Patent GB-970631-A (GB)
Title: Air film bearings,particularly for railway vehicles
IPC: F16C32/06
Filed: 1962-03-21
Abstract: 970,631. Bearings; friction brakes; fluid pressure brakes. A. P. PEDRICK. Jan. 10. 1963 [March 21, 1962], No. 10791/62. Headings F2A, F2E and F2F. [Also in Division B7] A fluid bearing for a vehicle &c. has a member rotatable about an axis, the member being supported by a layer of pressurized air which is supplied to a clearance between a housing and said member, the housing covering substantially half the effective circumference of said member. In an embodiment, a wheel 7, Figs. 1 and 2, is supported by a film of pressurized air in a housing 6, the air being supplied by a pipe 1 having an end terminating within a flanged bush 2. The latter is slidably mounted in a collar 3 which connects to a hole 5 formed in a plate 4 and the housing 6. Pressurized air is supplied to a chamber 8 formed between the plate 4 and the vehicle, via radial apertures in the pipe 1 and the bush 2; and air escapes from the chamber 8 via holes 10, 11 in the plate 4 and holes 12, 13 in the housing 6. Air is also supplied to bellows-chambers 16, 17 via radial bores 14, 15 connecting to the holes 12, 13, respectively, in the housing. In use, the housing 6 slides relatively to the plate 4 due to the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle so that the holes 10 or 11 in the plate 4 become aligned with the holes 12 or 13 in the housing and allow an increased quantity of air to flow therethrough, thus air can enter either the bellows 16 or 17 to offset the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle and restore alignment of the housing 6. Should the housing be raised, the radial holes in the pipe 1 and in the bush 2 are covered by the collar 3, so as to allow the full pressure to be applied through the hole 5 and on to the wheel 7 in order to restore equilibrium. The housing 6, being mounted between members 20, is movable longitudinally relatively to an outer easing 23 and alignment is restored by bellows 28-31 which are supplied with pressurized air by passages 24-27 connected to the air film between the wheel 7 and the housing 6. The housing 6 may be made pivotable by having each member 20 carried by a plate 21 which has a curved face in engagement with a correspondingly-shaped face of a supporting-plate 22. Wheels 7 may be used on railway rolling stock, for example. The air may be pressurized by a rotatable cam 43, Fig. 4, which is engaged by rollers 44 attached to piston-rods of pistons received by cylinders 46. This pressurized air may also serve to operate the braking system shown in Fig. 3 where the wheel 7 has a recess 32 therein to receive a disc 33 of friction material. The outer periphery of the disc 33 is in splined engagement with a drum 34 and a base of the disc 33 is splined to a shaft 39. Pressurized air is supplied by a pipe 35 to the base 38 of the shaft 39 and is passed through radial holes 40 therein which connect with a space 41 between the disc 33 and the drum 34. The disc 33 is forced against the wheel 7 and the drum 34 is forced axially against the housing so as to effect braking. Air drag of the train may be reduced by having attached thereto a structure 60, Fig. 8; plates 61, Figs. 3 and 7B; and plates 59, Fig. 7B. Emergency braking, in the event of breakage of the coupling between adjacent vehicles of the train, is achieved by the full weight of the uncoupled wagon being operative to brake the wheel discs 7 by direct contact with the housing 6 which is formed of a suitable hard-wearing friction material. Provision is made for air cooling of the brakes. Specifications 636,512 and 955,922 are referred to.