Device for pivotal connection of neighboring car bodies of a rail vehicle, especially for commuter traffic

In the device for pivotally connecting neighboring car bodies of a rail vehicle, especially for commuter traffic, each car body (1,2) is supported by a ball-and-socket joint (6) on a common swiveling railway truck (4). The swiveling railway truck (4) carries a central portal (3) between the car bodies and the central portal (3) is coupled kinematically by means of a swiveling linkage mechanism with them in the vicinity of a roof of the car bodies. The swiveling linkage mechanism includes car body arms (7) pivotally connected to the car bodies (1,2) and central portal arms (8) pivotally connected with the central portal (3) and with the car body arms (7). Both car bodies (1,2) and the central portal (3) form lower legs of two kite-shaped quadrilateral linkages and the car body arms (7) and the central portal arms (8) form the upper legs of the quadrilateral linkages. Both central portal arms (8) are guided with the help of a control device (10,11) mounted on the central portal so that they take identical angles (.alpha.) in relation to the vertical axis of the central portal (3).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to devices for connecting the neighboring car 
bodies of a vehicle that travels on rails and, more particularly, to means 
for connecting rail car bodies used for local traffic. 
In the device for pivotal connection of neighboring rail car bodies, 
especially for local or commuter traffic, each car body is supported by a 
ball-and-socket joint on a common swiveling railway truck, and a central 
portal is arranged between the car bodies and coupled kinematically with 
them by a swiveling linkage mechanism in the vicinity of the roof. 
One device with the above-described features has been embodied in a special 
metropolitan transit car and is part of the state of the art. The central 
portal operates to connect bellows that cover the pivotal connection 
region. In order to attain as equal shaped sections of the covering 
bellows as possible on both sides of the central portal during travel 
around rail curves, hollows and domes, angle-bisecting positions in 
relation to both bounding car bodies are desired for the central portal. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for pivotal 
connection of neighboring car bodies of a rail-traveling vehicle of the 
above-described kind, which is formed in a simple and compact manner, so 
that the angle between the central portal and the respective car bodies is 
exactly halved or bisected in all travel situations. 
This object and others which will be made more apparent hereinafter is 
attained in a device for pivotally connecting neighboring rail car bodies, 
especially for local or commuter traffic, in which each car body is 
supported by a ball-and-socket joint on a common swiveling railway truck 
and a central portal is arranged between the car bodies and coupled 
kinematically with them by a swiveling linkage mechanism in the vicinity 
of the roof of the car bodies. 
According to the invention the swiveling linkage mechanism for 
kinematically coupling the central portal with the car bodies in the 
vicinity of the roof comprises two central portal arms pivotally connected 
to the central portal in the vicinity of the roof, car body arms pivotally 
connected to the respective car bodies in the vicinity of the roof and a 
control device connected with the central portal arms and the car body 
arms to guide the central portal arms so that the central portal arms each 
take identical angles in relation to a vertical axis of the central 
portal. 
The central portal arms of the central portal are pivotally connected to 
the respective car body arms to form upper members of two 
three-dimensional kite-shaped quadrilateral linkages and the car bodies 
and central portal form lower members of the two three-dimensional 
kite-shaped quadrilateral linkages. 
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described in more detail in the 
dependent claims and in the detailed description appended hereinbelow. 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the control device comprises a 
central transmission arm pivotally mounted on the central portal about a 
vertical transmission arm rotation axis passing through a central portion 
of the transmission arm and respective connecting rods having ball joints 
at opposite ends thereof pivotally connecting the connecting rods with 
respective opposite ends of the central transmission arm and with the 
central portal arms. Advantageously ball joints may be used for the 
pivotal connection of the car body arms and the central portal arms.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In the drawing the two neighboring car bodies 1 and 2 of the rail-traveling 
vehicle are represented only with their frame end portions. These frame 
ends have a bearing bracket, in which an upper part of a ball-and-socket 
joint 6 is mounted. The lower part (ball socket) of this ball-and-socket 
joint 6 is held in a respective bearing bracket of a central portal 3. The 
central portal 3 is supported by an air spring 5 on a swiveling railway 
truck 4 on both car ends. Also the central portal 3 is connected by an 
unshown connecting member, for example a pivot or stop, to the swiveling 
railway truck 4. The car bodies 1 and 2 can therefore move in several 
planes relative to each other in the manner described hereinbelow 
indirectly on the common swiveling railway truck. 
The car bodies 1 and 2 and the central portal 3 are kinematically coupled 
in the following manner by a connecting mechanism in the vicinity of the 
roof or the upper part of the rail vehicle. Each car body 1 and 2 has a 
car body arm 7. The central portal 3 has two central portal arms 8. All 
these arms 7 and 8 are pivotally connected on a horizontal rotation axis 
to the car bodies 1 and 2 and/or to the central portal 3. One car body arm 
7 and one central portal arm 8 respectively are connected pivotally by a 
ball joint 9. A central transmission arm 11 is pivotally mounted on the 
central portal 3 so that it rotates about a vertical rotation axis. The 
transmission arm 11 is coupled by connecting rods 10 with respective 
central portal arms 8 by pivot joint at the ends of the transmission arm 
11. The pivot joint at each end of the arms of the connecting rod can be a 
ball joint. 
In alternative embodiments not shown in the drawing the foregoing purely 
mechanical parts may be replaced by drive means. For example, they may be 
replaced by hydraulic or electrical parts for the purposes of control and 
adjustment. 
As is especially apparent from the diagrammatic view in FIG. 5, both car 
bodies 1 and 2 and the central portal 3 form the lower part or legs of two 
three-dimensional kite-shaped quadrilaterals (deltoids). The upper parts 
of these quadrilaterals comprise pairs of car body arms 7 and central 
portal arms 8. 
The central portal arm 8 takes the same identical angle .alpha. relation to 
the vertical axis of the central portal 3 in the sense of desired angle 
bisecting positions of the central portal 3 between the car bodies 1 and 2 
both during travel around a curve and also in travel through a depression 
and over a hill or dome. It is understood that this angle .alpha. takes 
other numerical values .alpha.1 and .alpha.2 in the situations shown in 
FIGS. 3 and 4. Of course in these situations both angles .alpha.1=.alpha.1 
and also .alpha.2=.alpha.2 are also equal. 
Parts List 
1 car body frame end portion (right) 
2 car body frame end portion (right) 
3 central portal with bearing bracket 
4 swiveling railway truck 
5 air spring 
6 ball-and-socket joint 
7 car body arm 
8 central portal arm 
9 ball joint between 7 and 8 
10 connecting rod with ball joints at each end 
11 transmission arm with central pivot axis 
.alpha. angle between the central portal arm 8 and the vertical axis of the 
central portal 3. 
The disclosure in German Patent Application 198 19 927.9 of May 5, 1998 is 
incorporated here by reference. This German Patent Application describes 
the invention described hereinabove and claimed in the claims appended 
hereinbelow and provides the basis for a claim of priority for the instant 
invention under 35 U.S.C. 119. 
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a 
device for pivotal connection of neighboring car bodies of a rail vehicle, 
especially for commuter traffic, it is not intended to be limited to the 
details shown, since various modifications and changes may be made without 
departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of 
the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, 
readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, 
from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential 
characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention. 
What is claimed is new and is set forth in the following appended claims: