Urban Transportation Development Corporation Limited

Utdc Inc.

Roy E Smith

Peter Edward Timan

Harry Skoblenick

Ron J Anderson

A railway truck for a railway vehicle which has steerable axles has axle bearings supported by support pedestals. Each support pedestal is located longitudinally by a flexible bar element which aallows the pedestal sufficient vertical movement to accommodate varying load conditions and also allows rotation about a horizontal axis which is not coincident with the axle bearings but restrains horizontal movement fore and aft of the rotational axis. A steering assembly reacting to relative rotational movements between the truck and the vehicle permits pivoting of the support pedestals about the horizontal axis. The tipping of the pedestal moves the axle bearing in the fore and aft direction which effectively rotates the axle about a vertical axis so as to guide the axle of the railway truck into radial alignment with respect to a curved track. The structure has the effect of an 'inverted' pendulum, that is a pendulum with negative restoring force. The negative rotational stiffness of the support pedestals arising from the location of their pivotal axes is offset by positive forces exerted by suitably located vehicle support springs against spring supports on the pedestals.

Railway truck with steered axles and primary suspension

A flexible drive coupling for transmitting rotational forces between respective flanges of a driving shaft and a driven shaft. The flexible drive coupling has, in a substantially planar circular configuration, a number of wedges. The wedges have respective end faces facing the adjacent wedges and connected thereto by flexible elements. Alternate wedges attach respectively to the flanges of the driving and driven shafts. The flexible elements consist of a link between two end plates. The mating faces of the link and the end plates are curved so that they co-operate one with the other. An elastomeric filler occupies the space between the curved surfaces of the end plates and the links permitting each end plate to pivot with respect to the link by deforming the elastomeric filler. The end faces of the wedges and, the corresponding faces of the end plates of the flexible elements which face them, have co-operating tabs and recesses to prevent relative radial and axial movement. On attaching the flexible drive coupling to the driving and driven shafts, the wedges can be forced radially inward and so secured that the flexible elements are pre-loaded in radial compression.

Flexible shaft coupling having flexible elements interspersed between

This invention applies the linkage connected between the interaxle yokes of a truck and a railroad vehicle car body so as to create radially steered alignment of wheelsets on circular curves without reference to the truck frame. Forces exchanged between the wheelsets and the car body are essentially longitudinal and no significant lateral forces are created on the truck frame or car body from the steering action. The steering linkage utilizes the longitudinal component of relative motion of a point on the car body with reference to the vehicle truck to cause relative pivotal movement of the interaxle yokes thereby guiding the wheelsets to a radial alignment. Radial alignment is achieved by suitable proportioning of the links of the mechanism.

Longitudinal steering linkage for truck with interaxle yokes

An articulated vehicle has two body portions which are pivotally connected and supported on a frame. First and second wheelsets are pivotally mounted to and support the frame. The third and fourth wheelsets are provided for supporting the other ends of the first and second body portions, remote from the frame. A steering arrangement comprising a detecting device and a guiding device are provided, which can be in the form of a mechanical linkage. The first detecting device detects changes in the angle between the frame and the first body portion, while a second detecting device detects changes in the angle between the frame and the second body portion. Corresponding first and second guide devices respond to the detected angles; the first guide device guides the first and third wheelsets to radial alignment, while the second guide device guides the second and fourth wheelsets to a radial alignment.

Multi-axle, steered articulated railway vehicle with compensation for

A railroad vehicle is provided for movement on rails. The vehicle has a car body and two trucks. Each of the trucks has an outboard and an inboard axle mounted to the truck for pivotal movement about respective vertical axes such that the axles may be moved to a radial position when the vehicle is travelling on curved track. Each of the trucks has a pivotal connection, offset from center toward the outboard axle, between the truck and the car body. Each of the trucks contains a steering mechanism whereby the axles are moved to the radial position when the vehicle is travelling on curved track, with the alignment being obtained in response to the angle through which the truck swivels relative to the car body in traversing the curved track. The steerable trucks are stable provided that certain mathematical relationships set out are satisfied.

