The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 25, 1997
Filed:
Nov. 08, 1995
Mehdi Ahmadian, Blacksburg, VA (US);
Laurence W Gray, Kingston, CA;
Dean Z McGrew, Erie, PA (US);
William A Kurtzhals, Erie, PA (US);
James H Whitehill, Wattsburg, PA (US);
Jennifer L Jaramillo, Fuquay-Variena, NC (US);
General Electric Company, Erie, PA (US);
Abstract
A railway truck includes a frame having a pair of side frames and laterally extending transoms therebetween. A plurality of journal boxes are resiliently suspended from the side frames and support a pair of longitudinally spaced apart end axles extending laterally between the side frames. A pair of longitudinally spaced apart bellcranks are rotatably joined to each of the side frames between the end axles, with each bellcrank having a vertical crankshaft and a crank arm extending outwardly therefrom. A pair of traction links extend longitudinally along each of the side frames, with each link being pivotally joined between respective ones of the journal boxes and the crank arms for carrying tension and compression loads therebetween. A pair of adjoining reaction arms extend longitudinally along each of the side frames, with each reaction arm having a proximal end fixedly joined to a respective one of the crankshafts, and distal ends thereof adjoining each other. The reaction arm distal ends are joined together for carrying lateral reaction loads therebetween upon rotation of the crankshafts while permitting differential longitudinal and pivotal movement between the adjoining distal ends. Traction loads are carried in turn through the end axles, journal boxes, traction links, and bellcranks to the side frames. The end axles are self-steering in a yaw direction so that yaw of the first end axle corotates together corresponding ones of the bellcranks on opposite sides of the frame which in turn corotates together the reaction arms joined thereto which cantilever to counterrotate together the adjoining reaction arms to counterrotate the bellcranks joined thereto to counter-yaw the second end axle.