Pneumatic Spring Patents (Class 105/198.1)
  • Patent number: 10981584
    Abstract: A wheel load adjusting apparatus used in a railcar, and the railcar includes: first and second air springs arranged between a carbody and a first bogie so as to be spaced apart from each other in a car width direction; third and fourth air springs arranged between the carbody and a second bogie so as to be spaced apart from each other in the car width direction; and first to fourth automatic level controlling valves provided upstream of the first four air springs and configured to adjust heights of the four air springs to maintain constant height of the air springs, wherein when the railcar passes through a curve, the wheel load adjusting apparatus limits an air supply/air discharge operation of at least one of the four automatic level controlling valves to suppress an increase in a pressure difference between at least two of the four air springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Yoshimatsu, Takafumi Okamoto, Takehiro Nishimura, Yoshi Sato, Keiichiro Kamura, Koichi Murata, Hirohide Matsushima
  • Patent number: 10634210
    Abstract: An isolator for a stationary vibration isolation system, which is effective in the horizontal and vertical directions, the isolator comprising at least one pneumatic actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Integrated Dynamics Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Arndt Evers, Till Scharf
  • Patent number: 10578181
    Abstract: A flexible spring member and bead guard assembly. A gas spring assembly including a flexible spring member with a mounting bead and a bead guard disposed along the mounting bead. A method of manufacturing a gas spring assembly includes providing bead guard, and securing the bead guard along a flexible spring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Stephen C. Street
  • Patent number: 10563719
    Abstract: An air spring includes an outer cylindrical member, an inner cylindrical member, a diaphragm, the diaphragm providing an internal space between the outer cylindrical member and the inner cylindrical member, a stopper assembly arranged in the internal space as being pivotable over the inner cylindrical member, a handle for pivoting the stopper assembly over the inner cylindrical member, a guide member attached to the handle as rising from the handle, a positioning member attached by insertion in a guide hole in the guide member for positioning of the handle, a positioning hole provided in the inner cylindrical member which can receive the positioning member, and a holding mechanism in the inner cylindrical member. A position of the stopper assembly with respect to the inner cylindrical member is determined by inserting the positioning member in the positioning hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Sawa, Hideki Kitada, Yasuhiko Ura, Takehiro Nishimura, Keiichiro Kamura, Yoshi Sato
  • Patent number: 10293875
    Abstract: A lifting mechanism for a vehicle axle is provided wherein a vehicle includes a vehicle frame having a first rail component and a second rail component. A first mounting bracket is attached to the first rail component of the vehicle frame. A lifting component is attached to the first mounting bracket. A lateral load component has a first end attached to the lifting component and a second end attached to the second rail component of the vehicle frame. A bracket attaches the lateral load component to the vehicle axle such that upon extension of the lifting component, the vehicle axle is lifted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: CONSOLIDATED METCO, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy James Roberson, Ryan Dillon, William Pileggi
  • Patent number: 10180142
    Abstract: An electric motor vehicle coolant pump for cooling an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle includes a pump housing and a rotor rotatably supported in the pump housing. The rotor comprises a motor rotor configured to be substantially pot-shaped. The motor rotor comprises a pot bottom and a ferromagnetic substance so as to be magnetized in at least a bipolar manner. A pump rotor comprises a plurality of rotor blades and an annular cover ring arranged on distal ends of the plurality of rotor blades. The plurality of rotor blades are configured to stand directly on the pot bottom of the motor rotor. The pump rotor and the motor rotor are each integral plastic material parts separately produced by an injection molding. The pump rotor and the motor rotor are made from different materials. The pump rotor is not ferromagnetic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignees: PIERBURG PUMP TECHNOLOGY GMBH, KOLEKTOR MAGNET TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Jens Teubel, Ronald Rathke, Martin Fiedlschuster, Michael Weinert, Norbert Weber, Pietro Giannico, Friedel Schlusnus
  • Patent number: 9982447
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a mobile safety platform includes a protective enclosure coupled to a frame of a wheeled transport. The wheeled transport is configured to raise the protective enclosure so that the wheeled transport can relocate the protective enclosure and to lower the protective enclosure so that the protective enclosure and/or deck is deployed on a substrate. In at least one embodiment, the wheeled transport is configured to raise and to lower the protective enclosure utilizing a lifting and lowering mechanism, such as a hydraulic system. In at least one embodiment, the lifting and lowering mechanism is configured, when deployed, to transfer at least some of the weight of the transport to the protective enclosure and/or deck. In at least one embodiment, the wheeled transport comprises a trailer. In other embodiments, the wheeled transport can be a motor vehicle including an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: RED DOG MOBILE SHELTERS, LLC
    Inventor: Oscar T. Scott, IV
  • Patent number: 9932182
    Abstract: A trailer stabilizing device for stabilizing a parked freight trailer, the trailer stabilizing device comprising a frame separate from the support frame of the parked freight trailer, the stabilizing device frame having mounted thereto wheels and a hitch, the stabilizing device including a repositionable jack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Stabilock LLC
    Inventors: R. Peter Kimener, Thomas Terrence Kimener, Daniel Wahlstrom
  • Patent number: 9873548