Stabilized steerable truck

A rail vehicle is disclosed to travel down a track formed from a pair of rails. The rail vehicle is propelled by a drive assembly having a longitudinal axis in line with the rails and a pair of wheel sets, each of which includes an axle with a wheel rotatably mounted on each end thereof. The drive assembly is further adapted to provide a positive angle of attack between the rotational plane of at least one wheel and the respective rail, so as to improve the stability of the vehicle. A method is also disclosed for improving the stability of a rail vehicle.

Present invention relates to rail vehicles

An axle for a rail vehicle is pivotally connected to two equal length swinging arms, each of which is pivotally connected to the rail vehicle. The axle rotates about a virtual vertical axis away from the axle and nearer to the center of the rail vehicle. The axle is then radial for all curves over which a rail vehicle would usually traverse. In addition, the overhang of the rail vehicle while traversing a curve is reduced since the rail vehicle chords between virtual axes.

Steered axle for a railway vehicle

A brake disc for mounting to a railroad wheel or the like comprises a plurality of segments. Each segment is of part annular configuration and has two mounting tangs at a radially inner edge. Bolts pass through the mounting tangs to affix the segment to the wheel. The wheel is provided with an inwardly directed flange at its rim in order that retention tangs at the radially outer edge of the segment are captured between the flange and the web of the wheel. Under heat generated during braking the segment can expand radially outwardly. The segment is prevented from curling or warping in the axial direction by the flange of the wheel and the retention tangs. Preferably the mounting tangs have a part curved configuration so as to accommodate expansion of the segment by bending of the mounting tangs. The mounting tangs can be fitted with an axially extending lip so as to locate the segments and resist centrifugal forces during rotation.

Brake disc design for wheel mounted discs

A truck comprising a pair of longitudinal side frames with axle assemblies located at opposite ends thereof. Diagonal braces extend between the side frames to provide the truck with a lateral stiffness and a yaw stiffness. The diagonal braces include struts extending between the side frames and connected thereto by elastomeric members. The elastomeric members provide controlled flexibility in shear for the truck and are chosen so that the yaw stiffness and lateral stiffness lie on the characteristic curve of maximum critical velocity. In this way maximum stability of the truck is obtained.

Diagonally braced rail truck

In a powered truck or bogie for a railway vehicle having steerable wheelsets which pivot with respect to the truck or bogie frame, the motor for each wheelset is mounted to the truck or bogie frame and coupled to the drive transmitting means by a flexible coupling having a substantially vertical pivotal axis which axis is coincident with the real or virtual pivotal axis of the wheelset with respect to the truck or bogie.

Powered radial truck

A truck for use on a railway vehicle has three axles, one located at each end of the truck and a third located generally centrally between the other two axles. The two outboard axles are pivotable about respective vertical axes so as to be free to move to a radial alignment when the truck is travelling on curved track. The axle located generally centrally between the other two axles is free to move laterally but is constrained to eliminate movement about a substantially vertical axis. An interconnecting member is provided so that the lateral movement of the central axle is used to guide the outboard axles to the radial alignment.

Three axle steered truck

An articulated railroad vehicle having two or more body portions is supported on three or more single wheel set trucks. Each truck is pivotally attached to a vehicle body portion. Sensing elements detect the angle between the articulated body portions. The output from the angle of articulated sensing element means is used to guide each of the wheel sets to a radial configuration when the vehicle negotiates a curve.

Steering articulated car

A short wheelbase railroad truck having two axles intended to assume a radial configuration when the railroad vehicle rounds curves comprises a frame having two side members and axles mounted in bearing means. The bearing means are pivotally attached to the frame members with at least two of the bearing means being attached to the frame members by means of steering levers which are pivotally attached to the associated bearing means and the frame members for independent pivotal movement. Steering rods connect each steering lever to the vehicle body such that the chording of the vehicle as it rounds a curve will guide each axle to the radial alignment. In one embodiment each axle is guided by such steering rods and levers. In another embodiment one axle is guided by steering rods and levers and the side members move relatively longitudinally to guide the other axle.

Growing community of inventors

Kingston, Canada

Roy E Smith