Railways – Suspended – Single-rail type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-07
2001-01-30
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railways
Suspended
Single-rail type
C104S089000, C105S030000, C105S032000, C105S033000, C105S148000, C105S150000, C105S146000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178891
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to suspended trolley lines, and, more particularly, to suspension monorail trolleys.
A suspended line with an undercarriage guided along a profile rail is disclosed in German public-disclosure document DE 196 10 118 A1, published Sep. 19, 1996. The undercarriage essentially consists of a frame and a running wheel capable of being driven along the rail by an electric motor located on the frame of the undercarriage. The running wheel has a bearing surface which rolls in contact with an upper bearing surface of the profile rail to move the undercarriage along the rail. A supplemental rail is occasionally positioned parallel to the profile rail at least in areas where the profile rail deviates from horizontal. Frictional wheels are provided which roll in contact with both a surface of the supplemental rail and the bearing surface of the running wheel, thereby increasing the application force of the running wheel on the bearing surface of the profile rail and functioning as supplemental drive elements in areas where the supplemental rails are present. Two frictional wheels are provided for this which are located in front of and behind the axle of the running wheel and above the axis of the running wheel. The frictional wheels are each secured on the frame through toggle joints and are additionally connected with each other through a connecting rod connecting their axles. The connecting rod is located above the running wheel and extends in the direction of motion of the trolley. The axles of the frictional wheels are supported in the connecting rod and are movable along the rod in the direction of motion. This allows the frictional wheels, in cases of tolerance variations in the spacing between the bearing surface of the profile rail and the corresponding surface of the supplemental rail, to balance out the variations through movement towards each other or away from each other. This ensures a maintenance of the contact pressure of the running wheel on the surface of the profile rail, and of the frictional wheels on the supplemental rail. In order to achieve this, the axles of the auxiliary wheels impinge upon each other within the connecting rod through a spring element. Furthermore, the levers of the L-shaped toggle joint are connected with each other through spring elements or absorption elements, in order to avoid oscillations or vibrations of the Furthermore, the levers of the L-shaped toggle joint are connected with each other through spring elements or absorption elements, in order to avoid oscillations or vibrations of the frictional wheels when running along the supplemental rail. A secure fitting of the auxiliary frictional wheels on the running wheel should also provide for an averaging out of the contact pressure in all of the route sections of the trolley system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problem of creating a suspended line, especially a monorail, electric trolley line, such that the driven undercarriage has improved traction characteristics and is simultaneously simple in its construction and therefore particularly capable of being used in ascending and descending sections, is solved by the present invention.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an assembly unit is provided for use on an undercarriage of a suspended trolley line. The trolley line includes a running rail, a supplemental rail positioned at least occasionally along the running rail and substantially parallel to the running rail with a spacing therebetween and at least one undercarriage. The undercarriage has a front and a rear and includes a running wheel that is at least occasionally driven along the running rail to move the undercarriage therealong. The assembly unit comprises at least two frictional wheels positioned apart from each other and contacting the running wheel, a connecting element which guides the frictional wheels on the undercarriage and a spring element which braces each of the frictional wheels against the other. The assembly unit is guided on the undercarriage by a guide element such that it is movable about the running wheel between an operating position and a neutral position. In the neutral position, a front frictional wheel is movable to provide clearance from the supplemental rail. Conversely, while in the operating position, when the undercarriage is in an area of the trolley line where a supplemental rail is present, the frictional wheels contact both the supplemental rail and the running wheel, thereby exerting a pressure upon the running wheel. The assembly unit moves into the operating position by a rear frictional wheel contacting the supplemental rail.
According to another aspect of the invention, the guide element consists of a pin element located on the connecting element and a support element located on a frame of the undercarriage and having a curved opening therealong for engagement with the pin element. The curvature of the curved opening has a radius of curvature with a center of the radius being at a carrying axle of the running wheel of the undercarriage. This allows the assembly unit to pivot about the carrying axle of the running wheel between its neutral and operating positions.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the connecting element consists of a swinging part and an angled part. The parts are flexibly connected with each other at one end by a swivel pin. The spring element also connects an end of the angled part that is opposite the swivel pin to the swinging part. A second pin may further be located on the end of the angled part that is opposite to the swivel pin. This second pin engages a slot on the swinging part such that the angled part is pivotable relative to the swinging part.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5092249 (1992-03-01), Knuettel
patent: 5983803 (1999-11-01), Eberle
patent: 2454276B2 (1977-11-01), None
patent: 8910633 U (1990-01-01), None
patent: 4206493A1 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 196 10 118 A1 (1996-09-01), None
patent: 2291074 (1996-06-01), None
patent: 3829324 (1990-03-01), None
Ostholt R{umlaut over (u)}diger
Weber Sigurd Volker
Jules Frantz
Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
Morano S. Joseph
Van Dyke Gardner, Linn & Burkhart, LLP
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