Anti-roll Device Patents (Class 105/199.2)
  • Patent number: 10549766
    Abstract: A main tank storing pressurized air supplied to a pair of air springs; an air supply passage through which the pressurized air flows between the main tank and each of the pair of air springs; a plurality of compressors configured to supply the pressurized air to the main tank; an air discharge passage which is connected to the pair of air springs and through which discharged pressurized air discharged from the air springs flows; and an exhaust tank connected to the air discharge passage and storing the discharged pressurized air discharged from the air springs, the plurality of compressors including at least one first compressor configured to pressurize air introduced from an atmosphere and at least one second compressor configured to operate auxiliarily for an operation of the first compressor and pressurize the discharged pressurized air introduced from the exhaust tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tadashi Yamada, Yuta Yoshimatsu
  • Patent number: 10464582
    Abstract: A carbody support device of a railway vehicle, including support mechanisms installed between a front bogie and a carbody and between a rear bogie and the carbody in a traveling direction, and supporting the carbody against the respective bogies. The support mechanisms regulate both the front bogie and the rear bogie inclining in the same vehicle width direction with respect to the carbody when the railway vehicle travels through a curve, while the support mechanisms permit the front bogie and the rear bogie inclining in different vehicle width directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshi Sato, Yukitaka Taga, Shunichi Nakao, Kazuo Isomura, Makoto Tamaki, Junichi Shirakawa, Koichi Murata
  • Patent number: 10112628
    Abstract: A first bearing casing accommodates a first spherical bearing while restricting a displacement of the first spherical bearing in an axial direction, and a second bearing casing accommodates a second spherical bearing while allowing a displacement of the second spherical bearing in the axial direction. The second bearing casing includes a protruding portion interposed between each of second oil sealing members and the second spherical bearing so as to be spaced apart from the second spherical bearing in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuo Isomura, Takanori Tojo, Masahiro Sakahira, Jun Shirasaki, Tomohide Maeba, Naoki Hikosaka
  • Patent number: 9878727
    Abstract: A rail vehicle spring system has a spring strut, arranged between a bogie and carriage body of the rail vehicle, and includes a cylinder and a piston in the cylinder. Piston spaces are defined below and above the piston head. The piston or the cylinder is connectable with the bogie, while the other component is connectable with the carriage body. A spring cushions the body relative to the bogie, and a hydraulic system is connected with at least one of the piston spaces to charge the space with hydraulic medium. The spring surrounds the cylinder and is contracted by the piston when an excess pressure exists in the lower piston space with respect to the upper piston space, and an entraining element is adjoined by the spring. Only when an excess pressure exists in the lower piston space does the piston rod exerts a force on the entraining element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH
    Inventor: Anton Gaile
  • Patent number: 9771087
    Abstract: An abnormality detection method for a vehicle body tilt control device makes it possible to determine which air spring has an air supply/exhaust abnormality. A model creation step prepares a state estimation model for each of the front and rear vehicle halves into which a vehicle is divided, and an abnormality detection step applies a state estimation technique to the state estimation model to detect which one of the air springs has an air supply/exhaust abnormality. When flow rate command values for air supplied to/exhausted from the air springs included in each vehicle half are input, each of the input flow rate command values for air supplied to/exhausted from the air springs is multiplied by a virtual gain and the results are averaged. Based on the averages, the average of the heights of the air springs is output, where each virtual gain is included as a state variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Yamao, Daisuke Shinagawa
  • Patent number: 9387742
    Abstract: A suspension system and a method of control. A load force on a first axle assembly may be increased when a ride height of the first axle assembly differs from the ride height of the second axle assembly by more than a threshold amount and the ride height of the first axle assembly is not within a ride height tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
    Inventor: David Van Raaphorst
  • Patent number: 9340218
