Suspension system for rail vehicles

A bogie for a rail vehicle comprising at least two wheel sets each consisting of an axle and a plurality of wheels and a bogie frame joining said wheel sets together in operative relationship, said bogie frame being formed with an H-shaped configuration consisting of a cross member and arm members extending therefrom, said arm members having attached at the ends thereof said wheel set axles, said bogie frame operating to provide the primary spring suspension means acting between said wheel set axles and said cross member to effect vertically resilient suspension of respective wheel set axles relative to said cross member, said bogie frame being constructed with said cross member and said arm members made completely of fiber-reinforced material joined together to form said bogie frame as a unitary member, with said cross member having a relatively rigid structure and with said arm members being formed with a more resilient structure taken relative to said cross member;

• said arm members being formed as integral units of fiber-reinforced material which function as said primary spring suspension means of said bogie;
• said fiber-reinforced structure of said bogie frame thereby functioning simultaneously as a frame member supporting said wheel sets maintaining them in guided relationship relative to each other and as the primary spring suspension means of said bogie.