| Emergency pneumatic spring with centering action -> Monitor Keywords |
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 Emergency pneumatic spring with centering actionRelated Patent Categories: Railway Rolling Stock, Trucks, Bogie, Sprung Bolster, Pneumatic SpringThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060180048. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims priority from PCT Patent Application No. PCT/AT2004/000249 filed Jul. 12, 2004, which in turn claims priority from Austrian Patent Application No. A 1084/2003 filed Jul. 15, 2003. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to rail vehicles and more particularly to a pneumatic spring for a rail vehicle. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Usually, pneumatic springs LUF are arranged between a bogie DRE and a freight car body WKA of a rail vehicle. Such an arrangement or execution of a pneumatic spring as it is known in the state of the art is illustrated by way of example in FIG. 1. Naturally, the spring LUF can also be filled with a gaseous medium other than air, which is why the term "pneumatic spring" in this document quite generally refers to a gas spring. The known pneumatic spring LUF displays an air bellow LBA arranged between two bellow rims BF1, BF2 usually made of steel. Pneumatic spring LUF is connected with the freight car body WKA or with the bogie DER via the bellow rims BF1, BF2. Usually, an emergency spring NOT is provided, for example, a rubber layer spring between pneumatic spring LUF and the bogie, where the two bellow rims BF1, BF2 are usually made in the shape of plates. [0004] Transversal forces occurring during operation are absorbed by the pneumatic spring LUF and the emergency spring NOT, and a transversal movement of the freight car body WKA is usually limited by transversal buffers QPU, QPU' that cooperate with a stop ANS (FIG. 2). In known bogie designs, which employ pneumatic springs LUF with sliding plates GLP for emergency operation when the pneumatic spring LUF fails, its transversal rigidity is almost completely eliminated, as a result of which the transversal travel of the freight car body WKA in the hysteresis of sliding friction is undefined. [0005] This means that the upper and lower bellow rims BF1, BF2 can, within the transversal sliding friction hysteresis, assume any undefined position with respect to each other (FIG. 3), as a result of which the running performance of the rail vehicle SFZ will deteriorate or the permissible limitation profile can be impaired. [0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to minimize the transversal friction hysteresis as much as possible when the pneumatic spring fails. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] This problem is solved according to the invention with a pneumatic spring for a rail vehicle that comprises two bellow rims that are arranged above each other and that are connected with each other via an air bellow when in an assembled state. One of the bellow rims has a groove, while the other one of the bellow rims has a counterpiece for the groove for the purpose of the automatic centering in the lateral direction of the vehicle of the two bellow rims with respect to each other in case the pneumatic spring has failed. [0008] It is to the credit of the invention that it ensures a defined middle position of the two bellow rims with respect to each other even if the pneumatic spring fails because, in case of a failure of the pneumatic spring and the resultant settling or sinking of the upper bellow rim upon the lower bellow rim, the counterpiece and the groove can be made to engage each other. As a result of the cooperation of the groove with its counterpiece, one can greatly restrict the relative motion of the two bellow rims with respect to each other in the lateral direction of the vehicle. In the case of the invention-based solution, one can thus substantially eliminate the friction hysteresis by means of the self-centering groove and its counterpiece. [0009] In a preferred variant of the invention, the groove is arranged on the bellow rim that, when in the assembled state, lies above the other bellow rim, whereby for certain pneumatic spring systems, the alignment of the groove downward can also be advantageous. Furthermore, at least one of the bellow rims can display at least one sliding element. [0010] Advantageously, the groove displays an essentially triangular or trapezoidal cross-section. In particular, all sliding elements are made as level surfaces, as a result of which there can develop a relatively large-surface contact between the sliding surface and the countersurface, something that has a positive effect on the service life. Furthermore, the groove and the counterpiece can essentially be designed in a congruent fashion with respect to each other. Moreover, the groove can be bent, whereby the bend is advantageously adapted to the turnout movement. The counterpiece can basically have the shape of a cone, although it also can have some other shape. [0011] Optimized centering of the two bellow rims in case of a failure of the pneumatic spring can be achieved in the following manner: The apex of the groove and the counterpiece will extend essentially along a longitudinal midplane of its particular associated bellow rim. If the groove has a triangular cross-section, then sliding elements are disposed on a central portion of the facing surfaces of the upper and lower bellow rims, or one thereof, for the purpose of centering the two bellow rims in case the pneumatic spring has failed, whereas other, like sliding elements disposed on lateral portions of the facing surfaces of the upper and lower bellow rims, or one thereof, are provided to absorb vertical stresses. [0012] If the groove, on the other hand, has a trapezoidal cross-section, then there are provided sliding elements centrally on the upper and/or lower bellow rim for the purpose of absorbing vertical stresses in case the pneumatic spring has failed, whereas other sliding elements are provided laterally on the upper and/or lower bellow rim for the purpose of centering the two bellow rims. The functioning mode of the sliding plates is thus separated into a carrying row and a centering row. This separation of functions takes place as a result of the suitable choice of the tolerances and prevents the unnecessary jamming of the centering sliding plates. [0013] The service life is extended because the sliding elements display level sliding surfaces. The optimized design of the sliding plates facilitates a central air connection without which the sliding elements run over the air connection borehole, whereby the upper bellow rim, when in an assembled state, displays an air connection that is arranged centrally upon it, and the sliding elements, provided for the centering of the two bellow rims, can advantageously be made slanted on their corners that face toward the air connection, to prevent the opening from being covered up. [0014] The abovementioned problem is solved according to the invention also with a rail vehicle of the kind mentioned initially in that at least one pneumatic spring is arranged between the bogie and the freight car body. The alignment of the groove in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the direction of movement) facilitates a sliding action due to the turnout motion of the bogie when moving along an arc with simultaneous maintenance of the groove centering action. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the invention. In the drawings: [0016] FIGS. 1 to 3 are PRIOR ART elevation views of a rail vehicle representation showing a bogie and a freight car body of a rail vehicle with pneumatic springs; [0017] FIG. 4 is a basic sketch of a rail vehicle having the present invention; [0018] FIG. 5 is a partial top view of a bellow rim of the pneumatic spring of the present invention; [0019] FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the pneumatic spring of FIG. 5; Continue reading... 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