    Abstract: A railway vehicle damping device comprises at least two front side actuators interposed between a front bogie and a vehicle body of a railway vehicle, and at least two rear side actuators interposed between a rear bogie and the vehicle body of the railway vehicle, and suppresses vibration in a yaw direction of the vehicle body using a yaw suppression force generated by the actuators. After determining that the railway vehicle is traveling in a curve section, a control device causes at least one of the front side actuators and at least one of the rear side actuators to generate a yaw suppression force, and causes all of the remaining actuators to function as passive dampers. As a result, passenger comfort in the railway vehicle during travel in the curve section is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: KYB Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20150135985
    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: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Christian Brandstaetter, Gerhard Kaserer, Christian Plankensteiner, Michael Sumnitsch
  • Patent number: 8935984
    Abstract: A carriage-body inclination device (30) has individual inclination units (112, 113) that are provided corresponding to air springs (22, 23), and a control unit (110). The individual inclination unit (112) can sufficiently execute supply or release of air to or from the air spring (22) by driving a control valve (40) and a large-capacity valve (170) using a height difference value which is a difference between a height instruction value provided by the control unit (110) and a height value obtained from a link-lever mechanism (24). The control valve (40) has a two-layer structure of a fixed sleeve (91), a control sleeve (90), and a spool (80). The control sleeve (90) is moved and driven by the link-lever mechanism (24) and a rotation-translation conversion mechanism (44). The spool (80) is moved and driven by a spool actuator (120) according to a set height value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignees: Pneumatic Servo Controls Ltd., Nippon Sharyo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Sasaki, Hiroshi Shinmura, Tetsuya Hayashi, Takeyoshi Mihara, Naohide Kamikawa
  • Patent number: 8910579
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle, in particular rail vehicle, with a wagon body and an running gear on which the wagon body is supported, wherein the wagon body and the running gear define a vehicle longitudinal direction, a vehicle transverse direction and a vehicle height direction. A tilting mechanism is arranged between the wagon body and the running gear, which is designed to impose, during a transverse displacement in the vehicle transverse direction, upon the wagon body a rolling motion about a rolling axis parallel to the vehicle longitudinal direction. The tilting mechanism comprises a transverse decoupling device, which is designed to reduce the stiffness of the tilting mechanism against a pure transverse displacement of the wagon body with respect to the running gear. The invention furthermore relates to a corresponding tilting mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventor: Richard Schneider
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20140318411
    Abstract: A railway vehicle damping device comprises at least two front side actuators interposed between a front bogie and a vehicle body of a railway vehicle, and at least two rear side actuators interposed between a rear bogie and the vehicle body of the railway vehicle, and suppresses vibration in a yaw direction of the vehicle body using a yaw suppression force generated by the actuators. After determining that the railway vehicle is traveling in a curve section, a control device causes at least one of the front side actuators and at least one of the rear side actuators to generate a yaw suppression force, and causes all of the remaining actuators to function as passive dampers. As a result, passenger comfort in the railway vehicle during travel in the curve section is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: KAYABA INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takayuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8807049
    Abstract: A vibration suppression device for a railway vehicle includes an actuator (5) disposed between a bogie truck (2) and a vehicle body (1), the actuator adjusting a vibration of the railway vehicle by extension/retraction motion thereof, and a controller (4) for controlling the extension/retraction motion of the actuator (5), and the controller (4) derives the total amount of extension/retraction displacements of the actuator (5) within a predetermined period of time during the running of the railway vehicle, and compares the derived total amount of extension/retraction displacements with a preliminarily registered threshold value to determine that the actuator (5) is seized in the case where the total amount of extension/retraction displacements is smaller than the threshold value. Thereby, seizing of the actuator can be self-diagnosed and found at an early stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Gotou
  • Patent number: 8667900
    Abstract: A vehicle body tilting device for railway vehicle is arranged to control the tilt of a vehicle body by exchanging compressed air between a pair of left and right air springs. This device includes: a control valve for tilt operation, connected between the air springs; a pump for tilt operation, connected between the air springs through the control valve; and a control device for controlling both the control valve and the pump. The control valve forms a circulation flow path for allowing compressed air, delivered by the pump, to circulate therethrough. Before controlling the tilt of the vehicle body, the control device drives in advance the pump to circulate the compressed air through the circulation flow path to provide a delivery standby state, changes over at predetermined timing the position of the control valve, and delivers the compressed air from one of the air springs to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Sharyo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shinmura, Tetsuya Hayashi, Takeyoshi Mihara, Naohide Kamikawa
  • Patent number: 8651026
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body, a bolster spring, a bogie supporting the vehicle body via the bolster spring and a vehicle height adjusting mechanism. The vehicle height adjustment mechanism includes an integrating device, a measuring device and an elastic force adjusting device. The integrating device integrates a first relative displacement amount at a first position between the vehicle body and the bogie and a second relative displacement amount at a second position between the vehicle body and the bogie. The measuring device measures an integrated value of the first relative displacement amount and the second relative displacement amount. The elastic force adjusting device adjusts elastic force of the bolster spring based on the integrated value so as to adjust a relative displacement amount between the vehicle body and the bogie.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Maeyama, Yoshinori Mitsui, Kousuke Katahira
  • Patent number: 8640630
    Abstract: A heavy duty torsion bar assembly, particularly an anti-roll bar assembly for a rail vehicle, includes a lever which is mounted on the bar by an oil injection taper fit, the cooperating surfaces having a drainage groove and being formed to a tolerance of IT7 or better, wherein the final assembled position is determined by a pre-defined axial displacement of the lever from an initial position defined by manual engagement of the two parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Bombardier Transporation GmbH
    Inventors: Duncan Gilmartin, Paul Butler
  • Patent number: 8601952
    Abstract: The linear actuator has a hollow main body having open and closed ends, a cylinder fixed to a closed side in the body and having an open end at open side, a linear motion rod having one end extending from the open end of the body and a wear ring on an outer circumference of the other end and slidably housed in the cylinder, and a hollow shaft rotatably supported in the body, wherein the shaft has magnet on outer circumferential surface, a winding section included on an inner surface of the body and the magnet configure a hollow motor, a nut coaxially fixed to the shaft and a screw on an outer surface of the linear motion rod are engaged with each other to configure a rotation/linear motion converter, and oil seals seal a gap between the shaft and the body in both sides are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignees: Moog Japan Ltd., Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Masafumi Tamai, Osamu Goto
  • Patent number: 8590461
    Abstract: Devices to shift the stops (8) of rail vehicle bodies or coaches with bogies on curves and rail vehicle body with bogies. The devices are provided in an interior cavity of the frame of the bogies whose lateral edges each have a separate stop (9, 10) and that houses a lower projecting part (4) of the body. In one embodiment, on the front edge of the interior cavity of the frame (1) of the bogie, there is a pair of joints (11) from each of which a rod (5, 6) leads backwards and each of these is joined to a separate slider (7) by means of joints. The sliders (7) are able to move on guides located on the respective lateral surfaces of the lower projecting part (4) of the body, and the sliders (7) are wedge shaped with a guide located on their surface in the form of an inclined plane. The stops (8) of the body are coupled, at their respective inside surfaces, to the guides located on the respective sliders (7); the stops (8) of the body are joined together by transversal connection means (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Patentes Talgo, S.L.
    Inventor: José Luis López Gómez
  • Patent number: 8473128
    Abstract: A method for optimizing track performance is provided. The method involves measuring one or more track status data at one or more measurement sites of the track during a train pass through the one or more measurement sites. Followed by analyzing the one or more track status data against one or more baseline reference values to obtain a track status profile, and adjusting an operating parameter, a track parameter, or both the operating and track parameters, based on the track status profile, to optimize the track's performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: L.B. Foster Rail Technologies Canada, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Oldknow, John Samuels, Donald Thomas Eadie, Dana Earl
  • Publication number: 20130112104
    Abstract: A compact linear actuator in which a back drive force is small and sticking due to abrasion powder and the like hardly occurs, and a rocking controller for a railway vehicle having the linear actuator are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicants: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION, MOOG JAPAN LTD.
