Under-frame structure

Details Under-frame structure Under-frame structure

1998-11-17

2001-01-09

Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)

Railway draft appliances

Couplings

Glass table

C105S003000, C105S004100, C105S008100, C105S176000, C280S441100, C280S403000, C280S494000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06170682

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel under-frame structure which is applicable with advantage to a coupler of a low-floor articulated car, typically a streetcar.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9
is a schematic plan view for explaining the principle of the under-frame structure of the conventional articular joint. The conventional under-frame comprises a bearing outer ring
51
secured rigidly to a first particular member projecting from a first car C
1
toward a second car C
2
and a bearing inner ring
52
having a pair of mounting segments
53
,
53
adapted to hold a coupling shaft
54
, a second articular member
55
projecting from the second car C
2
toward the first car C
1
to grip said coupling shaft
54
, whereby the first and second cars C
1
, C
2
are coupled through a bearing
50
.
However, since this conventional under-frame is of a construction such that the bearing
50
and the coupling shaft mounting segments
53
,
53
are simply stacked up, a considerable difference in level is inevitable between the first articular member and the second articular member, with the result that the surface level of the floor on which passengers set their feet cannot be sufficiently lowered.
However, particularly in the case of a streetcar, the floor level is preferably as low as possible from the consideration of the ease of boading and unboading by elderly or physically handicapped passengers.
In view of the above demand, the present invention has for its object to provide an under-frame structure which does not present a strength problem or interfere with coupler performance and, yet, makes it possible to lower the level of the floor on which passengers set their feet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Developed to meet the above demand, the present invention provides an under-frame structure which comprises a first coupling member secured rigidly to a first car and projecting from said first car toward a second car, a bearing inner ring disposed on the upper side of said first coupling member and secured rigidly thereto, a bearing outer ring disposed through a roller means on the outer peripheral side of said bearing inner ring, a coupling intermediate member which is positioned on the upper side of said bearing outer ring and to which said bearing outer ring is rigidly secured, and a second coupling member which is rigidly secured to said second car and projects from said second car toward said first car to grip the mounting arm of said coupling intermediate member, said mounting arm of said coupling intermediate member being formed integrally with a generally discoid body segment of said coupling intermediate member but positioned below the top end face of said body segment and projecting radially outwardly from either side of said body segment.
The present invention is characterized in that instead of the use of a coupling shaft in the prior art, a coupling intermediate member having a generally discoid body segment and a mounting arm projecting radially outwardly from either side of said body segment is employed. In this coupling intermediate member (referred to briefly as a bearing step in the embodiment), the mounting arms are positioned below the top end face of the body segment so that the floor level can be lowered as compared with the prior art. In other words, since the under-frame of the invention employs a coupling intermediate member comprising a generally discoid segment and a mounting arm projecting from either side thereof as a unit, the floor level of the car can be lowered without presenting a strength problem or interfering with coupler performance.
In the present invention, the body segment of the coupling intermediate member is preferably centrally displaced in an axially upward direction to form a flat top end face. Moreover, preferably the second coupling member has a pair of articular members which, through bearings, grip the mounting arms of said coupling intermediate member. More preferably, the articular member is formed with a flat top end face and the top end face of the body segment and that of the articular member are formed at the same level and coincide with the bottom end face of the floor members of said first and second cars.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4781123 (1988-11-01), Yoshihara
patent: 5906164 (1999-05-01), Bildtsen
patent: 0279245 (1988-08-01), None

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