Land vehicles – Body elevation or tilt
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-30
2001-03-13
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Body elevation or tilt
C280S006155, C105S199200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199875
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to vehicles whose bogies tilt to compensate for insufficient banking, and more particularly to tilting apparatus having actuators, and to a tilting bogie having actuators.
Document EP 0 189 382 relates to links between the bogies and the underframe of a rail vehicle.
FIG. 5
of that prior art document shows a rail vehicle in which each bogie tilts to compensate for insufficient banking by applying a heeling angle to an inclination cross-member and thus to the body of the vehicle.
Such compensation by tilting is obtained by means of tilting apparatus having connection rods.
That prior art tilting apparatus having connection rods includes an inclination cross-member disposed in a bogie underframe and suspended by means of connection rods.
The tilting movement between the inclination cross-member and the bogie underframe is obtained by the presence of balls at the ends of the connection rods.
As described in that prior art document, primary suspensions are disposed between the bogie underframe and the axle boxes, secondary suspensions are disposed between the inclination cross-member and the body of the vehicle.
In such prior art tilting apparatus having connection rods, the drive forces between the bogie underframe and the body of the vehicle are taken up by the connection rods.
A drawback of the prior art tilting apparatus is the lack of empty volume in the central portion of the bogie.
Another drawback of the prior art tilting apparatus is its high cost and weight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide tilting apparatus and a tilting bogie that do not suffer from the drawbacks of prior art tilting apparatus and of prior art tilting bogies.
According to the invention, the tilting apparatus for tilting a body of a vehicle, which apparatus is disposed in a bogie underframe, secondary suspensions being disposed under said body of the vehicle, is characterized in that it comprises first and second tilt-control actuators disposed rigidly and vertically in said bogie, said secondary suspensions lying under said body of said vehicle and on said tilt-control actuators, a re-centering actuator secured via one of its ends to the bogie underframe and via its other end to said body of the vehicle, and an anti-roll bar disposed under said body, said tilting apparatus being provided neither with an inclination cross-member, nor with cross-member suspension connection rods.
The tilting apparatus of the invention also satisfies at least one of the following characteristics:
said anti-roll bar comprises a transverse bar and two vertical connection rods, said transverse bar being disposed under said body and the free ends of said vertical connection rods being disposed in the bottom portion of said secondary suspensions;
said anti-roll bar comprises a transverse bar and two vertical connection rods, said transverse bar being disposed in the bottom portion of said secondary suspensions, and the free ends of said vertical connection rods being disposed under said body;
said tilt-control actuators are hydraulically controlled;
the lower chambers of said control actuators are interconnected by means of a hydraulic link;
said tilt-control actuators are electromechanically controlled; and
said secondary suspensions are provided with supports.
According to the invention, the tilting bogie is characterized in that it includes tilting apparatus according to any of the preceding characteristics.
An advantage of the tilting apparatus and of the tilting bogie of the invention is that the weight per bogie is reduced by an amount approximately in the range 300 kg to 500 kg.
Another advantage of the tilting apparatus and of the tilting bogie of the invention is to enable railcars to be brought level with platforms by adjusting the positions of the control actuators.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4069767 (1978-01-01), Glaze
patent: 5255611 (1993-10-01), Schneider
patent: 5636576 (1997-06-01), Gimenez et al.
patent: 37 199 907 A1 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 42 41 929 A1 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 0 189 382 A2 (1986-07-01), None
patent: 0 736 438 A2 (1996-10-01), None
Fleming Faye M.
GEC Alsthom Transport SA
Johnson Brian L.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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