    Inventors: Masafumi Tamai, Osamu Goto
  • Publication number: 20130092046
    Abstract: A traction/pitching control assembly for attachment to a body portion of a monorail bogie. The monorail bogie is operative for supporting a monorail car over a monorail track that has a running surface and two side surfaces. The assembly comprises a first traction link, a second traction link and a linking member that has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first traction link is attached to the first end portion of the linking member, and the second traction link is attached to the second end portion of the linking member. The assembly further comprises a third traction link and a cross link. The cross link joins the third traction link to the first traction link and the linking member. The first traction link and the second traction link are attached to one of the body portion of the monorail bogie and the monorail car, and the linking member is connected to the other one of the body portion of the monorail bogie and the monorail car.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION GMBH
    Inventor: Bombardier Transportation GMBH
  • Patent number: 8356557
    Abstract: A rail vehicle having a car body, which is supported on a running gear by a spring device, and a rolling compensation device, which is coupled to the running gear and the car body. The rolling compensation device may be arranged kinematically in parallel to the spring device. The rolling compensation device counteracts rolling motions of the car body toward the outside of the curve about a rolling axis during travel in curves. The rolling compensation device, in order to increase the tilting comfort, is designed to impose, in a first frequency range and under a first transverse deflection of the car body, upon the car body, a first rolling angle about the rolling axis, which corresponds to a current curvature of a current section of track being travelled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventor: Richard Schneider
  • Publication number: 20120304888
    Abstract: A heavy duty torsion bar assembly, particularly an anti-roll bar assembly for a rail vehicle, includes a lever which is mounted on the bar by an oil injection taper fit, the cooperating surfaces having a drainage groove and being formed to a tolerance of IT7 or better, wherein the final assembled position is determined by a pre-defined axial displacement of the lever from an initial position defined by manual engagement of the two parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Duncan Gilmartin, Paul Butler
  • Publication number: 20120227617
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle, in particular rail vehicle, with a wagon body and an running gear on which the wagon body is supported, wherein the wagon body and the running gear define a vehicle longitudinal direction, a vehicle transverse direction and a vehicle height direction. A tilting mechanism is arranged between the wagon body and the running gear, which is designed to impose, during a transverse displacement in the vehicle transverse direction, upon the wagon body a rolling motion about a rolling axis parallel to the vehicle longitudinal direction. The tilting mechanism comprises a transverse decoupling device, which is designed to reduce the stiffness of the tilting mechanism against a pure transverse displacement of the wagon body with respect to the running gear. The invention furthermore relates to a corresponding tilting mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION GMBH
    Inventor: Richard Schneider
  • Publication number: 20110303117
    Abstract: A traction/pitching control assembly for attachment to a body portion of a monorail bogie. The monorail bogie is operative for supporting a monorail car over a monorail track that has a running surface and two side surfaces. The traction/pitching control assembly comprises a first traction link, a second traction link and a linking member that has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first traction link is attached to the first end portion of the linking member, and the second traction link is attached to the second end portion of the linking member. The traction/pitching assembly further comprises a third traction link and a cross link. The cross link joins the third traction link to the first traction link and the linking member. The first traction link and the second traction link are attached to one of the body portion of the monorail bogie and the monorail car, and the linking member is connected to the other one of the body portion of the monorail bogie and the monorail car.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Edward Timan, Friedrich Wilhelm Honegger
  • Publication number: 20110297036
    Abstract: Devices to shift the stops (8) of rail vehicle bodies or coaches with bogies on curves and rail vehicle body with bogies. The devices are provided in an interior cavity of the frame of the bogies whose lateral edges each have a separate stop (9, 10) and that houses a lower projecting part (4) of the body. In one embodiment, on the front edge of the interior cavity of the frame (1) of the bogie, there is a pair of joints (11) from each of which a rod (5, 6) leads backwards and each of these is joined to a separate slider (7) by means of joints. The sliders (7) are able to move on guides located on the respective lateral surfaces of the lower projecting part (4) of the body, and the sliders (7) are wedge shaped with a guide located on their surface in the form of an inclined plane. The stops (8) of the body are coupled, at their respective inside surfaces, to the guides located on the respective sliders (7); the stops (8) of the body are joined together by transversal connection means (15).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: PATENTES TALGO, S.L.
