Railway rolling stock – Trains – Articulated
Utility Patent
1998-12-29
2001-01-02
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railway rolling stock
Trains
Articulated
C105S004100, C105S008100, C280S400000
Utility Patent
active
06167814
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a running stabilizing linkage system for the joints of an articulated car consisting of 3 coaches each having only one underframe, with front and rear coaches B, A interconnected by a relatively short intermediate coach C, which system is designed to prevent jolt of the car, particularly pitching of coach C.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among lightweight railroad cars such as streetcars which are represented by the two-coach articulated car, there is a car such that its front coach B and rear coach A are interconnected by an articular structure supported on an underframe. While coach B has an underframe only at its front part, coach A has an underframe only at its rear part, and the two coaches B and A are held in a horizontal position by the underframe disposed at the joint. Thus, in such a 3-coach, low-floor articulated car, the coaches are balanced in a horizontal position on the three underframes.
However, the conventional 3-coach, low-floor articulated car has the disadvantage that the jolt of the car, particularly pitching (jolt due to rotation about a transverse axis) of coach C, is inevitable, with the result that the comfort of passengers taking the seats in coach C is adversely affected.
The present invention, therefore, has for its object to provide a “running stabilizing linkage system for the joints of coaches” which prevents jolt of a car, particularly pitching of coach C when applied to the joints of an articulated car such that its front and rear coaches are interconnected by a comparatively short intermediate coach C.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the above disadvantages, the running stabilizing linkage system of the present invention for the joints of a 3-coach articulated car of such a type that its front and rear coaches are interconnected by a comparatively short coach C comprises a link holder disposed in the center in plan view of the coach C in such a manner that it may rotate about a vertical axis, connecting rods with one ends thereof connected to said link holder in radially equi-spaced positions from the center of said link holder in such a manner that said respective ends of connecting rods are rotatable each about a vertical axis, and link brackets disposed in transversely central positions at the ends of said front and rear coaches which are closer to said coach C in such a manner that the other end of each connecting rod may be rotatable about a vertical axis.
As a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to a running stabilizing linkage system which, in addition to the above construction, is further characterized in that said link holder is rotatably supported by a ball bearing on top of coach C, with each transverse side of said link holder being connected to one end of the corresponding connecting rod through a spherical bearing and the other end of said connecting rod being connected through a spherical bearing to the link bracket disposed at the top of the end portion of the front or rear coach which is closer to said coach C.
More preferably, the present invention provides a running stabilizing linkage system which, in addition to either of the above constructions, is further characterized in that said car is a low-floor-level articulated car.
With the running stabilizing linkage system according to the present invention, jolt of the car, particularly pitching of coach C, can be prevented.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4473127 (1984-09-01), Faust et al.
patent: 5197392 (1993-03-01), Jeunehomme
patent: 5372073 (1994-12-01), Cattani
patent: 5377597 (1995-01-01), Richter et al.
patent: 5953997 (1999-09-01), Andre et al.
Shinya Masanori
Sugimoto Yoshitaka
Ueta Kozo
Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd.
Morano S. Joseph
Olson Lars A.
Vedder Price Kaufman & Kammholz
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