tracks. The system operates equally well with a variety of vehicle propulsion and suspension systems including electro-mechanical, magnetic levitation or linear electric motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Inventor: Einar Svensson
  • Patent number: 6119602
    Abstract: In a bogie truck for a railroad vehicle, provided is an axlebox suspension system in which respective wheelsets can make rotational displacement toward the center of a curve in the railroad at the time of passage of the truck through the curve in the railroad. A laminated rubber spring body (10) having, as a guide surface, a partial curved surface of a perpendicular cylinder (A) with the center of gravity of each wheelset (4) as its center (O) is used as a connection material to be disposed between a truck frame (1) and an axlebox (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Urban Culture Institute Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Masao Yoshino
  • Patent number: 6035788
    Abstract: A bogie for rail vehicles has a frame, two wheel sets connected with the frame and provided with bearings, a steering linkage for achieving radial adjustments of the wheel sets on curved tracks, springs disposed between the frame and the bearings of the wheel sets, the steering linkage being connected to the bearings of the wheel sets below a horizontal central plane of the bearings, laminated steering rods for guiding the bearings on the wheel sets in a longitudinal and a transverse direction, the laminated steering rods acting on the frame about the horizontal central plane, each of the laminated steering rods being resilient and acting parallel to the springs, the steering linkage including a transverse rod, and a transverse bumper arranged between the transverse rod of the steering linkage and the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Duewag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rainer Mau, Ulrich Giesen, Leo Geers, Wolfgang Hanneforth
  • Patent number: 5909711
    Abstract: The bogie contains a bogie frame supported on two wheel sets with a coupling device via which the two wheel sets are coupled to one another so as to be steerable in opposite senses. The coupling device contains an additional adjustment device for the transmission of adjustment forces by which a steering movement in the same sense can be transmitted to each of the wheel sets independent of and superimposed on their oppositely directed settings. In this way an influence can be exerted on the shear movement between the wheel sets independently of the bending stiffness between the wheel sets and thus an ideal reaction of the bogie to the respectively arising free lateral acceleration can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: SLM Schweizerische Lokomotiv - Und Maschinenfabrik AG
    Inventors: Hans Heiner Vogel, Hans-Rudolf Kagi
  • Patent number: 5802981
    Abstract: A railway vehicle having twelve wheel and axle assemblies grouped into six 2-axle truck assemblies. Three truck assemblies are mounted on each of two span bolsters which in turn are mounted on opposite ends of a railway vehicle. All of the truck assemblies are rotatably mounted to the span bolster and the span bolster is rotatably mounted to the rail vehicle. The center assembly can be rotatably mounted about an axis common with the axis of the center plate of the span bolster. In some embodiments the spring assembly on the center truck assembly of each span bolster is lighter than the spring assemblies on the other truck assemblies mounted to the same bolster. In some embodiments the center truck assembly can move laterally more than the other truck assemblies on the span bolster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Kasgro Rail Corp.
    Inventor: Gabe M. Kassab
  • Patent number: 5680819
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle combination consisting of at least two railborne vehicles with single-wheelset chassis with a coupling for the single-wheelset chassis, which guarantees the most accurate alignment possible of the single-wheelset chassis in the direction of the center of the track under all travel conditions, a serf-steering device (self-steering elasticity e), which permits self-steering of the single-wheelset chassis in combination with the steering mechanism, is connected to an essentially rigid steering device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Assignee: Linke-Hofmann-Busch GmbH
    Inventors: Rolf-Dieter Rose, Raimund Jassat, Hinnerk Stradtmann