    Inventor: José Luis Lopéz Gómez
  • Patent number: 8061698
    Abstract: A geometric shaped side bearing pad includes a top and a surface extending an angle ? towards the top, wherein the bearing pad has a geometric shape and a non-linear spring rate which levels out a reaction force without buckling. The surface of the bearing pad can have two sides or four sides, can have spacing within the surface, or can be solid. The angle ? can be within the range of about 20 degrees and 85 degrees, and may preferably be within the range of about 30 degrees and 45 degrees to achieve non-linear load/deflection. The top of the bearing pad can have a slot defined therethrough to accommodate a protrusion in a fixture to engage the bearing pad. The bearing pad can provide a friction contact with an object and enables lateral force transfer to the bearing pad, thereby providing lateral stiffness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Chemtura Corporation
    Inventor: Richard L. Palinkas
  • Patent number: 8056484
    Abstract: A vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, having a longitudinal axis, at least one first vehicle component which is supported via at least one first spring device on at least one first wheel unit and at least one second spring device on at least one second wheel unit, and having at least one first anti-roll device and a second anti-roll device which are coupled to one another via a coupling device, are each connected to the first vehicle component and counteract rolling motions of the first vehicle component. The first anti-roll device and the second anti-roll device are articulated to the coupling device at first and second articulation points, respectively. The coupling device is configured such that, caused by a counterforce-free first displacement of the first anti-roll device via the first and second articulation points, an opposing second displacement is introduced into the second anti-roll device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Brundisch, Alfred Lohmann
  • Patent number: 7784410
    Abstract: A constant contact side bearing assembly for a railcar having a bolster with an upper surface and a walled receptacle upstanding from the upper surface of the bolster. An inner surface of the walled receptacle defines an open-top cavity wherein the side bearing assembly is accommodated. The constant contact side bearing assembly includes a spring and a base. The side bearing assembly base is configured to loosely fit within the walled receptacle and a gap is defined between an outer surface of the side bearing assembly base and the inner surface of the walled receptacle. A railcar engaging surface portion on a friction member is biased by the spring against an underside of the railcar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Miner Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. O'Donnell, Paul B. Aspengren
  • 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: 7438000
    Abstract: The invention relates to a running gear for rail vehicles, especially for passenger traffic, wherein a frame (1) is supported, by means of primary springs, on wheels or sets of wheels, and whereon a superstructure (5) is supported, optionally with insertion of a bolster (4). The bolster (4) or the superstructure (5) is supported by means of secondary springs, in relation to the frame (1), on at least one spring carrier (2), the bolster (4) or the superstructure (5) is connected to the frame (1) by means of a shock absorber used to damp vertical and/or rolling movements, and the spring carrier (2) is suspended on the frame by means of pendulums (3). The fixing points of the pendulums (3) on the running gear frame (1) are inwardly staggered, unlike vertically arranged pendulums, in such a way that the longitudinal axes of the pendulums (3) extend diagonally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Richard Schneider, Wolfgang Auer, Uwe Reimann, Siegmund Möhner
  • Patent number: 6786159
    Abstract: In a safe method of controlling the tilt of a rail vehicle traveling on a track, different sections of the track are allocated authorized tilt limit values representative of a safety gauge within which the train can tilt without risk of colliding with infrastructures near the tracks or a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. All tilting of the vehicle is prohibited beyond authorized tilt limit values allocated to the track section on which the vehicle is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom
    Inventors: Bernard Auge De Fleury, Stéphane Feray-Beaumont
  • Patent number: 6641161
    Abstract: A leveling system for a load hauling trailer which will improve the stability of a payload having a high center of gravity, thereby allowing loads, which would otherwise not be transportable, to be moved over roadways. The leveling system includes a base member with a curved upper surface, a slide member with a curved lower surface, and a hydraulic cylinder for sliding the slide member relative to the base member. As the slide member moves from side-to-side across the base member, the angle between the axis of slide member varies with respect to the axis of the base member. When installed at each end of a double gooseneck trailer, the leveling system will reduce or eliminate torsional stresses in the trailer as the front running gear traverses a road surface having a cross grade different from the surface being traversed by the rear running gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Inventor: Gerald R. McLelland
