Railway wheel with integrated brake drum
OwnerMing Zhanginventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides novel railway wheel configurations with integrated brake drum dedicated to vehicle frictional braking, along with manufacturing method of the novel wheel and modification schemes for existing railway vehicle components. The novel wheel configurations with integrated brake drum improve thermal tolerances to brake shoe thermal input, enhances resistances to various thermal damages and increases effective thermal capacity of railway wheel used as a frictional brake component.
Claims14
A railway wheel for use with a railway vehicle brake mechanism, each said wheel comprising:
- a hub with an axial bore;
- an axially elongated annular tread defining a rim being generally concentric with said bore, said tread being engaged with a rail when the railway vehicle is in operation;
- a plate extending generally radially outward from said hub to said rim;
- a flange projecting radially outward from said rim near one edge of said rim, thereby defining backside of the wheel with said flange and front side of the wheel without said flange;
- and at least one annular and generally axially elongated brake drum being disposed by either side of the wheel, said brake drum being generally concentric with said bore and remaining substantially contact-free with said rail when the railway vehicle is in operation;
- said railway vehicle brake mechanism provided for each said wheel comprising:
- brake elements;
- a brake-element-engaging means that carries said brake elements and operable to engage brake elements with the peripheral surface of said wheel to brake rotation of said wheel thereby defining brake-element-engaged wheel surface;
- said brake-element-engaged wheel surface including at least partially the peripheral surface of said brake drum, thereby dividing the peripheral surface of said brake drum into engaged drum surface and unengaged drum surface.
A method for improving performance and reliability of a railway wheel being used as a frictional brake component in a railway vehicle, the method comprising,
- forming said railway wheel that comprises,
- a hub with an axial bore;
- an axially elongated annular tread defining a rim being generally concentric with said bore, said tread being engaged with a rail when the railway vehicle is in operation;
- a plate extending generally radially outward from said hub to said rim;
- a flange projecting radially outward from said rim near one edge of said rim, thereby defining backside of the wheel with said flange and front side of the wheel without said flange;
- and at least one annular and generally axially elongated brake drum being disposed by either side of the wheel, said brake drum being generally concentric with said bore and remaining substantially contact-free with said rail when the railway vehicle is in operation;
- providing a railway vehicle brake mechanism to be used with said wheel, said railway vehicle brake mechanism comprising,
- brake elements;
- a brake-element-engaging means that carries said brake elements and operable to engage brake elements with the peripheral surface of said wheel to brake rotation of said wheel thereby defining brake-element-engaged wheel surface;
- said brake-element-engaged wheel surface including at least partially the peripheral surface of said brake drum, thereby dividing the peripheral surface of said brake drum into engaged drum surface and unengaged drum surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.