Railway rolling stock – Trains – Articulated
Patent
1986-01-17
1987-10-06
Reese, Randolph A.
Railway rolling stock
Trains
Articulated
105 42, 105 81, 1051995, 105453, 188 59, 267 3, 280403, 280415B, B61D 1720
Patent
active
046975268
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to articulated tramway carriages, and more particularly to a system for connecting together two depressed-floor carriages by means of an articulation system which allows them to follow a curved path and allows the passengers to pass through the articulated zone along a walking surface at the same level as the depressed floor of the two carriages.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The fact that the walking surface is at a low level facilitates passenger entry and exit, thus reducing on the one hand passenger fatigue and on the other hand the halt time for their entry into the carriage, with consequent reduction in the commercial speed.
Carriages comprising two bogies with a depressed floor in the zone between the two bogies have been constructed and are in service, but the depressed floor part represents only a limited proportion of the carriage floor lying between the parts which are raised above the two end bogies.
Recently, in order to construct articulated tramcars with a depressed floor in the zone between the two motorized end bogies, use has been made of articulated systems comprising a conventional bogie with very small wheels which is disposed in proximity to the articulated connection, or comprising a traditional bogie with idle wheels and a very low central thrust bearing.
The currently known articulation systems with a depressed floor have numerous drawbacks, including the following. to reach a level above the rail which allows entry to the carriage without the aid of at least one raisable or retractable step structure. The result is that the ease and speed of entry of the passengers is only slightly increased, and with it the commercial speed, due to the presence of two step rises for entry purposes. pavements are provided at stopping points. structure so that it cannot be retracted or raised, with the danger of it being able to drag the passenger along when the carriage moves. both with regard to the wheel loading capacity and with regard to derailment due to the reduced guiding capacity of the wheel flange in reduced-pitch bogies. difficult because of the small diameters of the discs themselves, which have to satisfy the prescribed clearances from the rail level. practically impossible to use elasticized wheels with rubber inserts because of wheel heating on braking.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to substantially improve the method of construction, operation, maintenance and utilization with respect to currently known systems, so obviating the aforesaid drawbacks by providing an articulation system for connecting together two or more bodies in such a manner as to maintain the walking surface at the same level even when passing over the articulated connection, to thus increase the proportion of depressed floor of the assembly, and enable the carriage walking surface to be lowered to a height above the rail level such as to allow direct access to the carriage, thus eliminating the retractable or raisable step structure.
More particularly, the invention relates to an articulation system for articulated depressed-floor tramway carriages with at least two bodies, the opposing ends of which are articulatedly connected together to maintain substantial continuity of the waling surface and are supported by wheels at or adjacent to the articulation zone, said system being characterized in that the end of each body is supported on its own axle provided with idle wheels, and in that the opposing bodies and the relative axles are connected together by means of a drawbar, slidable connections and/or connecting rods to jointly form a bogie with a non-rigid frame.
Preferably, each axle has a configuration, when viewed in a vertical plane, which is substantially in the form of a double swan-neck with a depressed central zone provided with a seat for rotatably supporting the relative body.
Preferably, each axle supports a substantially semi-cylindrical structure connected to the symmetrical structure supported by the other axle
REFERENCES:
patent: 2109276 (1938-02-01), Pflager
patent: 2217034 (1940-10-01), Van Dorn
patent: 2859978 (1958-11-01), Brimhall
patent: 2901240 (1959-08-01), Fikse
patent: 2908229 (1959-10-01), Furrer
patent: 3826507 (1974-07-01), Brand et al.
patent: 3961582 (1976-06-01), Paton et al.
patent: 3974780 (1976-08-01), Estrada
patent: 4579063 (1986-04-01), Losa et al.
Fallow Charles W.
Officina Meccanica della Stanga O.M.S. S.p.A.
Reese Randolph A.
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