Patent GB-726539-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to articulated railway trains
IPC: B61F5/44
Filed: 1953-01-14
Abstract: 726,539. Underframe details of railway vehicles. PATENTES TALGO SOC. ANON. Jan. 14, 1953 [Feb. 23, 1952; Oct. 15, 1952], No. 1141/53. Class 103 (6). In an articulated train having pivoted car bodies mounted upon two-wheeled axles, wheel steering mechanism comprises a connection at one side of the axis of the train between each axle and the car body behind it, and a connection at the other side of the axis of the train between each axle and the car body ahead of it. The connections serve to keep the wheels parallel to the rails on straight and curved tracks and to provide a small negative angle of attack on the outer rail on entering curves. The arrangement is indicated in Fig. 9, in which the axle 12 is connected to a car 10 at point E by a rod 21 and to a car 11 at point D by a rod 20. When the car bodies are of equal length, the wheels are maintained parallel to the track by positioning points D, E so that their distances a, b from the central longitudinal axes of the train are equal. If the distance of the axle from the pivot point C<SP>1</SP> is m and the length of each car is L, the wheels may be maintained parallel to the track, if the ratio of b to a is In the use where the axle is normally below the pivot C<SP>1</SP>, and L 1  and L 2  are the lengths of the car bodies, the same result is obtained when the ratio of b to a is To prevent vertical and lateral movement of the car bodies on their springs from affecting the angular position of the axles, one of the rods 20, 21 may be replaced by two rods jointed together, as shown, for example, in Fig. 12, in which a point B at one side of the axle 12 is connected to the car 10 by a radius rod 21a and a steering rod 21b. These rods are connected by a pivotal joint 30 which has a short longitudinal movement on the car 11. In the arrangement shown from below in Fig. 7, the axle 12 is connected at one side to the car 11 by a radius rod 20 consisting of two rigid tubes 22 joined by side pieces 23. A similar radius rod 21a connects the axle to a steering rod 21b which at one end is pivoted to a transverse slide 40 on the bottom of the car 10, and at the other end is slotted for engagement with a pin 39<SP>1</SP> extending through a guideway 33<SP>1</SP> secured to the car 11. By varying the position of the slide 40 the angle made by the wheels with the rails may be varied. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 8, the floor of the car 10 has a projection 50 extending into a recess 51 in the floor of the car 11, and the floor of car 11 has a projection 52 extending into a recess 53 in the floor of car 10. The axle is connected at opposite sides to the projections and the connecting points D, E and the pivot point C<SP>1</SP> of the cars are all on a common transverse line. Centring means for the axle may comprise a torsion rod 17a, Fig. 3, mounted on the car 11 and having a depending arm 17b attached to the axle by a link 17c. In the construction shown in Fig. 14, the centring means comprises a slightly flexible rod 17d mounted between rubber blocks 17e secured to the bottom of the car 11. The outer end of the rod is pivotally attached to the axle at or near the point A where the radius rod 20 is attached. The weight of the end portions of adjacent cars is carried on the axle 12 by substantially vertical spring struts 15 with universal joints at their ends. Sliding weight-bearing connections d are provided between the two cars 10, 11. Specification 615,298 is referred to.