  • Patent number: 6622637
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an arcuate tilting mechanism for use with a vehicle having a passenger compartment and a carriage traveling on a track where the mechanism comprises an arcuate roller gear divider mounted on the underside of the passenger compartment. An outer carriage roller track is mounted on the upper side of the carriage, so that the arcuate roller gear divider and the outer carriage roller track are in juxtaposed arcuate relation. A first set of roller gears is provided which engage the arcuate roller gear divider and the outer carriage roller track so that when the vehicle enters a turn, the passenger compartment can be angled into the radius of the turn, where the carriage remains parallel to the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Inventor: Richard Cummins
  • Patent number: 6581527
    Abstract: A side bearing for a railcar having a car body and a bolster. The side bearing includes a top member adapted to be located adjacent the car body of the railcar. The top member includes a downwardly extending projection. The side bearing also includes a base member adapted to be located adjacent the bolster of the railcar. The base member includes an upwardly extending support member, a wear plate holder coupled to the support member, and a wear plate coupled to the wear plate holder. First and second adjustment members are attached to the support member to selectively move the wear plate holder and the wear plate along a horizontal axis to adjust and maintain a zero or minimal clearance between the wear plate of the base member and the projection of the top member and thereby control movement of the railcar truck/car body interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Meridian Rail Information Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Paul Hewitt
  • Publication number: 20030066454
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an arcuate tilting mechanism for use with a vehicle having a passenger compartment and a carriage traveling on a track where the mechanism comprises an arcuate roller gear divider mounted on the underside of the passenger compartment. An outer carriage roller track is mounted on the upper side of the carriage, so that the arcuate roller gear divider and the outer carriage roller track are in juxtaposed arcuate relation. A first set of roller gears is provided which engage the arcuate roller gear divider and the outer carriage roller track so that when the vehicle enters a turn, the passenger compartment can be angled into the radius of the turn, where the carriage remains parallel to the track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventor: Richard D. Cummins
  • Patent number: 6484074
    Abstract: A method of controlling controlled elements of a rail vehicle, in which method descriptive geometrical characteristics of the rail track are calculated by measuring inertial values on board the vehicle and control set points for said controlled elements are generated from said characteristics, characterized in that it includes the steps of: determining the location of the vehicle on the rail track on which it is travelling by comparing calculated geometrical characteristics with geometrical characteristics stored in a database (16) and obtained by a learning process; extracting geometrical characteristics corresponding to the next curve from the database (16); and generating control set points for the controlled elements in advance from the extracted characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Alstom
    Inventors: Laurent Hazard, Frédéric Vantalon
  • Patent number: 6457420
    Abstract: A rail vehicle including an end car extended by a cab, wherein the car and the cab have separate structures with adjacent ends that are pivotally mounted on the same bogie, the structure of the cab being supported solely by the bogie while cantilevered therefrom, the cab being connected to a control device for controlling the angular positioning of the cab relative to the bogie.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Alstom
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques Laporte, Frédéric Papin
  • Patent number: 6401628
    Abstract: On an outer periphery of a link 30 for connecting a member car body 20 and a bogie car frame 11, vessel is provided and 42 into which particle shaped members 41 are inserted. A rotation vibration generated from a drive system of a running electric motor 14, a transmission apparatus and a shaft coupling is transmitted to the link 30. The vibration energy generated at link 30 is converted to the kinetic energy in response to the collision of the particle-shaped members 41 contained in the vessel 42 so that the vibration at the link 30 is reduced. Accordingly, the propagation of the vibration to a car body can be restrained. The particle-shaped members 41 can be inserted into a cylindrical portion 31 of the link 30. Further, the particle-shaped members 41 can be inserted movably into a column 32. In a railway vehicle having a bogie car, the vibration caused by the unbalance of the drive system can be restrained and the noise in a car accompanied with the vibration can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Sebata, Toshiaki Makino, Motomi Hiraishi, Minoru Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6397129
    Abstract: Using a lateral acceleration measurement to which passengers are subjected in a passenger car of a tilting train, a comparison to an acceptable level of lateral acceleration is made. As a result of this comparison, the control of the tilting system is altered. The tilting system can be shut down automatically, on a car-to-car basis, or manually using the tilting system controller. Passenger comfort will be increased since detection of abnormal operation of the tilting system will be performed rapidly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Bombardier Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Lanoix, Benoit Racicot
  • Publication number: 20020035947
    Abstract: A car body 8 is supported on a bogie frame 4 through an air spring 5. Along to a width direction of the car body 8, to the bogie frame 4 a torsion bar 11 is provided. At both ends of the torsion bar 11, links 15 and 15 for inclining to direct for an inner side of the car body 8 through levers 13 and 13 are provided. Accordingly, a rolling displacement of the both ends of the car body is restricted and an upper and lower displacement in the same phase is not restricted. According to an occurrence of an excess centrifugal acceleration which acts on the car body 8, a car body inclination according to a link mechanism can be operated. For this reason, a light weight structure and a low cost structure can be attained. An inclination device having a light weight structure, a left and right riding good feeling in the passenger in a car, and a high fail-safe characteristic can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Inventors: Michio Sebata, Hideo Takai, Katsuyuki Iwasaki, Hiroshi Higaki, Takaomi Nishigaito, Kenjiro Goda
  • Patent number: 6278914
    Abstract: The described device uses the signal from an inertial force sensor as input and produces a filtered output with minimal delay. The filtering level is determined by the device, according to a function of the input signal observation and a pre-defined desired signal criteria. The output signal produced by the device is suitable to be used as a control signal for the operation of a tilting railway vehicle. One or more of such device can be used concurrently to obtain filtered signals from various inertial sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Bombardier Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Gaudreau, Tho Le-Ngoc
  • Patent number: 6273003
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tilt control for the superstructure of a rail vehicle, that includes a transversal acceleration sensor and a tilt control device controlled therefrom for tilting the superstructure along its longitudinal axis in relation to the running gear or the bogie supporting the superstructure. A low-pass filter is connected in the signal path between the transversal acceleration sensor and the tilt control device. In order to at least amply compensate the operation time of the low-pass filter, a steady state member is connected in the signal path between the transversal acceleration sensor and the low-pass filter, whose output signal is selected at least in the middle segment of a predetermined measuring value of the transversal acceleration values to be detected in such a way that the transversal acceleration in the superstructure remains almost constant in said segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Benker, Bernd Metzner
  • Patent number: 6273002
    Abstract: A rail vehicle equipped with a support actuator of variable vertical length mounted between a vehicle body and a running gear located underneath. In order to maintain an operational supporting device and adequate ride comfort after a failure or overload of the support actuator, an emergency spring coaxial with the support actuator is provided, which only becomes effective when the stroke of the support actuator falls short of a preset value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation (Technology) GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Hachmann, Uwe Sch{overscore (u)}ller, Thomas Benker
  • Patent number: 6273001
    Abstract: A device for collecting electric current for a rail vehicle that tilts. The rail vehicle includes a car body having a roof and a bogie beneath the car body. The bogie has a bogie frame and a bolster above the bogie frame and the car body is supported on the bolster. The bolster tilts around an axis with respect to the bogie frame upon tilting of the body. The collecting device includes a platform supported on the roof of the car which is movable transversely to the vehicle access. A pantograph supported on the platform, a flexible connection between the bogie and the pantograph for moving the platform on the pantograph transversely with tilting of the bogie frame, but for not moving the platform along with tilting of the bogie bolster. A motion reducing and amplifying mechanism between the platform and the flexible connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Construcciones Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A. CAF
    Inventors: Juan Felix Garcia Amigot, Rafael Corta Aranzabal, Nicolas Moliner Loriente, Asier Jauregi Benito
  • Patent number: 6244190
    Abstract: The invention refers to a tilting mechanism for creating track curve-dependent tilt of the superstructure of rail vehicles (1), consisting of a coupling (15) with which the superstructure (2) is movably connected to a bogie (3) in such a way that the superstructure can be transferred from an upright initial position into a tilted position relative to the bogie and having a drive (31) and an transfer mechanism including a transfer mechanism by which means the superstructure can be movably transferred from its initial position into its tilted position relative to the bogie. To be able to manufacture such tilting mechanism in a more inexpensive way, the invention aims at equipping the transfer mechanism with a mechanism with a variable transmission, the transmission of the mechanism increasing with increasing inclination angle of the superstructure relative to the bogie during transfer of the superstructure from its initial position into its tilted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Moog GmbH
    Inventors: Roger Sembtner, Bernd Stehlin
  • Patent number: 6216602
    Abstract: A balance control mechanism for an overhead traveling carrier includes a movable section disposed on a carrier body at a position below the fulcrum of a traveling wheel of the carrier such that the movable section can be moved laterally of the carrier body to thereby displace the center of gravity of the movable section laterally of the carrier body, a gravity center moving unit for moving the center of gravity of the movable section with respect to the carrier body, and a balance control unit for calculating a balancing position at which the center of gravity of the movable section is to be placed so that the moment of a centrifugal force turning around the fulcrum with an axis lying in a direction of travel of the carrier and applied to the carrier in its entirety upon travel of the carrier over a curved portion of the rail is counterbalanced by the moment of gravity, and then controlling the gravity center moving unit to cause the center of gravity of the movable section to be moved to the balancing positi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Daisuke Fukuzaki, Yoshikazu Nakano
  • Patent number: 6205933
    Abstract: A support for a car body on a chassis, in particular on a truck of a rail vehicle. A support comprises a fluid-actuated piston-cylinder unit arranged between car body and chassis, and a rocker support arranged also between car body and chassis which comprises a first support part and a second support part which is arranged between the first support part and a part of the car. Each support part has a rolling surface via which it rests on another rolling surface, in which connection at least one rolling surface of the two rolling surfaces contacting each other is cylindrical and the contact between a pair of rolling surfaces is linear. The support part takes up little space. The distance between the car body and the chassis can be very small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann Rexroth AG
    Inventor: Jörg Dantlgraber
  • Patent number: 6202566
    Abstract: A high-speed high-capacity transportation system is composed of an elevated inverted U-shaped electrified guideway that provides traction and capture surfaces for wheeled motive modules that ride within. Payloads are suspended below the motive unit using a narrow flange. Motive units use flat wheels which ride on flat surfaces of the guideway. The wheels and electric power pickups constitute the only mechanical contact between the vehicle and guideway. Sensors on the motive unit provide position information to an electronic control subsystem which directs the steering of the motive units wheels so as to maintain the desired path through the guideway. As an option, one or more auxiliary wheels can be brought into contact with running surfaces located at the top of the inverted U for additional traction and stability. The payload unit is connected to a the motive unit by way of a hinge that allows the payload to swing laterally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Inventor: Larry Hutchinson
  • Patent number: 6199875
    Abstract: A tilting apparatus for tilting a body (4) of a vehicle, the apparatus being disposed in a bogie underframe, and secondary suspensions (3) being disposed under the body (4) of the vehicle, the tilting apparatus being characterized in that it includes first and second tilt-control actuators (1, 2) disposed rigidly and vertically in the bogie, the secondary suspensions (3) lying under the body (4) of the vehicle and on the tilt-control actuators (1, 2), a re-centering actuator (5) secured via one of its ends to the bogie underframe (6) and via its other end to the body (4) of the vehicle, and an anti-roll bar (7) disposed under the body (4), the tilting apparatus being provided neither with an inclination cross-member, nor with cross-member suspension connection rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom Transport SA
    Inventor: Jean Daniel Nast