Patent GB-793437-A (GB)
Title: Articulated rail car with individually guided axles
Inventor: FURRER JOHN RUDOLPH
IPC: B61F3/12
Filed: 1955-05-05
Abstract: 793,437. Railway vehicles. ACF INDUSTRIES, Inc. May 5, 1955, No. 146/57. Divided out of 793,436. Class 103(6) A railway train consists of at least two cars, each comprising an intermediate unit F, Fig. 2, and two end units T pivotally secured at their inner ends to the adjacent ends of the unit F, which has two axles, while each unit T has one axle remote from the unit F. The movement of the axles of unit F is guided by means described in Specification 793,436, and the movement of the axle of each unit T is guided independently of its coupling to the adjacent car by interengaging linkage between adjacent cars, linkage of each car including a member 146, Figs. 6 and 7, pivotally connected to the car end and extending in a direction away from the coupler 125 and a member 176 pivotally connected to the car end and extending in a direction towards the coupler. Each car end has a horizontal rod 127 rotatably journalled in brackets 129, 130, the rod having downwardlyextending arms 132, 133. The arm 133 has a clevis at its lower end in which is pivotally mounted a rod 119 secured at its opposite end to a bracket 121 on yoke 51. The arm 132 has also a clevis at its lower end for mounting a clevis 138 which cooperates with a clevis 139 on a bracket to mount the buffing bar 146. Buffing bars on adjacent cars are secured together by an air line 178, 179 which passes through holes in the bars, one bar having a tapped hole to receive the threaded end of an air line fitting. As the car rounds a curve the buffing bar 146 moves about its pivot 144 resulting, through movement of arm 132, rod 127, arm 133 and rod 119 in movement of the axle structure to maintain the wheel flanges tangential to the track rails. The rod 127 at its outer end is bonded to a soft rubber mass which is bonded to a metal cover 151 bolted to the unit T, thereby providing a torsion spring, which maintains the buffing bar 146 in a position for easy connection to a co-operating buffer bar on an adjacent car. When one end unit T forms the end of the train, means are provided for locking the linkage so that the last axle is held perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the car. Each unit T has two wheels 23, Figs. 5 and 7 journalled on stub axles 32 secured to downwardly-extending arms 34 which are clamped to a transverse beam 37 to provide a drop axle structure. The body of the unit T is resiliently supported on the drop axle by strut members 39, each consisting of telescoping cylinders 41, 42 enclosing a coiled compressed spring. The cylinder 41 is pivotally mounted at 47 on a body bracket 49, a rubber bushing being provided on the pivot to allow substantial movement between the strut member 39 and the body. The lower cylinder 42 has a yoke member 51 pivotally secured to an arm 55 depending from the strut axle. The yoke member is also pivotally connected to the body by a hydraulic shock absorber 58, the mounting permitting some transverse and longitudinal movement of the end of the axle. The drop axle beam 37 is connected by a resilient pivot to a rod 63 pivoted to a body bracket 69. Lateral rolling movements of the body are damped by means of a torsion bar 70, Fig. 6, mounted at each end in a body bracket 71 and provided with longitudinally-extending arms 73 each connected through resilient pivots and a link 75 to a bracket on yoke member 51.