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to a pallet assembly configured to provide access to goods stacked thereon. The pallet assembly includes a base frame and an extensible frame coupled with the base frame. The extensible frame is configured to translate between a retracted orientation with respect to the base frame and an extended orientation with respect to the base frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Northwest Bank
    Inventor: Monte Brown
  • Patent number: 9834055
    Abstract: A device, system, and method for leveling a load may be provided. The system may utilize load sensors to monitor the weight allocation of a load in a vehicle or trailer. The system may further include air bag suspension configured to inflate or deflate based on the weight allocation. The air bag suspension may use at least one compressed air tank, actuator, and dump valve. A computer control module may receive all of the data from the load sensors, calculate the adjustments to the suspension necessary to level the load or compensate for shifts in the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: World Trade Distribution, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Joachim, Jeremy Joachim, Jason Joachim, Kimberly Joachim
  • Patent number: 9545933
    Abstract: An air spring (2) includes: an upper surface plate (21); a lower surface plate (22); an elastic film (23) airtightly coupling a peripheral portion of the upper surface plate (21) and a peripheral portion of the lower surface plate (22) to each other to form an air chamber (24) inside the elastic film (23); an elastic stopper (25) connected to the lower surface plate (22); and at least one of an internal pipe (45) or internal wire (55) extending from an upper surface of the upper surface plate (21) to a side surface of the elastic stopper (25). A part of a pipe and/or wire extending between a carbody (11) and a bogie (1) of a railcar (100) is constituted by the internal pipe (45) and/or internal wire (55) of the air spring (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishimura, Yasufumi Okumura, Kazuhiro Onishi, Chihiro Okayama
  • Patent number: 9340217
    Abstract: A railcar bogie includes: a bolster located under a carbody of a railcar; an air spring including an air spring main body in which air is stored, the air spring being arranged between the carbody and the bolster; a coil spring arranged between the air spring and the bolster and configured to separate the air spring from the bolster by restoring force thereof in a state where a height of the carbody is maintained at a certain height regardless of the air spring; and a limiting member configured to limit the amount of displacement of the coil spring to limit the amount of separation between the air spring and the bolster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignees: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshi Sato, Yukitaka Taga, Kazuo Isomura, Makoto Tamaki, Junichi Shirakawa, Koichi Murata, Hirokazu Haraguchi, Takayuki Sawa
  • Patent number: 9085896
    Abstract: An energy absorber has at least one hollow core post filled with coolant, two supporting boards, multiple first material layers and second material layers. The supporting boards are mounted respectively on two ends of the at least one hollow core post. The first material layers and second material layers are alternately mounted between the supporting boards. Accordingly, the operation temperature of the energy absorber can be prevented from increasing by the coolant in the core post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Inventor: Chong-Shien Tsai
  • Publication number: 20140230687
    Abstract: An end member assembly dimensioned for securement to an associated flexible spring member of an associated gas spring assembly. The end member assembly can include a base wall and a mounting wall disposed in axially-spaced relation to the base wall. A compliant support structure is disposed between the base and mounting walls. The compliant support structure includes at least one compliant element that includes a compliant element body and one or more reinforcing plies at least partially embedded within the compliant element body. Rigid elements can be disposed between adjacent compliant elements if two or more compliant elements are included. A gas spring assembly and a method of manufacture can include one or more of such end member assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventors: David D. Jackson, JR., Jakob B. Cagle, Charlie B. Groover
  • Publication number: 20110315044
    Abstract: To perform the height adjustment of the vehicle body with high precision by improving the sensitivity of measuring the height of the vehicle without making the dead-band smaller, the present invention proposes a guideway-type vehicle comprising: a vehicle body 12; an air spring 16; a bogie 14 which supports the vehicle body 12 via the air spring 16; and a vehicle height adjusting mechanism which includes an integrating device 50, a measuring device 44 and an elastic force adjusting device 42, the integrating device 50 integrating a first relative displacement amount at a first position A1 between the vehicle body 12 and the bogie 14 and a second relative displacement amount at a second position A2 between the vehicle body 12 and the bogie 14, the second position A2 being farther than the first position A1 from the center of the vehicle body 12 in a width direction of the vehicle body, the measuring device measuring an integrated value of the first relative displacement amount and the second relative displacem
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Maeyama, Yoshinori Mitsui, Kousuke Katahira
  • Publication number: 20090133601
    Abstract: Disclosed is a railway vehicle comprising at least one pneumatic spring for supporting a body. At least one mechanically actuated valve is disposed in at least one air supply/discharge tube of the at least one pneumatic spring in order to control air exchange of the at least one pneumatic spring. At least one switching means is provided between the at least one mechanical valve and the at least one pneumatic spring in the at least one air supply/discharge tube in order to control air exchange. Alternatively, at least one switching means is arranged between the at least one mechanical valve and at least one pressure source while at least one additional switching means is placed in a tube that connects the at least one mechanical valve to an environment in order to control air exchange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Christian Kitzmuller, Klaus Six, Martin Teichmann, Herwig Waltensdorfer, Gerhard Weilguni
  • 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