System for reprofiling a wheel set of a railway vehicle
AssigneeSimmons Machine Tool Corporation
InventorsMichael H. CHU, James G. OTTON, Eric S. BUTLER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for reprofiling a wheel set of a railway vehicle allows the center of rotation of the wheel set to move relative to supporting rollers. A cutting tool used to reprofile the wheel profile on a wheel set is moved relative to the center of rotation of the wheel set to maintain a constant distance between the center of rotation and the cutter. The system avoids mechanically forcing a constant location of the wheel set relative to the center of rotation.
Claims20
A method of reprofiling a wheel set of a railway vehicle comprising:
- disposing the wheel set on one or more rollers;
- determining a center of rotation of a wheel on the wheel set;
- determining a desired constant distance between a cutting tool and the center of rotation of the wheel;
- rotating the wheel;
- allowing the center of rotation of the wheel to move relative to the one or more rollers;
- activating the cutting tool to mill a profile on the wheel;
- and
- moving the cutting tool towards the constant distance between the cutting tool and the center of rotation of the wheel.
An apparatus for reprofiling a wheel set of a railway vehicle comprising:
- a milling station having one or more rollers configured to support the wheel set while allowing a center of rotation of the wheel to move relative to the one or more rollers;
- a cutting tool operatively connected to the milling station, the cutting tool being moveable relative to said one or more rollers and positioned to mill a profile onto a wheel of the wheel set;
- a tracking device connected to the milling station to track the position of the center of rotation;
- and
- a control system connected to said milling station and said tracking device, the control system configured to control the position of the cutting tool relative to the center of rotation and to facilitate movement of the cutting tool towards a constant distance from the center of rotation.
A method of reprofiling a wheel of a railway vehicle comprising:
- rotating a wheel set while allowing a center of rotation of a wheel of the wheel set to move vertically;
- and
- cutting the wheel to mill a profile on the wheel while moving the cutting tool towards the center of rotation of the wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.